“A lot of people at church were asking about her. I guess word got around pretty fast,” Jake commented.
“When doesn’t it?”
“It’s probably just as well she didn’t attend,” Jake added, his expression thoughtful.
“Yeah,” Brett replied, and noticed Anna’s big blue eyes filled with questions. He wasn’t ready to answer any just yet. But soon.
ANNA CHANGED into her jeans and a short-sleeved shirt quickly. She wanted to make sure she was surrounded by others before Brett came down.
Of course, he’d have Sylvia with him this afternoon. Which was a good thing. It was too easy to forget that Brett was off-limits.
She should remember. His family, his wealth, his good looks, all those were the opposite of her. She knew she wasn’t of the Randall caliber. Her experiences growing up the daughter of an alcoholic who barely kept food on the table had taught her the realities of life. Then, while she was in nursing school, a young doctor had underlined the lesson.
Running down the stairs, she hoped she should outdistance the truth that kept creeping into her head even with her past experience. But she couldn’t.
She was falling for Brett Randall.
In spite of all the odds against her.
If she wanted to protect Brett from a divorce, she could have nothing to do with him. Just like Sylvia, Anna would be bad for him. Because he’d be ashamed of her.
The doctor she’d met at the hospital had invited her to a party. She’d been an innocent, unsophisticated. She hadn’t fit in. And he’d dumped her at once, snarling something about her low-class roots.
“Ready, Anna?” Jake called as she reached the back porch.
His words snapped her from her thoughts. “Yes, I’m coming.”
He was standing in the closest corral, tying the reins of several saddled horses to the railing. There was no sign of Brett.
“Need any help?” she called out as he headed back into the barn.
“Nah. We’ve got them all saddled.”
The “we” gave her pause until she stepped into the shade of the barn and discovered Chad and Pete with Jake. “You’ve been working fast.”
“Food always makes us Randalls get a move on. Did you bring your swimsuit?”
Anna stared at Jake in surprise. “My swimsuit?”
“Yeah. We’re going to the lake. A swim will feel good after lazing in the sun for a while. You’ve got time to go back and get it.”
Thoughts of Brett comparing her figure to Sylvia’s, with hers obviously lacking, filled Anna’s head. “Oh, I think I’ll pass on that.”
Pete stopped beside her to say, “You may pass on the swimsuit, Anna, but you won’t pass on the swim. Not with these characters around. They’ll just toss you in in your jeans.”
Anna took him at his word and went to fetch her swimsuit. When she returned to the corral, she found only Brett waiting for her.
“What happened to Sylvia?”
“She went with the truck. Seems she doesn’t like to ride.” He seemed totally unconcerned with his fiancée’s disappearance.
“Isn’t that going to make life on the ranch a little awkward? I mean, shouldn’t a rancher’s wife like to ride?”
“Not necessarily. But I’m glad you like to ride.”
She whipped her gaze from his smug look and stared over her horse’s head. “We need to hurry.” She wished she didn’t sound as if she’d been running a marathon. But her heart was beating double time. And it was all Brett’s fault.
“Whatever you say, sugar.”
“You shouldn’t call me that!”
“Why not? You’re about the sweetest lady I know.” He urged his horse closer to her, and she couldn’t ignore the want that surged through her. He was close enough to kiss her.
“Sylvia wouldn’t appreciate your saying that.”
His grin disappeared as if a black cloud had passed over him. “Sylvia has other attributes. She has no cause to be jealous,” he muttered.
Anna agreed. And Sylvia’s best attributes would be on display when she changed into her swimsuit.
They rode in silence until Brett spoke again.
“You never did say anything about your love life. Was there someone you wanted to invite to the picnic?”
“No, no one.”
He didn’t complain about her answer. Instead, his grin returned, and he said, “Good.”
Men! What difference did it make to him if she didn’t have a boyfriend? Was he already planning on cheating on Sylvia?
She glared at Brett and urged her horse to move faster.
