A Cowgirl's Pride

by Lorraine Nelson

  The wranglers were playing cards, too, adding to his discontent. He grabbed a book he’d read at least twenty times, poured a cup of coffee, and settled in front of the fire. The book didn’t hold his interest, but the dancing flames did. He saw Leah’s face, eyes lit up with merriment as she entertained the stranger. Erickson, he remembered—Trent Erickson. He hated that name. Hated that he was the one who had taken him to the house to begin with.

  He was getting angrier by the minute. The bunkhouse phone rang, and Cookie called out, “Cal. It’s for you.”

  “Hello. Cal here.”

  “Cal, it’s Luke. Could you ride out to Uncle Cam’s place and check on things there? With this cold snap we’re having, I thought we’d better make sure the furnace is working.”

  “Okay. I’ll head over that way right after lunch.” Would Leah want to go with him?

  “Thank you. And Cal?”

  “Yeah?”

  “Take your gun, just in case.”

  Well, that answered that question. “Will do.”

  More disgruntled than ever, he hung up the phone and resumed his seat by the fire. Damn it all to hell! This would be the perfect chance to have Leah all to himself for a while. Why in blazes hadn’t he asked anyway? He stood to go back and dial the main house to ask for Leah, but the curious stares of the wranglers had him crossing to Cookie instead.

  “Smells good. How soon will lunch be ready?”

  “Noon, same as always,” Cookie said as he glanced at the clock on the wall. “Why?”

  “Boss wants me to run an errand right after lunch. That’s all.”

  He went through to the bathroom to wash up and figure out a plan. Not much of one though. The key hung inside the door of the main house. He’d go fetch it and talk to Leah before saddling up. That way, if she did want to go, they could saddle Beauty as well. His mind made up, he rejoined the men in time to help set the table for lunch and was first in line for food.

  Cookie’s beef stew was the best around, his biscuits light and fluffy, but they may as well have been sawdust for all the notice Cal took of his meal. Eager to see his woman, he wolfed it down like a starving dog and left the bunkhouse behind.

  Chapter Ten

  Footsteps sounded on the porch, and Leah tensed.

  “Want me to answer that?” asked Trent.

  “Would you mind? Michael did give back your gun, didn’t he?”

  “Not yet, but I can at least ask who’s there.” He smiled and stood, crossed to the door, and asked, “Who’s there?”

  “Michael.”

  Trent unlocked the door and let him in. “How did your men fare?”

  “My men are fine, but Roddy and his goons held Scott hostage until they got a couple miles down the road, then slowed enough to roll him out and kept going. I called Calgary. DuShane’s going to intercept them on that end. I’m waiting for his call. Where’s Luke?”

  “He went to check on your fax quite a while ago. He’s probably still in the office,” Leah said. “Want to join in a game of gin rummy?”

  “I’ll check with Luke first.”

  Michael left the room, and she resumed playing cards with Trent. When Michael came back, he joined them at the table.

  “That fax hasn’t arrived yet. I don’t know what’s keeping them.”

  “You said it was your ex-partner. Would he take someone with him?” Trent asked.

  “Yeah, his new partner.” Michael stared at Trent. “Paul somebody.”

  “Paul Harris?”

  “Yeah, that’s it. You know him?”

  “Yep, so does Roderick Kendall.”

  “Shit! You think Vic’s in trouble?”

  Trent nodded. “Seems highly likely.”

  Michael dialed his cell. “He’s not answering. I’m calling the chief.”

  “What’s his name?”

  “Dwight Dailey.”

  “Never heard of him,” said Trent.

  “Neither have I,” Leah affirmed.

  Michael made his call. When he finished, the three of them waited in tense silence.

  His phone rang. Michael thumbed it to life then remained silent more than he talked.

  “That was DuShane. He says Kendall must have taken a scenic route as his car never appeared at the checkpoint.”

  “GPS. His driver probably pulled up an alternate route,” Leah said.

  A quiet knock had Leah looking toward the door in fear as Michael got up to answer. What now?

  “Who’s there?” he asked.

  “Cal.”

