by Sue Heasley
Rex reviewed everything drunken Jose had told him. Then he recalled one important fact. His friend had mentioned his horse had come up lame after he crossed the river. Rex didn’t want to admit his anxiety had increased. Maybe jealously caused his emotions. He didn’t like thinking about Lillie riding double with Jose. Rex ran his hand through his hair and made a loud sigh. He had no claim on her. He’d run away and abandoned her years ago, like a damn fool. He climbed back onto his horse. Thunder suddenly boomed off toward the distant horizon, startling them.
“Easy, boy.” Rex patted the horse’s neck. He examined the billowy clouds rolling across the skyline blocking out the sun. They caressed the distant mountains like a soft gray blanket. The rain would be here soon.
“Could things get any worse?” Rex whispered. The storm was coming his way. The rain would wash out the trail and cause the river to rise. He had to find Lillie before the storm hit. He urged his jittery horse down the river embankment and through the flowing chilly water. In no time, his feet were back on solid ground inspecting the hoof prints on the opposite bank. Their horses had continued up the winding trail heading into the pine trees toward a higher elevation. Now his irritation had turned into anger. Jose had lied about his horse turning up lame after the river crossing.
Rex galloped up the trail about a mile when a horse’s body came into view. “Lillie!” His horse skidded to a stop. He swung off his mount and ran toward the dead stallion, praying Lillie wasn’t injured. To his relief, he didn’t find her. He scanned the surrounding woods looking for any indication she had wandered off. Disappointed, he returned to her stallion to examine him. Someone had shot him in the head. Then he noticed red drops of blood on the saddle horn.
“Lillie, you have to be okay. Where are you?” Rex stepped backward feeling suddenly nauseous. “I’m going to kill Jose next time I see that lying son-of-a-bitch.” Drops of rain suddenly pelted his hat and surroundings. He climbed onto his saddle and continued up the old trail. After a while it started to become thick with overgrown brush. Rex dismounted and led his horse to better view the tracks. Lightning suddenly struck a tree nearby showering sparks over him and his rearing Appaloosa.
“Easy, boy.” Rex remounted to keep better control and urged his horse forward. The rain gods released more fury making travel difficult. Even though the trail had begun to wash out, his gut told him to keep moving. Somewhere, Lillie was alone in the wilderness. A clearing appeared through the trees. Once across it, he pulled up and swore. It ended at the edge of a cliff overlooking a large valley. At least he could get a good view of his surroundings. A pitched roof of a cabin peeked through the trees below him a few miles away. His wet clothes were stuck to his skin from the pouring rain and started to feel like the cold had penetrated his bones. The trail had washed out. Dusk cast shadows across the forest. Rex took in the dark slow-moving clouds above. Thunder and lightning boomed and zipped across the sky. He made his way along the cliff until he found a trail heading down off the mountain. He had no choice but to head to the cabin. He’d try to pick up the trail again once the rain and lightning let up. He could only hope Lillie had found shelter too.
Rex reined in his horse in front of the run-down cabin. No one had been around for quite some time. He unsaddled his horse and left him in a lean-to shelter against the side of the cabin. The only other building on the property was an old wooden shed about a hundred feet away. He stepped up onto the creaking porch, and a board collapsed under his foot. He caught his balance and proceeded to the front door with caution. Inside, cobwebs hung from the rafters and layers of dust covered every piece of furniture in the one-room cabin. An old stone fireplace with a split wooden mantel took up the center of one wall. Some unburnt logs still lay in its hearth. In no time, Rex had a small fire going. He slipped off his soaking wet shirt and hung it over a chair by the fireplace. Feeling the need to relieve himself, he stepped outside and made his way to the side of the cabin. Once finished, Rex headed back when out of the corner of his eye he noticed strange markings in the mud. He squatted beside them to get a better look as cold rain soaked his body. The deep indentations gave him the impression that something had been dragged away from the cabin. He followed their direction. Rex stood and glared at the barred windows on the little shed in the distance. He started toward it at a dead run. As he drew closer, the sound of a faint sneeze reached his ear.
