"My grandfather was nuts about mountain lions," Connie said nostalgically. "He had all kinds of paintings and photographs, and Indian carvings as well. He even had a totem pole put on the property, complete with a ceremony."
"Maybe the totem has been sent by your grandfather," Spike suggested, "and as much as I'm enjoying this conversation, I'd like to hear your story and see how I might be able to help. Maybe we should head back to the cabin."
"I'll give you a tub of goodies to take with you," Martha offered. "And forgive me for asking, Spike, but what do you think you can do for Connie?"
"I'm hoping I'll be able to find this guy. If the authorities can nab him they might be able to locate the money."
"Are you like a private detective? How exciting, but I don't understand. How can you do something like that from here?"
"My kind of detective work doesn't involve stakeouts. Everything I do is online. I'm no expert, but it doesn't take much to pick up a trail."
"My goodness," Martha said, rising from the table. "Anything to do with computers is over my head. You're very kind to come all this way."
"I came all this way because Caleb bribed me with the promise of a ride on his horse."
"Do you mind if I watch while you work," Connie asked, "or is that a no-no?"
"Sure you can watch, but you may find what I do boring. All you'll see is a bunch of letters and numbers flying across the screen, and me pushing buttons."
"That sounds fascinating," she declared. "Caleb, why do you look so serious? Are you all right?"
"Me? Yes, fine. I was just thinking about the mountain lion. I can't get him out of my head."
Though his encounter with the big cat under the bright silver moon had been real, his dream had been exactly that. A dream. His mind was racing. Could the spiritual and physical world be connecting?
~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~
Spike had set up his equipment in a matter of minutes, and settling down behind a monitor, he asked Connie for her email information, Jerry's email address, and her account numbers at the investment company. Sitting nearby on the couch, she waited patiently as his fingers danced across his keyboard, and when he suddenly stopped and nodded his head, she jumped to her feet.
"You found something! I can tell!"
"Would you like to read his emails?" Spike asked, grinning across at her. "I can send you everything he's written since he opened the account."
"Seriously?"
"That part's easy. Now I'm going to get into the tough stuff. I probably won't be speaking for a while. Think about how focused you are in the saddle. There's only you and your horse. In this case, there's only me and my computer. I zone out."
"How long will you be like that?"
"Sorry, I have no idea. An hour, two hours, twelve hours. When I'm hunting I lose track of time."
"Should I interrupt you with coffee, or food, or—"
"Thanks, but no. I'll break when I need to, and I have no idea when that will be. You're welcome to sit and watch, but you might as well join Caleb in the barn. I'll text him when there's something to know."
"I'm seriously blown away."
"Anything is easy when you know how, and I have fun doing this."
"I guess I'll see you later then. Thanks again, Spike."
"Thank me when I've found the bastard and you have your money back."
"That would be—I can't even find the words. I'll be on pins and needles. Good luck."
As she moved through the room, monitors, aluminum briefcases, and black boxes with blinking lights surrounded her. It was a far cry from her tack room with saddles and bridles. Walking out on the porch and gazing down at the ring, she spied Caleb riding Domino in a slow, easy lope. Heat washed the back of her throat. Caleb had returned the horse to his old happy self. Walking quickly down the gentle slope to join him, she was soon leaning against the railing.
"Hey, darlin'," he called, trotting across to join her. "How's Spike doin'?"
"He hacked into Jerry's email. You were right. He's a genius."
"Now he's huntin'?"
"That's what he said."
"That will probably take a while."
"He said that too."
"Do you wanna get on?"
"Definitely. He actually thinks he can do something. I'm almost optimistic."
"Almost?"
"Almost is all I can manage. The thought of losing this place…"
"You won't. Even if Spike doesn't pull off a miracle, we'll find a way to keep it."
"Thank you for saying that. Maybe the mountain lion was an omen."
"How do you mean?" Caleb asked, sliding from the saddle.