  Michael unlocked the door and held it open for Cal to enter. “What’s up?”

  “I came to see Leah for a minute.”

  “Oh, okay.”

  Leah rose to greet him. “Hi, Cal.”

  “Hi. Luke wants me to ride out and check on Cam’s place. Feel like coming along?”

  “I’d love to!”

  “I’m not sure that’s wise, Leah,” said Michael, frowning at Cal as if he had two heads. “Maybe I should ride along.”

  “I have my gun. We’ll be fine. There’s not likely to be any trouble back there.”

  “Cell phones don’t work out there, Roddy’s on his way back to Vancouver, and you’re waiting on a call from Vancouver. I’ll be safe enough with Cal, and I need to get out of here for a while. I’ve been home for days and haven’t ridden Beauty once. I haven’t even been out of the house except to play with the kids.”

  “Do you know how to handle a gun, Leah?” Michael asked. “In case something does happen.”

  “Of course! I grew up here remember? Luke probably has my handgun and rifle locked up in the cabinet. I’ll go check.”

  “Check on what?” Luke asked as he entered the kitchen.

  “Do you still have my guns?”

  “Yeah, why?”

  “I want to go riding with Cal and Michael thinks we’ll be safer with an extra gun.”

  He nodded his agreement. “You want just one or both?”

  “May as well take both. Maybe I’ll get lucky and bag us a deer.”

  “Nope, hunting season’s over and you don’t have a license anyway. There’s deer in the freezer anytime you want some. I’ll get your guns, load them and make sure the safety’s on.”

  “Thanks, big brother.”

  She grabbed her snow pants off the hook by the door and pulled them on, along with her boots and coat. By the time Luke returned, she was jamming her hat on her head and raring to go.

  “Be careful out there, sis.”

  “I will. Come on, Cal.”

  “Luke, I need the key,” he said.

  “It’s right here.” Luke reached up to the key rack hanging behind the door and passed Cal the key ring. “If you sense any danger, come on back. The house isn’t that important.”

  “Will do, but don’t expect us back anytime soon. I want to see Cam’s house and ride for as long as possible,” Leah said, smiling up at him.

  Luke gave her and Cal a funny look but nodded. “Be careful.”

  “Yes, sir.”

  Cal walked close beside her as they crossed the yard. All was quiet. She wondered if they should take Rounder along. That dog was terrific at sniffing out trouble. Leah saddled her mount while Cal saddled Rusty. It felt great to out and about, doing something, anything, besides waiting for the proverbial axe to fall. Rounder whined as they led the horses from the barn.

  “Want to come with us, girl?” Leah asked, bending over to ruffle her fur and give the dog a hug. Rounder preened and scampered back and forth, itching to run. “Okay, Rounder. Follow along.” Cal gave her a leg up, and she settled in the saddle. She thought she would feel strange on a horse after all this time, instead, she felt freer than she had since she’d left.

  “Ready?” asked Cal.

  “Oh yeah! Let’s ride.”

  “The road to your uncle’s place is one we keep open during the winter, and even though Cam’s away, it makes it much easier to check on the place. It might be drifted in a bit
, but the going shouldn’t be too rough.”

  “No problem. I’m just glad to be on a horse again.” She patted Beauty’s neck. “You’re ready for a ride, too, aren’t you, girl?”

  Beauty whinnied in response to her gentle touch and soft voice.

  “She remembers you.”

  “Yeah, I think she does. She’s in excellent shape. Do I have you to thank for that?”

  “Yes, ma’am. Guilty as charged. Feel like trotting or do you want to keep to a slow walk?”

  “Can we ride for a short way? Really ride?”

  “The wind will be kind of cold in the face, but we should be all right. Let’s go.”

  They rode side-by-side down the road with Rounder running along beside them. Her face felt like it was freezing, but the fresh air felt so good, she hated to slow down.

  “Better rein in. We’ll trot the horses for a while so they’re not too sweaty when we stop.”

  “Okay.”

  They trotted along until the house came into view, and she slowed Beauty to a walk.

  “Cal, it’s beautiful! No one told me he’d built a log cabin.”

