Randall Riches (16 page)

“No, and don’t ask again in case I weaken.”

Mona grinned and headed for another table.

“You’ve got great discipline, Sam. A lot better than mine,” Rich assured her.

“The longer I stay here, the more it weakens. I’m going to be lonely when I leave here.” When she realized what she’d said, she peeked at Rich.

“So, I have a solution. Don’t leave.”

“Ah. That’s an interesting idea.” She hoped that remark would satisfy him.

“Here.”

She looked up to see him holding out his fork, offering her a bite of cinnamon bun. “No, really, I don’t want any.”

“You have to taste it, Sam.” He held the bite a little closer.

Her resolve disappeared and she leaned across the table and nipped the roll off the fork. It was heavenly, she decided as she closed her eyes to enjoy it.

“Aha! I knew it!” Mona exclaimed.

When Sam opened her eyes, she discovered the waitress staring at her. With a half smile, she said, “I couldn’t resist.”

“Oh, it’s not that, honey,” Mona assured her with a big smile. “Couples come in here all the time. But when they start feeding each other, that means they’re going to get married! We’ve been right every time, haven’t we, Rich?”

“I haven’t kept track, Mona,” Rich said calmly.

“Well, I have, so you might as well pick out your wedding dress, young lady. You’re church-bound!” she announced to everyone in the café.

“Let’s get out of here,” Sam urged.

W
HEN
S
AM GOT HOME
, Lavinia told her to call Abby. Hurrying to the phone, she discovered Abby had the news she’d been hoping for. At lunch, Sam told Lavinia about her plan for her, and Mildred, too, if she wanted, to teach the young women of the town to knit, crochet and quilt.

“Do you think anyone will come?” Lavinia asked, her gaze fixed on the calendar on the wall.

“Abby thinks so. She’ll be there. And I’m sure there are others, too. When Tori comes home, she’ll sign up. She told me she wanted to learn to knit. Their own mothers may not know those skills, or have time to teach them. Everyone’s so busy these days.”

“That’s true.”

“They’re offering a lot of night classes at the high school for adults. Some classes are about reading or accounting, doing your own taxes, and such. But others will be fun activities. And they’ll have free babysitting.”

“It might work. What a good idea. We could even form a quilting circle for us experienced ones. We could make a quilt and auction it off for charity.”

“That’s wonderful, Lavinia. Talk to Abby about that.”

Lavinia nodded. Then she reached across the table to take Samantha’s hand. “Thank you, honey.”

“Thank Abby.”

“I’m going to call Mildred,” Lavinia said with more enthusiasm than she’d shown in a while.

Samantha began a marathon cleaning, determined to leave Lavinia’s house in perfect condition.

She was scrubbing one of the bathrooms when Lavinia came to find her. “Did Rich tell his dad I want the kitchen redone?”

“I don’t think so. He probably forgot. He was excited about getting his cast off.”

“Of course. I’ll go call Janie now. She’ll remember to tell Pete what I want.”

“Yes, I’m sure she will.”

Before Lavinia returned to the phone, she paused and said, “You’re about to scrub the porcelain off that tub. Why don’t you take a break? I don’t want your arm sore again.”

“Doc checked me out today. I’m fine.”

Lavinia, her mind on her new kitchen, wandered off.

By suppertime, Samantha was exhausted, but the house shone. She showered before dinner and then came to the kitchen to help Lavinia fix dinner.

When Rich arrived and washed up, the two ladies had a delicious dinner ready for him.

“Man, this looks good. You two are spoiling me,” he exclaimed.

Dinner was enjoyable. When it was over, Sam asked about Dixie and if she could accompany Rich to the barn to check on the mare.

“Sure. I’d enjoy the company.”

When they stepped outside into the crisp night air, Sam shivered.

“You need a heavier coat, for sure before this winter,” Rich said.

She smiled and said nothing.

