Dream Chaser (17 page)

Suzanna gave Emma a quick hug.
“That is great news! Would you like me to come over tomorrow so we can
plan our book
order?”

“No time like the present. But it’ll have to be in the afternoon. Abby
made an appointment for me
to see the doctor about my hip.”

“
Then
I’ll see you tomorrow afternoon.” Suzanna gathered her things and headed for the car.

“Leaving so soon?” Jonathan caught up with her, as she moved away from the
clusters
of people gathered
around
the dance area.

She turned to him in the near-darkness.
“
It was a great party
,
but
I’m
kind of
tired.
And I’m going to help Emma at the library tomorrow.”

He took her basket. “Let me carry that. Where’
s your car?”

“
Over here somewhere, near those trees, I think
—there it is.” She headed toward the trees, dark against the evening sky. He walked with her to the Jeep and opened the door for her.

When she turned from putting her things in the backseat, Jonathan slid one hand around her waist and brushed his lips against her cheek
.
“
You have the most beautiful eyes, Suzanna.
Thanks for the dinner, and the dances.”
Then he lifted
her
chin with two fingers
and kiss
ed
her lips
, lightly, for what seemed forever but must only have been a second
.

When he backed away, he
looked like he was going to say something
, but then he turned
and left
.
She
slid onto the car seat
and remained there for several minutes
, her
body buzzing. H
ow long had it been since she had felt like
this
?
She should have kissed him back, let him know how much she liked it.

Suzanna started the car and headed for the cabin, shivering, although she’d never felt warmer.

“Jonathan,” Maris called out to him as he strode toward his truck.

“What do you want, Maris?”

“Since when are you paying attention to someone who doesn’t live here—that woman with the white dog?”

His left eyebrow rose. “Suzanna does live here—she’s renting my cabin for the summer.”

“You know what I mean. She’s not from around here—no matter where she’s living now.”

“What’s your point?”

“Newcomers—strangers, I mean—don’t usually stick around. You should know that—after Chelsea.”

Jonathan resumed walking toward his truck. “Chelsea’s past history, Maris.” He looked at her.
And so are you.

“You like her, don’t you?” She struggled to match his pace as he lengthened his stride.

“That’s none of your business. Suzanna’s my tenant. That makes her—”

“What? Your responsibility? Is that it? Or is she trying to—”

“She takes care of herself. And I don’t know that she’s doing anything other than enjoying her privacy at the cabin.” He turned away from her, his voice more curt than he intended, but Maris grated on his nerves. Always had. “Have a nice evening.”

On his way home his hands tightened on the steering wheel as he thought about Maris and what she had implied. Why was she still trying to move in on him? Maris was a bitter woman, bitter that Jonathan had no interest in her, bitter that the man she had married had left her, bitter that she had had to move in with her brother’s family and take a waitressing job at the Hitching Post.

His thoughts turned to Suzanna.
It’s been so long since I
’ve
enjoyed the company of an intelligent, caring, and beautiful woman
, he thought.
That green dress was the same color as her eyes. And the way she looked in it. She had a quiet elegance he appreciated.

He imagined easing her out of that dress and into his arms, skin to skin, and his groin swelled. Was it because he hadn’t been with a woman for such a long time, or how he had felt holding her when they were dancing? Was that why his blood slid from his heart downward?
He wanted to jump into the pool of her green eyes when
ever
she looked at him
and smiled, her gaze suggesting that she wanted to get to know him.

He loved how she had felt in his arms, especially after she loosened up. Her grin told him she was glad he had asked her to dance. But she was still wary, except when she was learning how to square dance, seeming to forget herself as she concentrated on the caller’s instructions and the steps she was learning.

What was the source of
Suzanna’s
wariness—like
during their first dance, when she couldn’t seem to relax?
You’re skittish, Suzanna, like a filly that’s had a bad rider.

He wondered again about her late husband. In what ways had he mistreated her? He was certain the man had, remembering the livid scrape on her face when he’d seen her at the beach.
Emma
had
said
something
about
Suzanna’s marriage,
that he
r husband had cheated on her.
How could he get her to open up with him, to trust that he would never do that
?
At least
she had not pulled away when he kissed her.

He’d promised her she wouldn’t be bothered.
I know she craves her privacy.
His curiosity about her remained with him as he entered the ranch house and flipped his hat onto the coat rack near the door before walking upstairs.

