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As Matt and C.J. ran out into the barnyard, they ran into Lamar looking like he had just run a dash.

"What's going on here," Matt asked him.

Lamar just shrugged.

"I was out with Bo making a final check on things and heard a noise from the barn," he said, "Next thing I know, Beulah's churning up a ruckus and comes running out of the barn."

"So she just got out of her pen again," C.J. asked.

The older ranch hand looked doubtful.

"Since that last escape I double checked and her door was secured," Lamar said, "and she was sawing wood with a big old smile on her face not too long ago."

"Where is she now?"

Bo just threw his arms up.

"Your guess is as good as mine, C.J.," he said, "She could be clear across the county by now."

Matt scratched his head.

"I'm guessing more like the lake," he said, "It's a beautiful night for a swim."

C.J. sighed.

"We'd better go find her," she said, "Did you see any signs of anyone, a prowler?"

Lamar looked back at the barn.

"I don't know," he said, "There might have been a dark shape that slipped into the shadows back there."

Matt wondered if that were the case or if Lamar had just been seeing things. But he couldn't take any chances with Marquis running around loose somewhere. He had to contact his security men out doing perimeter and that meant getting his cell phone which he had left by the Jacuzzi.

"I'll be right back," he said, and C.J. watched him leave.

"Houston, we're not exactly dressed…"

He realized that too and they both decided to head off and get changed and then meet back by the barn in a few minutes.

Matt had grabbed his cell phone by the Jacuzzi and called Zeke for an update. The man who had been patrolling the area by the lake said he hadn't seen or heard anything unusual.

"Contact the others and see if they've noticed anything unusual," Matt said, "We're on our way out to the lake."

He clicked off his phone and after changing into his clothes, ran into C.J. outside the barn.

"Where are Bo and Lamar," Matt asked.

"They're out near the orchard," C.J. said, "Beulah could be in there."

"Maybe she caught us a prowler."

C.J. frowned as she turned on her flashlight.

"Who would want to go inside the barn?"

Matt could think of only one person though it didn't necessarily have to be Marquis or even a real person. But if the terrorist had shown up to exact his revenge, he knew he had to be ready.

"We'll have to get the horses."

C.J. nodded and they headed to the barn to saddle them up. Chelsea seemed eager for a little night riding and Matt decided to take Cayenne.

"Beulah is probably swimming in the lake by now," she said.

"It's a warm night C.J.," Matt said, "She's just got the right idea."

C.J. just raised a brow at him.

"I'm not going swimming," she said, "If you want to go splash around with Beulah, be my guest."

Matt smiled.

"No thanks, I have other plans."

She folded her arms, her eyes twinkling.

"Oh you do, do you?"

"With a beautiful young woman," he said, "to pick up where we left off."

Her brow arched.

"Feeling lucky aren't you?"

"You could say that."

She just shook her head as she led Chelsea out of the barn and got aboard. She pulled the reins tight and waited for Matt. When he was ready on Cayenne, the two of them took off towards the lake to look for the wayward porcine. Darkness surrounded them, outlined in shadow but with the moon shining overhead. They crossed the meadow with and C.J. saw the lake ahead.

"I don't see anything," she said.

Matt looked around too. No sign of Beulah or any life form for that matter. They rode closer to the dock that Matt had been fixing up and C.J. got off of her horse.

"I really thought she'd be here splashing in the water by now," she said.

Matt dismounted too and followed her to where she had Chelsea's reins loosely wrapped around a post at the end of the dock. She looked out into the water, but it rippled beneath the surface, leaving that as smooth as glass.

"It's a beautiful night," she said, thoughtfully.

"That it is," Matt agreed, "I forgot I much I loved it here."

"Me too…"

"I should have never left this place and not come back all this time," he said.

"Well, you've been pretty busy the past several years," she said.

Life had quickly become so chaotic, so crazy after Matt had left his ranch to live at his Malibu beach house, a much shorter commute to the office. His wardrobe had shifted away from his ranching attire to more casual wear and his way of looking at the world had changed too. Not long after he had left, Bo and Lamar and some of his other Texan friends had made their way back home while he and C.J. had remained behind in L.A. When Vince had retired from the LAPD after that tragic kidnapping case, he had quickly enough found another cohort and friend in Hoyt. But despite all these changes in the canvas of his life, Matt had never really forgotten how simple and carefree his life had been on his ranch. And a large part of him missed that.

