Ring of Fire Book Two of the McKay's (11 page)

"I was so scared when I saw Thunder hovering over you and his hoofs ready to pounce on you.
I was afraid I wouldn't get there in time," he whispered as he rained light purposeful kisses over her nose, eyelids, and then back to her mouth, as he picked her up in his arms and cuddled her against him. "I don't want to hurt you, but I need you close to me, right now."

"
Oh Hank…" She smiled as his mouth hovered above hers, just before he kissed her again.

Each kiss was better than the last, her mind registered. This is where she wanted to be, needed to be, and all the medicine in the world wouldn't
do as much good as Hank's kisses.

She whimpered in her throat at his gentleness.

All the loneliness that had surrounded her when Julie moved out was gone, replaced by a new hope growing inside her.

Hank let go of her for a moment and he didn't say a word.
She leaned weakly against him feeling the fast thud of his heart, the heat from his body, and the security his arms offered. She was too weak to respond like she wanted, and he seemed to sense it.

"You
're going back to bed, young lady, and stay there until you are better," he instructed.

"Oh…but I need a drink of water to take another pill," she cried
, looking up into his face.

The look on his face as the moonlight hit it made her nearly gasp. She saw concern,
compassion, and so much more in that one glance. Still, she was groggy and it could be just wishful thinking.

He set her down,
got the water for her, and then proceeded to carry her up the stairs once more.

He put her on her bed, and covered her up. She looked into his frowning face, and st
roked his cheek with a finger. She remembered thinking how soft his cheek felt, and warm. "What were you doing downstairs?"

"
Waiting…to make sure you were okay…" he whispered then kissed the tip of her nose.

"
How long were you there?"

"Since I brought you up here
," he managed as he kissed her once more.

"
I'm fine…now!" She smiled when he finally pulled away from her.

"Get some rest…" he commanded softly.
"Here, take your medicine…"

He handed her another pill after checking the label in the moonlight.

She swallowed the pill and as he started to go, she pulled gently on his hand.

"You don't have to worry, I'm going to be fine
." She watched his expressive face.

"Get some sleep," he murmured, but she saw his eyes traveling quickly to her lips and she smiled.

Then he was gone and sleep overtook her.

Three days later
, she was up and about and acting as though the arm was merely a nuisance. Still the pain lingered, either that or she was missing Hank who she hadn't seen since that first night. Had she dreamed him there?

Hank hadn't been back and she missed him more than she could say.
She wanted to know what his concern was all about? How much did he really care? Would he ever accept who she was and that they could make a life together? Or was she insinuating her importance in his life? There were so many questions she wanted to ask, and was afraid to.

It was the weekend though and Hank
was probably home with his grandmother. She missed him on the weekends. She missed him all the time.

Why had he been downstairs that night?
Did he really care that much? The thought made her shiver with an anticipation that scared her. She was definitely falling for Hank and she knew it. But how did he feel?

Sure
, he kissed her like a man supping water in a dry desert, but maybe he kissed all women like that. He certainly hadn't said anything about how he felt.

Maybe he wasn't there, maybe she dreamed him there. But she remembered the goose bumps, and the fast beat of his heart against her, and those kisses were better than any imagined.

She went inside the barn and Caleb was working.

"Well
, young lady, heard about your daring do." Caleb chuckled.

"Who told you?"
She laughed comfortably.

"Just about every cowboy on this ranch, that's who, wasn't a one of them that you didn't scare the heck out of."

Letty laughed. "I really didn't mean to scare anyone. I wanted to make Thunder my horse, that's all."

"
You better shed that gleam in your eyes. You ain't getting near that animal, again. He all got order from Wade, personally to see you don't." Caleb eyed her.

"No…not until my arm heals at least." She laughed again.

Caleb shook his head. "Got orders from Wade Weston himself that no one is to ride that horse but him, his brother and Hank. You ain't on that list, young lady."

Letty nodded
. "I've heard."

"But you ain't payin' attention, are you?" he asked.

"You don't think I've learned my lesson?" she asked.

"One can only hope." Caleb rubbed his nose with his finger.

She smiled again.

"I was bored, restless, didn't have anything to do. But I won't do it again. I promise." She moved away and stared at the horse that wouldn't be rode.

"He's such a beauty, I wanted him for myself," she admitted. "He's got such spirit."

"
He does have that. But Miss Letty, sometimes it's not in the cards."

Letty whirled around to look at him
. "What did you say?"

"Don't think that will happen
," he said.

She stared at him long and hard and left.

She wasn't as strong as she thought; her trip to the barn wore her out so she headed back to the house. When she got there, she sat on the porch. She spotted Hank in the distance, working with another horse and she watched him until Julie pulled up in the drive.

"Well, feeling better?" Julie smiled.
She wore a pair of shorts and a colorful shirt. She had jewelry on her wrist, and make-up on her face, and she looked so happy, it made Letty envious.

"A
little." She nodded, realizing she hadn't taken much pains with herself since the accident.

"It's good that you are up and about. You had a rough few days." Julie stared at her as she sat beside her in another rocker.

"I did?" Letty asked as she turned her attention from Hank to Julie. Letting the afternoon breeze filter over her she tried to relax, unable to find a comfortable position.

