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  Now that they’d done this before, they took their time and the kissing went on and on until their lungs screamed for air. A quick breath and Wyatt gently moved Rebecca into the pillow, so he could kiss her at length and she could run her hands along his back, into his already tousled hair. It was a feast for the senses and pleasure beyond measure.

  Demanding air again, Wyatt raised his lips from hers to gaze into her lovely eyes and gently stroke her rosy cheek.

  “Please come home with me, Becca. I really want you to.”

  “For how long?” she asked his lips.

  “…Forever…”

  “I don’t think Dave will give me that long,” she teased. “How about a week?”

  He kissed her cheek. “…I’ll take whatever I can get.”

  “But…”

  “What, honey?”

  “What will your neighbors think about you taking up with a city gal?”

  “They can like it or lump it, I don’t care.”

  “Sure you can take me for a week?”

  “I guess we’ll find out. Can you take the ranch for that long?”

  “Remember I grew up on a ranch…”

  “…Even better. Now kiss me – I’m tired of talking…”

  Giggling, she caressed his face. “You really can be bossy, can’t you?”

  “Yes, ma’am.”

  She wound her arms around his neck and pulled him to her. As the kissing excited him, the lovemaking began and Wyatt knew his life was heading in the right direction. He’d been leading a half-life and wanted a full life with Rebecca. That week would be a good test for them both to see how their relationship would go.

  But for now… he wanted her silky legs wrapped around him and his length embedded deep inside her. He wanted her soft lips, her smooth arms, her breathy sighs, her gasps, her moans… he wanted it all. Wyatt wanted her…pure and simple. And that’s all there was to it…

  * * *

  CHAPTER THIRTEEN

  Dave finally managed to give her the week’s vacation, but only with the promise that she’d file another story about the Allenville situation when she returned. The last story had over a million hits online and he was chomping at the bit for her to write a follow-up. It had been great copy and was garnering a fair amount of attention.

  Clint called when Wyatt was driving out of Las Vegas, heading back home. Rebecca was sitting close-by, working a story idea on her laptop.

  “Heading back?”

  “Yeah, we left town about thirty minutes ago.”

  “…We?”

  “Yes,” Wyatt laughed and glanced over at her. “Rebecca’s coming back with me.” She returned his smile.

  “Really… Well, that’s interesting. I didn’t think you were…”

  “Well, I was and I am…”

  “Gotcha. Okay…So…”

  “… Chill out, Clint. Come by for dinner tonight and we’ll fill you in.”

  A chortle bubbled out. “All right, buddy. Drive safe.” He hung up and Wyatt put his cell phone back into a shirt pocket.

  “I guess he was surprised about me, huh?”

  “Yes, he was… But in a good way.”

  “I’ll bet.”

  She got busy writing again and he looked at her laptop. “What are you writing?”

  She scrunched up her face and scratched her nose.

  “I have an idea that I’ve been kicking around for a while. Right now I’m just putting together an outline.”

  “An outline of what?”

  When she didn’t respond, he would have loved to kiss her pretty cheek, but he was driving – Trying to concentrate. “…Becca? Honey?”

  She poked him in the side. “So you’re one of those guys who has to have my attention all the time, is that it?”

  “No…” he chuckled. “…Of course not…” When she raised an eyebrow, he added, “Maybe so…”

  “Okay, I’ll forgive you this once. I’m writing an outline about the Allenville situation. It’s not over and Dave has asked that I file a follow-up piece while I’m out here for the week. I need to put together a timeline of events so far.”

  He nodded. “Sounds good. Need any help from me?”

  “Want to do my typing for me?”

  “Honey, I’d do anything for you…”

  She blinked and reached out to caress his cheek. “What a lovely thing to say… Thank you.”

  He leaned in to kiss her hand. “…I mean it, Becca.” He looked over at her. “But now I’ll shut up so you can write. How’s that?”

  “Thank you. I do need a little quiet from time to time.”

  “…Duly noted.”

  And he was actually quiet for the last forty-five minutes of the trip.

