“I think we can put our last evening at the cabin to good use,” he said with a suggestive wink as they turned their horses and set out for the shelter.
“What’s it going to be like,” she asked, “Traveling in the APC’s cross country?”
“Crowded. The vehicles weren’t built for civilian comfort. They’re designed for military efficiency. We take breaks fairly often though, since Buddy needs to be walked. We’ve been staying in abandoned houses for the most part but occasionally we’ve had to camp out overnight. The captain posts extra guards for those occasions.”
“So, not much privacy?” she said.
“Are you embarrassed about what we’ve been sharing?” He was surprised. Tamsyn seemed like such a confident woman, one who knew what she wanted and didn’t care what the world thought.
Sure enough she gave him a startled look and shook her head. “Not at all. Of course not. I’m merely trying to set my expectations for the trip.”
“Wherever we bed down for the nights, you and I’ll be together,” Cody said, determined to establish the boundaries now and not later when they’d be among his team, Melly and Mike. He chuckled. “I wouldn’t be too surprised if that’s why Jeff agreed to send me up here with you instead of Zach, who’s probably done cattle drives or what-have-you in the past on his agri planet.”
“What do you mean?”
“Sweetheart, the fact there was a growing connection between us must have been obvious to everyone.” He was matter of fact. “I’m guessing Jeff was hoping we’d figure it out up here, in private. The APC’s are a tight little world, not a good place for dealing with repressed emotions.”
“Repressed?” He thought she’d fall out of her saddle because she laughed so hard. “Do I strike you as repressed in any way?”
“Not at all, thank goodness. Quite the opposite,” he said with a chuckle, thinking of their times in bed. “But it’s better for the team if we’re sure of what we’re doing with each other before we set off in the APC’s.”
Now they were at the cabin and Tamsyn dismounted. “I’m sure.”
Hearing the unspoken question in her voice, he hastened to swing from the saddle and catch her close with his free arm. “Good, because I’m all in, you’re it for me, sweetheart.”
They kissed while their horses stood by, placidly swiping mouthfuls of the lush grass. Cody couldn’t get enough of being with Tamsyn and he thanked the Lords of Space for putting her in his path and for allowing him to survive the infected bite so he could claim this amazing woman.
Chapter Eleven
After another night of lovemaking, followed by a day’s ride, they arrived at the ranch house. Buddy met them at the far edge of the pasture, barking his head off and running beside Blaze and Mercury in happy leaps and bounds. By the time Cody drew rein at the big porch, his team was gathered.
“Did you accomplish what you wanted?” Jeff asked as Cody and Tamsyn dismounted.
“Yes.”
“Absolutely.”
They spoke in unison and their friends grinned as Cody drew Tamsyn close to emphasize his point.
“I’m not sure whether you’re talking about moving the cattle herd or something else,” Melly said with glee. “But we missed you. It’s good to have you both back safe and sound.”
“Amy problems here?” Cody asked. “I didn’t have any alerts from my drones.”
“Nice and quiet,” Jeff reported. “The way I like it. We spent our time working off Tamsyn’s To Do list for closing up the house and barn. Let the goats loose—they sure are ornery creatures.”
“No doubt they’ll survive on their own,” Ryan said, rubbing his butt in a way that made Cody suspect the goats hadn’t gone quietly.
“I’m going to turn the horses loose tonight,” Tamsyn said. “After we rub them down and feed them. I know you want an early start tomorrow.”
Jeff nodded. “I appreciate that. We’ve been holed up here long enough, too long for my taste but the delay was unavoidable due to Cody’s injury. We need to get on the road and back into action.”
* * *
Tamsyn delayed the inevitable as long as she could, taking a shower after finishing up in the barn. Cody joined her for both activities. He’d put his gear in her bedroom, which was the biggest in the house and had been her parents’. She’d invited him to do so, not wanting to be apart from him for this final night in her ancestral home.
Dinner was a festive occasion, with Cody sharing anecdotes from their trip, including their encounter with the infected prospector. For their part, his fellow soldiers talked about their experiences with the goat herd and the flock of chickens in Tamsyn’s absence. She sat quietly, forcing herself to eat a few bites of the delicious meal Zach and Ryan had prepared to welcome her and Cody home. She wasn’t hungry, sadness about tomorrow’s impending departure weighing on her heart. She couldn’t join in the discussion about tomorrow’s drive, or what they’d find along the way, because now the time had arrived for her to walk away from the Double Comets, she didn’t know if she could do it.
Cody kept his hand on her thigh under the table. She knew he was aware of her mixed emotions and appreciated him taking the lead in talking about their time on the cattle relocation so she could sit quietly and take in the sensations of sitting at this table for the last time, using her many times great-grandmother’s china, surrounded by all the familiar things of her family home.
