Gambling on a Dream

by Sara Walter Ellwood

  “Goodnight,” she said as he turned away and headed down the hall. Was she the only one who saw the double meaning in his words? What would happen next, not only with the case, but with them? As he disappeared down the stairs, she whispered to herself, “Why are you doing this, Wyatt?”

  Shaking her head as the light in the hall went off from below, she entered his bedroom and sucked in a deep breath. Beside the bed, a heavy oak dresser sat against the wall. The moon shimmered through the bowed window, and a box of books sat on the window seat.

  She went to the suitcase on the bed and rifled through her mother’s borrowed clothes for something she could wear to bed. A new pack of underwear, socks, two white blouses, a pair of dressy black jeans. “Damn, Mom, how could you forget night clothes?”

  She sat on the edge of the bed and pulled out a pair of the underwear. Thank goodness, her mother had a new pack lying around. She’d have to make do with the bra she wore until she could get to the store to buy new clothes. Bra size was the only size she and her mother didn’t share.

  She had to find something to wear to bed. Without thinking about it, she went to the closet door and opened it. A narrow shelving unit divided the space in half with Wyatt’s clothes hanging on the right. She could easily imagine the closet shared by a husband and wife. Swallowing at the sudden lump, she remembered when she and Wyatt shared his closet in Dallas.

  She reached for one of his shirts and held it up to her nose. His musky scent mingled with the clean fragrance of fabric softener. How many times had she worn his shirts to bed?

  With a sniff, she took the shirt off the hanger and closed the door. She’d feel better after a hot shower and a good night’s sleep.

  She put the shirt on the bed and reached into her jeans pocket, pulling out the scraps of the sonogram photo. Refusing to let grief wreck her again, she pieced the bits together on the dresser top. She’d tape them when she got the chance. Of all the photos she’d collected, this was the only one she had to save.

  She gently touched the blurry white image of her son's tiny face. “Oh, angel baby, I love you.”

  Sniffing again, she picked up her borrowed clothes and headed for the bathroom before the tears could start flowing.

  * * * *

  “Where’s Wyatt?” Dawn’s throat hurt as she opened her eyes and tried to focus on the hospital room. The beeping of a machine thundered in her ears.

  Her mother feathered her fingertips over Dawn's forehead. “He’s not here, sweetheart.”

  Her chest hurt. Why was she in the hospital? “What happened? Where’s Wyatt?”

  Mom glanced away. “He’s not hurt if that’s what you’re asking. He’s working.” She took Dawn’s hand and met her gaze again. Tears filled Mom’s eyes, and Dawn had a sinking feeling. “Do you remember what happened?”

  She shook her head. “Not really.”

  “Sweetheart, you were shot in the chest and had surgery to remove the bullet.”

  As the memory of being shot came back to her, Dawn groaned and looked around the room again.

  Her father stood by the end of her bed with his hat in his hands. “Wyatt was the father of your baby?”

  Mom looked over her shoulder at Dad. “Tom, not now.”

  He came around to the other side of the bed. “She’s got to know.” Dad pulled a stool over and sat next to her bed. Clearing his throat, he took her other hand.

  If they knew about the baby, did Wyatt know too? “Know what?”

  “Sweetpea, you lost the baby,” Dad huskily said, and Mom cried as she squeezed Dawn’s hand.

  Pain shot through her as sharp as when the bullet had hit her. “No.” She sobbed and pulled her hands from her parents’ grips. Grabbing at her lower belly, she shook her head. “No, not my baby boy.”

  “Wyatt didn’t know, did he?” Mom’s voice trembled with her tears.

  Dawn shook her head. “I didn’t know how to tell him. We never talked about kids or even the future. I got pregnant the first week we were together.”

  “How long were you together?” Dad wiped away her tears with a rough thumb.

  “Five months. Oh, God, that’s why he’s not here. He found out about the baby and…” She couldn’t say the words.

  “He’s left, sweetheart. He told me he couldn’t believe you would’ve done this.” Her mother’s pain-filled voice pounded what was left of her heart to dust.