  Arriving at his ranch, Wyatt got out and stretched. It was good to be home. He walked over to open Rebecca’s door and help her with the luggage. She didn’t bring much, commenting that jeans and more jeans would be about all she’d need. He’d agreed with that. Wyatt smiled broadly when he remembered asking her to forget her pajamas – She wouldn’t need them… She’d smiled slyly and he grinned as she had thrown a sexy chemise in her case.

  * * *

  The ranch house was beautiful from the outside. Rustic pine with a wrap-around porch and more rocking chairs… Mature trees lined a gravel drive with a barn and stables in the back. It backed up to a rugged hill that was one of a series of low hills stretching out on the horizon. That big blue sky went on and on. She took a deep breath and the air was fresher than she’d ever smelled it in the city. He also had a lot of acreage and a good-sized herd of cattle on those acres.

  Wyatt gave her a tour of the ranch house and she tried not to frown. The furniture was old, dilapidated and arranged in a crazy, haphazard fashion. She was about to ask who had arranged the furniture, when it came to her – Missy. He probably hadn’t changed anything since she died… Not great. The windows all needed replacing and the kitchen was severely outdated – It needed a new refrigerator and stove, to begin with…

  When she wanted to hang up a few blouses in his closet, trouble sneaked in. And Rebecca, being Rebecca waded right into the middle of it.

  “You can hang your things on this side, with my clothes. See?” He moved some clothes back.

  She scrunched her face. “Why should I crowd you when there’s half a closet here vacant? Why can’t I hang my clothes on this side?”

  A look of fear flashed across his face and caught her flat-footed. Oh, my God… It’s the dead wife’s half of the closet. This was all going to be so much harder than she’d anticipated.

  “Would you mind, Becca? Hanging your things here… I… I guess,” his face flushed, “I’m not ready to see clothes hanging there yet.”

  Rebecca blinked, astonished. No matter how he felt about her, Wyatt was still working through his grief about Missy. The signs were unmistakable and she was suddenly sorry she’d come with him. It was all too soon…

  She stood there, hangers in her hand, unsure what to do. Wyatt stood by her quietly, running a hand through his hair... nervous -- She made a decision…

  “Maybe I’ll just keep my clothes in my suitcase. After all, I’m not going to be here that long… Yes,” she said proudly. “That’s what I’ll do. I can work out of my suitcase.”

  “Becca, don’t be silly,” he said while breathing a relieved sigh. “There’s plenty of space on my side.”

  “No, I’ll crowd you.”

  “You won’t.”

  She dug in her heels. “Yes… I… will…”

  One look at her determined face and Wyatt decided to let it go. It was much too touchy a subject for him as well. Maybe they could discuss it…sometime.

  After she freshened up in a bathroom that sorely needed repainting, she joined him in the kitchen where he offered her some iced tea.

  “How about a ride and then lunch?”

  “Okay,” she smiled happy to be on safer ground. “That sounds wonderful.”

  “Do you rem
ember how to ride a horse?”

  “Yes, I do, thank you.” She took a quick sip of her iced tea and set it down. She wrinkled her nose – too much lemon… ”Let’s go. I’d like to see the countryside.”

  “Yes, ma’am.”

  Wyatt grabbed his hat and took her out to the stable. It was large with several beautiful horses inside. He had a few hands helping him with the ranch and asked one to saddle up a couple horses for him. In the meantime, Wyatt pulled a straw hat down from a wall for her.

  “Here,” he said placing it on her head. “You can’t go out in the sun without a cowboy hat.” He adjusted it for her, leaned over and kissed her lips. “…You look beautiful, city girl.”

  “Not today… Today I’m a country girl.”

  Although the day’s start had been awkward, Rebecca was hoping the rest of their time would be nice and she pushed away a question about whose hat she was wearing.

