Hot Sex Stories Made Easy. Speedy Publishing
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one more time. Something about Dee’s haunting, hollow voice had her spooked too, or maybe it was just the way the girl seemed so calm, so resigned to what she thought would happen to them. Covering each girl with a blanket before turning in herself, she decided to keep one small lamp burning and her hand on the semi-automatic handgun Mr. Carson had armed her with before sending her on this lonely adventure.
Everyone says things will look brighter in the morning, but someone forgot to tell Dee and Emma. Dee was still curled in a ball and Ms. Crane’s mind went immediately to the possible shutdown of her kidneys, given that she hadn’t had to get up to go to the bathroom in almost forty-eight hours. The girl hadn’t been able to eat or drink anything in that time, either, but that shouldn’t have done it.
“Dee, sweetie, you have to get up,” the teacher began, shaking the girl awake and feeling flooded with relief when she opened her eyes slightly. “Come on, you rested all day yesterday. I’m sorry, but you have to get up and move today.” She put her hands under Dee’s arms and began to lift her, horrified that the girl weighed almost nothing.
Dee didn’t fight her, but she didn’t help support her weight either. She hung limply in Ms. Crane’s arms, too weak from the exhaustion and lack of food to do anything more than be carried. After she managed to get Dee cleaned up and in the bed, Ms. Crane turned her attention to Emma, who was lying in the floor next to a small puddle of her own vomit. She carried Emma next, cleaning her up and putting her in the bed with Dee.
Ms. Crane returned to the small kitchen and got to work making a thin broth, peeling a pot full of potatoes and putting them on to boil to mash into the broth when the girls felt like eating something again. She made sure there was plenty of bottled water in the fridge, and filled a kettle with cold water and tea bags so it would be ready to make sweet tea when the girls felt like drinking something.
After finishing the random chores and cleaning up a little bit around the cabin, she checked on the sleeping girls once more before returning to her chair in the front room. From her chair, she watched out the window for any signs of Mack, all the while keeping a pistol close to her side.
Chapter Twelve
Miranda pulled her cowboy hat further down over her eyes to block the bright sunlight that was intruding on her nap. She’d spent the last week lounging in a chaise beside the hotel pool with Casey, when the two of them hadn’t felt the need to head back up to their room for a while, that is. Ordering in from room service and alternating between the oversized chaise and the bed had left her dreamily lazy and completely blissful.
Casey lounged next to her, his fingers interlaced with hers. He ran his fingertips idly over the heavy wedding band and engagement ring that he’d only put there a matter of days ago. “Yeah, I’m still getting used to that myself,” Miranda said sleepily without opening her eyes, a smile playing across her full lips.
“And I’m getting used to seeing you with clothes on again,” he said in a husky whisper, bringing her hand to his lips and kissing her palm, then placing light kisses on each of her fingertips.
“Seriously? This swim suit is the most clothing I’ve had on all week!” she said with a laugh. “And even this wouldn’t count as covered enough to even go into a convenience store!” Casey smiled at the truth, rolling toward her on the double chaise and pulling her closer to him, turning her so that they both lay on their sides.
“I happen to be incredibly fond of that swimsuit,” he replied, working one finger under the single string that held her top in place, teasing the skin along her back until he made his way around to her side, barely grazing the sensitive skin along her breast until she shivered. “Remember to turn us so we don’t tan like this!” Casey mumbled in her ear in a sleepy, satisfied voice, letting her know that he had no intention of moving soon. Somewhere behind him, his phone buzzed on the table, pinging that he’d received a text. He didn’t release his grip on Miranda by even a fraction, happily ignoring the intrusion.
“Sweetie, aren’t you going to pick that up?” She asked keeping her eyes closed as she threw her hat down on the stone patio beside her.
“Nope.” He hugged her even closer to him.
“Casey Carson! It could be Gracie! Please?” She asked, reminding him that her baby sister was without her only family member on the cattle drive.
“It can’t possibly be Gracie. Her fingers had to have fallen off by now from all the texts she’s sent you! She’d have to be texting with her toes!”
“First of all, I’m sure she can text with her feet...she’s thirteen! And remember, I warned you that she’d do this. I’m the only family she has and she’s never been alone before.”
“I’m only teasing, honey, I knew she was part of the package when I married you. And my whole family is better off for it, for having both of you.” He kissed her firmly on the cheek, but pulled away to pick up his phone like she’d asked. He held it up and pressed the screen, jolting upright after reading the message for only a few seconds. Miranda sat up in alarm, grabbing Casey’s arm as she spoke.
“What is it, sweetie? Is it Gracie?” Casey shook his head silently, his brow creasing as he continued reading. “Oh, God, is it your dad?”
“No, nothing like that. Don’t worry. I just have to call them.” He got up off the lounge chair to make a phone call but Miranda stopped him and pulled him back, sitting him down beside her and taking his face between her hands. She looked at his eyes intensely, determination in her tone of voice.
“Casey Carson, do not walk away from me. Whatever business you have back home involves me now, too. We don’t shield anything from each other, and we don’t keep secrets. I’m a Carson now, too…remember?”
Casey closed his eyes and leaned his forehead against hers for a moment. He nodded. “I’m sorry, you’re completely right. This is so new to me, too. I just wanted to protect you.”
“Protect me from what? What’s wrong?” she pleaded, taking his hands.
“There’s a problem back at the ranch. Don’t worry, Gracie’s fine,” he said, putting a finger to Miranda’s lips when she started to interrupt so he could read the series of text messages that continued to cause his phone to beep. “She’s still on the drive. But Carey’s at the house for some reason and he’s been hurt, and Joseph is on his way to the hospital. Dad’s meeting him there. Apparently…Crazy Mack came around, causing problems and making all kinds of threats. He’s the reason Carey’s injured.”
“Oh, no! What do we need to do?” she asked, searching Casey’s face.
“I’m so sorry to ask you this, but would it be horrible to cut our honeymoon a little short? I promise, when the drive is over and everyone’s safe, we’ll pick right up where we left off.”
“Of course, Casey! Anywhere you are is my honeymoon, for the rest of our lives, and I don’t care whether it’s a fancy resort or a cow pasture. But you know that family comes first. Where should we go, home or to meet up with the drive?” Miranda was already gathering her towel and sunscreen, ready to head to the room and pack up.
“Well, I’m sure my dad will head back to the ranch once Joseph’s released from the hospital. And you know…I’m sorry to tell you this…but Gracie’s still with the drive and there’s no one from the family there with her.” Miranda’s eyes widened in shock, “Wait, I promise she’s in good hands, those people might as well be our family. But I know you’d feel better if we were with her. I would too.”
Miranda nodded, exhaling a breath she hadn’t realized she’d been holding. “You’re right. Let me go get my boots on, cowboy, we got us a cattle drive to get to!” she said with a nervous smile. Casey pulled her into a tight embrace and kissed her passionately, oblivious to anyone who might see them. Let them look, I’m the luckiest man alive, he thought as he deepened their kiss.
They walked hand in hand to the bank of elevators that led to the suites, feeling the disappointment