by Sable Hunter
“Got it, Dallas. I’m coming down!”
Dallas followed her progress and when she got close enough, he reached up, clasped her around the waist and brought her down. He didn’t intend to startle her, but he must have. She wiggled in his embrace, so he clasped her closer, unwilling for her to fall. In the process, his hands found a rounded ass and soft breasts were mashed up against his chest. By the time he got her on the ground, they were both out of breath.
“Sorry.” Her nipples were hard and she could feel her cheeks burning with excitement. “I’m not used to being held,” she whispered. “I’m used to doing the holding.”
Dallas read between the lines. He knew exactly what she was saying. “It’s time someone took care of you.”
His suggestion sounded good to her. Unfortunately, there wasn’t a queue of volunteers lined up outside her door. “Feel like some chicken and dumplings?”
“Sounds perfect.” They returned to the house and soon Dallas was seated across from George discussing immigration issues. Sally kept putting her hand on his arm to tell him about her day, and he didn’t even worry about the fingerprints she left behind. On the other hand, Lennon didn’t say much. Each time he met her eyes, she looked hastily away. He began to wonder if she was regretting the invitation.
“Are we going to mass tomorrow, Lenny? My Sunday School class is supposed to sing a song in big church.” Sally piped up with an expectant happy look on her little face.
Lennon blinked. “I didn’t even realize what day it was. Yes, of course we’ll go.” She turned to Dallas. “This was Saturday. You were probably supposed to have the whole day off.”
He shook his head. “While I’m on a case, I just do what needs to be done.”
“When do you think we should check the cameras?” she asked, remembering how it felt to be in his arms–if only for a brief wonderful moment.
“Let’s give it a couple of days,” he told her.
“You can watch a basketball game with me tomorrow.” George offered. “If you don’t have anything better to do.”
“Actually, I have a tea party. Remember?” Dallas watched Sally’s face light up.
“Yes!” She pumped her tiny fist in the air. “Lenny, we have to make cookies!”
“You could still watch the game,” George grumbled good-naturedly.
“Yes, I can.” Dallas found himself looking forward to both things.
Lennon wished she had something to offer him in way of entertainment. Try as she might, she couldn’t think of a thing she possessed that could possibly tempt him. Suddenly she just needed to walk. “While you all finish up; I think I’ll go feed the chickens this left over cornbread. I want to check on Bonita, she hasn’t been laying lately.”
Knowing everything that had been going on, Dallas wasn’t keen on her going out at night alone. “I’ll walk with you.” He rose, wiping his hands with a napkin.
“Are you sure? You don’t have to,” she assured him.
“I’m sure. I’ve never fed chickens. This will be an experience.” He took the pan of scraps from her hands. “Lead the way.”
Lennon felt herself tremble. “Okay. We’ll gather eggs while we’re out there. I didn’t have time to check this morning.”
“I don’t know how you keep up with it all.” He was telling the truth. “You amaze me. You do the work of three people.”
As they stepped into the night, Lennon felt as if she were glowing enough to light their path. “This is my world, it’s all I know.”
“I know, but some folks never do anything in their life but take from others. All you do is give.”
“That’s not true. George and Sally give me a reason to get up in the morning, that’s no small thing.” They walked companionably side by side. When they reached the pen, Lennon could see the chickens were all on their roosts. “We’ll leave this here. They’ll find it in the morning.”
“Did we eat a former member of this little assembly tonight?”
Lennon paused, trying to understand. “Oh, no!” She realized he was referring to the chicken which had gone into the dumplings. “I never eat anyone I know. I buy my meat at the grocery store. Do you find that hypocritical?”
“No. I think it’s sweet.” Heck, he thought she was sweet.
She eased the coop door open and stepped inside. The moon was bright enough they could see fairly well. “Let me check for eggs.” Walking back to the nest, she began gathering eggs. On some, she had to run her hand underneath the chicken to find them. “Oh, no!” she gasped.
“What?” Dallas was immediately concerned. “Did you find a chicken snake?” He’d heard of that happening.
“No! It’s Bonita.” She knelt down by the lifeless bird. “She was old. Poor Banty.” Dallas found Lennon speaking to a small rooster like he was a person. “I’m so sorry. You two were together a long time.”
“Let me help.” He carefully left the coop and walked to the barn where he remembered seeing some burlap bags. Returning with one, he lifted the dead chicken from the ground. The little rooster walked around, making low chirping noises. He looked lost. “Poor fellow. Were they a couple?” He meant to tease, but Lennon started sniffing.
“They’ve been inseparable for over eight years. No matter how many chickens came or went, Banty never showed interest in anyone else. He hovered around her, keeping any others away from her. He’s going to be so lonely.”
Dallas felt odd that a couple of birds could have a more meaningful relationship than he’d had with his wife. “Let me put the chicken in the barn. I’ll bury her for you in the morning.”
“Thank you. You’ve done that for several things around here lately,” she said, thinking of the cow and the deer that had been shot. He’d taken the backhoe out and dug a pit, disposing of the carcasses.
“You’re feeding me, giving me a free place to stay,” he murmured, not knowing what else to say. Dallas placed a hand on her back as she finished gathering the eggs. All the while, the small rooster followed them around as if he expected the pair to make things right for him.
