Unicorn Dreams Ch. 02

I woke up the next morning in the most delicious way possible...a smiling cowboy holding a big cup of coffee. "I don't know how you like your coffee so I made it ranch style: hot, strong, black and sweet. I figure you can use the sugar rush and caffeine kick," he said with that sheepish little boy grin.

I rolled over and smiled as I took the cup of coffee from him. He was not lying. It was so hot that it almost burnt my tongue and since I usually take my coffee plain old black the sweet assailed my taste buds. "Thanks," I muttered as I pulled the sheet up to cover a bit more of my legs. I must have kicked it off during the hot summer night.

He must have noticed my discomfort or perhaps my long legs. Either way he did the gentlemanly thing and looked away with a blush. "Sorry, it is so early. But I need to get back to the ranch. Get to work and check on the girls. Senora Maria always watches over them when an emergency like this comes up but still..."

I smiled and nodded, "Yeah, I know. It ain't the same as checking on them yourself, is it?"

He looked back up with that grin, "Nope, not at all."

I could have stayed like that for hours in that cramped space of the RV. Gotten to know this stranger that seemed so perfect. But I knew ranch life and he did not have time to waste in idle chit-chat. "Any trouble with Mama cat?" I inquired as I blew on the coffee before taking my next sip.

He shook his head and chuckled. The deep throaty sound echoed off the walls that seemed even closer than usual in the pre-dawn darkness. "Nay, she is breathing lots easier. She even managed to nip at a couple of those rascals when they climbed over her the wrong way."

I nodded and took another swig of the coffee he had brought me. On second inspection the sugary sweetness did add something to the brew. I might be persuaded to try it this way more often, especially if handsome cowboys served it to me in bed that is. "I will check on her in a moment. I really hope you are right. I made a rash promise to your daughter before I even examined the cat and there for a bit I was afraid I was going to disappoint her."

He inhaled deeply, "Joy can always do that to you, make you want to promise her the moon even when you know you shouldn't, that you can't deliver it." He chuckled again and my nipples hardened instantly as if the sound were a caress all its own. "I thought it was just me but good to know that other people find her special too."

I hemmed and hawed, trying to think of something else to say as I sucked down more of the dark aromatic liquid. "I'm glad that everything is working out though," was the lame response that I came up with.

He smiled uncomfortably, perhaps even more so than I was. "Anyway, I better get out of here and get started on 'real' work. Is it okay if the girls come down to check on that damned cat when they wake up?"

I nodded and clutched the cup of coffee like a safety blanket to my chest, "Sure. Unless something comes up, we ain't going nowhere."

"Alright then. I'll see you later. I guess." He played with the rim of his hat as he stood up, filling the tiny doorway and then some. "Thanks again for all you done. I really don't know what we would have done if anything happened to that old cat. Joy loves the damned thing so much. I guess when you ain't got a mother or a woman in your life silly things like that just mean more."

My mother's heart ached as I thought about the cute little girl. I wanted to keep jabbering with this man forever, find out more about his story and hers, but I knew better. He had a job to do and so did I. "Thanks again for the coffee," I smiled as I held up the mug. He returned my smile awkwardly and blushed even more. My heart melted. Nothing hotter in this whole wide than a sexy shy cowboy.

"I better be going," he fumbled.

I wondered what he would do if I threw back the sheet and drug him into my bed. That was not like me at all. My ex was pretty much the only man I had ever been with. Yet less than twelve hours after I meet this one and I am thinking about quite literally jumping him? It made no sense. Where had this come from? Sex had never been all that big a thing with me.

But the sight of that man's backside retreating down the dim hallway in those tight jeans had me thinking and feeling things that a good girl just shouldn't. Then too, did good girls just take up and leave everything they knew behind? Travel the country with their kids in an RV?

Then again, had being that 'good girl' gotten me anything? A cheating ex-husband who embarrassed me in front of the whole damned town. It had cost me my self-respect, my dignity and the passion I once had for the career that I choose not to make money but to actually help animals and people. People like that little girl. No, good girl was definitely gone, I thought as I hummed that stupid song.

I threw back the covers and went to check on Mama Cat and her kittens. I listened to her heart. He was right: it was a lot steadier. I smiled and sighed with relief except for the possibility of infection we were out of the woods on this one. I had managed to keep my promise to Joy. That felt a lot better than it had any right to, but then again considering not much had gone right in the past year or two I figured I had the right to enjoy the moment.

I made me another cup of strong black coffee, adding a big spoon of sugar at the last moment. Then I sat opened the door of the RV and greeted the sun that was just coming up over the mountains. I sat on the steps and thought about things as I sipped my coffee. This was a fresh start for us.

