Appaloosa Blues (Sisters of Spirit #8) (16 page)

Breathing deeply, Jo slowly returned to reality. Instinctively she pulled the edges of her blouse together, covering herself, blushing furiously as she sat up and looked around, fumbling with the buttons. The silky beige bra had stayed in place affording questionable coverage while offering some protection to her pride. Her sandals were lost and her skirt was hiked half-way up.

Adam spoke quietly, his deep voice amused. "I don't know what you'd call it, but I'd say your body almost sings."

She gazed back at him, at a loss for words. How could she tell him otherwise? He was right when he claimed her body sang for him. No one else had even started the first notes of a tune, much less an entire symphony. Yet he had played an unfinished symphony. She opened her slumberous eyes more fully to look into his dark glowing ones.

"Thank you," she whispered gratefully, knowing she probably wouldn't have stopped him if he'd gone on. Hadn't even thought about the need to stop. Which for Jo, used to being the one in control, was a startling revelation.

He smiled in a lazy, satisfied manner and held her hand. "You're welcome, ma'am. What are you thanking me for?"

"For...for not...for stopping before—" She paused. Had he deliberately misunderstood her?

"Want an encore?" he asked, eyes suddenly alight with mischief.

"No.... I don't think so—"

"Are you sure?" He grinned, lips pursed in amusement. "I don't think you're telling me the truth." Bending his head, he kissed the back of her hand, the faint tickling sensation traveling swiftly along her nerves.

"I can't help it. Please, Adam, stop!"

The frown on his face showed how disturbed he was with her statement. "Are you this way with everyone?"

"Oh, no." She hastened to make things clear. "Never. I mean...." She faded off. By making it clear that she wasn't this way with everyone, she was admitting he was special. Just how much should she tell him?

The glow in his eyes told her he was satisfied with her answer, and he left off pressing her anymore. "Good. We could proceed, you know...if you want to. We could always play it over again, slower, for Gramps."

"No." There was no hesitation now. She was back in control. And she still hadn't asked about Gramps' accusation.

"No?" He picked up a piece of hay and lightly tickled her toes.

"Adam!" She yanked her foot away.

"Yes?" His eyebrow arched as he ran the hay higher up her leg sending a jolt of sensual electricity ahead of it, igniting her emotions afresh.

"Stop it!"

He dropped the hay and stood up, pulling her to her feet. "You're too ticklish." Let him think so, but that wasn't why she asked him to stop. She moved closer into Adam's arms as if to reassure herself that it was real.

Happy, he squeezed her gently. "Kiss me again?"

She looked down, not wanting him to see the desire in her eyes. "Not now."

"Tomorrow then?"

"No."

"Why not?" Demanding man. Wouldn't he ever let her take the easy way out? She needed time to regroup her defenses. If he'd keep his hands still, she'd be able to concentrate.   She still had her question to ask.

The moon was at a higher angle now and she could see his face better. It was very expressive, when he chose to let it show.

She'd seen it turn unbearably harsh once, when she had paused to speak to him in church and her grandfather curtly ordered her away. The hard lines that etched Adam's face at that time frightened her, and the look of contempt that flashed from his narrowed eyes froze the words in her throat, so that she'd silently rejoined her grandfather, her tentative attempt to reach out, crushed by both men.

Not wanting to wait any longer, she said, "I need to talk to you about Gramps. About something he claims you said."

"What was it this time?"

"You told him you were going to take me away from him, permanently. Why did you say that?"

Adam scowled in thought, seeming to take his time dredging up the incident. "Gramps has a sharp memory. I did say that...just after you left for college. He implied that I was the reason you went so far away. He made me mad. I retaliated. That was five years ago."

Jo relaxed with a grin. "It sounded like you said it yesterday."

"No. It might seem that way to him. When did he mention it?"

"Today. I took Gramps to town for a check-up—"

"How's he doing?"

"I don't think the doctor gave him a good report. He doesn't stick to his diet very well."

"I mean, about us."

Without conscious decision, she decided to let him know the rest. "I got Gramps in the car where he couldn't get away and told him I planned to date you this summer — if you asked."