Then suddenly, out of nowhere, a gunshot tore through the night and Lennon jumped, throwing eggs up in the air. “Damn!” Dallas exclaimed, placing a hand on his own gun and dashing from the henhouse and out into the dark.
“They’ve shot another cow!” Lennon cried, following right in behind him as he ran to his truck. As soon as they were in, Dallas headed out the gate and down the road, expecting to find someone fleeing the scene. Instead, he saw nothing. No one. Parking at the gap, he grabbed a flashlight from beneath the seat. “Let’s see if we can find anything.”
“Okay.” Lennon went with him, catching his sleeve to stay alongside. Without thinking, Dallas grabbed her hand. Once they were in the pasture, he scanned the area with the beam of light, seeing the herd grazing peacefully to one side. “What do you see?” she asked.
He started to say ‘nothing’, but then the flashlight beam landed on something… “My God,” he breathed. “It’s not an animal, it’s a person. Someone’s been shot!” Together they took off, running toward a form that Dallas could see on the ground about fifty yards in the distance.
When they arrived at the body, Dallas went to his knees, finding a man of obvious Hispanic descent. “This looks like someone who might’ve just crossed the river today. I bet he hid out till the sun went down, then decided to walk out.” He wasn’t unfamiliar with undocumented immigrants finding their way across the Rio Grande.
“But who would shoot him?” Lennon was stunned. “Is he dead?”
After examining for a pulse and the wound, Dallas answered. “Yes, shot in the heart.” He didn’t like this; he didn’t like it at all. Staring at the poor individual, he got a distinct chill. The man was small and the way he dressed was very familiar. “I think the same person whose been killing your livestock killed him.” And the scary thing was–from a distance, the shooter might have thought he was aiming at Lennon.
CHAPTER FOUR
As soon as everyone departed, Dallas escorted Lennon back inside. George had stayed with Sally, who was now sound asleep. “I want you to stay inside as much as possible,” he told Lennon.
“Why?” she asked, studying his face in the lamplight. He pressed his lips together and it dawned on her. “You think someone might try to kill me?”
“Shooting cattle is one thing. This is a whole different ball game.”
She ran a hand across her forehead. “I can’t. I have the ranch to run. We’ll starve if I don’t work. Besides, tomorrow is Sunday, we’re going to church.”
Dallas fought with himself. He wanted to order her to get under the bed and stay there. But she had a point. He just wished he had a clue as to what was going on. “I’m not saying you’re a prisoner, but you’re not going out into the pasture by yourself. I’m going with you.”
“How long do you think this will last? You won’t be here forever!” Lennon felt panic rising within her.
“I don’t know. Just give me a little time. I’ll figure this thing out.” He gazed into her eyes trying to convey his concern. “Lock the door behind me.”
“Wait.” When he paused, she threw her arms around his neck. “Thank you for everything.” He held her for a moment and when she pulled back, it was to find him staring at her again with that same intense, hooded expression. He looked at her lips, then back to her eyes. His head lowered just a bit and Lennon gasped…he was about to kiss her! She closed her eyes and lifted her face. Waiting…
“Sorry.” He pushed her away. “Goodnight.” And then he was gone, leaving her totally embarrassed. What had she been thinking? Dallas McClain would never be tempted to kiss a woman like her in a billion years. God, she felt like such a fool. Sadly, she moved through the house, turning off lights.
“Are you okay?” George’s voice came from the hall.
“Yea, I’m fine. Dallas thinks I should stay indoors.” She huffed out a long breath. “I can’t. The ranch won’t survive if I don’t work it.”
“Maybe you should take Daniels up on his offer. Just let this place go.”
To Lennon’s ears, he sounded old and sad. “I can’t do that. Where would we go? He’s not even offering fair market value. Rooster wants me to just give him the place. He’s not considering the potential of Apache Springs.”
“You can’t tell what the man is thinking. Rich people don’t operate like the rest of us,” he groused. “Let’s get some sleep. Things might look better tomorrow.”
Lennon nodded, kissing the old man on the cheek. “You’re right. I am tired.”
She was exhausted, but she couldn’t sleep. All she could think about was how stupid she’d been. What Dallas must think of her now! Every muscle in her body was tense. Abandoning her efforts to rest, she grabbed a towel and headed out to the bathhouse. Maybe a dip in the warm waters would make her feel better.
In the lodge, Dallas tossed and turned on the bed. He was running the facts through his head. Was he missing something? Maybe he needed to go into town and just talk to people. One thing he’d discovered in his years of investigating–nothing was a secret and someone would always talk. “Dammit!” he groaned, sitting up on the side of the bed. Sleep wasn’t coming anytime soon and every time he shut his eyes, all he could see was Lennon lifting her face for his kiss. No doubt he’d hurt her when he walked away. Hell, he was an idiot.
Rising, he remembered how good the hot springs had felt. He was here, he might as well take advantage of them. Going to the bathroom, he found a big brown towel, then set out to the bathhouse.
