by Rita Hestand
"Promise?" She smiled.
"Promise. Now take care."
"Bye Uncle Jessup." Cody grabbed him again and hugged him.
"See you soon."
"Yeah, soon."
Chapter Fourteen
They were driving down the mountain, the weather was once again treacherous. Cody had all his attention on getting down safely, but he didn't want to tell Sammie Jo that the weather was getting worse. He didn't want to frighten her.
He was concerned about getting the supplies for his Uncle in time. But again, he couldn't worry Sammie Jo with it.
They slip and slid a couple of times, but Cody managed to recover control quickly enough.
By the time they got to the foot of the mountain, Cody was as tense as a coiled rattler.
He looked over at Sammie Jo and saw her pale face.
"Hey, we made it." He pulled her into his arms for a minute as he parked the truck.
"I was scared, were you?" She barely uttered.
"Yeah, I had to concentrate, thanks for not distracting me." He whispered, just before he kissed her hard on the lips. "I wouldn't let anything happen to you."
He loved the way she just gave into his kisses. It made him feel ten feet tall. The feelings building inside him was just too hard to describe. He wanted to tell her how much she meant to him. He wanted to tell her he was falling in love with her, but with delivering supplies on his mind, he decided it might not be best just yet. He was worried, but he refused to cause her to worry.
She cuddled against him now, enjoying the warmth of him.
But one kiss wasn't enough, he pulled her gently into his arms and across his lap and looked at her face. "I've wanted to do this for two days…"
She opened her mouth to him this time, giving him the freedom of taking the kiss further. It was all he wanted. Their tongues met and mated slowly, almost as though they were savoring a perfectly cooked steak. She moaned, and he held her tighter.
"It's terribly hard to be a gentleman around you." He growled when he came up for air.
"When you kiss me like that I go to mush." She blushed.
"Come on, I can't wait to get you home and build a nice warm fire…" He said.
She smiled and stayed close to him.
His arm was around her and he didn't move it away when he took the wheel once more.
However, when they got to the Nite-N-Gale, they found Miranda and John there together. It looked very much like they were enjoying the fire.
"Hi, you made it back." John got up and stared at them.
"Yeah, it was pretty bad out there."
"I know we've been listening to the weather reports. Miranda didn't think you'd make it back until tomorrow."
Sammie Jo pet SeeMe and he whined, letting her know he was glad she was home.
"So how did it go?" She asked Miranda.
"Fine, no problems at all." Miranda smiled. "Everyone bragged on the chili, and the women loved the choices of cider and hot chocolates. It's something Tucker would have never done." Miranda stood up too.
John looked sheepishly at Cody. "Well, I guess I can take Miranda home now…"
"Unless you want to hang out for a while," Sammie Jo suggested.
"Sounds good to me, it's too warm and cozy in here, I don't want to go and face that cold right now."
"Well…why don't you spend the night with me." Sammie Jo offered.
"Sounds wonderful to me. It's freezing out there."
"It's more than freezing. The temperature is dropping fast. It'll be bad tomorrow if the snow melts any."
"Yeah, ice and snow." John shook his head.
"You guys are welcome to stay a while…" Sammie Jo offered, hoping Cody would want to.
"Thanks, but as bad as it is out there, I think we better head home."
"Oh!" both girls looked disappointed.
"Want some coffee for the road, then?" Sammie Jo offered to make a pot.
"Now that I won't turn down." John smiled.
Sammie Jo made some and fed SeeMe. "Hey boy, did you miss me."
He came up to her and licked her hands. She laughed.
Cody came back and was going to help her, but instead he found himself looping an arm around her waist and pulling her hard against him.
"I need one for the road," He whispered. But he pulled her into the pantry and kissed her hotly, letting her know just how much he was affected. She squirmed in his arms. Her heart said yes to him, her head said no. For long drugging moments, her heart won.
