Rough Ryder

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Rough Ryder

By

Crystal
G. Smith and Elizabeth A. Veatch

Copyright © 2013 Crystal
G. Smith and Elizabeth A. Veatch

Kindle Edition

Book cover design by Melody Simmons

This book is licensed for your personal enjoyment only.  Your support and respect for the property of this author is greatly appreciated.
  All rights reserved, including the right of reproduction in whole or in part in any form, except for the use of brief quotations in a book review.  This book is a work of fiction.  Any resemblance to persons, living or dead or places, event or locales is purely coincidental.

Disclaimer: The material in this book is for mature audiences only and contains graphic sexual content.  It is intended only for those aged 18 or older.

Happy Reading!

Other Titles

Together By Chance

Together In Lust

Together
Forever

Seducing Peaches

Southern Romance

Swept
Away : The First Bloodline

Coming Soon

Finding Peaches and Creme

Love Swept:  The First Bloodline (book 2 of the Bloodline Series)

Southern Heat

Southern Charm

Teaching Bailey

Rough Ryder, Smooth Trinket

The Beginning

The sound of the splash caused Trinket to turn and look out over side of the boat.  The water was calmly splashing the side as it set offshore.  The waves soothingly, making their way to the beach before returning out to sea.  There was nothing but ocean to be viewed.  If ever there was a place for peace, this was it.

Rubbing her arms
, she made her way back to her chair and pulled her light shawl back around her shoulders. The night air blowing off the water was definitely getting cooler.  It wouldn’t be long and she would have to make her way back in.  Relaxing back in her reclining chair, she closed her eyes and breathed in the cool air. 

She had been coming out here for the past
month.  The only time she didn’t feel like screaming her head off was when she was on the water, away from all the well-meaning people. 

She could only take so many of their pitiful looks
and could only choke down so many casseroles.  She was afraid if she didn’t stay away; someone would be wearing one of the numerous green bean or chicken pans.

Why did it happen to me? Why did it happen at all?

Pulling her legs up in the chair
, she wrapped her arms around her knees and rocked herself. The silent tears ran down her face as she watched the sun finish making its way down to meet the waters’ edge.  The sky had no right to have such beautiful colors streaking across it, while she was full of dark insignia, clear through to her soul.

There it was again, the splash that always seemed to signal it was time to go in. 
Time to return to the lonely cottage.  The little cottage where the start of a wonderful life had been.  Where there was supposed to be bonfires in the summer and Christmas lights in the winter.  Where the sound of laughter was so frequent it was embedded in the walls.  Walls, where pictures of her beautiful little family hung.

It was not such a chee
ry place to go to now.  She dreaded walking up the path and returning.  Opening the door of the cool dark home, the silence was unbearable at times.  There was no one there to greet her, no one for her to tuck into bed at night and give a little kiss too before singing to sleep.  No one for her to curl up to in front of a roaring fire.  There was
no one.

    
              Making her way over the side of the boat, she clamored down and waded to the sand covered beach. As always, she turned back to look one last time out across the water.  Her mind had stopped seeing the little hand popping out of the water for her, but she couldn’t stop herself from looking.

She stood there for what seemed like forever before finishing the walk that would take her back to her suffering.  Back into what once was the home of her
dreams.

    
              After pulling on her warm flannel pajamas, and drinking a cup of tea, she climbed onto her side of the queen size bed, tucking the pillows from the other side against her, she lay back and waited.  Waited for the endless night to pass and prayed for a dreamless night.

*****

                  
Laughter filled the air as the little girl ran down the beach to meet her father.  Her long blonde hair flowing out in the wind behind her.  Her cheeks pink from spending the morning outside waiting and watching the sky.  She knew daddy was coming home today and she wanted to be the first one to see him.

    
              Strolling behind her, the beautiful young woman laughed with her.  She had long ago given up trying to keep up with her daughter, once she set eyes on the little two seater plane that was bringing daddy home.  It seemed like from the time she could walkm, she was always running for her daddy. 

He always made it look easy
landing the plane on the water and coasting it to the beach.  Jumping out of the cockpit, he reached in and grabbed his overnight bag then with the other arm, pulled the apple of his eye up and carried her to meet the love of his life.

Her heart always jumped in her throat whenever she saw him.  His masculine good looks and boyish charm had claimed her love five years ago.  She could hear his laughter mixing with their daughters as she tried to con him into telling
her what present he had brought home for her this time.  

As always before they made it to the door of their home
, Mandy was playing with her new toys.  Her parents, smiling at her as she ran off to her room to show her new treasures to her dolls.

“If I didn’t know better
, I would think that you brought that home for her to bribe her into leaving us alone for five minutes.” She giggled as he pulled her towards him, eveloping her with his arms.

“And sometimes
, I would think you were right.” He smiled as his mouth closed in on hers, claiming her lips in a breathtaking kiss that made the pit of her stomach tighten.  Turning them, he pressed her up against the wall.  Imprinting her body with his.  Making his way down her neck nibbling.