  She adored him and wanted no lingering doubts about him. So, atypical for Rebecca, she shoved the closet issue out of her mind too. It just wasn’t that important…

  They rode through country that was the prettiest she’d ever seen. The hills were green after recent rains with occasional pine trees that stood straight and tall. The hills backed up into a mountain range jutting up into the bluest sky she’d ever seen. No smog pollution here… That forever sky went on and on with mounds of billowy clouds perched overhead. Roads were probably lonely in his neck of the woods, but a peaceful feeling settled in her mind…She took a deep breath of fresh air.

  In the next moment, she wanted to run through the hills singing like Maria in ‘The Sound of Music.’ -- It was that lovely. Riding through a meadow of blue and yellow wildflowers, they stopped their horses by a slow-moving stream cutting through his property. Rebecca dismounted to get a drink of water.

  “Here, let me help you down.”

  She crinkled her nose and laughed. “I don’t need help, but thanks.”

  Cupping a hand, she dipped it in the cool stream to bring some water to her lips. Wyatt dismounted too and watched her, wondering. She was a natural up here and looked as comfortable as if she’d been born here.

  He leaned over and tilted her face up to kiss her.

  “Hey… Get your own drink.” She giggled and splashed water from the stream at him.

  Wyatt was transfixed. When was the last time he’d enjoyed himself out here on his own land? When had he last drowned in a woman’s eyes… It had been such a long time, he almost didn’t recognize himself.

  “Wyatt? Honey? Are you all right?”

  Rebecca moved closer to him and wiped some splashed water off his face.

  “Sorry I got you all wet. Do you have a towel or something in your saddlebag? I’ll wipe you off since I got you wet.”

  She was just playing around, but when she put her hand into his saddlebag and pulled out the pink scarf, Wyatt lurched forward.

  “No, you can’t use that. It’s…It’s…”

  She blinked, startled and stepped back. “…It’s what, Wyatt?”

  He grabbed it and stuffed it back in. “It’s nothing…”

  “No,” she said warily. “…It’s something. Let me see.”

  Wyatt swallowed hard because he knew he couldn’t stop her. Rebecca put her hand back in the saddlebag and pulled out the pink scarf. She inspected it carefully and looked back at him. He’d begun to sweat.

  “This is a woman’s scarf.”

  “Yes…”

  “Is this Missy’s?”

  “Yeah…”

  “Why do you keep it in here?”

  “I…I… don’t know.”

  “Yes, you do,” she persisted. “…Talk to me.”

  “…Um…”

  Rebecca folded the scarf neatly and put it back into the saddlebag. Then she thought carefully about what she wanted to say. He was probably bracing himself for what was coming.

  “I’m coming along too soon in your life, Wyatt. You aren’t past her yet.”

  “I told you that.”

  “Then why did you say that you loved me and invite me out here?”

  “Because I do love you… I… just still love her too.”

  “Wyatt,” she began tentatively. “I have a bit of an idea how tough this must be for you because I’ve lost someone in my life too.” When he started to speak, she continued. “… Maybe it wasn’t a husband, but a loved one is a loved one. You’re going to have to make a few changes around here, Wyatt, to move on with your life.”

  “You’re probably wondering how I could bring you here…”

  “… Exactly…”

  “I know I need to move on. I love you and I hope you can help me.”

  She shook her head. “I think this is something you have to do yourself.” She glanced up into his distraught face. “…And I’d better go home.”

  Wyatt’s jaw dropped. “You just got here.”

  “It’s obvious I shouldn’t have come.”

  “No, Becca, please give me a chance. Stay…”

  Clint came over for dinner that night. Rebecca babbled too much and Wyatt said too little. They rarely looked at each other and conversation was stiff. Clint finally asked her about it when she walked him out.

  “What’s wrong, Rebecca? I can feel something’s off between you two.”

  She blinked back tears. “It’s not just the two of us here, Clint. Missy’s here in full force – He can’t or won’t let her go.”

  Clint’s eyes widened and he looked angry. “Son of a bitch. That idiot loves you and he’s slowly driving you away, isn’t he?”

  Rebecca nodded. “I don’t think this is going to work.”

