Page 77 of Disciplining Dana

“Are you absolutely sure…” She glanced over her shoulder.

Kurt rolled his eyes. “I swear to God, you are relentless.” Taking her by the hand, he tugged her back toward the truck. “Come on, let’s go. We still have a long drive ahead of us.”

And they did. But as they drove through eastern Montana west toward their destination, at no point did Dana feel any of the anger or frustration about leaving the site behind that she would’ve a year ago. And the reason for that had everything to do with where they were headed now. To the place that might not have been the exact spot where it had all begun but was certainly where it had come to a head. The place where she and Kurt had come to the first of so, so many compromises. Some of them in her favor, some of them, like today, in his. But each one agreed upon and respected, even those times when she’d made a choice that had led to him punishing and disciplining her.

“’Bout another two hours to go. You good?”

Dana nodded, leaning back in her seat as she returned to her train of thought. During each of the instances over the past year and a half when she’d chosen to defy Kurt, she’d reminded him of what he’d said; that ultimately it was still her choice to make. In return, he’d reminded her that she was the one who’d have to deal with the consequences of her choices, and she had. Not always without argument—there’d been vehement debates, to be sure—but in the end always with mutual agreement, respect, and compromise.

Another thing Dana had come to realize during the time she and Kurt had solidified this new part of their relationship was that it really wasn’t the threat of being disciplined, nor the actual punishments themselves, that caused her to back away from her sometimes admittedly unwise decisions. Rather, it was acknowledging the freedom inherent in changing her mind with the knowledge of those two things hovering in the background. She no longer felt she was risking her status within her profession, her own sense of self-worth, or anything, for that matter, by accepting that sometimes the choice she was about to make was a poor one and instead giving in to Kurt’s suggestion.

When they turned off the highway and up the gravel road leading to Rawhide Ranch, the sensation of homecoming was more than she’d anticipated. They’d spent a week at the resort the first time they’d come here over a year ago, but once they’d gotten back home and the assays had been done and it was clear the real claim lay on land quite a distance from the main property, the flacks and negotiators had taken over dealing with the Ranch’s lawyers.

They’d also had to work with the people who represented Jason Jaeger, who Gary had explained owned a horse ranch nestled in the foothills of the Sapphire Mountain, practically a horseshoe toss away from Rawhide. The legal eagles had learned that Jagger had once had people sneak onto his land, making an illicit survey and taking samples years before he and Dana had even passed through Rawhide’s gates. That bit of knowledge had explained how Jagger had so easily sussed out on the night of Dana’s rescue what her and Kurt’s real reason for being at Rawhide was, and why he’d been as standoffish as he’d been.

After they’d left Rawhide, Kurt and Dana had stepped away from what McKerr-Dennison was now referring to as the Sapphire Lode and moved on to other projects. That in and of itself wasn’t unusual, but for Dana, this time separating from an assignment had left her with a sense of unfinished business. It wasn’t about the rare earth minerals they’d found; that was going to end up being exactly as she’d envisioned, a potential source of wealth for both the company, the Ranch, and even Jagger, if they chose to pursue it. No, this was personal. Something she hoped she could finally resolve in the short time they’d be here.

Everything about settling in seemed oddly familiar, even though this was only their second visit. But the main lobby, the fireplace, the room they shared this time—there were subtle differences, and yet still she couldn’t shake the sense of homecoming she’d felt earlier. Kurt took her to the Italian restaurant they’d enjoyed their first night here a year ago, and when they were done, they went back to their room to change for the second half of their evening—one that Dana hoped would give her, to some degree, the closure on the feelings that had eluded her when she’d stood in the doorway of a different dungeon on a night that seemed a lifetime ago.

Kurt led her through the lobby and past the guard, then through a pair of huge double doors. The glittering of the million tiny specks of the flecked stone floor sent a shiver through her, because the last time she was here she’d been so tense she hadn’t truly appreciated its beauty. Now, as they stepped into the main space, she took it all in with eyes that saw it in a completely different light.

Kurt gripped her elbow, bringing her to a halt. “Head to the bar,” he commanded quietly. “I have something I need to take care of.”

Dana had slipped so easily into a headspace she hadn’t associated with this place previously, and rather than question where he was headed, she simply nodded as he let her go and turned away. She stood for a second longer taking in everything around her, then began to move toward the bar.

And stopped short.

There, sitting on a stool, was the very person she’d hoped to find at some point tonight. He was chatting with… Luna. Dana was surprised she could remember the young woman’s name, but the man… she had no problem whatsoever remembering his name. And though she hadn’t expected to see him quite this soon, now that she’d found him here there was no reason for her not to take advantage of this opportunity. She didn’t want him to know she was here just yet, so thinking quickly, she formed a plan. Skirting through the crowd standing along the length of the bar, Dana used the guests to hide herself from her target. She kept stealing glances back to where he sat, making sure he hadn’t caught sight of her. When she was far enough away to feel safe, she put a young couple between herself and him to mask her presence as she stepped up to the bar. Keeping a wary eye down the length of the counter to make sure she wasn’t seen, she waited in silence until Luna approached to take her order. When she saw Dana, her mouth dropped open in surprise, and Dana shushed her with a sharp gesture, stopping her from drawing unwanted attention.

“You’re back!” Luna stage whispered.

“We are,” Dana whispered mischievously. “Just for a couple of days this time, but… we’re here!”

“Aww… but also… yay!”

Dana shot another glance toward the person she’d been tracking the past few minutes.

“I need to know,” she said, tilting her head. “What does he drink?”

Luna looked sideways, her pupils growing wide as she recognized who Dana was referring to. “Whisky.”

“A shot of the best, most expensive you have.”

“Absolutely!” Luna replied with a huge grin. She came back in less than a minute, setting the glass in front of her. Dana smiled wickedly as she picked up the drink and began moving. Slipping back into the crowd, she angled her way into position so she could approach the man from the side.

And it worked. She set the shot down on the bar with a clack at the same moment his head came around to catch who’d come up.

“Drink.”

Derek Hawkins’ eyes widened until the smile that overtook his face wiped away the surprise.

“Now, darlin’, I know you know that isn’t the way things work around here…”

She leaned in close. “It is right now, Master Derek,” she replied, affording him the honorific she hadn’t the last time she’d been to Rawhide. Nudging the drink toward him, she added, “Drink.”

Derek’s eyes flashed in a way that sent a delicious shiver racing over Dana’s nerves, but instead of arguing further he simply lifted the glass and threw back the shot.

“Now,” he said firmly as he set the empty glass down, “you wanna tell me what that was all about, Dana?”

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