Bluebells on the Hill (20 page)

Back towards the kitchen Mac opened a door
leading to a small hallway. Amanda preceded him, pausing at one
door.

'Bathroom.' Mac opened it for her to examine.
Moving down the hall he opened another door. 'Guest room.'

Across the hall from that one was another
door; opening it, he let her glimpse the office. 'I have a larger
office, with all the stud records and all down near the main barn;
this is more for household accounts and the like.'

He passed the next door, heading straight for
the one at the end of the hall, but she stopped by it.

'What's in here?'

He turned, paused and slowly came back up to
her, opening the door.

'It was the nursery. John-Michael used it
until he was older, and moved to the room he currently has.'

It was dusty and dark, the furniture that a
baby would use. It was a sad, neglected room, reflecting all the
hopes gone wrong from a marriage. Amanda was sorry she had asked to
see it.

'One more and we're done.' Mac pulled the
door shut and continued to the end of the hall.

The last door opened to reveal the master
bedroom. Again, sliding glass doors opened on to the deck, framing
the mountains in a living mural. A large bed dominated the room,
rich brown coverlet reaching the floor. A triple dressing-table and
tall wardrobe filled one wall, yet were not too much for the room's
size. A dressing room and bathroom led off from the back.

Amanda's heart began thudding in her chest.
This was Mac's room. Where he slept at night, got dressed each day.
She looked around, taking in all the details, storing them in her
memory for the future. She’d be able to envisage him here when she
was on tour, when she was away from Timber. Moving further into the
room, she looked out the window to learn the view he saw first
thing each morning.

The door clicked shut.

Spinning round, Amanda found Mac close to
her, disturbingly close.

'It's a nice place,' she said huskily,
Mesmerized by his gaze.

Without reply he reached out and slowly drew
her into his arms, as if giving her time to pull away, should she
so desire.

To pull away was the last thing she wanted.
When his lips touched her, Amanda relinquished all pretense. This
was where she longed to be, in the arms of the man she loved. She
pressed closer, opening her mouth against his insistent pressure,
delighting in the feelings and sensations he caused in her. A
thrill of pleasure ran through her as his hands caressed her, as
his mouth evoked desire in her down to her toes. When she felt his
hands on the bare skin of her back, she thought she would fall down
if he didn't hold her up, so weak were her knees. His hands were
warm and caressing, rubbing her from her waist to her neck, down
again, round to the sides, rubbing his knuckles gently against her
ribs. He trailed his mouth down her neck, kissing the soft hollow
at the base of her throat, running his hands lightly over her
breasts, finding and releasing the bra fastening, moving to caress
her, fondle her, all the while pressing warm kisses against her
pulsating skin.

Amanda was delirious with delight, swept
along on the rising flow of sensations Mac was creating within her.
She clung to him shamelessly, returning his kisses, unbuttoning his
shirt to feel the ripple of muscles along his chest, his shoulders.
A feeling of intimacy spread as she ran her fingers over his
shoulders, up to his neck to thread through his thick hair.

Shrugging out of his shirt, Mac drew Amanda's
top from her, letting his eyes wander over her firm figure before
drawing her against him again.

'Oh, Mandy, girl. I've such a hunger for
you,' he ground out.

Amanda thought her heart would burst with
happiness. 'I for you,' she whispered back.

Almost without her realizing it, they moved
to the large bed, lying across the soft brown cover. Slowly and
deliberately Mac drew his hands across her body, leaving trails of
quivering flesh as Amanda arched closer, reveling in his touch, in
the responses he was drawing from her.

His hands undid her zipper, moving to caress
the soft skin of her belly, roving the length of her to her throat,
then back down again.

Amanda was aching with desire. She knew there
must be more, must be a completion of the longings he had aroused;
how to find it?

'Mandy.' Mac continued moving his hand gently
over her curves, lifting his head a little.

She opened her eyes to meet his gaze. Mac was
no longer so disapproving, but looked under a strain.

'What?' she replied, moving beneath his
touch.

'I didn't mean for this to happen, you know,'
he replied, his hands continuing their quest.

