Jodi Thomas - The Lone Texan

Staring into the stormy sky, she took a deep breath and told herself that she would survive. Whatever was out there, whoever threatened, she would survive. She'd save her salary until the day came that she was too old to work, then she'd go back to Boston and rebuild a cottage on the land where her house now stood.

The last bit of sunlight played off a movement coming from the trees. For a moment she thought it no more than a trick of the light, then she saw him coming toward the house: a tall man, leading his horse. A cowboy.

His head was down to the wind. She couldn't see his face. He wore a gun strapped to his leg, but so did many of the men she'd seen. She stood and waited, the rifle at the ready, even though she wasn't sure she'd remember how to fire it.

When he reached the steps of the porch, he looked up at her.

Bonnie stared at her cowboy. A beard an inch long covered his jaw and chin, and he looked like he'd aged since she'd seen him, but he was her cowboy. His brother had called him Bradford.

"Evening. Pretty Lady," he said in a low tone without moving closer or smiling. "It's good to rest my eyes on you again."

Bonnie couldn't have answered if her life depended on it.

In the nights she'd spent thinking of their time together, he'd become more dream than real.

He pulled off his worn hat and stared at her. "I had quite a time finding you. The Rangers down in Galveston considered jailing me for even asking about you.”

She still couldn't think of anything to say.

He twisted his hat in his big hands. After several seconds, he frowned. "You got a right to shoot me. I don't know much about women, but I know I was your first, and I did kidnap you. So, if you're planning to use that rifle, go ahead, 'cause I'm not leaving till I have my say."

"Why?" She finally found one word.

Bonnie saw the hurt in his eyes. "You know, I had this crazy feeling you might be glad to see me. That one night was the best of my life, but I guess you'd see it from different eyes. I just wanted to see you again and to say I'm sorry if I caused you any trouble.”

"You've been watching me."

He nodded. "I wouldn't have bothered you if I thought you were involved with someone. I even thought the boys might be your responsibility, and you wouldn't want me showing up in front of them. Then I worried over you being sweet on one of them young Rangers who hang around here.”

He finally looked straight at her and didn't turn away. "When everyone left yesterday, I knew you were like me… alone.”

Bonnie didn't know what to do. She'd never had a man come to the house, or flirt with her, or even talk to her. Bradford wasn't flirting with her now. It appeared that he traveled halfway across Texas just to look at her.

He wasn't any more skilled than she at conversation. He beat his leg a few times with his hat and didn't seem to notice the cold. She had a feeling he'd stand out here all night if she didn't do or say something.

She lowered the rifle. "You want to come in for a cup of coffee?"

"I'd like that.” He nodded once as if they'd settled on the makings of a plan. "Mind if I put my horse in the barn? It looks like bad weather is coming in.”

"All right.” She backed to the door. "I'll put a fresh pot on to boil.”

When he turned toward the barn, she went inside. For a time, she just leaned against the door and tried to think, then she crossed to the fireplace, replaced the rifle, and started a fire. By the time she heard him scraping his boots on the scraper by the kitchen door, she'd lit the lamps and had the coffee ready.

Without knocking, he stepped inside and removed his hat.

He stood watching her as if he wasn't sure what to do now that he was inside.

Trying not to stare at him, she kept busy moving food to the table. A hundred questions came to mind, but she couldn't seem to get any out. He seemed bigger somehow in the little kitchen, and he smelled of leather and trail dust. She caught a glimpse of gray at his temples and wondered if it had been there the night they'd made love.

The silence in the room widened the space between them. She had to think of something to say.

She settled on a simple statement. "My name's…" "Bonnie?" he finished. "I like that. It fits you somehow.” No one had ever told her such a thing, but she didn't want to talk about her name. Not with this man who knew her so well in other ways. "Have you eaten supper?"

"No."

She'd guess he hadn't had breakfast or dinner either, but she wouldn't comment on that. "I've plenty here. It's not Thanksgiving, but its filling. You're welcome to join me”

He never took his eyes off of her when he answered, "It'll do just fine. Thank you, miss”

Bonnie didn't look at him as she grinned. "Don't you think we should call each other by our Christian names, Bradford?"

"Yes"-he hesitated “Bonnie, I do”

She couldn't face him and wondered if he was across the room not looking at her as well.

Finally, when everything was ready, she collected enough nerve to face him. "Take off your coat, Bradford," she ordered, noticing he was still standing just inside the door. "Supper's ready”

Removing his coat, Bradford hung it on one of the hooks. His movements were slow, as if he'd ridden for days without sleep. "The barn door needs hanging. I could do that for you”

"You can wash up at the sink if you like” She held herself so stiffly, he probably thought she was made of board. She was being bossy, but she knew of no other way to act. She wanted to be the woman she saw herself to be in his eyes, but she didn't know how to start.

She didn't move as he crossed the room and rolled his sleeves up, revealing powerful forearms, tanned by years in the sun. The memory of his arm resting just below her breasts as they slept returned to her in great detail.

As he washed, she reached over and lightly touched his arm.

He stilled.

She pulled away, embarrassed by her boldness.

He went back to washing.

She reached for a towel and held it for him. When he took it from her, they were only a few feet apart.

With cheeks burning, she looked up at him. When she saw the longing in his eyes, she knew he'd relived their time together a million times as well.

"Mind if I kiss you?" he said simply.

