White Pines Summer

by Sherryl Woods

  “Not really. I just thought it was time to pay a friendly visit.”

  “Since you claimed not to be interested in coleslaw and barbecue,” she said, reminding him of his taunt, “shall I assume you’ve come to scope out the territory for the invasion you have planned?”

  He grinned at that. Jenny’s traitorous heart turned an unexpected flip. For a good many years now she’d thought herself immune to a man’s charms. Maybe she just hadn’t met one who was half this gorgeous when he smiled. She didn’t need to remind herself that this particular man was also as dangerous as a dozen rattlers. His motives were as suspect as a reformed burglar’s asking to see the silver.

  Harlan closed in just then. “You two mind if I take off with Lizzy and leave you to your own devices?”

  Jenny shot a panicky look at her sister. “What about the picnic? We were just getting the food out.”

  “You and Chance can have it,” Lizzy said as she dismounted from her father’s horse and climbed into the saddle on her own. “I’d rather take a ride with Daddy. I’ll eat when I get back to the house.”

  “That okay with you, Chance?” her father asked. “I promise I’m leaving you in good hands. Jenny knows every inch of this land. She can show you anything you want to see.”

  “Perfect,” Chance said, just as Jenny prepared to utter another desperate protest.

  “I really don’t think—” she tried again.

  Chance cut her off. “Cousin Jenny and I will spend the time getting to know each other,” he said, looping an arm over her shoulder in a display of friendliness that had Lizzy smirking and their father looking a little too pleased with himself.

  “I am not your cousin,” she reminded Chance fiercely under her breath.

  She promptly regretted the quick retort when she saw that it stirred a suspicious gleam in Harlan’s eyes. That all-too-familiar glint confirmed her worst fears. The sneaky old matchmaker really was scheming to light a spark between her and Chance. What the devil was wrong with him? That would be like inviting the wolf to make himself at home in the henhouse and then sitting back with a glass of bourbon to watch the feathers fly.

  Though he’d accepted the suggestion readily enough, Chance seemed to be wondering about his uncle’s motivation, too. He followed Harlan’s departure with a puzzled expression on his face. When he turned back to Jenny, though, the gleam in his eyes suggested he was far more fascinated with her than he was with Harlan’s behavior.

  Jenny recognized that gleam for exactly what it was. She might be living on a ranch in the middle of some half-baked deserted part of Texas, but she’d spent her first fourteen years on the streets of New York. She’d spent most of the past ten years lobbying in Washington, where the halls of Congress were every bit as mean as the streets of Manhattan. She wasn’t naive. She wasn’t anybody’s fool. And she wasn’t about to become some pawn in the war between Chance Adams and his uncle.

  “Forget it,” she said as firmly as if she were in the classroom and Chance were a mischievous student. She deliberately turned her back on him and busied herself with setting out the food Maritza had prepared. If it had been up to her, she would have packed it up again and headed straight for home, but she knew exactly how Chance would interpret that. He’d love to have more evidence that he disconcerted her.

  “Forget what?” he inquired in a lazy way that was about as innocent as pure sin. He took a step closer, casting a shadow over her.

  Jenny shivered. Her heart fluttered. Despite the unexpected chill that had come over her when he’d blocked out the sun, her skin heated. Her throat dried up like the desert in the middle of a drought.

  “Whatever,” she barely managed to choke out.

  “You mean this?” he asked quietly as he hunkered down beside her and tucked a finger under her chin to tilt it up. He lowered his head without warning. His lips skimmed lightly over hers, teasing, taunting, until her knees felt weak and her resolve turned to mush. It was a good thing that she was already kneeling. That way, it didn’t look quite so obvious when she sank spinelessly onto the blanket. Chance followed her down, his lips still firmly locked with hers.

