Samantha’s Cowboy (11 page)

“I forgot.”

“She’s gonna guess when we get our lines tangled.”

“Maybe Samantha will give us a few pointers and we’ll do better.”

Wade parked next to the corrals, well away from the construction crew hard at work putting the finishing touches on the new barn.

“Look, Dad.” Luke pointed to a brand-new single-wide trailer sitting near the decrepit farmhouse.

“Must belong to one of the workers.” He hoped so. He’d cashed in a CD to pay for the barn. He prayed by
the time Samantha decided whether to demolish the farmhouse or renovate the place he’d have recovered her money.

Speaking of money…Damn his uncle. The man hadn’t returned Wade’s calls. Wade had questioned the firm’s top executives about the company’s investment activities, but the employees insisted they knew nothing about Charles’s recent actions.

“How big do you think the fish are?” Luke unsnapped his seat belt.

“Why don’t you ask Miss Samantha? She’s headed our way.” Wade stepped from the car, his eyes soaking up the vision marching toward them. Today her long ponytail poked out the back of a Sooners baseball cap. Her tight jeans had holes in the knees and a faded Sooners T-shirt clung to her curves.

“Hey, guys. Glad you could make it.” She ruffled Luke’s hair.

“You went to college at the University of Oklahoma?” Wade gestured to the logo on her T-shirt.

“No, my brother Matt did.”

Wade wanted to ask what college she’d attended but Luke interrupted. “Where are we gonna fish, Miss Sam?”

“There’s a pond on the other side of the property. Millicent’s packing our lunch.” Samantha slid Luke’s glasses up his nose. “Why don’t you see if she needs help.”

As soon as Luke was out of earshot, Wade nodded to the trailer. “What’s this?”

“My new home.”

“You bought the trailer for yourself?”

“I got a smokin’ deal on it.” She chuckled. “My father’s high-school classmate owns an RV dealership.”

“What kind of smokin’ deal?” Wade braced himself, praying he wouldn’t have to put his condo on the market and move into the local YMCA before this ordeal with Samantha’s trust fund was resolved.

“I got it for free.”

“Free?” She had to be pulling his leg.

“It’s a showroom trailer. Mr. Henderson said I could borrow it as long as I needed.”

The tight band around Wade’s chest loosened. “They’re making good progress on the barn.”

She snapped her fingers. “I forgot to mention at lunch the other day—”

That dreaded word
forgot
set off warning bells in Wade’s head.

“—next on my to-do list is the old barn. The construction crew’s returning next week to begin repairs on that, so I’ll have additional storage for feed and equipment.”

If you don’t tell her about her missing trust fund she won’t stop with the renovations.

“How many horses do you intend to take in?”

Coward.

“Three to begin with.” Her smile rivaled the hot noon sun. “My favorite of the group is Blue. He’s a twenty-year-old gray Arabian.” She motioned to her temporary home. “That’s why I had the trailer delivered. Once the barn is ready the SPCA will bring the horses.”

A burning sensation erupted in Wade’s chest. He felt as if he was running from an avalanche, trying to keep ahead of the fast-moving snow but losing ground with
each step. “I like the baseball cap,” he said, silently cursing. The compliment hadn’t come out the way he’d intended. He’d meant to say she looked especially pretty today.

“Thanks.” She wiggled the toe of her boot in the dirt, and he wondered if she’d thought about their kiss at Beulah’s as much as he had. Before the strain became unbearable, Millicent and Luke emerged from the shanty.

“Would you mind bringing Millicent’s rocking chair along?” Samantha asked.

“Sure.” Wade dragged the heavy oak chair to the truck, then lifted it into the bed. Samantha added a picnic basket and Wade fetched the cooler of drinks he’d volunteered to bring.

Millicent and Luke sat in the backseat, and Wade joined Samantha in the front. Instead of driving to the main road, Samantha turned the truck around and headed past the old barn where she picked up a dirt trail barely wide enough to accommodate the truck. After a mile of bumping along, she said, “The pond’s beyond that grouping of trees ahead.”

Samantha stopped the truck at the top of an incline that overlooked a small oasis in the middle of dry, dusty farmland. An ancient tree towered among smaller oaks encircling a pond the size of an Olympic-size swimming pool. Clumps of wildflowers grew along the water’s edge and shade dotted the sparse grass beneath the trees.

