He chuckled. “We’d better get back to the barn. I left Princess in a predicament,” he said as he kicked Ed into a lope.
There wasn’t time for more conversation, even if they had been able to talk through the jarring gait. At the barn Alex helped Carmen off the horse and dismounted. She opened the door and contained her curiosity until he led Ed inside. Then she rushed to the stall where Princess stood nickering.
“Don’t open the gate,” Alex cautioned as her fingers touched the latch.
She stopped and peered over the gate. A long wobbly form was standing in the fresh hay.
“The foal!” she gasped. “She had the foal!”
Alex was wiping Ed down with a cloth. He turned and grinned at Carmen. “Another filly.”
“When? Did you know it was going to happen? Were you here when she was born.” The questions tumbled out of her mouth without bidding.
“She was born about an hour ago, and yes, I was here when it happened. I looked for you, but I couldn’t find you and…we’ve already established that you didn’t have your phone with you. I noticed this morning that her nipples were dripping.”
Carmen caught her breath. “Why didn’t you tell me?”
He shrugged. “Because you were sleeping and I knew I’d be coming home after I finished some things at work. I tried to call, but…”
Carmen rolled her eyes. “I know. I didn’t have my phone with me.”
She wandered over to watch him brush Ed. Leaning back against the wall, her hands behind her back, she contemplated the words she needed to say. A few times he looked up at her, as if to ask what was on her mind. He seemed to know she would talk when she was ready. Finally she plunged in.
“I thought there was something wrong with me.”
He glanced up at her, his hand still running the brush down Ed’s foreleg. His expression was apprehensive, but he said nothing.
“Every morning when you left, I was lost. Then, when the twins came along and I got through a day without feeling so lost, I thought they were a good way to keep my mind off of you.”
His hand stopped and his gaze became intent.
She continued. “I was ashamed of my desire. I figured you were getting tired of being attacked by me the minute you came through the door after work. I wanted to go with you to Texas, but…”
“Well, that’s a relief,” he interrupted as he finished brushing Ed. He hung the brush on the wall and turned Ed toward his stall. “I thought you wanted to go, but when you declined, I decided I must have misinterpreted your interest.”
He put Ed in the stall and took the harness off before turning to Carmen.
“You have no reason to feel ashamed of desire for me. You’re a woman now, Carmen…my wife. Your body has accepted that, but your mind hasn’t.”
It was true. He had awakened a desire in her that she never knew existed…never thought about before now. Some cobwebbed corner of her mind still considered what they were doing as indecent. What difference did it make whether she thought of him that way every waking minute, or only when her mind wasn’t distracted by something else?
He walked over to her and she stood, gazing up at him. For a moment his gaze wandered over her face in that disturbing way that increased her pulse. Finally he took her face in his hands, his thumbs caressing her cheeks gently.
“There is nothing primal about the way we desire each other, sweetheart.”
True. Intimacy was neither the sole purpose nor the end result of their relationship. For them, it wasn’t a method of propagation, either. Maybe that explained her difficulty in justifying desire…the futility of it.
She covered his hands with hers and gazed up into those delicious chocolate pools.
“No, there isn’t anything primal about it.”
He smiled, freeing one hand to caress the curve of her throat. “I’ve missed you lately.”
She sighed, moving into his arms. “I’ve missed you too. I hope we never drift apart that way again.”
It occurred to her that this was the time to show him. She tipped her head back and looked up at his face. They stood for a moment looking into each other’s eyes. His gaze traveled over her face again.
“What?” He asked.
“Do you think we could ride up to the mountain? I have something I’d like to show you.”
His brows lifted in surprise. “Ride up the mountain in this kind of weather? What could be so important that it can’t wait for warmer weather?”
Of course he was right. The mountain trail would be slick. She loosed a deep sigh.
“I suppose it will wait.”
He held her in his arms a moment, looking down at her. Finally he shrugged.
“Why not? I’m up to a little adventure.”
“Really?” She stood on tiptoes and kissed his cheek. “You’ll love it.”
He released her and turned to Ed’s stall.
“I hope so. You seem excited about it.”
Anxious would better describe her feelings. She watched as he saddled Ed again and shoved the rifle down into the boot. Then he led him outside, mounted and held a hand down to her.
“Come on. Show me the way.”
The snow had melted on the mountain trail, and the dry gray rocks provided sufficient traction for Ed’s hooves as they climbed higher into the hills. At the top, Alex reined Ed in and turned to look at Carmen.
