Just Be My Love (Saving Sandy series, #1)

by Valentina Turner

  Sandy held on to him when he wanted to pull away from the drugging kiss and blushed when she realized what she had done.

  He took a step back.

  Mortified at the wanton way she had thrown herself at him and allowed him kiss her in such an erotic manner, Sandy lowered her eyes. Her pulse raced like that of a hundred-meter sprinter. She couldn't believe what just happened.

  No man had ever kissed her in such a way that shook her to the very core of her existence. Well, she had never allowed any man to come this close to her.

  "I'll see you tomorrow," he huskily said and left her standing by the door, still flushed from the explosive kiss. She watched him drive away with her heart still thudding.

  Chapter Seven

  “No! No! Please leave her alone. Please!” Sandy yelled as the man continued flogging the helpless woman with his belt.

  “Please, don’t hurt her. She’s all I got.”

  She screamed when the man with red burning eyes turned to her. She tried to run, to hide from him, but he came upon her quicker than she could move out of his way.

  “Come here,” he said in a harsh tone.

  “No, please. Please leave me alone.”

  The ripping of her dress sounded in the silence, punctuated by sobbing from the bleeding woman in the corner.

  “Let me go,” Sandy sobbed, but the man threw back his head and laughed with devilment.

  “I’ll only let you go when you’re dead.”

  She screamed as he lifted his belt to her back.

  Sandy jerked awake. Her eyes roamed around her room with fear that the monster who called himself a man would open the door and come for her.

  Her heart beat a rapid thud against her chest as she waited for the ugly scene to take place. When it didn’t, her heart rate slowed its pace.

  Relieved that it was only a nightmare, she still burst into tears. The nightmares were getting worse. And it was all thanks to her being back in Plyrock and opening her heart to a man.

  No, she couldn’t allow it. Although she liked Seth, this was one of the reasons she couldn’t have anything to do with him. He would destroy her and wouldn’t even know it. She couldn’t afford to see him again.

  Anguish tore at her heart at the thought of not allowing Seth into her life.

  Sandy covered her face with her hands and wept profusely.

  A week later, Sandy jogged to her door after her morning run and saw a bouquet of roses and a box of chocolate there. She removed her earbuds from her ears and bent to lift her gifts from the welcome mat.

  She turned around and looked about her to see if Seth had decided to stick around for once. For the past whole week, whenever she came back home from jogging, she found bouquets of different flowers and little gifts like chocolate, stuffed animals and candies on her doorstep. The cards were usually signed simply with the initials S.B.

  The card usually read,

  Give me a chance.

  You won’t regret getting to know me.

  You’re the woman for me.

  I’ll carry on with this until you say yes.

  Sandy opened the card to see what he had written.

  You can’t deny the attraction between us. We’re meant to be together.

  She chuckled and opened her door. He was quite tenacious; she had to give him that. She hadn’t seen him since the morning after their dinner date. He had entered the diner looking all handsome as usual. And then, he had asked her out again and she had plainly told him that even though they’d shared an explosive kiss the previous night, her answer was still no. She didn’t want to date him. Her heart ached telling him all that, but it was the decision she had taken.

  She dropped the box of chocolate on the coffee table and went into the kitchen to take out a vase for the roses. She had tried her best to keep all the flowers, but her small house was soon filled up with them. So she’d had to give some away to her staff. They had wanted to know who the flowers were from; she had simply kept mute.

  Sandy stared at the beautiful blooms and shook her head. The red roses were too beautiful for her to give away. She filled the vase with water and artistically arranged the roses in them.

  Sandy smiled at the roses. She had to admit she enjoyed being wooed like this. Maybe she didn’t even want it to stop, although her answer would still be in the negative.

  These romantic gestures which kept her smiling and feeling loved helped her not to think of her recurrent nightmares. Jules was exasperated with her for not wanting to date Seth.

  Sandy had given her the excuse that the man was too handsome for his own good and couldn’t be trusted. To keep her friend quiet, she cited all the incidences in which Jules had dated handsome men and ended up hurt.

  “I can’t take such chances, Jules.”

  “You prefer to remain single for the rest of your life?”

  Sandy had shrugged.

  “Life is all about taking risks. You can’t continue to live in fear of getting your heart broken. You might as well become a nun.”

  Sandy had giggled but remained firm in her resolve. It was better to be alone than wishing your partner dead.

  She shrugged once more and smiled as she unwrapped the chocolate and popped a square piece in her mouth. She savored the rich taste of the dark chocolate and smiled. The chase could go on and on for all she cared. She picked the card with a grin.

  Soon, he would get tired.

  Chapter Eight

  “Please have mercy on him and go out with him. I feel so sorry for him. He has been coming here for the past two weeks to ask you out. Please have mercy on him,” Aunt Karen pleaded with both palms together.

  Sandy let out a heavy sigh. Indeed, Seth was beginning to wear down her defenses. He hadn’t gotten tired of sending her gifts as she had hoped. He had taken it upon himself to visit the diner and sit all day in what everyone now called ‘his booth.’

  Every time she brushed past him, he would catch her hand and beg her to go out with him.