“Where does the water supply come from?” he asked.

“A natural spring.” Samantha drove forward a few yards, then parked.

Interesting.
The drilling company Wade called had
insisted the water table sat several hundred feet belowground. Wade would have wasted Samantha’s money if not for Millicent’s water-witching talents. For the life of him, he couldn’t understand why Samantha hadn’t told him about the pond’s existence. Had he been aware of the natural spring, he’d have challenged the drilling company’s quote and possibly received a lower bid, sparing him sore muscles and blisters from hours of digging.

Then you wouldn’t have had an excuse to spend the weekends with Samantha.

“What kind of fish are we gonna catch, Miss Sam?” Luke hopped out of the backseat.

“Bluegill and sunfish.” Samantha helped Millicent out of the truck.

“Caught me a bluegill last week,” the old woman boasted. She placed her bony hand on Luke’s shoulder. “Ever skinned a fish?”

“Nope.”

“Ya best catch one so I can show ya how it’s done.”

Luke removed his shoes and poked his toes in the water while Wade dragged Millicent’s rocking chair to the edge of the pond, then repositioned it three times until the old woman was satisfied with the spot. Samantha spread a quilt beneath the trees and Wade set the picnic basket and cooler at opposite corners to prevent the blanket from blowing away.

After Samantha and Wade unloaded the fishing gear, Millicent was the first to cast her line across the pond, while Samantha showed Luke how to bait a hook.

“Yuck.” Luke pinched the end of his nose when Samantha removed the lid from a shallow plastic dish.

“Stink bait,” she said. “And these are nightcrawlers.” She popped the lid off another container.

“They’re still alive,” Luke protested.

“That’s because the fish won’t bite if they’re not wiggling on the hook. Which bait do you want to use?”

“A worm.”

Wade grinned at his son’s less-than-enthusiastic response. Once Samantha had the worm on the hook, she adjusted the tension on the line and handed the pole to Luke, and he cast the line.

“Good job. Now hold the pole steady.” His son beamed under Samantha’s praise. “That’s perfect. If you feel a tug on the line give a shout.” She moved sideways, bumping Wade. “Sorry.”

“She fell asleep.” He motioned to Millicent.

“Wait until a fish tugs on the line.” Samantha smiled affectionately at the old woman. “She’ll pop out of the chair like a jack-in-the-box.”

Wade studied Samantha’s profile, awed by her beauty. He wanted to slip off the baseball cap and free her hair from the elastic band. Then bury his face in the soft strands.

“Wade?”

He shook his head to declutter his brain. “What?”

“Let’s sit in the shade.”

More than happy to oblige, he followed her to the blanket. “How’s your father taking the news of your plans?” He stretched out alongside her.

“Better than I expected.”

She didn’t elaborate, but he suspected Dominick Cartwright had strongly objected. Wade admired Samantha for standing up to her father. He wanted to
ask about her relationship with Dominick but worried the topic would lead to a conversation about her trust fund, which he intended to bring up at the end of the picnic.

“May I ask you a personal question?” She fluttered her long, dark lashes.

“Sure.”

“Why did you divorce Luke’s mother?”

The blood in his veins cooled and Wade swung his gaze to the pond. He wasn’t opposed to discussing his marriage to Carmen, but he feared he might come up short in Samantha’s eyes.

“Carmen is the daughter of one of the firm’s clients. We were introduced at a business meeting.” Wade was ashamed to admit he’d been sucked in by Carmen’s pretty face and flattering attention. What he hadn’t discovered until too late was that his wife lost interest in people quickly. Wade had had the unfortunate luck of being transferred to Carmen’s been-there-done-that list not too long after tying the knot. “When Luke was born Carmen handed over the child-rearing duties to me and various housekeepers.”

“Not all women are cut out to be mothers,” Samantha said.

She sounded defensive and he wondered if she didn’t care for the idea of motherhood, either. He must have misinterpreted her reaction. Samantha was too patient and kind with Luke to not want to be a mother.

“When our relationship deteriorated,” Wade continued, “I kept hoping things would improve, but the truth was Carmen had become bored with our marriage.”

The corner of Samantha’s mouth curved. “You’re kidding, right?”

“I’m serious.”

Samantha collapsed on the blanket and giggled.

“What’s so funny?” Resting on his elbow, he leaned closer.

