Chapter Fourteen

Luke

“I shouldn’t have left you alone,” Luke growled as they entered the cabin.

His temper had died down somewhat, but he was still spoiling for a fight. Not with Rachel, of course. What he wanted from Rachel had nothing to do with fighting. In fact, if he could lay her down on his bed, strip her bare and sink into her sweet warmth, he’d be able to work off some of his frustration and fury.

“Are you saying a purse is safe when it’s unguarded, but a woman needs to be watched?”

Her voice shook with fear and that sound pissed him off in way he’d never known. He was pissed at the fucker at the Magnolia and he was pissed at himself for not keeping her at his side. The Magnolia was wall-to-wall cowboys who were on the prowl for a piece of ass. Some went about it in a chivalrous way. Others just took what they wanted.

“That’s right. Whenever you mix men and liquor and pretty women…”

He didn’t finish his comment, because talking about it spiked his anger all over again.

“You don’t need to defend me.”

“I’ll always defend you, Rachel. Always.”

She faced him, wide-eyed, clutching her purse like a shield. He hated the fear in her eyes. Earlier, in the bar, that same expression lit her features and it had diminished, of course, but it was still there.

“Rachel, I’ve never had anyone to take care of, just a bunch of livestock. So, I don’t know how to do this, but if I’m going to do what I can to take care of a ranch and all the animals that live here, you better believe I’m going to do every fucking thing to take care of my family. Got it?”

She nodded. “Okay.”

He cupped her shoulders. “Really okay?”

“Really okay.”

“Quit looking at me like you’re afraid of me.”

She smacked him with her purse. “Quit acting so tough. And scary.”

He smiled at her and rubbed his shoulder. “Ouch, Twenty-one. Quit acting so scary.”

He cupped her jaw and lifted her chin to receive his kiss. “I want to be tough and I hope I’m scary, because I have something important to protect. Very important. And even though you don’t believe me, I’m going to keep on trying to prove that to you.”

She nodded. “Okay.”

He took her hand and led her to the bedroom. They undressed in the semidarkness, just like they did every evening. He did his best to keep his gaze away from the way the shadowed light played across her skin as she slipped into a nightie.

When he wrapped her in his arms, he took his usual care to make sure he didn’t hold her too tight, or bump against her bruises. All he wanted was her to heal and for them to become a couple in every sense of the word. He was certain that once they crossed that barrier, he’d be able to convince her of the depth of his feelings.

The next morning, Luke woke just before dawn. He turned to watch Rachel sleep and thought of all the things he wanted from her. His virgin wife. Damn, the woman was going to drive him wild with lust.

He and Rachel had spent so much time together that he lived in a state of constant need. When they were apart for a short while, he couldn’t get a break because his thoughts returned to her the moment he was away.

He slipped out of bed, went to the kitchen and made each of them a cup of coffee. He added cream and sugar to hers and left it by her bedside table. Going to the bathroom to take a shower, he decided he’d go to the auction in Colter Canyon, see what sorts of calves they had for sale. The auction would give him a welcome break from the insatiable hunger she stirred inside him. Maybe.

He started the shower, then grabbed his phone and left a voicemail with Tanner, asking him if he wanted to join him in town. In times past, he’d gone to the auction with Jed, and Tanner would meet up with them and offer his ideas on the various animals. Tanner had as good an eye as anyone Luke knew. But Tanner texted, saying he was on his way out of town, hauling some yearlings to a ranch south of town.

Luke finished showering, dried off and dressed in the pre-dawn darkness. A noise came from the bedroom and he found Rachel sitting up in bed, the sheet tucked around her, sipping her coffee.

“I heard you invite Tanner to go with you to the auction. Is that today?” she asked.

“That’s right. Every other Saturday.”

“I want to go to the auction,” she said. “I’ve never been to one before.”

“No.”

In the shadowed light, he could make out her expression of indignation. “What?”

“I’m going by myself. I need to stop thinking about how good you feel sleeping next to me.”

She smiled. “I’ll just sit in the stands. Promise not to bother you.”

Her expression, something between petulant and sexy, made him forget his thoughts of needing a break from her. He didn’t need a break. He needed her. If she wanted to come with him, he’d take her.

“Rachel,” he said softly. “You’d never be a bother to me.”

“Never?”

“Never. I always want to be with you. Two minutes after I leave the cabin in the morning, I want to come running back.”

“Really?”

“I think I’ll feel better, not so worked up, if I get away for a few minutes, but it never works.”

She laughed softly and her eyes shone.

“I want to have a bunch of babies with you, sweetheart. A family. A big kitchen table with lots of kids sitting down to eat every night.”

Her smile faded. “Is that so?”

“It is. I’d like it if we started on that pretty soon.”

“Soon?”

