by Judy Duarte
Maybe. But neither Tammy nor her mom had ever stepped foot on the Flying B. Why the feather bed? Why this particular cabin?
As her sleep-dazed mind scrambled to make sense of the unexplainable, she continued to walk through Savannah’s cabin....
Wait, Tammy thought, as she pulled up again.
Had the dream been about Savannah’s child? A little girl who resembled Tammy?
Goodness. Had Tammy’s dad been the one to father Savannah’s baby? Had Savannah been pregnant with her father’s baby when she left the ranch—and not Sam’s?
It was certainly possible—if the legend of the feather bed was true. And if so, did Tammy have a half sister named Bella Rose?
Why else would the child resemble Tammy?
As she pondered the questions her dream had triggered, she remembered something Tex had told her.
You look a lot like your grandma did. Her hair was dark like yours. And her eyes were nearly the same shade of blue.
And, Tex had added, her name had been Ella Rose Byrd.
Ella?
Bella?
Oh, for Pete’s sake. Interpreting that dream, as fragile as it had been, was fruitless. It could have meant anything—or maybe even nothing at all.
Actually, when push came to shove, Tammy would be far better off focusing on what she was going to do about Mike. Because in spite of wanting to avoid him, she wouldn’t be able to do that forever, especially if she was going to move to the Flying B and become a permanent resident of Buckshot Hills.
Maybe it was time to pull up her big-girl panties and face the music. She couldn’t go on hiding forever, even if it seemed like the most natural thing in the world to do.
After all, Tex Byrd and his sons had hidden their true feelings from themselves and each other for longer than Tammy had been alive. Heck, Tex hadn’t even gone after his sons and attempted a reconciliation until he’d learned he was going to die.
And Tammy was no different.
All her life, she’d hidden her feminine side behind flannel and denim. And she’d never told anyone how much she loved fiddling around in the kitchen for fear she’d be banished from riding and roping forever.
More recently, she’d run away from Mike, hiding her feelings, refusing to hear him out.
We need to talk, Mike had told her on two separate occasions.
And he’d been right.
The hiding had to stop before it became a way of life for her, too. That meant she had to lay it all on the line. She had to tell Mike that she’d set her sights on him on day one, that she’d gone out of her way to win his heart and that, along the way, she’d fallen in love with him.
Then she’d have to see how the truth played out.
If he told her he and Katrina had decided to patch things up, it was going to hurt like the dickens. She’d probably even break down and cry.
But Tammy couldn’t allow herself to fall into the same type of crippling pattern as the other Byrds had relied on to deal with their pain, their anger.
That meant she would have to find Mike and have that little talk he’d wanted to have.
Before Tammy could take a second step across the living room floor, someone rapped at the cabin door.
When she answered and spotted Mike on the porch, her breath caught and her heart nearly fluttered out of her chest.
“I’ve been looking for you,” he said.
She really wasn’t surprised. He’d been pretty insistent about that talk they needed to have. And she was in a much better mood to have it now than she’d been before.
“Come on in.”
It was time to face the music.
And the man who held her heart and her dreams in his hands.
* * *
Mike hadn’t been sure what to expect from Tammy when he finally found her, but he hoped that her inviting him inside the cabin was a good sign.
“Do you want something to eat or drink?” she asked.
He hadn’t eaten since dinner last night, and she was a great cook, so he was tempted to say yes. Instead, he said, “Maybe we’d better get a few things out of the way first.”
“All right.” She pointed to the small sofa. “Why don’t you have a seat?”
When he complied, she took the chair.
He started by saying, “I want you to know how sorry I am about what happened last night. I had no idea that Katrina would show up unannounced.”
“I’m sorry, too, Mike. I took off like a spoiled child, and I should have waited for you. Then after Tex died, I should have stuck around again, but I... Well, I guess I just bolted.”
“Emotions were high for a lot of reasons.”
She glanced at the clasped hands in her lap and bit down on her bottom lip, as if struggling with something. Then she looked up, seeking his gaze. “Can I go first?”
He wasn’t sure what she was getting at.
“I need to say something before you apologize or explain. It’s important for me to... Well, it’s just important, that’s all.”
Was she planning to end things before he had a chance to say his piece?
“I love you, Mike. In fact, I never understood the concept of falling in love at first sight until I met you.”
The weight of her words, the emotional impact, the sincerity in those pretty blue eyes and the magnitude of what she was offering him damn near knocked the words right out of him.
Of all the things she could have confessed, loving him had come out of the blue. Was he ready to make a bold confession like that?
Every analytical fiber of his being, every rational thought, insisted that it was too much, too fast, too soon. That his feelings, instincts and desires couldn’t be trusted until tested by time. Yet there was something else going on inside of him, something too strong to discredit.