And he had missed the woman alongside him when she had retreated away from city life and had gone up and purchased his ranch out from under him. Probably as he knew now, because she knew him better than he did himself.

"It's been busy for you too," he responded.

"Maybe," she conceded, "but I'm back here and this is really where I want to be."

She walked over to the dock and sat down on it and he took a seat beside her.

"You'll never return to L.A.?"

C.J. appeared to be deep in thought. He knew that this was a decision she had wrestled with but she looked now to be at peace with herself.

"I might work there but here's my home. I love waking up in the mornings here and being in the outdoors and then when the day's done sitting out and relaxing in the outdoors."

Matt nodded.

"The best of both worlds," he said, "but my idea of the best world is one with you in it."

She sighed, throwing her shoulders back a little as she looked out into the lake.

"You're here right now…"

He looked at her.

"C.J. about what happened…"

She stopped him.

"I wanted it too," she said, "It wasn't until afterward that I realized how much. I just got a bit scared."

"Of what?"

She paused.

"Of losing you…Of everything changing…and when it changes again, that we won't be friends because we both want very different things."

He saw her words in her eyes and he cupped her chin with his hand, so she would see what he said as well as hear it.

"That's not going to happen," he said, "But I'd be lying if I'd be content going back to the way things were before we made love."

"Houston…"

"No hear me out," he said, "Because I think that you believe that's what would happen. That we could come together as we did and that I would just walk away."

"How many women have you done that with," she asked simply.

"More than a few," he admitted, "but you're not one of them."

She nodded, thinking about that and then looked at him directly, her hazel eyes studying him for any sign of hesitation.

"Then what am I?"

There wasn't any in his voice. And that was after there hadn't been any in his action as he had bent, to gently kiss her lips.

"You're my best friend…"

Then he kissed her again, this time more deeply and she responded, wrapping her arms around him until they broke for air.

"Who's knocked me clear out of my saddle in other ways."

She smiled, touching his mouth with her fingers.

"Like how," she said, as she brushed her mouth with her own, "You mean this?"

That definitely got his attention. He stroked her hair back with his own fingers and she closed her eyes loving the sensations which ran through her when he did that. Also knowing that he knew damn well his full effect on her as her heartbeat quickened from his touch.

She kissed his chin, where a beard threatened and then the corner of his mouth.

"Or this…"

He stroked her face, one finger trailing down to her lips.

"We'd better head on back," he said.

Her brows rose.

"Now who's turning shy?"

He chuckled.

"I'm talking about the ranch house," he said, "which is where we were heading anyway when all this happened."

C.J. frowned for a second.

"We'd better tell Bo and Lamar we didn't see Beulah."

Matt nodded.

"Maybe they found her," he said, "She loves the apples in that orchard."

Oh yeah, C.J . remembered that they had chased her through there the other day just before they had kissed and she had forgotten for a while where she had been, nothing had mattered except the two of them discovering each other.

"That orchard is one of my favorite places too," Matt mused, "And the apples are not so bad either."

She looked at him suddenly.

"I'll race you back…"

He tilted his head.

"So you think you have the faster horse?"

She laughed.

"I know I do cowboy but you're free to disagree," she said, "What are you willing to wager?"

He thought about it.

"I win…you spend the night with me…"

She rolled her eyes at him.

"And if I win?"

He waggled his brows.

"I spend the night with you…"

She just shook her head as they untied their horses and got back in the saddle to head on back. She gave Chelsea some rein and then turned to look back at him.

"What if we finish in a dead heat?"

Matt's slow smile answered that question for her.

They headed back across the pasture, opting for a trail through it lit by the moon and sure enough, Chelsea had the younger filly's measure but not by much and Matt's prized filly finished just a length behind her.

Matt swung his horse by her to pat her on the back.

"You won…"

"I think we both did."

They ran into Bo and Lamar in the barn and they saw that Beulah had returned to her pen and now noshed on some apples.

"You found her in the orchard," C.J. guessed.

Bo nodded.

