"Hey, what's going on?"
Caleb recognized Spike's hushed whisper, and turning around, Caleb waved him forward.
"I saw you walking away from the barn," Spike said breathlessly. "What the hell? What happened to him?"
"The mountain lion."
"Fuck me," Spike mumbled. "Let's get him up. Where can we take him?"
"The Range Rover. He won't be drivin' off anywhere. What's your name?" he asked as they helped him up.
"H-Hugo."
"You know we're saving your thieving hide?" Spike said solemnly as they started off.
"Yeah, yeah. Th-thanks. S-sorry."
"You mean about coming here to steal horses and God knows what else?" Spike continued. "Maybe you'll think twice next time."
"N-never again," Hugo stammered, tears streaming down his face. "G-God, he's p-punishing m-me."
"We're gonna take you as far as the barn," Caleb said, wondering what provoked the lion. "You'll have to get to the Rover by yourself."
"The p-pain is so b-bad. I th-think I'm g-gonna f-faint."
"We're almost there," Caleb assured him, lowering his voice. "There's the car. Do you see it?"
"Yeah."
"Stay focused on getting there. We'll keep watch until you're safely inside, but you didn't see us. Got it?"
"I s-swear. I w-won't s-say a w-word. Th-thank you."
He limped away, stammering the Lord's Prayer, and though Spike was keeping his eye on him, Caleb's attention had been sharply pulled away. His ears had picked up something else.
A growl.
~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~
Jerry twitched. Danger lurked. Nerves twanged in his body like violin strings. His breath came in quick short pants. Hugo had disappeared. So had Max and Victor. Though Poncho had been muttering about their next move, Jerry hadn't heard a word.
"I need to get the fuck out of here, but I'm not leaving without that bitch," Jerry grunted. "She's going to pay for this shit."
"Mr. Goldstein, did you hear me? Is that what I should do?"
"What? Poncho, get in the barn and find Max and Victor."
"No, no, I said I should—"
"Get your ass in that barn and find them," Jerry snarled, wanting to rid himself of the human baggage. "If they're not there, scout around. I'll be in the—"
"Shit! Hugo!"
As Poncho abruptly sprinted towards the SUV, Jerry's eyes darted after him. Hugo, bloody and broken, his clothes falling off, stumbled towards the Rover.
"What the fuck?" Jerry hissed, fighting a rising panic. "Focus. I need to focus. Connie. I'll get Connie and bolt."
Taking a deep breath, he exhaled slowly to the count of ten. In the early days of his trading career, his mentor had taught him the technique.
Don't panic, take a breath, do the count. Your heart will settle and your head will clear.
The method never failed. Regaining a semblance of control, he crept towards the front of the van, scrutinizing the open space he'd have to cross to reach the house.
A movement caught his attention.
His head snapped around.
Martha.
She was squatting beside the Range Rover.
~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~
Frighteningly close to Caleb and Spike, the mountain lion trotted slowly towards the driveway. Lit by the platinum light of the brilliant moon, his powerful muscles rippled as he moved, and though he glanced in their direction, he didn't break his stride.
"Uhhh. I don't think I've ever been this petrified," Spike mumbled, his heart threatening to explode. "You'll forgive me if I pee my pants."
"Don't worry," Caleb said softly. "It's not our blood he's after."
"Does he know that? Hey, look. That must be Poncho. He'd better get Hugo in that car pretty quick or they'll both be human tartare."
But the beautiful beast held Caleb's attention. He no longer viewed the mountain lion as a wild creature, but Hania, a supernatural warrior sent to fight for Connie.
"They're in the car," Spike declared. "That's a relief, but we need to find Jerry before he takes off. With the two of us, nailing his ass will be a piece of cake."
"Jerry's not going anywhere," Caleb said grimly, his eyes still on the big cat. "He's here to get the money back. That means finding Connie, which means he's heading for the house."
"You should call her. She has to be worried."
"I can't. If she'd hiding I don't want to startle her. She could move or make a noise."
