“I didn‘t know you were a Tennyson fan.”
“A lover of Victorian poets, our English teacher, Miss Larch. As long as I’m down here…” a dramatic pause for effect, “Will you marry me?” That sparkle in his eyes told me this was all in fun.
“I won’t marry you, but all that acting ability shouldn’t go to waste. Why don’t you come and try out for the show? We need lots of brash men.”
“Ha,” said Leslie, “got you in one, brother.”
The door opened and slammed shut again, and this time it was Jake who stood on the threshold. He had his boots off in a second and strode across to where I sat, his eyes on Gabe. “What’s going on here?”
Gabe got to his feet, his eyes never leaving his brother’s. “Just a little fun, Jake. You do remember about fun, don’t you? Although the way you’ve been acting lately like a bear with a sore head, doesn’t seem like you remember fun at all.”
They stood stocking toe to stocking toe like fighters facing off in the ring. Surely all the animosity pouring out of Jake for his brother couldn’t be because of me. Gabe was way too young and impulsive for my taste.
Elizabeth broke the silence. “I was about to ask Lynne if she would like some tea. But I doubt if she’ll want to stay, the way you two are acting.”
In any other circumstances I might have been upset, but if Jake didn‘t know his brother well enough to know that Gabe was a player, he hadn‘t been paying attention. “I would love some tea, but only if I’m allowed to help you make it.”
I could hear the low murmur of Jake’s voice as I walked behind the half wall barrier into the kitchen with Elizabeth. She said, “What kind of tea would you like?”
“I’m not particular. Whatever you choose will be fine with me.”
She looked thoughtful as she filled her tea kettle and set it on the huge gas stove. “My sons aren’t usually so rude in front of my company,” Elizabeth said.
“Jake does seem a little…over the top.” I lowered my voice. “Does Gabe know of Jake‘s…interest in me?”
“Oh, yes. Gabe is getting a little of his own back. Jake has been relentless about getting the work done. On the day they branded the calves from the south pasture, Jake made Gabe stay past seven o’clock. By the time Gabe showered, shaved and changed clothes, his date thought he wasn’t coming and went home with another man. Gabe came home ready to call his brother out. I told Gabe that if this woman had gone that easily with another man, she wasn’t worth knocking his brother around. They both cooled down, but Gabe has been looking for a way to get his own back ever since. You happened along at just the right time.”
“I have brothers who are very like Jake and Gabe. They might pull tricks on each other, but let somebody from outside the family make trouble and they close ranks.”
“I’m glad you understand.” She leaned back against the island. “May I ask you something?”
I braced myself, not wanting to be utterly truthful with this woman, but quite sure I couldn’t be anything else. “Of course.”
“How do you feel about Jake?”
This was exactly what I was afraid of. I swallowed once, and then looked directly into her eyes. “I’m not quite sure. At first I thought he was the most amazing man I’d ever met. And then…it seemed he’d interjected himself in my life way too much. I was afraid he’d try to control me. I found out that he’d played a big part in my life even before I came here. But now since he hasn’t come near me in quite a while, I’m beginning to think I was wrong.”
“You’re been honest with me, I’ll be honest with you. I always want the best for my children. Like you, I’m not quite sure that you are the best for Jake. Only time will reveal the truth.”
I felt humbled by her honesty and a little bit distressed. She didn’t think I was right for Jake? That hurt. Why should it hurt? You sent Jake out of your life. Now here you are standing in his kitchen by your own choice, talking to his mother. This is not the way a woman who’s indifferent to a man acts. You came out here for one express purpose and it wasn’t to see Leslie.
“I suppose that’s true. May I help you carry that tray in?”
We returned to the living room and I walked toward a lovely coffee table that had been made out of an old industrial dolly. Lovely distressed wood, large wheels. The two men stood at the fireplace, their backs to the room. Now they turned around and the force of seeing these two handsome, utterly masculine men almost made me drop the tray. I set it down quickly and then seated myself in the middle of the davenport. Had I done it on purpose? I don’t know, but those gorgeous men came and sat, one on each side of me. Leslie and her mother took the opposite couch. Leslie’s eyes were alive with curiosity, and she opened her mouth to say something, but her mother’s hand on her knee silenced her.