Suddenly
, the sound of little giggles was breaking them apart as two little arms pried her way in between them.

“Daddy
, why do you always have to kiss mommy for so long?” Grabbing each of their hands, she pulled them into the living room and pushed them down on the couch.  Climbing up onto his lap, she snuggled her head into his chest. “You are going to stay a long time now.  Right?”

“I’m going to stay as long as I can.  What kind of p
lans do we have for tonight?”  Avoiding her questions seemed to be getting harder and harder as she got older.  Rubbing her hair, he looked over her head and gave a half-hearted smile to the woman he loved.

“Mandy, why don’t you show your father the new birds’ nest we found.  I’ll get some supper together.”  Trinket
knew by the look on his face, he wasn’t going to be staying long and she wanted to be able to enjoy every second of it.  She watched out the window as the two people she loved more than life itself, stood admiring the three unhatched birds’ eggs.

After preparing a quick supper of sandwiches and chips with sweet tea to wash it down, they all sat down together.

Holding hands around the table while Mandy said grace, Trinket knew her life could never get any better than it was at this moment.  She watched as Mandy yawned from the tiring day.  Trinket had intended on an early night, and had made sure that Mandy had stayed busy so when night came, it would be easy getting her to sleep.

After tucking Mandy into bed for
the second time, they cuddled together on the couch.   Each knowing how the other felt and each knowing that this was to be a short visit.  But soon, they would be able to spend all their time together.

Sam curled his fingers through hers
, “You know this is not going to be forever. Right?  It won’t be much longer and these trips will be finished.  Brett is going to be taking them back on as soon as his leg heals.”

“I know.  I just don’t understand why it had to be you.  There are two other pilots.” She knew she was being unreasonable.  One of the pilots’ wife was fixing to have a baby and the others mother was very ill. Brett normally took this route but he had an accident and broke his leg.

Leaning over her, he placed a hand on either side of her head.  “I think I can make you feel better. How about if I give you something to remember me by?” Moving his mouth over hers softly, he knew just what she needed and he would see to it she got it.

Closing her eyes as she felt his lips against her lashes
, she gasped.  He could always make her feel better.  And she was sure she would remember this night  in the days to come. Giggling and grabbing his hand, she pulled him off the couch and they ran down the hall together. Falling into their bed.

*****

Trinket woke with a start.  Rubbing her head from yet another migraine she had a tendency to get when she dreamed of what used to be.  Standing, she made her way to the bathroom, reaching for the bottle of Fiorcet the doctor had given her.  After downing a pill, she wet a wash cloth. She returned to her bed and laid the wash cloth over her eyes, knowing that when the medicine kicked in, she would be out.

*****

                   
“Noooooo!  Help them you have to help them.  You have to keep looking for them.  You haven’t found them. They are out there waiting for you to come get them.  Maybe they are floating around on some driftwood wondering why no one is looking for them.”  She turned screaming looking from one set of saddened eyes to the next. “You can’t just give up!  You have to find them, you have too.” Collapsing to the floor, Trinket continued sobbing and pounding her fist into the floor.

*****

                   Suddenly, she sat up in the bed drenched with her own sweat and her eyes swollen from crying.  Brushing her tousled hair from her eyes, she looked around.  As always, he wasn’t there.  She was alone.  The only sound was from the cuckoo clock Sam had bought her on their honeymoon. So long ago.  She grabbed his pillow and curled up in the bed to spend the rest of the night reliving the most horrible night of her life.

Mandy begged and begged Sam to take her for a ride before he had to leave.  Of
course he gave in. He was the best pilot around. The weather was good. What would be the harm? 

Fastening her seatbelt around her
, Trinket could remember those big beautiful blue eyes smiling up at her. So full of life and excitement. Kissing her daughter on the head, she backed away from the plane. 

Sam powered up the plane and they coasted out till they were far enough that he took off.
Slowly at first. He knew there would be hell to pay if Trinket thought he was being irresponsible with her pride and joy on board. 

They circle
d around a few times waving at Trinket when they got close enough. Then with a big smile on his face, he pointed up and took off.  Trinket stood there holding her breath.

“I’m gonna kill him as soon as he lands that plane safely.”  She smiled
because she knew they were laughing at her. They were so much alike.

Then
she heard it.  The loud roar of the plane as it began its decent way to fast.  She knew something was wrong.  She froze as she stared out across the water.  Watching silently as her whole life ended right in front of her. 

It
was over. In a flash. The coast guard had searched for days.  Friends and family was with her through it all. But she really just wanted them to go away.  To leave her alone. To leave her with her memories.

Now  she
spent her days out on the water.  Hoping that somehow she would find them.  Deep down, she knew that was never going to happen but she couldn’t give up hope.  It was all she had left and no one could take it from her.