  Dawn jerked awake and sat up in bed. For a moment, she didn’t know where she was. Sucking in a breath, she lay back and glanced at the clock. Six-thirty. Thank God, morning had finally arrived. The night had been filled with bad dreams.

  She tossed off the covers and sat on the edge of the bed. Her bare feet hitting the cold wood floor caused a shiver to slither down her spine, and she had to go to the bathroom.

  After using the toilet, she washed her hands and splashed cool water on her face. As she dried herself on a hand towel, she met her reflection in the mirror. Her eyes were red and slightly sunken from lack of sleep, but she’d be okay once she got some coffee in her system. The bandage on her forehead was loose on one side, so she removed it and gently washed the neat line of small dark stitches. She could go without covering it for now.

  She left the bathroom and heard a grunt in the room across the hall. Curious, she peeked around the doorframe. Her breath caught in her throat at the sight greeting her. Wyatt, dressed in only a pair of shorts, faced the window and lifted free weights. He grunted as his right arm and shoulder flexed as he lifted the large barbell. After lowering the right arm, he curled his left. Sweat glistened over his back, and the damp tips of his chestnut hair curled. How long had he been working out?

  Heat simmered in her belly and tingled through her. She had to turn away, but she couldn’t. All she wanted was him.

  He must have either heard her gasp or sensed her. Turning, he set the weights on the floor and grabbed a towel off the treadmill. After he wiped his face, he picked up a water bottle and chugged.

  “I’m sorry.” She turned to go back to the bedroom before she did something irrevocably stupid.

  “That’s my shirt.”

  His husky voice stopped her. Damn, how could she have forgotten she was dressed in only his shirt? She looked down at the row of pearl snaps. The bottom hem hit mid-thigh. “Ah… I’m sorry.”

  “You said that already.”

  She swallowed and shook her head. “I mean about the shirt. Mom didn’t pack anything for me to wear to bed.”

  * * * *

  Sweet Jesus, she was a vision standing there in his shirt with her black hair, tangled from sleep, hanging around her shoulders and down her back. Her deep tan skin against the stark white cotton enticed him. He ate her up with his eyes as his groin ached with the need he’d tried to work out of his system.

  Sleep had been almost impossible last night as he lay on the cramped couch, thinking about her lying in his bed. When the cold shower hadn’t worked sometime around four o’clock, he’d gotten up to take care of the horses, made sure the cattle had hay and water, then came in and headed to the bedroom he’d turned into a gym.

  He’d finally worked her out of his system, when he’d turned to catch her watching him with a naked fire in her dark brown eyes. She wanted him every bit as much as he did her.

  His touch on her face startled her. She met his gaze, and the lust shining in her eyes snared him. He had to have her. He tangled his fingers into her hair, pulling her to him as he backed her into the wall. She gasped as he brought his mouth down on her lips hard.

  As he plunged into her mouth, drinking her in, she curled her fingers into his bare chest and wrapped her leg around his. He had to stop. Having sex with her again wasn’t an option, but his body--his heart--wasn’t listening to the reason of his mind.

  He picked her up, and she straddled him as he carried her into his room. Kissing her, he laid her on the bed, and stripped the shorts off his body. She sucked in her botto
m lip as she devoured him with her gaze. As he leaned over her, he yanked open the snaps of her shirt to reveal full breasts tipped with hard, dark nipples.

  She moaned as he sucked one of the tips into his mouth, relishing the salty-sweetness of her skin. The thumping of her heart and hissing of her breath were sweet music in the buzz of his ears. He released the hard bud after giving it a good workout and latched on to the other one. She clawed at his shoulders and back as she arched and writhed under him.

  Moving down her belly, he nibbled on her smooth skin until he reached the edge of her panties. He shifted onto his knees and pealed the white cotton from her, revealing the dark tangle of curls between her legs. His breath hitched as he thought of burying himself in her, but he didn’t want to rush. He couldn’t let this happen again, so he intended to make every second count.

  “Wyatt. I need you.”