The expression on Adam's face changed to disbelief. One dark eyebrow rose even higher as he spoke. "Already? I didn't think you'd tell him that so soon."

"I didn't plan to. But this morning — well, things got speeded up."

He didn't ask, just looked the question, dark eyes sparked with interest.

"I was talking to Dad, telling him I wanted to date you, and what did he think...and Gramps walked in and heard me."

"Uh huh!" He nodded, a wide grin instantaneously appearing. "That'd do it."

"Then I tackled Gramps in the car."

"Better 'n better." The smile had invaded his eyes, the laugh wrinkles fanning out above his cheeks.

"You weren't there," she scolded in mock reproof. "At first he really exploded...but by the time we got home he was talking about you without shouting."

"I just bet he was. How?"

"How do you think?"

"Not very complimentary."

"But before, he'd refused to even talk reasonably."

"From small beginnings...?"

She shrugged slightly. "I guess we sort of rushed the first hurdle, but now we're over it—"

"Right. We can really proceed."

"Oh. Well, I was just going to say that things should go smoother. Although...maybe it won't take so long after all. I know Karen can hardly wait. We might not even have to come up with an engagement," she added pertly, wondering what he'd say to that.

"We'll play it safe," he assured her, eyes sparkling like mirrored waters in the moonlight. "Besides, I was looking forward to a long engagement." Like a fisherman, he stretched his hands apart to measure. Far apart.

It was the words she wanted to hear, but she didn't want him to know it. Not until she knew his feelings for sure. He'd tricked her once.

"And since we've gotten such a good start...." Adam finished the sentence by pulling her close. She met him halfway, eager, offering her lips to his.

Why should she refuse him? Kissing Adam was the only enjoyable thing about this charade.  

CHAPTER NINE

A low whistle came from across the creek.

Adam shifted his aim and kissed her on the nose. "That's the bell. I told Johnny to give me some warning—they'll be coming soon." Walking around her overly sensitive body—every nerve had been exquisitely shattered—he brushed the hay off her, then off himself. She was searching for her sandals as Karen and Johnny came into view.

Karen was starry-eyed, looking thoroughly kissed and very happy. Johnny looked triumphant. "All going well, big brother?"

"Better 'n better," Adam emphasized, and Jo saw their eyes rest speculatively on her. Karen picked up the missing sandals and held them out to Jo.

"You'd better slip these on again."

"Thanks." She fumbled her feet into them, almost falling over.

"What's the latest word with your family?" Johnny asked.

"Actually, pretty good." Jo repeated most of the conversation she'd had with her grandfather in the car.

"That's great," Johnny exclaimed, hugging Karen to him. "Don't take any longer than you have to." Karen nodded eagerly.

"I thought...maybe, Sunday at church, we could speak to each other briefly. That would be public. I could do it when Gramps would see. Just a few words, but it'd make a start." Jo looked at the others. Johnny and Karen were nodding in agreement, but Adam was gazing at the far horizon, probably intent on plans of his own.

Well, she'd find them out soon enough
. "Good night," she said.

"Good night, Jo," Adam responded, then pulled her to him and kissed her once, hard, before releasing her to whisper, "See you soon."

"Good night," Jo repeated firmly, and he grinned and waved, then walked away with Johnny.

"What happened with you two?" inquired Karen as they walked back toward the house.

"Don't ask," she was emphatically instructed.

"Whatever," Karen said with a nonchalant shrug, "but there's hay in your hair...and your blouse is buttoned wrong, and you'd better straighten your skirt before we go in."

They both looked like they had done more than simply take an evening stroll and Jo was glad when she regained the privacy of her room, unseen.

Pulling on the old nightie that Karen deplored, Jo moved over to stand in front of her full-length mirror. She felt different, as if Adam had made her come alive, aware of herself as a woman who was desired by a man.

Tonight he had aroused powerful emotions in her—a force six gale, strong enough to sway trees. Strong enough to batter down the barriers surrounding her heart.

Wandering over to the north window, she looked out toward Adam's house, marked by the bright, shining light.