****
Lillie stood in ankle deep water in the only corner of the shed that didn’t have leaks in the roof. The water had no place to drain off to since the dirt floor sat below ground level. Her whole body shivered from the intense cold. Even though her soaked clothes stuck to her skin, she still hugged herself trying to get warm. The wound on her head throbbed. Lillie fought the urge to sit down even though she had become weak and emotionally exhausted. She kept picturing Ben’s face. For him she had to stay strong. Through the deafening noise of the rain, the faint sound of her name reached her ears. She held her breath, listening. Nothing. Her imagination had started to play games with her mind. No one knew of her location except Jose. And she didn’t even know if he would ever show up again. A loud bang and the sound of splintering wood drew her attention toward the door. Suddenly, it flew open, fell off its hinges, and splashed into the water.
“Lillie!” The familiar husky voice made her heart race. She opened her mouth to call Rex’s name, but nothing came out. Her lips trembled as she held out her arms for him. She took a step forward, and her legs gave out. Before she hit the water, he swooped her up into his arms. Rex called her name again, but she couldn’t answer. Her damp cheek seemed to melt into his bare chest even though pelts of rain hit her face. Her hand slid over his solid muscles to make sure she wasn’t dreaming. She shivered in his arms and heaved a sigh. An intense feeling of comfort and safety eased her grief as everything faded into blackness.
****
Rex laid Lillie on the floor in front of the fireplace. “Honey, are you okay?” More panic had set in when she suddenly went limp in his arms. He pushed her long, wet hair back from her face. She had fainted, and her skin turned pale. He placed another log on the fire. He needed blankets. He spied a dusty trunk in the corner with several dented cooking pans sitting on the top of it. He shoved them off and flipped open the lid. He grabbed an old, faded Indian blanket and the checkered table cloth that lay beneath it. He then proceeded to peel off Lillie’s wet clothes. Even though desire swept through Rex, he ignored the attraction. He looked upon himself as a gentleman. He wrapped her in the blanket and cleaned the wound on her head with his damp bandana. He pulled off his wet pants and secured the checkered tablecloth around his lower body. After laying out their clothes to dry next to the fire, he sat on the floor beside her. He couldn’t help himself. He pulled Lillie’s chilled body into his arms and held her tightly.
Rex heaved a sigh. He loved feeling her bare skin close to his chest once again. It had been years since they’d been naked together except for a blanket between them. He closed his eyes as every essence of her filled his entire body. She’d always be his first love, and he would never forget her. His hand slipped up into her hair. He wrapped a curl around his finger and released it. His thumb skimmed down along her high cheekbone, making its way across her chin. He kissed her forehead and noticed her skin had warmed. He couldn’t resist touching her pink lips. His thumb slowly slid back and forth over them. Lillie’s hand grabbed his wrist to stop his movements. Rex opened his eyes and glanced down at her as she kissed his fingers. His heart raced in his chest. He’d forgotten how much he loved this woman.
“Rex,” Lillie whispered. She raised her hand and touched his cheek.
He bent toward her, his lips connected with hers in a desperate need. He had been starving for her forever. Lillie’s arms slid around his neck. Her heart beating rapidly against his chest made him deepen the kiss even more. She pulled back gasping for air.
“How did you find me?” She barely got the words out when he kissed her again. His
lips skimmed down her neck.
“I heard your voice on the wind calling my name.”
Lillie placed her hand on his chest. “How? I don’t understand how you found me.”
Rex reined in his desire and paused. “We are soulmates. Haven’t you figured that out yet? I will always know where you are.” He kissed her again as his hand skimmed along the side of her breast and down to her waist.
Lillie pushed him away. “Now is not the time for love making and flowery words.” She scrambled to her feet almost dropping her blanket. She wobbled, touched her forehead, and plopped back to her seat on the floor.
“Easy, honey. You have a head wound.” He lifted Lillie’s chin and made her look up at him. “By the way, who did this to you? I have a good idea. But I want to hear you say his name. I’m going to shoot the son-of-a-bitch between the eyes anyway.”