"Well, most of the time I was here, you were out of it, but yeah.
You were in a lot of pain." Julie leaned back in the rocking chair and stared out at the men working in the corral.

"That's easing up, but this contraption he's got on my arm is b
eginning to itch like the devil," Letty complained.

"Leave it alone, am I gonna have to ramrod you?" Julie asked.

"Maybe…" Letty laughed.

"Whatever possessed you to try and ride that horse?"
Julie stared at her sister and moved her sunglasses down her nose.

Letty sighed and leaned in the chair
; moving around was painful so she let her body gently settle into the rocking chair on its own.

"I don't know. I've been intrigued with that horse ever since I've come home. You know I was always wild about horses. I thought I could tame it. I wanted it to be mine."

"Why don't you have one of the boys pick you a mount out?" Julie suggested.

"
Because they would pick one out like Whitey who acts too old to move. He has no spirit. It's not fun to ride like that. I want Thunder…" she insisted.

"Well
, that's not going to happen, little sister," Julie insisted. "And tame is what you need right now, so remember that."

"Julie
, you can't go through life never taking a chance on anything. That's just too boring," Letty cried.

"You know
, you always were a risk-taker. I remember how Dad used to scold you when you'd do something like this. Maybe it's a good thing he isn't around now."

Letty glanced at her
. "I've had enough scoldings for a while."

"I'm sorry
, honey; I just don't want you hurt." Julie looked straight at her.

"I know…but it sure takes the fun out of things." Letty tried to smile at her.
"I'm not a safe kind of person. I like to take risks, Julie. That's nothing new with me."

"Did you know that Hank slept in a chair in the kitchen all night, the night you were hurt?" Julie asked.

Letty's head jerked about to stare at Julie. "He did?"

"Yes, he did. Cade sent him home that next day to get some rest." Julie smiled at her surprised sister.
"He wouldn't go until he was sure you were taken care of."

"I wonder why he bothered." Letty tried to shrug it off, but she couldn't hide her feelings from Julie and she knew it.

"I think you know the answer to that, and so do the rest of us." Julie laughed. "Honey, you are an open book. One look into those beautiful eyes of yours and everyone knows how you feel about things."

"It's not like that, Julie. Hank just felt responsible." She cast a glance at the corral once more, enjoying the
sight of Hank working.

"I didn't see any of the other cowboys spending the night in the kitchen
," Julie insisted.

Letty glan
ced at her and tried to hide a smile on her face, but she couldn't.

"So…there is something going on there. I thought so, so did Cade
," Julie informed her.

The fact that she hadn't dreamed Hank in the kitchen with her elated Letty more than she knew.
He had kissed her again, from worry, concern, or just simply guilt, but he had kissed her.

And Hank didn't do things halfway. When he kissed a woman, she was thoroughly and completely kissed, Letty decided with a sigh.

When Letty didn't say anything, Julie shook her head., "So, are you going to tell me what is going on with you two, or will I have to fill in the blanks myself?"

Letty chuckled.
"Nothing. Nothing is going on. He felt guilty about me riding the horse, that's all."

"Oh no
, it isn't all. I can see it in your eyes when you look at the man. Give, little sister…"

Letty hung her head with a smile on her face
. "It's all just wishful thinking on my side, Julie. I mean…the man kissed me…several times, but there's nothing there. He won't even introduce me to his grandmother. How can I possibly have a relationship with a man that won't introduce me to his grandma?"

Julie chuckled
. "So, you do care."

Letty shrugged her shoulders and then nearly screamed with pain from her arm.

Julie reached over and touched her hand. "I know it hurts, honey."

"I'll mend."

"That might, but your heart is another thing. I think there is something there if he has kissed you…several times." Julie laughed.

Letty's smile disappeared
. "Even if there was something between us, he wouldn't let it get out of hand. He thinks I'm too good for him. I'm a McKay. And even though Dad is gone, and so are all the rules he set up, Hank's abiding by them. He's too old fashioned. Too stubborn."

"So
, being a McKay is keeping the two of you apart?" Julie frowned.

"That's it in a nutshell…" Letty sighed.

"And you've just totally given up?"

"Well, what can I do
? It's his problem, not mine," she cried.

"Letty McKay, I've never heard you give up on a man so easily. Do you love him?"

Letty stared at her sister, and then glanced at Hank in the distance. "How can I answer that question? I've never even had a date with him."

"That doesn't mean anything. Do you have feelings for him?"

"Yeah…"

Julie stopped rocking and glared at her
. "Since when do you let something interfere with what you want? Since when do you pay any attention at all to Dad's rules? Dad's gone, Letty. He doesn't rule us anymore. If you love Hank, then you go after him and don't stop until you've got him at the altar."

"My God, Julie…have you ever changed." Letty tried to laugh.
"As I recall you had a time facing your feelings too."

"You're right, it's hard to remember those days now." Julie chuckled.

Julie broke out in a huge smile. A smile of contentment, Letty noted.

"Finding the right man is the best thing in the world, Letty. Don't let that McKay pride get in your way. If Hank is right for you, then you go after him. Love is the greatest thing in the world and all the money in the world can't replace it. I should know. I've never been happier in my life, Letty. Never…."

Letty stared at Julie and smiled. "I can see that. And I'm happy for you, honey. You deserve it."