In the water…Lennon luxuriated in the bubbling caress of the bath. She’d stripped down to nothing, loving the liquid caress on her bare skin. She closed her eyes–just for a minute, letting the soothing waters chase away her troubles.
Dallas entered the bathhouse, surprised to find one of the hall lights already on. Had he failed to turn it out before? What if someone were here? Hell, he didn’t have his gun with him. Stepping carefully, he eased up to the door.
Lennon’s eyes opened wide. Had she heard something? Too much had happened. She was beginning to spook her own self. Maybe, it was time to leave. Slowly she stood, letting the water run from her body in rivulets. She hated to go, it had felt so good.
At the door, Dallas almost swallowed his tongue. “Holy Mother of God,” he whispered. How blind could a man be? How had this incredible treasure escaped his notice? Lennon rose from the waters like Venus rising from the deep. Dallas would’ve given everything he owned to follow even one drop of that water gliding down her body with his tongue. As his heart pounded in his chest, he ate her up with his eyes. Never had he seen a more beautiful woman. Her body was exquisite, delicately proportioned and perfectly curved. He held his breath as she reached for something to wrap around herself. “No,” he whispered. Covering up that sweet little body had to be a sin. His cock was hard and throbbing. She was facing away from him, drying off in long sweeps of the towel. When she reached for her robe, he knew he had to leave. He didn’t want her to know he’d been spying on her. On quiet feet, he retraced his steps and disappeared into the night.
From a discrete distance, he stopped and waited–watching until she was safely back in her home. Now, what was he going to do? He’d already been attracted to her as a person and now he’d discovered she was a fuckin’ wet dream. The only thing that held him back was the knowledge that this woman wasn’t the kind you played with. He didn’t have the capacity to be what she needed.
* * *
“Hold still, let me latch your shoe.” Lennon knelt and tried to hold Sally’s baby leg steady enough to fasten the buckle. Sally was so excited, she was wiggling. “George, are you sure you don’t want to go with us?”
“I’m sure,” he called from the kitchen. “Widow Thompkins will be there and she keeps making eyes at me. Makes me uncomfortable. Now…if it was Widow Simpson, that’d be a different story.”
“Gotcha.” Lennon giggled, then sobered. Dallas felt the same way about her. She’d made him uncomfortable–well, no more. Since he’d come, she’d been subdued, worried. Neither of those emotions was going to do her a dang bit of good. It was time she developed a little backbone. If she could taunt a bull and dodge his horns, she could manage to act like an adult in front of a handsome man. He was here to help her, not to entertain her.
“I’m gonna sang so pretty,” Sally chirped, running her baby hands down her dress.
“I know you will.” Lennon kissed her on the cheek. “And you look pretty too.”
“Is Dallas going wiff us?”
“No, just you and me, twerp.” Lennon picked up her purse and took Sally by the hand. Dallas hadn’t been in for breakfast, but she’d left his portion of a frittata in the oven. Clearly, he was avoiding her. Lennon pushed away the hurt to focus on her little girl. “Do you want to practice your song on the way?” Opening the door, she pulled it behind them once Sally was beside her.
“Yes, and you can sing wiff me.” She looked up at Lennon. “Do you know the woods to Jesus Wuvs Me?”
“Yes, I know the words.” Lennon assured her as she started down the steps. And then she froze! “Oh, no!” All four tires on her truck were flat as pancakes. “What in the world? Stay here,” she told Sally.
Hurrying down the steps, her mouth open, she couldn’t believe it! “Who?�
� she asked? Of course she had no name, but there was no doubt in her mind that it was the same person or persons who was doing everything else. “They’re trying to terrorize me.”
“Lennon! What’s wong?” Sally screamed, obviously frightened.
Dallas was on the phone with Hiram Glover when he heard the ruckus outside. He’d already been to Sierra Blanca and back this morning. Like he’d planned, Dallas had made time to just sit and observe the residents. The diner across from the courthouse had seemed the best place to start. And what he’d learned had been intriguing. He didn’t know what bearing it might have on the case, but he was beginning to get suspicious. As he’d sat in the 50’s style eating establishment, bright with stainless steel and red gingham, all he could hear was talk of Rooster Daniel’s mining site on Round Top.
At first, he’d just listened or eavesdropped, if you wanted to call it that, from a distance. This proved to be frustrating, what with the general noise level in the diner. Much of the local talk seemed to be going on at a table near the back. Five elderly gentlemen, about George’s age, were deep in the middle of a game of dominoes. His grandmother had been a chicken-foot aficionado and as best he could tell, that was what they were playing. Rising, he’d sauntered over, watched politely for a few minutes, then asked if he could join in.
Seeing he was a Ranger, they welcomed him and even bought Dallas a cup of coffee. He quickly found out the stakes were high. The high scorer, in other words the loser, had to spring for a slice of pie for everyone at the table. Dallas decided he could afford the risk. He’d laughed and talked with Otto, Oscar, Floyd, Price and Peewee. Dallas regaled them of stories about past famous cases like the Texarkana Phantom killer which inspired the movie, The Town That Dreaded Sundown. “This was before the days of forensics, and even though the Rangers had a suspicion about the killer’s identity, public curiosity obliterated most of the evidence that might have offered proof.”