by Sable Hunter
“Do you need more time?”
She did, but she didn’t want it. “Can we take it one day at a time?”
Nathan looked deep in her eyes. “I’ll be honest, I want more. But…I’ll take what I can get.”
“I’m sorry. I just need a little…”
“I know. More time. And you have it because you’re worth waiting for.” He picked up her hand and tenderly kissed the palm. “I’d wait for you forever, Romy. Whatever it takes.”
She blinked back tears as the waiter brought their food. Once they were served, Nathan made sure Clare had everything she needed. “I’m good. I hope you enjoy it, I know this is expensive.”
He waved off her concern. “This is a celebration. Besides, I love doing things for you.”
“I don’t deserve you.” The honest admission came easily.
“You have that backwards, but I think we both deserve to be happy.”
“Yes, we do.” She gave him a bright smile.
The food was outstanding. Clare ate trout cooked without salt and Nathan enjoyed the bison short ribs. Both ordered tiramisu for dessert. After the meal, they ordered some coffee. “I hope this doesn’t keep you up tonight,” he told her as she took her first sip.
She gave him a meaningful look. “Who said anything about sleeping?”
“Oh, hell yeah.” Nathan took such a big gulp of coffee that he burned his tongue and sputtered out a whispered, “Dang.”
Clare giggled at his attempt to hurry. “Don’t burn your lips, I have plans for them later.” Seeing his excitement fueled her own. “Oh, who wants coffee anyway. Are you ready?”
Nathan hastily settled the bill and summoned the snow coach. On the ride down the mountain, they held hands under the blanket, whispering what they hoped the night might hold. Once they were in the car, Clare made sure they rode by the penny bear on the way out of town.
“He’s nice, but not as good-looking as Koda.”
His assessment pleased her. “I think so too.” Settling herself comfortably in the seat, Clare enjoyed the warmth the heater put out. She was about to say something about their meal when a helicopter went over the top of their vehicle, flying way too low. “I think he’s having engine trouble.”
“I’m afraid you’re right.” They slowed down to watch as the helicopter flew across the road. “I can’t see in the dark, but I fear he’s getting super close…”
His words were interrupted by a loud explosion and a fireball erupted, lighting up the night sky. “Call 9-1-1,” he directed loudly.
Nathan hastily pulled over while Clare made the call. “You stay here. I’ll be right back.”
“Okay.” She didn’t argue with him, but in her heart she knew there were no survivors.
Nathan stayed gone for a while as Clare peered out the window in the direction he’d disappeared. Since they were still fairly close to Telluride, an ambulance, a firetruck, and a police officer arrived quickly. Clare felt so sorry for the people who perished and their families who would mourn. A few minutes later, Nathan returned.
“You’re back,” she announced unnecessarily, needing to connect with him.
“Yea, it was bad. I couldn’t even get close. They plowed right into the side of the mountain.”
“Those poor people.”
Nathan reached over, searching for her hand in the dark. “I don’t know who they were, but I feel so bad for them. You never know, do you? A person can be here one minute and gone the next.”
Clare thought about that as Nathan started the car and they pulled out into the road to continue their journey home. “You’re right. No one is promised tomorrow.” Things just happened to people, unplanned tragedies. They might not live with a condition like hers hanging over their head, but the unthinkable still could happened. Out of the blue.
“No, no one is promised tomorrow,” he repeated. “That’s why we have to live for today. Make every moment count.”
This truth resounded through Clare’s whole being. “You’re right.” She raised his hand to her lips and kissed it. “Let’s go home. I need to make love to you.”
Nathan didn’t speed, but he set a determined course for Estancia. After witnessing the crash they were quiet, each lost in their own thoughts. Clare kept thinking about her change of heart, smiling to herself when she realized how appropriate it seemed. Why shouldn’t she have a new outlook when she could soon have a new heart?
As for Nathan, he counted the seconds until he could take her in his arms again. He wasn’t sure what had changed, he didn’t even know what her reservations were about. All he knew was how grateful he felt for a chance to love her.
