Escaping the Past

“Yep. Terrified.” He gave a mock shiver. “Let’s go.” Without waiting for her to agree, he wrapped his arms around her and took the reins from her hands. He clucked gently to Sunny and nudged the horse with his knees. “You don’t mind if I drive, do you?”

“Actually, I do.” She took the reins from his hands and sat straight up in the saddle, avoiding his length behind her as well as she could.

His breath bushed across her cheek when he spoke. “I want to apologize again for what I said earlier. I'm sorry. I had no reason to distrust you or to speak to you the way I did.” His voice rumbled over her shoulder and across her neck. She fought a shiver.

“Apology accepted. If someone bothers my family, I am a little territorial, too.”

“Where is your family? Nearby?” he asked casually.

“Sarah is my only family. I have adopted Jeb, Sadie, your mother, and John. Or they adopted me. I don’t know which happened first.” A grin tugged at her lips.

“They seem like they think the world of you.”

“The feeling is mutual.”

The silence was comfortable for a few moments as they were lulled by the gentle motion of the horse.

Lou shifted in the saddle, hoping for a more comfortable position.

“Would you be still?” he asked gruffly in her ear.

“Sorry.” Her hand touched his thigh as she lifted her bottom and then settled back into the saddle. Her new position put her in closer contact with his maleness, and she could suddenly feel the hardness of him pressing against her bottom.

Lou looked over her shoulder in alarm and caught his steely gray eyes as they darkened slightly. His eyes met hers and he said, “Perfectly normal male reaction to being so close to a woman. Especially one that’s acting like she has ants in her pants.”

“Can’t you…”

“Can’t I what? Make it go away? Sure I can. I just need to put you about two feet away from me for the rest of the ride. How do you suggest we accomplish that?” he asked sarcastically, a small growl in his voice. “This wasn’t my best idea ever,” he admitted.

“But…”

“Just be still for a minute and it’ll go away. I promise. Do you want me to explain the medical side of this kind of physical reaction? I could tell you why it happens from a non-emotional standpoint. Would that ease your mind?”

“Would it help to ease anything for you?” she asked.

“Probably not,” he grunted.

“Then we can skip it. Thanks.”

“Any time.”

“Would it help to talk about something else?”

“Anything else, yes. You pick the subject,” he urged.

She could barely think with him pressed against her. “Do you like your work?”

“I love my work. I get to be a hero and save lives every day. Those I can’t save at least get a fair shot.”

“Sounds like a noble profession.”

“It is. It’s what I wanted to be ever since I was a little boy playing doctor with the girl who lived on the next farm over.”

“You never wanted to be a rancher?” she asked.

“Nope. Still don’t. When I was eighteen years old, my father told me I could either be a rancher and continue to be his son, or I could be a doctor and do it on my own. I graduated from high school, left here, and never looked back. I left with $1000 in my pocket, a car that had been given to me for my sixteenth birthday, and a trash bag full of clothes. I don’t know if I left because of the ultimatum or because I hated the ranch. It was probably the ultimatum that did it. I put myself through college using student loans and part-time jobs. I am in debt up to my eyeballs now, but it was all worth it.” He finished his speech with bland smile in her direction.

She shifted in th