A touch of love

by Conn, Phoebe

  "A premonition?"

  Aubrey rubbed her arms. "Not yet. Have you ever had the feeling you've forgotten something, but you don't know what?"

  "Yes. Then later when I remembered what it was, I felt like an idiot."

  Lupe Pena came to the doorway and appeared mystified to find them conversing on the back porch. "There are better rooms in this house to entertain your guest, Jesse. Now you didn't answer my question. Do you want a green salad, or coleslaw tonight?"

  Jesse vaguely recalled hearing Lupe's voice, but her question hadn't registered. Aubrey appeared to be too preoccupied to make the choice, so he answered for them both. 'The green salad, and give us time to clean up, please/'

  Lupe gave a mock curtsy. "As you wish."

  Jesse guided Aubrey through the house to the bedroom, and again sent her into the bathroom first. He then went out onto the front patio, sat down on the weathered bench, and stretched out his legs. Almost immediately, a brown and gold Collie appeared and rested his head on Jesse's knee.

  "Hi, fella." Jesse scratched the dog's ears and ran a quick mental tally. Despite Lupe's protests, he didn't think there were more than ten dogs on the ranch, and one more wouldn't matter. But damn it all, Lucky was Aubrey's dog, and that was all there was to it. He didn't want to argue with her about it, but he sensed there was a damn good reason for her to keep Lucky. Perhaps he was picking up on the uncomfortable sensation she had described, but for the time being, he would be gracious about it, and abide by her choice.

  After a scrumptious meal of barbecued beef, tossed salad, and hot, homemade flour tortillas, Jesse took Aubrey out on the patio to enjoy the stars. "On a night this clear, the whole galaxy beckons. How many stars can you name?"

  Under the brilliant canopy, Aubrey recognized several distinct formations, but could name only the Big and Little Dipper, and was proud of herself for that. "I'm afraid I've not studied astromony as yet, but this is a marvelous place to begin."

  "It was an extremely popular course when I was at the university, but I think a lot of the guys just wanted an excuse to cuddle up close to the girls."

  Jesse was pressed against Aubrey's back, with his arms draped around her waist, and she could not imagine a better tutor. "That's the North Star, isn't it?"

  "Sure is. Can you find any of the planets? They follow the path of the sun across the sky, and don't twinkle the way the stars do. Like our moon, they shine with reflected light."

  The path of the sun, Aubrey repeated silently. Was that merely a fact, or another suggestion from an unexpected source that she ought to return home? She caught herself before the silence became unforgivably long. "I know Mars is red. Can you point it out?"

  Jesse gestured. "Can you find it?"

  With such a dizzying array of stars, it wasn't easy for her. "I think so. What about the others? Do they have colors, too?"

  "Jupiter is pink, and Saturn's orange." Aubrey nodded, but she appeared to be only mildly interested, prompting Jesse to abandon the astronomy lesson. He used gentle pressure to turn her around. "I don't mean to push you in directions you'd rather not go. Just speak up if I'm boring you, and I'll switch topics."

  Even in the pale moonlight, Jesse's expression was easy to read. He was teasing rather than serious, but Aubrey answered truthfully. "You've never bored me an instant. It's just difficult to concentrate. The night is gorgeous, but it will probably take me several nights to see everything as clearly as you do."

  Jesse kissed her forehead, then trailed tender kisses over the softness of her cheek to her lips. "Whatever you wish," he murmured against the gentle curve of her throat. "Do you like to dance?"

  "Yes, I love to, but I haven't danced in years," Aubrey admitted shyly. "Whenever Larry and I attended parties where there was dancing, he always had people to see,

  important cases to discuss, deals to make. He never set aside any time to dance with me."

  "I swear I don't understand how any man can be that great a fool. Come on inside with me. I've got a Patsy Cline CD that's perfect for dancing."

  Aubrey bit her lip rather than render an opinion on Country/Western music. But once she was snugly tucked in Jesse's arms, she was touched by the late singer's poignant music. Lupe and Fernando Pefia lived elsewhere, and beyond the soft circle of music the house was hushed. With only a single lamp burning, Jesse had created a wonderfully romantic mood, and Aubrey shut out the day's distractions to soak up the sheer joy of being with him.

