A Groom For Gwen

by Jeanne Allan

  “Yes.”

  “In case you haven’t noticed, it’s raining.”

  “What difference would that make to me? I’m in my own private swimming pool. Even if the water is a little on the muddy side. And not exactly warm. But then, I didn’t stop to think about that when you came up behind me making banshee sounds and scaring the living daylights out of me.”

  “Is that why you fell?”

  “Fell? No, Mr. Stoner, I didn’t fall. I always come outdoors in the middle of a rainstorm and leap headfirst into a muddy barrow pit. Don’t you?”

  “No, but then, I’m not real fond of snakes.”

  CHAPTER SEVEN

  “SNAKES!” With a screech, Gwen struggled to stand. Halfway to her feet, she discovered her oversize boots had filled with water and were now firmly embedded in the muddy bank. She yanked her legs to dislodge the boots and promptly lost her balance. Teetering wildly, Gwen windmilled her arms in a frantic effort to keep from falling back into the water. One flailing arm smacked Jake as he squatted beside the ditch, and he reached out to grab her. At that precise moment, Mack trotted over and poked his nose in Jake’s back. Jake pitched headlong into the ditch.

  Knocking Gwen down again. At least this time she didn’t fall face-first.

  Jake rolled off her and stood. “You okay?” He extended his hand.

  “Go away.” Gwen sat up in the muddy water and swiped at her face with the mud-soaked sweater. “If there are any snakes around here, I want to make sure I’m the one they bite.” She yanked a boot out of the mud, turned it upside down to drain the water, then tossed it up on the road. “Dying from snake venom would at least put me out of my misery.” She grabbed the second boot as Jake vaulted from the ditch. Not bothering to drain the second boot, Gwen threw it at Jake as hard as she could. She missed him. Ignoring his outstretched hand, she clawed her way out of the barrow pit. Pushing wet stringy hair out of her eyes, she looked for the boots. She found one by stubbing her big toe on it. Muttering under her breath, she rammed her foot into it. The other boot had disappeared. “Where’s my boot?”

  “Mack’s got it.”

  “Mack, bring me the boot.”

  The dog put the boot down, barked happily, then picked it up and backed away as Gwen hopped on one foot toward him.

  “He wants to play.”

  Gwen heard the quiver of amusement in Jake’s voice. “I’m glad you’re having such a good time. I’m wet, I’m freezing, and I probably broke my nose. And I want my boot.”

  “Come, Mack.” Jake snapped his fingers, and Mack trotted over to him and dropped the boot at Jake’s feet. Jake picked it up and held it out.

  Gwen ripped it from his hand, shoved her foot inside, and marched toward the house, wiping dog slobber off on her sweater.

  “Want to tell me why-you’re taking an evening stroll in the rain?” Jake easily kept pace with her.

  “I’m giving myself a facial, what do you think?” The rain would at least wash the worst of the mud off.

  “I think you have a better reason than that.”

  “I’m not paying you to think.” The furious words had barely left her tongue when she remembered and grabbed Jake’s arm. “Didn’t you see him?”

  “Who? Mack? He’s right here.”

  “No. I don’t know who. Mack wanted out and he raced straight out here to the horses. I went chasing after him to haul him back in the house and I heard a man’s voice. I thought you and Tom were moving the horses because of the coming storm, so I came to help you, and then this car started up. Mack must have scared off whoever it was. The driver shone his headlights right on me, so he had to see me, but he hit the gas and took off, Mack apparently in hot pursuit. Then it started raining, and you came sneaking up behind me making me fall into the ditch, and Jake, the horses!” Gwen wheeled about and trotted awkwardly in the big boots back toward the pasture. “What if he hurt the horses? We have to check the horses.”

  “I’ll check. You go back to the house and get dry and warm.” Jake leaped easily across the ditch, then turned at the splashing sound behind him. “Damn it, Gwen, do you ever do what you’re told?” Grabbing her outstretched hand, he pulled her up to his side of the ditch.

  “They’re my horses.” He could make all the disgusted sounds he wanted to make, but they were.

  “Watch out for the barbed wire.”

  “Ouch. You could have mentioned that earlier.”

