Flame Series # 16: All Roads Lead Back Home

Chapter 1

Miss Me?

"Just the two of us?" Cooper was never disappointed to spend time alone with his sister, but fishing was kind of a big deal, usually done with his Uncle Festus and Poppy. His little face grimaced, overwhelmed with guilt. "Won't this hurt their feelings?"

Calleigh reached over, pulling her brother in for a hug. "You worry too much." She shook her head with a pitiful sigh. "Always concerned about how your actions are going to affect someone else. Cooper—you are your father's son." She kissed his forehead before releasing him. "Festus and Wylie left this morning, to take some horses over to Colorado. And Poppy, is going down to Sublette, to visit an old army friend...where he will probably end up fishing. So!" She threw her arms open wide, "It's just us."

Her explanation brought a smile of relief and excitement back to the boy's clear, blue eyes. "Why are you packing bedrolls?" Realization and a little hope sent his voice into an excited squeal. "Are we camping, too?"

"Not if you don't want to..." Calleigh paused, her face void of any expression. Cooper knew instantly that she was messing with him. His response was just to throw his arms around her again. "Oh, thank you, Calleigh! I love you!"

Calleigh leaned down, kissing the curly brown locks, as the boy continued to squeeze her midsection. "Remember that, the next time I ask you to clean out the horse stalls."

Cooper pulled back, his eyes wide, sparkling with excitement. "I will. I promise." He finally released his sister and began to help with the packing. "How come Newly isn't going with us?"

"He's going with daddy, to Garden City, to pick up a prisoner and take him to Hays. They'll be gone for several days."

Cooper handed Calleigh a small box, which contained his favorite lures. He watched as she worked it in with the other items. "Is Bear going to watch over momma and Hadley?"

Calleigh stopped packing, cocking her head to one side. She shifted her stance, leaving most of her weight on one foot. "Why would you ask that?"

The boy shrugged as he continued to gather his things. "Daddy would never go away and leave them unprotected." He was seemingly unaware of his sister's amazement as he continued to explain. "Like Newly and Uncle Festus always watch out for you. That's what men do for the women they love…right?" When Cooper turned around, he was confronted by an expression he had never seen his sister wear before. "What? Did I say something wrong?"

Calleigh released a faint chuckle under her breath. "Coop, I don't know that you even know how to say the wrong thing!" She gave him a gentle shove, directing him back to the packing. "We'll leave first thing in the morning, okay?"

Cooper stopped suddenly and turned back to his sister. "What are we going to eat for two days? I mean…if we don't catch any fish? You're not going to cook, are you?"

The amazement was gone from the young woman's face, replaced with a chagrined expression. "Okay, I was wrong. You can say the wrong thing. Not to worry—Tia is going to pack us some food to take."

MKLMKMKMKMKMKM

"Are you going to miss me?" Matt leaned back against the headboard, as he watched his wife get ready for bed.

"From the sound of things, I'm going to miss everyone." Kitty slipped on the diaphanous nightgown, that was Matt's favorite, and took a seat at her dressing table. "Seems as if Hadley and I, will be the only two left behind."

"Well, you don't sound very upset." He puffed up his pillow and shoved it behind his head.

Kitty looked into the mirror, watching her husband's reflection, as she began her nightly ritual of brushing her hair "I'll miss everyone, of course; but I don't get to spend much alone time with my baby."

Matt threw back the covers and hauled his giant body from the bed. His steps across the room were slow and deliberate, as he leveled his gaze on the sapphire eyes in the mirror. He reached down, taking the sterling silver hair brush from his wife's hand and began to stroke the long, red tresses. "Now, which baby would that be…?" He leaned down, running his lips down the smooth curve of her neck.

Matt watched the changes to his wife's reflection in the mirror. Her lips, slightly parted in a breathless sigh, as she leaned back into him. "I didn't know you felt neglected, sweetheart." Kitty took the brush from his hand and placed it back on the silver tray. He barely gave her time to stand, before whirling her around and into his arms, where his eager lips waited to claim hers. After a long while, when he finally released her lips, he painted kisses along her neck, breathing softly into her ear. "Anytime you're not touching me, I feel neglected."