Before he could respond, she continued to lay her heart on the line. “I worried that I was too country for you, too backward. After all, I was raised on a working cattle ranch by my tough-as-nails father, and I grew up emulating my big brothers. I never had many female friends or relatives—and I really didn’t want any. But when I saw you, something changed inside me. Suddenly, yearnings and longings and dreams I’d never admitted to having rose up, and I was determined to become the woman you deserved. And while I didn’t have a clue as to how to go about that, I knew I had to give it my best shot. So I asked Jenna to help me, and...” She waved her hand in front of her. “Well, this is what you get. I’m not citified, like the women you’re used to. And I’m not nearly as pretty—”
He stopped her right there. “Slow down, honey. I need to set you straight about that. Without a doubt, you’re the most amazing, appealing and attractive woman I’ve ever met. And not only that, you’re as unpredictable as they come, which means that my life will never be boring as long as you’re in it.”
As the words rolled out of him—heartfelt and true—reality struck hard. He loved her, too.
The scientifically trained side of him went on sabbatical, and he knew any questions he might have had, any reservations, were gone.
“More importantly,” he added, “you have a pure heart, Tammy. What more could a man ask for in a woman?”
Her eyes welled with tears. She swiped at them with both hands and grimaced. “I knew this was going to happen.”
“You know what would happen?”
“That spilling out my heart was going to make me get all blubbery.” She sniffled, then heaved a sigh.
Mike stifled a full-on grin. “You say that like it’s a bad thing.”
“It isn’t?” She looked at him, her cheeks damp and flushed, her eyes watery.
“Absolutely not. Who doesn’t like seeing someone express honest emotion?”
Again, she sniffled. “Does that mean t
hat you might, maybe, care about me a little?”
Mike slowly shook his head. Tammy was one of a kind, a woman to treasure. And she didn’t realize it.
When he glanced back at her and saw the doubt dancing with hope in her eyes, he realized it was time to level with her, too.
“Care about you a little?” He chuckled. “I can’t say that it was love at first sight on my part, although I have to admit, when you met me at the door wearing that sexy black dress, I had a real wow moment. But for a guy who’d always believed that love grew slowly over time, it happened pretty darn fast for me. In fact, it’s still growing strong. I’m in over my head, honey. And it scares the hell out of me because I never planned on staying in Buckshot Hills. I’d only agreed to cover for Doc Reynolds until he finished his medical treatment.”
“And now?” she asked.
“I gave him a call this morning and told him I’d stay as long as necessary—and to tell him I’d like to work with him as an associate, if he was willing.”
“No kidding? What did he say?”
“He was actually pleased to hear it. His treatment is going well, but his full recovery is still in question. He wants to take some time to himself, do a little fishing and maybe even see the world. And if the folks in Buckshot Hills have a doctor to look out for them, he’d be happy to turn over his practice to me.”
“That’s wonderful.” Her smile slowly faded, and silence filled the room. Finally, she asked, “What about Katrina?”
“That’s what I’d meant to tell you at the beginning of our conversation. When she showed up in town last night, the motel was full and she had no other place to go and I reluctantly let her stay at my place. As soon as I got back from the Flying B, I put on a pot of coffee. Then I woke her up to have the heart-to-heart chat we should have had months ago. Our engagement is over—and it has been ever since I arrived in Texas. She realizes that, too, and knows it’s for the best. And...” Mike glanced at his wristwatch. “As we speak, she’s on a flight bound for Philadelphia.”
A grin stretched across Tammy’s lips, dimpling her cheeks. “While I’m being honest with my feelings, I suppose I ought to tell you that I’m really glad she’s gone.”
Mike returned her smile. “I’m sure you are. I’m glad she went home, too. I’m also glad we were able to talk about our breakup. And not just to put the past behind me. It helped me sort through the future, too.”
“In what way?”
“I found myself defending the small-town life and the people of Buckshot Hills. And I began to realize just how much I’ve grown to care for my patients.” And just how much he’d come to care for Tammy. “After Katrina left, I showered, then tried to get some sleep.”
“I hope you got some rest. You never know when someone will get sick or hurt and need you.”
“I laid down on the sofa around nine and crashed. But the weirdest thing happened. I had a dream that really got me to thinking about you and me and the future.”
“A dream?” Tammy was on the edge of her seat, bright-eyed and intense. “Tell me about it.”
He nearly told her it wasn’t important, but she certainly seemed interested. So he said, “I don’t put much stock in those kinds of things, but I dreamed that you and I were happily married, with three kids and living in Buckshot Hills.”
“Three kids?” Her eyes lit up, as if the thought pleased her immensely.
But why wouldn’t it? The whole idea pleased him, too.
“Yep. In my dream, we had two boys and a dark-haired little girl who was the spitting image of you. She was about two years old and as cute as a bug. We named her Bella Rose—after my mom.”
Tammy’s smile faded. “Your mother’s name is Bella Rose?”
“No, it’s actually Isabella.”
Tammy got up from the chair, joined Mike on the sofa and took his hand in hers. “You’re not going to believe this, but I had a dream about that same little girl while sleeping in the feather bed. And legend has it that those dreams are supposed to come true.”
“But I wasn’t even at the cabin. I was home, sleeping on my sofa.”
