Loren preferred how he made her feel like a woman when he held her in his arms at night.
“Just have a seat and Dr. Kim will be with you in a moment,” the office assistant said, when Sam had finished adding her name to the list of patients to be seen.
Once again, Sam led her to a seat. “Would you stop doing that?” Loren hissed, under her breath.
“Stop doing what?” Sam questioned. He was acting like he really had no clue about what she was talking about.
Loren rolled her eyes at him. “Stop treating me like I am a child that needs to be taken care of. Believe it or not, I can do some things for myself.”
“You are not making any sense, Loren. What are you talking about?” he asked.
“I am talking about you doing everything for me. Making my doctor’s appointment, rushing me out of the house, driving me to the doctor’s office, signing me in, and if all of that isn’t enough, you just led me to my chair.”
Sam was a bit taken back by her sudden eruption. “I’m sorry. I didn’t realize that I was offending you by trying to take care of you. I don’t remember you complaining last night,” he said quietly.
Okay, so maybe she had over reacted a little. The expression on his face made her feel bad. She had hurt his feelings.
Before she could apologize, the office assistant called her name. “Miss Loren Randolph, the doctor will see you now.”
Sam started to get up, but sat back down when he saw the look on Loren’s face. There was no way that she was going to allow him to go back with her to see the doctor. This love stuff was making him do crazy things. What else would possess him to act in such a mushy kind of manner?
Loren followed the assistant through some doubled doors, down a narrow hall-way to an exam room. “Dr. Kim will be in shortly,” she said, closing the door behind her as she left the room, leaving her all alone.
The room was quiet and she finally had a moment alone to collect her thoughts. Her emotions were running high, with all the recent happenings of the past couple of days.
A few minutes had passed before a light rap on the door interrupted her thoughts. Dr. Kim followed the knock by entering into the room without waiting for a response. One quick look at the rash that covered most of Loren’s body confirmed Sam’s diagnosis of poison ivy.
One shot later and a prescription in her hand, Loren reappeared in the waiting area. She stopped at the checkout counter, just to be informed that Sam had already paid her bill. She glanced his way and rolled her eyes at him again.
He hated it when she did that. It made him feel as if she were scolding him. “All ready to go?” he asked, before she could comment.
“Yes, looks like we are all done here,” she said through clenched teeth.
Once they were outside, she turned on him. “I told you to stop treating me like a child. I can pay my own bills, Sam!”
“I’m sorry, again.” Sam shrugged his shoulders and resumed walking to the parked truck. There was no arguing with this crazed woman.
Loren’s blood was just about to boil over. How dare he just walk away when she was talking to him? Flash backs of their first encounter sifted through her brain.
She stood and watched in disbelief as Sam walk to the truck and climb in behind the wheel. She guessed that was his way of letting her know that his paying her bill was not up for discussion.
Loren stomped over to the truck and got in, slamming the door shut. Sam seemed to be oblivious to her anger. He began to whistle, which only aggravated her nerves more.
He drove her straight to the drug store to get her prescription filled. Once that was done, he drove them to a pizza diner for some lunch. He just failed to tell her that they were meeting Hal & Missy for lunch.
Loren felt the heat begin to rise up her neck. How could he do this to her, she looked awful. No make-up, hair all messy and itchy red splotches all over her skin.
Thankfully, lunch went quick and their friends didn’t even seem to notice her appearance. However a few jokes had been made about Sam giving her the poison ivy.
Loren’s mood was much lighter when they headed back home. She was actually feeling much like a spoiled brat for the way that she had been acting all morning.
She glanced Sam’s way. He kept his eyes on the road ahead. Loren felt the need to apologize for her behavior. “Sam, I’m sorry for the way that I have behaved all day.”
His response came as a surprise to her. “It’s okay; you are just tired and cranky. I understand that you are not feeling well.”
She had expected him to lecture her, which is what she really deserved. The fact that he wasn’t made her feel even worse about her behavior.
“Even so, I should not have behaved in such a childish way,” she reasoned.
“Well, you were a bit bratty, but I forgive you,” he said. A big smile spread across his handsome face.
“Glad to have that settled,” she replied, letting out a sigh.
Sam pulled into the driveway and parked in his usual place at the barn entrance. The day was already over half gone, so Loren left the barn chores to Sam at his request and returned to the house.
She let herself in the back door and went upstairs to take a short nap. There she snuggled with Teddy, and it wasn’t long before she drifted off to sleep.
Chapter 19
The next few weeks went by without much of a hitch. Loren and Sam had gotten back into their normal routine of morning rides and tending to the ranch.
Loren felt as if she were living in a fantasy world. Not only did she share her days with Sam, but her nights as well.
Today was Thanksgiving Day and Loren was most thankful for the love that she shared with Sam. She had already called her parents to let them know that she had decided to spend Thanksgiving with Sam and her new friends.
Her Mom sounded a little disappointed, but said that she understood. This would be Loren’s first Holiday without her parents. She promised them that she would see them for Christmas.
Hal and Missy were hosting Thanksgiving dinner at their house. Loren and Sam were only responsible for bringing the dessert.
