Under the Open Sky (Montana Heritage Series) (36 page)

             
“I thought if I avoided you it would be easier but my sister kept telling me how she kept running into you and how different you were but I wasn’t prepared for how different. You left for the summer unsure of yourself with guys and came back a knock out who was turning them all on their ear; I didn’t know what to do with that. You were leaving me behind and even more than that….but I realized that I never told you.”

             
“Told me what?”

             
“I had the worst crush on Cade.”

             
“What?” Amanda felt her eyes go wide. She hadn’t been aware that Samantha was even aware of the opposite sex.

             
“I did and after he went to work for your father I thought that was a good thing. You were always talking about him and your brother, which suited me fine. Until it was ‘Cade started calling me Manny; I wish he would stop.’ or ‘Cade taught me to drive but don’t tell Trent and Daddy.’ I wondered what else he was teaching you but I didn’t have the guts to ask. I kind of figured out you liked him without you saying so.”

             
“I didn’t know how to deal with it so I thought maybe if I avoided you over the summer I would be over it by the fall but I wasn’t. There you were so different and wearing his jacket…I didn’t know what to say so it was easier to say nothing.”

             
“Sam, I’m sorry. I had no idea,” Amanda was the one at a loss for words.

             
“No, you didn’t; as I said: I never told you.”

             
“Now, I don’t know what to say,” Amanda admitted.

             
“I’m happy for you now, Amanda, but it was hard for me then.”

             
“I’m sorry.”

             
“You didn’t know,” Samantha shrugged. “Who’s the chick throwing herself at Cade?” Sam nodded to where Cade stood; Shauna smiling up at him.

             
Trent and Christy had drifted over to where one of Trent’s classmates had just entered with one of Amanda’s classmates and Jenny, Chloe, and Dede, were fussing over a litter of puppies in a nearby stall.

             
“I am going to end up hurting her,” Amanda predicted. “Excuse me, Sam,” Amanda’s eyes had narrowed.

             
“Go set her straight,” Sam grinned.

             
“I will.”

             
Amanda crossed the barn; Shauna’s flirting was setting her nerves on edge.

             
“I would really like an opportunity to make up for getting sick on our first date, Cade. You should let me cook dinner for you at my place,” Shauna offered.

             
“It’s chilly in here,” Amanda announced as she slid her arms inside Cade’s jacket and snuggled up to him. “Hello,” Amanda greeted Shauna coolly.

             
“Hi,” Shauna’s expression was stony.

             
“You cold?” Cade wrapped his arms around Amanda.

             
“A little,” Amanda smiled up at him; his grin told her that he knew she was making a statement. “Warm me up?”

             
“I guess we’ll finish this conversation at school,” Shauna made it clear she intended to pursue Cade.

             
“You can try,” Amanda turned to offer a brittle smile to the older woman.

             
“Excuse me?” Shauna’s eyes narrowed.

             
“He made his decision last night, Shauna; don’t be a sore loser,” Amanda returned.

             
“What does a kid like you know about pleasing a man?” Shauna’s expression was demeaning.

             
Amanda felt her blood boil and was considering clawing the woman’s eyes out when Cade intervened.

             
“Manny’s right; I made my decision. As for pleasing me I’m sure she’ll make a very astute student; if you’ll excuse us,” Cade nodded at the woman opposite them. Amanda glanced back to find Shauna watching them, her face red whether from embarrassment or rage Amanda wasn’t sure; maybe both. Cade led her out the open barn doors to lean against the side of the barn furthest from the movie screen.

             
“You’re red,” Cade accused as he surveyed her in the light from a nearby street light.

             
“Am I?” she laughed as she slid her arms around his neck.

             
“Mmm, hmmm.”

             
“So when are you going to start these lessons?” she teased.

             
“Not tonight,” he chuckled.

             
“You drive me mad,” she informed him.

             
He kissed her before responding.

             
“The feeling is mutual, baby,” he assured her before kissing her again. He pulled away with a groan a few minutes later. “We should join the others,” he told her.

             
“Or go to my place,” she countered.

             
“Nice try,” Cade pushed off the barn and claimed her hand.

             
“Fine,” she sighed and allowed him to lead her back inside.

             
“There you are,” Trent frowned as they entered. “Where have you been?”

             
“Amanda needed to cool off a moment; she got her temper riled,” Cade explained.

             
Trent looked ready to ask questions but was cut off before he could.

             
“Why’s everyone in here?” Jason entered and addressed the group at large. No one seemed willing to answer him. “You don’t like my movie? Okay,” Jason sighed. “I brought a couple of chick flicks, since the guys are obviously going to go where the girls are, I’ll put one of those on instead.”

             
“Thank you!” Jenny called after him.

             
“I think I can stomach a chick flick; want to go watch the movie?” Cade offered Amanda.

