to his body
again or he might not let go.
“We’d better get back,”
was all he could manage to say.
He’d only known this
slip of a woman one day, yet he could envision a lifetime of shared secrets and
loving moments. Ha! Benton Randall, Jr., the Fortune 500 phenomenon, dreaming
of sweeping a woman he didn’t even know off her dainty little feet and carrying
her off into the sunset. He must be loco. That would certainly explain his
strange urge to howl at the moon.
They walked slowly,
silently, as though afraid to break the spell of the magical moment they’d
shared. At least it’d been magical for him. What if it had been just another
kiss for her? What if this were all a part of her Wild West adventure?
No. He couldn’t believe
that. He’d read the signals.
On the ride in this
afternoon, she’d been cautious, reluctant. And why wouldn’t she? Hiding from
some burly creature on a motorcycle, relying on a perfect stranger for help,
then thrown into this time warp. Who wouldn’t be leery?
But tonight, in that
dress, with that hairdo, she’d somehow been transformed. The city girl attitude
had faded with the sunlight and he thought she might actually be enjoying
herself. She trusted him, looked to him for answers, and most of all, she
glowed when he treated her kindly.
But at the risk of her
losing how she felt toward him, he couldn’t bring himself to tell her who he
really was. Too many hard years had taught him to be wary of new relationships.
Too many women wanted him for his money, power, status. He couldn’t bear the
thought of Callie being one of them, or worse, rejecting him because of who he
was.
And here, in Way Out
West, his dream come true, Rand had to be just as wary. Only Becky, Abe and the
Sheriff knew his connection to the town, for his own good as well as the town’s.
He had to maintain that delicate balance of fantasy and reality.
But when it came to
tutoring Callie in the ways of the West, he was having a heap of trouble
figuring out just where fantasy ended and reality began.
* * *
Callie didn’t need a
Ouija board or crystal ball to see what was happening between her and Rand.
Answering the Way Out
West ad had gone against everything she thought she knew about herself. Despite
her distaste for the whole cowboy thing, she’d been drawn to the ad as her
salvation, an escape from Spider and a chance at a new start. She’d stay a
month, make enough money to get back home, and start fresh without some man
molding her to his lifestyle.
Looking up at Rand, holding his arm as they walked in silence, she mused, But this man was a welcome
change.
Suddenly, as they
reached the boardwalk that led to the saloon, the swinging doors flew open
followed by two bodies and a trail of curious, yelling onlookers.
Callie gasped as the men
tumbled down the steps and rolled in the dirt street throwing punches and
kicks. She clung tighter to Rand’s arm, afraid that all mayhem would break out
as the onlookers began egging the men on.
“Oh, Rand, let’s get out
of here before it gets ugly.”
Rand just smiled down at her, calmly patting her
hand. “It’s okay. It’s just an act.”
“An act?” she asked
disbelievingly.
“Yes, they’re actors. They’re
here to put on a show for the guests, give them a real flavor of the Wild West.
Look closely. Do you see any real punches connecting?”
She had to admit she
didn’t, although in the dim light of the street, it was hard to tell. “Well, I
still don’t like it.” She gripped his arm tightly.
Rand held her in the shadow of the building, away
from the spectators. He tugged her up close to his chest. His hot breath furled
its way to her face.
“Nothing more exciting
than a lady who needs protecting.”
His face was just inches
from hers. She could barely see his dark eyes in the shadows, yet she felt
their heat penetrating her own. The yelling, jeering crowd in the street no
longer mattered. All she heard was her own heartbeat
again or he might not let go.
“We’d better get back,”
was all he could manage to say.
He’d only known this
slip of a woman one day, yet he could envision a lifetime of shared secrets and
loving moments. Ha! Benton Randall, Jr., the Fortune 500 phenomenon, dreaming
of sweeping a woman he didn’t even know off her dainty little feet and carrying
her off into the sunset. He must be loco. That would certainly explain his
strange urge to howl at the moon.
They walked slowly,
silently, as though afraid to break the spell of the magical moment they’d
shared. At least it’d been magical for him. What if it had been just another
kiss for her? What if this were all a part of her Wild West adventure?
No. He couldn’t believe
that. He’d read the signals.
On the ride in this
afternoon, she’d been cautious, reluctant. And why wouldn’t she? Hiding from
some burly creature on a motorcycle, relying on a perfect stranger for help,
then thrown into this time warp. Who wouldn’t be leery?
But tonight, in that
dress, with that hairdo, she’d somehow been transformed. The city girl attitude
had faded with the sunlight and he thought she might actually be enjoying
herself. She trusted him, looked to him for answers, and most of all, she
glowed when he treated her kindly.
But at the risk of her
losing how she felt toward him, he couldn’t bring himself to tell her who he
really was. Too many hard years had taught him to be wary of new relationships.
Too many women wanted him for his money, power, status. He couldn’t bear the
thought of Callie being one of them, or worse, rejecting him because of who he
was.
And here, in Way Out
West, his dream come true, Rand had to be just as wary. Only Becky, Abe and the
Sheriff knew his connection to the town, for his own good as well as the town’s.
He had to maintain that delicate balance of fantasy and reality.
But when it came to
tutoring Callie in the ways of the West, he was having a heap of trouble
figuring out just where fantasy ended and reality began.
* * *
Callie didn’t need a
Ouija board or crystal ball to see what was happening between her and Rand.
Answering the Way Out
West ad had gone against everything she thought she knew about herself. Despite
her distaste for the whole cowboy thing, she’d been drawn to the ad as her
salvation, an escape from Spider and a chance at a new start. She’d stay a
month, make enough money to get back home, and start fresh without some man
molding her to his lifestyle.
Looking up at Rand, holding his arm as they walked in silence, she mused, But this man was a welcome
change.
Suddenly, as they
reached the boardwalk that led to the saloon, the swinging doors flew open
followed by two bodies and a trail of curious, yelling onlookers.
Callie gasped as the men
tumbled down the steps and rolled in the dirt street throwing punches and
kicks. She clung tighter to Rand’s arm, afraid that all mayhem would break out
as the onlookers began egging the men on.
“Oh, Rand, let’s get out
of here before it gets ugly.”
Rand just smiled down at her, calmly patting her
hand. “It’s okay. It’s just an act.”
“An act?” she asked
disbelievingly.
“Yes, they’re actors. They’re
here to put on a show for the guests, give them a real flavor of the Wild West.
Look closely. Do you see any real punches connecting?”
She had to admit she
didn’t, although in the dim light of the street, it was hard to tell. “Well, I
still don’t like it.” She gripped his arm tightly.
Rand held her in the shadow of the building, away
from the spectators. He tugged her up close to his chest. His hot breath furled
its way to her face.
“Nothing more exciting
than a lady who needs protecting.”
His face was just inches
from hers. She could barely see his dark eyes in the shadows, yet she felt
their heat penetrating her own. The yelling, jeering crowd in the street no
longer mattered. All she heard was her own heartbeat
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