Wild Wyoming Nights

Wilder Series 1

SANDY SULLIVAN

Copyright © 2009

Prologue

Snow fell silently in the shadows of the night sky. The streetlights reflected their glistening shapes before they hit the ground to be mixed with the rest of the blanket of white. The snow covered everything in its path, freezing to the cars, pavement and windows.

Winter blasted into the state in full force, but after all it was November. Abby closed her eyes and tears slid down her cheeks as she choked back a sob. The soft thermal sleeves of his shirt rested against her face and his scent filled her head.

Josh. God, I miss you so much.

Flashes of their last morning together ripped across her mind like a black and white movie, taking her back, letting her feel his love one last time.

The night surrounded them while he snuggled against her back, and his hand ran softly down her arm as his lips skimmed her shoulder.

“Mmm,” she moaned.

“Like that?”

“You know I do, brat.” She rolled over, and his lips continued their journey down her chest until his mouth found her already hard nipple.

“This isn’t fair.” She groaned and arched her back toward his mouth.

“Mmm…why?”

“Because you need to leave in a few minutes.”

He chuckled and said, “I want to make sure you still want me when I get back.”

“Only as long as forever.”

“Good answer, wife.”

“Do you have to go?” Her wishful murmur resounded through the room.

“You know I do. This is my last shift before we leave for Florida for ten whole days.”

“I can’t wait for the warmth of the sun on my face and for you to make love to me in the sand.”

“I like the way you think.” He kissed her hard on the mouth before he rolled out of the queen size bed and padded toward the bathroom. The sound of rushing water filled the room when he turned on the shower. Pulling his pillow to her face, she smiled. They were going to have so much fun. Their flight left the day after tomorrow—two long days away, but they were supposed to be gone for a ten days, just the two of them.

Several minutes later, the door opened and her gaze fixed on her husband’s chiseled chest, before it skimmed over his six-pack abs. A small smile lifted the corners of her mouth when she settled on the towel wrapped around his lean hips.

Damn, he’s a sight.

“You need to stop looking at me like that, Abigail,” he growled with pretend fierceness. He sauntered to her side and pulled her up in front of him on the bed.

“I can look all I want to.” She twirled the diamond on her left hand. “This says I can.”

His lips came down on her mouth, slanting across hers. She opened to him, allowing his tongue to dance with her own. He pulled her tight against him and she wanted more, but she knew now wasn’t the time. He had to be at the firehouse in fifteen minutes. When he finally lifted his head, a smile flashed across his lips.

“I love you, Abby.”

“I love you, too. Be careful today, huh?”

“Of course. Aren’t I always?”

A wistful smile curved her lips for a moment before she frowned and ran her palm down the hard muscles of his chest.

“What’s wrong?”

She shook her head trying to clear the nagging trepidation that filled her heart. “Nothing. I have a bad feeling, that’s all. You know me, always worrying.”

“Everything will be fine. I’ll call you later when I get a few minutes.”

“Okay—I love you, Josh.”

“I love you, too.” He kissed her hard before grabbing his clothes and heading out to the living room to finish dressing.

Later that morning, the phone rang while she packed for their trip.

“Abby, do you have the television on?”

“Caroline?” She tucked the phone receiver between her ear and her shoulder as she continued to fold clothes. “No, why?”

“Oh God, Abby, turn on the television. One of the Trade Center buildings has been hit. A plane.”

Terror gripped her heart when she flipped on the large screen television across the room. The scene flashing across in front of her face could only be described as chaos. People ran and sirens blared while the news crew tried desperately to capture the scene on camera.

All Abby could focus on were several fire trucks lining the street and the men readying their gear. Tears filled her eyes while she watched, unable to tell if any of the trucks belonged to the firehouse where Josh worked.

“Caroline?” Terror filled her voice and she whispered into the phone.

“I’ll be right there.”

She dropped the receiver onto the hook, her eyes never leaving the screen. Out of nowhere, a second explosion rocked the street around the news crew. The camera angle tilted upward as a ball of fire spewed from the middle of the second tower.

“The second tower has been hit.”

Abby grabbed the remote and turned off the television. She couldn’t watch.

Five minutes later, Caroline burst through her door and wrapped her in a hug as they sank down on the couch to wait.

A choking sob wracked her frame when she came back to the present, the hard surface of the wall behind her biting into her back. Hot tears rolled down her cheeks and dropped to the material clutched in her hand. One year and two months he’d been gone and she couldn’t seem to move on without him. He was her world, her firefighter husband, her savior and the love of her life.

That September morning changed thousands, if not millions, of lives. Her world stopped that day. The day time stood still.

She’d waited and waited, but he never came home.