“Most of the animals are out to pasture this time of day. The real beauty is the land. Come on, let’s take a little walk and I’ll show you one of the most beautiful sights around these parts.”
Cassie took his hand and let him lead her around the ranch. Of course, they only covered a small area on foot. She would have asked for a horse, but she wanted to be able to talk with him. They needed to catch up.
“Joaquin, it is so good to finally see you in person. I have been looking for you for two years.”
“You looked for me?”
“Of course I did. When I couldn’t find you myself, I hired a friend to search for you. He finally found you because of the bank account you recently opened.”
A shocked look crossed his face. It was as if he couldn’t believe that she would put the effort into finding him. Cassie stopped walking so she could look him in the eyes.
“You didn’t think that I would look for you? After what we shared, I thought you would know how much I care about you.”
“Listen, Cass, a lot of shit happened in the last two years. I’m not sure you will feel the same about me anymore. I’m a different man than I was before the explosion.”
“Okay, that’s fine. We both have changed. It’s a normal part of life. Let me get to know the man you have become. Can you do that, Quinny?”
She felt calling him by the nickname she used to use when they were intimate would make him remember who they once were to each other. Cassie was sure that all they needed was time together to get back their love. She never stopped loving him. Now she wanted to fall in love with the man he had grown into. Whoever he was.
“I would like to get to know you again, Cass. I can’t tell you how happy I was to see you come through that door. I have dreamed about you every night for two long years. I’m sorry, but I just have to do this.”
He pulled her close and planted his mouth on hers. At first it was light, but as he continued to kiss her, he deepened it. In an instant, she was wrapped in his arms, and he showed her just how much he missed her. Passion took over and they just about needed someone to spray them down with a hose. It was a good thing the cowboys were out to pasture, or they would never let Joaquin live this down.
As they pulled away from each other, it was evident that they wanted more. Staring up into his eyes, Cassie felt like she was going to melt into dust. It was the exact scenario she had wished for when she found out where he was hiding. All that was missing now was for him to swoop her up in his arms and carry her away.
“Quinny, let’s get out of here. I don’t want to assume anything, but I would love to be with you again. You know… intimately.”
He removed his hat and ran his hand through his hair. Those blue eyes read of conflict.
“Where would we go? Like I said before, the bunkhouse has no privacy. I want you, but I refuse to take you outside like a farm animal. You deserve better than that.”
“Man, you sure are silly. I have a hotel room. Where did you think I was staying?”
Chuckling, he took her by the hand, careful to use his right hand, and led her to her waiting truck. She happily handed him the keys and allowed him to open the passenger door for her. Cassie informed him of the name of the hotel, and they were off. On the twenty-minute drive, she decided to get more answers to the questions running through her head.
“Joaquin, I know it might be a difficult subject, but I need to know what happened to you in Syria. I’m so sorry I couldn’t be there for you. After the attack, my team was sent into action and right after the mission, we were sent to another country for debrief. By the time I was able to access my phone and computer, you had been shipped to an undisclosed location. I did my best to fond you, but everyone was so secretive.”
“Yeah, well things happened so fast that day. After the explosion, all I could do was think about you. At first, I thought something had happened to you. Since I wasn’t in the military, no one would help me. I about went crazy with worry. I thought you were dead.”
Silence enveloped the truck as the two lovers contemplated what had been said. Joaquin reached for the radio, but Cassie caught his hand before he could press the button.
“Wait, before we get distracted, I have more questions. Were you injured in the blast? Is that why they shipped you off so quickly? I need to know what really happened.”
“Yeah, well, that’s not something I’m willing to talk about just yet. You’re gonna have to give me time. I’m just not ready.”
She thought about what he said. She knew it was a traumatic thing to deal with so she backed off, for now.
“I can understand that. Since you don’t want to talk about that, can you please tell me where the hell you’ve been for the last two years? I’ve been searching everywhere for you.”
He took a deep breath and began spinning his rather underwhelming tale.
“I spent some time at a military hospital. Even though I wasn’t a soldier, my contract permitted me to have free medical care from the VA. When I returned stateside, I went back home only to find my good for nothing brother had lost the family ranch. I wondered from ranch to ranch looking for work, but with no luck. That’s when I ran across an old friend from the service. He told me about The Silver Creek and got in touch with Mr. Harvey. He was gracious enough to allow me to come here and heal.”
They arrived at the hotel and time for talking was over. It was time for them to get to explore each other’s bodies again. Cassie could hardly wait. She had been dreaming of having his hands and mouth all over her.
As they walked into the lobby of the hotel, Cassie’s hands began to sweat. It had been so long since she had been loved by a man. She tried her best to calm down. She didn’t want to expect too much, but she couldn’t help but wonder if their chemistry would be the same as before. That kiss hinted at yes, but things could be different when they were horizontal.
Joaquin grabbed her as soon as the door to her room closed. He spun her around and pressed her against the wall. The man kissed her with the passion of three lovers. Shit, shewas in trouble. She remembered what her cowboy was like in a desert tent. What was he going to do to her locked together in a hotel with a proper bed?