"I get your point."
"She's a smart girl, and she's with Martha. That woman has more smarts than all of us put together."
"We can't see anything," Spike said testily. "We need to get to the other side of the damn horse van and check out the lawn in front of the house. Wait! Where's the lion? Has he gone?"
"Don't worry," Caleb said reassuringly. "Like I said, he's not after us. Let's go."
Staying low they hurried to the front of the van, but as the lawn came into view, they stopped short, their eyes wide in disbelief.
~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~
Hugo was in desperate need of a doctor, but Poncho had left his phone in the cab of the van. Max and Victor were gone, and with Hugo almost clawed to death, babbling about a lion attack, Poncho had no intention of leaving the safety of the SUV.
"Fuck this shit," Poncho grunted. "I'm outta here."
Scrambling over the console, he slid into the front seat and started the engine, but when he pressed down on the accelerator, the Range Rover barely limped forward. Slamming his fist on the steering wheel, he cursed under his breath, then dropped his head and prayed to God to spare his life.
~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~
Martha had crept up to the SUV, slashed two tires, and was about to move to the other side and slash the others, when the engine suddenly roared to life. The unexpected noise made her jump, and she tumbled backwards.
Standing nearby, Jerry's mouth curled in an evil grin. Raising his gun, he marched confidently forward, but the moonlight shining off Martha's large knife made him pause.
"Get up, you stupid old cow!"
Darting her head towards him, alarm shone from her eyes.
"I said, get the fuck up!" he barked, grinning with glee.
Resting her hand against the SUV for support, she rose unsteadily to her feet, then shifted her gaze towards the house.
"What?" he sneered. "Are you worried about your little lamb? She's coming with me, but she'll see you die first. Toss the knife and start walking."
"Martha's not going anywhere!" Connie yelled. "I've got a rifle pointed at your back, you sonofabitch. Drop your fucking gun."
~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~
Reaching the front of the van, Caleb and Spike had seen Jerry threatening Martha, then Connie appeared from the shadows of a large tree, but before they could react, she strode forward and made her threat.
"Caleb. What do we do?" Spike asked frantically. "Jerry could spin around and shoot her."
"No. He wants her alive, and he'll know she can handle a gun. If we step up we might distract her, or he might decide to shoot Martha, or us, or—dammit. I dunno. Anything could happen."
"Connie, listen very carefully," Jerry shouted, his gun still pointed at Martha. "Put your rifle down, or the next sight you see will be Martha's brain exploding from her head. You might shoot me too, but that won't bring her back. And, Connie, if you shoot first, I'll still get a bullet out, and you're probably holding your pump-action. That's a second between shots. If you miss, that's all I'll need to kill you too."
"Caleb," Spike muttered. "He's right."
~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~
Flying through the air and crashing Jerry to the ground, the mighty cat appeared from nowhere. Jerry's tortured wails were quickly silenced by the beast's giant fangs sinking into his neck. Thrashing his prey from side-to-side, the cougar virtually ripped Jerry's head from his shoulders.
A deathly silence descended.
But Hania wasn't finished.
With cla
ws extended, he lifted his mammoth paw and slammed it down on the left side of Jerry's chest, then raising his head in a triumphant roar, the lion plunged his mouth into the lifeless body and wrenched out the heart.
A fierce gust suddenly blasted across the ranch. Spike ducked in front of the van, Martha curled against the Rover, and Connie dropped her rifle to shield her face with her hands. But pushing through the squall, Caleb stepped into the driveway and faced his spirit warrior. As he stood motionless and without fear, the winds howling around him, Hania padded towards him with Jerry's life organ still dripping blood between his jaws. Dropping the heart at Caleb's feet, he let out a low growl, turned, padded a few steps, then broke into a gallop, disappearing into the night.
"Thank you, Hania."
Caleb whispered the words as he swallowed back a sweep of heavy emotion, and with the wind settling, he moved swiftly down the driveway to cradle his love in his arms.
