The Cowboy Who Strolled Into Town (106 page)

‘Everything has been taken care of,’ Lane said, and carried her over the threshold. There were lamps on inside, a hot meal on the table, and a fire burned in the grate to welcome them.

‘Who has done all this?’

‘The staff. I have a couple who takes care of this place and I had told them we were coming. As for luggage…’ Lane opened the door to the bedroom with a flamboyant sweep of his hand. Chivonn entered the room amazed.

‘Open the closet,’ Lane instructed, and she did. Inside she saw an entire new wardrobe of pretty dresses and gowns which Lane had bought for her and sent ahead.

‘Oh Lane!’ Chivonn breathed ecstatically. ‘Thank you!’

‘No, thank
you
!’ Lane said, taking her face in his hands and kissing her deeply.

They sat down to their meal of roast veal and potatoes and then filled the bath with hot water and soaked in it together.

‘I had this specially made for us,’ Lane explained when Chivonn expressed wonder at the size of the tub.

‘I love you Lane Hayes,’ Chivonn said, playing with the suds on his chest.

‘And I love you, Chivonn Hayes,’ Lane responded, cupping her breasts and pushing them up out of the water so he could admire them, leaning over to tease one gloriously turgid tip with his eager tongue.

‘In here?’ Chivonn asked incredulously, when Lane lifted her up, onto his aroused manhood.

‘Why not?’ Lane whispered, as she slid onto him, his hardness embedded in her warmth. She rode him like she would a rampant stallion and he bucked and thrust against her, her breasts like warm caramel, filling his hungry mouth.

CHAPTER VII

The golden light of the sun slanted down on the front porch where Chivonn lay back in a swing seat. Lane sat on the steps playing his guitar and humming.

‘Are you ready for tonight?’ Lane asked.

‘As ready as I will ever be,’ Chivonn said.

‘Well, you will drive the fans wild as you always do,’ Lane remarked.

‘And you will drive the fans wild as
you
always do,’ Chivonn echoed. She slipped off the swing seat and joined Lane on the steps.

‘Do you like this? Us singing together?’

Lane swung her off the steps and onto his lap. ‘I love every minute!’ Lane said, ‘Especially when we’ve finished a show and are alone in our dressing room!’

Chivonn gave him a playful slap on the cheek. ‘Naughty!’

‘I can be naughtier,’ Lane’s voice was husky with pent up desire.

‘Care to show me?’

Lane swung Chivonn into his arms and carried her into the house and up to their bedroom. He kicked the door shut and stood her up on her feet. She was breathless as he kissed her, bruising her lips with his ardor, but she was hungry for more, thrusting her tongue into his mouth and sucking on his tongue as she ground her pelvis against his. Lane swung her around, his mouth still on hers, his hands kneading her buttocks and sliding between her thighs. He pushed her up against the wall, his hands on her breasts, cupping and squeezing them. Chivonn freed them from the confines of her blouse, arching her back to push the large globes up for him to feast on them. Lane’s hands could scarce contain their fullness, and her flesh spilled out of his palms as his tongue darted from one swollen tip to the other. He pulled her skirt up roughly, tearing at her panties and taking her with a fury that unleashed her own intense need for him. He lifted her up and she wrapped her legs around his waist as he thrust against her arched pelvis. He sucked and bit her nipples, sending huge shafts of desire searing through her belly and trailed his tongue along her neck as she begged for more. When he had rocked her senses into complete and ecstatic submission, they fell to the floor replete, spent passion dripping off them.

‘And how do you expect me to have any energy left to sing this evening?’ Chivonn teased, stroking him between his thighs.

The path to the concert hall was filled with cars, trucks and people on foot who had come to listen to their favorite couple sing. The band was already on the stage and the fans were working themselves up into a frenzy.

‘Ladies and gentlemen, The Hayes!’ The announcement sparked off a fresh burst of applause as Lane and Chivonn took the stage. They sang separately and together, but always with an intensity that brought the crowd to their feet and made even seasoned musicians sit up and take notice.