  Loving the breathlessness of her voice, he grinned as he suckled on the tender skin of her ankle, causing her to wiggle and moan. “All in due time, babe.”

  She curled her fingers into the sheets and groaned. He nibbled up her long, toned leg and tingled with the anticipation of sampling her. Parting her curls, he groaned as he took her swollen clit into his mouth.

  * * * *

  “Oh, God!” Dawn arched off the bed as he sucked her. The tension coiling in her core tightened to the breaking point. “I’m gonna come.”

  She shattered into a million bright lights and rode a high of bliss. He stayed with her until the last shiver quaked through her; then he kissed up her tingling belly, over her supersensitive breasts to her neck. She wrapped her arms and legs around him, welcoming him into her.

  He pulled back to meet her gaze and feathered damp hair from the side of her face. “You’re so beautiful.”

  Was she imagining the raw emotion in his amazingly bright eyes? She threaded her fingers into his hair and pulled him to her lips. As she kissed him, he started to rock his hips. The slow, gentle motion was nothing like the raw sex they’d had days ago on her couch. This resembled the love they’d made years ago.

  Her heart ached with the memory.

  She tightened her legs around him and twisted her body, changing their positions. He chuckled as she sat up on him.

  “You really don’t like me on top, do you?”

  She ignored the pain in her injured knee as she leaned over him, lifting off his erection and slamming back, causing him to groan. She kissed him, then said against his lips, “But you love when I’m on top. So, shut up and enjoy the ride, cowboy.”

  His laugh died on a long growl as she set a rhythm meant to drive them both to orgasm.

  * * * *

  “Wow.” Dawn fell onto her back next to him and pulled the sheet over her.

  Wyatt rolled over on his side, propped his head with his hand, and brushed his fingers over her flushed cheek. Did they have a chance? “You’re amazing. You know that?”

  She shook her head and sat up, then pulled on the shirt. As she faced the window, she ran her hands through her hair. “This can’t keep happening.”

  He picked up his shorts from the floor and tugged them on. “You’re right. It can’t.” He rounded the bed and headed for the dresser. “I’m going to take a shower and head to the station. You can…”

  He stopped and stared at the torn photograph of the sonogram, lying on top of the dresser. She’d saved it. His fingers trembled as he touched the tattered pieces. He turned and faced her. “Why didn’t you tell me you were pregnant?”

  She hugged herself and glared at him. “Why did you leave me when I needed you most?”

  He took a few steps toward her. “Don’t turn this on me. Were you that driven by your damn career you were afraid I’d want you to quit if I found out you were pregnant?”

  Shock and pain twisted her face into a hard mask. “Do you really believe that?”

  “You tell me.” He slashed his hand through the air as he closed the distance between them to stand toe-to-toe with her. “All you ever wanted was to be sheriff of this damn town. While we were in vice, getting promoted to detective was your ambition. I think getting pregnant threw a really big wrench into those plans.” Her face paled with disbelief, but he ignored it and rushed on. “What were you planning to do, Dawn? Have an abortion?”

  The loud smack on his cheek surprised him more than it hurt. “Fuck you, Wyatt. I loved that baby. I wanted to tell you, but I had no idea what you’d do. I’m Native American. You’re white. I got pregnant the first or second time we had sex.”

  The tears swimming in her dark eyes ripped at his heart as her meaning sank in. Had he been so wrong about her reasons for not telling him?

  Before he could respond, she headed for the door and turned at the opening. “You’re the one who left me in the hospital after I took a bullet meant for you. You have no right to judge me.”

  The slamming of the bathroom door echoed around him as his cell phone started playing Toby Keith’s Beer for My Horses.

  Chapter 13

  Wyatt glanced at the caller ID. Talon Blackwell? He connected the call. “McPherson here.”

  “I need to talk to you. I’m worried about Rachel.”

  He leaned against the windowsill and took a deep breath. “What do you know about my sister?”

  “Enough to know she’ll try killing herself again the moment she’s let out of that hospital.”

  The sense of urgency in Talon’s voice surprised Wyatt as much as Dawn’s keeping the sonogram had. “Where are you?”

