Song of the West (9 page)

“Things?” he prompted. His smile grew as his finger began to twist through a stray curl that had escaped its confines.

“Yes, things,” she retorted, abandoning the attempt to elaborate. “I'm going to be very busy, and I really want to finish this room.”

“I suppose I could let you get by with that, even though we both know better. Well.” He smiled and shrugged. “Come down and kiss me good-bye, then. I've got to get back to work.”

“I will not kiss you good-bye. . . .” she began, the words trailing off as he gripped her waist. Her hands automatically went to his arms, and he plucked her from her perch.

He lowered her slowly, his eyes never leaving hers, and her mouth was roughly claimed before her feet could reach the floor. His hands slipped under her shirt to roam the smooth skin of her back, pressing her closer as her body betrayed her and dissolved against his. Slowly he explored her soft, firm breasts, subtly rounded hips, lean thighs.

Every time, every time, her mind murmured. Every time he kisses me, I go under deeper, and one day I'll never find my way back. His teeth moved to nip at her ear and neck, searching and finding new vulnerabilities before returning to ravage her mouth again. Without will, without choice, she rested in his arms, surrendering to forces she could never defeat.

He drew her away, breaking the intimacy, but his mouth returned to hers to linger briefly before he spoke. “About tonight, Samantha.”

“What?” she murmured as his tongue traced the softness of her lips.

“I want to see you tonight.”

Jerking herself back into reality, she pressed her hands against his chest, but did not manage to break away. “No, no, I'm busy. I told you.”

“So you did,” he acknowledged, and his eyes narrowed in speculation.

His words were cut off by the sound of Sabrina's laughter drifting down the hall. Samantha wiggled against Jake's hold. “Let me go, will you?”

“Why?” He was grinning now, enjoying the flood of color in her cheeks.

“Because . . .”

“Don't ever play poker, Sam.” The warning was curt. “You'd lose your shirt.”

“I . . . I . . .”

“Sabrina's due in September, right?”

The sudden question caused her to blink in confusion. “Well, yes, she . . .”

“That gives you a little breathing space, Samantha.” He leaned down, and his kiss was hard and brief and to the point. “After that, don't expect to get away so lightly.”

“I don't know what . . .”

“You know exactly what I mean,” he said interrupting. “I told you I meant to have you, and I always get what I want.”

Her eyes flashed. “If you think I'm going to let you make love to me just because you say so, then you . . .”

The suggestion she would have made died as his mouth took hers again. She went rigid telling herself she would not amuse him with a response this time. As she told herself she would not, her arms circled his neck. Her body became pliant, her lips parted with the hunger she had lived with all through the past month. As he took, she offered more; as he demanded, she gave. Her own mouth was mobile, her own hands seeking, until it seemed the month of fasting had never been.

“I want you, I don't have to tell you that, do I?”

She shook her head, trying to steady her breathing as his eyes alone caused her pulse to triple its rate.

“We'll settle this in September, unless you decide to come to me sooner.” She began to shake her head again, but the fingers on the back of her neck halted the movement. “If you don't come to me, I'll wait until after the baby's born and you've got that much off your mind. I'm a patient man, Sam, but . . .” He stopped talking as Annie and Sabrina stepped into the room.

“Well.” Annie shook her head at the two of them. “I can see he's been giving you a hard time.” She turned to Sabrina with a half-exasperated shrug. “He's always been fresh as a new-laid egg. This is going to be a beautiful room, Sam.” She glanced around at Samantha's handiwork, nodding in approval. “Let go of the little lady now, Jake, and take me back home, I've got dinner to fix.”

“Sure. I've already said what I came to say.” He released Samantha with a last, penetrating look and strode from the room, calling a good-bye over his shoulder.

“Fresh as a new-laid egg,” Annie reiterated, and echoing his good-bye, followed him.

When the guests had departed, Samantha began to gather up paint buckets and brushes.

“Sam.” Walking over, Sabrina placed a hand on her sister's arm. “I had no idea.”

“No idea about what?” Bending, she banged the lid securely on rose pink.

“That you were in love with Jake.” The truth she had avoided for so long was out in the open now: She had fallen hopelessly, irrevocably in love with Jake Tanner! Standing, Samantha searched in vain for words of denial.

“We know each other too well, Sam,” Sabrina said before she could answer. “How bad is it?”

Samantha lifted her hands and let them fall to her sides. “Terminal.”

“Well, what are you going to do about it?”

“Do about it?” Samantha repeated. “What can I do about it? After the baby comes, I'll go back east and try to forget about him.”