When they took a break and went to their dressing room there was a knock on the door. It was a middle aged African American with a large bouquet in his hand. ‘For you Chivonn Hayes,’ he said, and Chivonn stood open mouthed staring at him.

‘Do you know who I am?’ the man asked.

‘Only the biggest name in Jazz …in all the world!’ Chivonn exclaimed.

‘I’ve come to ask you to think about singing my kind of music.’

‘Oh,’ Chivonn said and turned to look at Lane. ‘But this is what I do best.’

‘With that kind of voice you can do anything, my dear.’

‘Meet my husband, Lane Hayes,’ Chivonn said, beckoning to Lane.

‘Chivonn’s husband and manager,’ Lane introduced himself, ‘And if you want her to sing for you, then you must assure her of a recording contract.’

‘And no doubt one for yourself as well?’ the man said ironically.

‘No,’ Lane said shaking his head. ‘I want this for Chivonn.’

‘Alright then. Come meet me tomorrow my dear. Here’s my card.’ The man left, and Chivonn looked at Lane.

‘Are you sure my darling?’

‘I wouldn’t dream of limiting you, Chivonn. Your talent is extraordinary.’

‘But I love what we do together,’ Chivonn said.

‘And I love it too. But you need to move on from this, don’t you think?’

The next day Chivonn went to meet the jazz icon who had given her his card and when she returned from the meeting she was more excited than Lane had ever seen her.

‘Lane my darling!’ she exclaimed, ‘You have no idea how overjoyed I am. I met singers like me. People of my color, with talent that far exceeds mine. I am to perform with them and have a record as well!’ She hung her head. ‘Though I will need to spend a lot of time on the road. And they said I need to do that without you.’

Lane looked at her, his feelings veiled. ‘You must do whatever you think will take you along the path of your dreams, Chivonn…and don’t let me stand in your way.’

‘But what will you do when I’m away?’

‘Dream of the day when you return, and write love songs to you in the meantime.’

CHAPTER VIII

May in Alabama is warm, and as Lane saddled Beaumont for a ride he wiped a trail of perspiration from his brow. He missed Chivonn – her laughter and enthusiasm for every new experience. He rode along, more morose with every mile, when he heard someone calling his name. It was one of his stable hands, riding like the wind.

‘What is it?’ Lane asked, turning Beaumont about.

‘There’s some gentlemen come to see you.’ The stable hand answered.

Lane cantered back to the Ranch House, handing Beaumont over to the stable hand before he ran up the porch steps and into the living room where two men were waiting.

‘Lane Hayes?’ one of the men asked.

‘Yes,’ Lane answered, ‘That’s me.’

‘What would you say to a concert tour?’

Lane sat down heavily and looked at the men. He shook his head. ‘No. No thank you gentlemen, I don’t want no concert tour. I need to be here at my Ranch.’

‘Why? Are you waiting for your wife to come back to you? Do you think she ever will?’

Lane bit his lip. ‘Why do you think she won’t?’

‘Because the music grapevine says she has found favor with her mentor – one of the greatest Jazz musicians the world will ever know – and she would be mad to return.

‘And you believe this?’

‘Yes we do and so should you.’

Lane stood up. ‘Well, I don’t believe all that gossip, gentlemen, and neither should you. I thank you for your offer but I am unable to accept. I have commitments that I can and will keep.’

The men rose to leave, one of them shaking his head. ‘You’ve turned down a great offer,’ he said.

‘Maybe I have, but maybe there’s a better one ahead,’ Lane said, walking the men to the door.

Lane closed the door and went up to the bedroom that he had shared with Chivonn. It had been three months and she hadn’t returned. There had been the odd letter in the beginning but then there was nothing, except snippets of gossip, like the two men had brought him earlier. He just wished he had been more selfish and prevented Chivonn from accepting the offer from the Jazz musician. He picked up his guitar and strummed it, singing a few lines of a new song he had written.

