The Cain Casey Series

Chapter Fourteen

Cain slipped the night-vision glasses into place as soon as she cleared the fence and started out at a moderate pace. Since no one expected her arrival, she could take her time. Merrick had walked Hayden and Mook to the house for their dinner with the Verdes; they had instructions to stay there and not step into the bunkhouse until the rest of them got back from town. Cain was outside her final destination less than an hour later and just sat watching for dogs or other security measures.

The woman she had seen earlier stood at the kitchen window. From her movements, Cain guessed she was rinsing dishes and loading them into the dishwasher. She crept closer and, almost in the woman’s plain sight, she attached something to the window before she moved back. Sitting against the fence, she put the headphones on and turned up the volume.

“Jerry, will you pick up those toys all over the den? It’s been too cold to take Hannah outside, and we really made a mess.”

In addition to the woman, Cain could hear a child singing along with a video.

“Are you ready for your bath, Miss Hannah?”

“Yes, Aunt Maddie.”

“You’re such a good girl.”

Through the binoculars, Cain watched Maddie carry the little girl upstairs to the bathroom, then to the bedroom to get her ready for bed. She devoured the sight of the child with shiny black hair and a very familiar face. Hannah’s resemblance to Hayden made Cain ache. And it made her furious. Here, full of energy, was why Emma left. Only Cain viewed the little girl as what Emma had stolen from her.

“Aunt Maddie, where’s Mama?” Hannah put her arms up for her nightgown.

“She’ll be back for you in a couple of days. Do you miss your mama?”

“She said she’s gonna bring me a prize.”

Hannah held a teddy bear up to the side of her face and smiled, making Cain fall in love on the spot.

“I love prizes.”

“A surprise, huh? Well, I’m sure it’s going to be great. Get in here, baby.” Maddie pulled back the blankets on the bed and tucked the little girl in. “You go to sleep, and I’m sure your mama’s going to come and see you real soon.”

“You promise, Aunt Maddie?”

“I promise, baby girl. Your mama’s got something to do, and as soon as she’s done she’ll be coming by to pick you up. Until then you, me, and your uncle Jerry are going to have the best time playing and watching videos.”

“Mama said she was going to see my brother Haygen, but I hadda wait to see him. He lives with my mama Cain far away. Why do you think she doesn’t want me to live with her too like Haygen does?”

“You’re going to have to ask your mama that one, sweetie. I never met Cain, but I’m guessing she loves you a whole world full, and one day maybe she’ll get to show you. Does your mama tell you a lot about Hayden and Mama Cain?”

“Yes. She told me ’cause they’re my family, and Mama said dat’s important.”

“It is, but getting some sleep is important too, so close your eyes and get ready to meet the sandman.”

Cain listened with big tears running down her face when the little charmer said her prayers after the woman left. “God bless my mama, Grandpa Ross, my big brother Haygen, and my mama Cain. Amen.”

Maddie stared out into the night from the kitchen window as she finished the dishes, obviously not seeing anything out of the ordinary. “Emma, I hope to hell you know what you’re doing.” The good friend was one of the only people in town who knew the whole story, and the one who had helped Emma through the pregnancy and birth.

Cain gave her no answer as she ran back into the night. She had one more thing to do before retreating to her bed. After carefully climbing up to the roof of the barn, she attached some listening devices so she could monitor the hunters who were stalking her. She knew if anyone caught her up there, she would blow any chance to pull off her plan for Kyle, but she hadn’t built her life on playing it safe. She crouched as she watched Merrick and the guys pull in from dinner, and timed her jump from the roof with the closing of car doors, then slipped back to the window she had left from.

Cain was lying down with her eyes closed, her breath slow and deep, when she heard the group walk in with Hayden. She listened to them get ready for bed, trying not to make too much noise. Then, when the last of the lights clicked off, she sat up and swung her legs off the small twin bed. Her every instinct told her to go up to the house and drag Emma to the next farm and force her to confess to Hannah’s existence.

In bare feet and no coat, she stalked outside and reached the halfway point between the two structures before she stopped herself from taking another step. She was so angry she closed her eyes and took a few deep breaths to still her emotions. Her fury prevented her from feeling the cold or seeing the woman staring down at her.

From her window, the woman who was the center of Cain’s storm felt a finger of fear drag slowly up her spine. Emma felt completely different than the first time she had looked out and spotted Cain outside her bedroom window.

Thirteen Years Earlier at Emma’s Apartment

Emma leaned against her apartment door, listening to the receding footsteps on the other side. It had been an electric year, enjoying life on Cain’s arm. She was about as far from her father’s dairy farm as she could imagine herself. She had kept her job at the pub and her modest apartment because she didn’t want to ever be thought of as a kept woman.

When she could no longer hear anything out in the hall, Emma moved to the window to watch Cain leave. Instead of getting into her car, she stood near the bottom of the window looking up, apparently knowing she wouldn’t have to wait too long to see Emma again. The well-known Casey smile was in place when she appeared in the window. Tonight that smile undid her. Tonight, she realized, Cain was going to claim something that belonged to her from the moment Emma had laid eyes on her.

