"I saw the window when I walked around here. I guess I was lucky twice."
"I guess you were," he said, stepping out and giving her another hug. "I'll bet it was caused by the same powerful gust that sent that branch flyin' through your windshield."
"I didn't want to walk through the glass to look inside. Is it bad?"
"It's a mess. Did you have anything in there?"
"Thank goodness, no. I haven't gotten very far with my unpacking yet. Only a few things from one suitcase. What now?"
"That's the really bad news," he said solemnly, pulling back and staring down at her with a heavy frown. "You'll be stayin' in my house eatin' Elsie's cookin', and sleepin' in my bed."
"Oh, no! That is terrible news! Surely there's somewhere else I can go?" she bleated, looking up at him in mock horror. "What about one of the stalls? Winston would love to have me in the barn, and I could drive into town and go to that burger joint."
"That'd work, and Salvo could pull out one of the winter blankets from storage. You'll be real comfy under one of those."
"Will you visit me?"
"Better not. I'd have to blindfold all the horses. God forbid they saw me spankin' your ass or—"
"Stop! The image of all those horses blindfolded while we're…" but breaking into a fit of giggles she was unable to finish.
Keith grinned, not just because it was a funny thought, but because he'd wanted to distract her from the carnage and he'd managed it.
"Enough of this tom-foolery," he chucked. "I'll take the pictures of your truck while you get changed and pack up your stuff."
"Okay."
"I'll put you in the guest room closest to mine."
"Why the pretense?"
"No pretense. From the look of those suitcases you'll need the closet space, and when you've been a really bad girl I can spank you and send you to your room."
"I'll never be that bad," she said, shooting him a wink.
"Uh, Carly…"
"What?"
"I'll be leavin' in a couple of days, but I won't be gone long."
"Bummer."
"Yeah, but when I come back I'm gonna have some surprises for you."
"Really? What sort of surprises?"
"That would be tellin'," he said, then dropping his lips to her ear he whispered, "but I'm gonna need them bein' around a naughty girl like you."
As he began kissing his way across her neck, she felt her butterflies begin their wild fluttering, and when his mouth brushed against hers, she melted in his arms.
"I'd better get to takin' those pictures," he mumbled, loathe to let her go.
"You can't. You just made me all weak."
"Is that right?" he said softly, pulling back and gazing down at her. "You're a temptress, do you know that?"
"A temptress? Where did that word come from?"
"I have no idea, it just fell into my head, but it fits. All I have to do is look at you and I wanna eat you up."
"Did you have to say that? Now I'm not just weak, my legs are all wobbly."
"There's nothin' I'd like better than to take you into that bedroom and ravage you, but I'll bet dollars to donuts Andy or Salvo will be here any time now."
"They will?"
"They probably saw us in the golf cart. Andy will wanna check out your pickup, and Salvo will be with him carryin' a chain saw, so, young lady, you'd best take your wobbly legs inside."
"You make a compelling argument, but let it be noted that I leave your wonderful arms under protest."
"Noted. I'll leave the golf cart for you. Join me when you're ready."
"Yes, Sir."
"Now you're talkin'."
"Yeah?" she said, twinkling up at him.
"Yeah!"
As he turned and strode away, she walked inside and flopped on the bed. There was a warm flood between her legs and a deep yearning coursing through her body. Though the traumatic events of the night before had been truly terrifying and had destroyed her precious pickup, she was almost grateful.
"Would we be together if that hadn't happened?" she mumbled. "I wouldn't have been in his shower this morning that's for sure. Talk about a silver lining!"
~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~
As Keith reached the wreckage he spied Andy and Salvo in the mule arriving from the opposite direction, the chainsaw visible in the back.
"Hey, Keith," Andy said, jumping out. "Damn. This is somethin'."
"No kiddin'," Keith agreed, watching Salvo study the embedded log. "I've gotta take some pictures then you can get workin' on it."
"Shouldn't take too long," Salvo declared. "The hard part will be getting it back through the windshield."
"If you can't, don't sweat it. Just cut it down. I don't think the tow truck will care if there's a stump stuck in the window. Oh, and empty the glove box."
"Sure thing. How's Carly doin'?"
"Good, considerin'," Keith replied. "Andy, I need a word."
"Sure, what's up?" he asked as Keith began ambling towards the cabin.
"Have you seen the carport?"
"Yep, and the broken window. I'm gonna put up some plywood while Salvo's workin' on the pickup. I'm guessin' Carly will be movin' up to the house."
"Yep, and about that…"
"Is this the somethin' you wanted to tell me? You and Carly? Already?"
"Am I that transparent?"
"Only to me, and hey, you know how I feel. It's cool, just—"
"I know, don't tell her who I am and what's goin' on until it looks like she's gonna be more than a few weeks of hot sex."
"A few weeks of hot sex," Andy chuckled. "Lucky you."
"Now that's outta the way, I've moved up my trip. Dad's havin' one of his fits."
"Seems like he's been callin' you back more frequently."
"He is. I feel like it's still manageable but it's startin' to make me a bit nervous. This place is still a few months off from bein' outta debt."