“I've never known you to give up without a fight,” Sabrina spoke sharply. At the unexpected tone, Samantha's brows rose.

“I'd fight for something that belonged to me, Bree, but I don't move in on someone else's territory.”

“Jake's not engaged to Lesley Marshall. Nothing's official.”

“I'm not interested in semantics.” Samantha began to fiddle with the paint cans. “Jake wants an affair with me, but he'll marry Lesley Marshall.”

“Are you afraid to compete with Lesley?” Bree asked.

Samantha whirled around, eyes flashing. “I'm not afraid of anyone,” she stormed. Sabrina's lips curved in a smug smile. “Don't try your psychology on me, Sabrina! Lesley Marshall and I don't belong in the same league, but I'm not afraid of her. I
am
afraid of getting hurt, though.” Her voice wavered, and Sabrina's arm slipped over her shoulders.

“All right, Sam, we won't talk about it any more right now. Leave those brushes, I'll wash them out. Go take a ride. You know the only way to clear your head is to go off by yourself.”

“I'm beginning to think you know me too well.” With a wry smile, Samantha wiped her hands on her jeans.

“I know you, all right, Samantha.” Sabrina patted her cheek and urged her from the room. “I just haven't always known what to do about you.”

Chapter Nine

During the months since their first meeting, Samantha had grown to know Jake Tanner, and to realize that when he wanted something, he made certain he got it. And she knew he wanted her.

If, when she rode out on horseback, she kept closer to the ranch than had been her habit, she told herself it was not fear of encountering Jake that prompted the action, but simply her desire to spend more of her free time with Sabrina. Now that Sabrina was growing cumbersome in her pregnancy, there was a grain of truth to this, so Samantha found it easy to accept the half-truth.

Every day she fell more under the spell of Wyoming. Bare branches were now fully cloaked in green. The cattle grew sleek and fat. The land was fully awakened and rich.

“I think you may just have twins in there, Bree,” Samantha commented as the two sisters took advantage of golden sun and fragrant warmth. Sabrina glanced down to where Samantha sat cross-legged on the wide front porch. “Dr. Gates thinks not.” She patted the mound in question. “He says there's only one, and I'm just getting fat. One of us should have twins, though.”

“I'm afraid that's going to be up to you, Bree. I think I'll revive the tradition of old-maid schoolteachers.”

Sabrina was sensitive to the wistfulness in the words. “Oh, no, you'll have to get married, Sam. You can't let all those lessons go to waste.”

This brought the light laugh it had intended. “I'm perfectly serious. Remember what Madame Dubois always said: ‘Von must reach for ze stars.'”

“Oh, yes, Madame Dubois.” Samantha smiled at the memory of their former ballet teacher. “You know, of course, that accent was a phony. She came from New Jersey.”

“I'm suitably crushed. She did think she had a genuine protégé in you.”

“Yes, I was magnificent.” Samantha sighed with exaggerated pride.

“Let's see a few of your famous leaps now, Sam.”

“Not on your life!”

“Come on, cutoffs are as good as a tutu any day. I'd join you in a pas de deux, but it would actually be a pas de trois.”

Samantha rose reluctantly from her seat on the porch. “All right, I don't mind showing off a little.”

With quiet dignity, Sabrina began to hum a movement from
Swan Lake
, and Samantha lowered into a purposefully dramatic body sweep before exploding with an energetic series of grand jetés, stage leaps and cabrioles. She concluded the performance with a group of pirouettes, ended by dropping in a dizzy heap on the grass.

“That's what you get,” she said, closing her eyes and shaking her head at the giddiness, “when you forget to spot focus.”

“Is this show open to the public?”

Samantha glanced sharply toward the sound of the all-too-familiar voice.

“Dan!” Sabrina exclaimed. “I didn't expect you back so early.”

“Ran into Lesley and Jake out on the north boundary,” he explained, striding over and planting a firm kiss. “I thought you and Sam might like some company.”

“Hello, Lesley, Jake.” Sabrina included them both in her smile. “Have a seat, I'll bring out something cool.”

Samantha had been sitting, praying without result for the ground to open up and swallow her. “I'll do it, Bree.” She jumped at the opportunity to escape. “Don't get up.”

“I'm up,” Sabrina pointed out, disappearing inside before Samantha could argue.

“Do you teach ballet, as well, Samantha?” Lesley asked. She surveyed Samantha's outfit of semiragged cutoffs and T-shirt with dark, mocking eyes.