“Which way now?”
“We’ll have to leave Ed here for a little while,” she said, pointing at a low limb. “We’ll walk the rest of the way. It isn’t far.”
He helped her to the ground and then dismounted, leading Ed to the tree. Tying the reins to a tree, he removed the rifle and turned to her.
“Let’s go.”
He followed her up a jumble of rocks to the top of the ridge. She led him along a dim trail that followed the edge of a cliff. Below they could hear water running over stones in the creek. They hiked around a clump of cedar and then they were there.
Alex didn’t see the two crosses at first. He was too busy looking at the scene below them. Rocks had been piled to make a shelter under the cliff across from them.
“Is that what I think it is?” he asked in a hushed voice.
Carmen shrugged. “I don’t know. Someone told me that it was built by Union soldiers hiding from the rebels during the Civil War. I wondered if Indians had built it.”
“This is amazing,” he said as he stepped closer to look into the ravine. He whistled. “It must be sixty feet to the bottom.”
He stepped back from the edge and turned to look at her. “Is that the same creek that…” His gaze shifted to the two crosses.
“What’s that?”
He walked over to examine the crosses and then squatted beside them, rifle across his knees, reading. His bewildered gaze lifted to her.
“Your parents were buried here?”
She shook her head. “Not exactly. Mom and Dad were both cremated. After Mom died, Dad and I put a marker here for her and buried her ashes here. Dad wanted me to bury his ashes here too. Sometimes, when things weren’t going well, or when they were going very well, I would come up here and talk to them.”
He stood and rested the rifle against a rock. Then he walked to her, taking her into his arms. He held her close for a long time. When he finally spoke, his voice was almost a whisper.
“My god, Carmen. I had no idea.”
He held her so close that she couldn’t have moved if she wanted to. She had thought he would either be impressed or think the idea was silly. Never in her wildest dreams would she have expected him to react so strongly. What was it that made him do so?
After a few minutes he finally released her and retrieved the rifle.
“We’d better get back. It’s getting cold.”
She stepped back and looked up at him. He looked a little pale. Maybe the elevation bothered him too.
He took her hand and led her back down the trail without saying a word. When they got to Ed, h
e shoved the rifle into the boot, mounted and helped her up behind him. As they started back down the hill, he finally spoke.
“I know this place is important to you, but I want you to promise me you’ll never come up here alone again.”
She could have eased his mind by telling him she had only been up here once alone, and that was after Dad died. He didn’t need to know that the other times she had been there with Josh. That wouldn’t make him feel any better. Maybe there were some things that shouldn’t be communicated. Learning which ones probably took experience…a lot of it.
She hugged his waist. “I promise.”
His hand covered hers. “I never thought of doing anything like that for my parents.”
That was the only thing he said about it. Even so, it was more insight to the relationship he had with his parents than he had ever shown. What a shock it must have been for him to lose them both so suddenly.
That evening they discussed plans for her horse ranch and his safari - even researched on the internet together. Christmas was only a few weeks away…their first together. It had been in the back of her mind, but the babies had overridden even that degree of intimacy. From now on it would be different.
Bedtime began with their ritual of sitting on the window seat in each other’s arms, watching their farm in the growing darkness. There was something exciting and yet soothing about the way they sat, with her back leaning against his chest. His arms rested loosely on her waist, his hands holding hers captive.
Somewhere in the cold outdoors, a wolf howled. Alex shifted, and then his warm lips touched her neck in soft inquiry.
It was nice simply being a couple. There was so much they had to learn about each other. They would learn those things with or without children, but they could enjoy the intimacy of them much better when it was merely the two of them. By the time children came along, they would be ready to focus on them in unison.
She leaned her head back on his shoulder and released a deep contented sigh, smiling as his hands released hers and lifted to her bodice. Right now privacy was any place in the house, and she had the perfect husband to share it with. Right now, here on earth, things couldn’t get any better.
Epilogue
Alex shrugged into his winter coat, zipping it as he prepared to leave the clinic. Carmen would have supper ready and he didn’t want to be late.
As he walked through the lobby, the phone rang and Saundra answered it.
“It’s for you,” she said.
He strode back to his office and picked up the receiver.
“This is Alex.”
“Hey, buddy. I haven’t heard from you. How is married life treating you?”
“Gerald!” Alex sat down in his chair. “What have you been up to?”