  The kiss was greedy and all-consuming. Pretty soon, with her resolve long since in tatters, Jenny lost herself in it. With a sense of wonder she discovered that his mouth felt like cool satin and tasted like peppermint. His cheeks were rough with just a hint of stubble, and his thick sun-streaked hair slid through her fingers like strands of silk. She breathed deeply and drank in the masculine scent of him, all musky heat and soap with just a hint of coconut. She smiled when she recognized that the last was sunscreen lotion.

  “You smell like summer at the beach,” she murmured without thinking.

  A lazy smile broke over his face. “That must bring back good memories. You’re actually smiling at me for a change.”

  Startled and furious with herself for yielding to temptation, she backed away until the width of the blanket was between them.

  “It’s not going to work,” she declared staunchly when she finally managed to drag some air back into her lungs.

  “Sure it is, darlin’,” he declared with absolute confidence in his powers of persuasion.

  “A kiss doesn’t mean anything,” she insisted.

  “Maybe not one, but sometimes they start to add up.” He was still grinning. “That’s when things begin to get interesting.”

  The comment scared her to death. She could understand exactly how that could happen. She was already growing addicted to the feel of Chance’s mouth on hers. A giddy sort of anticipation rushed through her now every time she saw him. There wasn’t a doubt in her mind that it could whirl out of control in no time at all.

  That meant restraint was critical, she realized, her thoughts scrambling frantically in search of a plan. No more accidental encounters, though she had no idea how to go about preventing them. No more shared meals, especially not just the two of them. And absolutely positively no more kisses. That was essential.

  Of course, here she was, unexpectedly alone with him, an entire meal spread out on a blanket no less, and her mouth scant inches away from his and still warm from their last kiss. He looked as if he might be one breath away from stealing another.

  “You’re thinking too much. What’s going on in that head of yours now?” Chance asked, reaching out and brushing a strand of hair back from her cheek.

  The light caress sent a jolt of pure yearning slamming through her. “Nothing,” she murmured shakily.

  Chance sighed. “Darlin’, you are a terrible liar. Now tell me the truth. What’s got you worrying? Surely it’s not being out here all alone with me.”

  Jenny debated attempting another lie, but in the end she couldn’t see the point to it. Obviously she was no good at it. Maybe Chance was the kind of man who would appreciate straightforward honesty. Maybe he would even respect her enough to back off and leave her alone.

  “Okay, here it is. You, me, this,” she said, gesturing at the blanket with an all-encompassing wave. “This is a very bad idea. Nothing can come of it, but something will.”

  “Not unless you want it to,” Chance countered, sketching a cross over the region of his heart.

  “Oh, really,” she said doubtfully. “I didn’t want to kiss you, but I did, not just once but...how many times now?”

  “Not nearly enough.”

  She shot an impatient look at him. “Stop it! Aren’t you hearing anything I’m saying? The way we’re begging for trouble, we might as well go into the middle of the street and wait for a speeding car to knock us down.”

  He frowned. “I’m not sure I like the analogy.”

  “Then pick one of your own,” she retorted. “The point is, we have absolutely no business spending even five minutes alone together.”

  “Because we can’t keep our hands off each other?”

  “Exactly. Or a
t least that’s part of it.”

  “Doesn’t that tell you something?” he inquired reasonably.

  “It tells me we are fools. We don’t want the same things in life at all.”

  “Of course we do.”

  “How can you say that?”

  “We both want White Pines, don’t we? Can’t you think of it this way? We’re just two outsiders uniting to claim what ought to be ours.”

  So that was his game! Jenny backed away furiously at the suggestion that somehow the two of them were alike or that they had the same underhanded mission. She stood up, towering over him as he reclined on the blanket and watched her with that knowing amused gleam still in his eyes.

  “I don’t have to claim a damn thing,” she practically shouted, figuring it was the only way to get anything through that thick head of his. “This is my land we’re on. Mine and Lizzy’s and Cody’s and Jordan’s and Luke’s. The only way you’ll get so much as an inch of it is by destroying the whole lot of us.”