Splotches of red appeared on her cheeks. “I think you’re plenty exciting,” she whispered. “I’m never bored when I’m with you.”

His ego inflated, threatening to burst. He brushed his lips across Samantha’s. He would have pulled away but her hand snuck around his neck, keeping his mouth against her.

Lips caressed. Tongues played. Hot…heavy…

“I caught a fish!” Luke shouted.

Samantha sprang from the blanket and sprinted to the edge of the pond. Wade stayed behind, willing his body to cool off.

“Look, Dad. Miss Sam says it’s a bluegill.” Luke held up the fishing line.

“Congratulations!” Wade discreetly adjusted his pants and joined the duo at the pond.

“Now it’s your father’s turn,” Samantha said, her gaze pinning him. “Maybe he’ll get lucky and catch…something.”

Or someone.

“Will Luke be okay with Millicent?” Wade asked, staring out the window of Samantha’s trailer. The torrential downpour had turned the ranch yard into a mud bog.

With each passing second Sam’s hopes for a romantic evening were fading. “They’ll be fine,” she said. As for her and Wade…Since they’d entered the trailer, he’d paced the small enclosure like a caged animal searching for an escape route.

“That shack probably leaks like a sieve,” he grumbled.

Swallowing a sigh, she peered out the window. “Barney nailed down new shingles not long ago.”

“What if the storm worsens?”

Sam swallowed sigh number two. She’d flipped on the weather radio when they’d returned from fishing and learned the severe storms had passed west of the area. Already the rain had eased up. “Sky’s clearing.”

Wade stopped at her side. “There could be another line of storms following this one.” He tilted his head, bringing their faces closer—dark lashes blinked behind his glasses.

A pang sliced through Sam, and she backed away.
She hadn’t set out to seduce Wade, but Millicent had handed her a gift when the old woman had suggested Luke spend the night with her learning how to clean and smoke fish. Meanwhile Sam wanted Wade to stay with her—preferably in her bed.

But he appeared determined to thwart her plans. Maybe that was best. There could be no future with Wade. Why deepen a relationship that would end before ever getting off the ground?

Because Wade’s special and you’re falling in love with him.

Sam should have guarded her heart more closely around Wade, but she hadn’t the energy or willpower to deny herself the pleasure of being with him. Wade made her feel alive again. He was good for her ego, good for her self-esteem…just plain good for her.

“We should have returned to Tulsa after the first downpour,” he said.

Frustrated, Sam set about tidying the kitchen. The group had arrived at the trailer before the first rain shower and instead of the cookout she’d planned, they’d eaten boiled hot dogs. A break in the weather followed an hour of board games, then Luke and Millicent had dodged puddles to her cabin.

“Kind of crowded in here,” Wade muttered.

Okay. She got the message. Nothing was going to happen between them tonight. The signals had been there earlier in the afternoon but Sam had chosen to ignore them—Wade had enjoyed the picnic at the pond, but he’d been agitated. “Is something on your mind?” She was more than happy to lend an ear if he wished to talk.

His eyes widened and she swore his expression mirrored shock. “No. Why?”

She shrugged. “You’ve been distracted all day.” Now that she considered it, he’d cast her several worried glances since the rain had begun.

“A lot’s going on at work,” he said.

So much for believing they’d grown close in such a short time. Throat tight, Sam stowed the Monopoly game in a cupboard. “I’m taking a quick shower, then I might read before turning out the lights.”

The gusty breath Wade blew out felt like a slap across the cheek.

Nightshirt and a clean pair of panties in hand, she slipped into the bathroom where she showered in record time, refusing to linger under the warm spray or she’d give in to the temptation to cry. Since meeting Wade her emotions had undergone an Olympic workout and right now she hadn’t the strength for more disappointment.

After shutting off the water she towel-dried and slipped into the nightshirt. She dabbed on face cream, brushed her teeth, then ran a comb through her tangled hair.
Don’t be a quitter.

The stubborn streak she’d inherited from her father surfaced and she decided to try one more time for a romantic evening. She paused outside the bathroom door. “Wade, what do you say I make hot chocolate and we watch…” He’d fallen asleep on the sofa bed. She tiptoed closer, gently removed his glasses and placed them on the counter.

With a heavy heart she retreated to the bedroom.

If she was lucky maybe she and Wade would go all the way in her dreams.