  “I’m at the diner in town.”

  He glanced at the closed bedroom door as the water went off in the bathroom. He didn’t need this right now, but he had to do what he could to save his sister. What the hell would Talon Blackwell know about Rachel? He closed his eyes. “You have a lot of explaining to do about how you know all this about my sister.”

  A harsh laugh met his ear. “I could say the same thing about my baby sister, McPherson.”

  The phone went dead. He stood and ran his hand through his hair. A niggling memory wormed its way into his mind. After Rachel had found out about Lance and Audrey’s affair, she’d run off. No one could find her, but a week later, she’d showed up with Talon Blackwell and announced she was joining the Army. He set the phone on the windowsill.

  How had his life gotten so damned complicated? Protecting his family and the woman he loved shouldn’t be this hard.

  * * * *

  “Thanks for picking me up.” Dawn climbed up into the big blue Dodge truck and closed the door.

  Zack narrowed his eyes on her with open curiosity. He looked out at Wyatt’s house as he shifted into gear. “No problem. How’re you feeling?”

  “Sore. But I’ll live. Mom said you stopped by to see me in the hospital, but I was sleeping. Thank you anyway.” Her knee started hurting again after her long shower, and now her head throbbed.

  “I’m glad you’re okay.” He watched her buckle her seatbelt with concern shining in his dark blue eyes. “Wyatt said you were lucky you hit his mailbox first. You should’ve bunked down at the office if you were that tired.”

  She didn’t want to talk about the accident. Or the lie Wyatt and Tilly came up with to tell everyone so that they could keep the real cause for the accident off the Colton grapevine. “How’re Tracy and the kids?”

  He pulled onto Blackwell Road heading toward the sheriff’s station in town. “The kids are great. Tracy’s mom and mine are driving us crazy about our wedding plans, but we’re all good.”

  They were quiet for a long time. She’d called him after she heard Wyatt leave, knowing she couldn’t stay in the house after what happened that morning. As she stared out the side window at the pastures, she sensed him glancing at her.

  “Okay, color me nosy. What were you doing at Wyatt’s?”

  With a sigh, she looked over at her best friend. “I’d spent the night.”

  “Oh.”

  She sh
ook her head and bit her bottom lip. “Someone broke into my house and destroyed the place. All the furniture, my clothes… everything. But we are keeping it quiet since the last thing I want on the grapevine is that I was attacked and threatened. The accident had also been an attempt on my life. My truck’s brakes were cut. I didn’t fall asleep while driving.”

  “Damn. Any idea who might be responsible?”

  “Nope.” God, she wanted everything to get back to normal. “But I know it’s the murderer.”

  He sighed and shook his head. “I can’t say I’m sorry I quit when I did, but I am sorry you fell into this.”

  “Me too. Kids are dying, and I can’t catch the thug killing them.”

  “Are we done dancing around the bush?”

  “Thought you enjoyed the two-step.” She wanted to tell Zack everything, but how could she spill her guts to him? They were still friends, but now he was so happy with Tracy, and her life was such a pile of flaming crap. They didn’t have as much in common as they used to.

  “Not with you, I don’t. What the hell’s going on between you and Wyatt?”

  Leave it to Zack to jump on the big pile of crap making up most of her personal problems. She briefly met his gaze. “Wyatt and I lived together when we were on the Dallas PD.”

  He swallowed and stared out the windshield. “I know. He told me when I questioned him about what was going on between you two after you started acting like a snapping turtle on the rustling case.”

  “What did he say?”

  Shrugging, Zack rubbed the back of his neck. “Not much. Just that you ended it.”

  She glared at him. “That bastard. Figures he’d blame it on me. I didn’t end anything. He left me when I lost our baby after I was shot.”

  He stopped at an intersection and looked at her. “You were pregnant?”

  Averting her eyes, she sighed at not only the disbelief in his voice but the hurt too. She and Zack once shared everything. “I was almost five months pregnant. Because I barely showed, Wyatt never figured it out, and I never told him about the baby.”