  Jesse smelled delicious and moved in perfect rhythm to the slow songs. It was easy to imagine the same music playing in cowboy bars all over the southwest Couples would be clinging to each other with the same loving warmth that flowed between her and Jesse, while men and women seated alone would remember past lovers and miss them with a terrible longing. It was all too easy to imagine Patsy Okie's haunting songs of love and loss as the perfect score for their affair. She doubted purchasing the CD would be wise, and yet made a mental note to buy one as soon as she returned home.

  44 It's a shame Patsy Cline died so young," Aubrey whispered softly. "I'll bet she would still be recording hits."

  Jesse leaned back slightly. "I've always thought she was lucky to die when she did. Sure, she could have gone on singing a long time, but could she ever have sounded any better?"

  "We'll never know." Aubrey laid her cheek on his shoulder and let the music bring them closer still. The more time she spent with Jesse, the more precious each second became. The lilting strains of "Sweet Dreams," captured the heartbreak of a lost love so beautifully, a mist of tears

  filled her eyes. Jesse wasn't lost to her yet, and she pushed the sadness away in an effort to make the night the best it could possibly be.

  When the music ended, Jesse wanted Aubrey so badly he couldn't bear to play it again. "I know it's still early, but maybe we ought to call it a night."

  Aubrey left his arms with a graceful turn. "Do I still have the choice between being with you and staying in the bunkhouse?"

  Jesse shook his head. "Sorry. That was a one-time offer, and you have to abide by the choice you made last night."

  Aubrey took his hand to lead the way. "Then I shall just have to make the best of it."

  Jesse danced her into the bedroom. "I sure hope so, ma'am." He unbuckled her belt, then unbuttoned her soft silk shirt. He ran his fingertips along the smooth swell above the scalloped edge of her bra. "You sure have fancy underwear for a cowgirl."

  "And you, sir, are no ordinary cowboy," Aubrey replied in a husky drawl. She was glad it was early, and grateful he was such a generous lover. It was so easy to become lost in him, and she abandoned herself to the love filling her heart. She thought it fortunate he had a sturdy bed, because no matter how rambunctious their amorous adventures became, they were in no danger of damaging it.

  She slid her hands inside Jesse's shirt, and peeled away his clothes as he removed hers. She loved the smoothness of his deeply tanned skin, and the strength which flowed so easily from his muscular body. She trailed her fingertips through the crisp curls covering his chest, and leaned close to nip a leathery nipple. He flinched, but laughed and, after a graceful dip, swung her toward the oversized bed.

  "You're a dangerous woman, Aubrey Glenn, and you can obviously read my mind."

  Aubrey slid her hand down the rippled flatness of his belly. He was fully aroused, and she stroked him with a knowing touch. "No, I can't read your mind, but other parts of you are shockingly easy to understand."

  Jesse eased her down on the bed and began to explore her body's secrets with a slow, taunting touch. She was dripping wet, and he shifted position to taste her. "I can say the same for you," he murmured before his tongue brushed her core.

  Aubrey sighed and grabbed a handful of his tawny curls. No more words were needed when they were such a splendid match physically. She surrendered completely and accepted all he would give as though it were her birthright. Equally lavish in her devotion, she gave exquisite pleasure in return. When they at last fell
into an exhausted sleep, she lay snuggled in Jesse's arms, too content to utter a murmur of complaint should she fail to live to see another dawn.

  Her dreams were as lazy as her mood for several hours, then gradually lost their radiant colors and faded to the ivory and pale gold of desert sand. She was trudging through a wasteland, and tiring rapidly. She gazed out across the barren horizon where faint dustclouds heralded an approaching sandstorm.

  With nowhere to flee, she was soon caught in the swirling sand. The wind gained a banshee's eerie wail, and unable to breathe, she fell to her knees and covered her face with her hands. Nearly faint from lack of oxygen, she would have pitched face forward into the dune forming around her had she not been plucked from the ground and carried high above the sandstorm.

