Proud Mary

by Bette McNicholas

  Knowing the slightest movement would only exacerbate her predicament, she caught her breath, blinking rapidly, acutely focused on the fact that she was going to have to ride the rest of the way with her breast and leg intimately pressed against him. tThe heat of his muscle-honed body warmed hers from shoulder to knee, sending chills down her spine as the scent of his fresh-smelling cologne filled her nostrils.

  From under the brim of her hat she gave a quick glance at him, but the fact that she was plastered to him didn’t seem to bother him one iota. In full conversation he merely winked at her and did nothing about moving over as much as an inch.

  She glanced back at the road and moistened her lips, wondering how far they had to go. She felt the muscle in Stede’s thigh tighten against hers as he braked to slow for the car ahead, then moved his foot to the accelerator and merged onto the highway, gaining the fast lane at top speed, a match for her pulse rate, as his motions played havoc with her sensibilities.

  Carolina had never been near anyone before that affected her this way. She wanted to place her hand on his thigh, and she would have easily given into the temptation if Chance hadn’t been in the truck.

  “Here we are,” Stede said, startling her out of her preoccupation with his anatomy. He pulled into the parking lot of a huge barn-like structure and turned off the ignition. “Gads, the place is packed. Guess we’re not the only ones who arrived a day or two early.”

  Carolina brushed her sleeves and thought of scooping down in the gravel driveway and putting some dirt on her new outfit. She felt a little conspicuous to be decked out in duds that were brand-new-stiff and would set her off as a greenhorn. Usually she liked to launder her clothes before she wore them. When she walked inside the restaurant, which she’d call more a honky-tonk saloon, her worries disappeared.

  The place was terribly crowded, noisy, filled with smoke and smelling like an Irish bar on St. Patty’s Day. There were mounted heads on the walls of more animals than one would find in the D.C. zoo. Red and blue spotlights flashed in the ceiling and a sphere made of small mirrors spun in a circle, casting reflections on the dance floor. She wouldn’t have been surprised to even see a John Travolta look-alike appear at any moment.

  All the booths were wooden with high backs and no cushions on the seats, sort of like sitting in a saddle all day, she supposed. They didn’t bother to speak to one another because they wouldn’t have been able to hear a word that was said.

  She and Chance stood there while Stede waited in line to reach one of the hostesses dressed in denim short shorts, plunging red handkerchief halter-tops, and of course, boots. A waiter came and the three of them followed him to the booth where Jenny and Manny were already seated.

  They shouted hellos to each other and in reverse order Chance scooted into the booth and sat next to Jenny. She followed and Stede squeezed in next to her until she was equally aware of him at the table as she had been in the truck. And more so, when he threaded his fingers through hers under the table and rested their joined hands on his warm thigh.

  He grabbed the pitcher of beer, skipped his glass and started to fill hers. With her free hand, she quickly covered the top of her glass, preventing him from pouring. Suddenly as if turning from Jekyll to Hyde, looking at him without apology and her voice dead as stone, whispered, “I don’t drink alcoholic beverages.”

  He paused in midmotion, somewhat taken aback by the change in her demeanor, until it apparently dawned on him that her reaction was deeply rooted in the fact that she was an abused child of an alcoholic. With a slight nod he asked, “Do you want me to order you a soda or iced tea?”

  “A Pepsi will be fine, thanks.”

  As he leaned across her to reach Chance’s outstretched glass, she studied his dark hair and neatly barbered sideburn peering from beneath his Stetson, his strong, clean-shaven jaw, straight nose, and his well-proportioned mouth, with whose taste she felt intimately familiar.

  He shifted his gaze, caught her staring, squeezed her hand under the table and turned to Jenny and Manny, refilling their glasses. For a few minutes they read the menus and waited for a waitress to come take their orders, his thumb caressing her palm to her complete distraction.

  Like magic, the music started on the jukebox and most of the couples took to the dance floor, which helped lower the decibels in the room quite a few levels.