“Do you have to be anywhere else right this minute?” she asked, leaning out the window.

“I’ll be wherever you want me to be.”

As an answer she dropped her shirt on Cain’s head and moved away from the window. She laughed when she heard the footsteps out in the hall again, only this time she heard more of a run.

Cain opened the door and found Emma standing there holding an arm over her chest, looking like she wasn’t so sure what to do next. In all their time together she had never teased Cain too much as she got more comfortable with taking their relationship to the next level. Some heavy-duty kissing and groping on her couch with Cain was about the extent of Emma’s experience, and Cain didn’t want to make a wrong move.

“I want you to stay.”

“Come here a minute, baby.” She opened her arms and waited for Emma to move. When her arms wrapped around naked skin she felt Emma relax. “Do you mind if we talk for a minute?”

“No.” Emma sounded so nervous Cain’s libido cooled.

“Let’s sit down.” In a chair with her limpet, she put her fingers under Emma’s chin so she could see her eyes. “You’re the woman I’m going to spend my life with, that’s how I feel about you. If you want the same thing, no one will ever share my bed or my life until it’s over.”

“Thank you for saying that, honey.”

“There’s a reason, and it isn’t what you think. Because I want to spend all my life with you, sweetling, I can be patient. When we make love, it’s going to be the right decision for both of us.”

“Don’t you want to?”

She smiled and placed her palm on Emma’s cheek. “More than anything, but I’m willing to wait. I love you, Emma, and because I do, it means I’ll wait as long as it takes.”

Emma closed her eyes and leaned farther into Cain’s caress. “You do?”

“More than anyone or anything else.”

“Could you say it again?” Emma asked as she looked into the eyes she adored.

“I love you, Emma, so very much.”

“I love you too, and I want you to show me.” Emma leaned back a little and moved to straddle Cain’s lap. Then she picked up a big hand and placed it over one of her breasts.

The move lit a flame in Cain that truly never went out. She got out of the chair and felt Emma’s legs tighten around her waist as they moved to the bedroom. To get Emma to feel even more at ease, she had her lover unbutton her own linen shirt and push it off her shoulders. They both moaned when skin met skin for the first time.

“Tell me if I do something that makes you uncomfortable, okay?” Cain’s words were some of the last they spoke.

Emma lifted her hips and helped remove her skirt. She was hungry for Cain to put her hands on her body and sate the need growing between her legs. They had touched her before to help her out of chairs, or to hold one of hers when they sat in a dark theater, and sometimes through her clothes when they shared some quiet time in her apartment, but tonight Cain’s hands felt hot.

Cain moved her hands constantly, never keeping them in any one place too long, which was driving Emma insane. As much as she wanted the hand to drift lower, any other need melted away when Cain lowered her head and sucked on her right nipple until it grew hard.

“Please don’t stop.” She clamped her hands around Cain’s head and held her in place. Touching herself had never brought this kind of intensity.

“Relax for me, honey.”

“Cain, relaxed is the last thing I’m feeling right now.” She really wanted to whack the side of Cain’s head when she heard the low chuckle, but doing so might pull the lips away from her body, and that just wouldn’t do. “Could you take your clothes off for me, honey? I want to feel you when you’re loving me.”

Hovering a little over her, Cain pulled her mouth away, which made her open her eyes.

“I love you.” After Cain made the declaration, which she had never made to anyone outside her family, she unbuckled her belt and shed the rest of her clothes. When Cain lay back down, Emma moaned as a trailing hand moved down to her most intimate place.

Cain took her time running her fingers through the silky wet heat, encouraging Emma to move with her to increase her pleasure. Just as slowly and gently, she moved her finger to the opening and her thumb to the hard clitoris, to help ease any discomfort Emma felt at first.

“Look at me, sweetling. This the first night we give ourselves to each other, but the commitment that goes with this honor is one I’m going to take a lifetime living up to.”

Emma gazed up at her and pulled Cain’s head down so she could kiss her. This was how she’d always dreamed this night would go. Cain didn’t disappoint by talking to her as she loved her. The talk of commitment and love made her glad she had waited. Giving herself to Cain was the best gift she could bestow. “Please, honey, make me yours.”

Emma tightened her hands on Cain’s shoulders as she broke through the barrier of her innocence, and again as the most unbelievable sensation of pleasure washed through her. Before the night was over she was hoarse from screaming Cain’s name into the darkened apartment, and when they went to sleep, she felt very well loved.

Emma remembered how Cain had held her and whispered how much she loved her when the intensity of the moment had driven her to tears. One of the most beautiful nights of her life had started with Cain standing under her window.

The woman standing in the yard now had nothing to do with romance or gentleness. Emma had only one thought in her head, and the possibility of it being true made her feel like someone had poured a bucket of cold water over her soul.

She knows.