  “You could have gone back to the house.”

  “I couldn’t now even if I wanted to. I thought you checked the fence along here. I’m caught on a broken wire.”

  “Not broken,” Jake said grimly. “Someone cut the top two strands of the fence.

  She struggled to break free. Jake made no move to come to her aid. Finally she said in an exasperated voice, “Would you please help me?”

  “No. At least I’ll know where you are while I’m checking the horses. Come on, Mack.”

  “Don’t you dare walk off and leave me stuck here,” she shouted at Jake’s back. Man and dog vanished into the dark. “I swear, if I knew how to use that old buffalo gun, I’d shoot you, Jake Stoner.” A person would think he owned this ranch the way he ignored her orders. She’d get loose and then she’d show him exactly who was the boss around here.

  Getting loose was no small chore. The severed wires, curling back on themselves, had not only thoroughly snared the back of her sweater, a few of the barbs had worked through the sweater’s ragged, loose weave to catch in the T-shirt beneath. The fabric being wet didn’t help, but at least the rain seemed to be easing. If she couldn’t remove the sweater from the wire, Gwen decided the next best thing was to remove herself from the sweater.

  A loud noise came out of the dark. The sound of something being crunched under large feet. Gwen froze. “Mack?” Clouds blocked out the moon and the stars, and she strained to see. A large dark shape detached itself from the inky black night and moved toward her, snuffling as it moved. One of the horses.

  Gwen remained stock still, her mind racing. What if the horse couldn’t see her and ran right into her? Or equally bad, got tangled up in the cut wires. If she called Jake she might frighten the horse into bolting into the fence. A scenario which boded ill for both her and the horse. Maybe if she spoke softly. Words refused to leave her closed throat.

  Hot breath blew against the back of her head, and the horse gave a low nicker. Slowly turning her head, Gwen saw a splash of white down the horse’s nose. “Hello, Vegas,” she cautiously crooned. “Are you okay? Big, bad man didn’t hurt you, did he?”

  “The horses all seem to be fine.” Jake had returned. “Everyone accounted for. You and Mack evidently chased off whoever it was before he did any real mischief. If the fence hadn’t been cut, I’d figure it was kids stopping to pet the horses. I moved the other horses into the next pasture. You can ride Vegas back to the house.”

  “I’m not going to ride Vegas back to the house.”

  “You need a hot shower.”

  “I do not need a hot shower. I am sick and tired of you telling me what to do. Go away.” She swallowed a startled cry as Mack poked her bare thigh with his cold nose. “And take this stupid mutt and this stupid horse with you.”

  “You’re the boss.” Jake walked away, whistling at the dog and horse to follow him.

  Gwen stared at the three dark shapes in stunned disbelief. Jake Stoner was actually going to abandon her. Furiously she struggled to get out of the snared sweater without jabbing herself with the barbed wire. She was cold, wet, filthy, firmly attached to a fence, surrounded by who knew what kind of wild animals... Dam wool sweater. It didn’t even have the decency to rip. A coyote yipped in the distance. Did coyotes attack people? Gwen redoubled her efforts.

  A rustling sounded near her feet. She turned to stone. Snakes. Jake had mentioned snakes. Surely no self-respecting snake would be out on a night like this. They’d be curled up nice and cozy in their dens. They wouldn’t come out until it stopped raining. Her
heart almost stopped when she realized the rain had stopped. Forcing herself to breathe slowly, she told her wavering courage the high leather boots would protect her.

  “If you’re waiting for a rainbow, they’re kind of hard to see in the dark.”

  She practically leaped out of her boots. Worried about snakes, she hadn’t heard Jake return. She’d be darned if she’d admit either her fear or her predicament. “I love being outside after a rain. The air always smells so clean. Washed by Mother Nature,” she said airily. Not for a million dollars would she ask him again to rescue her. “There’s almost something spiritual about it.”

  “You want me to leave you alone to commune with nature?”

  “No,” she said quickly. Quelling her moment of panic, she added, “I’m through.”

  “Then let’s go back to the house.”

  Gwen let him take about three steps before she folded. “Dam you. Get over here and free me.”

