The Manning Sisters

by Debbie Macomber

  Russ, riding Magic, set the pace, and once they were past the barn, he pointed out a trail that led toward rolling hills of fresh, green grass. “We’ll head this way.”

  “Do you mind if we go a bit slower?” She swayed back and forth, beginning to feel a little seasick with the motion.

  “If we went any slower, we’d be standing still.”

  “What’s wrong with that?” she muttered. “By the way, if it isn’t too much to ask, where are you taking me?”

  Russ waggled his eyebrows suggestively. “Now she asks.”

  “And what’s that supposed to mean?”

  “Nothing.” But his dark eyes were twinkling—a look Taylor had seen before, once too often.

  She pulled back on the reins several minutes later, mildly surprised when Shadow slowed to a stop. “I don’t trust you, Russ. Tell me this minute exactly where we’re going.”

  Russ leaned back in the saddle, nonchalantly throwing one leg around the saddle horn and clasping his hands behind his head. He was as at ease in a saddle as he was in his own living room. “No place in particular. You want to stop and rest a minute? There’s a valley about a quarter mile from here.”

  Taylor hated to admit how sore her posterior already felt. And they hadn’t even gone very far. If she squinted, she could just make out the back of the red barn in the distance.

  “Yes, let’s stop and rest,” she agreed. “But no funny business.”

  Theatrically Russ removed his hat and pressed it over his heart with a roguish grin. “Once again you insult me, madam.”

  Taylor said nothing, unwilling to take part in his performance.

  “Mandy says you’re helping her sew a vest,” Russ said conversationally a few minutes later. He slowed Magic and swung down with a grace Taylor could only envy. It had taken all her strength just to raise herself into the saddle. If Russ hadn’t given her a boost, she would’ve been caught with one foot in the stirrup and the other madly waving in midair—until she crashed to the ground.

  “Need any help?”

  “I can do it myself,” she announced, not the least bit confident. Surely climbing out of the saddle would be less of a strain than getting into it had been. Besides, if Russ lent her a hand, he’d use it as an excuse to kiss her. Not that she’d mind, but for once she’d enjoy having a relaxed conversation without falling into his arms like a love-starved teenager.

  Taylor was pleased at how easy dismounting turned out to be. Her legs felt a little shaky, but once her feet were on the ground and she’d walked around a bit, she decided this horseback riding business wasn’t as difficult as she’d assumed.

  “I don’t expect many more warm days like this one,” Russ said. He tilted his hat back on his head and stared into the distance. Several cattle were grazing on a hill across from them.

  Taylor joined him, and he slipped an arm around her waist as familiarly as if he’d been doing so for years.

  “Thank you for everything you’re doing for Mandy.”

  “It’s nothing.”

  “It’s a lot. Teaching her to sew. Encouraging her. She comes home high as a kite after she’s been with you, chattering a mile a minute.” A boyish grin lifted his mouth. “For that matter, I come home happy, too.”

  Taylor lowered her eyes. “I think her making the drill team is what boosted her spirits more than anything. She could’ve walked on water the day she learned she’d been chosen.”

  “Only three freshmen made the squad,” Russ said, smiling proudly.

  Linking her hands behind her back, Taylor strolled over to a large tree. Leaning against the trunk, she raised one knee and rested her booted foot behind her. “I’ve enjoyed working with Mandy this week. She reminds me of my sister, Christy, when she was fourteen. Unfortunately I was sixteen at the time and considered Christy a major pest.”

  “Mandy told me you came from a large family.”

  “By today’s standards, I guess you could say that. I have three older brothers, Paul, Jason and Rich. Paul’s the only one who’s married, and believe me, the rest of us are eternally grateful to him because he quickly presented my parents with twin sons. Now that Mom and Dad have grandchildren, the rest of us are off the hook, at least for a while.”

  “You’re close to your family, aren’t you?”

  Taylor nodded. “I can’t believe how much I miss them. They must be feeling the same way because I’ve heard from them practically every day.”