When they entered the barn and approached Dixie, it was clear the mare was in trouble. Rich hurried into the stall, then ordered Sam to go to the tack room and call B.J. and ask her to come at once.

Samantha hadn’t planned on spending her evening in the barn, but she didn’t dare leave, afraid she’d miss
something. When B.J. arrived, she and Rich worked patiently with the mare to ensure that her foal was born healthy. Samantha watched Rich’s strong hands work on the mare. When the foal came out, the mare gave a huge sigh and stood with her head down.

“She won’t have any trouble next time, Rich,” B.J. assured him. “It’s because it’s her first. But the filly is a beauty.”

“Yes, she is,” Rich said. He looked at Sam, hanging over the door of the stall. “Are you okay? It’s been a long night.”

“But a wonderful one. She’s so beautiful.”

“A little wobbly, too,” he added, smiling at her.

“Babies need help,” Sam said softly, thinking of human babies, too. She wanted to have that experience so badly. It was tempting to forget those condoms she’d bought. To take the chance that she might have Rich’s child. But that wouldn’t be fair to the baby. Or to Rich. She could picture him, helping his child take its first steps. Picking him or her up after a tumble and tears. He’d be a wonderful father, just like Pete.

Tears filled her eyes.

B.J. was cleaning up and Rich joined her at the big sink. Then he hurried to Sam’s side. “Are you crying?”

“Not really. Little babies are so sweet. They have no idea— She’s trying to nurse!” Sam exclaimed, interrupting her awkward words.

B.J. joined them. “Mother Nature takes over once again. In a day or two, the baby won’t wobble at all.”

“Amazing.” B.J. looked at her. “It is, isn’t it? I’m glad you ap
preciate the miracle. I’ve hardly gotten to know you, with all of us milling around.”

“There are a lot of you. But that way you know there’ll always be someone to help you if—if anything happens.”

“Yes. Especially when it comes to babies,” B.J. said with a smile.

Rich surprised Sam by putting his arm around her shoulders in front of his aunt. She’d figured after their visit to the café, he wouldn’t be caught close to her no matter what.

“Don’t worry,” he said softly. “We’re not going to let anything happen to this baby, Sam.”

She nodded and smiled. But Rich didn’t know about the baby she was thinking about, the one she’d never have.

T
WO NIGHTS LATER
, she asked Rich to take her down to see the baby filly again. She held her breath when Rich agreed and then asked Lavinia to accompany them. But, much to her relief, Lavinia declined. There was a show on television she wanted to see.

On the walk to the barn, Rich told her how well Dixie and the filly were doing. Then he asked if she wanted to name the foal.

“Me?”

“Yeah, you.”

“Oh, I’d love to. Oh, I know. Let’s name her Magnolia! That’s a southern flower.”

“Terrific. It’s a big name for a little filly, but she’ll grow into it. Good choice.”

By that time they’d reached the barn and Rich flipped on the lights. Samantha headed for the stall and reached out to the filly.

Rich came and stood beside her, not touching, but close. After several minutes of praising the animals, he asked, “You ready to go back to the house?”

Samantha took a deep breath. “No, I’m not.”

“No? You pet the filly much more and she’s going to follow you home,” he teased.

“I don’t want to pet the filly. I want…I want you to make love to me.”

Rich stared at Samantha, blown away by her request. He’d been working so hard to keep everything platonic, in control. “What did you say?”

Her cheeks were flushed, making him want to touch her more than ever. To his surprise, she repeated her words, not backing down. “I want you to make love to me.”

When he couldn’t think of what to say, she asked, “Would you mind?”

“Mind? Would I mind? Sam, any man would be thrilled to fulfill your request!”

“Okay.” Her answer was calm, as if she’d asked him to shake hands.

His gaze narrowed. “Why?”

“I think, once we get over the chemistry between us, we can relax and life won’t be so difficult.”

“I haven’t harassed you, have I? I’ve been trying to keep my distance.” He thought about the last couple of days. Samantha had seemed more relaxed. He’d wondered why. Was it because she was contemplating a change in their relationship?