  The tirade didn’t seem to upset him at all. Without missing a beat he said, “I can think of an easier, more pleasant way to accomplish my goal.” His gaze swept over her, lingering on her curves with an intensity she knew was meant to rattle her.

  The tactic worked. Her insides were in turmoil. Jenny’s gaze narrowed. “How?”

  “Marry me.”

  If he’d declared his intention to stage a night raid with a band of thieves at his side, she couldn’t have been more shocked. “Are you out of your mind?” she demanded in a voice that shook with indignation.

  He went on as if she hadn’t said a word, “I’ll settle for a fifth of the land, instead of half. Your fifth. You’ll be protecting the interests of all the others.”

  “You have lost your mind,” she said. “That’s it, isn’t it? You’ve flipped out, gone round the bend.”

  He shook his head. “Nope. I don’t think so. In fact, I think I’m seeing things clearly for the first time in a very long time.”

  Jenny took a minute to grapple with his outrageous proposal. “How can you possibly think I’d marry you and turn over my share of White Pines to you?” she asked eventually.

  “Simple. You love your father and this family he brought you into. Marrying me will solve all their problems. In essence I’ll no longer be a threat. Everyone, especially your daddy, can rest easy again.”

  There was an insane kind of logic to it. Obviously he knew how much she loved her father, how desperately she wanted these last years of his life to be carefree. Yet the two of them, married? It was impossible.

  “Have you actually thought about this?” she asked quietly, trying to inject a note of rationality into the conversation. “You don’t even know me, much less love me. Your son hates my guts or thinks he does. I am rapidly reaching the point where I can’t stand the sight of you. Besides which, it is more than likely my father would change his will and cut me out of it before the ink was dry on our wedding license.”

  “That would never happen. He obviously loves you. I could see that watching and listening to the two of you just a moment ago.”

  “It would be a marriage made in hell,” Jenny said, trying to get through to him how preposterous his idea was.

  “That’s what you say. I prefer to believe the evidence I discover every time you’re in my arms. I think we’re compatible. We’ll get along.”

  “In bed maybe,” she conceded. “But nobody spends every minute of every day in bed.”

  Chanced grinned. “Newlyweds do. We’ll work out the rest after the honeymoon.”

  Jenny stared at him, waiting for the flash of humor in his eyes or the twitching of his lips to indicate he’d been teasing her. When neither happened, she whispered, “You’re serious, aren’t you?”

  Chance hesitated, his expression thoughtful, then nodded. “It would be a solution.”

  “It would be a nightmare.”

  He reached over and folded her hand in his, then brushed a kiss across the knuckles. “Look, I’ll admit the proposal was impulsive. It took me by surprise, the same as it did you. But it makes sense. Take some time to think it through. You’ll agree with me. I’m certain of it.”

  “How long?” she asked, feeling desperate.

  “Forty-eight hours. We’ll go to dinner on Monday, someplace fancy so I can order the best bottle of champagne in the house. I’ll bring along an engagement ring, something big and sparkly so you can show it off to the family.”

  “Save your money,” Jenny responded.

  “Darlin’, that is not an indication of open-mindedness,” Chance chided.

  “The family would be appalled if I came in and announced we were getting married. They’d never believe we’d fallen in love.”

  “Then I guess we’ll just have to figure out some way to convince them,” he said, his expression unrelenting. “Your father strikes me as the kind of man who believes in love at first sight. He’ll buy it. The rest will accept it because it solves a problem.”

  With her heart thumping unsteadily in her chest, Jenny felt as if her world was spinning wildly out of control. It was just as she’d feared. Her fate was out of her hands.

  That made Chance’s thoroughly relaxed demeanor all the more irritating. She needed some space. She also needed time, but he’d given her only forty-eight hours. She could have used a couple of years at least.

  “I’m going home,” she said abruptly.

  “Before lunch?” He looked surprised. “Did something ruin your appetite?”