That evening Lane drove over to the Bar where he had first heard Chivonn singing and as he sipped a beer a young girl came on with a guitar and began to sing. Something about her reminded Lane of Chivonn and when she took a break he went over to talk to her. But as he began to sit down, he felt a hand on his shoulder, and turning around abruptly, he saw it was Jake. ‘What do you think you’re doing?’ Jake asked, leading Lane away.

‘Having a beer with a nice young lady,’ Lane answered.

‘Not you, Lane. Not you. You’re not like that. You are the guy who will wait for his wife to return.’

‘And what if she never comes back?’ Lane said, perceptibly dejected.

Jake squeezed Lane’s shoulder. ‘She will. I just know she will.’

‘Has Rosie heard from her?’ Lane asked hopefully.

‘No. She hasn’t.’

The two men wandered out of the bar and Lane got into his Ford and drove away. As he drove through the gates of his Ranch he knew one thing for certain. He needed to get away. So he saddled Beaumont and rode over to where the train slows down at the point where once the masked gang used to board it and terrorize the passengers.

This time Lane jumped onto the train and told Beaumont to race home. He stood by the doorway looking out at the countryside flash by, veiled in darkness with tiny points of light indicating scattered habitation. In minutes they would slow down and reach the Station, and he had only that much time to make up his mind about whether he would disembark and go back to his ranch or stay on the train, buy a ticket, and go wherever it was going.

As he stood there debating his next move, the Guard who was known to him came up and exchanged pleasantries.

‘Ever the romantic!’ he said.

‘What do you mean?’ Lane asked.

‘Well, I remember the first part of your honeymoon was spent on this train…and how you arranged it…so romantically. And now this…’

‘This?’

‘Yes,’ the Guard said, ‘Come to greet your missus before the train hits the Station. I call that truly romantic.’

Lane felt his heart hammer against his chest. ‘The missus? Is she here? On this train?’

‘You didn’t know? Have I spoiled her surprise?’ the Guard looked confused, but Lane had disappeared, striding through the carriages to seek his love.

Chivonn couldn’t contain her excitement and joy at being back. She had broken all the rules of her contract and found her way back to Baldwin County to be with the only part of her life that truly mattered – her husband. Lane pulled his bandana up across his face, and went in search of Chivonn.

She clapped her hand to her mouth when she saw him, convinced he was back to being the vigilante cowboy she had first known, but Lane pulled the bandana off and swung her up into his arms.

‘I knew you’d come back!’ he said.

‘They spread rumors hoping you’d believe them and never take me back so they could keep me there. It’s like bonded labor believe me, darling.’

‘Hush,’ Lane said, kissing her over and over, much to the embarrassment of the other passengers.

They disembarked at the Station and Lane looked at Chivonn, wondering how they should get back to the ranch.

‘There’s my truck there! Use it!’ The Guard called out, throwing Lane the key as the train pulled out of the station and continued on its way.

Lane revved up the engine and looked at Chivonn seated beside him. ‘Lane,’ she said, placing one warm hand on his thigh, ‘I don’t want to be anywhere that you’re not. I just want to go back to being The Hayes, even if it only takes us from one small gig to the other. All that matters is that we’re happy, and have each other.’

Lane was quiet as they drove back home, and so was Chivonn. ‘You do trust that none of those rumors are true, don’t you Lane?’

‘Have I any cause not to trust you Chivonn?’

‘No,’ She answered.

‘Then we won’t talk about this again, alright?’

‘Ok,’ Chivonn nodded.

When they returned to the Ranch House the moon was high in the sky and the meadowland was bathed in a silvery glow. The silence of the night was only broken by the sounds of their lovemaking as Lane and Chivonn gave themselves to each other once again with renewed passion. Outside Beaumont slid into his stable and a few miles away Jake told Rosie how he had stopped Lane from making a huge mistake that night.