  The men decided on ordering twelve-ounce steaks, of course, potatoes and salads and bread, but waited for Carolina to make up her mind about what to order. She looked at Jenny and said she had no idea what to choose. She’d never seen a menu that large.

  “I’m having the patty melt. It’s a small char broiled filet on black and white rye bread with mushrooms and cheese and some secret sauce. Plus it comes with fries. It’s my favorite.”

  “Sounds good, I’ll have the same.”

  “Oh,” added Stede, “the lady and I’ll each have a Pepsi and extra ice please.”

  After they ordered, Stede slid out of the round booth and took Carolina with him. “It’s time to show these cowboys how beautiful you are and let them know you can dance a mean two-step for a city gal.”

  Appropriately, Anne Murray’s, Could I Have This Dance, began to play. Stede engulfed one of Carolina’s hands in his and placed his other palm at the side of her neck, her free hand came to rest low on his hip, and he backed her around the dance floor, dipping and swaying them through the two-step.

  He twirled her singly and then in a chain, under his arms and then hers and around his back. Her long hair swung wide beneath her hat before he reclaimed her to start the process again, either toe-to-toe or side-by-side, but mostly toe-to-toe.

  With each new set, he brought her closer and closer until their hips touched and chest to breast, moving as one, no longer separating, except for the twirls that were now sparse.

  Eyes locked on each other, her arms reached around his neck. With his hands riding low at her back, he cocked his head to the side, stopped dancing altogether and in the middle of the dance floor before God and man, not giving a damn what anyone might think, he bent slowly and kissed her.

  Dancing with Stede became sensual and her blood raced with exhilaration, not to mention that her heart beat with growing desire as he brought her tantalizingly closer and closer. His hands were all over her, warm and guiding at her neck, skimming across her shoulders and down her arm as she came out of a spin into his strong and possessive arms.

  He snagged her waist and brought her back to him no longer at arms length, until at last she danced in his full embrace, the song in her heart drowning out Anne Murray’s words. The man who held her filled her vision until she was aware of no one and nothing else in the room but him.

  The draw of his cologne, the beat of his heart against her breast a match for her own, and the warmth of his lips as they settled on hers, coaxing at first, then growing hungry and demanding, until he had her clinging for dear life to the back of his shirt, faint with the want of him.

  If someone hadn’t bumped into them, she wouldn’t have been aware of the catcalls and whistles they generated in their very, very public display of affection—the deep kind of affection she’d never before thought of experiencing or that she ever thought she’d be capable of returning. Shaken, she could tell her face was flushed and certain everyone knew what she felt inside.

  She let her arms slide from around his neck and pushed against his chest to put a little space between them, but he’d have none of that. Instead, he danced her cheek to cheek back to the table and twirled her out of his arms and into her seat, at the same time the waitress delivered the food.

  Once they were seated, she stared at her food for a long moment, not really seeing anything, as she tried to get her heart rate to settle and put her emotions in check, and she received no help from him, as his leg once again found hers. She glanced at him and found him studying her like she was dessert.

  Fresh desire coursed through her own veins and without blinking an eye she removed he
r hand from her lap, reached out and shyly laid it on his thigh. His jeans beneath her fingertips were soft from the multiple washings and in sharp contrast to his hard muscles. His hand covered hers possessively, as his heated gaze intensified and drifted to her mouth, lingering there before looking down at his plate.

  All she could think was that it was a good thing Chance was sleeping in Stede’s trailer and she’d be sleeping on a bunk bed in Jenny and Manny’s motor home, otherwise she didn’t know where she and Stede might’ve ended the evening.

  She looked around the table, noting the size of the steaks these three cowboys were about to devour, and was glad Jenny recommended she order a filet instead, although even they looked to be almost two inches thick.

  With Stede running his hand across her knee every now and then, she had trouble swallowing. Deep down she knew food would never satiate the growing hunger she felt.

