Hidden Fires

Her fingers dug into the flesh of his hips as his own passion peaked. His face was buried in her neck and her skin felt his rapid, moist breath as he chanted her name.

He didn’t leave her. He couldn’t forsake the paradise just yet. Nestled within her body, he raised himself on his elbows and looked down at her. Tenderly he kissed each feature of her face.

“Is this possible?” she breathed, referring to the enormity of her rapture.

“Yes, yes,” he murmured against her lips.

He raised his head and his eyes searched her face once again. His expression was difficult to define, but it closely resembled love.

Chapter 22

The next morning, everyone looked up in surprise as Jared and Lauren strolled arm in arm into the dining alcove for breakfast. Lauren flushed in embarrassment under the curious stares, but Jared assumed his casual, aloof attitude and questioned why there were no place-settings in front of their chairs. Gloria immediately ran toward the kitchen.

Jared held the chair for his wife as Rudy asked him teasingly, “Hey, Brother, why did you risk a snowstorm to get here when all you’ve done is spend the entire time closeted in your room?”

He took the plate from Gloria, filled it to his satisfaction, and only then answered, “Well, I’d been away a long time. When I got to Coronado and saw that Laur… I… uh… just figured that it was time for me to get back out here to check on things. I was worried about Keypoint.”

“Your concern is touching,” Rudy teased. His black eyes flashed wickedly as he said, “It couldn’t be because you were, uh, restless, and wanted to see Lauren, could it?”

“Rudy! You’re going to embarrass Lauren,” Gloria scolded.

Jared laid his fork in his plate. “You know

something? I think you might be right.” He grabbed Lauren and leaned her backward over his supporting arm so quickly that she didn’t have time to protest. He kissed her full on the mouth with exaggerated passion. The children began squealing with laughter and were soon joined by their initially startled parents and a delighted Maria, who smiled on them fondly.

Breathlessly Jared released Lauren and they joined the laughter. Eventually Gloria resettled the children and everyone resumed eating.

A few minutes later, Jared caught Lauren’s eye, winked at her, and, finding her knee under the table, squeezed it.

* * *

The snow melted quickly under a crystal-blue Texas sky. The brothers rode out each day to check on various sections of the ranch. The snow had been heavy and wet, and some of their fences had suffered damage. Vaqueros, restless for something to do, were sent out to repair them and to keep an eye out for animals that had not survived the storm.

Lauren rode out with them one afternoon. They were only a mile or so from the main house when they came upon the carcass of one of the finest Lockett beeves. It had been mutilated. A few chunks of meat had been carved out. The rest had been left to rot in the warming temperatures.

“Goddammit!” Jared cursed. “Who in hell did this?”

“It couldn’t have been Crazy Jack. He never wastes any part of a carcass.” Rudy said.

“No. Mr. Turner wouldn’t do this,” Lauren said quietly.

The men looked at her in surprise and she told about meeting the hermit. Humbly she recounted how she had taken the trap off his foot when he had been injured. “Fortunately I took him some food, too, before the weather got so inclement. But he was in no shape to do a thing like this even if he had been so inclined.”

“You mean you actually saw him? Had a conversation with him?” Rudy asked in astonishment. He had never seen the hermit, only traces of him.

“Yes.”

“I’ve learned that my wife has a great capacity to get involved with people, usually the desperate and helpless.” Jared spoke teasingly, but there was respect in his eyes. During his brief stop in Coronado, Olivia had filled his ears with a tirade against Lauren’s charity work in Pueblo. Little did she know that she was making her son all the more lonesome for his wife. He had been shocked and disappointed to learn that Lauren had gone to Keypoint. His eyes warmed as he looked at her now and said, “If anyone could worm their way into Jack Turner’s life, it would be Lauren.”

“That still doesn’t answer who killed our cow,” reflected Rudy.

“It was probably one of Duncan’s gang,” Jared said bitterly. “It looks like something they’d do.”

“Did Lauren tell you about the visit they paid us a while back?” Rudy asked hesitantly.

“What?!” Jared exploded.

Rudy related the conversation he’d had with Duncan. Lauren was relieved that he wisely omitted the slur that June and her brother had made to her. She feared Jared would seek Duncan out immediately. Hadn’t he been ready to charge naked out of their bedroom in search of William Keller? She smiled at the memory, but his loud, angry voice brought her back to the present.