Page 32 of A Groom for Heather
She wanted him to kiss her.
She closed her eyes as he lowered his face to hers, stiffening slightly as she felt his lips touch hers. It only took a moment before she melted into his embrace. Her hands wrapped around his waist, pulling him closer.
It has been so long.
Too long since she had been touched by another.
Since she touched anyone.
Jackson.
She quickly pulled away and looked at him, tears starting to fill her eyes. “Dalton. I—” The words couldn’t form on her tongue. Whatever she was going to say was quickly forgotten as several loud hisses filled the yard, followed by a scream that sent chills up Heather’s spine.
“Get inside. Now,” Dalton demanded, pushing Heather through the front door. She quickly ran to the bedroom and grabbed Jackson’s double-barrel shotgun. Searching through Jackson’s wardrobe, she found a box of shells then returned to the kitchen. Dalton was standing in the doorway looking out into the darkness.
“Do you see anything?”
Dalton shook his head. “No. It appears to be coming from the east side of the farm.” Heather laid the shotgun and shells on the table. “Are you going to shoot that?”
“Jackson taught me to handle a gun. I never had a use for one when I lived in Philadelphia.” She quickly glanced up at him. He was watching her intently. “I’ll teach you how to shoot.”
“Heather.” He moved into the room, closing the door behind him. “I don’t think we should go out there tonight. I couldn’t hit the broadside of a barn.”
“I agree, but we are going to have to find her. A mother lion with kittens can be very territorial. It doesn’t matter if you are an animal or a man. They can take down an entire cow. Jackson said he saw an Indian that had been attacked for getting near a litter of cubs.”
“I wonder if that is what happened to Mr. Green?”
“Nate?” Heather picked up the coffee pot and swirled it around. “The markings suggest that, but it could have been a bear or another wild creature.” She lifted the pot in Dalton’s direction. “I’m going to make a fresh pot. This one is nearly empty.” She headed towards the door, whistling as she walked.
“My mother taught me women shouldn’t whistle.”
Heather turned on her heel. “I’m sure your mother didn’t have a mountain lioness on her property. The whistling lets her know I’m here and to stay away.”
“I’ll have to remember that.”
Heather went on the porch but kept the door open so she could see Dalton. He picked up the rifle and caressed it with his large hand. The large hands that were holding her just a moment before.
Heather felt a heat rise in her body. She remembered this feeling. It was the same attraction she had to Jackson. Fortunately, she and Jackson were married. Dalton was certainly not her husband.
She needed to focus on the task at hand, and not what it would be like to forget who and where she was.No matter how tempting.
After rinsing the pot and dumping the wet grounds off the side of the porch, Heather refilled the pot with cool water and carried it back inside. She added coffee grounds and several clean eggshells and put the enamel pot over the burner.
“I’ve never seen anything like this before.”
“Jackson got it in trade. It’s a Parker.” She picked up one of the shells and handed it to him. “Inside this cartridge are many small pellets. They scatter when the shot is fired. This one,” she said, handing him a longer shell, “is filled with rock and dirt. You use this when you don’t want to kill whatever you are shooting at, but you want to inflict quite a bit of damage.”
Dalton rolled the shells in his hand. “You can feel the difference in the weight.”
“Yes. I saw you had a six-shooter when you were in town.”
“It’s empty.”
“You carry around an empty gun?”
“I told you, I don’t know how to fire it and I didn’t want to risk shooting myself in the leg. I’ve seen it happen.”
“You are either the craziest or the bravest man I’ve ever met.”