IT SHOULD’VE BEEN a wonderful picnic. The weather was idyllic, wide Wyoming sky, bright sun, gentle breezes. They were spread out on a grassy bank beside a deep blue lake fed by mountain streams. They’d eaten Red’s good cooking until they could eat no more.
But Brett wasn’t happy.
And he didn’t think too many of the others were, either. Maybe Toby, since he was immune to Sylvia’s petulance and complaining. The rest of them were having to suffer through her tantrums.
She complained because Janie was sitting in the lawn chair and she didn’t have one. Fortunately Pete had brought several in case any other lady wanted one, so that problem was easily solved.
She’d complained because there wasn’t any shade. Brett had offered to move one of the big trees a few hundred yards away, but Jake had cautioned him about his sarcasm.
A good thing, too, because with the mood he was in, he might have let the tree slip and land on Sylvia’s head.
The darn woman had even complained about Red’s food. Fortunately Red ignored her, especially when everyone else made it a point to tell him how wonderful his cooking was.
Any conversation they’d attempted had been ended by a rude remark from Sylvia. She seemed to think she was an authority on everything because she lived in a city. Ha!
He decided he must not be as smart as he’d thought he was for ever thinking he and Sylvia would be happy.
“Hey, Brett, come throw the Frisbee with us,” Jake called out.
Brett was sitting beside Sylvia’s lawn chair. He looked up at her. “Want to join us, Sylvia?”
“Hardly.” The chill in her tone seemed to take the temperature down a few degrees.
“Okay,” he tossed over his shoulder as he went to join in. “I’ll be back later.”
Fortunately the next hour erased some of the sour taste in Brett’s mouth.
Especially when he tackled Anna.
Jake had divided them into teams, Brett, B. J. and Toby on one, and Jake, Pete and Anna on the other. When Anna grabbed for his Frisbee, he tackled her instead. They rolled in the grass, and he loved the feel of her against him.
The delightful scent of her enveloped him, and he wished he could roll with her to a secluded spot. Then he’d taste those soft lips, run his hands over her slender body, stroke—
“Hey! You’re supposed to grab the Frisbee, not me!” she protested. She pushed out of his hold and sat up, looking adorable in his eyes.
“Wait a minute, you’re covered in grass.” He began running his fingers through her red hair, braided down her back in one plait. It felt like silk. When they made love—and they would, eventually—he intended to run his fingers through her hair to its very end.
“Don’t. You’re pulling out my braid.”
He leaned closer to whisper, “Good. I’ve fantasized about unbraiding your hair.”
“Brett!” With her cheeks flaming, Anna leapt to her feet. He hurriedly rose and pursued her. If he stayed close, he might be able to get his hands on her again.
I’m a sick person, he admitted, but he chased her anyway.
But Brett noticed she kept a constant distance between the two of them no matter where the Frisbee might be.
After having some lemonade to refresh themselves, the men announced it was time to swim.
“But where are we gonna change?” Toby asked.
Red and Jake were alr
eady busy taking care of the problem. Since they’d driven two trucks, they opened a front door on each of them and tied the blanket they’d put the food on between the two doors.
“The girls will all change behind the blanket. Then they’ll come out and we’ll change,” Jake explained.
“I need more privacy than that!” Sylvia announced from her lawn chair, where she’d sat since they’d arrived.
Jake looked at Brett and shrugged.
Realizing Jake was telling him to deal with Sylvia’s new complaint, he said, “Sorry, Sylvia, but that’s the best we’ve got to offer. Of course, if you don’t want to swim, that’s up to you.” Brett didn’t bother to actually sound sorry. He was fed up with her being a spoilsport. “Hurry up, ladies,” he added, grinning at the others.
Even Megan gathered up her swimsuit, though Chad protested. She argued, “I can paddle around in the water for a little while. Anna said it wouldn’t hurt anything.”
“I wish I could,” Janie said wistfully.
Pete immediately plopped down beside his wife to entertain her. Brett stared at Anna as she watched the couple, a wistful look on her face.