EPILOGUE
When Caleb led Deputy Sheriff Joe Pinto to Jerry's remains in the middle of the driveway, the lawman gave it a quick glance, turned away, and headed back to his cruiser.
"There are two men locked in the barn waitin' to be arrested," Caleb said, walking with him.
"Yeah? Good work. I, uh, I need to call the sheriff," Joe declared as he climbed into his car.
"And two others in the Range Rover, one who's badly injured," Caleb continued. "I've called an ambulance."
"Okay. I'm gonna call the sheriff now," Joe repeated, reaching for his phone.
"Sure. I'll leave you to take care of things."
Spike had been checking on Max and Victor, and seeing him marching down the drive, Caleb hurried to meet up with him.
"How are they?"
"Max is pretty upset about Jerry," Spike said solemnly. "I took their gags off and left the lights on." Then lowering his voice, he added, "Hey, Caleb. I don't see the heart."
"I picked it up with a shovel and hid it behind the barn."
"Rather you than me."
"The lion always sits in the same tree. I'm gonna bury it at the base. Let's go back to the house."
"Yeah. I need to chill with a large bourbon."
"That makes two of us," Caleb muttered.
The ranch quickly became a hive of activity, and by the time the last lawman left the sun was about to rise.
~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~
Caleb and Connie woke at noon, lingering for a while, both still coming to terms with the dramatic events of the night before. Connie was the first to speak.
"Caleb, I have a name for the ranch," she murmured. "Hania Horse Farm."
"That's exactly what this place should be called," Caleb replied. "He deserves the honor. He saved your life, yours and Martha's, and he'll always be here watchin' out for us."
"I can't help thinking…"
"This doesn't sound good."
"What would have happened to me if you hadn't come into my life?"
"Don't go there. Sometimes things are just meant to be. Ready to get up?"
"I am," she said with a sigh, "but I'll be moving slowly today."
"We all will."
They dressed and showered and headed down the stairs. In the kitchen they found Martha preparing breakfast, and Spike sweeping the rooms with his bug detecting device. Sitting at the breakfast table he announced he'd found nothing, but when Connie presented him with the engagement ring, he studied the stone for only a moment before shaking his head.
"A cubic zirconia. This ring is probably worth about $50."
"I'm not surprised," Caleb remarked. "There's no way that jerk would have left an expensive piece of jewelry behind."
"Everything about that man was a lie," Connie said grimly. "I'll give it to a charity shop. Caleb, after lunch I'd like to head over to Jim and Jean's and bring the horses home. Are you up for that?"
"Sure. We can drive over. I'll leave the truck, and you can run me back to pick it up."
"I hate to leave, but I should head home when we're done," Spike said, a hint of regret in his voice. "I could live out here."
"Hey. I just had a thought," Connie exclaimed. "The cabin. That can be your getaway. After everything you've done for me that's the least I can do."
"You've gotta say yes!" Caleb insisted. "I'm surrounded by women."
"Please accept," Martha insisted. "I want to see more of you and hear about your adventures."
"You don't have to twist my arm. Hell, yeah! Thanks. That's awesome."
~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~
After lunch, the three of them drove around to Jim and Jean's. Over coffee, Caleb relayed the dramatic details of their overnight drama.
"I reckon the sheriff will get a group together to go after that mountain lion," Jim said gravely. "We can't have a killer like that roamin' around."
The suggestion sent Caleb's heart skipping.
"Jean and I were talkin'," Jim continued. "Last night we realized how dull our lives have become. How would you feel about startin' up a little business here? You could offer lessons, trail rides, whatever. The fellas who do the cleanin' and feedin' can take on a couple more horses."
"Connie and I were just talkin' along those lines," Caleb replied, "but her barn only has one free stall, and I have a feelin' Spike here will be lookin' to fill the spot."
"I will?" Spike piped up. "Huh. You might be right about that."
"Young people keep you young," Jean remarked. "My pa used to say that. Now I know what he was talkin' about."