  Chapter Twelve

  When they arrived back to the fairgrounds, Chance said he was going to bunk down because he had to get up in the middle of the night and it was near eleven o’clock already.

  Jenny and Manny headed for their motor home and Carolina began to follow, but was held back by Stede. Jenny whispered, “I’ll leave the door open for ya’,” laughing over her shoulder.

  “Come with me.”

  “Where are we going?”

  “You’ll see.”

  Stede unlocked the tack room to his trailer and pulled out a heavy quilt, took her by the hand and led her away from all the trailers, corrals and noisy cowboys.

  On the other side of the grandstand, over a little hill, was a lake surrounded by grassland and trees and a few small spotlights under some trees. The view of the city from there and the moon sparkling on the water was a beautiful sight.

  There were other couples scattered here and there around the lake and Stede found a spot for them that appeared isolated. She decided all cowboys thought alike—a steak dinner and a lady.

  “Is this what people mean when they say, out behind the barn?”

  Stede laughed. “Yes, but this has pleasant scenery and doesn’t smell like cow.”

  He spread the quilt and they sat down, tossing their hats aside in order to better see the spill of stars that hung low in the sky, like diamonds scattered over black velvet. In an attempt to inform him she wasn’t totally delusional, she said, “I have a feeling I’m not the first girl you brought here.”

  “Oh! And what makes you say that?”

  “No specific reason, except you came equipped with this heavy cushiony quilt.”

  “I don’t know where your mind is, Carolina,” he said grinning. “But you obviously don’t have a very high opinion of cowboys. We carry this quilt in case we ever get stuck in a snowstorm. It snows a lot in Amarillo and in northern New Mexico and Arizona for that matter.”

  She gave him a little shove and said, “Thanks for the weather report, Willard!”

  He fell backward on the quilt and pulled her with him. He didn’t give her a chance to speak, but rolled her over on her back and pinned her between his arms.

  “Kiss me…”

  Carolina turned sideways until he was on his side facing her. She framed his handsome face with her hands, lightly resting her thumbs on his sideburns. With her fingers buried in the thick, springy softness of his hair worn slightly longer in the back, she kissed the tip of his nose, the outer corner of each eye, and his smooth-shaven cheeks.

  She took her time deliberately trailing little teasing kisses along his jaw line, aware of his mounting impatience. Building on it, she thoroughly explored his elusive and endearing dimples and ended by gently kissing his chin.

  Her lips hovered centimeters from his mouth, and on the return pass she captured his lower lip between her teeth and softly tugged until it slipped from her hold. She spoke against his upper lip, barely kissing him, “How am I doing?”

  A groan was her only answer, as he took the lead from her, deepening the kiss. She didn’t fight, but when the opportunity arose to regain the new-found control she’d temporarily yielded, she playfully pushed him over on his back, folded her arms across his chest and propped her chin on her hands, peering into his moonlit face.

  Wordlessly studying her with lazy, bedroom eyes, he lifted one hand and toyed with her long hair before his arm came to casually rest across the small of her back. On a soft sigh, she laid her head against his shoulder, nestling against the length of him, closing her eyes and relishing being held in his arms, feeling peace overtake her as she whispered, “Stede…”

  The next thing she knew, he was shaking her.

  “Carolina, wake up.”

  She inhaled deeply, opened her eyes and found herself wrapped in the quilt with Stede lying beside her.

  “We’d better go,” he whispered, “it’s almost two in the morning.”

  Her eyes widened and she sat up. “You’re kidding! I’ve been asleep all this time?”

  “We both have. I didn’t realize how tired I was, too. It’s beginning to look as though we sleep better together than apart.” He held out his hand and helped her up off the ground.

  “What will everyone think?” She grabbed her hat and jammed it on her head and handed him his as he gathered the quilt.

  “Well, whatever they think, they’ll be wrong; although they’ll be polite enough not to say a word in the morning.” He took her hand and she had to run to keep up with him as they headed back to camp. “Why do you think Manny hurried Jenny off to bed?”

  “Stede! They’re married.”