W
ADE AWOKE IN THE MIDDLE
of the night, hot and…
bothered?
The last remnants of his erotic dream, starring Samantha, faded, leaving him rock-hard and irritable. He swung his feet to the floor and groaned when his back muscles protested. He’d have been better off sleeping on the hard ground than the camping mattress on the pullout bed. The blurry glow of the microwave clock reminded him he wasn’t wearing his glasses. He patted the countertop until his fingers bumped the frames. He slipped them on, waited for his eyes to adjust, then wondered what the hell he was going to do at 1:00 a.m. in the morning.

Might as well take a shower and cool off. He snuck into the bathroom, stepped inside the stall, flipped the faucet to cold and soaped himself. The tepid water did little to relieve his arousal. Frustrated, he dried off, tied the towel around his hips and opened the bathroom door. Then froze.

What was that?

A sniffle?
He inched toward Samantha’s bedroom door and held his breath. More sniffling. Had she come down with a cold?

Don’t be an ass. She’s crying.

He rested his forehead against the door and closed his eyes. He hadn’t meant to hurt her. A short while ago he’d yearned to make love as badly as she’d wanted to. He’d rejoiced that such a beautiful, sweet woman desired him. But his conscience had gotten the best of him. He didn’t dare make love when he hadn’t been truthful about her trust fund. Right or wrong, the blame for her missing money rested squarely on his shoulders—at least until he proved otherwise.

Her money isn’t the only thing holding you back.

He had a responsibility to his son. The divorce hadn’t been easy on Luke. If Wade and Samantha entered into a serious relationship, he wouldn’t be able to prevent Luke from becoming more attached to Samantha than he already was, especially when the boy’s own mother showed little interest in him. If things didn’t work out between Wade and Samantha then Luke’s heart would be broken.

What about your heart?

Wade admitted that his feelings for Samantha had moved past attraction. Past a sense of concern for her horse sanctuary and the trust fund. Past wanting to impress her. To make her happy. Wade had fallen in love with her.

Another sniffle echoed behind the door. To hell with telling her the truth about her missing money. To hell with his worry over Luke becoming too attached to Samantha. To hell with Wade’s heart falling in love with the wealthy cowgirl. He had to end Samantha’s tears. He rapped his knuckles against the bedroom door.

“Wh-what is it?” she sputtered.

He tested the knob, found it unlocked and poked his head around the doorframe. The bedside lamp cast a warm glow around the room. Samantha sat in the middle of the mattress, legs tucked to the side, her long, dark hair falling over her shoulders in disarray. Her nightshirt clung to her breasts, outlining their shape and fullness. Her legs were bare except for the scrap of pink lace peeking out from beneath the hem of the shirt.

“Sorry I woke you.” She wiped her swollen eyes with the back of her hand and offered a brave smile.

Her apology made his heart ache. Without considering the consequences he entered her room and shut the door, then leaned against it. “You should be sorry,” he said. The tiny catch in her breath excited him. “I’ve been dreaming about you.”

The tears stopped and Wade relaxed. “And this is what dreaming of you does to me.” Praying he wasn’t about to make a fool of himself, he loosened the knot at his waist and the towel fell to the floor.

Her gaze zeroed in on his rock-hard erection and he froze. Did he pounce? Did he ask permission?
Help me, Samantha.

She came to his rescue, whipping the T-shirt over her head and flinging it across the room. Golden skin, round breasts and legs that went on forever—the real thing was far better than his fantasy. She shifted to her knees and held out her hand, beckoning.

An electric shock leapt up his arm when she placed his hand over her heart and lifted her face, seeking a kiss. Unable to deny her anything, he kissed her, showing her how much she meant to him. How much he wanted to please her. To rock her world.

“You’re incredibly beautiful.” He toyed with the scrap of lace clinging to her hips, his fingers stroking the soft skin. “Inside and out.” He pressed a light kiss to her bare shoulder.

Her smile eased the nervous tension in his gut and he stretched out next to her on the mattress. She shimmied out of her panties, then removed his glasses. “Wait.” He grasped her hand. “I’m blind as a bat without them.”

Snuggling closer, she purred, “Then you’ll just have
to feel your way around.” She dropped the glasses on the nightstand.

His senses kicked into high gear—her tantalizing scent teased his nose. Her velvety skin burned his fingertips. Her soft sighs serenaded his ears. And her sweet taste filled his mouth.