He moved to her side. “You’d better hurry or you’ll have to change with the boys.”
She blushed and flounced away from him without speaking, but he didn’t really think she was mad. He hoped not. He was looking forward to swimming with her.
Even Sylvia, apparently tired of being ignored, followed the other women. After a few minutes of tidying up the picnic area with his brothers, Brett whirled around when Jake let out a wolf whistle.
“What a bunch of beauties,” Jake said with a grin, encompassing everyone from Mildred on down.
Brett shouldn’t have been surprised to discover Anna in a utilitarian navy swimsuit, modestly cut. Megan and B.J., too, were in one-piece suits. Sylvia, on the other hand, sported a silver lamé bikini that seemed out of place. And very revealing.
However, her curves didn’t excite Brett.
He was more interested in Anna’s slender form as she clutched a towel close to her. “You’re not going to wear that towel into the water, are you, Anna?”
“I might. The last time I swam in a mountain lake, I felt like I needed a coat.”
He grinned. She was right. The water was going to be icy, in spite of the warm temperatures. But it would be fun.
“Do you mean the water will be cold?” Sylvia asked, startled.
“This isn’t Old Faithful,” Brett assured her as he grabbed his swimming trunks and headed for the blanket shield.
The women hadn’t gotten in the water yet when he and his brothers, and even Red, emerged. Red, still wearing his boots, looked doubtful about what would come next, but Brett headed straight for the water.
In actual fact, they had built a small beach here. Jake had even had sand hauled in one year so they didn’t wade into mud. With a call for the others to follow him, Brett splashed into the shallows and then dived. The bottom fell away fairly sharply.
When he came back to the surface, Sylvia was standing on the edge of the water in her bikini.
“Is it cold, Brett?”
“Sure. That’s the fun of it. Come on in, Sylvia.” But his gaze was on Anna. She was lingering at the edge behind Sylvia, talking to B.J. and Toby.
He should’ve warned Sylvia. He would’ve, he assured himself, but he’d been watching Anna. Sylvia, not realizing how quickly the water deepened, took several cautious steps, squealing about the coldness with each move.
Then she went completely under.
Chapter Ten
She couldn’t swim.
One look at how Sylvia was floundering, and Brett swam to her. Jake and Chad hit the water at the same time, but it was Brett who reached her first, as she was going under again. With his brothers’ help, he got her to dry ground.
She didn’t go quietly. Sputtering and cursing, Sylvia would’ve put a sailor to shame.
“You tried to drown me! Damn you, Brett Randall, you tried to drown me!” she screamed after several minutes of ranting.
“Don’t be ridiculous, Sylvia. I assumed you could swim.”
“You didn’t—” Sylvia began again, but her teeth were chattering.
Anna knelt and draped a towel around the shivering woman. Red appeared with a cup of hot coffee from the pot still sitting on the coals of their campfire. Sylvia reached out greedily for the cup, not bothering to say thank-you.
But if Brett thought such thoughtfulness was going to distract her from her accusations, Sylvia showed him differently.
“It’s true. You wanted me to drown!” she screeched dramatically. “Ever since I got here, you’ve been mean to me.” Tears pooled in her eyes.
Brett couldn’t help wondering if she could call up tears on command. He’d heard of some women having skills like that. “Sylvia, you’re being ridiculous.”
“I want to go back to the house.” She pouted pathetically and lowered her lashes.
Brett sighed and looked at his family, an apology in his eyes. His gaze rested on Anna. “Okay.”
“We’ll all go back,” Jake said, smiling at everyone. “I imagine we’re all tired.”
“I’ll take her back if you want to stay,” Brett offered, though he’d rather share his ride back with Anna.
“I’m ready, too, Brett,” Janie said from her lawn chair. “I’d like, a nap out of the sun.”
Pete immediately fled to his wife’s side, abandoning Sylvia. Brett knew exactly how he felt. If Anna so much as stubbed her toe—Of course, she wasn’t his wife. But she certainly dominated his thoughts.
