Suspicions of the Heart (5 page)

"You know," Gloria said, openly
flirting with Doug now from a distance, "I didn't know you and Doug
were an item."

Candy wanted to laugh, but decided
against it. She knew what was about to happen, and although she
didn't like it, it was fated from the beginning. Gloria was such a
tease, and it bolstered her ego to steal dates from her friends.
She was a game player.

"We aren't an item, Gloria. We're just
friends."

"Really?" Gloria's smiled widened.
"Well, I saw the two of you kissing, and it looked more serious
than that, sweetie." Gloria lit a cigarette and blew the smoke at
Doug.

Doug smiled and lifted his beer at the
bar. "Want one, honey?"

"Sure, why not?" Gloria tossed a
provocative smile.

"You should know Doug doesn't take any
girl too seriously. You've been on the receiving end of his kisses
before." Candy chuckled, knowing exactly what the woman was up to
and not caring.

"That was a long time ago. He's a great
lover, you know."

"No--I didn't know." No, that was the
problem, she didn't know how good Doug, or any other man, might be.
Her secret cross to bear!

"Wouldn't want to switch partners? I
mean, Leroy drinks a lot, but he's hell on conversation once you
get him going. It would just for the evening?"

Candy knew what was coming, and it
looked like Doug was falling for the bait. Why not? Candy was the
ice-maiden, wasn't she? Naturally he wanted a warm and willing
woman in his arms.

"I came here with Doug. I should leave
with him. Maybe we can switch another time."

"Why don't we ask the guys?"

All she needed was to get stuck with
Leroy. Still, she had a growing fear that it was about to happen
whether she liked it or not.

"Gloria," Candy scolded, not liking the
turn of events.

"Oh, all right, I'll behave myself. But
let me warn you. I get the chance and I'm gone--with your
man."

"He's not my man--he's my
date."

"All the better," she said, giggling as
the men joined them at the table. "You're just grouchy because of
that fall you took. I'll bet you're sore."

Darn it! Candy had been prepared to be
upset with Gloria, but her concern was genuine. "Actually, I am a
little."

"You know everyone's talking about that
Munroe fella. He's a real doll. He's sitting over there in a corner
by himself. I wonder why a good-looking fella like that would be
sitting by himself? You'd think he'd be surrounded by females,
wouldn't you?" Gloria pointed. "Jumping' in the arena like that.
Has he got the hots for you or something?"

Everything boiled down to the "hots"
with Gloria. She'd never think that anyone could just do it because
it needed to be done.

"He doesn't even know me." Candy
grimaced, and cast Joe a quick glance, unprepared for the effect
one glance might give her. He wasn't dressed that fancy, just
jeans, white shirt and denim jacket, cowboy boots and a brown hat.
But those blue eyes connected almost immediately with her slight
glance. He smiled and tipped his hat, and Candy looked away,
feeling the flush rushing over her face.

"You see, I told you, you're having a
high cycle." Gloria smiled as Doug sat between them, casually
draping his arms around them both.

"You still into astrology?" Doug
asked.

"Natch." Gloria flashed Doug a
beguiling smile and leaned toward him until her breast rubbed
softly against his arm. An intentional ploy Candy was sure. "It's a
lot of fun. You're a Libra aren't you, Candy? And Doug here is
Sagittarius." She shook her head. "That will never do."

Of course it wouldn't, not as long as
Gloria had her claws out for Doug.

"Why not?" Doug encouraged.

"Well, it's just that they aren't a
good match. Seriously. I'm not kidding. Libra's like marriage, and
that settled-in living. Sagittarius likes to play too much. They
aren't a good risk."

Candy began to see them as a couple and
wanted to crawl under the bench. Why hadn't she canceled this date?
She and Doug just didn't connect in any way. She really didn't
belong here. But darn if she knew where she did belong.

"I'm not ready for marriage myself,"
she said and asserted her independence. "But when I'm ready I'll
give you a call, and you can tell me if I'm on the right
track."

"Go ahead, make fun, but if you'd
bothered to ask me sooner you might not be divorced now. I mean, I
could have told you that shyster lawyer wasn't your type either,
Candy," Gloria blurted out, realizing too late she had made a
mistake. "Rodeo people should stick with their own."

The air around the table tensed for a
moment, and then Doug saved the day by directing his attention in
another area. "So, Candy, are you staying with the circuit another
season?"

Everyone stared at her, including the
half-wasted Leroy.

"No--actually, I'm not. I'm going north
to check on some property," she replied as the music began and
couples gathered on the sawdust dance floor.

"You've got to be kidding. You're not
considering that broken down excuse for a ranch that your old man
bought, are you?" Doug asked his facial expression full of
ridicule.

Candy flashed him a quick scowl. How
did he know about the land? It seemed everyone was better informed
than her these days. "As a matter of fact, I am. That broken down
excuse for a ranch is mine now."

Then, after a quick reflection, she
shot Doug a curious glance. "How do you happen to know so much
about it?"

Doug let out a nervous chuckle and
glanced about the table. "Well, hell, honey, everyone knows Old
Hank left that place to you. But nobody figured you go up there. I
mean, Candy, that's a wasteland. It takes someone a lot hardier
than you to make a go of a place like that. Besides, you'd miss all
the action, not to mention me." He said with a wink, his hand going
around her rib cage and squeezed her against him.

The warm feel of flexing muscles
against her had her aware of him, but there was no spark. She was
just another date and she knew it. Either that, or she'd had one
too many beers.

Two beers she could handle, but any
more than that and things began to get out of focus for her. Candy
didn't want to ruin the party, but if she didn't stop soon they
would all be sorry. The evening wasn't going well. Darn it, she
couldn't even drink like a cowgirl. She couldn't drink, period.
What was she trying to prove?