She shook her head and he stepped closer. Wrapping his hands around her arms, unsure whether he was stopping her from coming closer or ensuring she didn’t run away, he said softly, “Honey, are you sure?”

She nodded again.

“Honey, you’re going to have to speak to me before—before anything happens. I can’t just—” He could, of course. His body was racing at even the thought of being with Sam. But he had to know for sure that this was what she wanted.

In a low voice, as she stared at his chest, she said, “Yes, I’m sure. When you kiss me, I—I want more, Rich. What we have is special, but I want more.”

“So do I. Big time. You make me so hot I can barely control myself. These past few weeks have made life difficult for me. But I can wait if this is too fast for you. We can get to know each other better.”

She placed her hands flat on his chest. “I didn’t know I’d have to work this hard to convince you.”

Rich swallowed hard. “Maybe we should, uh, start out kissing and see where it leads. I’ll stop whenever you want me to.”

He waited for her response, his heart beating double time. All he got was a slight nod, her gaze fixed on his lips. That was enough encouragement for him. He wrapped his arms around her, pressing her against him. A perfect fit.

“You’re sure?” he asked again.

She sighed. Then she took his hand from her back and lay it across her left breast. “Can you feel it beating, Rich?”

“Oh, yeah, honey, I can feel it.” His lips dipped to hers, and the rest of the world disappeared. They were lost in sensations. He slid his hand up her back, under her T-shirt, feeling her bare skin for the first time since he’d rubbed that muscle cream on her shoulder. But this time, miracle of miracles, he didn’t have to hold back.

Her silken skin invited his touch and he was soon searching for the bottom of her T-shirt so he could lift it over her head. “I need to see you,” he whispered as he forced his lips to leave hers long enough to tell her. She pulled his mouth back to hers, but she’d heard him. She helped him remove her shirt. Then her fingers began working on his shirt snaps with such effectiveness, she was pulling his shirt off in no time.

She didn’t even seem to notice when her bra followed. Instead, she reached for his belt buckle. He knew he needed to get something on the hay before they could lie down. He was going to tell her, but his lips were drawn to hers again. He solved the difficulty, lifting her against him and carrying her to the tack room.

Inside, he grabbed a bedroll they kept there for nights he was up nursing a sick horse. He lay her down and joined her on the bedroll. “Sam—Sam, if you’re gonna say no, it had better be soon,” he warned her, his breath shallow. He waited in agony for what seemed like days before she answered.

“Love me, Rich. Please love me.”

His lips took hers again and he helped her out of her jeans. She returned the favor. After checking to be sure she was ready, he entered her, unable to hold back any longer.

Until he reached a barrier.

Unable to stop himself, he plunged through, but his pleasure had disappeared. She was a virgin.

“Sam! Sam, I’m sorry!”

“What’s wrong?” she asked, her breathing still shallow, her voice distracted.

Withdrawing now would serve no purpose. He started again to build the tension, the emotion, the need. Without answering her question, he led her to passion again. When he felt her release as she clutched him, holding on for dear life, he let go, too.

S
AMANTHA LAY ON
the bedroll, hardly aware of her nakedness. She’d just experienced the most incredible, emotional event ever. Slowly she became aware of her surroundings.

Beside her, Rich sat up. “Are you all right?”

She had known there would be pain, but the passion that followed easily overruled it. “I’m fine,” she said, hearing the wonder in her voice. She hadn’t known love with a man could be like that.

“Why didn’t you tell me?” Rich said.

She turned to stare at him, hearing the anger but not understanding. “What?”

“That you were a virgin.”

“Does it matter? Did I not do it right?”

“Hell! You did it too well. Once I realized—I tried to hold back, but I couldn’t.”

She shook her head, as if trying to clear it. “But I didn’t want you to hold back.”