Chapter 9

Suzanna was
kneeling in her garden patch near the row
of pea vines
when she
heard
hoof
beats.
She looked up from under
her
wide-brimmed sun hat and blew at a strand of hair that had come loose
as she pulled weeds, the better to see the tall man whose horse came to stop near the cabin’s back porch
.
She gave Jonathan a quick grin, pleased to see him.

“You look like you could use a cold drink.” Jonathan he threw his leg over the saddle horn.
“I brought you something.” He reached into his saddlebag
for
several envelopes and one small box.
“Unfortunately, it’s not anything cold or in a glass.”

Suzanna patted
Squire. “I could use a break
.” She wiped her brow. “I
always keep
iced tea
on hand
. Would you like some?”

“
Sure
.” He followed her into the kitchen.

She pointed toward the patch of green, watching as the big horse ambled closer to her makeshift garden fence. “Is your horse going to
try to
nibble my
peas
?”

“I’ll bring him around to the front.”
Jonathan
entered the house
from
the front porch. “It’s cooler on this
side. Why don’t we sit out here…
in the shade?”

“Good idea. Here’s your tea.” She handed him an icy glass
, her eyes lingering on his lips, lips that had teased her the night of the covered dish supper
.

“No cookies?” He smiled at her.

“Would a dish of peach cobbler suffice? I’m all out of chocolate chewies. You remind me of my son. He never tires of dessert.” She sat down
next to him after bringing out two bowls of peach cobbler
.

Jonathan
exchang
ed
a bowl for
the mail.
“One of the boys was in town earlier, and Abby gave him yours. She said you would especially want the box.”

“I’ll bet it’s from my daughter. She’s been bugging me about my cell phone. I’ll bet she sent me a new one.”

Jonathan
leaned back against a post
, while she stepped inside for a knife
.

She
cut
open the box. Out tumbled a phone card and a cell phone.

“She doesn’t give up easily.” Suzanna put the box aside after glancing at the other pieces of mail. One envelope was larger than the others. She p
laced
it on the top of the pile.

“It sounds like your daughter is concerned about you.”

“More like s
he wants to control me, and she’
s not happy
I’m
so ‘unavailable,’ as she puts it.”
Suzanna
glanced sidelong
at Jonathan. “You have grown children. I’ll bet they don’t try to
manage your life
.”

“No, but they don’t always stay in touch as often as I might like, either.” He moved closer to her on the steps and set the now-empty dish on the porch.
“Well, that’s not fair.
Neil
’s teaching English to children in Japan near
his
base
in his off-hours. He was never much of a letter
writer, but he stays in touch
by email
.
My daughter is another matter. She seems to think I don’t much care for
her husband
, when what I don’t care for is
that she’s so far away
.” He reached out to pet Sam, who had sidled ne
xt to him, looking for a treat.
“Dan’s
a nice enough kid—majored in mining engineering. I was hoping they would stick around after he got his degree, but he was offered a position at Colorado School of Mines. That’s why they’re in Denver
instead of Missoula, where they met
.
Now Christine’s pregnant. I’d like her to come home for a visit.
She hasn’t done that since they got married.
”

“
Dan
is her husband?”

“Yes
.
”

“My folks weren’t all that thrilled when I married Brad
and quit school.
”

He
rubbed one shoulder and leaned against the post again, pressing his back against the corner.

“At least they still talk to you, your children.”
Suzanna
let her eyes meander over Jonathan’s face, then down his body, to those strong hands, so tan, so steady, and his legs in jeans that fit him like a second skin.
“My daughter seems to think
she has
to keep me out of trouble since my husband died. She hasn’t exactly supported the choices I’ve made. And when I told her I was renting thi
s cabin from you, she—well—now she m
istrusts you.”

“
She doesn’t even know me.”
Jonathan was silent,
his eyes holding hers as her fingers
touched the phone card
.

“She doesn’t have to
know you
.
You
rent
ed me
the cabin,
and I didn’t come home
.” S
uzanna
grinned. “Don’t take it personally. She’s
been
upset
with
me
for months
.”

She waved Sam away from the now-empty bowls that had held the cobbler.

“I’d think she would want you to be happy, especially after …”

Her hands waved dismissively.
“First it was my wedding ring—I threw it away. Then, I sold Brad’s Mercedes. She had a fit about that, and reminded me for weeks
that she’
d expected me to
give it to her
. Then I got Sam and we’d never had a dog
before
. And,
when
I bought the Jeep—with a totally-wrong paint job
—she was sure I’d gone round the bend
.”