Most of her morning had been spent in the kitchen making a Peach Cobbler and a Swiss Chocolate cake.
The back door creaked open and Sam stuck his head in cautiously. “Is it safe to come in?” he asked.
Loren looked up from icing the cake. “Of course it is safe to come in,” she said, rewarding him with a pretty smile.
He walked over and stuck his finger in the icing to give it a taste. “This is very good.”
“Well, surely you didn’t expect anything less.”
Sam responded with a soft chuckle. “What can I do to help?” he asked.
She swiped the last bit of icing on the cake and covered it with the lid. “You can pack these in that box over there to transport to Missy’s,” she answered.
“It will cost you a kiss,” Sam teased.
Loren wrapped her arms around his neck in a playful manner. “It’s a deal,” she said, planting a kiss on his warm lips.
Sam responded by pulling her closer to him and deepened the kiss. His hands had started an adventure of their own, traveling down every valley and around every curve of her soft body.
Before she could protest, he had cleared a spot on the kitchen table and gently laid her back. He stood between her legs and pushed up her skirt, revealing lacy pink panties.
This woman had no idea how crazy she made him. Sam pulled down her panties, pulling her closer to the edge of the table. Their lovemaking was quick, but satisfying.
An hour later they were pulling into the Brown’s drive. Loren was gazing out the window when she caught a glimpse of Clouds of Smoke and Two Socks sparring. They were both growing into fine young horses.
She was pondering the idea of offering to buy Clouds of Smoke, but was wondering if she should discuss it with Sam first.
Her thoughts were interrupted by Sam’s familiar voice. “You go on in and I will bring the co
bbler and cake.”
Loren hopped out of the truck and headed up the steps. She couldn’t wait to see Missy. She had missed her new friend and was anxious to see how the pregnancy was coming along.
Once inside the house, she gave a brief hello to Hal and proceeded to the kitchen to see if Missy needed any extra hands.
If felt like the breath had just been knocked out of her as she entered the kitchen. To her surprise, she and Sam were not the only ones that the Brown’s had invited over for Thanksgiving Dinner.
“Come on in Loren. I would like for you to meet my friend Stephanie,” Missy said, before she could turn tail and run in the opposite direction.
Before Loren could bounce back from the sudden shock, Stephanie walked over to greet her. “Hi, I am Stephanie Woodrow, and you must be Loren. Missy has told me so much about you and well, the whole town has been buzzing about the new girl over at MG Ranch,” she said, extending her hand to Loren.
Loren took her hand in a brief hand shake, but was eager to let it go. She hoped that Stephanie didn’t notice her eagerness to avoid prolonged contact with her.
A fake smile was pasted on Loren’s face as she exchanged introductions with Stephanie. “It does seem that news travels fast around this town.” She couldn’t think of anything else to say. For once she was speechless. It was too bad that Sam wasn’t around to witness it. He teased her merciless about how much she talked.
“Yes it does,” Stephanie replied.
As if Missy finally noticed the awkwardness that Loren was experiencing, she walked around the bar with a stack of plates. “It would help me greatly if you could finish setting the table,” she said, handing the stack of plates over to Loren.
A small amount of relief washed over Loren, as she took the plates from Missy’s hands. The good Lord only knew how she was going to force herself to get through this night. At least for a moment she would not be in the same room as Sam’s old flame.
Loren walked to the next room and tried to focus on positioning the plates on the table at each place setting. Most everything else had already been brought in and placed on the table, including the food.
Her heart was beating wildly inside the cavity of her chest, as she wondered if Sam had known that Stephanie would be present or if he would be just as shocked as she was.
Just as Loren placed the last plate on the table, everyone flooded into the dining room at the same time. If Sam was surprised to see Stephanie, his facial expression did not reveal it.
Stephanie took a seat next to Sam, which left Loren to sit across from him, next to Missy. She really wasn’t crazy about Stephanie sitting so close to Sam, but she guessed that she would just have to deal with it. It would only be for a few short hours and then he would be all hers again, she reminded herself.
Hal said grace and then the room was filled with the noise of chatter as everyone began to enjoy the feast that Missy had prepared for them.
Loren seemed to be the only one that noticed Stephanie cozying up too close to Sam every chance that she got. She wore a low cut party dress that gave him a tasty view of her cleavage every time that she leaned in close to him.
Even though Sam didn’t really appear to be interested, he did look. She had to fight the urge to kick him under the table. Doing so would only cause a scene, and draw unwanted attention to her.
Loren chatted with Missy about the upcoming arrival of their baby. They were hoping for a boy and had already decided that his name would be Halston West Brown.
Missy had also educated Loren on her friendship with Stephanie. She had told her that they had been friends through most of their school years. She touched lightly on their trip to Paris, but failed to mention anything about Sam being heart broken.
Then she went on to tell her about Stephanie and Sam being high school sweethearts. Missy gave her the impression that she thought that they would pick up where they left off and rekindle their relationship.
Loren was starting to feel nauseated to her stomach as she sat quietly and just listened. What if Missy was right? What would that mean for her?
“Honey, you are looking a bit pale. Are you okay?” Missy asked, briefly touching Loren’s arm.