  Russ lowered himself to the grass, stretching his legs in front of him and crossing his ankles. “Mandy said something about how your father reminds you of me.”

  “Is nothing sacred?” she teased. If his sister had been dropping tidbits about him, she’d also done a bang-up job of keeping Russ informed of their conversations. “My dad’s a born chauvinist. I don’t think he’s sure it was a good thing that women were granted the vote.”

  Russ didn’t laugh the way most people would. “I don’t mind if women vote. It’s holding public office that concerns me.”

  Taylor shoved away from the tree so fast, she nearly fell. Her mouth worked for several seconds before any words came out. “I can’t believe you just said that. Why shouldn’t a woman hold public office?”

  “My, my, you’re always so touchy.”

  “Who can blame me when you say something so ludicrous?”

  “Think about it, Taylor. A woman is the very heart of a home and family. What kind of wife and mother would she be if she was so deeply involved in politics that she couldn’t tend to her family?”

  “I’m not hearing this,” she muttered.

  “Don’t you think a woman’s place is with her children?”

  “What about a father’s place?”

  “The husband’s got to work in order to support the family.”

  Taylor covered her face with both hands. Even if his opinion was half-meant to be provocative, arguing with him would do no good. She’d tried often enough with her father, but to no avail. The two men were equally out of date in their views, equally stubborn and difficult.

  Not knowing what possessed her, she leaped forward, jerked Russ’s hat from his head and took off running.

  “Taylor?” Russ vaulted to his feet in one smooth movement and chased after her. “What are you doing with my hat? What’s gotten into you?”

  Walking backward, keeping a safe distance from him, Taylor hid the Stetson behind her. “You’re narrow-minded and the second-worst chauvinist I’ve ever known.”

  “You stole my hat because of that?”

  “Yes. It was the only way I could make you suffer.”

  Russ advanced toward her, taking small steps. “Give me back the hat, Taylor.”

  “Forget it.” For a good part of her life, Taylor had been playing keep-away with her brothers. She might not be as big as Russ and not nearly as agile, but she was quick.

  “Taylor, give me the hat,” he said again. His gaze narrowed as he advanced toward her, holding out his hand.

  “No way. Women don’t have any business holding public office? I can’t let something that outrageous pass without making you pay.”

  Laughter flashed from his eyes as he lunged for her. Taylor let out a playful shriek and darted sharply to the left. Russ missed her by a yard.

  Russ turned and was prepared to make another dive toward her when Taylor tossed the black cowboy hat with all her might into the sky. “Catch it if you can!” she shouted, bobbing past him. She was in such a rush that she stumbled and would have crashed face first onto the grass if Russ hadn’t captured her around the waist and brought her against him. The full force of her weight caught him off balance. He twisted so that he took the brunt of the impact, and they toppled onto the ground.

  Within a heartbeat, Russ had reversed their positions, pinning her hands above her head. Taylor looked up into the dark warmth of his eyes and smiled. Her breasts were heaving with excitement.

  “Who’s making whom pay?” Russ demanded. He pressed his mouth to her n
eck, running the tip of his tongue over the smooth skin of her throat. Sensation wove its way down her spine, and she moaned softly and bucked. “No…”

  “You’re going to be doing a lot more begging before I’m through with you,” Russ whispered. He kissed her then, his lips teasing and taunting hers with soft nibbles, promising but never quite delivering.

  Arching her back, she struggled and was immediately released. With her hands free, she buried her fingers in his hair, raised her head and fused her mouth to his. She could feel herself dissolving, melting against him.

  Russ kissed her mouth, her eyes, her throat. Taylor felt as if she were on fire, her whole body aflame with need. His hand found her breast, and Taylor sighed as a fresh wave of fiery sensation engulfed her.

  “Oh, Russ,” she pleaded, not sure what she was asking of him. The physical urge was strong and compelling, but there had to be so much more before she could freely give herself to him. A merging of their hearts. Commitment. Love.