  He took her arm and looked up to see Wyatt watching them from the doorway. “Don’t give up on him, Rebecca. He’ll get there – He’s crazy about you.”

  She nodded again. “Thanks, Clint. I’ll give him what I can, but I have to protect myself, you know.”

  He took off his hat, hit the side of his jeans with it and spit on the ground.

  “Okay… Night, Rebecca… Night, Wyatt,” he called out to him. Clint gave her a long look, got into his truck and took off.

  But later in bed, she was startled at the intensity of their lovemaking. The kisses, embraces, stroking and thrusting were all so much more than it had ever been. She guessed they were trying to attach themselves to one another, so they wouldn’t part. Maybe he was scared that she was going to leave and she was afraid he’d never really love her…

  They slept well again, like they did now wrapped in each other’s arms, but it was still uneasy… Before they fell asleep, Wyatt softly kissed her face and lips until she finally smiled at him. He had to see her smile…

  And that was their first full day at the ranch together.

  * * *

  CHAPTER FOURTEEN

  The second day was better because it was the rodeo. Wyatt took Rebecca over in the afternoon to introduce her to a few people, and meet Clint for their event. He had brought along a big duffle bag with his rodeo clothes in it, but wouldn’t let her see them ahead of time. When he had her situated with some friends of his, he kissed her cheek and left to get changed. The women posed a few direct questions almost immediately.

  “So, how did you and Wyatt meet?” asked Molly, a neighbor who lived by the Carsons.

  “I interviewed him for an article I was writing.”

  “Isn’t he the nicest man?” asked another lady sitting on her other side.

  “Yes, he’s wonderful,” she smiled wearily. Rebecca was already scouting the crowd, hoping to see the Carsons. Maybe she could escape the questioning.

  “How long do you plan to stay around?” Molly innocently asked.

  “Not sure… Oh, look!” she cried out pointing. “There’s Mary Carson. Well, it was nice to meet you, but she’s expecting me to sit with her.” And Rebecca beat a hasty retreat.

  When she reached Mary, she plopped down exhausted. Mary blinked surprised eyes to see her and then she smiled.


  “Having a tough day, dear?”

  “…A million questions, Mary, with few or no answers.”

  She nodded and patted her hand. “Just rest, dear. I promise not to ask you a thing…Just watch the rodeo. These guys are really good…”

  And they were…

  Rebecca hadn’t seen a rodeo in a long time and relaxed watching the various events. In the middle of the huge, open arena came horses and riders, steers and clowns.

  Bareback bronc riding looked scary – those horses wanted the guys off and fast… Steer wrestling was very difficult. Within seconds, the cowboys had to get the steer’s head down for their timing to be good. And then came the team roping. She excitedly checked her rodeo day sheet to see when Wyatt and Clint would be out. They were coming out third, which gave her a chance to see what team roping was all about.

  A steer would suddenly burst out of the corral, with one cowboy roping the front of it, usually trying for the horns, and the other cowboy trying to rope a hind foot. It was an exacting process and their horses had to be well trained to get them in position quickly. The first two sets of cowboys had had their work cut out for them. The steers were slick and slippery, and neither pair could manage to rope them.

  Rebecca sat up straighter when the corral burst open a third time. In the blink of an eye, she saw Clint ride hard and cut right, while Wyatt rode hard the other way. They were on either side of the steer… Clint threw his rope and Wyatt threw his out a few seconds later. She watched and beamed when Clint’s rope hooked the horns and Wyatt’s grabbed the hind foot a few seconds later. The steer went down and the crowd went wild. The cowboys threw their ropes in the air and both rode a fast victory lap around the big arena. The steer jumped up immediately and was instantly corralled by other cowboys.

  Mary and Rebecca grinned at each other and laughed. Rebecca clapped her hands along with the crowd, as Wyatt rode by and tipped his hat at her. Everyone looked over to see who Wyatt Washburn was tipping his hat to. She sat up straighter and moved closer to Mary who patted her hand again. It really was a small community.