“Yeah, well, I guess I didn’t, either. I’m sorry, Sam,
I meant to take it easy, to give you plenty of time to—you know, change your mind, but somehow you set me on fire, every time. I forget everything when you—Damn! I forgot a condom. I always use a condom!”

She stared at him but he couldn’t read her mind. “Is it the right time of the month for you to— I mean, is it possible that you—” He stopped when her eyes filled with tears. “Sam, don’t cry.”

“I—I bought some.” She sat up and grabbed her jeans and pulled out a small box.

Rich scratched his head. He wasn’t sure what she wanted him to do with the condoms now. “It’s a little late, honey.”

She didn’t appear to see the humor in their situation. “But I bought them!” she insisted, big fat tears running down her cheeks.

He cuddled her against him. “Sssh, honey, don’t cry. Everything will be all right, I promise.” Smoothing her hair back from her face, he rocked her against him, trying to offer comfort. Until he realized his body wasn’t out for the count. And it was way too soon to suggest anything but comfort now.

He eased her back, noting the stricken look in her eyes. “Let’s get dressed and go back to the house. You get a good night’s sleep and we’ll work everything out in the morning. Okay?” He kissed her swollen lips and ended the kiss quickly.

He’d try that again when they were both dressed. Then maybe he could restrain himself.

Samantha tried to think clearly, but it wasn’t easy. Suddenly her nakedness embarrassed her. She reached
for her clothes. His attempt to help her resembled the Keystone Kops. “Please, get dressed,” she begged. It wasn’t easy to ignore his lean, muscled body. She couldn’t believe she could want him again, when she’d made such a mess of everything.

He realized he might as well get dressed. He had a sinking feeling she would leave as soon as she was covered, as if she couldn’t stand to be around him. He tried to reassure her again. “Everything will seem better—I mean, we’ll talk in the morning. Everything will be all right.”

He was pulling on a boot when she stalked to the barn door. “Wait, honey.” He almost lost his balance in the process, but he got to the barn door thirty seconds after her. She didn’t slow down or cut him any slack.

He caught her arm before she started into the house. “Sam, please wait. I want to tell you—what happened was—”

She filled in the blanks with words he hadn’t had in mind. “A mistake!” Then she slammed the door behind her.

R
ICH STAYED OUT
on the porch until his body had recovered from their lovemaking. He’d already realized sex with Sam would be great. Now he had absolute proof.

“Damn!” He suddenly remembered he hadn’t asked her to promise not to run away. He’d done so each night this week. But he was being silly. She wouldn’t be able to get away before he talked to her in the morning. He’d make everything right then.

He had to. He was beginning to realize that a life without Sam would be—nothing. Nothing at all. He relived those minutes in her arms, holding her close, loving her, and he decided he’d just gotten lucky. Not having sex. He didn’t mean that. He meant that he thought he’d found the kind of love his parents had. At least
he
had. He was going to have to work on Samantha. But he would. He was a fighter. And Samantha was worth the fight.

His thoughts were spinning and he decided he should get some sleep as he’d advised Samantha. He’d need to be up early to catch her before his grandma wanted to know what was going on. But once he told her Sam was going to be his wife, he knew she’d be happy. He leaned against the porch rail, dreamily picturing her joy and his parents’ faces when he told them. He wondered if Sam would want to continue living with his grandmother or build their own house. He’d let Sam make that decision.

Feeling pretty proud of himself for how things had turned out, even though he hadn’t planned any of it, and deeply satisfied with the best sex he’d ever had, he went in the house with a smile on his lips.

It was still there when he went to sleep.

S
AMANTHA WAS UP
before dawn the next morning. It took only a few minutes to pack. She left all the things she’d acquired during her time on the ranch behind, except the money she’d been paid.

Knowing Lavinia and Rich would be up by six-thirty,
she was determined to take the car and leave at six. The bus left the store at seven.