Gabe reached for one of the small sandwiches on the tray and sat back, munching. Elizabeth began to pour out the tea, probably knowing that I wouldn’t have the steadiness to accomplish the task. I reached for my mug.
“Sugar?” Jake said, and dropped a cube in my tea before I could answer.
“She doesn’t need sugar, brother. She’s sweet enough as it is.”
Jake’s hand clenched. Almost without thinking, I reached out and put my hand over his in a soothing gesture. For the first time since he’d walked in the room, his gaze played over my face. I saw the fire in his eyes that matched my own yearning. Quickly, I took my hand away. As if nothing had happened, he reached for his mug. Elizabeth served tea in mugs, rather than dainty tea cups. Seeing the size of these guys’ hands, I understood.
I needed some way to ease the force field that existed between Jake and me. I turned to Gabe. Thinking that this would prove to Jake I had Gabe‘s number, I said, “Were you the class clown?”
“No, those honors went to Jimmy Nolan. I was a close second, though. Is there anything else about me you’d like to know?” He wiggled his eyebrows ala Groucho Marx.
Jake slammed his tea mug down on the tray, making the plates and tea pot rattle. “I have to go back to work. And so do you, brother.” Jake grabbed Gabe by the collar of his shirt and hauled him to his feet. “Get your boots on.”
I was sure that if Gabe wanted to, he could have jerked away from Jake’s hold and told his brother he wasn’t going anywhere. But he didn’t. He followed Jake to the door where both men leaned on opposite walls to pull on their boots. I heard Jake say in a low tone, “Satisfied, brother?”
“More or less. Now that I’ve got a good look at what’s been eating you, I can be more sympathetic.”
“I don’t want your sympathy,” Jake growled and he shoved Gabe out the door.
Chapter 10
I rose from the davenport. Leslie cried, “You’re not leaving?”
As gently as I could I said, “I need to get back to work too, Leslie.”
The distressed look in her eyes really spoke to me. “It’s because of my stupid brothers that you’re leaving, isn’t it?”
“Leslie,” her mother admonished.
It had come to this then, my making trouble for almost everyone in this family. It was patently unfair of me to go haring back off to my theater and take refuge in my office. I had to take action.
“Leslie, do you ride?”
“Of course. That’s like asking a fish if it can swim.” That quickly she went from unhappy to bright eyed with interest.
“I don’t ride, not at all, never had the chance, city girl born and bred. Do you have a horse than can carry both of us at the same time?”
“Black Cloud can do anything. I’ll go saddle him up.”
She whirled out of the room, leaving me with Elizabeth. That serene woman rose. “Do you know what you’re doing?”
“Probably not. What I’m going to try to do is make peace with Jake and hopefully, bring peace to this family.”
She put her hand out and clasped my wrist. “Be very sure. Jake is more set on you than I have ever seen. Please don‘t break his heart.”
&nb
sp; “I won’t. I just hope he won’t break mine.”
“I don’t think there is much danger of that.” She picked up the tea tray. “Be careful on that horse. That stallion loves Leslie, but I don’t know how he will react to you.”
“Got any sugar cubes left?”
She smiled, put the tea tray down and plucked three cubes from the bowl and dropped them in my hand. “Nothing like sugar to sweeten a cantankerous male.”
“Nothing like,” I said, smiling.
Nothing like a big, no, make that gigantic horse to sober me up. I had never seen such a beautiful one. His body was like burnished copper, but his mane was a glorious long length of black, feathery hair. His tail was just as black, just as beautiful. I could only imagine how much time it must take to groom him. Leslie was just finishing saddling him, and was standing next to him and reaching under his belly to pull the cinch tight. “Come on, Black Cloud. Let your breath out.”