  “If our kisses get any hotter, we ought to be, too, before we go up in smoke.”

  She glanced at him sharply, not knowing how to respond.

  He gave her a sweet kiss goodnight and waited until she was inside the motor home before he returned to his trailer.

  A nightlight had been left on for her and she found her white satin nightgown lying on the bed. She smiled and thought maybe Jenny figured she had been saving her secret purchase for a special occasion—well actually, she had.

  The following morning, Carolina learned too soon that the fairgrounds came alive long before the sun rose. No one seemed to care if anyone was still asleep or not, they had things to do and too bad if you had other plans the night before and didn’t get enough sleep.

  She got out of bed, folded her bunk back into the wall and grabbed her things and headed for the shower. By the time Jenny and Manny were up, she had finished dressing in a pair of jeans and a white blouse and her new boots. She rolled up her shirtsleeves and offered to prepare breakfast while they showered and dressed.

  In the refrigerator, she found the green pepper, onion, eggs, a potato and cheese and decided to make a frittata with the ingredients. She chopped the pepper and onion, peeled and sliced the potato paper thin and started to sauté them in a little olive oil and a tablespoon of unsalted butter.

  She didn’t hear the door open, and was startled when Stede stood behind her, wrapped his arms around her waist and kissed her on the neck, well it was more than a kiss.

  “Hey, cowboy,” she murmured, leaning back against him. “Ready for breakfast?”

  “The only thing that will satiate my appetite is you,” he declared against the soft skin under her ear, his deep voice husky in the early morning. She liked finding out what waking up to him would be like.

  “Where’s Chance?” she asked, looking around and noticing he wasn’t there.

  “He’s been working since three this morning. He’s taking a shower now and will join us for breakfast. What are you making?”

  “A frittata.”

  “Smells good. Want me to set the table?”

  “That would be great.”

  “What would be great,” Jenny asked coming out of the bedroom?

  “Breakfast.”

  “You’re a perfect guest, Carolina. The place is straightened and someone is cooking me a meal for a change. Thanks.”

  “You’re welcome.”

  “Okay, I
’ll make coffee and start toast and Manny can pour the juice when he’s ready.”

  “Sounds like teamwork to me.”

  After breakfast, Stede announced, “I’m going to take Carolina horseback riding for a little while and then show her around the fairgrounds.”

  Although this was news to Carolina, she didn’t have a problem with the plan, but was aware of Chance’s gaze moving back and forth between her and Stede in an assessing way. Jenny gave her a soft knowing smile and stood to start clearing the dishes, having inherited clean up duty since Carolina cooked.

  “Why don’t we meet back here before dinner,” Manny suggested. “Jenny and I want to go into town a bit.”

  “Sounds fine with us.”

  “What are we going to do for dinner tonight?” Jenny asked.

  “Chance and the boys are going to take charge. They’re going to set up a big table under the pavilion and probably order from one of the caterers that should start arriving sometime this morning.”

  “Great, then we’re all set.”

  Stede led Carolina away and then asked, “You can ride, can’t you?”

  “If you assumed I rode horses when I lived in Arizona, you’d be wrong. But, I did learn how to ride in South Carolina, although I’m not what you consider an accomplished equestrian.”

  “Well, we’ll just exercise the horses and ride around the lake and back and then I’ll give you a tour and get you acquainted with what’s going on and what you can expect at the rodeo.”

  “That will help me tomorrow when the rodeo starts and you’re busy elsewhere.”

  At the corral, Stede introduced her to Jamie and John. Jamie was a trainer like Manny and John was a farrier, all part of The Foster Ranch Team. King happily wagged his tail, vying for their attention, and was satisfied after Carolina knelt down and gave him a brisk pat.

  After the horses were saddled, they headed for the trails around the lake with King running beside them. With the sun warming the chilled landscape, thoughts of returning to the rush hour commute to her D.C. office paled in comparison and she decided she could get used to an early morning ride with Stede on a daily basis.