“Yes, but I slept in the feather bed. And we had connecting dreams. Either way, I know that you and I are meant to be. And that one day, we’re going to have a little girl named Bella.”
“I hope we do.”
She laughed. “But do me a favor. Don’t give me chocolates for Valentine’s Day while she’s a toddler. She’s going to run off with them and make a terrible mess.”
Mike squeezed her hand. “I don’t believe in magical beds, but you’re my dream come true.” Then he stood, drew her to her feet and took her in his arms. The love he’d just admitted to having filled his heart to the brim. “I don’t know about you, but as far as I’m concerned, we have some unfinished business.”
“We certainly do.” Her eyes sparked, and she wrapped her arms around his neck and drew his lips to hers.
The kiss began slowly, as if they had the rest of their lives before them. And they truly did.
As their tongues met and mated, their hands stroked, caressed, explored until Mike thought he might explode with desire. He finally removed his lips from hers and whispered against her hair, “What do you say? Think it’s time that we finally made that move to the bedroom?”
“I do.” Tammy took him by the hand and led him to the feather bed she claimed was magical.
And maybe it was. Because whatever Mike was feeling for Tammy, whether she was in his arms or only on his mind, went far beyond the ordinary.
After Tammy pulled back the coverlet, she turned to Mike and began to remove her clothes. He watched as she unbuttoned her jeans and slid the zipper down, as she peeled the denim over her hips and slipped out of them. Next, she removed her blouse and stood before him in a pair of lacy pink panties and a matching bra.
Had another woman ever been so beautiful, so arousing?
“I love you, Tammy.”
“I love you, too. In fact, so much it scares me.”
“Don’t be afraid.” He kissed her again, long and thorough. Then he removed his own clothing. As he did, he remembered her implying that she’d been a novice about dating and paused for a beat. “Have you done this before?”
She slowly shook her head.
He was her first? The realization that she was offering him her virginity touched him to the core, and he vowed to cherish that amazing gift for the rest of his life.
“I’ll probably fumble through this,” she said, “but I’m a quick learner.”
Mike laughed and took her in his arms, his hands stroking the slope of her bare back, the curve of her hips. “Honey, you’re going to do all the teaching tonight. Just tell me what feels good, what feels right. And I’ll take it from there.”
“You mean I get to call the shots?”
“Tonight?” He smiled. “Every single one.”
She skimmed her fingernails across his chest, sending a shiver through his veins and a rush of heat through his blood.
“Damn,” he said. “You are a fast learner.”
Still, he’d take things slow and easy. They had the rest of the night to make love, and he planned to use every minute of it.
They kissed again, long and deep. When they came up for air, he removed his shirt. All the while she watched him, her eyes bright with love and longing.
As he reached for his belt buckle, she removed her bra, revealing her beautiful breasts and awakening every nerve ending, every cell in his body.
Finally, when they were both lying naked on the bed and aching with need, he entered her. She flinched and tensed momentarily, but as her body responded to his, the world stood still, and nothing else seemed to matter.
As Mike reached a peak, Tammy let go. Together they shared an earth-shaking, star-spinning climax
.
Talk about magic.
But in spite of what Tammy might think, the feather bed didn’t have anything to do with it.
Love did.
* * *
On Saturday afternoon, the air was heavy—and awkward—as Tammy and the other heirs sat in the living room at the Flying B, listening as Darren Culpepper, Tex’s silver-haired attorney, repeated everything Tex had already told them himself.
Just as Tex had explained, he’d also bequeathed money to a ranch hand. Tammy had assumed he’d meant Hugh, but that wasn’t the case. The hand who’d been like a son to him was Caleb Granger.
The only real surprise was the amount Tex had given Caleb: one hundred thousand dollars.
“I have a question,” Aidan said. “Just who is Caleb Granger?”
“A young man who came looking for work and found a home with Tex,” Darren said.
“And where is he?” Nathan asked. “Shouldn’t he be here at the reading of the will?”
“Caleb had to take a leave of absence because of family business,” Tammy said, remembering what he’d told her right before he left.
Nathan chuckled. “Why didn’t I just ask you, Tam. You have the inside track on everything.” He turned to Jenna and Donna and winked. “In our family, if we want to know anything, it’s standard procedure to ask our little sister first. She either has the answer or knows someone else who does.”
“Very funny.” Tammy crossed her arms and feigned annoyance, although she hadn’t let her brother’s good-natured teasing bother her. The truth of the matter was, she did have a curious streak. And she had ways of finding out the information she wanted.
At that point, Darren placed his paperwork into his briefcase and stood. “If you have any questions, please give me a call. Tex wasn’t just a client, he was a friend.”
Sam stood. “I’ll walk you out. I’m taking off, too.” Then, after a quick goodbye to his daughters, he followed the attorney outside.
“Well,” Aidan said, as he, too, got to his feet, “now that the formalities are over, Nathan and I have to go. There’s a big job coming up in Ferris Valley, and if we don’t get our bid together and in on time, we’ll lose out on the opportunity of our lives.”