Sam declined several invitations for dinner, his eyes holding hers, rich with promise.
A promise he lived up to. They went back to the country-western bar for dinner. And danced until the band quit.
They walked back to the hotel, through the dark streets, fingers laced together as they held hands. If there were others on the sidewalk, Lisa didn't remember seeing them.
Their night was full of passion and love. The box was almost depleted by the time they fell asleep. Assignment successfully completed, tomorrow they'd head for home.
Or later today, she thought sleepily when she dozed off. She wouldn't have missed the trip for anything. Now if only their discussion could offer a hope of reconciliation.
She thought she was falling in love all over again with Sam Haller. And if he felt the same, maybe they could start over. And this time, make it work.
Chapter Ten
“SO WHEN I told Bill what we’d bought, he was blown away. He said he’s going to send me to all the sales and let me handle it!” Lisa said, beaming.
Sam smiled, enjoying listening to her excited recount of her conversation with her boss. They had left Houston behind them and were heading home. She had called Bill Taylor before checking out, and was now regaling Sam with all the accolades Bill had apparently given.
He enjoyed seeing her so excited. Almost as much as he enjoyed seeing her flushed with passion, lying beneath him on the big bed they’d shared for two nights.
Was it almost time to have that discussion she’d mentioned? His gut tightened.
It was past time to tell her about Margot. Only, he wasn’t sure how to go about it. He should have mentioned it at the very first. But who would have thought the first day he’d seen her in Fort Worth that she’d even give him the time of day, much less end up in his bed?
He couldn’t just blurt it out. Especially when he didn’t know where they now stood.
Did Lisa see it as a short fling? Or was she looking for more?
Hell, he wasn’t even sure what he felt or wanted.
She touched his thigh.
“Are you listening to me?”
He caught her hand in his, resting them on his thigh. He’d tug her closer, but seat belts prevented it.
“I heard every word. And if Taylor doesn’t give you a big raise, tell him to talk to me.”
She laughed. “And he wouldn’t find you prejudice on my behalf?”
Sam shrugged, enjoying her laugh. It had been a long time since he’d heard it.
Silence filled the truck for a few minutes.
“Sam?”
“Yeah?” His heart began to pound. This was it. They had to clear up the past and the present before they could even think about a future.
“Want to talk?”
“About us?”
“Is there an us?”
“Do you want there to be?”
Lisa was silent for a moment. “I think I do. But I was really hurt when I left. Your distrust cut deep.”
“Yeah, well maybe I won’t be distrustful in the future.”
“You didn’t have any reason.”
“I know that now,” he said.
“But?”
“But what?”
“It sounds as if there’s a ‘but’ lurking somewhere,” she said.
He shook his head. “No buts. I know you and Nick weren’t having an affair.”
“And he’s involved with Jennifer now.”
“Right.”
“But what if I wanted to be friends with another man. Say Bill Taylor?”
“Just friends?”
She nodded.
“Then, I’d say go for it.”
“And you wouldn’t get jealous?”
His lips lifted in a half-way smile. “I didn’t say that. But I’ll handle it better this time.”
“I need you to know you don’t have any reason to be jealous. I need for you to trust me totally.”
“A person can’t help his feelings, Lisa, only his behavior.”
She sighed.
“Not willing to take the chance?” he asked.
“On what?”
“Marriage.”
“I’ve had a lot of time to think about us over the last two years. One thing I’ve come to believe is we rushed into marriage.”
“Of course we did, we couldn’t wait.”
“We don’t need to rush this time. We should take things slowly. Get to learn more about each other. Like you said when we went to the zoo.”
Only when you know more about me, you won’t want to talk marriage at all, he thought grimly. How was he going to tell her? Straight out, or lead up to it gradually?
“With marriage as an end?” he asked for clarification.
“Do you want to get married again to me?” she asked.
Sam almost laughed out loud. He’d never stopped wanting her in his house, riding the range with him, in his bed. The only reason he’d dated Margot was she reminded him so much of Lisa.
But there were two little children to consider this time around. Joey didn’t remember their being a family, or the fighting. Sam didn’t want him to be exposed to anything like that in the future. He and Lisa had better be damned certain they were marrying for life if they took it up again.
“Gee, don’t rush into speech,” she said, tugging her hand free.
“It’s not that I don’t want get married again to you,” he clarified quickly. “But I’m thinking of the various ramifications.”
“Like we won’t make it a second time either?”
He shrugged. “There are other people to consider now.”
“Joey.”
“Among others,” he murmured.
“Joey would be thrilled to have us back together to be a family together.”
“He just wants to live on the ranch.”
“That, too.”
He saw her frown. He wasn’t that pleased with the way the conversation was going either, but he wasn’t going to make any promises he couldn’t keep.
“Nick,” she said flatly.
“What?”
“Nick is the other party, right? And Jennifer. Neither seem overly fond of me right now.”
“They’ll be living on the ranch.”
“It’s still your home, too.”