She licked her lips; it was hard to
concentrate on what he was saying; she wanted to lose herself in
his touch.

'What?' she repeated.

He gave her a quick kiss. 'This; me and you.
Will you marry me, Mandy?'

CHAPTER TWELVE

Her eyes flew open in shocked surprise.
Rolling away from him, she sat up on the bed, staring at him.

'Do you mean it? Marriage?'

He lay back against his pillows and watched
her. 'Yes, of course I mean it. Do you think I go round asking
everyone I meet?'

'No, but I thought you didn't even like me.
That you wanted me to move on.'

'Well, I did at first. I disapprove of your
lifestyle, your choice of friends. We fight almost every time we
get together, but I still keep thinking of reasons to seek you out,
of getting us together again. This last week has been the longest I
have ever spent. I felt sick earlier when you said this festival
may be the only one you go to. You could move on. I've been
fighting a losing battle ever since that kiss by the creek.'

She gave a soft gurgle of laughter,
remembering the pan of water she had thrown at him. Then her face
softened. A dream come true. The man she loved her and wanted to
marry her. She paused; she thought he loved her, but he hadn't said
so in words.

She opened her mouth to ask, but was
forestalled.

'Don't answer right away, unless you can say
yes. I've been thinking long and hard on it, especially since last
week.' He reached out and caught her, pulling her up to him. 'I
can't think when you're sitting like that,' he growled softly in
her ear. She moved to cuddle closer, fascinated by what he had to
say.

'We don't know each other very well,' she
began, 'and don't agree on basic issues, like a wife working...'
Amanda said, hugging him closer to her, wanting all doubts swept
away.

'I know we don't, but I have been thinking a
lot this past week or so. Perhaps there is something to a woman
working outside the house. The modern conveniences we enjoy all
around don't make keeping a home very challenging. If you feel so
strongly that you want to work, then I will gladly share your life
with your job.'

She looked up, now would be the time to tell
him what she did, why it would be more than sharing just a job with
someone who left each morning and came home that night. There would
be weeks on the road, quick trips to Nashville, to Los Angeles, to
other major cities if they had a concert.

He shook his head. 'No, let me finish. As to
knowing each other, I only have fifty or so years I can set aside
to get to know you. Won't that be enough?

'We have a similar feeling for the country
around here. You're from a ranch, you know what to expect. You're
kind to children, witness John-Michael and his guitar lessons. You
are exciting to me, not the usual woman I've met in later years. I
want to spend as much of my time with you as I can.'

'Fifty years might be long enough. I should
love to marry you, Mac.' She reached up to kiss him.

He rolled her on her back, as the kiss
deepened and intensified. Flames of desire rose in Amanda as her
arms pulled Mac tighter against her. When his hands moved to her
jeans, he whispered against her throat.

'My life was torn apart once by the festival;
maybe this year it will put it back together.'

'I hope so. Oh, Mac, love me.' Amanda reached
her arms around his neck, giving herself up to his embrace. There
was so much to discuss, to clarify; her career, his first marriage.
But now, there was only Mac and her and their love.

'Dad?' John-Michael's voice could be heard
from a distance. Mac went suddenly still.

‘
Dad?' John-Michael was
closer.

'Dammit, what does it take?' Mac asked,
rolling over and moving swiftly to the door. 'Phones, aunts, kids.
What next?' He reached the door and opened it just a crack.

'Hi, Dad. Ted and I fixed that stretch of
fence.' John-Michael was right on the other side.

Frowning with frustration, Amanda got up and
retrieved her top, slipping it quickly on. She stuffed her bra in
her jeans pocket and smoothed back her hair. She went to stand by
the window while Mac talked to his son. The mood was changed, she
doubted they would resume where they had left off.

Still, her heart sang! She was engaged to
marry John Mackenzie. A smile of sheer happiness spread across her
face as her spirits soared. Who would have thought the bus ride to
Timber would end so happily? She would be with him all the time,
when she wasn't on tour.