  Sandy sighed again. Perhaps if he saw that she wasn’t really interested in him, then he would get the message.

  She snatched a napkin and walked over to ‘his booth’ where he was staring out the window.

  His brows shot up when she reached him. And then a broad smile spread across his face.

  “Hello gorgeous.” His grin was so infectious, she found herself smiling at him.

  “You win. Maybe when you see how incompatible we are, you’ll quit.”

  He shook his head with his eyes dancing for joy. “Never.”

  She shrugged. “It’s your funeral.”

  He laughed heartily. “Let’s start with the park. I’ll pick you up at—”

  “I can’t leave here.”

  “Yes you can,” Annie and Mary chipped in together, making her blush.

  Thank goodness the diner was empty. She gritted her teeth when Seth grinned at them.

  “All right,” she simply said and walked away.

  Sandy was jittery the following day as she waited for Seth’s arrival. She ignored the knowing grins of her employees and went about her duties even though she did them halfheartedly.

  The hair at her nape rose when the doorbell jingled and she knew it was him. Her heart leaped in her chest when she saw him garbed in all black.

  “Are you ready?” he asked after exchanging pleasantries with her employees and some of the regulars, since he had become one himself.

  She nodded and grabbed her purse.

  “Have fun,” they all called as she followed him out the door.

  As was typical from their first date, they didn’t say a word in the vehicle until they got to the park. They simply enjoyed the country music coming in from the radio.

  “Where are the bears?” Seth asked thirty minutes later, and Sandy burst into laughter.

  She guessed the question was appropriate since they were at the Bear’s Creek Dog Park. He had insisted on them coming there even though they didn't own dogs.

&nb
sp; He thought he would see bears. She told him it was just the name of the park, and it was actually a dog park. Disappointment spanned his face and she laughed again.

  They walked through the park just enjoying the beauty of their surroundings and watching dogs with their owners moving all over the place. They sat on a bench watching as dogs were playing in the stream and fields.

  They sat in companionable silence for some minutes. Seth told her about a dog he used to own, but the dog died and he hadn’t wanted one ever since.

  Her heart went out to him. When a dog came out of the water, bounding up to them, Seth rose to brush its fur with his fingers before its owner took it away.

  Seth returned to the bench with a smile on his face. Her heart skipped a bit just watching him smile. As if he felt her eyes on him, he turned and smiled at her. It was a beautiful moment.

  "Let's walk down the trail," he suggested and stood up.

  She got up also and he took her hand in his large one. Against her wishes, Sandy secretly acknowledged that she enjoyed spending time with Seth. He was quite an entertaining person to be with even when he didn’t say a word. And the attraction between them was off the chain.

  "You're quiet," he observed as they walked down the trail. "What are you thinking of?"

  She blushed. She couldn't very well tell him what she was thinking.

  "Dogs," she said and laughter rumbled from his throat.

  He smiled down at her and she couldn't stop smiling, too. The intimate moment was disturbed by a group of people walking their dogs that way.

  After a wonderful day at the park, he took her to a restaurant and they had a wonderful time.

  From then on, they developed a routine. Seth would come over in the mornings and they would go jogging together, after which she would prepare for work and he would go back to his ranch to take care of his cattle.

  During her lunch break, they would either go to one recreational center or the other, or to the next town. He would later join her at the diner before walking her home.

  Spending so much time with him was getting her to fall more and more for him and making her staff and neighbors compliment her on her ever-glowing face, but things weren't as rosy between them as she would love them to be.

  Her inhibition was making her hold back from telling him how she felt. Jules urged her repeatedly, but the fear of both the past and unknown stopped her. Besides, he had never taken her to see his ranch. She didn’t know if he was too good to be true.

  They went on like that with their daily routine for the next two weeks. Sometimes it was all bliss, sometimes it was arguments and anger because she refused to allow herself give in. She was sure she had fallen in love with him but she still held a part of herself back.

  “When will you finally realize that I mean well toward you?” he had asked with deep frustration one night when he walked her home.

  Unable to answer, she had simply fished for her keys and let herself into her house before slamming the door on him.

  Thankfully, her nightmares had stopped. She could now sleep easily.

  Chapter Nine

  "We'll be there in a few minutes," Seth told Sandy as he turned off the highway onto a dirt road surrounded by pine trees. He drove into a gravel driveway which was flanked by shrubs and a towering orange tree.

  Sandy stared at the beautiful and lush landscape with the eyes of an artist and could think of nothing else but painting it. With shock, she realized that the small house she had expected to see was instead a magnificent house. It was large and stood in the secluded clearing with almost intimidating height, surrounded by a pine forest spreading from around its back.

  She got out of the truck. "Wow! It's beautiful."

  Seth was all smiles. "Welcome home."

  She looked at the long range of buildings opposite the house and wondered what was there. Seth followed her gaze and smiled.

  "The barn and the stable," he simply said.

  She bit her lip and wondered if she was up for seeing those huge beasts she was afraid of. Seth lifted a hand, inviting her to place hers in it.

  "Come on, Sandy. You don’t have to be scared."

  She tilted her head to the side, still thinking.

