Echoes of the Heart (25 page)

           
“You
gave us quite a scare, Rae.
 
I’ve hardly
slept.”
 
She sat next to Raeden and
patted the top of her hand.
 
“And you
look positively radiant.
 
Where did Cash
find you?”

           
Raeden
suspected Diane knew what happened.
 
Cash
spending two nights alone with a woman would leave one to wonder.
 
She did her best to appear pure and innocent,
whatever that looked like.

           
“He
found me at a deserted farm house, practically frozen lying in the snow.
 
He built a fire and had food Sadie sent so we
managed just fine.”
 

           
Diane
poured tea and Cash came in through the mudroom after stomping mud from his
boots.
 
Using the boot hook, he pulled
them off and entered in stocking feet.
 
He pulled a chair close to Raeden and joined in.

           
“Thanks
for finding our Rae.”

           
“I
assure you it was my pleasure.”
 
He gave
Raeden a wink.

           
He is impossible!

           
Diane smiled.
 
“Would you like something to drink?”

           
“Coffee’s
fine, if you have some made.
 
My job is
waiting.”

           
“Sure.
 
No problem at all.”
 

An impish smile
curved one side of his mouth when he turned his face toward Raeden.

           
After
Diane turned her back, Raeden brushed her leg against his calf.
 
Giving her a sly look, he placed a hand on
her knee.
 
With Cash at the table, Raeden
thought the breakfast nook much more cheerful.

           
He
finished his coffee and walked into the mudroom.
 
She could not help but admire his beautiful
butt when he bent over to pull on his boots.
 
Raeden trailed behind him to the back porch to see him off.
 
He pulled her off to the side and they
wrapped their arms around each other and enjoyed a fervent kiss.
 
His two-day stubble chaffed her face.
 
She didn’t mind.
 
Raeden really wanted to go with him and crawl
into bed for the rest of the day or maybe the rest of the week.
 

She stood watching
while Cash mounted, spinning Rabbit in a circle, hat held out to one side in a
farewell salute.

***

Raeden sank into a
hot bath, leaned back and closed her eyes reliving the days and nights spent
with Cash.
 
She didn’t understanding the
incredible craving, a near obsession so strong it almost hurt making it near
impossible to concentrate on anything else.
  

She forced herself
to focus, trying to imagine alterations necessary to change some of her earlier
warm weather designs into winter weight woolens that would interest the women
in town since the weather became cold.
 
Perhaps heavy ankle length hooded cloaks could complement each costume.

           
The
bath complete, she sat on her bed cross-legged clad in a lilac peignoir with a
sketchbook in her lap and traced a few ideas then settled into bed.
 
Lying in the darkness looking at the stars
flickering in the moonlit sky through her window, her reflections turned back
to Cash.
 
She went to sleep dreaming of
the rugged man, her lover who had stolen her heart.
 

Thirty-two

           
Raeden
woke to the sun steaming through her window, cascading rays of golden light
matching her mood.
 
Dressed in her riding
garb, she dashed down the stairway to breakfast with Mike and Diane.

           
Mike
opened the conversation.
 
“You seem well
rested, and I must say quite resplendent.
 
I guess your brush with death did you no harm.”
 
His face grew stern. “You know, Rae, it would
do you well to be a bit more careful.
 
This is pretty rugged country.”

           
Raeden
felt like a scolded child, but she held her temper.
 
“I promise I will not do anything so foolish
in the future.
 
I’ve learned my
lesson.”
 
She abhorred lectures and
authority, needed no one to tell her she had made a mistake.
 
A clash with mortality would make even a
moron more careful.
 
Appetite gone, she
stood leaving the plate half-empty.

           
“I’m
off to my little workshop.
 
I need to
complete a few things and work on some sketches.”
 
Bundled in clothing suited to the weather,
she jogged to get Arte, nervous from the north wind and stroked his neck to
quiet him.
 
Restless to elaborate on the
renderings so she could make permanent representations for her portfolio, she
had brought her drawings along, carried in an oilcloth lined leather rucksack
to protect them from the elements.
 

           
Postponing
assembly of the latest winter dress, she worked on the sketches and lost track
of time.
 
Feeling eyes upon her, she
turned to find Cash filling the doorway, one shoulder against the jamb, arms
folded across his chest.
 
The look in his
eyes made her feel like the most beautiful woman in the world.

           
“Are
you always this intent on your work?”

           
Her
breathing quickened as well as her heart rate.
 
Keeping the impulse to run into his arms in check, she stood to face
him.
 
“Most of the time.
 
I really enjoy what I do.”
 
She approached him, pleased to see the hungry
look in his eyes.

           
Did
he feel the same way?
 
Her feelings
seemed to border on obsession.

           
“I
received a wire this morning about an incident between the Cheyenne
and a couple of prospectors out in the hills.”
 
Trouble of this kind never proved affable for the Indians.
 
