by Sable Hunter
Once they’d served themselves and sat down, there was a lull in the conversation as they ate their food. Knowing how to play them, Hope made her way from brother to brother, begging for choice bites.
“Hey, look up on the mountain.” Sam pointed toward Packsaddle. “Do you see what I’m seeing?”
Benjen peered across the distance. “Looks like a campfire.”
“I’d say we have some trespassers. Kids most likely,” Easy observed. “We probably need to ride over.”
“I agree. We’ve had a little rain lately, but a fire could spread so easily.” Sam took his last bite and stood. “Let me slip on a pair of jeans and I’ll be ready to go.”
“I’ll join you.” Easy rose and placed his plate next to the grill.
He thought about going with them, but he needed to think. His ritual items were hidden well enough, Benjen didn’t think anyone could find them in the dark. “You two go ahead. I’ll clean up here.” He began to gather their things to take back into the kitchen. “I need a shower.”
“Got all hot and sweaty on your date, didn’t you?” Sam slapped him on his shoulder.
Benjen just shook his head, a smile hovering on his lips. “Yea.” More like hard and horny, but he wasn’t going to argue. “You two be careful. You never know who you’ll surprise out there.”
After straightening up from their meal, he headed up the stairs to his room, unbuttoning his shirt and jeans as he went. Thoughts of Apple made his fingers a bit clumsy. His body was still humming, cocked and primed to be with her. “Christ, I might not survive,” he moaned as he flipped on the light in the bathroom, then the tap in the shower. Hastily, he tore off the remainder of his clothes, breathing a sigh of relief when his dick was freed from the confines of his briefs. He was stiff, achingly so. As he waited for the water to warm, Benjen slid a lazy hand over his breastbone and muscled belly and down to palm the arrogant jut of his erection. Cupping himself, he rubbed, his fingers squeezing his sac while his thumb drew lazy circles over the crown. “Soon, Miss Apple, soon.”
* * *
“Shh, stop worrying. We’ll go as slow as you want…until you beg me to go faster.” He kissed her between the eyes, then on the tip of her nose. “This is right. I just know it.”
Apple relived the heaven of being in Benjen Blackhawk’s arms.
What had she done?
Doubt made her jittery as she cleaned out the kennel cages in the back of the vet’s office. As much as she tried to keep her mind on the task at hand, she couldn’t stop thinking about how he made her feel. Apple still couldn’t grasp how all of this had come about so fast. He was bigger than life and she was…
Lacking.
“Move, sweetie, I need to put down fresh newspapers.” Apple nudged Rose to one side so she could ease her way into the large cage. Even though the Shepherd wanted to stay near her, being in the veterinarian facility made the animal nervous. “Just be patient a little while longer. I don’t lack too much finishing. When we’re through, we’ll go for a nice walk before bedtime.”
This wasn’t how she’d planned on spending her Sunday night, but when Dr. Cleveland called to tell her about the busted water line, she couldn’t say no. While she cleaned, Apple’s brain worked overtime, recalling every second she’d spent with the sexy cowboy. She really couldn’t understand his interest. At best, she was passably pretty. Remembering little things her husband had said during their marriage, comments she’d just passed off as jokes now loomed large in her psyche. And the things she’d read in his journal still stung. Why she tortured herself by reading them over and over was a mystery.
Once everything was ship-shape, she locked up and led the Shepherd to her car. “So, tell me, girl, how did you like Hope?” Of course, she received no answer, but the dog looked relieved once she was back inside the Camry. Apple imagined the animal feared being left behind. “Don’t worry, you’ve got a forever home with me. We’re a team now.”
After loading up, she pulled away from the vet’s office and hit the northbound highway. She wondered what Benjen was doing tonight. Her cheeks grew warm remembering how she’d responded to his kiss. “I acted like I was starving to death for affection.” And maybe she was. Even though she’d been married to Alan for five years, the number of days and nights they’d spent together had been pitifully few. Looking back, she realized how she’d longed for her husband and been grateful for every scrap of attention he gave her. How he must have laughed at her.
