Outlaw (34 page)

One day turned into a week, and still he hadn’t been
able to bring himself to tell her. In the meantime, Mandy’s calls were getting
more frequent, and he was finding it harder and harder to take them without
Angel becoming suspicious.

*****

One morning the following week, Natalie was in the
kitchen pouring her self a cup of coffee, and watching TJ eat his cereal.

Angel and Cole walked in. They had planned to go see
Melissa.

“Why don’t you two take a break from the hospital,
and go do something together? Natalie asked.

Angel looked at her. “You mean not go see Melissa?”

“My friend, Bonnie is coming over in about an hour.
She offered to go with me to the hospital, and watch TJ while I visit with
Melissa.”

“Oh, thanks, but-”

“You need a break, Angel,” Natalie interrupted.

Cole looked from Natalie to Angel, wondering who was
going to win this one.

Natalie looked to Cole. “Why don’t you take her for
a ride on that motorcycle of yours?” It was more of an order, than a question.

“Sure. Love to,” Cole agreed, not about to argue
with her.

“Take him up, and show him that river you used to love
so much as a kid,” Natalie suggested.

“I don’t know.”

“Angel, I’ll be with her. She’ll be fine.”

“Well, if you really think so.”

“I do.”

Before he knew it, Cole found himself riding up into
the mountains with Angel. She gave him directions over his shoulder. It took
them about forty-five minutes to get to the Salt River. They finally stopped
the bike in a deserted area, and got off.

Angel led him to the edge of a drop off, and they
looked down. The sparkling water of the river raced along.

Cole had to admit, it was something to see. “You
tubed down this thing?” he asked, amazed.

She nodded. “The water’s still pretty high this time
of year. It comes down from the mountain snowmelts. This is the run off. It’s
not safe to tube down now, but in the summer it’s pretty calm waters.”

His gaze traveled over the landscape. There were
high bluffs on the other side of the river. It looked like something out of a
western. He half expected to see an Indian sitting on a horse, high above them.
He looked up, and spotted a hawk soaring high over the river.

Angel walked over to a boulder, and sat down.

Cole followed, sitting next to her.

They were quiet for a few minutes, taking it all in,
enjoying the sound of the river.

Angel looked over at Cole. “Why do you suppose Natalie
was so insistent that we spend the day together?”

Cole looked off, squinting into the horizon. “I
guess she thought you needed a break, like she said.” And she probably wants me
to tell you what I’ve been putting off, he thought to himself.

“Yeah. I guess I did.”

Could he bring himself to do it? Was now as good a
time as any? He looked over at her. He knew everything would change between
them the minute he told her.

She smiled up at him. “Have I told you how happy I
am that you’re here?”

He smiled back at her. “I think you may have
mentioned it.”

“It means a lot to me, having you here to lean on.”

“I told you, that you wouldn’t have to go through
this alone. I meant it.”

She nodded. “I know. Her gaze dropped to his mouth.
A moment later she leaned in, and kissed him.

He pulled back, looking at her. “You know I care
about you, right?”

She smiled. “Yes. Why?”

He looked off into the distance. “Where do you see
this going?” he asked.

The smile faded from her face. “What do you mean?”

He looked back at her. “Us. What do you see
happening? What do you want?”

She looked away, confused. “I don’t know what you’re
asking.”

“Yes, you do. Tell me. Do you want to marry me? Is
that it?”

“What?”

“Is that what you want?”

“Are you asking me? This doesn’t quite sound like a
proposal.”

“Is that what you want?”

“I don’t know.”

“Do you really see us having a life together?”

“You ask that like it’s impossible. Like I shouldn’t
want that.”

“Maybe because I don’t see how you could want a life
with someone like me.” He found himself wondering if he was picking a fight
with her so that he wouldn’t have to tell her or so it’d be easier to tell her.

“Why do you always do that?” she asked, her tone
changing, becoming annoyed.

“Do what?” he snapped back.

“Qualify it. Instead of saying ‘a life with me’, you
say ‘a life with someone like me’.

He shook his head. “Whatever. Let’s go.” He stood
up, and started walking back to the bike.

She ran after him, grabbing his arm, and turning him
back around. “You said all that because you think I’m expecting more from you
than you’re ready to give. You’re wrong.”

“Wrong? Which part? You gonna stand there, and tell
me you don’t expect anything from me? That’s bullshit, and we both know it.” He
yanked his arm out of her grasp, and started walking toward the bike.

“Do you love me?”

That stopped him in his tracks. He paused, but
didn’t turn around.

She came to stand in front of him, looking up into
his face. “Do you love me?” she repeated.

He looked down into her eyes, knowing he couldn’t
deny it to her. He nodded. “Yes.”

“That’s all I need to know,” she whispered.

No, it’s not, he thought to himself. He knew he had
to tell her. The words were stuck in his throat, and then she was kissing him,
and he forgot all about telling her.

They stood there, in the hot Arizona sun, with a
hawk soaring above their heads, and kissed like young lovers that had snuck off
to meet in secret.

When they finally came up for air, they were both
breathing hard. Without thinking about how insane this was, he pulled her down
on the ground, pushing her onto her back, and she let him. He lay on top of
her, kissing her endlessly. His mouth trailed across her jaw to her ear. He
whispered to her, “I want to be inside you, baby. Let me.”

Angel looked up, and saw the hawk floating in circles
above them, and she remembered another time, so long ago when they had lain
together on a desert floor. But this time, there was no fear, only desire. She
pulled at the front plackets of the denim shirt he wore, pulling the snaps
free, pushing it back over his shoulders.