"I don't mind." she answered. She stepped closer, not knowing how to play at being coy or shy.

He leaned over and touched his lips to hers, and as naturally as if they'd kissed for years, she moved into his arms and welcomed him home.

When she pulled away, he held her chair, then took his seat across from her. His hand had brushed across her shoulder as he'd moved behind her, and his knee bumped against hers beneath the table.

She handed him a plate, smiling as she met his stare. Their fingers touched for only a second, but he smiled back.

She looked down, took a deep breath, and said, "You can hang the barn door in the morning.”

"All right. Bonnie?" he answered. "I'll do that”

SAGE WOKE A WHILE BEFORE DAWN. HER FIRST THOUGHT was that she didn't want to move. She was warm inside the cocoon of Drum's arms and a trail blanket that smelled of campfires.

Her second thought was that she was nude. Totally nude.

As carefully as she could, she pulled away from him and began searching for her clothes in the smoky glow of the dying fire. Half-dressed, she glanced over at Drum to make sure he was asleep.

He was wide awake and watching her every move. "Turn around," she demanded.

"Not a chance," he answered.

Pulling her blouse on, she swore. "That's it. Drummond. That's why you drive me crazy." She fought with the material. "How can you be so loving one minute and so pestering the next? If you had the sense God gave a rabbit, you'd know a lady doesn't like to be watched.”

He stood and helped her with a sleeve she had twisted backward. "You're one beautiful creature when you wake up mad." He laughed. "I'll have to remember that”

"You were going to wake me in an hour so I could see what I dreamed”

"I meant to, but I fell asleep. It seems the only time I really sleep is when I'm with you. It's probably because the rest of the time, I'm worried about where you are and what you're up to.” He studied her as she finished dressing. "Any chance you want to tell me how you could be married to some guy back East and not know about what we did last night? Seems to me he would have brought you to- "

"We are not talking about that” She turned her back to him.

"Another thing you like to do but not talk about. I don't mind. Talking about it isn't near as much fun. But I got to tell you, when you shook in my arms, you-"

She glared at him. "We are not having this discussion.” "Right," he agreed. "Maybe we'll not talk about it again tonight."

Sage tugged on her boots. "I've more things to worry about than talking to you. I didn't dream." she said. "What good is the legend if I didn't dream?"

"I did. But it didn't make much sense," he said as he strapped on his gun belt, all playfulness gone from his tone. "It started with two carriages storming the bridge”

"Our bridge?"

Drum nodded slowly, as if piecing together a puzzle with a picture he didn't like. "I got a bad feeling about this. Something Daniel said once about how the raiders who killed the Smith boys' parents and the robbers at Shelley's place being part of the same gang. Maybe my mind just put them together in my sleep.”

"Or maybe your dream put the pieces together for you," Sage answered. "Pieces that belonged together."

"We'd better get back.” Drum kicked dirt over the fire. "I just remembered the last detail of the dream.”

She helped him roll up the blanket. "What was it?" she whispered, knowing that it had to be something terrible by the frown on his face.

"I'll tell you later. The sooner we get back, the better.”

She trusted him enough to know he wasn't lying. They moved down the mountain as fast as they could, and by daylight they were riding full-out toward home.

Sage knew something was wrong when she walked into the kitchen. Martha and Jessie were cooking. Teagen and Jessie's three girls and the two little Smith boys were playing games in the dining room, but she could feel something in the air. "Where is my brother?"

Jessie rushed toward her. "Thank goodness you two are back. Daniel said you went for a morning ride. It may be nothing, but we all agree it feels like trouble. Guests traveling on Thanksgiving? Men surrounded by guards are demanding to come onto the ranch. They claim they know you”

Daniel walked through the door with an armload of wood. Sage glanced at him and swore she saw him wink at Drummond.

"Where are my brothers?" she asked again, trying to make sense of what Jessie had said.

This time it was Martha who answered. "Teagen is handling the trouble at the bridge. Travis and Rainey haven't come up from their place yet." She pointed toward the window that faced the bridge. "The ranch hand on guard wouldn't let anyone pass and sent up a round to signal a warning. Teagen rode down. The other three hands on the place rode out to the back pasture a little after dawn to check on a horse after breakfast. If they heard the shot, they should be riding in soon”

Drummond stepped forward, his voice a low command. "Jessie, I need you to collect the girls and get to somewhere safe as fast as possible. If there is trouble, you need to be somewhere safe.”

He looked at Sage.

"Don't even ask," she said. "I'm here to help. If there is trouble, I stand.” Teagen's wife, Jessie, was six months' pregnant and not raised to fight, but Sage was a McMurray. She saw no reason she couldn't stand.

"Tell the old hand in the barn to saddle three horses, would you Daniel? Have him bring them around to the side of the house so they can't be seen from the bridge," he said without taking his eyes off Sage.

The young Ranger left as Drum whispered, "Can you take Will and Andy through the hills? They have to be away from here. If my dream is coming true, the men at the bridge have some kind of papers. They'll be demanding custody of both boys."

Sage didn't like the idea of leaving when trouble might be riding in, but she and Drum were the only two at the house who knew the back passage. She also knew Teagen might try to stall, but he'd follow the law. He'd think it his duty to hand the boys over if the proper authorities demanded it. Right now, Drummond's suggestion made a great deal more sense.

As everyone around her hurried to follow orders, Sage stared at him. "Tell me your dream."