He looked away only to have his gaze collide with deep anger in Sylvia’s eyes. Uh-oh. “You want to change before we go back, Sylvia? The blanket is still in place.”
“No. I want to go at once.”
Pete stood. “I’ll take my truck back right now, Sylvia, with you and Janie. The others can follow us later.”
“I want Brett with me,” Sylvia insisted, a coldness in her voice.
“But I rode over, Sylvia. I’ll be there soon.”
“No. If you really didn’t intend to hurt me, you’ll come with me. Someone can take your horse back.” She was staring at him, determined.
“I’ll lead your horse, Brett,” Anna said quietly, and turned away to help Red begin packing up the remains of the picnic.
“Go on, Brett. We’ll manage here,” Jake added, a note of command in his voice.
Brett had no choice but to leave Anna. But he was going to make sure, real soon, that he did have a choice.
WHEN ANNA GOT BACK to the house, after helping to unsaddle the horses and rub them down, she was tired and ready for a refreshing shower. Megan, however, was waiting in the upstairs hall for her.
“Have you got a minute, Anna?”
“Sure, Megan. Are you feeling all right?”
“Yes, it’s not that. Come to Janie’s room.”
“Is Janie all right?”
Megan smiled. “Yes. Stop being a midwife.”
Puzzled, Anna followed Megan to Janie’s door. Once they were inside, Megan and Janie urged her to sit on the bed with them.
“What’s up?”
“Anna, we want to be honest with you,” Janie began. “You know we’ve been against Brett marrying Sylvia. But we haven’t told you that we want you to marry Brett.”
“You’re perfect for him,” Megan chimed in, a warm smile on her face.
“No!” She almost shouted out the word, hoping it would drown out the pounding of her heart. She tried not to let herself think of her and Brett together—it was too dangerous. “No, I’m not perfect for him.”
“Why not?” Janie demanded, a stubborn look in her eyes.
“Because I’m from—from the wrong side of the tracks. I’ve told you before, I learned a long time ago that the wealthy and the poor don’t mix.”
“I wasn’t wealthy,” Megan said.
“And my parents may own a ranch, but I don’t,” Janie add
ed.
Anna laughed, a tinge of bitterness in the sound. “There’s a difference. I would be as wrong for Brett as Sylvia is, just for different reasons.”
“I’ve noticed you didn’t say you weren’t attracted to him,” Janie argued. “Does that mean you are?”
Anna could feel her cheeks flaming, and she got off the bed. “My personal feelings don’t matter. If you want Brett’s happiness, you’ll look around for some rancher’s daughter, like you, Janie. That would be best for Brett.”
“But, Anna—” Megan began.
“I have to have a shower,” Anna said, interrupting her, and scurried to the door.
AFTER A SHOWER, Anna felt more in control. She had stood under the spray and reasoned with herself, squashing the dreams that Janie and Megan had nourished. She was not meant for Brett Randall. For the first time, she thought he might not marry Sylvia—but he would not marry her.
In spite of her renewed confidence, she debated going downstairs for dinner. She wasn’t ready to be put to the test. However, skipping dinner didn’t make much sense, either. When she discovered Red had prepared sandwich fixings, she made a plate and headed for the stairs. A reprieve.
The phone rang as she was leaving the kitchen. Something told her to wait.
Red motioned her to the phone. “It’s Gabe Brown.”
His wife, Carrie, was one of Anna’s patients. “Hi, Gabe. What’s up?”
“It’s Carrie. She’s not feeling well. I got her to lie down, but she keeps trying to get up again, saying she’s got things to do.”
“How is she not feeling well?”
“She’s been throwing up.”
In firm tones, she said, “You tell her I said for her not to get out of bed. I’ll be there in fifteen minutes.”
She hung up the phone and turned around to discover Brett standing right behind her.
“Where are you going?”
“The Browns’. Carrie’s not feeling well.”
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