Page 42 of Heart of Stone
The new stables were bigger than the original ones, and they’d built them with extra large stalls to accommodate the pregnant mares. It had cost enough money to make Stone wince, but in the long run, he knew it would be worth it. As Luke had predicted, the price of beef at the end of the summer had been downright miserable, but they’d managed to scrape by and even make a tiny profit. Of course, that didn’t count the cost of the stables, the replacement of the water tank, or the repairs to the windmill; only Priss’s foresight and savings had gotten them through that. But they’d survived, and today was the one year anniversary of Stone’s arrival at the ranch. It was the day when Luke would decide if Stone had fulfilled the terms of Priss’s will and sign the papers which would tell the lawyers in Reno that Stone was a fit owner, and Stone would sign the papers which would give Luke half ownership of the ranch outright, as well as bequeathing the entire thing to Luke in the event of his death.
Stone hadn’t bothered to hide the fact that he intended to make Luke his partner in the ranch from anyone. In some ways, it actually made things easier than letting people wonder why he continued to let the “help” live in the house, a nasty question James had planted in people’s minds even before he’d found out about their real relationship. So Stone had made it known that the bad luck the ranch had suffered had left him short on cash, but thanks to fictional inheritance from Priss, Luke had helped him out. Anyway, Luke knew more about managing the ranch than Stone did, so taking him on as a partner was only sensible. The townsfolk had accepted that, and any question about Luke’s presence in the ranch house was laid to rest, hopefully for good.
Despite all the work of rebuilding what James had destroyed, dealing with the disappointing cattle market, and the stress of starting up the horse breeding operation, the last six months had been the best of Stone’s life. At the end of the day, no matter how tired or frustrated he was, Luke was there for him, and they found comfort and pleasure with each other in the privacy of their home, shutting out the world and anyone who might judge them. Stone couldn’t get enough of Luke, of touching him and kissing him and driving him wild with pleasure, and Luke drove him wild in return. They slept together at night and woke up next to each other in the morning, and Stone didn’t know if he’d ever get used to the wonder of having someone who loved him and whom he could love in return.
He quickened his pace as he crossed the yard, waving to the hands who called out to him, but not stopping to talk. Luke was probably home by now, and Stone wanted nothing more than to hold him. They’d been apart almost all day, and Stone found himself hungering for Luke’s touch.
“Luke?” he called out as he stepped into the kitchen and closed the door behind himself. “Hey, Luke! Are you home?”
A moment later, Luke sauntered into the kitchen, shirtless and barefoot, wearing only his jeans; his hair was damp, and as he moved closer, Stone caught a whiff of soap. “Here I am.” He flashed a mischievous grin. “‘Bout time you got home.”
Stone felt his heart beat faster, as it always seemed to do in Luke’s presence. He didn’t hesitate to wrap his arms around Luke, pulling him close and running his hands down the warm, smooth skin of Luke’s back. “I was putting Raider out with Mist.” He buried his face against Luke’s neck, inhaling deeply his clean, beloved scent. “Mmm. You smell good enough to eat.”
Luke slid his arms around Stone’s shoulders and leaned into him, relaxing easily in his arms. “Won’t bother me none if you want to take a little taste before supper,” Luke replied, a teasing note in his voice.
One of the other developments over the past few months that had added to Stone’s happiness was the return of Luke’s playfulness. Slowly, he’d begun smiling, laughing, and teasing Stone again, and now, he was the same aggravating cowboy Stone had met on his first day at Copper Lake.
Aggravating, but also sexy as hell and tempting to boot. Stone chuckled and bit down on the junction of Luke’s neck and shoulder, not hard enough to draw blood but marking the skin unmistakably. Lord help them both if anyone got a glimpse of the marks they left on each other’s bodies, but they’d discovered that they both enjoyed playing rough sometimes and leaving small, secret signs of their pleasure. It meant they couldn’t go shirtless around the hands, but Stone didn’t mind that a bit. He reveled in knowing that there was evidence of their claim on each other, even if no one else could ever see.
Luke shivered and tightened his arms around Stone, and Stone had grown attuned enough to Luke’s body that he could already feel the telltale signs of growing arousal. “Are you interested in the main course, or you want to eat dinner?” he asked, nipping Stone’s earlobe.
