Montana Sky (34 page)

Sanity seemed called for. Hoping to instill it, Tess leaned negligently against the doorjamb. “I can't say that I've ever
cared for the decor in here, or elsewhere.
Field and Stream
isn't my style. But what brought on this sudden urge to redecorate?”

“No more trophies,” Willa repeated. Desperation had cemented into conviction. “Not them. Not us. Help me get them out.” She took a step, held out a hand. “Help me get them the hell out of our house.”

When realization came, it was sweet. Stepping forward, Tess rolled up her sleeves, and there was a gleam in her eyes now. “My pleasure. Let's evict Smokey here first.”

Together they heaved and dragged the stuffed and snarling bear to the doorway, then through it. They'd made it to the top of the steps before Lily came running up them.

“What in the world—For a minute I thought—” She pressed a hand to her speeding heart. “I thought you were about to be eaten alive.”

“This one had his last meal some time ago,” Willa managed to say, and tried for a better grip.

“What are you doing?”

“Redecorating,” Tess announced. “Give us a hand with this bastard. He's heavy.”

“No, screw it.” Willa blew out a breath. “Back off,” she warned, and when the stairs were clear she began to shove. “Come on, help me push.”

“Okay.” Tess made a show of spitting on her hands, then put her back into it. “Push, Lily. Let's dump this big guy together.”

When he went, he went with a flourish, tumbling down the staircase with the noise of a thunderclap, dust puffing, claws clattering. At the din, Bess came rushing out from the kitchen, her face red with the effort and her hand on the .22 Baretta she'd taken to keeping in her apron pocket.

“Name of God Almighty.” Huffing for air, Bess slapped her hands on her hips. “What are you girls up to? You've got a bear in the foyer.”

“He was just leaving,” Tess called out, and began to whoop with laughter.

“I'd like to know who's going to clean up this mess.”
Bess nudged the trophy with her toe, considering it every bit as nasty dead as alive.

“We are.” Willa swiped her palms over her jeans. “Just consider it spring cleaning.” She turned on her heel and marched back into the office.

Now, with the first thrust of fury deadened, she could see clearly what she'd done. Heads and bodies were strewn all over the room like bomb victims after a blast. Wooden mountings were cracked or chipped where she'd thrown them. Eerily, a loosened glass eye stared up at her from the beautiful pattern of the carpet.

“Oh, my God.” She let out one long breath, then another. “Oh, my God,” she said again.

“You sure showed them, pal.” Tess gave her a light thump on the back. “They didn't have a chance against you.”

“It's—” Lily pressed her lips together. “It's horrible, isn't it? Really horrible.” She hiccuped, turned away, pressed her lips tighter. “I'm sorry. It's not funny. I don't mean to laugh.” She struggled to hold it back by crossing her arms hard over her stomach. “It's just so awful. Like a wildlife garage sale or something.”

“It's hideous.” Tess lost her slippery hold on composure and began to giggle. “Hideous and morbid and obscene, and—oh, Jesus, Will, if you'd seen yourself when I first walked in. You looked like a madwoman doing the tango with a stuffed bear.”

“I hate them. I've always hated them.” Her own laughter bubbled up until she simply sat on the floor and let it go.

Then the three of them were sprawled on the floor, howling like loons amid the decapitated heads.

“They're all going,” Willa managed, and pressed a hand to her aching side. “As soon as I can stand up, they're all going.”

“Can't say I'll miss them.” Tess wiped her streaming eyes. “But what the hell are we going to do with them?”

“Burn them, bury them, give them away.” Willa moved her shoulders. “Whatever.” She took a cleansing breath and
pushed herself to her feet. “Clean sweep,” she announced, and hauled up a mounted elk's head.

They carted them out—elk, moose, deer, sheep, bear. There were stuffed birds, mounted fish, lonely antlers. As the pile in front of the porch began to build, the men wandered over to make a fascinated and baffled audience.