"She was hiding in the trees," he said, "Probably thought she would get into trouble."

Matt frowned.

"Did you ever see anything suspicious?"

Bo and Lamar looked at each other then at both of them.

"No, can't say that we did," Bo said, "Maybe we just saw shadows and thought it was someone."

Matt wanted to believe that was the case but still, he didn't want to regret later that he had blown a chance not to stop Marquis if he had launched a plan to go after them on the ranch. He hadn't heard any suspicious activity reported by the security men so maybe there hadn't been any prowler. Resting easy would be near impossible until the law enforcement authorities caught up with Marquis.

He sighed.

"I think we'd all better call it a day," he said, "but if you ever see anything…"

Bo just looked at him.

"Is there anything we should be looking out for?"

C.J. caught the tone in his voice and looked at Matt too. But he didn't say anything for a long moment.

"Houston," Lamar started.

Matt interrupted him.

"I just think that we can just never be too careful," he said, "Our line of work attracts enemies."

Now C.J. really felt her guard go up.

"Houston, if there's anything in particular?"

He shook his head.

"It looks like tonight's a false alarm anyway," he said, "and what's important is that Beulah's back home safe making a dent in the apple harvest."

Bo shook his head.

"She's got an appetite that just won't quit."

Lamar chuckled.

"Sounds like someone we both know…"

Bo scowled.

"Now you wait just a dog gone minute…"

The two men said goodnight and continued with some good-natured verbal sparring as they walked to their cabin. C.J. and Matt watched them go before he turned to face her.

"Now where were we?"

She looked at him playfully.

"Oh…I don't know if I can remember…"

He swept her up in his arms and carried her.

"Does this help," he asked.

She placed her hands on his head and kissed him briefly, the taste of him on her mouth jolted her memory.

"I think it does…"

He chuckled as they headed to the ranch house.

"So which bedroom," he asked.

"Does it matter?"

No it didn't, so he opted for the closest. And things happened quickly after that once they slipped inside the darkened room leaving the rest of the world outside.

Afterward, she lay wrapped up in his arms, his breath against her skin, the perspiration drying on their skin. C.J. felt her heartbeat begin to gradually slow down and her muscles relaxed even as his arms tightened.

"I'm not going anywhere," she told him, "I'm where I want to be."

He kissed her hair, his own heart still racing a bit and she snuggled closer to him.

"I like your style Ms Parsons," was all he said.

She almost blushed but why should she, even though once they had stepped inside the room; she had taken matters into her own hands and had started removing his clothing before he had a chance to respond. When he did, only one word slipped out.

"C.J…"

She stopped him with another kiss as his shirt slid off his body and she started exploring his chest with her fingers. She loved the roughness of his skin, the texture of his hair. He loved her touch, gentle at first and then when her mouth followed…

"What's the matter," she asked, out of breath, "You never had a woman lead when you ask her to dance?"

And she thought afterward, that his skin had flushed a fewer shades of pink itself pretty soon after that. But then she had even surprised herself with her boldness.

She moved from his embrace and lifted herself up on her elbows. Matt looked at her wondering how her beauty had slipped away from his notice for so long. He had always known it was there but not how just how much.

"The night's still young," he said.

She smiled at that.

"True…"

And her lips captured his own again, as he pulled her closer to him. Their bodies mated together but no more so than their hearts.

C.J. had risen the next morning and Matt had still been asleep. She had smiled figuring that he needed it given that she hadn't been the one still recovering from a dangerous spider bite. The sheets remained tucked around his waist and she left him that way, since he appeared so peaceful.

She felt that peace too and as the sunlight streamed through the window, she went to check her phone messages before she would head outside and check on the horses. As she clicked her email, she noticed that she had received another from "Old Friend."

You had one minute to change my mind…but you didn't change it.

She gasped inwardly because there was no way the sender could be anyone but him, because only he had known what had happened when she had been his hostage, his leverage against Matt to get him to free his son by reversing his eyewitness testimony. She felt herself begin to hyperventilate and tried to center herself by taking deep breaths. Then she sat down in a chair, after putting the phone down.

And then she heard his voice.

"C.J., what's going on here?"

She turned to face Matt who had woken up and looked at her, his eyes taking in the expression on her face.