The kiss was sizzling, and Sammie Jo never felt so inclined to let a man have his way with her.
But deep down, she knew she wasn't ready.
"I can't think when you kiss me like that…"
"It's not a time for thinking…" He murmured, laying his head on her forehead. "It's driving me crazy being good you know."
She swallowed. But his lips devoured her and she wrapped her arms around his neck and hung on.
When she came up for air, his look galvanized her. She knew where this was leading, but for the first time in her life, she felt her resistance crumbling.
She looked up and realized he meant to kiss her again. She didn't object. She turned into his arms with a whimper.
The kiss was long and thorough and had both of them panting when they turned loose.
"Well, that sure warmed me up." He smiled.
"Good, now let's have some coffee." She blushed and turned away.
He captured her chin and looked into her eyes. A tear lodged in the corner. "Hey, there's no doubt in my mind I want you Sammie Jo, but…I do respect you. I won't take it any further than you want me to."
"I know that…" She stared into his eyes and the tear fell. "It's not that…I've just never wanted a man to…until now."
"I know, and that's why I applied the brakes. Despite better intentions, I'm trying to be a good guy here. I wanted to stay, but…I really should be getting home." He told her.
"That's okay. It might be best anyway," she shrugged.
"What do you mean?"
"I mean, your kisses send me into a frazzle. A girl could lose her head with a guy like you."
He rubbed his nose against hers. "I won't let you, I think too much of you."
"You do!" She looked up into his face and saw a mixture of desire and control.
"I do!" He smiled.
She stared into his eyes and saw the seriousness of the statement. "Thanks…I guess."
He smiled and pulled her close once more. "You'll thank me in the morning. But I may suffer for a while…"
She giggled.
But once the men had finished their coffee, they both kissed the girls and said goodnight.
The girls settled back on the blankets. "Thanks for letting me stay here tonight. I really didn't want to get out in that cold again tonight."
"That's okay, I could use a little company." Sammie Jo sighed.
"Oh wow, tell me, how did it go?"
Sammie Jo couldn't stop thinking of how she felt in the pantry just now. She had wanted him to take the advantage in a way. But her mind kept fighting her. And he made the decision not to. What did it all mean? She'd never felt like this before. This wasn't some silly school girl crush and she knew and felt the difference.
How could he be so strong when she was weakening each time he kissed her.
Putting those thoughts aside, she answered her question.
"Oh, it went great. I met his Uncle, he's a real sweet man. He gave me his bed, and he and Cody slept in the other room. He was delightful to be such a recluse. I got the feeling that he and Cody are really close."
"Yeah, John's said as much tonight. Said Cody's folks sort of left him here to fend on his own and that his Uncle is the only one who makes much of an effort to come see him. I think the way John was talking, Cody is much closer to his Uncle than his parents."
"I know. I feel for him so. I mean his father is a doctor, he surely could get a vacation every now and then and visit. But Cod
y says he doesn't. And his mother, she's so wound up in her relationship that she makes no effort either. By choosing to live here, he's isolated from both of them. But he chose it. And his Uncle Jessup seems to know all this and tries to make up for their lack of support."
Sammie Jo shook her head slowly. "That's so sad, in a way. But I'm glad he has his Uncle."
"Yeah…so…was it a romantic trip?"
Sammie Jo shrugged, "In some ways. Yes."
"You are falling in love with him, aren't you?"
"I don't know. I've never felt this way about anyone else. I mean, yeah, I had boyfriends, but nothing like the intensity of this. I want to be with him all the time. I think about him all the time. And I like kissing him. Maybe a little too much."
"Yeah, I know the feeling. My only problem is, I've been waiting for John to pop the question for some time and he hasn't. I don't know why. But I've been thinking a lot about what you said, and I believe it. I never saw John as struggling for money. And he doesn't, but he doesn't live like my folks either. I'm sure he cares for me. I'm sure he isn't seeing anyone else, but he's hesitant to ask me to marry him. Why are guys so complicated?" Miranda asked.