On the drive home, her emotions rose and fell like a rollercoaster. Between Benjen’s kisses, his promise to repair her roof, and her own self-doubt, she didn’t know what to think. “At least we’re not bored, are we girl?”
Easing even with her driveway, Apple put the car into park and jumped out. In all the excitement of the weekend, she’d neglected to check the mail. “Keep your fingers crossed, Rose. I’m expecting a letter from the Department of Veterans Affairs.” She’d been getting the runaround for months about Alan’s benefits. She’d received the initial death gratuity and that was what she’d used to buy this little place. In addition, she was supposed to get half of his former salary plus fifteen thousand a year. It wasn’t a lot, but she needed the funds to make the repairs on this money pit she’d acquired. Holding her breath, she tugged down the lid of the mailbox and pulled out a stack of flyers and envelopes. Leafing through them by the glow of the headlights, she felt her stomach sink. It wasn’t there – again.
“Oh, well. Soon. Hopefully.” Climbing back into the car, she tried not to worry as she covered the short distance to the faded grey shot-gun house. Even if Benjen were to carry through with his offer to repair her roof, she had no idea how she would pay for the materials.
Once she was inside the house, Apple glanced at the clock. “It’s after ten, we’d better get to bed. Are you sleeping with me tonight?” she asked the Shepherd. “You’re welcome you know.”
The animal dogged Apple’s steps as she threw away the junk mail, then spent a few minutes picking up things around the house. Putting away a few cups and plates left in the dish drainer, she tided the cabinets. “I never liked to get up to a dirty kitchen.” As she folded a towel and placed it next to the sink, Apple couldn’t help but grin at the memory of how her big cowboy dwarfed his surroundings in her small space.
Her cowboy.
“I wish.”
Shaking her head, she dispelled the foolish notion. At present, she couldn’t explain his actions – the only thing she knew for sure was that she shouldn’t trust them. If she couldn’t hold the interest of her husband, who knew her better than anyone, what chance did she have with handsome Benjen Blackhawk?
As Apple readied herself for bed, making a place for Rose at the foot, she tried to reason out her predicament.
Maybe Benjen felt sorry for her.
Maybe he felt neighborly. “Neighborly, right.” This idea made her giggle.
Maybe he was bored and she was a challenge? “Not much of one.” She’d fallen into his arms the first time he’d asked. “You need to keep a level head about this situation, girl.” Her offer of friendship would stand and she just hoped she could keep her heart in check. The pain of Alan’s betrayal had lessened, but she had no desire to repeat the process. Something told Apple that getting over Benjen Blackhawk would not be an easy task.
Still…once she turned out the light and was cuddled beneath the covers, Apple imagined how wonderful it would be to have someone to hold through the long hours of the night.
* * *
Monday morning found Benjen riding fence with Sam. “So, you didn’t see anything? No sign of a campfire?”
“Not a trace.” Sam pushed his Stetson back and wiped the sweat from his brow. “It was the oddest thing. We even saw the weird light again when we were about halfway there.”
“Huh. I wonder if it was foxfire or something like that. I remember Dad talking about seeing ghost lights on the mountain.” Benjen sat straighter in the saddle, peering into the
distance.
“Oh, I didn’t give his campfire stories too much credence. He was always trying to scare us. You’ve spent a lot of time on Packsaddle in the last year. Did you ever see anything strange?”
“A few times.”
“Like what?” Sam asked, his curiosity aroused.
“Do you see what I see?” Benjen asked as he pointed farther down the fence line. “I think there’s several sections of wire lying on the ground.”
“Hell, I think you’re right.”
Both brothers urged their mounts into a gallop.
“Look at that. Damn. I bet the neighbor’s bull has been taunting ours and they’ve butted heads, taking down a half mile of fence. There’s no telling how many of our cattle have crossed over the property line.”
“Or how many of Vincent’s Simmentals have wandered to our side.” Sam let out a long sigh. “Looks like we’ve got our work cut out for us.”