When they reached Estancia, he parked his car. The temperature gauge read 28 degrees. “It’s pretty chilly. Would you consider staying here with me tonight?”
“I don’t have my things with me.”
“I have a spare toothbrush and I promise to keep you warm.”
“Okay.” What she was worried about was her medicine, but if she went home early enough… “I guess that’ll be fine.”
“Good. I don’t mind riding up there in this weather, but you don’t need to get chilled.”
“I’m used to the weather.”
“I know.” He came around to help her out. “Now, you just have to get used to me taking care of you.”
Clare allowed him to rush her inside. “It’s been a long time since I visited one of these cabins. They’re nice.”
“Yea, very comfortable.” He hurried to light a fire. Lobo ran from one to the other of them, thrilled to no longer be alone. “I need to take him outside.” He glanced around. “I don’t see anything on the newspaper, so be careful where you walk.”
She laughed. “Don’t worry about it, I’ve coped with much bigger messes than he could make. I have a pet bear, remember?”
“Oh, yea. Eww.” He laughed at the face she made. “Kidding. Make yourself at home. I’ll be right back.”
While he was out, she paid a visit to the restroom, noting how neat everything appeared to be. Nathan McCoy was housebroken, he’d make some lucky woman a fine catch.
Heaven above, she ached to be that woman.
She’d just finished brushing her teeth when she heard the front door open and close.
“Honey?”
Clare heard him walking through the house. “I’m here. Be there in just a sec.”
She stared at her reflection a moment longer. “Keep it together, Connelly. You only have a few more days to wait until you can tell him everything.”
“Can I get you something to drink? A soda? Some water? More hot chocolate?”
“Water is good,” she answered as she made her way to the kitchen. “Do you have a T-shirt I could wear?”
“Oh, yea. Sure do.” He gave her a bottle of water. “Follow me.”
She did as he asked, then watched as he opened a drawer and took out a burnt orange University of Texas shirt. “How about being a Longhorn for the night?”
“All right.” She took the shirt, bringing it to her cheek. “It’s soft.” And it smelled good – and he’d worn it, Clare wanted to crush it to her face to see if it smelled of him. “I’ll just change.” Breaking their gaze, she took off for the bathroom again.
With her gone, Nathan rushed around to make the bed look inviting. He pulled back the covers, fluffed the pillows, then grabbed his phone to put some music on low. Anxious and excited, he sat down to take off his boots and socks. He was about to start on his jeans and shirt when he thought about how that would look. “Just calm down, bud,” he called himself by the familiar name, then smiled when he thought of his brothers. He couldn’t wait for them to get to know Romy.
“Hey.”
Her soft voice brought him to his feet. She stood before him in his t-shirt, and he could only guess if she wore anything underneath. The garment was a little big, but she looked adorable. “That shirt looks a helluva lot better on you than it ever did on me.”
“Thanks.” She loo
ked at the bed, then she glanced at him. “I’m not sure why I feel shy, but I do. I mean, we’ve done this before.”
“Yea, but I have this feeling each time with you will feel like the first time.”
She hugged herself tight. “If you keep saying stuff like that, you’re going to tear down all of my walls.”
“That’s the idea.” He hesitated, waiting for some type of a sign from her. “Do you want to stay up awhile, or…”
“No,” she told him softly. “I’m ready to go to bed.”
“I’ll meet you half-way.”
True to his word, by the time she put her knee on the bed, he was there to greet her. “I’m so glad you’re here.”
As he claimed her mouth, Clare didn’t get a chance to agree. The sound of their happy laughter echoed in the room when they tried to take off their clothes and kiss one another at the same time. Once they were naked and frantic with need, Nathan eased her to the mattress and stretched out over her. “Now, you’re where your supposed to be.”
“On the ranch?” she asked in a teasing tone.