"We've come this far, we'll get there," Andy said confidently, "and if you need to spend more time with him to keep things on an even keel you should."
"Yeah, well, that's not so easy. I'm away from this place for five minutes and I'm itchin' to get back. Now with Carly it's gonna be even harder. Speakin' of Carly, she's already wantin' to ride. I think she should take it easy today but I know how she feels. I was thinkin' she could get on her horse while I ride Pinocchio"
"Why don't you show her one of the trails? It'll get her in the saddle and it'll be an easy ride."
"That's a great suggestion, but with her arm injured I don't want her liftin' any saddles."
"Here she comes," Andy said, seeing her driving up in the golf cart. "Looks like she's got the suitcases in the back. Huh. You're worried about her liftin' a saddle and she put those in there?"
"Dammit."
"I think you're gonna have your hands full. Good luck stoppin' her if she gets her mind set on somethin'."
"She's a smart girl, she'll figure it out."
"Figure what out?"
"This is my ranch, my rules."
"And your secrets."
"Yeah, and my secrets."
CHAPTER TEN
Carly was thrilled at the suggestion of the trail ride, and knowing she was eager to see Winston, Keith had dropped her off at the barn before driving the golf cart up to the house to unload the suitcases.
"You need to take care of that arm. Don't tack up," he'd warned. "I'll put the saddles on both the horses."
She'd promised she wouldn't but he knew she was a tester, and after putting her bags in the guest room, he was grinning as he left the house and jumped back in the cart to return to the barn.
"I'm gonna walk in and find both horses ready to go," he muttered, but when he marched into the barn he found Carly sitting on a hay bale, both horses in the cross-ties waiting for their saddles.
"I can't believe it. You actually did as I asked."
"Of course. Why wouldn't I?"
"Need I remind you about a cert
ain unexpected visitor I had in my shower this morning?"
"Did you tell me not to join you?"
"Smart-ass. I can see I'm going to have my work cut out for me."
"What work? What are you talking about?"
"You know what I think?"
"I'm not psychic, so no, I don't. What do you think, Keith Parker?"
"I think I'd better get these horses saddled. You're still feelin' okay? Not tired yet?"
"Do I look or sound tired?"
"Never mind," he said, shaking his head and striding past her into the tack room.
She couldn't help but giggle, and when he reappeared with the saddle for Pinocchio she walked over to the cross ties to join him.
"Need any help?"
"Nope," he replied, hoisting the saddle on the horse's back.
"You sure?" she pressed, sidling up to him as he tightened the girth.
"Seems like the only person who needs somethin' around here is you."
"And what would that something be?"
"I'm sure you know the answer to that question," he said, turning to face her.
"Hmmm, let me think. A sexy cowboy who's a real good kisser. Do you know anyone like that?"
"I think you might run into that guy on the trail, but you'd better be careful."
"Because?"
"He loves spankin' sassy girls, and you've got one heck of a sassy mouth on you."
"But sassy mouths are the best ones to kiss. Doesn't he know that?"
"I reckon he does," he replied, unable to suppress a grin, "but her lips get kissed after her backside gets spanked. If a sassy girl wants the pleasure she's gotta take the pain."
"Why?"
"Why? Why do you think?"
"I have no idea."
"Then I have a suggestion. When you run into that sexy cowboy who's a real good kisser, offer him some of your smart-ass remarks. He'll spank you hard and kiss you good, then he'll explain it."
"I'd rather he spanked me good and kissed me hard."
"You don't have a say in it. Now step aside so I can get that other saddle or you're likely to be ridin' on a hot seat."
"I don't need the saddle but thanks anyway, and if I wanted to push my luck I would say something like—I could think of worse things than riding on a hot seat—but maybe I shouldn't."
"You're amazingly cheery considerin' your classic truck is wrecked and you didn't get much sleep."
"Now that you mention it I do feel full of energy," she said thoughtfully, "and I suppose that is a bit strange, but there's something else that brightened me up."
"What's that?"
"When you left me in the cabin it occurred to me that if the windstorm hadn't happened and that branch hadn't plowed through my windshield, I wouldn't have ended up in your house and we wouldn't have, uh, you know…"
"Made wild passionate love in the shower this mornin'?"
"Yeah, that."
"Fate can be a funny thing," he said lowering his voice, "and that was the best start I've had to my day in a very long time," then placing his hands on either side of her face he leaned in and pressed his lips on hers in a warm, languid, tender kiss.
"Mmm, I think I found that sexy cowboy who's a good kisser."
"And I think sassy mouths are the best ones to kiss," he purred, "and you're right about that windstorm. We'd still be dancin' around each other. Life is full of twists and turns. You've just gotta learn how to ride 'em, kinda like a horse. Sometimes it's smooth and easy, other times it's real rough and you can hit the dirt."
"Yeah, I agree," she said softly. "Fall off and you need to get back on, but sometimes that's hard. Sometimes you just want to crawl into bed and stay there. I don't feel like that now, but last night trapped under that log, if it hadn't been for that whisper…"
As her voice trailed off his arms came around her, and closing her eyes she sank into his hold. The smell of the horses tickled her nostrils, she could hear them breathing, and Keith's heart was thumping against her cheek. A deep sense of intimacy swept over her, and she felt as if they'd been together for years.