  "They won’t harm you. I promise."

  Those solemnly spoken words convinced her more than anything else in the world would have done. With a small start, she realized she actually did trust Seth. He would keep her from harm and protect her with his life if such an opportunity ever arose.

  Placing her hand in his and giving him a small smile, she allowed him to lead her to the stables. The smell of horse, leather and hay assailed her nostrils when she entered the building. Upon their entrance, when a horse raised its head from within its stall, she moved back a bit—but Seth urged her forward. He placed his hand on the horse's mane and stroked it, encouraging her to do so. He spoke soothing words to the horse and took her hand to place it on the horse's head. He told her not to be afraid because horses became uneasy when they sensed fear. She shook at first, but when her hand came in contact with the horse, she was amazed at how smooth and silky its hair was. Minute by minute, her confidence improved and before she knew it, she was rubbing the horse all over its body without an inch of fear.

  She laughed heartily when the horse whinnied as she moved away from it.

  "That wasn't so bad now, was it?" Seth asked when they moved to another stall.

  She shook her head and smiled. "No. I guess it was just a crazy phobia I developed from when I was a kid. I saw a movie where a little girl was flung from a horse and broke her spine. I've been scared of horses ever since."

  "What can I say? Accidents do happen but if you show a horse it can trust you and you show it love, it’s a very rare occurrence. But one has to be careful, nevertheless."

  She nodded happily and moved forward to rub the head of the next horse. It was a beautiful white mare.

  "Seth, could you please teach me how to ride?"

  His grin melted her heart. "Sure, anything for you, Sandy, but I've got to be in Denver soon."

  "Oh," She lowered her eyes to hide her disappointment. “How long?”

  "About a week or so, it depends on business."

  He was about to say something further, when a tall man who bore a resemblance with Seth entered the stables. Sandy couldn't help but stare at the handsome man who she had no doubt was Seth's brother due to the resemblance they shared. The dark-haired man came forward with a welcoming smile on his face.

  "About time, Seth. Waiting for an introduction from you might take another three weeks, so I'm just gonna go right ahead. Hi, I'm Malcolm. I'm so pleased to finally meet you." He stretched forth his hand.

  Sandy was all smiles. She liked him instantly. "Hi, I'm Sandy. It's so good to finally meet you, too."

  Malcolm grinned and she felt a pull in her heart at how alike they were. "Don't mind this snail-paced brother of mine. I just finished baking some strawberry cookies. They are absolutely delicious even if I do say so myself," he informed her as he led her out of the stables while Seth followed behind grudgingly.

  A man who bakes strawberry cookies? How wonderful!

  By evening, Sandy wished she didn’t ever have to go back home because of how she had so much enjoyed Seth’s and Malcolm’s company. If she had been tolda month ago that Seth would become an important part of her life, she wouldn’t have believed it.

  Sure she still held back a part of herself from him, afraid that he would hurt her emotionally, but she had to admit that she truly liked him. As no one was perfect, he had his flaws. He was too possessive, but she figured it was a good thing. Nevertheless, she was still watchful. She had learned a lot from Jules’s relationships with men. So, she refused to give her all so she would still have something to hold on to if he were to break her heart.

  Sandy hoped that wouldn’t be the case.

  *****

  Adjusting his riding boots, Seth watched with widened eyes as Sandy led one of his
feisty horses out of the stable. She patted his head and spoke some words to him. He shook his head. Surely she didn't think she could ride him, even though he had been teaching her how to ride for almost a week since she’d overcome her fear of horses. But knowing her, he surmised that she would attempt riding the brown horse. He would put a stop to that before she broke her lovely neck. He went back into the house to get the picnic basket he had prepared for them.

  Stepping out of the house with the picnic basket, Seth saw Sandy ride out, and his ebony brows shot up. He dropped the picnic basket and waved his hands for her to stop, but she galloped away.

  "You allowed Sandy to ride Fire?” he demanded from his smug-looking brother in a tone filled with censure when he got to the stables.

  Malcolm sighed. "Sandy is more than capable of handling that horse." he responded drily. "She’s now a terrific rider."

  "You don't know that!" he glared at his brother and went into the stables to saddle up his own horse.

  "I know that she has come here every day to ride and she rides beautifully now,” his brother smugly threw at him.

  At that moment, Seth saw the truth in Malcolm's words when Sandy spurred the fiery gelding toward a fence and jumped over it with a grace and ease that totally astounded, let alone impressed him. He climbed his own spirited horse, ignoring Malcolm's laugh as he handed him the picnic basket. He galloped forward in pursuit of Sandy who was way ahead, with her glorious hair blowing in the wind.

  If she heard the thump of his horse's pursuing hooves, she gave no indication as she rode on. His powerful black stallion, Midnight, finally caught up with her. Her chin came up and she urged Fire in a race across the vast field. Seth became angry that she had spurred her horse on. Fire could be erratic at times. In a twinkle of an eye, he could throw her and she would be flung from him and come to serious harm. With the image of Sandy lying somewhere on the ground, hurt and bleeding, he spurred his horse on, though the picnic basket was serving as a hindrance.