"Let's get together again in the next few days," Caleb suggested. "We can sit down and discuss this in detail."
After Jim's comment about the hunt, Caleb kept his eyes open on the ride back. There was no sign of the cougar, but that afternoon he received a call asking if he wanted to join a search party. Hoping he could head off any threat to Hania, he agreed. In spite of many exhausting hours no sign of the lion could be found, but a few days later, walking across to the barn, Caleb sensed the cat behind him.
"Perfect timin'," Caleb said with a grin as he turned around, "but I guess I shouldn't be surprised. I'm goin' away with Connie and Martha for a couple of weeks. We'll be hauln' the horses up to Dream Horse ranch, then visitin' her parents. Will you please keep your eye on this place?"
The lion growled, soft and low.
"I'd sure like to touch you, but I'm thinkin' I should wait for you to come to me."
Rising to his feet, Hania took a step towards him. Caleb felt a wave of fear. The cat paused, but as Caleb pushed through his anxiety, the cat moved slowly forward, sat down and lifted his gaze.
The creature's eyes sparkled crystal blue.
"Damn, you're beautiful," Caleb whispered. "I'm honored to know you, Hania. Honored and humbled."
Heat rising in his throat, Caleb rested his hand on the big cat's head. A sudden tingle traveled through his fingers and up his arm. Compelled to close his eyes, a blaze of hot prickling light surged through him. The sensation intensified, then slowly abated, leaving his heart serene and his being cloaked in warmth. Opening his eyes, he moved his palm across Hania's head in a soft caress, then dropped it away. Their cosmic connection complete, Hania growled softly, then padded back to the thicket.
~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~
Connie's parents were thrilled to see Martha, and excited to meet the cowboy they'd heard so much about. Caleb took an immediate liking to them both, and Connie's father insisted Caleb call them by their first names: Travis and Mary. Eager to show Caleb her grandfather's study, with Travis leading the way, they moved down a wide hallway to the back of the sprawling ranch house. As Caleb entered, his eye caught a gallery of photographs lining the wall behind the old oak desk. They showed rocky peaks, majestic trees, and mountain lions.
"These are amazin'," he murmured, moving closer.
"Pa took every one," Travis declared proudly.
"Am I imaginin' things, or is that the same cougar in every picture?"
"You've got a good eye," Mary remarked. "I don't think anyone's e
ver noticed."
Then Caleb spied the old sign with the name Hania carved in the wood. Goosebumps popped as a warm chill moved through him.
"Connie, you promised to tell us everything that happened," Travis said solemnly. "You mentioned a mountain lion, but no details."
"There's a lot to tell, but sharing the details about the mountain lion, that's up to Caleb."
"Bein' in here, I'm feelin' a need to," Caleb murmured, shifting his gaze from the plaque. "You'd better sit down."
Caleb and Travis settled into the chairs in front of the desk, while Martha, Connie, and her mother sat together on the chesterfield couch, leaning back on the hand-woven Indian saddle blankets. Launching into the story, Caleb gave a full accounting, though he didn't mention Spike's name, referring to him simply as an old friend. Feeling a need to keep his magical moment with Hania to himself, he finished with the burial of the lion's trophy, Jerry's heart, at the base of the tree.
"The whole thing was surreal. And that dream! Every detail is still with me."
"Now I've got something to tell you. Hold on to your cowboy hat," Travis said solemnly. "Connie, you were told Hania was the name of a man your granddad once knew, but it wasn't. Hania was the name of a mountain lion he befriended. He didn't want people thinkin' he was off his rocker, and back in his day, they would have."
"Yes," Caleb murmured. "I think I always knew that."
Rising from his chair, Travis moved to the gallery, lifted a large portrait of the lion from its hook, and removed a smaller picture tucked into the back of the frame.
"My father bought a camera with a self-timer, but he only ever took one photo of the two of them together, and this is it," Travis said, handing it across the desk to Caleb.
To Kiss A Cowboy (Hunks and Horses Book 1) Page 16