Idle hands were not a fault attached to the marshal, especially in regards to his wife. At the moment, he was working to untie the ribbon on her lace dressing gown. Once undone, the flimsy material tumbled to the floor behind them, as he guided her toward the bed. Just as they reached their destination, Matt hooked his thumbs under the narrow straps of Kitty's silk lingerie, sliding them across her shoulders. When he let go, the gown—like its counterpart—drifted down around her feet.

Kitty lay back on the bed, blue locked with blue, as he stretched his massive frame above her. Matt moaned softly, as his fingers traced along the silky fullness of Kitty's breasts. She arched back in his arms, as if she were offering them to him as a gift. It was a gift that he voraciously accepted. His mouth covered them with an insatiable hunger; his warm lips coveting every inch. Her nipples hardened as the roughness of his tongue stroked against the velvety surface and he could feel her body's familiar quiver. It was as if every time was the first time—and yet…their bodies were so in tune.

Sensing her need to control, the lawman relinquished his position of power and rolled onto his back. Kitty seized upon the transition with unbridled passion. Her lithe body slid across his, her warm thighs resting on each side of his hips as she raised herself up greedily, entombing his velvety hardness within her. Twisting her hips closer, she arched back so that he was imbedded into the very core of her being. Matt felt as though he were being ridden into the far reaches of ecstasy and the rider was relentless in her pursuit to please him. Both were suddenly thrown into a white-hot swirl of euphoria. Breathless sighs and moans of utmost pleasure, gently carried them back to the world around them.

Kitty lay comfortably on top of Matt's muscular chest, her arms folded, to give her a place to rest her chin. She wore a contented smile, akin to a Cheshire cat's. "Still feeling neglected?"

Matt laughed. The hearty vibration gently bounced her resting body. "So, was I the baby you were talking about?"

"You're my biggest baby, that's for sure." Her smile softened her sarcastic tone. "And to answer your earlier question-" Kitty paused, as she ran her fingers across his chest. A more wistful tone emerged "…Of course I'll miss you. Who is this man you're picking up in Garden City?"

Matt brushed the wayward hair from her cheek. "Why do you want to know his name?"

She could hear the protective wall going up. "He must be dangerous, if you're taking Newly with you."

"There's always a chance something could-"

"Matt, stop!" Kitty's tone was clear, "No more games. I do know how to read, you know. Boley Jarret, was tried and convicted in Garden City last week. According to the papers, he's killed more than twenty people."

"But they were only able to convict on these last three murders."

If Matt really thought that was going to help ease her concerns, he was very mistaken. "Why? Because he—or his gang—murdered all the witnesses in the other killings? Don't you think they'll try to save him, before you two can get him to Hays?"

His sigh was one of defeat as he came clean. "Threats have been made, but that's not unusual. We'll be careful, I promise." Matt's strong arms stopped her from pulling away. "Kitty, you know this is a part of my job. I thought this was all settled when we decided I would keep this badge. You agreed to trust that I would be honest with you about the risks. But, you promised to trust in my years of experience when assessing those risks. Remember?"

Her righteous anger evaporated under his piercing, but loving, blue eyes. Kitty stroked the strong line of his jaw. "Just because I agreed…doesn't mean I stopped worrying."

"And I love you for it." Matt rolled over on his side, tucking her in neatly beside himself. As he snuggled closer, his gaze seemed to focus on something across the room. "You looked really sexy in that."

Kitty followed his line of sight, settling on the pale blue dressing gown, so callously abandoned. "Then why didn't you let me wear it for a while?"

He pulled her in tighter; his voice had become warm, rich, like thick syrup oozing into her body. "Well, the wrapping was nice, but you know how I love opening presents, getting to that sweet treasure inside." He kissed her again, hoping that she would stop worrying about his trip tomorrow. Yet, when he looked down into those bright sapphire eyes, he could see they were still shadowed by concern.

TBC