Page 7 of Rafe

“No problem, honey. I can meet her another time. I don’t get into town much, but I’ll make sure to stop in again. I have to head to The Feed Store now. I’m running low on feed. Rafe mentioned he’d order more tomorrow, but I always like to geta few extra bags. You can never have too much, in my opinion. We can have lunch another day. Oh, do you happen to have any silver antique picture frames?” Fred asked.

“Of course. Let me show you. Follow me. Did Rafe make it to the house?” Maggie asked, her cheeks warming with recollections of recent, slightly cheeky moments involving Rafe in his natural, unabashed state.

“Yes, but I already took care of it. I just needed him to dig a hole for my rose bush,” Fred confessed with a light chuckle.

“Oh, Fred, you should have waited. You know Rafe would do anything for you,” Maggie teased.

“I know, but I’m not helpless. I figured he could do it quicker since he’s stronger and bigger,” Fred remarked, his tone half-proud, half-mischievous.

Bigger? Oh, he was definitely bigger than a lot of men.Maggie cleared her throat, trying to steer the conversation back to comfortable familiarity.

“Uh, yeah. He could have done it much quicker,” she said with a small, knowing smile.

“I hated bothering him on his day off anyway, so he headed back home. Probably to swim some more. I can’t decide which he loves more, swimming or horseback riding.” Fred grinned.

“Uh, yeah, I’m sure he loves time to relax on the weekends.” Maggie smiled. “Here are the frames we have.”

Fred looked over them, but didn’t seem to like any of them. “It’s not quite what I’m looking for. I had a photo of my wife in black and white. I took it to get it made in color.” Fred shook his head. “I’m sorry, honey, but none of these are what I’m looking for.”

“Let me show you a webpage we order from and if you see the one you’re looking for, we can order it, though I’m not sure what the price would be. Vanna takes care of all of that.”

“Okay. I’d like to look.”

“Come with me.” Maggie led him toward the counter. She walked behind it as Fred stood on the other side. She went through a few pages, then found the one she was looking for. She turned the screen toward Fred. “Anything here?”

She watched as Fred looked at the photos of frames, and she knew the second he saw one he liked.

“This is it.” He turned the screen around so Maggie could see it.

“I’m sure we can get this. I can call you when it comes in, if you’d like.”

“I’d love that. I’d better get going.” Planting a gentle kiss on her forehead. “I’ll see you soon, honey. Have a wonderful day and a relaxing one tomorrow.”

“You too, Fred. I’ll let you know when the frame gets here,” Maggie replied as she watched him wander out the door, nodding as he did.

As she resumed her work, Maggie sighed softly, her mind wandering back to that tantalizing image of Rafe.

“God, you need sex, Magdalena Lancaster,” she murmured under her breath, a blush coloring her cheeks as she got back into the rhythm of her busy day.

Later, after Vanna closed for the day, Maggie walked out the door and waited as Vanna locked the door. After bidding Vanna and Jackie goodbye, she made her way around the back of the building, climbed the metal stairs, unlocked her door, and entered her apartment.

She locked the door behind her, hung up her purse, then collapsed on the sofa. She was glad it was Saturday since tomorrow she could relax for the entire day. She wanted to be lazy. Though she wouldn’t mind going swimming with Rafe, she thought with a grin.

****

Rafe rode his horse through the west pasture, the golden sunlight beating down relentlessly on his shoulders. Every step the horse took sent soft puffs of dust into the air, yet Rafe loved the simple joy of being outdoors, never failing to put a smile on his face. Rocket burst across the field at full speed; the wind whipped through his mane as if the horse were flying.

Memories of last year’s fair race danced through Rafe’s mind. He remembered how Nate had somehow talked him into signing up, even though he still shook his head at the memory, he couldn’t help but recall how much fun it had been. The thrill of the run left him wondering if he might dare to race again this year, even if only for the sheer pleasure of it.

Despite his fleeting moments of freedom, Rafe’s responsibilities back at the ranch loomed large. Even with weekends off, the call to help was never far away; it wasn’t the first time he’d been summoned, and surely, it wouldn’t be the last. As he slowed his horse upon reaching the west pasture, Rafe dismounted to stroll through the tall grass, pausing now and then to check upon Fred’s horses. His livelihood depended on selling the registered Shires, large draft horses and he prided himself on the fine stock he maintained.

A frown clouded Rafe’s face as he thought about Junior’s mischief. Not only was it bad enough to steal horses, but Junior had the gall to take them from his own father. The dishonorable act of pilfering from such a wonderful man stung deeply.

“Money, plain and simple. I hope you rot in jail,Junior,” Rafe muttered under his breath, the bitter words hanging in the air.

After ensuring everything was in order, Rafe looped the reins around the saddle. He ambled along the fence, certain that Rocket would follow close behind. As he halted to inspect a section of fencing, Rocket’s warm, gentle breath brushed against his neck. In that moment, the horse playfully snatched Rafe’s hat. Startled, Rafe turned in disbelief, only to see Rocket tiltinghis head with a spirited determination to keep the hat for himself.

“This is all just a big game for you, isn’t it?” Rafe chuckled, lunging his hand in a playful threat. But Rocket was quick, steadfastly refusing to relinquish possession of the hat. “You won’t get any apples when we get back,” Rafe teased, his tone mingling threat and laughter as the horse finally set the hat atop his head. Adjusting it with a resigned smile, Rafe glared playfully at Rocket. “You seriously need to stop taking my hat,” he chided, laughing as the horse bobbed his head in seemingly mock agreement. With a gentle nudge, Rocket came close to nuzzle Rafe’s shirt sleeve. “Yeah, buddy, I love you too. Let’s go home.”

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