"As I mentioned, my grandfather loved mountain lions, and the money he left me bought this place. Maybe he's watching over me, and that's why the lion appeared."
"Huh. I like that."
"The thought came to me in the middle of the night," she said as they walked to the mounting block. "I woke up and it was in my head, then I went back to sleep."
"Last night?"
"Uh-huh," she said, climbing into the saddle. "Being up here confident and relaxed again is fantastic. How do you want me to start?"
"However you want."
"Aren't you going to give me a lesson?"
"Every time you've been on that horse, you've taken a lesson. Why don't you just enjoy him? If you run into a problem I'll be here."
"I'd love that."
"I'll just hang out at the fence and watch. Go have fun."
"If I could hug you right now, I would."
"Hug me when you're done. I might even let you steal a kiss."
She threw back her head and giggled, then turned Domino around and moved away. A surge of emotion filled his heart. He absolutely adored her, and the memory of how she'd felt in his arms flooded his senses. But his thoughts drifted back to what she'd said about the mountain lion. An omen. Her grandfather. On an impulse, he pulled his phone from his pocket and called Heath.
"Hey, Caleb. Good to hear from you. How are things going there?"
"Hi, Heath. Kind of a whirlwind. Connie's engagement is off, we got together, and that's just for starters."
"No kiddin'. I can't say I'm surprised. I'm happy for you guys. Jerry wasn't right for her, that's for darn sure."
"Turns out he's a bad guy. He's disappeared. I'll spare you the gory details, but before he vanished he ripped her off."
"Damn. I didn't like that guy from the get go."
"I only told you that because I think what happened is relevant to what I'm about to say next. The main reason for my call is—shoot—I'm not sure how to put this."
"Just spit it out."
"I had a meetin' with a mountain lion."
"Whoa! On the trail?"
"Nope. I'm gonna tell you everything that's happened. Before I begin though, you've gotta promise you won't think I'm crazy."
"You're about the least crazy person I know. You've got my undivided attention. What's goin' on?"
Caleb relayed the bizarre events, Spike's input, and Connie's suggestion the lion had been a message from her grandfather.
"That's my story," Caleb declared. "I know it all sounds nuts, especially the dream, but do you have any thoughts?"
"I sure do, but I wish we were sittin' in a bar drinkin' a beer right now," Heath said, letting out a long breath. "I've had a few strange things happen here, and Carly and I are absolutely convinced it was my mother. To this day, whenever something odd happens, we look at each other and say, she's still around."
"Really? I just got a chill!"
"I've had that feelin'," Heath said with a chuckle. "Listen, Caleb, I wouldn't own Dream Horse Ranch if my mother hadn't set certain plans in motion before she passed away, and I honestly believe she's been with me every step. You asked for my thoughts, so I'll tell you straight. I think your mountain lion is connected to Connie's grandfather. If you break down what she told you, she said the same thing herself. My grandfather is watching over me."
"Maybe her grandfather put the idea in your head."
"That's just creepy," Caleb said, dropping his voice. "If he can do that, what if he can see what else is in there? Lord give me strength. If he sees what I have in store for his granddaughter, I'll be toast!"
"Hah, I'm sure," Heath said, laughing out loud. "Be careful, maybe he's tryin'."
"But Heath, you really think the lion and her granddad are somehow connected?"
"If there's somethin' supernatural goin' on I can't think of anythin' else it could be.
"Thanks, Heath. I'm feelin' a lot more settled. I'm buyin' next time we go out."
"Hey, you're welcome. I know how unsettlin' things like that can be. How's Domino?"
"He's doin' great. I'm standin' at the fence watchin' Connie lopin' around with no problems. It was that trainer who got things screwed up."
"I think the beers are gonna be on me. You didn't just save Connie's bacon, you saved mine too."
"I'll buy the first round, you buy the second."
"We should be negotiatin' world peace," Heath said with a chuckle.
"I guess all we can do is look after our own patch of grass, and take care of the ones we love."