  She had no time to voice her concerns. Russ kissed her, and a swift, acute sensation of hot, urgent desire rose up in her, blocking out everything but her awareness of Russ and her growing need.

  She wanted him to continue—and yet…

  “Either we stop now or we finish.” His breathing was raspy as he slid his hands from her hips to her shoulders. “The choice is yours.”

  Taylor squeezed her eyes shut. Her throat was tight as she slowly shook her head. She didn’t need to think twice; the decision had been made for her the moment she met Russ. He was as much a part of this landscape as the sycamore trees around them. She was as misplaced as a hothouse flower. But beyond that, Russ was a chauvinist. There was no other word for it. After the years of battling with her father, Taylor had no intention of falling in love with a man who shared the same outdated attitudes toward women.

  She gave a shake of her head.

  Russ exhaled sharply. “That’s what I thought.” His breath left him in a defeated rush and he stroked her hair. “Were you hurt when we hit the ground like that?”

  She shook her head a second time, wishing she could hide her face in her hands and never look at him again. She certainly hadn’t intended to let things go this far. One moment she was teasing him, playfully tossing his hat into the air, and the next…

  “Are you sure you’re all right?”

  “Of course.” But that was far from the truth. Taking his cue, she moved away from him and sat on the grass.

  “Mandy’s probably wondering about us,” she said, doing her best to keep her voice from trembling as badly as her hands did.

  “Don’t worry. She won’t send out a search party.”

  To Taylor’s way of thinking, it might have been better if Mandy had.

  It seemed everyone was looking at Taylor when she rode back into the yard. The ranch hands’ curiosity about her was probably due to her precarious seat atop Shadow more than anything. As soon as she was able to stop the horse, she tossed the reins over his head and slid ingloriously from the saddle. Her feet landed with a jarring thud when she connected with the ground.

  Mandy came out of the house, waving. “Gee, what took you guys so long?” she called, walking toward them. “I’ve had dinner ready for ages.”

  “We stopped and rested for a bit,” Russ said, sharing a secret smile with Taylor, who was confident the color in her cheeks spelled out exactly what they’d been doing.

  “I thought you were going to be back right away, so I fixed soup and sandwiches for dinner. That’s all right, isn’t it?”

  “Actually, I should be getting back to town,” Taylor said, eager to make her escape. Only when she was alone would she be able to analyze what had happened. Of one thing she was sure: there wouldn’t be a repeat of this.

  All her good intentions to take the time to heal her broken heart properly were like dust particles caught in the wind, blowing every which way. She had no business getting involved with Russ.

  “Oh, please, don’t go yet.” Mandy’s face fell at Taylor’s announcement.

  “I really have to,” Taylor insisted. Spending any more of this day with Russ would have been agonizing, reminding her of what she couldn’t allow herself to have.

  Taylor hadn’t been in her rental house five minutes when she felt the urge to talk to her mother. But it was her father who answered on the third ring.

  “Hi, Dad.”

  “Taylor, sweetheart, how are you?” No matter what his mood, he always sounded gruff.

  “Fine.”

  The pause that followed was brief. “What’s wrong?”

  Taylor smiled to herself. She’d never been very good at keeping anything from her parents. “What makes you ask?”

  “You don’t call home very often.”

  “Dad,” she whispered, closing her eyes, “is Mom around? I’m in the mood for a mother-daughter chat.”

  “Your mother’s shopping. Just pretend I’m her and talk.”

  “I can’t do that.” She loved him dearly, but they were constantly arguing. Of all the Manning children, Taylor was the one who didn’t hesitate to stand up to him. Her bravery had won her the esteem of her siblings.

  “Why can’t you talk to me? I’m your father, aren’t I? You’re the one who’s always throwing equality of the sexes in my face. So talk.”

  “But, Dad, this is different.”