It was the only answer he needed. Cole sat back,
straddling her, and pulled the shirt off. He looked down at her as he shrugged
out of the shoulder holster he wore, and tossed the gun aside. Then he was
ripping his tee shirt off, over his head.

Angel ran her hands up his thighs, but he pushed
them aside, reaching for the buttons on her blouse. He looked down at her,
seeing the desire in her eyes. His fingers fumbled in their rush. He gave up,
and ripped the last two buttons loose, pulling the blouse open. He lifted her
up, and yanked it off her. Reaching around her, he undid her bra, and pushed
her back down.

Angel gasped as her naked back came in contact with
the hot desert sand.

Cole stretched out on top of her, his mouth
plundering hers. He trailed kisses down her neck, and reached for the top of
her jeans. He stripped her of her remaining clothing, and then undid his jeans.
Rolling to his back, he pulled her on top of him.

Angel slid down on him, and threw her head back, her
eyes sliding closed. God, he felt so good inside her. She began to move,
undulating on top of him.

Cole’s hands clamped onto her hips, and urged her
on. “Harder, baby. Faster.”

She complied, leaning forward, her hands on his
chest. Their eyes met, and they both smiled. She rode him hard. He was on the
verge of climax. His hand slid between them, his fingers stroking her until she
came. When he felt her body convulse around him, he grabbed her hips and
slammed up into her. It only took three more strokes, before his body went
rigid as he exploded inside her.

She fell on top of his chest, panting.

His hands slid into the hair at the sides of her
face, and he pulled her mouth to his, and kissed her, long and deeply.

She lay her head down on his sweat-slicked chest. It
still heaved with his breathing. She could hear his heart pounding, and smiled.

He wrapped one arm around her back, his other hand
sliding into the hair at the back of her head. He held on to her, holding her
close, hoping with everything inside him, that he wasn’t about to loose this
woman who had come back into his life, this woman who had
become
his life.

It was several hours before they made it back home.

They pulled in the driveway after dark, and Angel
got off the bike. She rubbed her backside.

Cole took his helmet off, and stepped off, smiling
down at her. “You sore, baby doll?”

“Umm. Yes. And it’s all your fault.”

He pressed his hands to his heart, and looked too
innocent to be believed. “Me? I was just giving you a ride, darlin’.”

“Yeah. That was quite a ride, cowboy.”

He pulled her close, and ran his hands over her ass.
“You want me to rub it, and make it all better?” He dipped his head for a kiss.

She wrapped her arms around his neck, forgetting all
about how sore she was. The sound of the front door opening interrupted them.
Natalie was standing at the screen door. They both looked up at her.

“I thought I heard a motorcycle,” she said.

“Anything wrong?” Cole asked.

“No. But we’re out of milk. Could you run up to the
corner, and get some?” she asked.

“Yes. Sure,” Angel replied. She took Cole by the
hand. “Come on. Let’s walk. It’s a nice night.”

They walked down the block toward the main
boulevard, and cut across the parking lot of a bowling alley. They were
standing on the corner, waiting for a break in traffic, when Cole took a deep
breath. “That smell? The place smells like perfume. What is that?”

Angel smiled. “Orange blossoms. The Orange trees are
starting to bloom. On a warm night like this, you can really smell them.”

“Really? Orange blossoms? That’s wild.”

The traffic slowed, and they crossed the street to
the convenience store. They bought a gallon of milk, and Cole picked up another
pack of cigarettes, and they headed back.

They were crossing the parking lot of the bowling
alley when a group of teenage boys came out of the shadows, and surrounded
them, a couple of them flashing knives.

“Give me your Goddamn wallet, man!” one of them
shouted.

When Cole didn’t comply, another yelled, “You and
your puta better do what we say, gringo!”

In a blur, Cole pushed Angel behind him, and yanked
this gun out of his shoulder holster.

That surprised them. They weren’t counting on any
resistance.

Cole watched as two of them looked to each other. He
quickly sized them all up, using the instincts he’d come to trust, especially
when his life depended on it. The rest of the group were pretty much lemmings,
following the leaders, these two. Cole raised the gun, aiming it at the head of
the one on the left. He was pretty sure this was the one in charge.

“You’re out numbered asshole,” the guy snarled at
Cole.

“Maybe so, but you’re still going to drop like a
rock when I blow your head open. You ready to be six feet under,
Muchacho
?”

The guy stared down the barrel a moment, and then
swore, and they all ran off, behind the building.

Cole turned back to Angel, who was clutching the
milk to her chest. “You okay?”

She nodded.

“Come on.” He holstered the gun, and put his arm
around her shoulder, and they hurried back to the house. Cole kept a watchful
eye on his surroundings.

They walked in the house, and into the kitchen.

Angel set the milk down on the counter, and took a
deep breath.

Natalie was sitting at the kitchen table, reading a
cookbook. She looked up, and saw the look on Angel’s face. Pulling her reading
glasses off, she stood up. “What’s wrong? What is it?”

Cole looked over at her. “Some kids tried to rob
us?”

“What? Where?”

“The bowling alley parking lot.”

“But that’s just down the street.”

“Yeah. It is. There were six of them. A couple of
them pulled knives.”

Natalie put her hand to her mouth. “Oh, my God. Are
you okay?”

“We’re fine,” Angel said, turning around.

Cole turned to Natalie. “Can you give us a minute?”