“Nick isn’t a problem.”
“Could have fooled me,” she muttered.
“Why?”
“He’s told me in no uncertain terms to stay away from you?”
“Nick did?” This was news to Sam. Why would his brother interfere?
“He seems to think that I’m some sort of femme fatale where you’re concerned and nothing I do will be good enough.”
“That’s dumb.”
“I wonder. Jennifer made some astute observations,” she added.
“Like?”
“Like the reason for the fierce rivalry between you and Nick. How your father favored him, and really came down hard on you. I knew some of that from knowing about your family all my life. But I didn’t realize how it could impact our relationship.”
“And how did it?” Sam didn’t like the idea of Lisa and Jennifer discussing their relationship. What else would Jennifer let slip?
“I never should have tried to make you jealous by seeking Nick’s company.”
“You tried to make me jealous?” Sam asked, astonished.
She rubbed her fingers nervously on her jeans. “Sometimes I thought you liked the ranch more than me and that if you saw someone else liked me, maybe it would make you notice me more.”
He flicked her an incredulous look. “You were my wife! I was crazy about you. I never liked the ranch more. I was trying to build it up to support you in style!”
“I didn’t want to be supported in style. I wanted more attention from you! I thought we were going to be partners in everything.”
“We were.”
“Then how come I had to find out about your dearest dream of becoming a vet from a virtual
stranger?” she almost shouted.
Sam took a deep breath. “It was a kid’s dream.”
“Not according to Jennifer.”
“So now Jennifer is the authority on my life?”
“No, not at all, but I find it interesting that you share something like that with her and not with your own wife.”
“Maybe if my own wife had ever asked, or shown an interest, I would have! All I can remember you wanting to do was go into town and dance.”
Lisa looked at him, her eyes wide. “That’s what you remember about our marriage?”
He nodded once, abruptly, his hands tightening on the wheel. He remembered coming in from a rough day on the range and having her all dressed up to go into town. When he’d mention being tired, she’d cajole him into a quick shower and change, and off they’d go.
He also remembered one time he’d flat out refused and she’d gone with Nick.
“Water over the dam, Lisa. It doesn’t matter any more. We were crazy over each other, but it burned out.”
“What I remember from our marriage was that you told me that many times you were crazy about me. But now that I think about it, I don’t ever remember you telling me you loved me.”
“What?”
“Did you ever love me, Sam? With a bone-deep, abiding love that lasts a lifetime?”
“Is that what you felt for me? Before or after you walked out?”
“Maybe that’s why we couldn’t stay together. Maybe the other was just the excuse that split us apart.”
She hadn’t loved him? He didn’t want to think it had only been infatuation, lust. They’d been so crazy.
She was right. Was he trying to hide, or had he never loved her like he should have loved a wife? Never shared things with her, never sought her advice.
She was five years younger. Had he thought she’d have nothing to offer just because he was older? Or because she’d been brought up in town and not on a ranch? How blind could a man get?
“I want you, Lisa. Anyway I can get you.”
“But love?”
“I don’t know.”
“Me, neither.”
“Then let’s take things slowly. See if we can discover what we really feel.”
“And if it’s only lust?”
He shook his head. His feelings for her went far beyond the physical. He liked her sunny outlook on life, her laughter, the sweet way she had with their son, the genuine delight she took in simple pleasures. His life had been lonely the last two years. And not just at night.
“It is not only lust,” he said.
“So this isn’t just a fling.”
“I don’t want it to be,” he said.
“Me, neither. But I’m not rushing into anything again!”
“So we take it slow.”
She laughed softly. “These three days didn’t feel slow, cowboy.”
“We’ll slow down.”
“We’ll have to in Tumbleweed, too many people watching.”
“And you don’t want to be seen with me?”
“Not that. But I don’t want anything to get blown out of proportion, or gossip to fly. We have Joey to think about this time around.”
“Actually,” he looked over at her, “There is someone else who will-- ”
“Look out!”
He looked back at the highway just in time to see a metal dolly bouncing across the lane. He swerved the truck to avoid it, his right wheels going into the softer shoulder. Ahead of them, the truck the dolly had fallen from was pulling to the shoulder. Trying to keep the pickup under control took all Sam’s efforts. Behind them they heard the sound of metal crashing against metal.
He stopped and got out. “Stay here.”
Another car crashed into the first. Then another. The sound of screeching brakes and crunching metal filled the air.
“I’m going to see if anyone needs help.” He pointed to the glove compartment. “Cell phone inside, call for help.”
Lisa scrambled to get the phone and dialed the emergency number. She tried to find a mile marker to give them an idea of where the accidents were, and ended up getting out of the truck and running ahead to one she could see.
When she turned, she was horrified. Several cars were scattered across both lanes of the highway on their side of the median strip. Some were crumpled, one seemed to be smoking, but she hoped it was just radiator steam.
She hurried toward the wreckage.
All thought of their discussion fled as she searched for Sam. What if more cars slammed into the pile already several cars in length? What if he were trying to help someone and got hit himself? There, she saw him.