  “Yep. Cam had the logs hauled down here when we enlarged the north pasture. He spent weeks peeling the bark and sanding them smooth.”

  “Well, it was certainly worth it. Just look at that place. It almost glows in the sun.”

  “Yes, beautiful!”

  She felt his gaze and turned to look at him, knowing his words were aimed at her and not the cabin. The compliment had her feeling all warm and fuzzy inside, and she smiled. He smiled back and reached for her hand as the horses walked abreast of each other toward Cam’s place.

  Uncle Cam, please forgive me, but I need this man and I’m going to have him…today.

  Cam even had a hitching rail running across the front of his verandah. They dismounted, and Cal unearthed a couple blankets from his saddlebags to spread one over each horse. He’d brought along a shovel and used it to clear a path to the front door, then unlocked it and went in first. She followed a few steps behind.

  There was no sign of anyone else having been around, the house warm and cozy as they entered. The promise foretold by the exterior fulfilled in spades as she noted the elegant interior. The huge living room had a cathedral ceiling and a loft overlooked the entire room; hardwood floors covered with plush scatter rugs placed in front of the furniture, a fireplace at the far end, and huge plate glass windows to let in the sun. Gorgeous!

  “Come on. The kitchen’s through here.” He grabbed her hand and tugged her along behind him.

  Cedar cupboards gleamed to equal the shine of the ceramic tiled floor. There weren’t any curtains at the windows to block the view of the creek. Patio doors led from the dining area to a huge back deck. The bathroom was next, complete with corner shower stall and a sunken whirlpool tub.

  They retraced their steps to the front entry and climbed the curving staircase to the loft. There she found two good-sized bedrooms with a half bath shared in between. A smaller bedroom, tucked into the far corner, seemed to be in use as a home office.

  “This place has the feel of him. Did he design it himself?” she asked.

  “Yes, he did. Worked on it until he had everything just the way he wanted it then he started to build. We all pitched in when we could, especially with the basement, but Cam was very precise with his directions. This was his vision, his baby and no one wanted to make a mistake.”

  Leah laughed. “He can be a hard taskmaster at times.”

  “Never more so than when we worked on this house, but look at the end result. He knew what he wanted and went for it, stick by stick.”

  “Shouldn’t that be log by log?” she asked, laughing.

  “Logs, sticks…we used plenty of both.”

  She walked over and bounced on the edge of the bed. “Oh, this is comfy!”

  “Want to try it out?” Cal asked with a lascivious quirk to his eyebrows.

  “Oh, lordy! Uncle Cam would never forgive me.”

  “Who says he’d have to know?” Cal said as he assisted her to her feet.

  Super conscious of being in her uncle’s house—in his bedroom—she hesitated, unsure of their next step, until Cal spoke.

  “Leah.” His voice was a breathy whisper as he undid the zip of her jacket, pushing it back off her shoulders.

  She grasped the edges together. “No, Cal. Not here. This is my uncle’s bedroom. It doesn’t feel right.”

  “Where then, if not here?”

  “Let’s go back downstairs.”

  “All right. I can build a fire if you want.”

  “Can we stay that long? I’d hate for Luke or Dad to worry and come looking for us.”

  “What are you saying? Don’t you want to make love with me?”

  She cupped his face in her hands and pulled him forward, kissing him with all the longing and pent-up frustration she’d held back. “Yes, I want you. I want to feel you inside me. I need you to make me feel alive again, Cal, if only for a little while, but not up here.”

  In answer, he held her hand as they traversed the winding staircase to the main floor. At the bottom, he pulled her close and kissed her again, a heated kiss that left her in no doubt of his intentions.

  * * * *

  He crossed the foyer and locked the front door, something he should’ve done on arrival, but at least with Rounder on guard, they would have ample warning if someone did approach the cabin. They removed their outerwear and hung it on a coat rack nearby. Hand-in-hand, they entered the main room, stopping to kiss and cuddle with every other step.

  He was so hot for her! If he didn’t get these damned jeans off soon, his erection just might pop the zipper. That’s how hard he was for her…so stiff the skin stretched tight over his cock and it ached.