I did not need to go rushing off into anything with a man. Especially anything sexual. Just that thought brought images of long legs entangled with mine and rough hands running all over my naked body. Thinking about that smile and those lips I just knew the man would be a great kisser.

I shook my head and looked down at my freckled legs which were my best feature. I was not the type of woman that attracted attention. I never had been. My ex had been my only lover for a reason. Tall, red-heads, covered in freckles and with more smarts than sense were not what men like Chad Thornton would be attracted to. Hell, I could not even manage to keep my husband interested. What chance did I have with a man who looked like that?

I stretched out my legs as I leaned back against the door. But no harm in looking. Or even fantasizing about it. I drank my coffee and did just that. Imagined what it would be like to feel his strong arms around me. Just how good a kisser he would be. Thinking about his butt encased in that tight dusty denim, there was no doubt that the man would have the power for nice long slow strokes.

"Damn," I cursed as I realized that I had probably gotten myself more worked up and hotter than I ever had been in all my years of marriage. Hell, not even reading about sexy purple aliens that my favorite erotic romance writer created got me this hot. For the first time in my life I actually understood what all those books talked about when they said...aching.

I turned back into the RV. I needed a shower. A cold one. Mama was stirring, nudging her babies to the teats. She looked up at me with knowing eyes. I chuckled, "Yeah well, this pussy might finally be coming into heat for the first time in her life but I know better."

I got my shower. Although it did little to cool off my suddenly prodigious libido. The rest of the day was easy. The Thornton girls came over bright and early to check on Mama cat. Charity and Beth seemed to hit it off well. They would both be new to the local school and were more than a bit worried if they would fit in, make new friends. I pointed out that they already had...one another.

I had a call about a dog that had been hit by a car. Its leg was broken and needed setting. That took a couple of hours. I finished registering the children at the local school, found out where they would need to catch the bus in the morning and picked up a few more things to cook for dinner.

The sun was still high in the sky when I drove back up to the RV with my purchases. It was like déjà vu as I was greeted once more by those adorable little faces. They just wanted to check on Mama again, see how the kittens were doing. It was a barrage of questions from Joy as Beth and Charity disappeared into the small bedroom that she normally shared with her brother.

"When can we take her home? When will the kittens' eyes open? Is she really going to be okay?" the tornado of cuteness beamed at me.

"Well, I would say you can take her home in a couple of more days. If she keeps getting better. It takes a week to ten days for their eyes to open. And no one can make those kinds of promises...that everything will be okay. But yes, I think the danger has passed," I explained as I made the children's favorite dinner: mac-n-cheese and beanie wiene.

My mind ran through a laundry list of things to be done since tomorrow was the first day of school. I was so busy cooking and thinking that I did not even hear the soft rap at the open door. But I definitely noticed when he stuck that gorgeous head in. "Sorry to disturb you but Senora Maria said the girls had run off back here to check on the cat again," he said by way of explanation to me.

I nodded my head as Joy jumped into her father's arms. I know it is ridiculous but I was actually jealous of a four year old for the freedom to just throw herself into those strong arms. I shook my head at that crazy line of thought. Since when had I wanted or needed any man to protect me, to keep me safe, to wrap me in big strong arms? I dismissed it as the hot California sun doing crazy things to my brain as I turned back to the stove.

He kissed the top of his daughter's blonde curls as he listened to her recount everything I had told her about Mama cat's progress. When she was finished, she hugged him tight and beamed one of those smiles at him. Oh, the little minx had definitely come by that smile and her charm from her daddy. He turned a matching smile on me as he sat her down. "I'm sorry if the girls bothered you, Ma'am. As soon as that damned ole cat is out of here, I'll make sure they give you some peace."

I shook my head, "No, it's fine. I don't mind at all. Beth and Charity seem to have become friends already which is probably a blessing for both of us since they are new in town and who knows how well they will make friends at school. As for Joy, well, her name says it all," I smiled as I tried to push away naughty thoughts like undressing him in my mind. "Would you and the girls care to stay for dinner? It ain't fancy. Just mac-n-cheese and beanie wiene, but it is homemade."

"Thank you, Ma'am," he stammered as he toyed with his hat nervously and shifted from foot to foot just inside the doorway. He was blushing again. Who knew that pink could look so damned good on a macho cowboy? "We wouldn't want to be no bother."

"It's no bother. I always cook too much anyway."

"Please, Daddy. I am tired of burgers and fries from the café. And Senora Maria made chili today. You know it makes my tummy funny," she said as she rubbed her little stomach.