She took the time to write a note of love to Lavinia. In the last line, she left a message to Rich, simply saying she couldn’t do it. He would know what she meant. She couldn’t write any more or she would start crying. Every time she thought about going away, tears pooled in her eyes. She tried not to think about last night at all.

She’d planned so carefully to ensure that her actions wouldn’t hurt anyone. Then she’d forgotten the condoms. How could she? She hadn’t realized the power of what she’d experienced. And wanted to experience again. She’d been so foolish, thinking she would take away a beautiful memory. Instead, she was taking away a load of guilt.

She loved Rich. She’d love to be a member of his family. But she wanted a marriage like Pete and Janie’s, or any of the Randalls’. And that wasn’t what was going to happen. And to know she’d risked the possibility that she was pregnant… “Stupid, stupid, stupid,” she whispered. But her hand cradled her stomach even as she said it. If she really was pregnant, she’d make a home for her baby. She’d cherish it, no matter what it took.

After tiptoeing down the stairs with her duffel bag, Sam made herself a peanut butter sandwich and grabbed a soda. It would have to last her a while. Then, she took the keys off the pegboard by the back door and stole out as the sky was just beginning to brighten.

She hated taking the car, but she would leave it in
town, giving the keys to the young lady who’d sold her the ticket, knowing she’d call Lavinia then.

Fifteen minutes later, she was standing on the sidewalk in front of the general store, waiting for the appearance of the big bus. There were only two other people waiting for the bus so far, and she didn’t know either of them. She was home free—except for the pain of leaving.

R
ICH ROLLED OVER
and opened his eyes, but he didn’t get out of bed at once. Instead, he relived last night and the pleasure he’d experienced making love to Samantha. And soon, he’d wake up with her beside him each morning.

A satisfied smile filled his face. This marriage thing wasn’t even scary when he pictured Samantha walking down the aisle to him. Funny how things worked out.

Maybe now he even understood his twin’s choices. At first, he’d been upset that Russ had put Abby before him. They’d always been first with each other. So Rich had gone off to the rodeo. But now, he thought he owed Russ an apology. He finally understood about love.

Whoa! He loved Sam. He’d known it last night, but he hadn’t actually thought those words. He loved Sam. And he loved what they’d done last night, but…he wanted to be sure. He tried to picture someone else by his side, but he couldn’t. He tried picturing several sexy ladies in the role of his wife, and realized it was Sam, not anyone else, that he needed. How lucky could a guy get!

He loved Samantha Jeffers.

That thought didn’t even faze him. He, Rich Randall, man-about-town, was in love. Had he told Sam that last night? No. He’d told her they would talk this morning. He’d told her it would be okay.

“Damn! It’s a wonder she didn’t find a gun and shoot me!” he exclaimed, shoving back the covers. He had to tell her. Now!

He pulled on his jeans and hurried to Sam’s bedroom, deciding there could be an extra benefit to awakening her. He could kiss her, hold her.

He slipped into her room, only to discover the bed made. She was up early? He spun around, heading for the kitchen, when something about the room had him turning around again. He hurried to the closet.

It was gone. That damn duffel bag was gone. The one thing Sam would never leave without. She’d gone!

The phone rang as he headed downstairs, praying he was wrong. He grabbed it as he entered the kitchen. “Sam?”

“No, it’s Doc. I just saw Sam standing on the sidewalk in front of Sarah and Jennifer Waggoner’s general store. Looked to me like she’s waiting for the bus!”

“Doc! Get over there and keep her from getting on it. I’ll be right there!” he said urgently. He hung up while Doc was still talking, but all that mattered was Sam.

He ran up the stairs, awakening his grandmother with all the noise.

“Rich? Is that you? What’s wrong?”

“Sam’s gone!”

He grabbed a T-shirt and his boots. Then it occurred
to him that she might’ve taken his grandmother’s car. His truck was still at his dad’s. He looked out the window and confirmed his suspicion. He called his dad. “Sam’s run away and I need my truck. Can you bring it over?”

“Be right there,” his father agreed, asking no questions.