“Mind if we ask what you ladies are doing?” As unofficial liaison, Jim stepped forward.

“Spring cleaning,” Willa told him. “You think Wood can fire up the backhoe and dig a hole big enough to dump these in, give them a decent burial?”

“You're just going to dump them in a hole?” Shocked, Jim turned back as the men began to mumble. It took only a few minutes in a huddle to come to an agreement. This time Jim cleared his throat. “Maybe we could have a few for down to the bunkhouse and thereabouts. It's a shame just to bury 'em. That buck there'd look fine over the fireplace. And Mr. Mercy, he put store by that bear.”

“Take what you want,” Willa said.

“Can I have the cat, Will?” Billy hunkered down to admire it. “I sure would appreciate it. He's a beauty.”

“Take what you want,” she repeated, and shook her head as the men began to argue, debate, and lay claim.

“Now you've done it.” Ham moseyed over while four of the men muscled the bear into the back of a rig. “I'm going to have that damn ugly bastard staring at me every morning and every night. They'll be storing what don't fit on the walls in one of the outbuildings, too, mark my words.”

“Better there than in my house.” Willa cocked her head. “I thought you liked that bear, Ham. You were with him when he took it down.”

“Yeah, I was with him. Don't mean I harbor an affection for it. Jesus. Billy, you're going to break that rack you keep that up. Have a care, for God's sake. Be hanging their hats from it,” he muttered as he stalked over to supervise.

“Damn idiot cowboys.”

“Now everybody's happy,” Tess observed.

“Yep. Library's next.”

“I can give you an hour.” Tess glanced at her watch. “Then I've got to get ready. I've got a hot date.”

She had some new lingerie, delivered just that afternoon from Victoria's Secret. She wondered how long it would take Nate to get her out of it.

Not long, she speculated. Not long at all.

She let her thoughts circle back to Will. “And isn't this the night for you and Ben to take in your weekly picture show?” she said with her tongue in her cheek.

“I guess it is.”

“Lily's fixing a fancy dinner for Adam tonight.”

Distracted, Willa glanced back. “Oh?”

“Well, it's sort of the anniversary of when we first . . . first,” Lily finished, and blushed.

She'd gotten a delivery from Victoria's Secret too.

“And it's Bess's night off.” Casually, Tess studied her nails. Evicting wildlife had been tough on her manicure. “I heard she was going down to Ennis to spend the night with her gossipmate Maude Wiggins. Since I'm planning on staying at Nate's, you'll have the house all to yourself.”

“Oh, you shouldn't be alone,” Lily jumped in. “I can—”

“Lily.” Tess rolled her eyes. “She won't be alone unless she's incredibly slow or incredibly stupid or just plain stubborn. A quick woman, a smart one, a flexible one, would get herself all polished and perfumed and suggest a quiet evening in.”

“Ben would think I'd lost my mind if I got all dressed up, then said I wanted to stay in.”

“Wanna bet?”

At Tess's slow smile, Willa felt her own lips curving. “Things are too complicated now. I've got too much on my mind to be thinking of wrestling with Ben.”

“When aren't things complicated?” Tess took Willa's arms, turned her face-to-face. “Do you want him or not? Yes or no.”

Willa thought of the flutter that had been in her stomach all day. Because he'd been on her mind. “Yes.”

Tess nodded. “Now?”

“Yeah.” Willa let out a breath she hadn't been aware of holding. “Now.”

“Then leave the rest of the spring cleaning for tomorrow. It'll take Lily and me at least an hour to find something halfway sexy in that closet of yours.”

“I didn't say I wanted you to dress me again.”

“It's our pleasure.” Mind on her mission, Tess pulled Willa back inside. “Isn't it, Lily? Hey, where are you going?”

“Candles,” Lily called out as she dashed across the road. “Willa doesn't have nearly enough candles in her room. I'll be right there.”

“Candles.” Willa dragged her feet. “Fancy clothes, pretending I don't want to see a movie, candles in my bedroom. It feels like I'm setting a trap.”

