My phone rang and I fumbled for it in the dark. Blackness was almost complete with the lack of exterior lighting. Lucky thing I knew exactly where the fingerprint reader was, as I thumbed in to look for the number. Chayton. I swiped instantly to avoid sending him to voice mail.

"Hey, Deringer is out. I'm sending the voice recording of the blind auction to you. That and the ledger files with all the buyer's info in it. I'm sure DOJ can track them down."

"Why did it take so long to get him down?"

"Tolerance. And I didn't want to overdose him."

I could hear Chayton typing and I pushed the button on my LED lamp. A small pool of light illuminated the desk under me, and I swung my legs over the edge letting myself drop lightly to the floor.

"Hang on a sec. I was asleep. Need to get my headset. I left it on charge."

"Sorry about that. I got a message about timing on the raid earlier. I'll be out of here before it starts. I can't believe the profit on this horrible stuff. No wonder we discover more pockets of it all over the world."

He sounded defeated. I understood the sentiment exactly. There was always more. Human trafficking and sex related crimes never seemed to lessen.

"Can I be there when they bring the survivors out?"

"I think I can clear it. Of course, you want to be there when your sister is freed. I'll let you know as soon as I have it okayed."

I watched the upload to my computer progress and tapped my fingers impatiently. Chayton needed sleep before he faced the day, and I yawned hugely as the last few megabytes arrived.

"That's it," he said. "Would you mind company tonight? I think I've finished painting them into a corner. I won't rest with the boys carousing. I just can't stay here and watch another night of abuse."

"How good is your horse in the dark?" I asked. I think we both deserved a reward. I wonder if he understood the undercurrents in my question.

"I swear he's part cat. I'll be there in less than an hour."

Yup, he got it. I went into the kitchen to make tea. Sleep was the last thing on my mind for some reason.

Anticipation had me squirming at the table. The clock on my phone seemed to be stuck on the same minute for hours. Had it really been that long since I let a man into my life. Pondering the dates, I looked at the old fashioned calendar hanging on wall beside the kitchen shelves.

Weather data, like my mother taught me to record was there on every square. Studying her stacks of years brought me awareness of cycles. The Incas and the Mayans were accurate with their calendars, even though they were wrongly interpreted to mean the world would end in 2012. That was as far as they got. End of story. Climate change is a bogus political concept designed to redistribute wealth.

I found my old calendars. Flipping through them, I realized I've been celibate for over three years. Angst struck for a few minutes, and I chased it out of my head. Chayton and his fleeting promise of more were worth it. I hoped.

I folded my arms on my tiny table and laid my head on them. Yawns were winning, and I drifted off in spite of the tea. The next thing I knew, I was cradled in a pair of strong arms.

"Can your bed hold two of us?"

"Mmmmm.... Probably. I taught my dog to climb the ladder. He used to jump down. I thought I locked the door."

"Ridiculously easy to pick, but then again, I finished a lock smith's apprenticeship. How big was your pooch?" He dipped his head to nip at my lips. I could feel myself melting.

"One hundred and eighty pounds of Great Pyrenees. I miss him. We used to run a few sheep and goats, Grandma and I. Gave up on them when he got too old to help anymore."

Chayton set me on my feet beside the ladder to the sleeping platform. Reaching up, I linked my hands behind his head. "Kiss me. Make me forget about anything except us."

His tongue chased all thoughts out of my head. Thank God.