Page 38 of The Soldier and the Cowboy

“Oh, okay,” he said. They settled into awkward silence. Bailey stood.

“I should get this cleaned up.”

“I’ll help,” he said.

“Don’t be crazy. You’ve worked all day. Relax, please. I’ve got this.” She squeezed his shoulder briefly and began gathering dishes and silverware. Music and conversationbuzzed around her, and she wasn’t sure if they helped to fill up her empty pieces or make her more aware of them. Either way, she was glad for something to do, for any task that kept her from thinking or feeling too much.

Chapter 16

On Sunday it stormed. It was the first rain Bailey had witnessed in Texas and she was unprepared for the powerful way it would descend on the ranch, darkening the sky with billowing, heaving black clouds, drenching the soil with a torrential downpour, thundering through the buildings, illuminating the sky with violent slashes of lightning. For a long time she stood at the window, caught up in the beauty and passion of it.

“I love a good storm,” Cal said, coming to stand alongside her. “My favorite part is after, when it’s still cool, before the humidity realizes how long it’s been absent and rushes to make a return appearance. It always feels a bit like a clean slate, like starting over.”

“It’s beautiful,” she said in an awed whisper. She would never be able to tell him how very much she had come to love the ranch, how hard it would be for her to leave for a number of reasons, only one of which was him. Her childhood had been filled with multiple moves, thanks to her military father. Her adulthood had been much the same, due to her own service. The closest she had ever come to feeling at home was in Africa. And now here.

Her skin prickled with the heat of his nearness behind her.She wanted nothing more than to lean into him, to feel his powerful arms slide around her, to tip her face to his for a kiss. It was becoming exponentially harder to rein in her wild desires. She was like a constant exposed nerve, except instead of feeling pain she feltwant, want, want.She ached with the need to touch him, to feel his skin beneath her fingers. She inhaled, smelling the clean, male scent of him. So close, but so far.

“Bailey,” he whispered. His hand reached out to touch her bicep and she shivered from the innocuous little contact. She sensed his arms reaching for her, but before she could pivot into them, the front door opened and closed.

Bailey remained staring out the window, and it was Cal who pivoted away from her, facing the newcomer. “Isabel.”

“I need to talk to you,” Isabel announced in her customarily imperious tone.

“Okay,” Cal drawled.

“Alone,” Isabel clarified.

“No,” Bailey said, finally tearing her gaze away from the window to face the other woman. “After what you threatened last time, I’m not leaving you alone with him.”

“He’s my husband,” Isabel said.

“He’s my boss, and it’s my job to keep him safe,” Bailey said.

“Cal,” Isabel all but whined, turning pleading eyes in his direction.

“Bailey stays,” he said quietly.

Isabel gave a wounded little sound but quickly recovered. “Fine. Let her hear what I have to say. I need more money.”

That proclamation was greeted with stunned silence. Eventually Cal found his voice. “How is that possible? I gave you ten thousand dollars not two weeks ago.”

She shrugged. “Living is expensive.”

“Are you on drugs?” he blurted.

“Cal, come on,” she said, aiming for a laugh and failing mightily.

“Don’t lie to me, Isabel. Are you on drugs?”

“I take a little something as a pick me up now and then. It’s no big deal. You know I did coke a few times when I was in college, and I never got hooked. It’s like that.”

“Is that where all my money is going?”

“It’s my money, too,” she yelled. She took a breath and forced calm back into her voice. “Hey, come on, it’s not like I’m asking for that much. Five thousand would be great, and I promise not to come back again for at least a month.”

“No,” he said, shaking his head.

She scowled, but before she could respond, he continued.

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