"So, Carly," he said softly, "you wanna ride with me?"
"Try and stop me!"
~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~
Carly had expected Keith to take her across the back fields and up the mountain. He surprised her by leading her into a heavily wooded area not far from the barn, but as they neared the trees the debris from the storm grew thicker, and Keith pulled Pinocchio to a stop.
"I'm almost thinkin' we might have had a twister," he remarked. "I've never seen it this bad."
"Are you worried about going in?"
"Not at all. The visibility is good and there's a trail that leads to a meadow next to a pond. It's a real nice spot."
"That sounds great. Let's do it."
"Your horse sure is a calm guy. New place, all this crap around, and he's not battin' an eye."
"Winston's my big brave hero," she said, leaning over his neck and petting him.
"I still can't believe you ride him in a halter."
"Sometimes I just use a rope around his neck."
"Amazin'. Okay, follow me. It's gonna be narrow when we go in, but it opens up and you'll be able to ride alongside me."
He moved his horse into the thicket, and as he rode through the surreal shards of sunlight piercing the overhead canopy of criss-crossing branches, Carly's startling admission, someone—something—shoved me, flashed through his mind.
When his mother was in the last stages of her illness his father had arranged for her to be brought home. There was an endless parade of nurses and physicians, friends and relatives, but one afternoon she had asked to be alone with her son.
"Sweetheart, go into my closet and find my red coat, the one with the black fur collar."
"The one you wear to church?"
"Yes, that's the one. Inside the pocket you'll find a key. Fetch it."
He'd found the coat and retrieved a small key on a long chain. When he returned she'd told him to put it around his neck.
"Keep that around your neck and don't take it off until you're ready to use it. That's the key to your future," she'd said earnestly, taking his hand and gripping it tightly. "Go to the Hanover Bank and ask for Miriam. She's one of the managers. Inside the box is cash, stock certificates, and information about an account. You're the beneficiary. Sweetheart, I know your dream is to own a horse ranch, and that's my dream for you too. What I've managed to put away should be enough to get you started. Your father knows nothing about it and he never can. He'd feel betrayed, and I don't want to hurt him."
"Mom…I don't know what to say."
"If I was going to be around I could help you break away from the company, but that's not going to happen. It's sad, but your father will never understand who you are. He'll fight to keep you next to him, but you'd be miserable sitting behind a desk. You were born with a passion for horses and you must follow your dreams. This is your life, not his, and you must live it."
Sitting on his horse and ambling through the trees, Keith could feel the heat in his throat as the memories flooded through him. It was his mother who had introduced him to horses. His father had no problem with his wife spending time at the local stable, it made her happy, and if she was happy he was too. She had quickly realized her son had inherited her deep love for the noble animals. She'd enrolled him in a lesson program, and Andy Chapman, the newest and youngest trainer, had taken him under his wing.
But it was something else his mother had said that was haunting him. Something that had crossed his mind many times. She had leaned towards him and placed her painfully thin hand on the side of his face.
"I don't know what lies beyond this earthly plane," she'd said solemnly, "but if there is another existence I'll be watching over you. I'll help you find your dream ranch, and when you meet that special girl I'll watch over her too. I'll keep you both safe as much as I'm able. You remember that, and if something strange happens, something you can't explain, believe
that it's me. Do you promise?"
"Yes, mom, of course I promise."
It had been a stammered reply. He'd been awash with sorrow, and as he remembered the moment his eyes filled with tears. The trail was opening up and he could hear Carly moving up to ride next to him.
Someone—something—shoved me.
"Thank you, mom," he whispered. "Thank you for saving her."
As the words left his lips, Carly appeared at his side, and they were suddenly moving through a bright ray of light. Lifting his gaze he saw the wide break in the overhead branches.
"It's gorgeous in here," Carly remarked. "I'm so glad you brought me. I thought we'd be going up the mountain."
"I changed my mind at the last minute," he said, trying to control the quiver in his voice.
"I'm glad. Sometimes things are meant to be."
Taking a deep breath he turned and faced her. She was shimmering. The rhinestones on the comb in her hair were sparkling, and the silver buttons on her shirt were reflecting the sun's bright light.
"Yeah," he said softly, "there's no question about it."
CHAPTER ELEVEN
They exited the woods, and as the meadow opened up before them Carly thought she was walking into an oil painting. Daisies freckled the lush green grass, bulbous clouds sat against the blue sky, and the paddock, shaped in a perfect half-moon, dropped off to a calm sparkling watering hole.
"Keith, this place is a dream."
"Yeah. I come here all the time."
"I'll bet you do."
Sliding off her horse she quickly removed his halter, and Keith watched with a worried frown as the big grey wandered off and began grazing.
"Are you sure you wanna do that?"
"Do what?"
"Let him loose," he replied, climbing down from his saddle. "I know you can ride him bareback in a halter, but aren't you worried he'll go wanderin' off?"
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