Jonathan laughed. “Let me guess. You
’re
not
the mother she
’s used to
.”

Suzanna chuckled, “Maybe
that’s it
. I think the last straw was when I misplaced the phone during my road trip. It fell between the seats and I haven’t used it since. Actually, I’m happy it doesn’t work here
. It
prevents her from
checking on me every hour
.”

“Mind if I get more iced tea?”

“Not at all. There’s more in the fridge.”

He took their glasses and the cobbler bowls into the kitchen and returned with the iced tea. “Here you go.” He handed her one of the glasses.

“Thanks.”

After he sat down again, he turned to her. “If you
’d like
, I’
ll
string a line to the cabin and install a phone for you.”

“That’s very kind, but
not
necessary. I’m thinking of inviting Kevin and
Penny
here for a visit in August. Once she sees that I haven’t suffered permanent damage from my little adventure,
maybe
she’ll back off.”

“What about your son? Is he worried about you, too?”

She shook her head.
“
He
has a
new girlfriend, and he’s more inclined to give me the
ben
efit of the doubt.”
She looked up and pointed to the mountains in the distance.
“Don’t you just love this view?”

“It is nice.”

But she saw that he’d replied while looking her way, and her pulse picked up.

Silence reigned, broken only by the clink of the horse’s headstall
as he shook his head. Jonathan
rubbed
his back
against one of the porch uprights.

Suzanna
sipped her iced tea and
peer
ed
more closely at him
. “
Why
are you sitting all crooked?”

“It’s that noticeable?” He
tried to straighten up.
“I wrenched my shoulder when we were u
nloading a horse. I thought I’
d worked it out when I rode him the other day.”

“Would
you like a back rub? My hus—
Kevin
says
I give great ones.” She moved behind him. “
Move
down on
e
step and let me sit behind you.”

He
did as she asked, his head leaning
slightly to one side.

She removed his hat and handed it to him. “Now, relax your shoulders.” She pressed down on them.

“Your hands are cool, they feel good,” he said. A moment later, he added,
“I thought I was relaxed.” H
e sighed,
closed his eyes and then jerked. “You hit the sore spot.”

“I found a knot. Sorry if it hurts.” She began by kneading the tight spot and then moved her hands up into his scalp, and gradually back down his neck
. As
his muscles relaxed,
she again bega
n
knead
ing his shoulder muscles
, her fingers giving her hints what his back and chest must look like under that Western shirt that fit him so well
.

“Your hands feel good,” he murmured.

“No talking. Just relax. Think of rain water running down a window.”

“
Yes, ma’am
.”
His voice was softer, low, more relaxed.

“No talking,” she whispered.

“Ok
ay
,” he whispered
back
.

She
giggled.

He sighed
again
as her hands applied pressure to his shoulders
. Suzanna
sli
d
her hands
halfway down his back
, imagining
.

“Would you like me to take my shirt off?” he offered, a sexy shimmer to his voice.

Did he just read my mind?
She chuckled, and replied after a too-long pause. “Not necessary.”

“H
m
m,” he sighed, and leaned into her hands.

“Keep your eyes closed. Just let your muscles relax.”

“Okay.”

H
er hands
kneaded their way
back up
to
his shoulders and a
cross
his collar bones. As she brought her hands
around
to the base of his
neck
,
she changed the movement of her fingers, sliding them down his back
, as if brushing the stiffness away.

“How
does it
feel now?”
She sat up, away from him.
“Your back and shoulders.”

He
straightened
his back
then stretched
.
“Great. Did
you have to stop?”

“
You were so relaxed, I was afraid you would nod off and tumble down
the step. You can open your eyes now.” She placed his hat in his
lap
.

“I agree with Kevin. You are a master back rubber.” He turned around, stood up, and smiled at her. “
I’
m going to Bozeman on business
at the end of the
week
. Want to
co
me along?
I know a couple of nice restaurants
. That way we’d have a choice
for dinner.”

Oh
my gosh
. He asked
me out
. She didn’t hesitate.
“I’d like that.”

“Good.” He reached for the horse’s reins, and spied one of Suzanna’s impatiens plants
dangl
ing from the horse’s lips.
“I’ll replace it,” he chuckled, when she, too, saw what was now missing from the planter under the bedroom window.

“Not to worry.” S
he smiled. “Those particular plants spread quickly.”