“No, no,” Samantha muttered, feeling once more desperately at a disadvantage next to the slim woman in elegantly tailored breeches and silk shirt.

“I thought it was real nice,” Dan commented, innocently turning the knife.

“Samantha's just full of surprises,” Jake said.

Now that he had spoken again, Samantha was forced to give Jake a portion of her attention. He looked devastatingly male, the denim shirt rolled past his elbows to expose bronzed, corded arms, the low-slung belt in his jeans accentuating his leanness. She concentrated on a spot approximately six inches to the left of his face, in order to avoid the smile that had already mastered his face.

“Yeah,” she returned. “I'm just a bushel of surprises.”

“Anything you can't do, Sam?”

“A few things.” She attempted a cool sophistication.

“You're so energetic,” Lesley commented, slipping her hand through Jake's arm. “You must be horribly strong and full of bulging muscles.”

For one heady moment, Samantha considered flight. She was opening her mouth to make her excuses when Dan effectively cut off all hope.

“Sit down, Sam, I want to talk over a little idea with you and Sabrina.” Sinking down on the porch steps, Samantha avoided any glimpse of Jake's face. “Do you think Sabrina's up to a little party?” Samantha looked up at Dan's question and attempted to marshal her thoughts.

“A party?” she repeated, drawing her brows together in concentration. “I suppose so. Dr. Gates says she's doing very well, but you could always ask to be sure. Did you want to go to a party?”

“I was thinking of having one,” he corrected with a grin. “There're these twins I know who have this birthday in a couple of weeks.” Bending over, he tugged at Samantha's loosened locks. “Seems like a good excuse for having a party.”

“Oh, our birthday.” Samantha's response was vague. The impending anniversary had slipped her mind.

“Did I hear someone say party?” Sabrina emerged through the screen door with a tray of iced tea.

Samantha sipped the cool, sweet tea her sister handed her and watched Sabrina's face light up with anticipation.

“A birthday party, Sam.” She turned to her sister, eyes shining with excitement. “When's the last time we had one?”

“When we were twelve and Billy Darcy got sick all over Mom's new carpet.” Leaning back against the porch rail, Samantha unwittingly lifted her face to Jake's.

“Well, then, it's high time for another,” Dan said. “What do you say, Sam? I know it means extra work for you.”

“Huh.” Tearing her eyes from Jake's smile, she endeavored to pick up the threads of the conversation. “What? Oh, no, it's no trouble. It'll be fun.” Concentrating on Dan's face, she blocked out the sight of Lesley lounging intimately against Jake. “How many people did you have in mind?”

“Just neighbors and friends.” He reached up to rub his chin. “About thirty or forty, I'd say. What do you think, Lesley?”

The full mouth pouted a moment in thought. “If you want to keep it small, Dan,” she agreed after a short deliberation. Samantha's eyes grew wide. These people definitely had a different idea of small than she did.

“Oh, Lesley, come take a look at this punch bowl I've got, see if you think we should use it.” Rising, Sabrina took Dan's hand. “Come, get it down for me, Dan.” Throwing her sister an innocent smile, Sabrina disappeared inside and left her alone with Jake.

“How's the painting coming?” Jake stretched both arms over the back of the swing.

“Painting? Oh, the nursery. It's finished.”

That, she recalled with a frown, was just one of many times he had come upon her in a ridiculous situation. Sleeping on stumps, covered with paint, and now leaping across the lawn like some crazed ballerina. Samantha, she told herself, you have class.

“What do you want for your birthday, Sam?” He prodded her with the toe of his boot and earned a scowl.

Blowing a wisp of hair from her eyes, she moved her shoulders. “Fur, diamonds.”

“No, you're not the type for furs.” Taking out a cigar, he lit it and blew a lazy stream of smoke. “You'd be thinking about all the little minks that were scalped to make it. And diamonds wouldn't suit you.”

“I suppose I'm more the quartz type.” She rose, irritated.

“No, I was thinking more of sapphires.” He caught her wrist. “To go with your eyes, or maybe rubies to go with your temper.”

“I'll be sure to put both on my list. Now, if you'll excuse me.” She glanced at her captured hand, then back at him. “I've got to go feed my cat.” She gestured to where Shylock lay on the far side of the porch.

“He doesn't look very hungry.”

“He's pretending to be dead,” she muttered. “Shylock, let's eat.”

Amber eyes opened and blinked. Then, to her pleasure, Shylock rose and padded toward her. However, upon reaching his mistress, he gave her a disinterested stare, leaped into Jake's lap and began to purr with wicked enjoyment.