"You got that right. One more thing before you go. You should tell Connie about the dream."
"Yeah, for sure. She's on her way over. I'm gonna say bye for now. Thanks again."
"Keep me posted. Can I share this with Carly?"
"You betcha. Have a great day."
"You too."
"Who was that?" Connie asked as she stopped at the fence.
"Heath."
"How is he?"
"Good. You looked great out there."
"Thank you. It was wonderful. You're such a good boy, Domino," she purred, leaning down and patting his neck. "Is there anything better than being on a horse?"
"Yep. Lyin' in bed with you."
"Well, yeah. There is that."
"Are you done?"
"I am," she said happily, kicking her feet from the stirrups and jumping off.
"Let's take care of him, then I wanna sit on that bale of hay and tell you about a dream I had."
CHAPTER SEVENTEEN
Connie listened intently as Caleb described his dream, then seeing the great cat sitting on the field beneath an extraordinarily full moon. When he'd finished she remained silent, her eyes wide as she stared at him.
"Connie, say something."
"I…uh…."
"What's the matter?"
"I keep getting the shivers."
"I didn't mean to scare you," he said softly, putting his arm around her. "You seemed so casual about everything at lunch."
"That was before," she whispered. "Before…"
"Before what? Do you mean before I told you about my dream?"
"N-no. Not the dream exactly. That name. I'm almost afraid to say this."
"Well you'd better, 'cos you're startin' to give me the willies."
"In my grandfather's study, on the wall behind his desk there's an old hand-made plaque. Hania is carved into the wood."
"Say, what?"
"Weird, huh?"
"Weird is an understatement! Damn. Did your grandfather ever tell you where it came from or what it meant?"
"He said Hania was the name of a man he once knew, but he never told me anything about him."
"We need to ask your father. Maybe he'll know."
"This is freaking me out."
"You know what else is bizarre? I called Heath to talk to him about this. He told me there were some odd episodes at his ranch. He and Carly are convinced his mother was behind them. She passed away years ago."
"Really? Maybe Spike is right. The lion is your totem and my grandfather sent him. Can you arrange things in the afterlife?"
"Uh, Connie, I'm in the land of the livin'. I have no clue."
"How can we find out more about this?"
"I don't know. We can't exactly walk up to the mountain lion and say, Hi, Mr. Cougar. Are you Hania reincarnated?"
"This whole thing is so strange, but that doesn't mean we have to be scared, right? Though I admit I am a bit."
"Here's the good news. That lion could have ripped me to shreds, but I felt no threat from him. None."
"That is very good news, but what do we do?"
"There's nothing we can do except let things develop."
"I want us to visit granddad's ranch. There may be some answers in his study."
"I'd love to do that, but we need to wait until this mess with Jerry is behind us."
"Jerry," she repeated with a heavy sigh. "What a nightmare. I hope Spike can find him and the police can work things out quickly. I want mom and dad to meet you."
"Now that's scary!"
"Caleb! You'll love them. They're really cool."
"Can we talk about something else?" he said softly, tilting his head to the side.
"Like what?"
"Like that kiss you wanted to steal."
"But that doesn't involve talking."
"Sassy girl. Steal away."
Circling her arms around his neck, she pressed her lips against his. He wrapped her up, and melting into him, she never wanted the kiss to end. When they finally broke apart she let out a long, happy sigh.
"I've got an idea," he murmured. "Come with me."
Taking her hand, he led her down the barn aisle and into the tack room, closing and locking the door behind them.
"Caleb…?"
He winked his reply, then moved across to the pile of clean laundry, ripping open a large plastic bag.
"There we go," he declared, pulling out a thick, fluffy horse blanket and laying it on the floor.
"Uh…you want to…?"
"Play tiddlywinks," he said with a wicked grin. "Come here, gorgeous."
Pulling her against him, he clutched her hair and tugged back her head. She closed her eyes waiting for his kiss, but his lips traveled to her ear.
