Page 38 of Kiss of Fury

“He’s growing up.” She sighed.

They set out for the paddock. “I hope we can get a conveyance,” she said. When the wagons weren’t in use for ranching, residents could borrow them, first come, first served.

“Since I put dibs on one two days ago, I think we can.”

“You planned that far ahead?”

“Further. Why do you think Dusty is doing this kids’ program?”

“You put him up to it?”

“He’ll jump at any chance tojawon his favorite topic. Dusty is more excited than the kids.” He laughed.

She slipped her arm through his. “It’s still very nice of him, and you went to a lot of trouble to arrange it.”

After checking on the location of the hornigers, they climbed over the fence. A conveyance sat beside the barn. “You care to see the calf before we go?” he asked.

“Yes, I would.” Her son still raved about it.

He led the way into the barn. “Demon, the horniger we’re trying to break, is often in that stall”—he pointed—“but he’s out to pasture today. We keep him inside enough to get used to people then move him outside for exercise. The baby is over here.” He marched down the center aisle.

A fuzzy, hornless six-legged creature snuffled in a stall filled with dried grass. Other than six legs and along snout, it looked very little like the adults, lacking the distinctive nose horn and antlers. It toddled up to the gate. Mike reached over and patted its head.

“He’s adorable!” she exclaimed.

“She. Her name is Annie Oakley.”

She chuckled. “Let me guess. Dusty?”

“You got it.”

She scratched the animal behind its floppy ears. She’d believed Mike when he’d said the baby horniger had posed no danger to her son but seeing so for herself further reassured her. The animal was as friendly as a puppy—a pup the size of a full-grown Great Dane.

Outside, Mike hopped behind the wheel of the conveyance, and she slid into the cab next to him. A winged alien opened the gate, and he set out across the grassy plain. In the open, the wind kicked up and whistled across the vehicle.

There wasn’t much to see—just open tundra, a few rolling brownish grass-covered hills dotted with roaming hornigers. The animals were as prevalent as the buffalo had been in the Americas until European settlers decimated the herds. Thus far, the colonists seemed to be better caretakers of the natural resources. But Refuge’s history was still young.

“I assume you have a specific destination in mind?” she asked.

“I do.”

“Care to give me a hint?”

He grinned. “No.”

“No?”

“It’s a surprise.”

He’s full of surprises today.The lengths he’d gone to floored her. She’d had no idea the man she’d married was such a planner. But then, they were still learning about each other. They were in the rosy honeymoon stage. No doubt they would encounter bumps in the road, but she was confident they would sail through the storms and come out ahead because they’d started out with a strong foundation. They shared the same goals, the same values, similar temperament. Their refugee status gave them something in common. Mostly, they shared the same vision of the future.

“Cosmic Mates did a fantastic job matching us,” she said.

“I’m glad you think so. Hang on!”

“What-why—Mike!” She squealed and grabbed for the hold bar as he gunned it, and the conveyance flew across the grassy plain. His gleeful laughter remindedher of Brody when something tickled him. The vehicle hit a tiny bump and temporarily became airborne before landing with a bounce.Men are just grown-up little boys who like to go fast.“Now I know how you broke an axle!”

He glanced at her, grinning.

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