“Of course it does, because that's exactly what you're doing.”

At the doorway of Willa's room, Tess stopped, put her hands on her hips. There was work to be done here, she determined, if the scene was to be properly set. “And I guarantee, he's not only going to love being caught, he's going to be grateful.”

“I
FEEL LIKE AN IDIOT
.”

“You don't look like an idiot.” Tess tilted her head and studied Willa from top to toe.

Yes, the hair swept up was a good touch—Lily's. With only a few pins anchoring all that mass, it would tumble down satisfactorily at a man's impatient handling.

Then there was the long dress—simple, full-skirted, nipped just a bit at the waist. Too bad it wasn't white, Tess mused, but Willa's limited wardrobe hadn't run to long white dresses. And the pale gray was quiet, almost demure. Except that Tess had left the long line of front buttons undone to the thigh.

The tiny silver hoops at Willa's ears were Lily's contribution again. The makeup was Tess's, and she knew Willa had been relieved that she'd used a light hand. But she didn't think Willa understood the power of innocence on the verge.

“You look,” Tess finally decided, “like a virgin eager to be sacrificed.”

Willa rolled her eyes. “Oh, God.”

“That's a good thing.” Woman to woman, she patted Willa's cheek. “You'll destroy him.”

Then the guilt hit. Had she pushed this moment? Tess wondered. Had she finagled it before Willa was ready? It was easy to forget that Willa was six years younger than she. And untouched.

“Listen . . .” Tess caught herself wringing her hands and dropped them to her sides. “Are you sure you're ready for this? It's a natural step, but it's still a big one. If you're not absolutely sure, Nate and I can stay. We can make it a double date, keep things simple. Because—”

“You're more nervous than I am.” Since that was such a surprise, and oddly sweet, Willa grinned.

“Of course not. I'm just—hell.” It wasn't just Lily, who had left half an hour before blinking back tears, who was sentimental, Tess discovered. While Willa's eyes widened in shock, Tess leaned forward and kissed her gently on both cheeks.

Absurdly touched, Willa felt her stomach flutter and her color rise. “What was that for?”

“I feel like a mommy.” And she was going to start bawling in a minute, so she turned quickly for the door. “I put condoms in your nightstand drawer. Use them.”

“For heaven's sake, he'll think I'm—”

“Prepared, smart, self-aware. Damn it.” Even as she heard the sound of the rig pull up outside, Tess gave up. Turning back, she rushed up to Willa and hugged her hard. “See you tomorrow,” she managed, and raced out.

Grinning hugely, Willa stayed where she was. She heard Tess's voice rise, and Nate, who'd been waiting downstairs, answered. Then the door, and Ben's easy greeting. Her stomach jumped again, so she sat on the edge of the bed and pressed her hand to it. The conversation trailed off, then the door opened and closed again. An engine roared to life.

She was alone with Ben.

She could always change her mind, she reminded herself. There was no obligation here. She would play it by ear. She made herself rise. Starting now.

He was in the great room, studying the newly blank stone
above the fireplace. “I took it down,” she said, and he turned, and he studied her. “We took it down today,” she corrected. “Lily, Tess, and I. We haven't decided what we want to put up in place of his portrait, so we're living with nothing for a while.”

She's taken down Jack Mercy's portrait, Ben thought. By the tone in her voice, he knew she understood just what a step she'd taken. “It changes the room. The focus of it.”

“Yes, that was the idea.”

He stepped forward, stopped. “You look great, Will. Different.”

“I feel different.” She smiled. “Great. And how are you?”

He'd been feeling easy before he turned and saw her in that long mist-colored dress, the flowing skirt with the teasing hint of leg. That slim neck revealed by the pinned-up hair. She looked too soft, too touchable, too everything.

“Fine. The same. Seems like I should take you to something fancier than a movie, the way you look.”