“No, ma'am.” Jake glanced down at the contented cat. “He doesn't look hungry at all.”

With a final glare, Samantha turned, stalked to the door and slammed the screen smartly behind her.

***

The sun shone warm and friendly on the morning of the twins' birthday. Samantha carried a large parcel into the kitchen. Dumping her burden on the table where her sister was enjoying a cup of tea, she nudged Shylock away with her foot. She had not yet decided to forgive him for his treacherous advances to Jake.

“This just came, it's from the folks.”

“Open it, Sam.” Sabrina poked an experimental finger at the package. “Dan refuses to give me my present yet, and I've searched everywhere I can think of.”

“I bet it's six books on child rearing for you, and six on etiquette for me.”

“A present's a present,” Sabrina stated, and tore the mailing paper from the box.

“Here's a note.” After breaking the seal, Samantha produced a sheet of paper and read aloud.

“To Samantha and Sabrina:

A very happy birthday and our love to you both. Sabrina, I do hope you are taking good care of yourself. As you know, proper diet and rest are essential. I'm sure having Samantha with you during the last weeks of your confinement is a great comfort. Samantha, do look after your sister and see that she takes the necessary precautions. However, I hope you're not overlooking your own social life. As your mother, it is my duty to remind you that you are long past the marriageable age. Your father and I are looking forward to seeing you and our first grandchild in a few weeks. We will be in Wyoming the first part of September, if Dad's schedule holds true.

With love,

Mom and Dad

“There's a postscript for you, Bree.

“‘Sabrina, doesn't Daniel know any suitable men for your sister?'”

With a sigh, Samantha folded the letter and dropped it on the table. “She never changes.” Dipping into the box, Samantha plucked out a smaller one with Sabrina's name on it and handed it to her. “Marriageable age,” she muttered, and shook her head.

“Did you peek in here before?” Sabrina accused, dumping out volumes on infant and child care.

“No,” Samantha denied with a superior smirk. “I just know Mom.” Drawing out her own package, she ripped off the concealing paper. “Good grief.” She let the box drop to the table and held up a brief black lace negligee.

“I thought I knew Mom.” Both sisters burst into laughter. “She must be getting desperate,” Samantha concluded, holding the negligee in front of her.

“Now that's a pretty thing,” Jake observed as he and Dan entered the kitchen. “But it's even prettier with something in it.” Samantha bundled the garment behind her and flushed scarlet.

“Presents from Mom and Dad,” Sabrina explained, indicating her stack of books.

“Very suitable.” Dan grinned as he glanced through the volumes.

“Doesn't look like Sam feels the same about hers.” Jake smiled. Samantha felt her already alarming color deepen. “Let's see it again.”

“Don't tease, Jake.” Sabrina turned to her husband. “Mom says they'll be here the first part of September.”

“I'll put this stuff away.” Samantha tossed the gown into the box and began to bury it under books.

“Leave that till later.” Dan took her hand and pulled her away. “I need you outside for a minute.”

She went willingly. Escape was escape. Imagining it had something to do with Sabrina's gift, she was surprised when Dan slowed his pace and allowed his wife to join them in their walk toward the ranch buildings. He kept her involved in a running conversation about the party until they came to a halt at the paddock fence.

“Happy birthday, Sam.” Sabrina kissed her sister's cheek as Samantha's eyes focused on the golden Arabian mare.

“Oh.” She could manage no more.

“She's from a good line,” Dan informed her, his arm slipping around Sabrina's shoulders. “She's out of the Double T stock, no finer in Wyoming.”

“But I . . .” Words faltered, and she swallowed and tried to begin again.

“What do you give someone who packs their own life away for six months without hesitation, without asking for anything in return?” Dan's free arm slipped around Samantha and pulled her to his side.

“We figured if you insisted on going back east, we'd always have a hold on you. You'd have to come visit us to ride your mare.”

“I don't know how to thank you.”

“Then don't,” Dan ordered. “Go try her out.”

“Now?”

“Now's as good a time as any.” Not needing a second urging, Samantha was over the fence, stroking the mare and murmuring.

“We may convince her to stay yet,” Dan commented, watching as she slipped into the saddle and took the mare around the paddock. “I could have a word with Jake.”

Sabrina shook her head. “No, Sam would be furious if we interfered. She'd bolt back to Philadelphia before we could take a breath. For now, we'd better keep out of it.” She lowered her voice as a beaming Samantha trotted around to them and slipped off the little mare.

“She's a real beauty,” she sighed. “I don't know how I can ever bear to leave her . . .”