“Jose. And I get to shoot him first.” Lillie held the blanket tightly to her chest. “You get the leftovers.”
“I figured as much. Jose lied to me already. He said he had no idea where you were. I followed your tracks up the mountain.” Rex rubbed her back. “It is by sheer luck that I came across this old mining camp. The rain had washed away your trail. I followed my gut. Nothing could keep me from finding you, honey.”
Lillie leaned closer. “Oh, Rex.” She kissed him deeply then suddenly pulled back. She smiled. “I don’t remember you having whiskers before.” She ran her fingers over his chin. “I don’t mind them.”
Rex sighed. He wanted her, but he could tell she acted unsure. He looked her square in the eye. “Don’t you know I love you?”
Lillie’s eyes filled with tears. “You do? But how? You’ve been away a long time.”
He wiped a drop off her cheek. “You are special to me.”
She stared at him, uncertain. She looked like she wanted to speak but clamped her mouth shut.
Rex’s chest tensed. “Well, can’t you say you love me back? I know you still have feelings for me.”
Lillie got on her knees, held the blanket tightly around her with one hand, and poked his chest with the other. “I’m not ready to say those words yet. I’m still mad at you for leaving all those years ago.”
“You are one stubborn woman.” Feeling frustrated, he stood and headed to a shelf where he’d spied an old coffee can earlier. Lillie drove him crazy. She had tempted him by kissing him passionately for a moment and just as fast turned her feelings off. She giggled, and he glanced back over his shoulder at her.
“What’s so funny?” Rex snapped.
“You look very becoming in that checkered tablecloth wrapped around your waist.” Lillie began an uncontrollable giggle.
He gave her a seductive smile. “You want to see what’s beneath it?”
She ignored him. “I’d love to see you do the can-can for me.”
Even though she spoke the words in a lowered voice, her comment pleased him. Rex looked down at himself and took in the red and white tablecloth tied with a knot well below his belly button. One hairy leg peeked out the side slit. He smiled and wiggled his eyebrows.
“You like that, do you?” He started toward her. “I have something else you might like.”
Chapter Eleven
Lillie stopped giggling and rose to her feet holding the Indian blanket even tighter over her bare chest. She stepped backward until she bumped against the rough log wall. She couldn’t help but take in Rex’s physique. The teenage boy she had fallen in love with all those years ago had turned into a handsome man. His muscled chest and arms revealed a male of great strength. The tablecloth tied below his bellybutton drew her gaze lower. His arousal became obvious. She shut her eyes and turned her head to the side.
Lillie became aware the moment Rex moved within inches from her. And he called her name in his deep honey-coated tone. Her body began to soften and change at the sound of his alluring voice. Her heart raced even faster when his lips skimmed her neck. She wanted to melt right into him and let their bodies become one. She couldn’t do this. Her son was the most important person in her life. What if Rex left them behind again? What if she woke up the next morning after making love to find him gone forever? Her pain would be unbearable. But most of all, she didn’t dare introduce Ben to his father. The wanderer.
Lillie opened her eyes and turned her head to face Rex. “No.” The word barely left her mouth as his lips descended on hers at the same time. He stopped and stepped back from her. A blank expression came over his face. His forehead tensed. If only he knew how much she wanted him. It took every ounce of energy she had to say that two-letter word that would stop her torture. His eyes revealed the passion waiting to consume her body and soul. The walls of the small cabin closed in on her. The sound of their heavy breathing made her heart want to cry out in pain.
“Why?” Rex flexed his hands into fists by his side. “Why do you tease me?”
Lillie leaned away from the cabin wall. She wanted to run into his arms. She shook her head and stared at the floor feeling confused.
“I’m afraid,” Lillie whispered letting the tears flow.
Rex walked closer and leaned one hand on the wall beside her head. With the other, he lifted her chin. “You mean the woman who led a band of cowboys ripping and roaring into town snapping a whip and rescuing me from a lynching mob is afraid of receiving a little love from a man she’s already been with in the past?”