  She suddenly pulled free and backed away from him. He almost swore out loud in frustration, thinking she’d changed her mind, but she’d only gone to close the vertical blinds at the windows.

  “Just in case,” she said, smiling a come-hither smile as she turned back to him.

  He felt guilty for his unruly thoughts, but closed the distance between them in a heartbeat, relieved to have her back in his arms.

  “I’ve missed you, Cal,” she said as she ran her fingers through his thick, wavy hair.

  “No more than I’ve missed you. I was beginning to think you’d never come home.”

  “Oh, I wanted to, so much, but it wasn’t possible.”

  “You’re here now,” he said. He grabbed the hem of her sweater and pulled it over her head to expose beautifully shaped breasts enclosed in see-through peach lace. “And I’m so glad you’re back.”

  He bent to suckle her nipples through the lacy cups, her mindless purr of delight going straight to his groin. If he got any harder, he’d explode. Still, he took his time, banking his desire as best he could to give her pleasure.

  Slipping his hands inside the waistband, he worked her blue jeans and sexy peach-colored thong down over her hips, promptly falling to his knees at the sight of her platinum curls. He leaned forward, reaching out to touch her satiny skin, smell her spicy vanilla scent and taste the creamy essence that was Leah. He wanted—needed—all of it—all of her.

  His fingers parted her curls, exposing her pussy lips to his view. The first swipe of his tongue against her clit had her legs trembling in reaction. He steadied her, holding her thighs as he feasted on her, moving his hands up to massage her ass cheeks as her juices gushed, wetting his lips as he sucked up every drop.

  When he raised his head, she dropped to her knees in front of him, her wonderfully warm embrace holding him tight to her breasts. He reached behind her and undid the clasp of her bra, baring her succulent, golden orbs to his greedy eyes. Hungry for more, he laid her back on the rug, and ran his hands along the length of her creamy skin from shoulder to mid-calf. He followed the path his hands took with his eyes, greedily drinking in the sight of her lying naked before him, rejoicing that she was here
, with him, at last.

  “You are exquisite! So very beautiful.” His voice was hushed, almost reverent in the spell her beauty cast over him.

  She stretched, her sexy body arching off the floor. Suddenly she sat up, a secretive smile playing around her lips. “Your turn.”

  She grabbed the front of his shirt, unsnapping it with one firm tug and pushing it back off his shoulders. He followed suit with his T-shirt, and as he pulled it over his head, she closed her mouth on one male nipple, sucking hard as she slid her hands over his skin. Heat, swift and molten, coursed through him at the intimate touch.

  He felt her struggle with his belt, but once undone, she wasted no time in freeing his erection. His cock burst forth and she was right there, one hand cupping his balls while the other stroked his shaft, her lips and tongue doing double duty as she teased the head, her tongue licking and pushing against the tip. When she took his cock deep into her throat, he almost blew his load.

  “Easy, darlin’. We don’t want this to end too soon.”

  He tried to pull back, pull out, but she grabbed his ass and held him in place. Her head bobbed up and down as she worked him expertly. He lost all semblance of control and shot his load against the back of her throat. She sucked and swallowed until she’d drained him then lifted up and pushed him backwards to remove his jeans and boxers, tossing them aside before straddling his still-hard cock.

  “Whoa, there. Aren’t you going to give me a minute? That was some blow job.”

  She shook her head as she smiled and moved her body on his. By now, his dick should have been flaccid and good for nothing, but as soon as she’d sheathed him in her moist heat, he stiffened fully and met her thrust for thrust. She rode him in style, her glorious platinum tresses falling forward to partially cover her breasts like a modern day Godiva, except he was the horse she rode in on. Their bodies worked together, merging until he wasn’t sure where his stopped and hers began.

  He loved watching her boobs bounce as she rose up and came down, driving him deeper each time. Covered in a sheen of sweat, he reached for her, pinching and tweaking her nipples until her insides clenched tight, and she let go in a rush. A couple more thrusts and he succumbed to the ultimate climax, pulling her forward and holding her tight as his cock spasmed and lay at rest.