“Lily and Tess get a charge out of going through my closet and criticizing my wardrobe. I'm told this is about the only decent thing I own.” She plucked at the skirt and his blood pressure spiked as the unbuttoned material gave way to more leg. “They've threatened to take me shopping.”

Stop babbling, she ordered herself, and moved behind the bar. “Want a drink?”

“I'm driving.”

“Actually, I was thinking we could just stay in.” There, now she'd done it.

“In?”

“Yeah, I don't get the house to myself often anymore. Bess is staying with a friend tonight, and Tess and Lily are . . . well.”

“Nobody's here?” Something lodged in his throat, something hot and not easily swallowed.

“Nobody's here.” She opened the cold box behind the bar, found the champagne Tess had directed her to serve. “So, I thought we could just . . . stay in. Relax.” The bottle
clinked hard on wood when she set it down. “Tess has a suitcase full of videos if we want a movie, and there's food.”

Since he made no move to do so, Willa tore off the foil, twisted the wire free. “Unless you'd rather go out.”

“No.” He focused on the bottle when she popped the cork. “Champagne? Are we celebrating?”

“Yeah.” If she could just manage to get a grip on the glasses. “Spring. I saw wildflowers today, and the bulbs are sprouting. Birds are building a nest in the pole barn again.” She passed him his glass. “We'll start inseminating cows soon.”

His lips twitched as he took the glass. “Yeah, it's that time of year.”

“Oh, the hell with this.” She muttered it, then downed the bubbly wine in her glass in two long gulps. “I'm no good at games. This is Tess and Lily's idea, anyway.” Debating another, she set her empty glass down, looked him dead in the eye. “Look, the point is, Ben, I'm ready.”

“Okay.” Baffled, he took a sip of champagne. “You want to go out after all?”

“No, no.” She pressed her fingers against her eyes, took a breath. “I'm ready to have sex with you.”

He choked, managed to wheeze in air, sputter it out. “Excuse me?”

“Why dance around all this?” She came out from behind the bar. “You want me to go to bed with you, and I'm ready to. So, let's go to bed.”

He took another drink—a mistake, as each individual bubble took on an edge and ripped its way down his throat. “Just like that?”

The horror in his voice had her fumbling. What if he'd just been stringing her along, teasing her the way he had since childhood?

Why, then, she thought, he'd have to die.

“It's what you said you wanted,” she snapped at him. “So?”

“So.” She'd always done him in with angry eyes and impatience. Made him want to bite her—in all sorts of
interesting places. But she was changing the game, he thought. And the rules. “Just, I'm ready now so yippee?”

“What's wrong with that?” She jerked a shoulder. “Unless you've changed your mind.”

“No, I haven't changed my mind. It's not a matter of changing my mind, it's . . . Jesus, Will.” He set the glass on the bar before he could bobble it and make a fool of himself. “You've thrown me off stride.”

“Oh.” The confusion faded from her eyes and her mouth curved into a smile. “Is that all?”

“What do you expect?” His voice shot out, filled with male frustration. “You stand there all prettied up, shove champagne at me, and tell me you want to have sex. How am I supposed to keep my rhythm?”

Maybe he had a point, though she couldn't quite see it. But he looked sort of cute, all flustered and embarrassed. So she'd humor him.

“Okay.” She closed the distance, wound her arms around his neck. “Let's see if we can get your rhythm back.” Pressed her mouth hard to his.

His reaction was quick, and satisfying. The way his arms came up, banded her, the way his mouth angled and fed, the quick intake and release of his breath. Then, when his lips gentled, the way he murmured her name.

“Your gait seems steady enough to me.” Now her voice was shaky. The muscles in her thighs were vibrating like harp strings. “I want you, Ben. I really want you.” She proved it by locking her mouth to his again, then tearing it away to rain kisses over his face. “We don't have to go upstairs. The couch.”

“Hold on. Slow down.” Before I rip your clothes off and ruin it. “Slow down,” he repeated, holding her close before the last of the blood could drain out of his head. “I've got to get my feet back under me, and you've got to be sure. It's going to be really tough to back off if you change your mind.”