Lillie placed her hand on his cheek. “No, Rex. I’m afraid of loving and losing you all over again. My heart couldn’t take it.”
Rex’s dark eyes widened. His smile changed into a frown. He stepped back. “I understand. This is not a good idea.” He walked away, grabbed his clothes, and started to dress. “It sounds like it stopped raining. We should head back to the ranch.”
“You already had plans to leave.” Lillie approached him. “Didn’t you?”
While in the process of tucking his shirt into his pants, Rex turned to her. “I wanted to tell you the day you disappeared. But I had to make sure you were safe. Besides, I made a promise to Ben and your father that I would find you.” His gaze dropped to her scanty attire and returned to her face.
“Turn around so I can dress.” Lillie grabbed her clothes from beside the fireplace. “I knew you wouldn’t stay around long.”
“I have no choice. I can’t wait for the sheriff and his posse to show up and try to hang me again. I didn’t kill that bank teller. Why the hell is someone trying to frame me for murder?”
Lillie paused in the middle of buttoning her blouse. “I bet Jose is behind this.”
“Why? I assumed we were still friends since we grew up together.”
“I once thought that also.” Lillie looked away. “He has changed.”
“Jose lied to me about where you were. He said you had ridden off by yourself.” Rex turned her toward him. “I found him drunk in the bunkhouse. He mumbled something about marriage and the ranch before he passed out.” He placed his hands on her shoulders and made her look at him. “What the hell is going on around here? What would he have to gain?”
“Control of the ranch. Jose has been trying to get me to marry him. Even Mable has been trying to push me into a union with him.” Lillie tried to ignore the growing uneasiness settling in her stomach. She had been so busy with the ranch and her son she hadn’t been paying too much attention to Jose’s recent activities. She had been trying to avoid him. Now she realized that had been a big mistake.
“Do you love him?” Rex whispered.
The tension increased in his fingers as they tightened on her shoulders. She looked straight into his eyes. “No, there is only one man I could ever love.” She ducked under his arm and attempted to walk away.
Rex grabbed her hand.
She glanced over her shoulder at him and anticipated the dumb question that would come next. Eventually she would have to tell him.
“You’re in love with Ben’s father.” Rex frowned and hooked his thumbs in the pockets of his pants.
“Who is he? I need to know who stole your heart.”
“Is it that important to you?” Lillie enjoyed their banter, even though Rex didn’t think it humorous.
“Yes. Where is he now? I will whip him into shape for not being here to take care of you and Ben.”
“He’s a wanderer.”
“Damn it, Lillie. Who is he?”
“Come with me.” Lillie took his arm and led him to a small cracked mirror on the wall that someone probably had once used while shaving. She made him face it. “He’s right in there.” Lillie let go of his arm and walked out the front door. Her heart raced as she saddled Rex’s horse. She shouldn’t have told him about Ben since he had plans to leave. But the moment had been right. He deserved to know their intense love making had created a son. She drew in a deep breath as she led his horse to the front of the cabin and waited. Relief swept over her. The feeling of a large burden had finally been lifted off her shoulders.
Loud noises suddenly came from inside the cabin. She tensed. Rex’s angry voice startled her. Swearing and the sound of wood splintering came from the other side of the old half-hinged front door.
****
Rex stared at himself in the mirror as if frozen in time. His head spun. His gut felt like it had dropped to the floor. He’s Ben’s father. Why hadn’t Lillie mentioned this before? Part of him wanted to be angry with her, but he couldn’t. He’s the one who had abandoned her. Abandoned their son. He had ridden off to find himself, to partake on an adventure, and to become a man. Another part of him didn’t want to believe that lie. He left because he couldn’t face Lillie’s father. He hadn’t thought about the consequences of leaving the ranch, of leaving Lillie. He’d hopped on his horse and left like he’d done something terribly wrong.
He swore and threw an old wooden chair against the cabin wall in frustration, unconcerned that it broke into pieces. He grabbed his saddle bags and jerked open the front door. There stood the mother of his child, holding the reins of his saddled horse. He stomped across the porch, down the creaky steps, and tossed his saddlebags onto his horse.