  “I thought you ordered me to go away and leave you alone.”

  “Since when have you started paying the least bit of attention to anything I tell you?”

  Jake chuckled. Stepping easily over the bottom strands of wire, he walked around to face Gwen. “This is the damnedest job I’ve ever had.”

  “Nobody ever bothered the horses where you worked before?”

  “I’ve dealt with plenty of horse thieves and cattle rustlers.” He made no move to help her. “I’ve never dealt with a woman as cussed stubborn as you.” He added in amusement, “Or as wet and dirty.”

  The last remark wasn’t worthy of comment. “Why is it when women have opinions and aren’t total wimps, men think they’re stubborn or bossy or demanding?”

  “Why is it women always think all men are the same? I certainly don’t think you’re like any woman I’ve ever met.”

  “Why do I doubt that’s a compliment?” When he merely laughed instead of insisting it was, she asked tartly, “Are you going to free me or stand there and admire the scenery?”

  “If you’re giving me a choice, I’ll admire the scenery.”

  “I wasn’t,” she snapped. “Besides it’s too dark to see anything.”

  “I wouldn’t say that. I have a good view of you.”

  “Fine, and when you’re through laughing at my muddy face, do you suppose you could set me free?”

  “I wasn’t looking at your face.” He paused. “Interesting outfit you wear when you’re gallivanting around the countryside.”

  The evening’s commotion had driven out of Gwen’s head any thought of what she wore. The man’s large white T-shirt barely reached the middle of her thighs. “I was in bed. I suppose you sleep fully dressed.”

  “Actually, since you asked, I wear less than you do.”

  She was glad darkness hid the blush heating her skin. “I wasn’t asking.” Hopefully, the darkness also hid the way the wet knit fabric clung to her skin.

  Jake laughed and moved to her side, his hands busy with the coils of wire. “I don’t know how you managed to entangle yourself this way.”

  High above, the clouds parted, and the half-moon bathed the landscape with soft light. And gleamed on the bare shoulder inches from Gwen. Unable to stop herself from looking down, she breathed a silent sigh of relief when she saw Jake wore jeans and boots. He’d neglected to fasten the top button of his jeans. What held them up? She couldn’t drag her fascinated gaze away. Jake turned and bent over, swearing at the wire. His jeans were in no danger of falling down. The rain had plastered the wet denim to his tight bottom.

  Jake maneuvered his hands under Gwen’s sweater, moving up her back to carefully work her T-shirt off the barbs. His hands warmed her through the cold, wet shirt. She wondered how work-roughened fingers would feel against bare skin.

  “You okay?”

  “What? Yes, why?”

  “You started breathing harder. You’re just about free. Don’t panic now.”

  “I’m not panicking.” Her voice sounded funny.

  Jake evidently thought so, too. “You sound hoarse. Damn. I should have made you go back to the house the minute I got out here.”

  “You couldn’t make me.”

  “I could have made you.” He pulled on the wire. “There. Your shirt’s loose. Leave the sweater. I’ll get it tomorrow.” He guided her arms out of the sleeves. “Climb over the fence.” Standing on the bottom wires until they almost touched the ground, he practically lifted her over. Vegas ambled over at Jake’s whistle.

  “Where’s Mack?” Gwen asked.

  “He went back to the house. He’s no dummy.”

  “Meaning I am?”

  Jake tossed her on Vegas’s back and vaulted easily on behind her. “How long would I have a job if I called my boss a dummy?” Pulling her back against his heated body, he turned the horse toward the house.

  “Since when has that been a consideration to you? You don’t go away when I do fire you.” Cold and tired now the excitement had ended, she’d like nothing better than to curl into him until he’d warmed every inch of her to the same degree his body warmed her back. “Have you always been so darned determined to do things your way?”

  “I’ve been accused of it in the past.” He tightened the arm encircling her under her breasts. “I wonder what would have happened if we’d both have lived a hundred years ago.”

  “There would have been two Jake Stoners running around the country. You and your outlaw ancestor.” Gwen bounced with every step Vegas took. Each bounce created friction between her and Jakes’s bodies. She tried to concentrate on his words. Conversation would distract her from the strange sensations muddling through her body. “You probably would have fought over Marian Whosit, Ms. Noble Blossom.” Gwen disliked the woman more with each passing reference. “There’d have been two of you robbing stagecoaches to forget a broken heart.”