  Her hair whipped across her face, blinding her for an instant, but when she was able to brush it aside, she found herself in the Indian's arms. He had no wings, but flew with an eagle's grace. He was scowling angrily, and pointed

  down toward the desert from where he had just rescued her. "I know you want me to go home/' she shouted against the breeze that still buffetted them. "But I don't understand why."

  Rather than answer, the Indian swooped down low to carry her past the storm, and when he released her, she fell only a few feet. She quickly picked herself up. "Answer me!" she screamed, but again the Indian vanished without speaking.

  Awakened by the anguished intensity of the dream, Aubrey raised up in bed. Jesse had left a lamp burning on the dresser, or she would have been too disoriented to recognize her surroundings. Desperately thirsty, she shoved the covers aside and headed toward the bathroom.

  "Are you all right?" Jesse called.

  "Yes. I just need a drink." Aubrey replied, and quickly got herself one.

  "Bring me one, too," he answered. "I was just dreaming that I was lost in the desert, and—"

  Aubrey stepped back into the bedroom. "The desert? Are you sure?"

  "Of course, but it wasn't around here. It must have been the Sahara, or somewhere the sand's pale gold. Now do I get a glass of water or not?"

  Aubrey quickly refilled the glass and carried it in to him. She watched him drain it, then set the glass aside. "What were you doing out in this unnamed desert?"

  Jesse slicked back his curls with his fingers. "Just walking along. I was looking for something, but a sandstorm came up before I found it. I guess that's why I was so thirsty when I woke up. What woke you?"

  Aubrey simply stared at him for a long moment, then certain they had been lost in the same desert, she described her dream. "There have been reports of people sharing the same dream. It's an uncommon phenomenon, but it

  does happen occasionally. Perhaps it occurs more often than we realize because most people don't discuss their dreams upon waking and miss the opportunity to discover similarities."

  "I don't understand. Why didn't your blasted Indian rescue me, too? Was he just going to let me suffocate in the sandstorm?"

  ''I'd be happy to ask him the next time he appears, but he doesn't speak, or maybe he just doesn't speak English."

  4 This is making my head hurt. Come back to bed."

  Aubrey slid in beside him and again felt at home in his arms. "I think I'm supposed to go home, Jesse. I know I planned to stay until Friday, but maybe I ought to fly home tomorrow.''

  "No!" Jesse shouted before he could catch himself. "Well, what I mean is, of course you can go home if you think you should; but isn't allowing an Indian who only appears in visions and dreams plan your life for you a bit much?"

  Aubrey sat up slightly. "Is crazy the word you'd really like to use?"

  "Hell, no. You're the sanest individual I've ever met." Jesse caught her hand and brought it to his lips. "It's just that no man enjoys being second choice, especially when the other man's merely a dream."

  Aubrey nestled into the hollow of his shoulder. "You are a very sensible man, Jesse Barrett, but I'd like to remind you that you're the one who got me into this in the first place. I didn't have strange visions and weird dreams until I met you."

  "What about the Indian?"

  "No. I merely said that I liked films filled with handsome Indians. That's as far as it went. I didn't wile away lonely evenings fantasizing about bare-chested braves."

  Jesse hugged her tight. "Good, now let's not waste another minute of tonight."

  "I don't believe we have," Aubrey murmured in the instant before his mouth covered hers. With Jesse so warm and willing, it was easy to put aside confusing dreams, but not even the heat of their passion erased their memory.

  After breakfast Tuesday morning, Jesse took Aubrey out past the barn to show her the enclosure where he kept the llamas. The shaggy beasts came over and stared at her, curiosity lighting their soulful eyes. "They're related to camels, but lack humps. Indians in the Andes weave their wool into all manner of beautiful articles, but I've not done more than collect it here."

  "Do they bite?" Aubrey wanted to reach out and touch one, but feared the worst.

  "No. When they get angry with someone, they spit. It's a real nasty habit, so I try to keep them well fed and happy. The largest is the male; the three smaller ones are his harem."

  "Well, no wonder he's happy," Aubrey exclaimed.

  "Frankly, I can't understand how the animal kingdom works," Jesse confessed. "One woman seems like more than enough to me, and I'd sure hate to have three chasing me around all day."