             
“I think I can manage that too,” she smiled in return. They headed back outside and reclaimed Amanda’s vacated blanket and started unrolling sleeping bags to ward off the increasing chill in the night air. The semi-circle was filling again, as everyone settled down for the movie.

             
“You can borrow my sleeping bag,” Cade offered Trent. Having come at the last minute, Trent hadn’t come prepared. Cade and Amanda were snuggled up under Amanda’s.             

             
“And I have an extra blanket Shauna can use,” Amanda added.

             
Trent glared at them a minute before accepting their offer.

             
“Thanks,” he finally offered begrudgingly.

             
“You’re welcome,” Amanda smiled at him before snuggling back close to Cade to watch the movie. The movie was more to Amanda’s liking but she found herself closing her eyes and simply enjoying being close to Cade as he and Jenny talked. She liked the rumble of his voice in his chest.

             
“Cade,” Trent called.

             
“Yeah?”

             
“Watch yourself with my sister,” Trent cautioned his friend.

             
“I have no more desire to see Manny hurt, than you do,” Cade returned.

             
“See it to it you don’t and keep in mind that she doesn’t have your experience,” Trent added.

             
“Butt out, Trent,” Amanda opened her eyes to glare at her brother.

             
“I thought you were asleep,” Trent admitted.

             
“No,” Amanda stood and grabbed her bag. When she sat on the edge of a bale of hay and removed her boots, her brother frowned at her.

             
“What the hell are you doing?” he demanded when she pulled a pair of flannel pants on under her skirt.

             
“Changing,” Amanda unbuttoned her skirt and pulled off.

             
“Here?” Trent stared at her in disbelief.

             
Amanda pulled a long sleeved t-shirt over her halter top, untied the neck and shimmied out of it as well.

             
“Done and I didn’t even expose myself,” Amanda rolled her eyes at her brother as she stuffed her cloths into her bag.

             
Cade was laughing and shaking his head at her.

             
“Will I offend your delicate sensibilities if I do the same?” Jenny teased Trent and watched him turn red.

             
Amanda snuggled back under the sleeping bag and watched her brother’s face redden further as Jenny, trading her own skirt and top for flannel pants and a t-shirt, repeated Amanda’s actions.

             
“I think she actually unnerved your brother,” Cade commented for Amanda’s hearing alone.

             
“You think?” Amanda smiled up at him.  

             
“Something like that can really get a man’s imagination going,” Cade informed her. Amanda felt her face flush; Cade laughed.

             
“I won’t do that again,” she commented.

             
“Feel free,” he teased.

             
“What did you say to Amanda to make her light up like that?” Jenny demanded as she reseated herself.

             
“You don’t want to know,” Amanda assured her friend and watched her brother frown. Relishing the feeling of Cade’s thumb caressing her hip, Amanda closed her eyes again.

             
“What time is it?” Amanda asked.

             
“Three-thirty,” Jenny offered on a yawn.

             
“I’m going to sleep,” Amanda announced.

             
“Hold on, before you do; sit up,” Cade instructed her. Amanda sat up and watched him scoot down until he was lying down. “Okay.”

             
Returning her head to his shoulder, Amanda laid back down.

             
“Night, Jenny; night Trent,” Amanda offered.

             
“Good night,” Jenny returned.

             
Trent glared at her. She closed her eyes and shut him out. Within moments she felt her eyes growing heavy.

Twenty-
One

              When Amanda woke the next morning a fire crackled in the early morning light, the wood snapping and popping as it filled the air with the heavy scent of wood smoke. She could see her breath, she realized, but she wasn’t the least bit cold. When she shifted slightly she realized why. She was lying against Cade; that she expected. Jenny huddled against her back she didn’t expect. Amanda chuckled silently.

             
“What’s funny?” Cade, his voice still heavy with sleep, asked.

             
“I think Jenny is cold,” Amanda informed him.

             
Cade glanced over at Jenny and smiled.

             
“Well, if your brother had any sense…” he let the sentence trail.

             
“I know,” she sighed.

             
“Good morning, Manny,” Cade smiled at her.

             
“Good morning,” she smiled in return. “You have whiskers,” she reached up to rub his jaw.

             
“I’m sorry.”

             
“Mmm, mmm; I like it,” she told him.

             
“Do you?” he asked.

             
“You look sexy,” she assured him.

             
“Thank you,” his eyes twinkled.

             
“You’re welcome,” she smiled up at him. Cade reached up to push a strand of hair off her face and let his fingers trail along her jaw to tilt her chin up and drop a light kiss on her lips.

             
“You two need a room,” Jenny muttered.

             
“Good morning to you too,” Amanda laughed.

             
“It’s cold,” Jenny complained.

             
“I’m warm,” Amanda countered.

             
“Of course you are; we’re not all lucky enough to sleep pressed up against the man of our dreams,” Jenny reminded her.

             
“Sorry, Jenny,” Amanda offered.