He smiled at his little girl and laughed, "You know what they say sweetie? Beans are good for the heart. The more you eat the more you..." He stopped as his face flamed a bright scarlet. "Sorry, Ma'am."

His little girl looked from him to me and back again. "Fart," she said loudly.

He grimaced and swatted at her with his dusty cowboy hat. "Joy, you know we shouldn't say certain things round people. I really am sorry, Ma'am."

I tried, I really tried to hold back the laughter, but they were so cute. But I could not as I saw unshed tears gathering in the corners of the little girl's eyes from having disappointed her daddy. I did the only thing a mother can: I put my hand under my arm and made the loudest farting noise I possibly could. "Oh, excuse me," I giggled as laughter replaced tears. He looked up at me with such gratitude then. "So how about that dinner?"

He looked at his little girl who was jumping up and down, begging and pleading. "If you are sure, we won't be no bother?"

I smiled as I reached for more plates from the tiny cabinet next to me, "No bother at all."

Dinner was a whirlwind of conversation. The children chattered away like parrots about school the next day. I quizzed Chad about life on the ranch and pumped him more than a bit for information on him and his girls. The dark shadow that crossed his face as he explained his wife's death while giving birth to Joy tore at my heart. What must it feel like to warrant such sadness, such love and devotion, even four years later? I felt woefully inadequate considering my own husband had discarded my love like yesterday's newspaper for the cute news anchor on television.

"She must have been something special," I whisper uncomfortably.

He shrugged as he brought another fork full of mac-n-cheese to his mouth. "Better than this ole cowboy deserved for sure."

Beth beamed, "Mama was a beauty queen, you know. She met Daddy when he was bull riding and she was queen of the country fair. She might have been Miss Texas even if she hadn't run off and married him."

It figured...a beauty queen. Definitely the type that a man like this would attract. I nodded and smiled as I cleared my plate and Joy's from the table. I noticed that he was uncomfortably silent and that the fork had slowed on its repeated journey from plate to his mouth. Another pang of jealousy gripped me. A beauty queen and this man, I could never compete with a woman like that and I knew it.

I looked at Zach who had just finished his dinner, "You need to get a shower and get to bed early. The school bus will be here by seven-fifteen. So say good-night and get off with you."

My son mumbled good night as he looked sheepishly at the cowboy, "Will you teach me to rope sometime? I always wanted to learn. I can ride a horse real good but every cowboy should know how to rope too."

Chad smiled at my son and my heart broke for the clear worshipful admiration I saw in Zach's eyes. How could I have not realized how much my son needed a man in his life? What was I thinking ripping them away from their father? From their friends. From all they had ever known. Just to soothe my wounded pride and stop some small town gossips? It seemed so petty then. For a moment I panicked. I considered grabbing the keys and turning the RV back towards Texas.

"Sure son. I'd love to," the cowboy smiled at my son and the world righted itself as Zach threw himself into my arms.

"Did you hear that, Mom? Mr. Thornton said he would teach me to rope. Beth said he was the Grand Champion All-around Cowboy two years in a row. Imagine that, Mom? Learning to rope from the champion," he babbled.

"But not if you don't get to bed like your Ma said. She's right; school starts bright and early tomorrow morning. And one thing this ole cowboy knows is the value of book learnin'. So here is the deal, son. I will teach you roping and anything else," he looked up at me with a grin, "except bull riding, but only if you do your school work and get good grades. We got us a deal?"

"Yes, Sir," my son beamed as he headed off down the hallway.

"Now, my little princesses, the lady is right. Tomorrow is a big day. We need to head home too. Baths and bed for you two as well," he pronounced with finality as he showed them towards the door. They said their good nights and headed out into the dusk across the rocky terrain between our RV and the main block of buildings on the ranch.

"Thank you, Ma'am again. Dinner was wonderful. Seems I owe you more than I can ever repay. Saving that old cat's life. Giving Joy hope. And taking Beth in too. I sure do appreciate it all," he mumbled as he scuffed at the ground with the toe of his worn boots.

"it is nothing. Just being neighborly. I figure us Texans got to stick together," I tried to make a joke of it. "Thank you too for agreeing to teach Zach roping...and not bull riding," I laughed nervously.

He looked out to where his daughters were making their way over the hill. "Well, I better catch up them little hellions. Thank you again, Ma'am."

"Call me Jessie, please."

He nodded, "Nite then Miss Jessie."

I smiled as I watched that tight butt in those dusty jeans retreat after the two little shadows. Miss Jessie? I supposed it was better than Ma'am. But it certainly put me in my place. Then again I was no beauty queen and definitely not the kind of woman that ended up in the strong arms of handsome cowboys. But a girl can dream...and I did. That night and for many more to come.