"I'm going to miss the rodeo, that's
true." Doug stared at her. "And all of you," she finished,
wondering why he kept staring.

Leroy winked at Doug, fingering his bar
handled mustache as he glanced at Candy. "She shore can cut a fella
down can't she?"

Doug's expression said it all. "Wanna
dance, honey?"

Candy's head shot up, and she got to
her feet. But Doug wasn't asking her, and it took a moment to
realize that, an embarrassing moment.

Doug's attention was on Gloria now, as
she slid into his embrace. Gloria glanced at Candy, waiting for
some sign of approval before moving away from the table. Candy
nodded with a wooden smile and flopped back into her chair,
stunned, as Doug and Gloria went onto the dance floor and floated
into each other's arms.

It was impossible to ignore the way
Doug held Gloria to him. Their glances kept meeting, and his hands
began to roam freely over her. Candy turned away; she couldn't
watch. Leroy didn't seem to mind. He was too busy downing another
beer to notice.

It surprised Candy when Leroy finally
asked her to dance. Only manners had her accepting. Why not?
Nothing was going right. She was miserable, her head was spinning,
and her stomach churned to a new beat.

Oh God, I can't get sick!!

There was no question that Leroy lacked
Doug's finesse. He roughly gathered Candy against him like a sack
of potatoes, and jaunted over the floor with her. Candy felt like a
rubber doll.

After several repetitive dances, Candy
wanted to sit down. She was dizzy and nauseous. She tried to pull
free of Leroy, but he wouldn't let her go. Instead, he jerked her
back into his arms and whirled her about.

Candy couldn't focus. She glanced about
the room for Doug but she couldn't see him. It looked as though he
might have skipped out on her. What was worse, he had left her with
Leroy. Dear God, the man with a thousand hands and two left
feet!

She stiffened away when Leroy's lips
nibbled her neck, and the band slowed to a ballad. "Leroy, please
don't do that," she begged, about as effectively as a wet noodle.
"I'm really not feeling too well."

"Aw--come on, Candy. Loosen up. Doug's
done run out on you with Gloria. We might as well make the best of
it. You know I've always been crazy about you. But you never gave
me much chance." Once more he nipped at her neck, his wet lips
reeking with beer.

Candy numbly stopped her movements and
pulled away, nearly losing her balance. "Let go of me,
Leroy."

"Now, sugar…" he drawled, his eyes
going over her with lazy fascination.

"You don't understand, I don't feel…"
She grabbed her stomach and nearly doubled over. She whirled
around, straight into Joe Munroe's open arms.

"Looks like you need a little air," he
muttered crossly, taking Candy's elbow and guiding her toward the
door.

"Look, buddy, she's with me. I can take
care of her," Leroy said, tapping Joe on the shoulder and taking a
clumsy swing at him in the process.

Joe ducked. "Doesn't look as if you've
been doing very well."

Candy didn't have time to argue the
point; she broke into a dead run for the door, escaping into the
parking lot where she became ill.

Joe was right behind her, pulling a
big, red handkerchief from his hip pocket and handing it to her.
"You okay?" he asked as the acid tone slipped from his
voice.

Unable to reply, she bent in agony once
more.

Joe waited until she was through, and
then pulled her gently into the circle of his arms. As sick as she
was she didn't care who was holding her, only grateful someone was
there. It was comforting to know someone cared enough to take care
of her. She closed her eyes and laid her head against the rock-hard
shoulder he offered. There was something about being in Joe
Munroe's arms that had her on the alert. His mere touch seemed to
electrify her awareness of him.

"Wait here," he murmured softly a few
moments later. "I'll bring you a soft drink." He smiled into her
pale face.

A few minutes later he returned with an
ice cold drink and a wet cloth. She took a few sips of the drink,
and wiped her face with the cloth.

"I suppose I should thank you. Are you
always in the habit of rescuing women?" she asked, her senses
returning to almost normal.

A crooked smile broke across his face,
and his smile went to her toes. "Looks like it where you're
concerned."

When he smiled his eyes crinkled, she
noticed. Fascinating. But his stare was magnetic. For a moment she
couldn't move, couldn't speak. Those eyes looked as though they
could reach inside her mind and understand all her thoughts, hopes,
and dreams.

"Seems like you're always getting into
one fix or another. Like the 'Perils of Pauline'," he
chuckled.

Was he making fun?

"Next time don't bother," she snapped,
wanting to escape those entrancing blue eyes.

His voice followed and captured her.
"Hey," His easy, soft drawl drew her. "I wasn't trying to make you
mad."

"You could have fooled me."

"You know," he cocked his head, his hat
shadowing his face, "I've noticed you're trying awfully hard not to
like me. I wonder why? I obviously rub you the wrong way, but it's
purely unintentional. What say, just for one night, we call a
truce? You're not up to a joust right now, are you?"

"No."

"Good, that's a start."

She turned to face him, the hem of her
skirt twirling at his leg. "So, why bother?"

His mouth quirked, a sexy action that
had her reacting despite how she felt. "I wonder. How about I take
you home? This doesn't seem to be your night."

"That's for sure. But I have a ride."
She pulled her head high.

Pearl white teeth flashed against the
darkness. "Oh, I wouldn't count on that one. I saw you come in with
Doug, and I saw him leave with Gloria."

She felt herself crumbling inside, but
she couldn't let him see. How could humiliation make you so
vulnerable? "Thanks for the information. Anything else I should
know?" she asked with a deliberate jeer.

"I thought we had a truce. There are a
lot of things, I'm sure, but for the time being--it'll keep. The
ride is still open if you want one." He gestured toward his truck.
But seeing the hard determination in her brown eyes, he tipped his
hat. "Suit yourself."