To my amazement, the horse did as she asked. Leslie pulled the cinch tighter. “If you want to know if a horse is smart, just try to cinch him up without waiting until he lets that breath out. You’ll be on the ground in a New York minute.”
Tentatively I reached out my hand with a sugar cube to those velvety lips. His eyes, so big and brown, took in every aspect of me. Then, slowly, he snuffled the sugar cube and lipped it into his mouth. He bobbed his head and snorted, as if he knew I had more. “Beggar,” I said, teasingly, and offered him another one. That one went faster than the first. Again, he went with the head and the snuffle. “Okay,” I said, but this is the last one.”
Sugar cubes gone, Leslie took his bridle and led him out of the stall. Black Cloud stuck his nose in my neck, smelling me.
“I hope he likes Chanel,” I said. Leslie swung easily in the saddle and indicated I should put my foot in her stirrup and swing up behind her. I did as she asked and with her hand helping me, I heaved myself up in what had to be the clumsiest mount Leslie had ever seen, but miracle of miracles my rear plunked down behind her.
“Gee, Lynne. If you’re going to marry Jake, you’re going to have to learn how to ride.”
“I don’t think so,” I said, as Leslie wheeled the horse around and I hung on for dear life.
“You don’t think you’re going to learn to ride or you don’t think you’re going to marry him?” She rode smoothly while I jounced on some serious bones in my rear end.
“Can I plead the fifth for right now?”
“Well, look who’s coming across the pasture,” Gabe said to Jake.
“Probably coming out to see when you’re available to take her out,” Jake said sourly.
“How long are you going to go on acting like a complete ass? That woman is only interested in you, bro. I just hope you wake up and realize it before it’s too late.”
Leslie and I both waved to Gabe as we went past him. Leslie brought Black Cloud up next to Jake’s mount.
“Let me off,” I said to Leslie. “Go on back to the house. I need to talk to Jake alone.”
Jake fixed his laser eyes on Gabe. “Take off,” he said. Without a word, Gabe wheeled his horse around and headed for a far corner of the pasture.
“What do you want?”
“Well, for starters, could you get down off your high horse?”
“Funny,” Jake said, but he wasn’t particularly amused as he dismounted from the saddle. Still holding his horse’s reins, he said, “I’m down. Now what?”
Oh, boy. There he was in front of me, all male and potent as all hell with his long legs encased in jeans, his lean body, and a sour look on his face. I knew I would have to do something pretty outrageous to break through the cement barrier he had erected. I gathered up every bit of courage I had and grasped the reins he held loosely in his hands. While he stood watching, making no move to stop me, I wrapped them around his wrist several times. He could have stopped me but he just stood there, that dark gaze fastened on me.
“What are you thinking?” I asked as I secured the reins in a knot.
“I’m thinking this is getting interesting.” His face had changed and the expression he wore was much more encouraging.
“I’m just making sure you stand here and listen to what I have to say.”
He stepped toward me, bringing his bound hands up against my waist. “I’m sorry to hear that. I thought I was in for more than words.”
“I owe you an apology, Jake,” I said.
“Yes, you do,” he said. He was definitely in a waiting mood. Waiting to see what I was going to do. I got as close to him as his bound hands would let me, putting me inside his aura of male power. “I came out here because I wanted to make sure that you will be present at our open house.”
He leaned forward and kissed me. Not really wanting to, I loosened the reins around his wrist until they fell free so that I could put my arms around him and he could do the same for me. It was a nice, long kiss that was still too short.
When he released me with a reluctance I could feel, he said, “I think I’d better get back to work.”
He let me go and turned around to swing into the saddle. Extending his hand, he pulled me up behind him. “I’m taking you out to dinner tonight,” he said roughly.
“Can’t,” I said.
“Can‘t?”
I let him suffer for a second or two and then I said, “I knew you wouldn’t remember. The open house is tonight. Starting at six-thirty. That’s what I came out to remind you about. I should be back in my room now, getting ready.”
“I won’t be there that early, but I’ll get there as soon as I can.”