Time froze as their fingers tormented and teased. Mouths feasted. He ignored his building desire, focusing on Samantha, ensuring his kiss, his touch drove her higher and higher until…

Samantha shuddered, and moaned, then curled into Wade and sighed. “That was incredible.”

If he’d been a rooster he’d have strutted atop the mattress.

“Your turn.” She sprawled across his chest.

“I don’t have any protection with me,” he confessed. After their first kiss on the porch swing Wade had considered stashing a condom in his wallet but had felt foolish at the idea, because he’d never expected—wished for—but never expected that they’d reach this moment.

“I have a condom in my purse.”

Did she always carry birth control in her purse? Or did she…

“I’ve wanted to make love with you since the day you helped dig the well.” She kissed him, her tongue sweeping across his teeth.

“Really?”

“Yep.” Another kiss. More tongue.

“Ah, Sam,” he whispered.

“It’s about time you called me Sam.”

“The condoms…” He was ready to explode.

She crawled over him, hopped off the bed and
rummaged through her purse, offering him a sweet albeit blurry view of her shapely backside. “Oh, good,” she said.

“What?”

“I’ve got three.” Then she pounced. Limbs tangled and heartbeats thundered. With slow, steady strokes he loved her, carrying them higher, cloud by cloud until they vaulted into the heavens among an explosion of stars.

A
T
3:00
A.M.
S
AM AWOKE
shivering, the air conditioner blasting her naked body. She tugged the bedcovers up, then spooned Wade, pressing her breasts to his back and wiggling her foot between his calves. Then she rubbed her nose in the curve of his neck and breathed in his masculine scent.

Making love with Wade had been incredible. His caresses, kisses and murmured endearments had melted her heart. In the aftermath of their lovemaking, while they’d struggled to catch their breath, Sam realized that Wade had been the first man she’d allowed herself to lose control with. She only wished this magical
whatever
that was happening between them had somewhere to go. She might wish for a long-term relationship with Wade but sweet little Luke stood in the way. She doubted Wade would entrust her with his son’s safety once he learned another child had almost died in her care.

What if Wade trusts you with his son and still wants to keep seeing you?

There was a small part of Sam that wondered if maybe with the help of a considerate man she could be a good mother. What if the memory lapses miraculously disappeared when she had to safeguard her own child?
She’d never know, because she refused to risk a child’s well-being for her own happiness.

Sam would always be a liability in any relationship that involved a child. Her heart believed Wade would view her memory lapses and forgetfulness as minor inconveniences—until catastrophe struck, forcing him to choose his son over her. Sam intended to be grateful for these precious few moments with Wade and pray the memories were enough to last through her lifetime.

W
ADE GROANED AS
S
AMANTHA
rubbed her luscious body against his backside. She’d blown him away with her enthusiasm in bed. Her soft sighs, lusty stares and bold touches made him feel like the king of kings. The world’s greatest lover. The Don Juan of rodeo cowboys. When Wade was with Samantha he forgot he wore glasses. Forgot he didn’t sport bulging muscles or walk with a swagger.

He wanted more.

Rolling to his back he curled his arm around Samantha and she snuggled closer, resting her cheek against his heart. The simple gesture made his throat swell. No need for words or confessions—they both understood they’d crossed a line they could never erase.

If only he’d been forthright with her from the beginning. He feared that after he revealed the firm had lost her money—make that
he
had lost her money—she’d accuse him of seducing her to smooth things over.

Tell her now.
He would. As soon as she…

Samantha’s mouth traveled at alarming speed down his chest, across his stomach, over his hips and…oh,
man. A few more seconds of her attention and Wade was on the verge of losing control. He reversed their positions, fumbled for a condom on the nightstand, then sheathed himself and slid inside her.

The notion that this gorgeous woman wanted
him
—Wade Dawson—drove him closer to the edge. He slowed the pace of their lovemaking, wanting to savor these moments, afraid of what would happen when they were both back in the real world.

Slow gave way to fast. The kisses grew wild, hot. The touches explosive as they raced to the finish line.

They floated back to earth to the quiet hum of the air conditioner. Their bodies, slick with perspiration, stuck together. Wade didn’t care. He would have lain with Samantha forever if his cell phone hadn’t gone off in the other room. “I’d better answer it.” He untangled their limbs and rolled out of bed. “Hello?”

“We’ve had a hell of a time connecting.”