"I wish I knew."
"You and Cody…I mean…this is fast. But I can see it in your face when you are around him. You are in love with the guy."
"You think so?"
"I know so, silly." Miranda giggled.
"Well, I don't think Cody wants to commit to a relationship just yet."
"How did we get so lucky?" Miranda giggled.
Sammie Jo found herself laughing too. "I don't know."
"I thought maybe…something big might happen with you all snowed in up there." Miranda teased her.
Sammie Jo's face went serious. "No, it didn't. I wouldn't let that happen. And especially with his Uncle there too."
"Really, why not?" Miranda asked her. "I mean it's not like you’re a teenager anymore."
"I know. I just won't do it until I'm married." Sammie Jo shrugged. "Call me old-fashioned, but that's how I was raised. And believe me, it's hard around Cody. I guess the big difference is, I've always dated guys that were my exact age, you know, went to school with them, went to the prom with them, kind of thing. But a serious relationship never developed. I guess I was too into ranching and riding and helping my folks about the place. Either that or they just didn't excite me."
"Wow! Must be tough when you really care for each other. What will power!"
"So, you and John….are you working on it?"
"Yeah…" she hung her head. "I am crazy in love with him. Have been for a long time. I want marriage, but I'm not sure he does. And sometimes I wish I'd been like you and said no!"
Sammie Jo reflected on that for a moment.
"Just now, back there in the pantry…I really wanted to."
"What stopped you?"
"Cody!"
"You don't mean it. He didn't want to?"
"No, he did! But we talked about it before, and he said he respected me enough to not push things too far. He did!"
Miranda looked at her. "I wish I hadn't with John. Not that I don't love him endlessly. But…if he's getting what he wants, why should he have to marry me, right?"
Sammie Jo looked at her. "John does love you. I can see that. Anyone can."
"Then why doesn't he want to get married?"
"My mother told me that men are primarily marriage shy. But if there is real love there, it will work out."
"Maybe, but if it's going to work out, I wish it would be soon."
"Maybe Christmas?" Sammie Joe smiled at her.
"Christmas, oh, that would be perfect."
"I'll pray for you…for Christmas." Sammie Joe said.
"Pray for me?" Miranda stared at her strangely.
"What?"
"No one's ever prayed for me…except the priest," Miranda said. "You're a good friend, Sammie Jo. A really good friend."
They talked way into the night about the men in their lives, their hopes and dreams and they told each other secrets and stories.
"Hey, do you like my snuggling shoes?"
Sammie Jo looked at the fuzzy things on her feet and laughed. "Well…they are stylish."
"They are awful, but they are so warm. John bought them for me, said I was always complaining about cold feet."
They started giggling and couldn't stop.
Finally, they stopped and settled out and went to sleep.
Sammie Jo knew she'd have dreams of Cody and she snuggled into her blanket. She was glad she met his Uncle.
Chapter Fifteen
Three days later, Cody planned to go back to see his Uncle and give him the supplies he would need for the winter. But the weather man had predicted unstable weather across the entire region. Cody was worried. He hoped he wasn't too late to get up the mountain. Even though his Uncle hadn't made a big deal out of it, some of the things on the list were vital for the winter.
"I wish you wouldn't go just now," Sammie Jo said, worrying about him.
"Ah…it'll be alright. I've made these trips nearly every year now. I can't wait much longer, though. The weather is getting too unstable." Cody told her.
The saloon was full of people, but no one seemed to notice them.
She pulled him toward the back.
"Please don't go…at least not right away." She pleaded with him.
"Honey, I'll be fine, you'll see." Cody smiled down into her eyes. "Besides, if I don't go now, I might not be able to go later."
She noticed the little laugh lines around his mouth and eyes. She realized she was crazy in love with the man and afraid for him.
He saw that fear.
He bent his head and kissed her tenderly. She wrapped her arms around him and moaned softly.
