The Rancher (12 page)

Laurel thanked Holden as he held
the chair beside of Alexandra and waited for her to settle before
sitting across from them both. "Well, I can't say it was for him I
came. Truth is, I really did want to have supper with you but I
wasn't sure you really wanted me here, so I declined."

"Oh, well, from now on, take my
first offer. I'll not be giving you any more second chances."

Her heart hadn't felt so light
in ages. Laurel smiled and said, "Yes Ma'am," assuring Alexandra
things wouldn't be so difficult in the future.

Supper passed with surprising
ease, the banter at the table filled with laughter and as Holden
and Alexandra escorted her back to the school, Laurel couldn't
remember a time when she'd been so happy.

"I'll see you tomorrow," Holden
said, as he left Alexandra by the horse and walked Laurel to the
front door of the school.

"Tomorrow." She smiled when he
glanced at her lips. Not being able to steal a kiss was probably as
irritating to him as it was her but there would be plenty of time
for that. The rest of her life if Holden has his way and for once,
Laurel wasn't afraid of her future.

Chapter Eight

The week passed in a blur and by
the time the weekend rolled around, Laurel was fit to be tied.
Holden had been true to his word and not done anything embarrassing
in his attempt to court her but the things he said to her every day
when he picked Alexandra up from school left her skin flushed, her
stomach clenching in anticipation and need so profound to wash over
her body she could barely contain it.

She tucked a few strands of
loose hair back into the up-twist she'd pulled her hair into and
looked at herself in the mirror one last time. Holden would be
there any minute to escort her to the dance and she wondered what
the night would bring. Inviting him into her bed again was a given
but with Alexandra knowing they were officially a couple, he may
opt to go home instead. She was still too impressionable to
blatantly flaunt their doings in front of her and Laurel would bet
money the girl would be watching the clock until her father
returned.

The knock on her door startled
her and she gave herself one last look before turning to answer it.
Holden was leering at her when she pulled the door open and wasted
no time walking inside the room, elbowing the door shut and mussing
her hair as he leaned down to kiss her.

"God I've missed you," he
whispered between nips at her lips. "I didn't think today would
ever get here."

Laurel moaned when he slid his
tongue into her mouth, her bones felt liquid at the feel of his
arms around her. He kissed a path to her ear, down the length of
her neck and ended at the bodice of her dress, his lips leaving a
wet trail over the top of her breasts.

"What say we skip the dance and
get straight to the loving?"

Laurel giggled and shook her
head. "Absolutely not. I've already had numerous people ask if I
would be there and I've told them yes. If they discover us both not
in attendance, my reputation will be in tatters."

He sighed and lifted his head,
nibbling at her lips before laying his forehead against her own.
"Fine. I'll take you to the dance, make sure everyone we know sees
us both and then we'll sneak off."

"Now that, Mr. Avery, sounds
like a very good idea."

He grabbed her shawl and draped
it over her shoulders, his hand lingering on the brown sateen dress
she'd been wearing the night they met. He gave her a knowing smile
and opened the door for her, closing it behind them.

The street was filled with
people, their laughter and voices carrying across town. Music could
be heard filtering between the buildings and although the
occasional gusty wind lent a bite to the air, Laurel had never felt
so warm. Everything seemed perfect.

They stepped onto the sidewalk
to avoid the stagecoach and cut between the mercantile and the
telegraph office, emerging into the clearing behind it where
everyone was congregating.

A make-shift dance floor had
been erected and tables filled with refreshments laid out on top of
colorful tablecloths. Lanterns hung from the trees, the soft glow
from the candles casting the area in a soft, orange glow. Late
summer flowers were tied in clusters to the tables, some gracing
the chairs placed around the perimeter of the clearing and Laurel
smiled when she took it all in. "For a town as small as Willow
Creek, you certainly know how to throw a party."

Holden laughed and guided her
across the clearing. Abigail and Morgan were near the refreshment
table, talking in hushed tones but both of them smiled as they
approached.

"I'm so glad you came," Abigail
said, giving Laurel a warm hug. "I was afraid I'd be stuck with no
female companionship for the evening. Edna would have insisted I
spend the majority of my time talking with her had that been the
case. For some odd reason, the woman likes to think of me as a
schoolgirl with no direction in my life."

"Well, I'm glad to have helped.
I've only known Edna a short time but I've seen how trying she can
be on ones nerves."

They talked for long minutes
amongst themselves until the musicians cranked up the volume of
their instruments, strumming and picking the guitars louder to gain
everyone's attention. The dance floor filled, happy couples
twirling around the space and their happy laughter joined that of
the music.

When Holden turned to her and
smiled, Laurel offered her hand to his unspoken question. He led
her to the dance floor, took her in his arms much too close for an
unmarried couple and guided her into a lively dance step that had
her laughing within minutes.

She couldn't remember a time
when she'd been so happy. Holden's arms around her felt so―right.
The scent of fresh hay and sun dried clothes that she'd come to
associate with him was hypnotic and three dances later, she hoped
the night would never end.

He escorted her back to the
refreshment table where they both took a cup of some fruity tasting
drink and headed back to the edge of the crowd where Morgan and
Abigail were. They were both laughing and when Abigail turned to
look at her, Laurel knew she and Holden were the topic of
conversation. A sly glance to her right and a tilt of the head and
Abigail left her husbands side and beckoned Laurel to follow. She
excused herself and met Abigail a few steps away from the men.

"Talk the men can't hear?"
Laurel asked when she stopped beside Abigail. "I'm almost afraid to
ask."

Holden's sister-in-law laughed
and cast a quick look toward the men. "Well, I wasn't sure if what
I wanted to ask would be embarrassing or not so I thought the less
ears that heard it, the more likely I'd get an honest answer."

