If her mouth had cooled, it took but moments for it to heat up again beneath his seeking lips. Jeff molded her small frame to his with his big hands at her back. He felt his senses surge at the feel of that soft female body against his. He wanted nothing more than to shove open her door, follow her inside and slowly strip off all her clothes before moving to her big double bed.
But alas, SPEAR frowned on its agents cohabiting openly. So, although it cost him, he reluctantly stepped back. “See you tomorrow?” he asked, his voice husky.
She nodded vaguely and drifted inside.
Jeff heard the lock click, then turned to enter his own room across the hall. An ice-cold shower might be in order, he decided.
Chapter 3
Jeff awoke with a start, surprised he’d fallen asleep at all. Feeling stiff, he unfastened his seat belt and got up, glancing around the first-class section of the plane. The lights were on dim and the other five passengers all appeared to be in dreamland. The man across the aisle was still snoring, but not as loudly. A mother and daughter in the last row were cuddled together, snoozing. And a young couple who appeared to be newlyweds snuggled under a blanket, the woman’s head on her companion’s shoulder.
Stretching his cramped muscles, Jeff’s gaze stayed on the young couple, envying their togetherness. He and Tish had had so little time together to just be with one another. So many things had interfered—his hospital duties, SPEAR obligations, everyday things that kept them apart. Small wonder their relationship had been rocky.
Walking to the front, Jeff nodded to the flight attendant and went into the small compact lavatory. He splashed cold water on his face then dried off with a paper towel. He debated about shaving, then decided that could wait. Checking his watch, he saw they had two more hours left before landing. Impatience ate at him, but there was nothing he could do to hurry things along.
Resuming his seat, he glanced out the window and saw it was still dark out. A man of action, he’d always hated waiting. Not knowing how Tish was doing added to his unease. He picked up the phone to call the hospital again, then tucked it away, deciding that he didn’t want to irritate the staff by calling too frequently.
Finally settling back, he let his mind roam, remembering those early weeks with Tish, hoping the memory of their good times would sustain him during this time of uncertainty….
From that first kiss in the barn that summer evening at the Red Rock Ranch, Jeff had known Tish was the woman for him. He didn’t know how he knew; he simply did. Not a day since had he questioned that fact. He’d simply accepted it. She was the one.
But he’d known better than to let her see the depth of his feelings. She was skittish, wary, cautious in everything she said to him, in her reactions to him. He’d have to go slowly, he told himself. But the need to make her his had burned within him, coloring every aspect of their budding relationship. It had taken all of his control to rein in his needs and put hers first.
The morning after their first kiss in the barn, he awakened early. He was anxious for the day to begin, so he could see her, touch her, talk with her. Only when he’d gone down to breakfast, even though it was not yet seven, Slim was the only one in the dining room.
Sipping his coffee, Jeff sat down. “Where is everyone this morning?” he asked, trying to be casual.
“They left early, a couple of our agents going with a few hands to round up strays that wandered away from the herd. I spotted several from the plane yesterday when I went up, so I asked for volunteers.” Slim dipped the last of his toast into the remaining egg yolk and popped it into his mouth.
Jeff thought that over, kicking himself mentally for not rising earlier. “Who were the agents?” he asked, fully expecting Tish to be among them. Something had been mentioned about the ride last night at dinner, but he hadn’t paid much attention.
“Mmm, let’s see. John and Tanya are the only agents. Oh, and Tish. They were going with Derek, Jim and Pete, the cowhands familiar with that range. Kind of a rugged area.” Slim used his napkin to wipe along the edges of his mustache.
Why hadn’t Tish mentioned this trip to him last night? Jeff wondered. Had she decided they needed a little distance after their heated encounter? Or had the trip slipped her mind? She might also have gone on impulse. He drank more coffee, studying Slim and wondering how to find out what he wanted to know without arousing too much suspicion.
“Just for the day, you mean?” Jeff asked.
Slim finished his coffee before answering. “Three or four days, I’d imagine. It would take six or seven hours of riding just to reach the winter range.” His weathered brow furrowed as he looked at Jeff. “Why do you want to know?”
He shrugged, trying to look nonchalant. “Just curious. Not much going on here.” He glanced out the window, saw it was a sunny day, though probably cool. “Too nice to stay indoors, eh?”
Behind his hand cupping his mouth, Slim grinned. “I can tell you how to get where they’re going. If you’re interested, that is.”
Jeff tried to look as if the idea had just occurred to him. “Well, if you think they’ll need another hand.”
“Couldn’t hurt. You can carry a message to Justin. He’s the cowboy who’s been up there three weeks now. I just got a call from his wife and you can tell him her checkup went well, baby’s fine and definitely not due for another three weeks. He’ll be relieved next week and home in plenty of time for the birthing.”
Jeff knew that only one cowhand was assigned to keep watch on the herd in the mountainous region and that the men took turns on a rotating basis, usually four weeks at a time. “Will do.” Delivering the message would give him an excuse for showing up.
Slim took a small notebook out of his pocket and began drawing a map with a stubby pencil. “Good. I know he’s worried about that baby. It’s his first.” Slim labeled several trails. “This is the route to the winter pasture. Won’t be long and we’ll be herding them back down here. Another couple weeks. You’ll recall the passage once you start out ’cause landmarks haven’t changed all that much since you spent time here.” He tore out the sheet and handed it to Jeff. “Go get her, son.”
He should have known he couldn’t hide anything from Slim. Looking sheepish, Jeff took the map and stuffed it in his shirt pocket.
“Stop in the kitchen and have Elsa fix you up some food. And be sure to take your bedroll and a blanket. Gets mighty cold up there at night.”
“Thanks again, Slim.”
The way to the winter range was scenic at the beginning, Jeff thought as he rode Domino along the riverbed through desert country with plenty of browse and grass. But the way soon became treacherous with the trail narrowing to a path only a surefooted horse could follow. Domino was that kind of stallion, having lived all his life on Red Rock so he was familiar with every trail, bramble and bush.
Riding him, Jeff felt secure that the horse knew the way even if he hadn’t had Slim’s map. He hurried the big stallion as best he could on the rugged terrain, well aware that the others had a two-hour head start on him. Then again, they probably hadn’t been hard riding since there was no rush to reach the high country. The hands might even have taken off ahead, letting the three agents follow at their leisure. At least, Jeff hoped that was the case so he could catch up with them more easily.
Leaving the creek bed, he saw fresh mountain lion tracks and hoped the big cat was off somewhere sleeping since they did most of their prowling at night. Nevertheless, his rifle was securely in place by his saddlebags. The sky was a deep blue with hardly a cloud visible and there was a nip to the morning air. The temperature had been about fifty at the ranch but had cooled as he climbed.
On open land at last, he urged Domino to speed up as he passed a butte with a huge pile of rocks on top. Red rocks which gave the area and the ranch its name, the soil rich with minerals. The wind had picked up