With a laugh, she boosted herself up, wrapped her legs around his waist. “Do I look like I'm going to change my mind?”

“No, guess not.” But if she did, it was on him to hold himself back. He thought such an eventuality might kill him. “I want you, Willa.” He brushed his lips over hers. “I really want you.”

Her heart did a neat somersault. “Sounds like a deal.”

“Upstairs.” He managed to walk even as she tightened her grip and started nibbling at his jaw. “The first time should be in a bed.”

“Was yours?”

“No, actually.” He got to the stairs, wondered why he'd never noticed how long they were. “It was in a rig in the middle of winter and I nearly froze my . . . never mind.”

She chuckled, nuzzled at his throat. “This'll be better, won't it?”

“Yeah.” For him, without a doubt. For her . . . he was going to do his best. He stopped in the doorway of her room. He wasn't sure how many more shocks he could survive in one night.

Candles burned everywhere, and the fire glowed low. The bed was turned down, inviting with dozens of pillows.

“Tess and Lily,” Willa explained. “They really got into this.”

“Oh.” Nothing like being showcased, Ben thought as his nerves jumped. “Did they . . . has anyone talked to you about . . . things?”

“McKinnon.” She eased back to grin at him. “I run a ranch.”

“It's not exactly the same.” He set her on her feet, backed off a step. “Listen, Willa, this is kind of a first for me, too. I've never—the others weren't—” He had to shut his eyes a minute, gather his scattered wits. “I don't want to hurt you. And I, well, I haven't had anyone in a while. I set my sights on you damn near a year ago, and I haven't had anyone else since.”

“Really?” That was interesting. “Why?”

He sighed, sat on the edge of the bed. “I have to get my boots off.”

“I'll give you a hand.” She obligingly turned her back to him, hefted one booted foot between her legs. He nearly
groaned. “A year?” She glanced over her shoulder as she tugged.

“Maybe more, if it comes down to it.” Struggling to be amused, he planted a foot on her butt and pushed.

“You were never particularly nice to me.” She took his other foot, pulled at the boot.

“You scared the hell out of me.”

She stumbled forward as the boot came off, then turned, still holding it. “I did?”

“Yeah.” Irritated with himself, he pushed a hand through his hair. “And that's all I'm going to say about it.”

It was enough to think about, she supposed. “Oh, I forgot.” She hurried to the table by the window and fiddled with Tess's CD player. “Music,” she explained. “Tess claims it's mandatory.”

He couldn't hear anything over the knocking of his own heart. Her hair was falling down, just a little, and the firelight streamed through that long, thin skirt every time she moved.

“That should do it. Unless we should have the champagne up here.”

“That's all right.” His throat was closing again, snapping like a bear trap. “Later.”

“Okay.” She lifted her hands, began to undo the buttons of the dress while his mouth fell open. Her busy fingers flipped open six before he could get his tongue off his toes.

“Hold it. Slow down. If you're going to strip for a man, you should pace yourself.”

“Is that so?” Intrigued, she stopped, watched his gaze dip to her fingers, then began again. “I'm not wearing a stitch under here,” she said conversationally. “Tess said something about contrast and impact.”

“Oh, good Jesus.” He wasn't sure how he got to his feet when he couldn't feel them. But he stepped to her. “Don't take it off.” His voice had thickened, and the sound of it had her eager fingers pausing, trembling. “Let me finish it.”

“All right.” Odd, her arms were so heavy now. She let them fall to her sides as he slipped the rest of the buttons
free. It was a lovely sensation, she thought, the skim of his knuckles over her skin. “Shouldn't you be groping me or something?”

A laugh, even a weak one, soothed some of the nerves. “I'll get to it.” The dress was open now, with light and shadow playing over that lovely line of bare flesh. “Just stand there,” he said quietly, and touched his mouth to hers. “Can you do that?”