“Yep.” Piss poor timing, Benjen thought. He’d planned on spending the next several afternoons repairing Apple’s roof. “Oh well, this can’t be helped. Let’s ride back and gather materials and bring them back in the Jeep. We’ll restring the wire, then count cattle.”
For the next seven hours, the brothers repaired fence. When the sun began to set, the job was nowhere near completion. “Let’s put up a couple of strands across these two sections and finish it tomorrow,” Sam suggested. “I’m worn out.”
“Yea, I’m tired myself.” Benjen opened the cooler on the back of the Jeep and pulled out an iced water bottle. “Drink?” he offered one to his brother.
“Nah, I’m good.” Sam picked up another roll of wire and began walking toward a series of posts they’d set earlier. “We’re going to be dark-thirty getting home.”
After another hour and a half’s labor, the brothers started out. “I’ll call Mr. Vincent first thing in the morning and let him know what’s going on.” He wished he’d thought to get Apple’s home number. Oh well, he’d make time to call her at work soon. Benjen picked at a blister forming on his thumb. “With Easy out of town and Daniel working on his new house, this is going to take us a couple of days to finish.”
“Yea, bad timing. When Easy made plans to go to Dallas for that Cattleman’s Convention, we had no idea this would happen,” Sam muttered as he shifted gears to head up a steeper incline.
“Holy Smoke, Sam, check out Packsaddle.”
The tone in Benjen’s voice drew Sam’s attention immediately. “Well, I’ll be, there’s that glow again. Let’s head over.”
Holding onto the roll bar as the Jeep made a sharp turn, Benjen looked up at the sky. “Get as close as you can and we’ll climb up. The moon’s high and bright, but I think there are a couple of flashlights in the back.”
After Sam parked, the brothers started up a well-worn trail. The highest point of Packsaddle was only a little over six hundred feet high, but the Blackhawks were familiar with several hiker friendly paths. “What do you think we’ll find? Kids camping?”
“Your guess is as good as mind.” Benjen pulled himself up a steep incline, keeping his voice low. “Maybe the trespassers hid from you last night.”
“Well, if we couldn’t sneak up on them on horseback, I doubt very much we’ll find them after arriving in that loud Jeep,” Sam huffed as they made their way up the rocky hillside.
When they drew nearer the top, Benjen whistled lowly. “Hey, let’s cut the lights. We’re getting close.”
“Good idea,” Sam agreed, following his brother’s suggestion. The next second, they were in the dark, the night lit only by the almost full moon and sky full of stars. They continued up the path in silence until they reached the crest. “All right, which way do we go from here?” The top of the mountain was a plateau, sculpted with outcroppings of rocks, caves, and copses of oak and juniper.
“We were coming from the west when we spotted it, so let’s move in that direction.” Benjen walked slowly, being careful where he put his feet. He’d been up here so often, but always in the day, everything looked different at night.
“I feel funny,” Sam whispered, trailing a step or two behind his brother.
“How so?”
“Cold. Are you cold?”
“A little, I guess.” He edged on at a careful pace. “Do you see anything, Sam?”
“My eyes are peeled…but no. And if I did, I might soil my britches.”
Benjen shook his head. “Don’t do that. You’ll give away our position with the smell.” An odd snapping noise drew his attention, causing him to hold out his hand to stop Sam’s progress. “Listen.”
They both stood stone still. The air seemed to crackle with energy.
“I don’t hear anything,” Sam muttered softly as he moved up right next to his brother.
“Come on, let’s go a little farther until we can see the front section visible from the ranch and where we were earlier.”
Slowly, they made their way to a clearing. In the distance, they could see the lights of the old Rock House, their home. The sky was full of stars and the moon was high overhead. High rocks and gnarled trees threw dark, ominous shadows on the ground all around them.
“Nothing, there’s nothing.” Sam sounded perplexed. “What the hell did we see?”
“Hello! Is anybody here?” Benjen called out, as confused as his brother seemed to be.
Again, they were still, straining to hear anything out of the ordinary. “Heck, they could be hiding in one of the caves or an arroyo,” Sam whispered. “Or maybe they had a parachute.”
