His Ranch

Chapter 22 A Trip Cut Short

"Come on, sweet cheeks," Danny cooed. "Why can't you just tell me?"

Emma clasped her cell phone in her hand and felt all her blood rush to her face.

"Danny! I'm not going to tell you what I'm wearing over the phone! You're not even supposed to be using the phone! There's only one and it's only for emergencies!" Emma said. In all honesty, she wanted to tell him she wasn't wearing anything and listen to his labored breathing and hear the dirty little things he loved whispering in her ears, but now was not the time.

"This is an emergency, Emma! I've got a hard on the size of a-"

"I have a new wardrobe to design for one of the ladies in town! She's eight months pregnant and needs clothes! That's more important than your little hard on!" Emma retorted.

She crossed her legs as she sat in the stool in her kitchen, telling herself over and over that she wasn't being turned on by any of this.

"Hey! I recall you telling me I was the biggest-" Danny began.

"Danny!" Emma cried in embarrassment. "Please! I have so much work to do and I'm tired and emotionally exhausted. Flannery has needed a shoulder to cry on so I was at the ranch for longer than I expected this afternoon."

"What's wrong with Flannery?" Danny asked curiously.

Emma paused and quickly thought to herself whether she was supposed to be on Flannery's side, or whether to be honest with her husband to-be. 

"Nothing," she said quickly. 

"Emma," Danny said with an edge to his voice. His curiosity was sparked and he knew that Coult would never forgive him if he let that comment go unquestioned.

"Look, Flannery just mentioned that they were having a...rough patch." 

"Coult hasn't said anything to me," Danny said, more to himself. He felt hurt and angry that a man he considered a friend would hold out on him. 

"Yeah, well, now she's got this new guy hanging around. You know when you get that gut feeling that something's wrong, and you don't know what it is and you wanna say somethin? This guy just gives me the creeps."

"If he does anything to you I'll kill him," Danny threatened. He knew Emma well enough to know she was being completely serious and he wondered whether this was something he needed to tell Coult. But then again, if Coult wasn't going to confide in him, why should he tell him?

"Cool your jets, cowboy. I've got to go. I love you," she said, leaning into the phone as if trying to feel his bristly cheek.

"Love you too, sweet bottom," Danny said. 

He hung up the phone and crept back into camp, trying not to wake anyone up. He quietly turned off the satellite phone that Coult had brought in case of emergencies. He knew he shouldn't have taken it but he had missed his woman so much he didn't care.

Danny unzipped Coult's bag and was sliding it in when a voice startled him.

"I should knock you out for your stupidity," Coult said, his eyes still closed.

Danny jumped around and knew if he could see himself, he would look guilty as a little boy caught with his hand in the cookie jar.

Coult walked up and pushed Danny away from his bag.

"I just needed to talk to her," Danny said. "I missed her."

"I miss Flannery too but if something happens we need that phone," Coult said, his  temper flaring. He knew that Danny was responsible and that one phone call wouldn't waste all the battery. He was jealous that he hadn't called his woman and gotten to hear her silky voice.