“Nothing much. I thought I’d call and wish you a Merry Christmas. There are a lot of people down here wondering what happened to you…and if you’ll ever get back down this way again.”
“I like it up here just fine,” Alex responded conversationally.
“I can’t imagine you being happy when you’re tied down to one spot…one woman.”
Alex laughed without humor. “Well, I’m going home to a warm supper and wife. What are you doing tonight?”
Gerald laughed. “I’ve got sandwich stuff in the refrigerator.”
“That’s amazing,” Alex said in a dry tone. “How did that happen?”
“I haven’t been there all day,” Gerald answered.
“Did you ever get up the nerve to ask that secretary out to supper?”
“Oh, I’ve got the nerve. What I don’t have is the inclination. I got a tip that she is husband shopping. The life of a bachelor has too many advantages.”
Alex chuckled. “Well, some day that will get old.”
“Oh,” Gerald said, “by the way, thanks for that financial advice. I turned a good profit on that piece of real estate.”
“Good.”
“How is the safari thing going? Do you have any animals yet?”
“Only a couple of buffalo right now, and a couple of Angora goats Carmen bought for me. She kept a couple of goats that are supposed to kid in February. I’ve been talking to the fish and game department here about some Elk that aren’t up to par for a release into the wild.”
“Sounds like thinks are progressing,” Gerald said. “Let me know when you get that place ready for customers. I’ve got some friends who thought it sounded like a great getaway for a vacation.”
Alex groaned. “I’m afraid if that house gets fixed, I’ll have to initiate it. Carmen has this fixation about having to pay for everything on her own…not using my money.”
Gerald laughed without humor. “Buddy, I wouldn’t complain about that. If I could find a woman that frugal, I might just settle down.” The line was silent a moment. “Or not,” he concluded.
Alex sighed. “I suppose I should be grateful, but it’s hard to take care of her when she keeps shoving money back at me.”
“Is that a complaint?”
Alex laughed. “It’s about as close to one as I can come right now.”
“I’m glad to hear that. Well, I’d better let you go home to supper. Don’t keep the little lady waiting. Keep in touch, okay?”
“I will,” Alex said. “I’m glad you called. Merry Christmas to you too.”
Alex replaced the receiver and retraced his steps to the lobby. He headed for the door again, but this time Saundra stopped him with a question.
“What does a guy give a gal who thinks she already has everything?”
Alex stopped. “I beg your pardon?”
Saundra laughed. “Your wife…what are you going to get her for Christmas?”
Alex shrugged. “Jewelry, flowers, candy…any suggestions?”
Saundra grinned. “If I know you, you already have something picked out.”
When he grinned, she leaned forward and whispered. “What is it?”
He took a step toward her and whispered. “It’s a secret.”
She laughed. “You little dickens. Get out of here.”
“I’m trying,” he said, heading for the door again.
Actually, he had been contemplating a gift for Carmen for quite a while. When she took him to the mountain, he knew what to give her. He had taken her favorite picture of her parents to an artist and had a painting made that matched the one of his parents. They would both be hung above the fireplace. How could she think of it as her home when so many of his things dominated it?
Carmen was right about needing to adjust to each other before complicating their lives with children. As much as she wanted children, eventually she would agree to adoption. Right now she wasn’t convinced that they wouldn’t have one of their own. Of course, the power of prayer was strong, but in the end there were some things that a person simply had to accept. She would if he gave her time.
He smiled as he climbed into the cold truck and started it. Carmen was shy about the strangest things. The way she blushed about intimacy was amusing and somehow sweet. That innocence was part of her charm.
He pulled the truck onto the highway, smiling in anticipation of her passionate greeting when he walked into the house. The kitchen would smell of good food and her soft neck would be as fragrant as spring flowers.
He had one regret when it came to Carmen…that they hadn’t met sooner.
###
About the author:
Linda Louise Rigsbee has been publishing since 1986. Best known for her sweet romantic suspense novels, she also writes westerns and other genres in both fiction and non-fiction.
Something Old, Something New, by Linda Louise Rigsbee is Book 2 in the Carmen and Alex series. Watch for these other titles in the series at Smashwords.com:
Something Old, Something New, Book 2
Once Bitten, Twice Shy - Book 1
Something Old, Something New - Book 2
The Darkest Hour - Book 3
For Better or Worse - Book 4
A Change of
Hearts - Book 5
To Thine Own Self - Book 6
Connect with me Online:
My Website: http://lindarigsbee.com
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