Times like these he resented his job.
 
If what he heard turned out to be the truth,
he would be put in the awkward position of making a decision to either shun his
duty or haul in one of his friends.

“Since I must go
check it out, I stopped by to pick up some more dry goods for them and thought
we might have lunch at the hotel.”

           
God,
how he wanted to take her to his room and make love to her until they both
could not move.
 
Taking this trip to the Black
Hills would probably be a blessing—a chance to cool his
heels.
 
If this continued, he would catch
on fire.

           
“I
would love to join you.
 
I’m really
hungry, however I don’t think I could tackle one of those beef roasts you call
a steak.
 
I’ll hurry and change.”
           
Moving forward to walk past
him, his arm flew to the opposite jamb blocking her progress.

           
“Hold
on a second.”
 
He bent down and kissed
her.
 
She kissed him back.
 
“That’s more like it.”
 
His hand dropped to let her pass.

           
She
bounced into the washroom to shed her riding attire, excited to be near Cash
again.
 
His touch sent shockwaves through
her and she wished they could do something other than eat a meal.
 
After a few minutes, she came back dressed in
a wine-colored worsted dress and a mauve cape with sheared beaver trim.

           
Cash
smiled his approval.
 
“Miss Newell, you
take my breath away.”
 
He bent to whisper
in her ear.
 
“Let’s get out of here.
  
I can’t wait to get you alone.”

           
With
a hand lightly on the small of her back, he ushered her over the
threshold.
 
Once on the walkway, he put
an arm around her shoulder, a smirk of triumph on his face.

           
Raeden
felt like a trophy on display.
 
She
gently removed his arm.
 
“Could you
possibly be more indiscreet?
 
Everyone
will talk.”

           
His
lips almost a smile, “I don’t care if they talk.”

           
“That’s
because you are a peacock.
 
Don’t you
care about my reputation?”

           
He
jested while his smile lifted to his eyes.
 
“Little lady, your reputation is already ruined.”

           
Raeden
laughed aloud.
 
“You are certainly right
about that.”

           
Cash
folded her hand on the crook of his elbow, an arrogant look still on his
face.
 
Raeden shook her head smiling and
followed his lead.
 

           
Raeden
requested a small portion of biscuits and gravy.
 
Cash had fried chicken and beer.
 

           
Curiosity
forced her to ask because she did not want him to go.
 
“When will you leave?”

           
“First
thing in the morning.”
  
A gleam shown in
his eyes.
 
“Will you miss me?”

           
Raeden
chuckled.
 
“I guess it depends on how
long you’re gone.”

           
“Four
days,” his eyes never left hers, “maybe five.”
 

           
Her
voice grew soft when she answered and her lids shaded her eyes. “I will
definitely miss you.”

           
His
eyes followed the neckline down to her chest.
 
His manner had a definite erotic undertone.
 
“And I will certainly miss you, my sweet.”

           
“Goodness,
Cash, is that all you think about?”
 
It’s all I have been thinking about lately
myself.

           
One
eyebrow lifted.
 
“When I’m with you, it’s
is all I
can
think about.”

           
His
words sounded like caresses to her ears.
 
How she wished he didn’t have to leave.
 
“I guess I had better change the subject then.
 
How will the Cheyenne
fare during the winter?
 
Are they going
to the reservation?”
           
She heard an edge to his voice
when he answered.
 
“Last I heard, they
have no intention of going to the reservation.
 
They want to stay in their home.
 
It will be rough because they can’t do much hunting.
 
The herds have dwindled substantially and they
can’t go on hunting parties for fear of getting captured.
 
I’ll take them what I can.”

           
Raeden
revered him for the fact he was always the protector.
 
She could not help but notice his diligence
when it came to the safety of the townspeople, including her.

           
“Why
don’t you walk with me to pick up the wagon then I can get it loaded when I
take you back?”

           
They
walked arm in arm into the enormous barn.
 
Watts didn’t answer when Cash called out.
 
Glancing at the stall where they had first
made love, heat rose in her cheeks.
 
In
the same moment, Cash grabbed her and crushed her to him.
 
She could hardly breathe.
 
His head bent down and he planted a kiss on
her mouth so commanding her knees buckled and she barely heard the sound of
someone clearing their throat.

           
Heat
rose to her face when she moved from his arms to see Watts
watching a few feet away.
 
Raeden wished
she could vanish, Cash did not seem to care.
 
How could he just stand there as if nothing had happened, so smug and
arrogant while she wanted to hide?
           
Watts
failed to conceal his amusement and chuckled.
 
“Hello, Rae, I’m glad to see you are okay.
 
You should practice more caution.
 
The weather can be real tricky this time of
year.”
 
Not again.
 
How many times did she have to hear it?

           
“I
suppose you’ve come for the wagon, Cash.
 
I’ll have Jesse get the horses.
 
By the way, thanks for sending him over.
 
He’s a good hand.”