The feel of Luke’s teeth on his sensitive skin made Stone gasp, and his own arousal rose swiftly. “Dinner can wait,” he growled. “Charlie ain’t nearly the cook Mary was, and I think you’ll be much more satisfyin’.” It was true, too. Mary had gotten married three months before, and they hadn’t found anyone to replace her, so they were eating what the hands ate or what they cooked for themselves. He’d much rather feast on Luke’s body than eat Charlie’s stew.
“I know how to satisfy you better’n anybody.” Luke herded Stone over to the table, nimbly working at the buttons of Stone’s shirt every step of the way.
Stone went willingly, scraping his nails over the skin of Luke’s shoulders. “You’re right about that,” he gasped, as his hips hit the table. “So what are you goin’ to do?”
“I’m goin’ to get a taste of my own,” Luke replied with a wicked smirk.
But whatever naughty plans he’d been about to torment Stone with went unspoken, interrupted by a knock on the front door.
“Oh hell.” Stone gave Luke a look of frustration. He didn’t know who might be at the door, but he knew they had to answer just in case it was an emergency. He straightened, gave Luke a swift kiss, and fastened the buttons of his shirt. “I’ll answer. You’d best get a shirt on, just in case.”
“Will do, boss,” Luke replied, clamping his hand on the back of Stone’s head and pulling him back for another kiss, nipping sharply at his bottom lip. Despite the fact that he was Stone’s partner now in every way, he still hadn’t stopped calling Stone ‘boss’, partly for the sake of the hands, but mostly because it seemed to be his peculiar term of endearment.
With a cheeky grin, he released Stone and sauntered away, giving Stone a good view of his jeans-clad ass as he went.
Stone watched, entranced, until another knock at the door brought him back to reality. “I’m comin’, hang on!” he called out, hurrying through the parlor and to the door. He paused, drawing in a deep breath, and opened it.
Two women stood on the porch, dressed in plain but decent traveling clothes. One wore a determined expression; she had dark hair and blue eyes, and while Stone wasn’t good at placing a woman’s age, she seemed to be in her late twenties, older than Agnes, but not by much. The other woman was possibly a few years younger with blond ringlets escaping from her bonnet and soft grey eyes that looked at Stone pensively. They each held a traveling case, and from the dust on their boots and the bottom of their skirts, Stone could tell they’d walked, possibly all the way from town.
“Can I help you, ladies?” he asked, wondering what had brought them out to the ranch.
The dark haired woman spoke up. “My name is Anna Ford, and this is Susan Evans,” she replied in a dignified tone, although her accent was odd to Stone’s ears. “You must be Mr. Harrison. Mrs. Rivers sent us. She said….” For a moment, her expression held worry, but then she straightened her shoulders. “She told us you and Mr. Reynolds might have a place for us. She said you’d understand.”
Stone blinked in surprise. It took him a moment to figure out that ‘Mrs. Rivers’ must be little Agnes, and Anna Ford’s accent must be from somewhere back East. He wasn’t quite sure what was going on, but good manners came to his rescue. “Please, won’t you come in?” he asked, stepping back and holding the door. “I’m not sure I know what she meant, but why don’t you sit for a spell and explain it to me?”
Both of the women looked relieved, as though they’d feared being turned away, and they didn’t hesitate to accept Stone’s invitation. He led them into the parlor. “Please, have a seat,” he invited, hoping that Luke would come back down quickly and help him figure out what was going on.
It wasn’t long before Luke walked in, giving Stone a questioning look before turning a charming smile on their guests. “Evenin’, ladies,” he greeted them politely. “Can I get you anything? Maybe some water? Travelin’s thirsty work, I know.”
“Some water would be lovely, thank you,” Miss Ford replied, and her companion nodded, murmuring a thank you as well, although her voice was so soft that it was barely audible. Stone wasn’t sure if she was shy or just very tired.
“Luke, this is Miss Ford and Miss Evans,” Stone introduced them, relieved at Luke’s quick arrival. “Miss Agnes–I mean, Mrs. Rivers–sent them to us. Ladies, this is Luke Reynolds, the ranch foreman and co-owner.”
Luke’s eyebrows shot up at that, but he refrained from blurting out whatever questions he had and went to fetch their guests some water. When he returned again, he handed over the glasses with a smile and took a seat in his usual chair near Stone’s.
“How is Mrs. Rivers doing?” Luke asked. “I hope married life is suitin’ her well.”