“In my bed.” He scattered butterfly kisses all over her face and neck. “Is this real? Tell me this is real.”
“It’s not a dream.” Clare looked up at him in the near darkness, she could no longer hide what she felt for him. “I’m right here. Feel me?” She took his hand and laid it on her breast.
“Yea, you feel so good.” He molded her breasts, weighing them, kneading them. His lips soon followed, licking and kissing, sucking the nipples until she keened with delight.
Clare’s newfound hope seemed to free her. She couldn’t stop touching him, kissing him. “I love how you feel, I love you on top of me.” His weight pressing her into the mattress made her feel invulnerable. Protected. “I love your hands on me, the way you smell.” When he groaned with pleasure, she loved that too. Every touch, every kiss, every whispered endearment – she loved it all. “I love you, Nathan McCoy. I love you so much.”
Hearing her precious declaration, Nathan’s passion burned even hotter. “I love you, Romy. More than anything.” With every ounce of his being, he set out to prove his complete devotion.
Clare soothed her hands over his body, anywhere she could reach – face, throat, chest, shoulders. She wove her fingers through his hair as he kissed a burning path down her body, spreading her thighs, making her writhe with rapture. She arched her back as he set her world on fire. The climax he gave her was so powerful, she thought her heart might stop. When it kept beating, she took that as a sign. “Stay where you are.”
Nathan held himself over her as she scooted down the bed beneath him until she was right where she wanted to be. “Hold on to your hat, cowboy.”
Groaning, he buried his head in the pillow as she took him in her hand and swirled the tip of his cock with her tongue. “Have mercy, Romy.”
She didn’t know about mercy, but she sure intended to have fun. Working his cock with her hand, she stroked him with her tongue, then took the crown between her lips. Her spirits soared when he reacted strongly, bellowing his pleasure, filling her mouth again and again. Clare held onto his thighs, her nails scoring his skin. He loved this, she could tell, and she loved making him feel this way.
“Now, Romy, now.” Before she finished him, he pulled away. “I want to come inside of you.”
Spreading her legs wide to make room for him. The moment he entered her, she almost wept with relief. “Love me, Nathan, love me.”
“I do,” he murmured as he began to move, pumping his hips in a tantalizing rhythm, plunging inside of her with slow, deep strokes. “I can’t get enough of you. Never enough.”
Clare clung to him as he made love to her. She never wanted him to stop. Nothing she’d imagined in the stories she’d penned even came close to the rightness of the way this felt. In his arms was where she belonged. She didn’t need to read her fantasies to see the future that lay ahead of them. Every joyous minute. “Yes, yes, yes,” she chanted as she clutched his shoulders, raising her hips to welcome his frantic thrusts. “Don’t stop, Nathan. Please don’t stop.” Every cell in her body was winding tighter and tighter. The higher she climbed, the clearer she could see. The months and years stretched out before her, for the first time she felt a future was in her grasp. All of her dreams were about to come true. “Hold me, Nathan,” she cried. “Never let me go.”
Nathan held her as they climbed the summit together, their shared climax pushing them off the edge of the world. “Never.” As they hurtled through space, he found her lips, sealing his promise with a kiss.
The next morning, Nathan awoke when Romy left the bed. “Hey, come back here. Cuddle up in the bed while I get the fire going.”
“I need to go home.”
“What?” He sat up in the bed, rubbing his eyes. “This is Sunday, I thought we’d spend the day together.”
“We can, I just need to go home first.”
Knowing she’d have to ride Luna or the four-wheeler in the cold, he spoke up, “What do you need to get?”
“Clean clothes. My medicine.” She hated to mention it, but if all went well – he’d know soon enough.
“No problem.” He pulled on his pants. “Just tell me what you want, I’ll find it. Your medicine is under the sink. Right?”
His statement caused her to whirl around. “You looked at my medicine?”
“No. Yes. No, not really. I just saw it laying back there.” He didn’t understand the panicked look on her face. “Why shouldn’t I see it?”