  “Jakob Stoner never robbed a stagecoach.” Jake shifted, his jean-clad legs brushing her bare skin.

  Gwen’s fingers curled in Vegas’s mane. “How do you know?”

  “The newspaper would have mentioned it. What makes you think I’d be like him?”

  She started to say their similar physical appearance, but instead blurted out, “Your arrogance.”

  Jake rested a hand on her hipbone. “Would you care to explain that?”

  She’d explain. If she could think about something besides wanting to rub against him. She focused on his question. “You’re always telling me what to do. You think you know best. A person only has to look at his picture to know he was the same.” She considered that, then said slowly, “Which means, whatever he did, he must have believed he had good reason. That it was the best thing to do at the time.”

  “What happened to him being driven by a broken heart?”

  Gwen turned to look up at Jake. “I don’t think you’d let a woman get close enough to you to break your heart.”

  “I thought we were talking about the other Jakob Stoner.”

  The dark hid his expression from her. “I’m not sure there’s much difference. I’ve never thought much about reincarnation, but maybe he wasn’t finished down here, so he came back as his great-great-great-whatever nephew.”

  “And who are you supposed to be? The fair Marian?” he asked, his voice heavy with sarcasm.

  Gwen shook her head. “I wouldn’t have let you—him—go.” She felt his unseen eyes boring into her.

  Jake halted Vegas. Shifting Gwen so her head rested against his shoulder, he ran a finger along her cheek. “You think a half-dressed, muddy-faced woman could stop me?”

  Her breath caught. “If I were her, I would have tried to stop Jakob.”

  He slid his fingers down to wrap around her chin. “What makes you think Marian didn’t try?”

  “She didn’t love you. I mean, him.”

  “You don’t know that.” He tipped her chin up.

  “Yes, I do.” She swallowed hard as he trailed fingers down her throat. “She would have been bereft, inconsolable, locked in h
er room. Not dressed in fancy clothes, giving interviews.”

  “The article said she cried.” He threaded fingers into Gwen’s damp hair and traced the whorls of her outer ear.

  “Crocodile tears. To show off her blue eyes.” Her lips parted as he lowered his head.

  “Jakob Stoner was an idiot,” he muttered. “He should have found himself a woman with green eyes. A woman with kiss-me lips.”

  The words puffed warmly against her face and then his mouth covered hers. Gwen forgot about wet shirts, damp boots, a filthy face and scraggly hair. Nothing existed for her except the heat of Jake’s mouth. Expecting the type of gentle kiss he’d given her before, she was stunned, then aroused, by the unexpected fierce hunger of this kiss. He kissed her as if the kiss had to last him for an eternity.

  Vegas stamped an impatient foot, and Gwen clutched at Jake’s thighs for balance. Not that she needed it. His arms held her securely.

  His large hands moved to spread over her breasts, warming them until they swelled to fit his palms, her nipples greedily demanding more of him. He curled his thumbs around the hard tips. “When I came here, I wasn’t expecting you.”

  “You’re kind of a surprise to me, too, cowboy.” She shivered as his thumbs brushed her nipples in a caressing gesture. Vegas stamped his foot harder. “I’m cold. I’d better go in.” Gwen didn’t want to leave his arms.

  “Yes.” Jake slowly removed his hands from her breasts. “It’s been a long day.”

  Vegas needed little urging to cover the remaining distance. Gwen clutched at Vegas’s mane as they bounced along. Exquisite awareness of Jake filled every fiber of her being. The unexpectedness of his kiss filled her with uncertainty. How did he feel about her? What thoughts were going through his mind?

  He silently guided the horse through the barn corral to the darkened ranch house. Easily dismounting, Jake reached up to help Gwen down. “It has been a long day,” he repeated his earlier remark, “but a good day.”

  “Yes.” His hands warmed her waist. “Thank you for insisting I take Crissie to the fair. She had a wonderful time.”

  “So did I. Can I ask you one thing?”