“Soon. As in don’t get on any of those pills.”

“Oh. I see.”

He heard the doubt in her voice. Maybe his mind played tricks on him, but he was sure it was less pronounced. He liked to think he was chipping away at her misgivings.

He nodded. “All right. I’ll take you. Go ahead and shower and dress while I make breakfast.”

An hour and a half later, they drove onto the auction grounds and parked the truck. Vans and trucks filled the parking lot. Barns and pens and corrals were filled with horses and cattle. Dust swirled around the bullpen where bulls pawed the ground and bellowed. A cowboy rode past, leading a yearling back to a corral.

Luke and Rachel walked into the arena and he grabbed a program for them to share.

“This is awesome,” Rachel murmured. “Are we buying something? I’d love a donkey. Or chickens. I’ve always thought that sounded like fun, raising chickens. And a rooster, my gosh, Luke. Wouldn’t that be fun to have a rooster that crowed every morning at dawn?”

“We’re just window shopping.”

She smiled up at him and brushed a curl from her eyes. “No chickens?”

“They shit everywhere.”

“So? They give you eggs. I’ve never had farm fresh eggs.”

“Eggs are basically eggs, Rachel. Besides, they’re just auctioning horses and cattle today.”

“Uh-huh, well we’re not done talking about my chickens, mister.”

The auctioneer called out prices on a Black Angus, mother and calf pair. A few ranchers nodded a greeting but Luke didn’t stop to talk to any of them. They watched the auction intently, or checked their program to see what animals would be up next.

A rancher won the bid on the calf and cow. The next selection was a Brahma bull. The bull charged into the arena and rammed the far wall with his horns. The wall shook, ringing with the impact of the angry animal. The ranchers seated in the nearby bleachers scrambled out of their seats. They retreated to seats further up, laughing and shaking their heads. The bull pawed the ground. A billow of dust wafted across the arena.

Rachel nudged Luke’s shoulder. “What would you do if I bid on that bad boy?”

“Don’t you dare.”

“I bet he’d shit more than a few chickens would.”

Luke shook his head. “He would. I don’t want him or chickens.”

The bidding started and Rachel grew quiet, watching the auction unfold. Over the course of the next hour, a handful of other cattle were sold and led away.

Several barn hands led a trio of horses in for the final sale. Luke could see right off the horses were old. The two chestnuts had ribs clearly visible and the bay looked a little better, but not much.

“They’re retired police horses.” Rachel pointed to the description on last page in the document.

The bidding started at three hundred dollars and Luke gave a huff of surprise. The auctioneer started the bid low. Very low. The horses looked thin, but their eyes shone and their coats looked healthy enough. Vets checked every animal that was sold, so the animals had to be sound.

“Let’s buy them. They look sad,” Rachel said.

“We’re not buying something on account of it looking sad.”

“Three hundred,” Rachel yelled.

Luke stared in disbelief. “What the hell are you doing?”

“Three-fifty,” she shouted.

“Rachel!”

She drew a breath and leaned forward about to yell out another number.

“Rachel, you’re supposed to wait until someone outbids you. Haven’t you been paying attention?”

The auctioneer rambled his numbers, looking around the arena for any takers. He paused to say a few words about the horses. “Fine, upstanding citizens of the horse community. All three have worked the streets of our busy town, for crowd control. The gray gelding pulled the caisson at Fort Sam.”

Rachel gave him a beseeching look.

“We don’t need a bunch of old horses,” Luke growled.

“These fine creatures just need a little grazing space and water,” the auctioneer promised.

“Like hell,” Luke muttered. “And vet visits in the middle of the night that start at four figures.”

“Each animal has been thoroughly vetted and comes with a veterinary stipend of $2,000.”

The crowd murmured its approval.

“Great.” Luke shook his head. “Just great. Horses with a pension.”

Despite the auctioneer’s words, no one else bid on the horses. All three hung their heads and dozed while their handlers chatted.

“Why look, these boys just need a rocking chair and a glass of iced tea. Do I have four hundred?”

“Don’t you dare, Rachel.”

“I want them, Luke. Please, let’s get them.”

“You weren’t going to be a bit of trouble. You promised.”

“Four hundred,” a man on the other side of the arena yelled.

“Aw, shit,” Rachel grumbled.

“Not happening, sweetheart.”

“Four hundred. Do we have four-fifty?”

She turned to face him and gripped his arm. “I’d give anything.”

Luke sucked a sharp breath between his teeth and let his gaze drop to her lips and back to her eyes. “Anything?”

She laughed softly.

“Going once.” The words boomed over the loudspeaker.

“As in anything I want?” Luke asked.

She gave him a small push. “I said anything.”

“Going twice…”

Luke smiled and raised his hand. “A thousand dollars!”