“Because it’s private.” She snatched on her clothes. “I’ll ride up and be right back.”
“I’m coming with you.”
“You don’t have to.”
“Yes, I do,” he insisted as he hurriedly dressed. “Just let me tend to Lobo and we’ll head out. Don’t you want to eat breakfast first?”
“No.” She needed her medicine. “I’ll fix us something once we get there.”
“All right.” He was a bit puzzled by her concern over him seeing her meds. She’d mentioned she took the pill. He decided not to worry too much about it, he figured girls liked their privacy. “What do you want to do today? Is there anywhere you want to go? Anything you want to do?”
She thought a second. “I just want to spend time with you.” Catching her lower lip between her teeth, she debated what she wanted to say next. “Uh, Nathan. Would you like to pack you and Lobo a few things and come spend a couple of days with me?” She didn’t have to wait for a reply, his answer was written all over his face.
“Oh, hell yeah. We’d love it, wouldn’t we, Lobo?”
Clare could barely contain her excitement. Today was the first day of the rest of her life.
A little while later, they were on their way up the mountain. To Clare’s delight, Bentley came out to meet them. “Did you miss me?” She leaned from her horse to touch the deer’s petal soft ears.
“You know she did. I bet she’s looking for some treats.”
“You’re right about that.” Clare urged Luna forward, taking a deep breath of the fresh mountain air. “Don’t you just love it up here?”
“I do. Although, I suspect I’d love to live on Mars if you were there.”
She liked his answer.
Once they arrived at her cabin, Nathan took care of the horses while Clare went inside to take her pills. While she was in the bathroom, she showered and made herself presentable. When she finished, the smell of bacon frying, and coffee brewing guided her steps. “I would’ve done this.”
“Sit.” He gestured to the table. “I want to help. I don’t want to wear out my welcome.”
She didn’t think that was possible.
“I fed Bentley and the raccoon family,” Nathan announced as he broke an egg into the skillet.
“Thanks. Did they let you come near them?”
“They were a little leery of Lobo, but one or two came right up close. I think they detect your scent on me.”
“I’ve marked you
, huh?”
Nathan grinned. “I hope so.”
For the rest of the day, they basked in one another’s company – taking a leisurely walk, sitting around the fire pit, popping popcorn – and making love. Clare was sublimely happy.
One day together became two.
Nathan rode down the mountain to go to work and Clare stayed in the cabin with Lobo. While he was gone she baked bread and painted on the portrait of Nathan. Her spirits were so high, she imagined presenting him with the painting on their wedding day. There was no way he wouldn’t love it. Clare felt secure in Nathan’s love. She might doubt herself, but she didn’t doubt him.
For the next three days, they lived idyllically. Spending every spare moment together – sharing a bed and sharing their lives. There were moments when she didn’t feel the best, but she knew better days were ahead of them. As soon as the transplant evaluation was behind her, she’d be on the list, and it would only be a matter of time before she would have a new heart. In the meantime, just lying in his arms made her feel better. Sometimes she could swear she was drawing from his strength.
In Nathan’s mind, he was ecstatic. They were living his dream. Romy had made a place for him in her world and the only other thing he needed was to make their love official. Binding. Permanent.
The day before her scheduled appointment, Clare relented and told her brothers what was going on. They were over the moon and making arrangements to travel with her.
Now, she was struggling with what to tell Nathan.
Clare hated to deceive him, but she really wanted to do this her way. When she did tell him the truth of her condition, she wanted to be able to give him the best news she could.
Actually carrying out her plan wasn’t as easy as she’d hoped.
“You’re leaving? Why? How long will you be gone?”
“Not long. I’m flying with my brothers to New York for a couple of days. You won’t even know I’m gone.”
“Oh, I think I’ll notice.” He watched her closely, one hand on his hip. There was something about her demeanor. “What are you not telling me?”
Speaking carefully, she made her case. “Okay, this has to do with the big thing I’m keeping from you.”