Laurel's heart skipped a beat.
What could Abigail possibly ask that would be embarrassing? She
swallowed the lump forming in her throat and tried to smile. "Ask
about what?"

Something in Abigail's eyes let
Laurel know it wasn't anything terribly bad. Mirth shined behind
those inquisitive eyes. "Well, last weekend, Morgan couldn't sleep
and was out making his rounds in town before the sun rose." Abigail
gave her a serious look, her eyes narrowed ever so much. "Seems he
saw a suspicious looking character lurking around the schoolhouse
and went to investigate."

"Oh?" Laurel bit her tongue.
"Did he question the man?"

"No." Abigail's eyes widened.
"Morgan said the man looked an awful lot like Holden but he
couldn't for the life of him figure out why his brother would be
sneaking around the schoolhouse in the pre-dawn hours." Abigail
glanced across the space that separated them from the men. "Would
you know why he'd be there that early in the morning?"

Laurel could tell by the look on
Abigail's face the woman was trying not to laugh. Was this what
they'd been discussing when they walked up on them? Somehow, she
knew it was.

Heat blazed across her face.
Holden had been seen? Who else saw him? And what would happen if
they had? Laurel glanced away before saying, "I met him in Missoula
before I came here to Willow Creek."

The mirth in Abigail's eyes
dimmed. "What? Met who? Holden?

It was Laurel's turn to laugh.
"Yes. In a saloon, of all places."

Abigail's eyes widened. "Oh, do
tell."

So she did. Laurel laid
everything out, every detail she felt comfortable admitting and
Abigail was grinning by the time she stopped. "I knew it. I told
Morgan something was going on between you two. Holden has never
pursued a woman like he has you and I just knew there had to be a
reason." She blanched and reached out to grab Laurel's arm. "Not
that you aren't beautiful and he wouldn't have eventually tried to
win your heart, but Holden is somewhat reserved for the most part.
But he wasn't with you."

"You mean he's not always so
single-minded and irritating?"

They both shared a laugh before
the men approached. Laurel could tell by the look on Morgan's face
that he too had been told of their sordid past.

The musicians took a small
break, the couples around the clearing gathering in small clusters
and whispers grew until it seemed everyone was shouting.

Laurel was half listening to the
conversation Holden and Morgan were engaged in when she noticed a
man with blond hair walking their way, smiling. A pretty woman
clung to his arm, her dark hair pulled up and pinned at the nape of
her neck. The man slowed his steps as he drew near and it was
Abigail who gasped when she noticed them.

"Emmaline! Tristan! When did you
get back?"

The woman smiled prettily and
blushed. "We arrived on the stagecoach earlier today."

The men all turned and started
talking to the man as Abigail embraced the woman in a hug before
turning back to face her. "Laurel, this is Emmaline Avery,
Tristan's wife." She turned and nodded to the man with her head.
"And that's Tristan, Holden and Morgan's baby brother."

Tristan looked nothing like his
brother's. Well, except for his eyes. The same intense Avery blue
shined from eyes that made Tristan seem just a little bit more
intelligent than the average person. A dimple in his cheek made him
appear boyish but Laurel could tell he was closer to her own age.
She wasn't sure how old Holden was but she assumed older than her.
Looking his way, she thought maybe she should ask. Not that it
mattered but she knew so little about the man as it was.

They talked for nearly half an
hour, the musicians once again taking up their instruments and when
Holden motioned to the dance floor again, Laurel was happy to
oblige. Morgan and Tristan escorted their wives to the dance floor
as well and Laurel noticed immediately that the musician's had
slowed down the pace of the music, a soft melody floating over the
area. Laurel sighed as Holden held her close. "I've had fun
tonight. Thank you."

"Not as much fun as you'll be
having once we can sneak away from here."

Laurel grinned. "You're very
sure of yourself, Mr. Avery. I may be too tired by the end of the
evening to offer you more than a few goodnight kisses."

In a move so bold Laurel thought
for sure her heart would explode right there in front of the whole
town, Holden leaned down and kissed her. It was brief but a
startled gasp from somewhere to Laurel's left let her know someone
had seen. She blushed and didn't dare turn her head to see who it
was.

"Marry me, Laurel."

Shaking her head while grinning,
Laurel stared up at him. "No."

"Why?"

Someone cleared their throat and
said, "Because she's already married." The unknown person moved
into their line of sight and grabbed Laurel's arm, trying to pull
her from Holden's grasp. "Now unhand my wife."

* * * *

Holden gaped at the man tugging
on Laurel's arm. He wasn't overly tall but the bowler hat on his
head made him appear to be. He was dressed in an expensive suit of
light brown. He was clean shaven and appeared to be around Holden's
own age of thirty.

Reaching out to grasp the man's
hand, he pulled it away from Laurel and draped his own arm over her
shoulder, tucking her into his body. "I'll advise you not to try
that again, mister. Touch my woman and I'll break your arm."

The man glanced from Laurel,
then back to him, before he smiled, but there was nothing amusing
in the look that settled in his eyes. He straightened his spine,
smoothed out the front of his suit jacket and his cheeks turned a
slight shade of red before he met his gaze again. "Your woman?"

Holden nodded his head.
"Yes."

The man actually laughed while
looking between the two of them. He sobered and settled his gaze on
Laurel. "Hello, Laurel." He shook his head, the smile on his face
as wide as any Holden had ever seen. "I've been searching high and
low for you, dove. I was about to give up. Finding you here was
just plain dumb luck."

Laurel gaped at the man and
Holden's mind was reaching by the time she stuttered out a quiet,
"Ethan?"