Webb cursed as the horse righted itself but
limped for a stride before he stopped it. He dismounted and checked the horse's
leg. "Damn. Mac slide back farther. I think the horse pulled a tendon,
there shouldn't be too much weight on it. I'll call AJ to come get you, I'll
walk the horse back."
"Clay, you'll freeze."
"No. I'll be okay it's only about 20
minutes or so." He dialed AJ's cell and handed Mac the phone to explain to
AJ while he tried to keep the horse from pulling his leg more.
AJ looked to the farmer and said, "Well
I guess I’ll need to borrow the other horse."
"He doesn’t take too kindly to
riders."
"That’s okay. I can handle him," AJ
said confidently.
He talked back into the phone. "I’ll be
there soon, Mac. Wait for me."
Clay heard her gasp but didn’t understand it.
Mac was trying to think about her dreams,
something told her that one of these men was the one from her dream but she
couldn’t figure out which one. She couldn’t help but wonder if she was
suffering from delusions thinking about Webb and the Admiral this way.
She was a bundled up as she could be on top
of the lame horse. Clay wouldn’t let her down due to her high-heeled shoes and
possibly sprained ankle. While she was waiting there she was trying to picture
Clay as the man in her dreams but it just didn’t seem right. She heard hoof
beats and got another flash of déjà vu of her dream man on a black stallion.
She turned to the sound and gasped. Approaching was a man dressed all in black
astride a black stallion. She knew that it had to be the Admiral but she never
knew that he rode, and so very well. He rode right up to her horse. Reaching
behind him he pulled out a sweatshirt from the saddlebags. She pulled off
Clay's coat and quickly slipped on the overly large sweatshirt. AJ slid back in
the saddle and pulled her into the saddle in front of him. After she was
settled, he removed one of the saddlebags and handed it to Webb. "You
going to be okay?" AJ asked.
"Yeah. It isn’t too far back. I just
hope they have a nice fire going and that coffee is ready. See you there."
He looked in the saddlebag and found a thermos filled with hot coffee, spiked
with a good amount of whiskey. He watched as AJ wrapped his arms around Mac and
started the horse back the way he came. Somehow Clay knew that he had lost his
chance with her, but he wasn't quite sure how.
"I didn’t know you rode, sir," Mac
commented after they are settled on the horse and headed back to the farmhouse.
"I used to work on a ranch, of course I
know how to ride." He smiled down at her as she just nodded then leaned
back into his warmth. She had just about dozed off as she thought about her
dreams but before she knew it they were back at the farmhouse. The owner of the
house met them at the door to take the horse back to the barn. AJ dismounted
then asked, "How’s your ankle?"
"Okay. I think."
"Think you can manage to put some weight
on it?" After she nodded he reached up and taking her waist in his hands
he eased her off the horse. She put her hands to his shoulder and slid her body
down his until her feet touched the packed snow. She gasped as she put weight
on her foot then clutched him a bit closer as his hands tightened around her.
"I’ve got you, Sarah," he murmured into her ear. They both stood
there for a moment in silence neither paid any attention to the man who took
the horse away. AJ was mentally cursing the fact that he slipped and called her
Sarah, and she stood there surprised at what he said and called her.
To help him hide his embarrassment he swept
her into his arms and carried her into the house without speaking. He didn't
looked into her face as he gently laid her down on the bed. Mac eased back into
the pile of silken pillows on the bed when she suddenly remembered more of her
dreams.
"It was you. In my dreams."
"Mac I don’t know what you're talking
about."
In amazement, she pulled scarf still covering
the lower portion of his face off. "It was you," she said as
her fingers lightly played against his cheek, "You rescued me." He
said nothing for a moment. "You were always there for me when I needed
you, how could I have not realized it was you?"
Even though he didn’t understand exactly what
she was talking about he responded softly, "I always will be there for
you, Sarah. Always."
She unconsciously ran her hand around his
neck as he leaned closer together until he lowered his lips to lightly kiss
hers for the first time. He pulled back after just a moment, they both realized
that this was still a mistake but it felt so right that they both also knew it
was inevitable that they move farther than that simple little kiss. Mac
shivered a combination of the lingering cold and the anticipation that suddenly
sped through her, as her eyes met his.
Unable to resist tasting her lips again, AJ
gave into his desire that he had held at bay for so many years. She met his
lips happily giving into to her longings as she wrapped both arms around him.
They lost themselves in the kiss before AJ finally pulled away.
"Sarah. We can't do this."
"I don't want to lose-"
"I want you to trust me, ok?" he
interrupted her.
"I do," she said with no
hesitation.
"Sarah, wait for me. Can you do
that?"
"Yes, I can. As long as I need to,"
she whispered.
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