Pensive, she sat down on the sill to think, leaning back against the side of the window, bare legs stretched out in front of her, her gaze on the light. The warm mountain air was refreshing to her overheated body. Over and over she recalled the happenings of the evening, again experiencing the warm rich glow of Adam's kisses.

Stretching, she turned out her light and lay down on top of the sheet. The moon beams entered her east window, lighting up the bed so that she fell asleep clothed in its brightness, dreaming of Adam.

The next day Adam’s phone buzzed once more. A text from Johnny. Jo was riding Paca this afternoon, according to Karen, headed for the mountains again. Karen also included Jo’s cell number, not knowing he already had it.

The ranch accounts he had been working on could wait. He walked out to the corrals and saddled Rocket. Murray saw him and ran over to join, always ready for a run.

“Want to bet she’ll head back to our lookout spot, Murray?” he asked the dog.

Rocket was eager to go and started out at a fast trot that was jarring. Adam nudged him into a lope, then pulled down to a walk as he entered the trees.

He had put Jo’s number into his speed dial and punched it in.

“Hi there,” she said.

“Hello yourself. Where’re you headed?”

“Are your spies busy at work?”

“Oh, yes. Karen called Johnny. Even offered up your cell number.”

He could hear her laughter. “I thought I’d ride up to the big meadow area, then circle around to your place, to my favorite lookout area, around sunset.”

“That’s my favorite spot, too.”

“Really? I never ran into you there.”

“I didn’t know how you’d react, so always checked before I went. I didn’t want you to feel like you couldn’t go.”

“Want to ride with me? I can wait by the fence corner on the first ridge.”

“I’m already on Rocket. I’ll see you there.”

He hurried the gelding along, eager to see Jo again. He got to the fence corner at the same time she did, and let himself through the gate.

She had been taking it easy on Paca, as the horse was not in the same shape as Rocket, whom Adam rode practically every day.

“Paca is sweating like a town horse,” Jo said, referring to the horses that were put in trailers and brought to the mountains, and still couldn’t go far without being tired.

“We’ll get her back in shape this summer.”

Rocket kept wanting to run, now that they were on the dirt road. Adam pulled him next to Paca, so that they could ride side by side.

“Did you do any riding in Virginia?” he asked, knowing some things about her school time, from Karen, but wanting to hear more.

“A little. They’ve got some good mountains there. Limestone based, rather than our volcanic soil. I rented a horse now and then. It just isn’t the same, to ride a livery horse, when you’ve had your own. Paca responds to my every move, whereas rental horses don’t know what you want.”

He nodded. “You’re right. They’ve had too many riders. Did you enjoy your time there?”

“Most of it. Two of my friends, Perri and Stormy, started a group they called the Sisters of Spirit. To be a member, you had to be from the western part of the U.S. Although we did have an honorary member at the start, Jennel Foster, who was from Boston. She was in the same room as Stormy, so got included.”

“Did you date anyone?” He really shouldn’t ask that question. She might have gotten engaged, even. But she had been his, in his mind, for so long, it seemed impossible that she—-

“Actually quite a few. When I was a freshman, we dated singly. But then…” She paused.

“Then?”
Her pause hadn’t sounded right.

“I went to a frat party with Jennifer, a girl in the dorms. Not one of the Sisters, although Stormy was there. Most of them were drinking heavily, and I don’t drink. They kept pressing me. I went to tell Jennifer that I was leaving, and found her fighting off a man. He dropped her and came after me. I hit him and that really made him mad. Fortunately, Stormy saw what was happening and charged in, yelling, fists flailing, on the attack as only Stormy can do it. He backed off then and left the three of us. So one of the things the Sisters did was double date together, especially on a first date. We were all far from our families, and relied on each other. I was usually available, so would round up some fellow I felt I could trust and make up a second couple.”

“Good idea. Do you ladies still see each other?”

“As much as we can. I went to a wedding just before I got here and saw all of them and their husbands. Most are married. I’ll show you the pictures when they arrive. I’ve been keeping the group going, while I was in school.”

“Is it very big?”

“There’s only five in it. Four, now that I’ve left. Robyn, Eden, Summer, and Gail. It all depends on what western girls we have at the time, in our section of the dorms.”