  The llamas proved to be so friendly, Aubrey scratched their necks in turn. Their wool was soft, and she knew it must make marvelous sweaters. Tall animals, they looked her in the eye, and she wished she could read their thoughts. She was positive Jesse's comment had been spoken in jest, but it simply underscored their differences. A loner who reveled in the privacy his ranch afforded, he might want her to extend her stay, but that was a far cry from seriously pursuing her.

  "Smart women make men chase them," she finally replied.

  "Yeah. So I've noticed. I asked Fernando to saddle Bluebeard for you. Because you're not used to riding, we won't go out long. Then maybe we can tour the art galleries at Tlaquepaque this afternoon."

  Jesse had the day all planned, but Aubrey didn't really feel like doing much of anything. She would rather have just sat out on the patio and let the hours creep by. She was a good sport though, and with Jesse leading the way astride the palomino, she rode out to explore the ranch. They passed by some of the hands mending fences, but Jesse just waved, rather than stop to introduce her.

  "Are you afraid that if given the chance, I'll flirt with your men?" she asked.

  Jesse was highly amused by that question. "It's not you I'm worried about. The hands are mostly transients. I've no desire to become best friends with any of them, and I doubt you'd want to know them at all. I raise prime rodeo stock, and that's their only concern. There's no sense distracting them from their work."

  They were riding along a narrow trail that curved through the chaparral. Expecting an enraged bull to charge them at any second, Aubrey kept glancing over her shoulder. "Just where are all your cattle today?"

  "They're grazing south of here. Please don't beg me to ride a bull for you, because my best bulls are out on the rodeo circuit, and I'd feel ridiculous riding a calf."

  "You needn't worry. I'd not even thought of it."

  Aubrey listened as Jesse extolled the virtures of Samson, the bull he had retired from rodeo in hopes the beast would sire more of his powerful, unbeatable kind. So far the results of his breeding efforts had been very successful but Jesse let other men manage his stock on the road. She listened attentively, but didn't picture the bulls in her mind, or the cowboys who limped away after riding them.

  ''What's the name of that rock formation in the distance?" she called out.

  "That's Cathedral Rock. It's farther than I thought you'd like to go, but if you want to visit it, we can."

  Bluebeard was such a gentle, sweet-tempered mount, Aubrey felt adventurous. "Yes. Let's do. Are there spi
rits there, too?"

  "All of Sedona is awash in them!" Jesse replied.

  The ride was longer than Aubrey had anticipated, but after crossing Oak Creek, the craggy cluster of buttes known as Cathedral Rock grew near. Climbers could be seen scaling the southern face of the largest, and just watching them made her heart race. "Isn't that dangerous?" she asked.

  "Compared to what?" Jesse swung down from his saddle, then waited to see if Aubrey needed help, but she didn't.

  Aubrey supposed that was precisely the question. At home, an earthquake might kill her in her bed, so risk was probably always relative. "I don't understand how anyone can consider rock climbing fun. One slip and—"

  "They're using ropes, Aubrey. If one guy slips, he'll just dangle until his buddies pull him up. Would you like to rest here awhile, or turn back?"

  "We've come so far, let's rest a bit." Aubrey looked around for a good place to sit and found a natural rock bench where she wouldn't have to watch the climbers. "Although my home's quiet, I like the stillness here. I think if I were a spirit, I'd rather hang out here than float on the fumes above the freeways."

  Jesse sat down beside her. "Amen to that. My aunt's home is as exciting as a tomb, and still, her rose garden doesn't compare to this."

  Now afraid she would merely provoke another hostile encounter with the belligerent Indian, Aubrey kept her eyes open and surveyed the stark beauty surrounding them.

  She had known Sedona existed, but she doubted she would have ever come there had Jesse not invited her. Knowing him had been illuminating in so many ways, and she hated to see their friendship end.

  "Is something wrong?'' Jesse whispered.

  "With what?"

  Her gaze was innocent, but Jesse doubted she had misunderstood. "I thought you wanted to commune with the spirit world."

  "Hmm. I am," Aubrey insisted, "but the scenery here is so gorgeous I don't want to close my eyes." Jesse was most definitely a delicious part of the landscape, but she kept that thought to herself.