"I have no right to tell you to stay," she whispered.
He kissed her again.
This kiss seemed different. And it sent her way over the top. She wanted him so badly…she was ready for a relationship, she realized.
She was about to tell him, when he pulled away to look into her eyes. "Everything is going to be alright if I go now."
Her breath hitched, her eyes were full of tears. "Promise?" She whispered.
He stared into her face, holding her in his arms, he kissed her once more. The intensity created an electric current between them.
"Stop worrying," He said when he let go of her and kissed her nose. "I'll be alright. I'm used to it."
"Let me go with you!" she cried.
"No!" He was adamant. He didn't want her in danger.
She sighed too slowly and hung her head.
"Kiss me one more time…" He whispered. "Like you mean it."
She smiled and melted into his arms. She kissed his face, stopping at every point of interest until she came to the corner of his mouth. Pausing for only a second, she put her lips to his and opened like a flower to his mating tongue. This kiss was one of possession, and full of hopes and dreams. But it lent her the feeling it was goodbye…
"I'll be back…count on it." He smiled into her eyes.
"Promise me." She demanded.
He nodded. "I promise…"
And then he was gone and she felt the cold from outside seep into her bones. She shivered.
Something told her this wasn't some ordinary trip to see his Uncle. Not in this kind of weather. And Cody was as aware of it as she.
Why couldn't he wait a week or two? Why did he have to go now?
She finished out the day working and talking to the people that came in, everyone commenting on the bad weather coming early. It wasn't reassuring.
That evening, Miranda stopped by.
"He went anyway, didn't he?" She asked her.
"Yes, I couldn't stop him." She said sadly.
"Well…don't worry about it so much. He's a good climber. He knows the trails and he can make the trip, he's done it many times." Miranda assured her.
"I just wish he'd have waited a while."
"I'
m sure he wanted to go before the chance of an avalanche, hon," Miranda said, then covered her mouth. "I shouldn't have said that. Should I?"
"Oh dear God, I hadn't even thought of that." Sammie Jo cried.
"Now, it's nothing to worry about. But by going now, he might be safer than if he waits too long." Miranda tried to correct herself.
She sat looking about the saloon, there were a few people, but they were all quiet and enjoying themselves with the jukebox tonight. "He kissed me goodbye," she barely whispered.
"And!" Miranda cried aloud, causing a few heads to turn in her way. "Did he say anything?"
"Like what?"
"I don't know. Cody hasn't had a serious girlfriend since his wife left him. And that's been a while too. Donna wasn't like you. She'd never be brave enough to buy a business in a place she wasn't used to and work. She was lazy. All she wanted to do was spend Cody's money. But you guys look so serious about each other." Miranda smiled. "Wait until I tell John."
"There's nothing to tell. Besides, it's too soon? So—where is John?" Sammie Jo asked.
"He's working. I probably won't see him until later."
"They do have that kind of job, don't they?" Sammie Jo laughed.
"Yeah, that's another thing. John doesn't think I could handle him and his job. But he's mistaken. It's not having John I can't handle." She chuckled. "I think he worries about it because Cody's wife ran off. She always claimed he was gone too much, left her lonely all the time."
"Give it time, you know he loves you," Sammie Jo assured her. "Besides, tell him you've been with him for three years, that ought to say something about staying power."
"Yeah, you're right about that. Besides, I'm not like her at all." She laughed. "I better go. I got a few last minute chores to do at home. And quit worrying so much. Cody will be fine. He wouldn't have gone if he didn't think he could make it."
"I'll try."
Miranda waved on her way out.
Mr. and Mrs. Weems came by. She had missed them lately, they had taken a mini vacation and gone to Anchorage for a week. Now they were back with a purse full of pictures to show her.
Sammie Jo took a few minutes to look at the pictures between pouring drinks and ooh and awed over them.
"Looks like the two of you had a wonderful time."