“Yes, I am fine. I think maybe I just need to step outside for a moment and get some fresh air,” Loren answered.
Sam appeared to be tuned into whatever Stephanie was saying to him. Loren doubted that he had even noticed when she excused herself from the table.
She went through the kitchen and let herself out the back door in search of that fresh air. Stepping out onto the deck, she took in a big gulp of the cool night air.
Tears threatened to flood her eyes, but she held them back tight, promising herself that she would not cry. She closed her eyes to the dark night and willed her mind and heart to be strong. A few more hours and she would be back in the safety of her home and hopefully in the arms of the man that she loved.
The door creaked open behind her. Loren thought it was Sam and turned to speak. The words died on her lips as she saw Stephanie close the door behind her, as she stepped out onto the deck.
This night just kept getting worse. “Excuse me, I was just about to go back in,” Loren said, as she made an attempt to step around Stephanie.
Stephanie purposely blocked her path to the door. “I don’t know who you think you are fooling, but I want you to know that you are not fooling me,” she said.
Loren was a bit surprised at her words. It took her a moment to recover from her disbelief. “I am not sure that I understand what you are talking about,” Loren replied, keeping a straight face. However, the blood running through her veins was about to reach the boiling point.
“Don’t play dumb with me. We both know that you are out to trap Sam into some kind of relationship with you, but I am here to tell you, that it is not going to happen. I will not let you do this to him.”
Loren made an attempt again to deny what Stephanie was referring to. “I am sorry, but I really don’t know what you are talking about.”
“Don’t be coy with me. You know exactly what I am talking about. We both know that you have been screwing Sam, hoping to trap him into some kind of ridiculous relationship with you,” Stephanie spat back at her.
This night was turning out to be a total nightmare! “My relationship with Sam is none of your business.” Loren felt like scratching this woman’s eyes out of her head!
“That is where you are wrong. Anything to do with Sam is my business because I love him and I will not give him up without a fight.” Stephanie’s words bounced off Loren’s retreating back, but they did not go unheard.
Loren turned back around to face her rival. “Maybe you should have realized that seventeen years ago when you left Sam high and dry.” Before Stephanie could answer, Loren stepped back through the door and into the safety of the kitchen.
But Stephanie was fast on her heels. She caught up with Loren just inside the door and grabbed her arm to whirl her around to face her again. “And exactly, what is that supposed to mean?” she asked.
“You are the one who broke his heart, and you are just jealous that I am the one putting the pieces back together.” Loren replied.
“You, my dear are nothing to be jealous of. When Sam is done playing with you, he will come back to me. I promise you that,” Stephanie sneered.
Stephanie still had her hand on Loren’s arm. “Keep telling yourself that if you must, but don’t ever touch me again.” Loren pushed Stephanie’s hand off her arm.
Sam walked into the kitchen and instantly felt the tension between the two women. “Is everything okay in here?” He looked from one woman to the other waiting for an answer.
Stephanie glared at Loren before turning her attention to Sam. “Everything is just fine. We were just getting to know one another. Isn’t that right Loren?”
Sam looked at Loren over his shoulder with a worried glance as Stephanie whisked him back into the dining room as if nothing had ever happened.
&nbs
p; Chapter 20
A few hours later they were all saying their goodbyes. Loren did her best to avoid Stephanie. She wanted to do nothing less than smack the smirk off that evil woman’s face.
However, the woman was relentless. She walked right up to her like she would have a best friend. “Loren it was so nice to meet you. I am looking forward to spending more time with you,” she said, leaning in towards her. Her voice was dripping with sarcasm.
Loren took a step back when she realized that she meant to hug her. Stephanie’s step was quickly reclaimed, along with a look of satisfaction when she saw the confused look on Loren’s face.
Loren was convinced that this woman was really insane. She couldn’t even stand to be in the same room with Stephanie, let alone spend time with her. Of course Loren knew it was all show for Sam’s benefit. Surely he could see right through her false pretenses. Love was blind, but not that blind.
“Oh, didn’t Sam tell you? He is going to be giving me riding lessons starting next week. Isn’t that great?” Stephanie said.
“I will be giving lessons to Stephanie and her son Jordan,” Sam corrected. He could feel the tension starting to build in the room again, so he ushered Loren out the door and into the truck before anything else could be said.
Once inside the truck, Loren turned on him. “When were you going to tell me about the riding lessons and why didn’t you tell me that your old flame was going to be here tonight?”
Loren was obviously upset. Sam guessed it had something to do with her earlier conversation with Stephanie, or maybe she was jealous.
“Wait a minute now, first I had no idea she was going to be here tonight. I was just as surprised as you were. Second, the decision to give riding lessons to her and her son was mine to make. I didn’t even know she had a son until tonight.”
“Well, don’t you think you should have asked me first, considering that MG belongs to me? That is where you will be giving the lessons, isn’t it?” Loren asked.
Sam looked shocked. He couldn’t believe what he was hearing. “I didn’t realize that I needed to ask your permission,” he said with disappointment.
SECOND CHANCES AT MG RANCH Page 11