Holidays on the Ranch (Burnt Boot, Texas #1)(61)

The moon hung in the sky outside her window that night like an omen telling Callie that everything was working out in every aspect of her life. She wrapped her arms around herself and stared at the patterns the lacy curtains made on the walls and ceiling as the moon slowly rose and clouds shifted back and forth across it.

Her new bed was king-sized and felt like it covered an acre of ground. There was one of those tall chests in the corner like the one in Finn’s room, a gold velvet rocker in the other corner, and a desk located where his fireplace was over in his room. Martin was all the way across the house from her. But he had Adam and Ricky in the bunkhouse, as they had started calling their room with him, Verdie across the hall, and Olivia right next door.

A soft knock on her door drew her attention away from the moon, and she wondered what Verdie needed. Then she remembered that she’d locked the door. She crawled out of bed and scolded herself. What if Martin needed her? What if he had one of those bad dreams and they had to relocate to the sofa for the rest of the night? He’d wake up the whole house beating on her door.

She had barely gotten her feet on the floor when the closet door opened and there was Finn, or his ghost. She wasn’t sure which it was for a split second as her heart did triple time and the adrenaline rush threatened to put her into flight mode. He’d told her good night at the door half an hour ago, and she’d locked it when she came into the room.

“What the hell?” she asked.

“I knocked.” He smiled.

She looked from bedroom door to the closet and back again.

“I discovered it while I was hanging up your clothing. Evidently one of the former owners in this place liked to keep separate rooms, but they didn’t want anyone to know. There is a secret door connecting my closet to yours. This place is full of tricks.” He sat down in the rocker and patted his leg.

She took two steps, and he pulled her down into his lap, wrapped both arms around her slim body, and kick-started the chair into motion. The movement and his steady heartbeat soothed her nerves more than a shot of Jack could.

“Did I tell you about the secret closet behind the bookcase?”

“What’s in it?”

“Booze.”

“It wouldn’t be as intoxicating as this.” His lips found hers, and every sane thought flew right out the window, headed for the moon. “I was so damned excited when I found that door, but I wanted to surprise you, and then I had to wait until the kids were asleep. And they were too wound up to go to sleep. I made three trips to the kitchen and checked on them before I found them passed out,” he whispered.

“I’m glad I didn’t know, or I’d have been crazy. You think Verdie knows about the closet?”

“Hell, she might be the very one who had it installed, but I’m not saying a word about it or she might make me nail the connecting door shut.” He smiled. “Now, I’m going back to my room. I just came for a good-night kiss. I’m sure that will keep the nightmares away.”

He tipped her chin up with his fist and tangled his fingers in her long, dark hair. His lips covered hers in a steamy kiss that left her legs feeling like rubber and her heart racing. He picked her up and gently laid her on the bed, kissed her softly on the nose, and left her lying there wanting more.

He was halfway across the room when he turned around, an evil grin on his face. “I heard that you and Betsy had a little problem at the store. I understand she’s gunnin’ for you since you humiliated her.”

“She’d best bring a lot of ammo.” Callie yawned.

After Finn went into the closet, she snuggled down under the covers and shut her eyes. She was almost asleep when the dream started. There was a small, swarthy boy in ragged clothing right outside the base. His face was frozen in terror, and he was whining, looking down at his feet and the land mine beneath them.

She sat straight up in bed, sweat dripping from her jawbone onto her nightshirt. She rubbed her eyes to get the visual to go away, but the muffled whining continued, and it was coming from Finn’s bedroom. She padded across the room, through the closet, pushing back clothing until she found the next door, and then worked her way through jeans and shirts.

Shotgun raised his head when she stepped into the room, but he didn’t growl when she headed straight for the bed. She threw back the covers and crawled in the bed with Finn, cradling his head against her shoulder. She recognized the strange noise coming from Finn immediately. It was the haunting nightmares again. She’d wakened herself many times moaning just like that.

“Shhh, it’s the bad dreams. It’s not real,” she whispered.

His eyes opened slowly.

“Callie?”

“Closet door, remember? What was going on in the dream?”

“There was a little girl with blue eyes in the school. She ran out at the same time I fired, and I knew she was dead.”

“I dreamed of a little boy outside the base on a land mine. It’s the children being here that brought it on, I’m sure,” she said.

He pulled her close to his side. “Will we ever be normal again?”

“Normal is just a word. For us, this might be normal,” she said.

“Stay with me a little while. You’re the nightmare whisperer.” His face was pressed into her hair now.

“Maybe it takes both of us to chase them away,” she said.