"I told you I was gonna put you in trainin', and that starts now. Once you're on that blanket, no matter what I do, you stay quiet. Not a peep."
"You make me feel so much," she muttered, her knees growing weak. "I don't think I can stand it."
"Then you'd best lay yourself down."
As she stretched out, he kneeled beside her, unbuttoned her blouse and slid his hand over her bra, then into the cup to squeeze her breast. She managed to suppress her moan, and when he tweaked her nipple, she gasped, but didn't yelp.
"Good girl. See? You can do as you're told when you want to," he crooned, peeling off her shirt and bra, then moving to her feet, he pulled off her boots and socks.
She waited breathlessly for him to unzip her jeans and slide them down her legs, but to her surprise he sat beside her and cupped her covered pussy. Wanting more she wriggled, and he obliged, rubbing ardently, but the thick denim was dulling the pleasure. She ached to call out his name and beg him to remove her jeans, then to her joy, the solution came to her. She reached down and began to push down the zipper.
"Whoa. Whatta you think you're doin'?"
She looked up at him, mischief dancing in her eyes.
"I get it. You couldn't ask me to pull these off you," he murmured, as he took over and slid her jeans down her legs, "but I didn't say you couldn't do it yourself."
Unable to stop the grin crossing her lips, she threw her hands over her face to fight the giggles.
"No, you don't," he said with a chuckle, pulling them away. "Look at you! Red-faced and ready to burst into fits of laughter. Roll over and get up on your knees, and you'd better do as I say. Now isn't the time to test me," he warned, sensing she was about to do just that. "I'm more than happy to tie you up and leave you here for an hour."
Dropping her hands, she recognized the glint in his eye and immediately rolled over and raised herself on all fours.
"Wise," he declared, circling her waist with his arm and
rubbing his free hand over her backside. "You can be such a brat," he declared, delivering the first smack. "This trainin' isn't just to teach you to listen, but to show you what happens if you decide to be sassy. Your smart ass is gonna be a red ass."
Landing his flattened palm in a flurry of hard slaps, he waited for the first forbidden squeal, then moved his hand lower to whisk across her sit spot. She threw back her head, hissing in the air. He paused. Touching her sex and finding it satisfyingly drenched, he began to rub away the burn.
"You did good darlin'. Now you can make all the noise you want."
"Thank you! That was so hard."
"But you know you deserved a stingin' backside."
"Yes, Sir, and you've got a very hot hand."
"When I need it, or should I say, when you need it. Lie on your back and spread your legs."
As she shifted on the blanket, he quickly stripped, and stretching out next to her, he propped himself up on an elbow.
"Take my cock. I want you to stroke me," he said softly, pressing his fingers into her velvet slit to search out her clit.
Cloaked in the rich smell of the leather saddles, the fuzzy blanket soft against her skin, and Caleb's scintillating massage, Connie moaned gratefully.
"Caleb, I'm in heaven."
"Me too, babe."
Gazing at her naked body, he continued to bring her to the edge, then paused, delighting in her squirms and sighs. He wished they could spend the entire afternoon locked away in their new love nest, but they'd already been gone too long. Fervently increasing the pressure of his agitating finger, he dropped his mouth to her breast, hungrily drawing in the nipple. Abruptly her wail echoed through the small room, and as her grip on his cock tightened, he couldn't stop his explosive climax. As the spasms ebbed, he flopped next to her and brought her into his arms.
"I just want to lie here and sleep," she mumbled breathlessly.
"You and me both."
"Your heart is pounding like crazy."
"No kidding. That's what you do to me."
"My butt is sore."
"Lesson learned?"
"Yes, Mr. King, the lesson has been learned."
"Good," he murmured, rolling on to his side and softly kissing her. "The brat inside you is always welcome to come out and play, but she can almost always count on a red backside."
To Kiss A Cowboy (Hunks and Horses Book 1) Page 11