Oh, God! What would Mac say when she told him
what she did for a living? That the job he would be sharing her
with involved weeks when she would be away from home, traveling,
leading a totally different life from the one in Timber. He knew
nothing about her current life. With his temper, he'd explode when
she told him. He thought he knew all that was important: she was a
hippie, from Colorado. He was adamant against deceit of any kind.
He'd be so angry.

Well, she would just wait a little longer.
Until he was in a good, loving mood again, not now. For the time
being, she would savor this moment. Savor the love she felt for
him. Her own, darling, disapproving Mac.

'No.' Mac sounded exasperated. Amanda turned
to watch him, love evident in her face, in her eyes as she moved to
be near him. Mac ran a hand through his hair, still blocking the
door.

'No, what?' Amanda asked.

'That's torn it.' He turned and went for his
shirt. John-Michael slowly pushed open the door, grinning when he
saw Amanda standing in his dad's room.

'Hi, Mandy.'

'Hi, yourself, John-Michael.' She tried to
maintain her composure in the face of this kid with the knowing
grin.

'Come on, Mandy, I'll take you home.' Mac was
dressed. He reached for her hand, leading her out. As he passed by
John-Michael he stopped, glinted down on the boy.

'Mandy's going to marry me,' he said,
watching the expressions chase across his son's face, from
incredulity to disbelief to delight.

'Hey, that's great!' The boy swept Mandy up
in a robust hug. “Wait until I tell the guys.”

'I'll be back later.' Mac pulled her from his
son’s arms and led the way to the truck, throwing Amanda a
tantalizing smile as they climbed in.

She was warmed by his look and smiled back,
feeling as if she were floating on air. She still couldn't believe
it.

'You coming in?' she asked when they reached
her place.

'Damn right, I am. We were interrupted.'

She laughed. 'Again.'

Climbing out of the truck, she heard her
phone ringing. 'I'll run and get it. That way they won’t have to
call back and maybe interrupt anything.'

Probably whoever was calling would hang up
before she could reach it, but she would try. Made it, she thought
as she snatched it up.

'Mandy? Mandy, this is Dave. Evie fell down a
flight of stairs. She's in the hospital and ... God, Mandy, she's
not doing well. Can you come? I need you, coz, they ... they don't
know if Evie will make it. Or the baby. God, I don’t know what I’ll
do if she dies. Mandy, I need you. Please.'

Amanda closed her eyes against the pain in
his voice. Her dear cousin; what an awful thing to happen. They
were so happy and so looking forward to their baby.

'Of course I'll come, Davie. Right away. The
baby?'

'They don't know. They don't know if the baby
will live or if,' he voice broke a little, 'if Evie will either.
Mandy, what will I do if Evie dies?'

'I'll be there as soon as I can get there.
Are you at home, or at the hospital?'

'I'm at the hospital, it's St Paul's. I can't
see her just yet. What will I do without Evie? What will I do if
she doesn't make it?'

'She will, she will. Hold on Davie. I'll be
there as soon as I can make it. Hang in there, I'm on my way.'

Amanda put down the receiver, tears swimming
in her eyes. She turned. Mac was blocking the door, his face
impassive.

'Oh, Mac, I've got to go. I've got to get
home. Can you take me ...' Where? She wanted to get to an airport,
a plane would be the fastest way to get to Los Angeles. Even at
that it would take hours.

'Where's the nearest airport? Maybe I can get
a flight to L.A. My cousin's has a bad fall. She ...' Amanda dashed
away the tears, finding herself in Mac's warm arms.

'Easy, girl, we'll get you to an airport.
Stockton's only an hour or so away. I'll call for reservations then
we'll go. You go pack something while I call.'

'Thanks, Mac.' She drew strength from him,
gave him a last hug then hurried to throw a few things in her
shoulder bag. She still had lots of things in her L.A. apartment;
clothes were the last of her worries right now.

'Ready.' She came out to the living room.

Her furniture was in and arranged nicely,
totally changing the outlook of the room. There was even a sofa, as
Mac had once wanted. He didn't even have a chance to comment on
it.

'Let's go. I booked you on the 6 p.m. flight,
it's the last direct one out. We'll make it.'