Suddenly, their eyes beheld a sight neither expected. A ball of light came tumbling out of one of the caves.
“Holy shit!” Sam exclaimed, grabbing onto Benjen’s arm. “What in the fuck is that?”
“I don’t…” What in the world? Benjen asked himself. It looked like something out of a science fiction movie, a big tumbleweed of energy rolling toward them, giving off an unearthly glow.
“Let’s get out of here!” Sam insisted, backing up.
Benjen was too fascinated to move. “This must have been what Dad saw. A ghost light.” He held his breath as the huge orb continued to move toward them.
“Well, if you want to hang around, you’re going to have to do it by yourself. My feet won’t keep still.”
Sam took off, but Benjen was still frozen, too hypnotized by the miraculous sight to leave. When it came within a few yards, he raised his hand, staring into the flashing depths of…what he didn’t know. And then – right before he touched it – there was a loud pop and the ball of light…just disappeared.
* * *
“Apple, I need you to cover the office. I’ve got to make a house call. Mandy will be here to answer the phone and check patients in for you.” Dr. Cleveland closed her medical bag and picked up a set of keys from the desk.
“Are you sure you don’t want me to go for you? Is it something I could handle?” She really wouldn’t mind getting out of the office today.
“My presence has been requested. I’m sure you won’t envy me. Ms. Perkins wants me to do a home-euthanasia on her old tabby.”
“Oh, you’re right. I don’t envy you.” She didn’t want to soak up the sun’s rays bad enough to put a cat to sleep.
“I didn’t think so and I don’t blame you. This isn’t the favorite part of my job.”
Dr. Cleveland took her leave and Apple busied herself getting ready for her next patient. Truth be told, she was antsy and ashamed to admit the reason why to herself. “Yea, you miss him. You thought he would get in touch with you again and he hasn’t.” After rolling out fresh paper on the examining table, she made a quick trip to the bathroom. Once she completed her business, Apple washed her hands and made a face at herself in the mirror. “What did you expect, missy? A little of you goes a long way. Just ask your husband.” There were times when she wished she could talk to her husband one more time. Part of her wanted an opportunity to tell him goodbye and part of her wanted to give him a punch. “You shou
ld be ashamed of yourself. He’s gone and you’re still here.” After drying her hands, she left the restroom in time to hear Mandy announce a patient.
“Ms. Cates, Essie is here with Agamemnon.”
“Agamemnon. Agamemnon.” She couldn’t place the name. “Send them in, Mandy.”
To Apple’s surprise, a little girl with a red bow in her hair came around the corner holding a hamster cage.
“Oh, hello, sweetie.” She placed her hand on the small child’s head, glancing down to see a tiny white hamster cowering next to the wall of its cage. “What seems to be the problem with Agamemnon?”
“I don’t know. He won’t move. He’s been standing there in that same spot for two days.”
“Oh, really.” She took the cage from Essie and placed it on the table. “Is your mother or daddy here?” Sometimes she could get more information out of an adult as to what had been happening with an animal.
“My dad dropped me off. He had some errors to take care of.”
“Errors?” She repeated the word to herself, and then it dawned on her that the man was running errands. “I understand. I have some errors I need to take care of myself.”
Apple pulled a stool near the table and settled in to examine the hamster. “Okay. I’m going to take him out of the cage to have a closer look at him.”
“Okay.” Essie placed her hands on the table and rested her chin on top of them. “I hope he don’t croak. He’s my friend.”
Apple pressed her lips together. “Well, I’ll do my best to make sure he doesn’t croak. Do you ever let Agamemnon out of his cage?”
“Yep. I take him out in my room. A few days ago, he got out and we got in trouble. Mom found him in the kitchen and she screamed and stood on a chair.” Essie looked up at Apple with big, round eyes. “We got grounded.”
“Oh, my.” Gingerly, she put her hands into the cage and covered the small furry body. When she tried to pick the hamster up…it wouldn’t move. “What’s going on?” It was almost like the small creature was holding on to something. Bending down, she sought to get a better view. “Let me try that again.”