He had horses too, and Riana had delighted in learning to ride.

He raised a kind of hybrid cattle that had been brought here from Earth several generations back. Riana worked hard too, but it was work she’d grown to love as much as Cain did. He was a physical man, and he worked hard every day on this ranch. His body was still as tight and muscular as it had been in prison.

“That’s the third time this week.” She stroked his chest, enjoying the feel of the firm flesh, hard muscles, and coarse hair. But Cain had been locked up a year longer than her. Riana’s two months in the prison had traumatized her as well. Being helpless to get out, to respond, to move. Being trapped in a small space in the dark. He might go weeks without one but then something-usually stress or an emotional disturbance-would trigger them again. “Did you have another one?” she murmured, feeling like she needed to speak softly so she wouldn’t disturb the quiet serenity of the evening.Ĭain had been having nightmares semi-regularly since they’d escaped. He didn’t turn his head or speak as she approached, but when she lay down beside him he reached out for her, pulling her snugly against his side and keeping his arm around her. His arms were crossed behind his head, and he was staring up at the stars in the sky. He didn’t have a shirt on, but he was wearing the soft, pull-on pants he usually slept in. He was stretched out on a blanket, on the top of a hill behind the main house. She found Cain exactly where she’d expected him to be. The weather here was milder than on Earth, but the evenings were brisk this time of year. The soft grass was cool beneath her feet, and she wished she’d put a wrap around her sleeveless nightgown before she’d come outside. Cain’s ranch was vast, and it had taken her weeks to grow familiar with the endless stretches of land. So she rolled out of bed and padded barefoot out of the house.īoth moons were nearly full, and the night was clear so there was plenty of light illuminating the expansive yard and the sloped fields surrounding the house. Sometimes she just went back to sleep when she woke up and found he was missing. She wasn’t surprised or particularly concerned. The covers were warm and rumpled from where he’d been sleeping but Cain was no longer in bed. She never slept in pitch darkness anymore.īut when she rolled over and opened her eyes, she saw the other side of the bed was empty. And there was faint light shining dimly from the hallway. The bed was familiar now-big, clean, and comfortable.

Haven by Claire Kent