  “Hogwash. I haven’t been married to your mother for the past thirty-five years without knowing how she thinks. Tell me what you want and I’ll respond just as if I were your mother.”

  “It’s nothing really, but, well…” She decided to jump in with both feet. “What would you say if I told you I met a cowboy I think I might be falling in love with? The problem is, I’m not sure I could even get along with this man. From the moment we met he set my teeth on edge.”

  “I take it the situation has changed?”

  “Not really,” she mumbled, knowing she wasn’t making much sense. “He still says things that make me so mad I could scream, but then at other times he’ll do something so sweet and sincere I want to cry.” Her voice shook. “I realize it probably goes back to Mark, and you’re going to say I’m on the rebound. Russ and I are as incompatible as any two people could be. I can’t even believe I’m so attracted to him.” She pulled in a deep breath once she’d finished. There was silence on the other end. “Dad?”

  “I’m here.”

  “Well, say something.”

  “You want me to say something?” he repeated, but he didn’t sound like himself. He paused and cleared his throat. “In this case I think you might be right—talk this over with your mother. She knows about these things.”

  Taylor laughed softly into the phone and shook her head. For the first time in recent history she’d won an argument with her father.

  On Tuesday afternoon, as Taylor walked home, she stopped at the grocery store, then mailed her electric bill payment at the pharmacy. She loved going into Cougar Point’s drugstore. Not only could she have a prescription filled, but she could buy just about anything she needed. A tiny branch of the post office operated there, as well as a liquor store. In Seattle one-stop shopping generally referred to a large mall, but in Cougar Point it meant going to the pharmacy.

  As she carried her groceries home, she noticed that the leaves were starting to change and wondered how long this pleasant fall weather would continue. Turning off Main Street and onto Oak, she saw Mandy sitting on her front porch.

  “Mandy?” The girl’s eyes were red and puffy from crying. “Sweetheart, what’s wrong?”

  Russ’s sister leaped to her feet and wiped her eyes. Her chin was tilted at a proud, indignant angle and her mouth trembled. “I’m leaving.”

  “Leaving?”

  “Running away,” she explained in a tight voice. “But before I go, I thought I should tell someone so Russ won’t send Cody Franklin out looking for me.”

  Six

  “Come inside,” Taylor urged the girl. “I think we
should talk about this.”

  Mandy hedged, keeping her eyes downcast. “I don’t really have time.”

  “It’ll just take a few minutes. I promise.” Withdrawing the key from her purse, Taylor opened the door, walked inside and deposited her groceries on the kitchen counter.

  Mandy followed, clearly anxious to be on her way.

  Pulling out a chair, Taylor indicated she should sit down. Then she grabbed them each a can of cold soda as inducement and took the chair opposite Mandy.

  “It’s Russ,” the girl said in a choked whisper. “He’s making me quit the drill team.”

  Taylor struggled to hide her dismay. “Is it your grades?”

  “No. I’ve always been high honor roll. We got our uniforms this afternoon and I tried mine on and Russ happened to come into the house. He saw me and got all bent out of shape, saying the skirt was too short. I tried to tell him the skirts have been the same length for the past hundred years, and that just made him madder.”

  “I don’t think your brother appreciates sarcasm.”

  “No kidding. He insisted I drop the hem on the skirt five inches. I know I should’ve been more subtle, but I couldn’t help it. I laughed and told him he was being ridiculous.”

  “I can’t imagine that pleased him.”

  “No,” Mandy said, shaking her head. She clutched the can with stiff fingers, but as far as Taylor could see she hadn’t taken a sip. “Then he said this wasn’t an issue we were going to discuss. He was ordering me, as my legal guardian, to lower the hem of the skirt, and he didn’t want any arguments.”

  “Naturally you refused.”

  “Naturally. What else could I do?” Mandy yelped. “I’d look totally asinine with a drill team skirt that went to midcalf. I’d be the laughing stock of the entire school district, and all because my bullheaded brother won’t listen to reason.”