  “You don’t really want me to answer that, do you?”

  “Come on, darlin’. Sit back down.” He patted the space on the blanket right beside him. “Nibble at a piece of chicken at least. You don’t want the housekeeper getting the idea that you and I were out here all alone and occupied with something besides lunch, do you?”

  “I don’t give two hoots about the food. Leave it. You eat it. Whatever. I’ll make something up to tell Maritza.”

  “Such as?”

  “I don’t know,” she said impatiently. “I’ll tell her a storm blew up.”

  Chance gestured at the clear blue sky. “Not a cloud in sight. Come on,” he coaxed. “It would be a shame to waste a perfect fall day like this.”

  He held out a barbecued chicken leg. “Looks delicious.” When she didn’t budge, he grabbed a package of brownies and waved it under her nose. “Chocolate. Don’t tell me you can resist that. Something tells me you love the stuff.” He unwrapped the brownies and took a bite of one. “Moist, rich. Best I’ve ever had, as a matter of fact. Sure you don’t want one?”

  Chocolate had always been her worst weakness, at least until she’d discovered Chance’s kisses.

  “Oh, for goodness’ sake, give me one,” she said irritably, snatching a brownie out of his hand. She sat down as far from him as she could possibly get on a blanket no bigger than a twin-size bed. Her blood raced at the inadvertently provocative image. Why had she made that comparison? Why was it when she looked at Chance all she thought about was tumbling into bed with him? She finished the brownie in half a dozen bites and reached for another one.

  “Settled down yet?” he inquired when she was idly picking up the last crumbs.

  Her gaze snapped up and clashed with his. “I don’t know what you mean.”

  “Sure you do, darlin’. You’ve been in a dither ever since I rode up. I disconcert you.”

  “What do you expect? You propose to me out of the blue. I think it’s perfectly normal to be a little unsettled.”

  “Then you do admit it?”

  “Okay, fine. I admit it. So what?”

  “Maybe we should change the subject for a minute, talk about something that doesn’t get your drawers in a knot.”

  “Such as?”

  “This latest incident with Petey.”

  Jenny gr
inned, despite herself. “I thought you wanted to talk about something that wouldn’t irritate me.”

  “I was just going to say that I’m on your side with this one. He told me what happened. He’s being punished for it. In fact, at this very moment, he’s shut up in his room with a babysitter standing guard.”

  “Oh, boy, he must hate that.” Jenny could almost imagine his indignation.

  “That’s putting it mildly.”

  “You can’t keep him locked up forever,” Jenny said, trying not to sound too wistful.

  “I suspect just this once will be enough to make my point.”

  The words were barely out of his mouth when a rider appeared once again from the southeast. Jenny saw at once that it was Lizzy. She’d lost her hat along the way and her black hair was streaking out behind her.

  “Chance!” she shouted as soon as she was close enough. “You’ve got to get home right away.”

  Even without an explanation, her tone was so urgent they were both on their feet before the words were out of Lizzy’s mouth. Chance glanced at the food containers, clearly torn.

  “Go,” Jenny said. “I’ll take care of this.”

  “What happened?” he asked, picking up his horse’s reins as Lizzy finally reached them.

  “Your babysitter called. Your son’s disappeared.”

  “Oh, no,” Jenny whispered as the color washed out of Chance’s face. She dumped everything into the center of the blanket and tied it into a knot, then headed for her horse. “I’m coming with you,” she said as she mounted.

  “This isn’t your problem,” Chance retorted.

  “It started in my classroom. Besides, if you and I go through with this crazy notion of marrying, then Petey will be my son, too. I need to help.” She rode up beside her openmouthed sister and held out the picnic blanket. “Lizzy, can you take care of this for me?”

  “Sure, but...married? Did you say the two of you are getting married?”

  “It’s a possibility,” Jenny confirmed grimly. “Keep it to yourself, though. This is one piece of news I think I’d better spread around in my own good time.”