He brought me up to my car and handed me down. I said, “You will come…to the open house?”
“Yes, I’ll…come.” That wicked pause. “I wouldn’t miss it.”
“Goodbye, Mr. Rutledge,” I replied.
He grabbed the brim of his hat. “Ms. Cameron.” He reined his horse around and trotted his mare back down the road.
In the hotel, I realized that for the first time, I had let go and simply gone with my feelings. As an actress, oddly enough, I’d learned to control my emotions. I hadn’t thought I was bold enough to tie up a man with his own horse’s reins. Who know what I was capable of when I got Jake alone?
The open house started promptly at six-thirty that Saturday evening. When I was dressing I decided this was not the time to be shy. I dug out a black thong to wear under my midnight black Versace gown. The gown bared my right shoulder completely. The long skirt had a slit up the left side so that if I moved just right you could see almost to the top of my thigh. With a little velvet bag to hold my phone, license and credit card, I was ready to go.
At the theater, I had a catering company set up the food in the lobby, a spread of diced honey dew, watermelon, and cantaloupe. In addition there were small cucumber sandwiches, cocktail wieners in barbeque sauce, shrimp cocktail, and of course, the requisite chocolate fountain with strawberries to dip.
We opened the doors at the correct time and the board members were among the first people to enter.
Even Max, though he pretended to be sophisticated, did a double take when he saw me standing in the lobby, waiting to greet the guests. John followed the board in and he had with him several other boutique shop owners. I had invited my brother Hunter to come to our celebration since he was here to inspect and sign off on the work that had been done. He had not yet arrived, nor had the person I was most interesting in seeing.
I had my back to the door while I chatted with Max Dhiel, telling him about the spruced up dressing rooms and the red zone I had painted down the middle of the floor when I felt someone blowing lightly on my back. I knew it had to be Jake. With shivers trailing down my spine, I turned around.
He wore his Savile Row jacket, a white shirt with a leather string tie and jeans. His cowboy boots were black and polished to a high shine. He was incredibly handsome with his chiseled features and his black hair with a few strands of gray showing. He looked like what he was, a man w
ho was head of a cattle corporation. What I liked best was the expression on his face when he saw me.
“My God. You are way too beautiful to be standing here on your own. I’m staying right here beside you for the rest of the evening.”
“You also look extremely edible.” And in a much lower tone I said, “I’m wondering where I should start.”
Matching my low tone, he said, “I have several suggestions.”
“I’m sure you do…and I’d love to oblige you on all of them…”
Hunter appeared at my side. I hadn’t even seen him come in. He was dressed to the nines in his Armani gray suit and looked every bit the powerful executive he was. He gave Jake a look that would have intimidated any other man. Not Jake. Hunter said, “I don’t believe we’ve met.”
Jake stuck out his hand. “Jackson Rutledge. Jake to my friends.”
Hunter’s demeanor changed ever so slightly. There was a softening in his gaze, a new respect in his eyes. “I believe we spoke on the telephone.”
“Yes, we did…much to your sister’s dismay.”
“She does tend to be a bit prickly when it comes to accepting help from a man.”
“I had noticed that.”
Well, wasn’t this cheery? My brother and Jake getting all chummy and talking about me as if I weren’t there.
“Since you two seem to have so much catching up to do, I’m going to circulate.” Before I could move, Jake caught my arm and said to my brother, “I’d like to escort Lynne around. There may be some locals I’d need to introduce her to, if you don‘t mind.”
Hunter bowed his head. “Not at all. I’m sure my sister will appreciate your help.”
I wanted to wrest my arm away from Jake’s, just for good measure, but it felt so good to have him touching me again. That little session with the reins had only whetted my appetite for more. “I’m fully capable of…”
“Oh, I know what you’re fully capable of,” he said in the low, husky voice that I loved. He hustled me through the crowd into the auditorium where there were fewer people. “Remember how blue it was…like the inside of an aquarium?” I said, trying to direct Jake’s attention away from me.
A Cowboy for Lynne: Cameron Family Saga Page 10