Skirting the first car, she peeked inside to see if anyone needed help. By the time she reached Sam, she’d spoken to four people none seriously injured.
* * *
IT WAS LATE by the time emergency vehicles had arrived and the mess sorted out. Sam and Lisa gave information to the police and the owner of the rental truck which had dropped the dolly had given his statement.
“That was good driving you did,” she said when they once again started for Tumbleweed. “If you hadn’t avoided it, we would have been the lead vehicle in that pile up.”
“The car behind us missed it, too. It was the third guy who wasn’t so lucky.”
“And all the ones behind him. At least a slight concussion and that twisted knee were the worst of it,” she said, feeling exhausted now that the adrenalin had stopped pumping.
The rest of the trip passed without incident. Lisa halfway dozed. By the time they reached Tumbleweed, it was dark.
“Want to go to your place or your folks?” Sam asked.
“Mom’s. I want to see Joey.”
“Won’t he be in bed by now?”
Lisa checked her watch and nodded. “But I can still see him. He just won’t know it. Want to come in, too?”
Sam shook his head. “I’ll have a million things to catch up on at the ranch tomorrow. Want to bring Joey out on Saturday, or shall I come in to pick him up?”
Her heart sank. For a little while she’d thought they were making headway. His comment sounded formal and distant. As if their three days together didn’t count and they were back to square one.
“I’ll bring him out.”
“And stay for another picnic? It’ll probably be warm enough for Joey to go wading in the creek.”
“I’m sure he’ll love that.”
She wouldn’t see Sam tomorrow, but she had work she had to catch up on as well. And they’d spend Saturday together just like a family again.
She would not get her hopes up. But the warmth that spread through her comforted her. Sam still wanted to see her.
* * *
SATURDAY WAS HOT and muggy. Lisa couldn’t blame Joey for being excited about their planned excursion to the ranch, she was excited herself.
Sam had called last night just before Joey had gone to bed to talk to their son. He’d spoken to her for only a moment. But she hadn’t minded she knew they’d have today together.
She prepared a lavish picnic with ham sandwiches, some of her mother’s pickles that Sam had always liked so much. And the cupcakes were the result of not sleeping last night due to too much excitement.
Jennifer and Nick were at some horse show this weekend, so if Sam asked her to stay for dinner, it would be just the three of them with no other family to intrude.
She’d have to talk with Nick come to some sort of truce if she truly wanted this relationship with Sam to grow. Maybe enlist Jennifer’s help to end the hostility.
Sam was waiting when they drove up. He’d saddled the horses and they stood waiting patiently at the hitching rail.
Joey scrambled from the car and ran pellmell towards his father, flinging himself into his arms. Lisa felt a twinge of envy. She’d like to do that very thing.
Instead, she put on her hat, fetched the picnic, packed well enough to withstand the horseback ride, and slowly walked over to join the two most important
people in her world.
Joey was delivering his usual rapid fire recitation of what he’d been doing since he’d last seen Sam. His father nodded, then looked over at Lisa. Her breath caught. Her heart raced and the fluttery feelings she always had around Sam increased.
“I hope you brought your suit,” he said when she drew closer. He leaned over and kissed her on the mouth, letting his tongue tease her lips.
She could have wished they were alone except Joey had been so looking forward to the day.
“Yes, I did. It’s hotter in town, I think. But plenty hot here, too. The water will feel great.”
“I have my bathing suit on, Daddy. I just have to take off my jeans and I’m ready to go swimming!” Joey exclaimed.
“Great idea, partner. I have mine, too, so we can all play in the water.
Lisa nodded and turned to put the lunch in the saddle bag of her mount. Her fingers almost fumbled with the task, her mind was definitely on imagining Sam in nothing but bathing trunks, his broad chest bare to the sun. Ever since they’d returned home, she’d been thinking of their nights together in Houston and wanting more.
“Let’s go, Daddy. I want to go swimming at the creek!” Joey said.
“I’m ready.”
Just then a car came slowly down the gravel driveway that led to the house. When the driver saw them at the corral, the car changed direction.
Lisa glanced at the vehicle, then finished fastening the straps on the saddle bags. She didn’t recognize car or driver.
Sam put Joey on the ground. “Go with your mom, Joey. We’ll be ready to go soon.”
Without a word to Lisa he went to intercept the car.
She watched, wondering who it was, hoping it wasn’t some sort of ranch business that would tie Sam up. With Nick gone, he’d have to deal with anything that came up.
Sam leaned down, his hands on the car door, and spoke to the driver through the open window.
Lisa thought they were arguing, but she wasn’t sure.
“Can we go, Mommy?” Joey asked impatiently.
“As soon as your daddy gets done. You want to ride with him, don’t you?”
“I can go to the creek all by myself!”
Lisa laughed. “Not just yet. We’ll wait for your daddy.”
“How much longer?”
Love Me Some Cowboy Page 47
