Big Sky Country

by Janet Dailey

  "I thought you might be thinking of some new tactic to maneuver me into changing my mind." His voice was low and cynical.

  "Maneuver?" Jill swallowed. Her lashes fluttered, a gold brown fringe above deepening blue eyes.

  "Isn't that what you've been doing since we met?" The softly dangerous tone dared her to deny it.

  "I don't know what you mean," Jill protested weakly. Her facade as an ingénue was being stripped away by his slicing gaze and she was helpless to stop it. "If you mean, have I tried to convince you to give Kerry and Todd a chance? I have to admit that I have."

  "Do you honestly expect me to believe you're as innocent as you appear?" Riordan smiled coldly, his amusement secret and at her expense.

  "You're talking in circles." Jill fluttered her lashes in uncertain confusion, tossing her head to the side in bewilderment. "I don't understand what you're saying."

  "Your act was very good, but intelligence has a way of letting itself be seen."

  "My act?" she repeated blankly.

  Inside she knew she couldn't admit that there was any truth to his accusations. If she stopped playing the "dumb blonde" now, she would end up losing her temper and telling him exactly what she thought of his arrogant ways. That anger would not help Kerry at all, although it would certainly release some of her own frustration.

  "Really, Mr. Riordan, you just aren't making any sense." She reached for the door handle of the car. "I'd better be going inside."

  It was locked. For a poised instant, her eyes searched frantically for the release before she realized that it was on the driver's side. Unwillingly she had to turn back to his mocking expression.

  "Would you please unlock the door?"

  Her request was met with silence and a complacent look. Jill nervously ran her tongue over her lower lip. The action focused his attention on her mouth.

  "How do butterflies steal the nectar from so many flowers and remain looking untouched?" His own mouth twisted cynically, not requiring a reply.

  Butterfly! The word shivered over her skin, goose-bumps rising along the back of her neck. Only yesterday Jill had used that very word to describe herself. Riordan had chosen the same one. Coincidence? Or had some mysterious something passed between them, giving each the insight about the other?

  "Why…why did you say butterfly?" She had to ask the question, her voice breathless and at odds with the guileless expression.

  "Because," Riordan answered slowly and arrogantly, "you are as beautiful, as fragile, and about as constant as a butterfly." It was a condemnation, not a compliment. The back of a finger followed a strand of tawny gold hair brushed away from her face in its windblown style and down the back of her neck. Jill was pinned, like the butterfly he called her, by his steel-sharp gaze. "I've always wondered if the honey tastes sweeter from the lips of a butterfly."

  His hand cupped the back of her neck, fingers twisting into her hair, adding further pressure to draw Jill toward him. Her hands spread across his chest in resistance.

  A soft, surprised, "No!" was offered in protest.

  A tug of her hair turned her face up to meet his descending mouth, a flash of cynical amusement in its hard line an instant before it captured her lips.

  Brutally harsh, he ravaged her mouth. There was a buzzing in harsh ears, hot fires of humiliation raced through her veins. In another second, Jill felt, surely her neck would break under the force of his kiss.

  It was not the way a man would kiss a woman but the way a man would take his pleasure of a tramp, without a thought or a care to her feelings. But his strength was overpowering. Her struggles were only the useless flutterings of butterfly wings against iron bars.

  Beneath her doubled fists straining against his chest, she could feel the steady beating of his heart. Her own was hammering like a mad thing. The bruising kiss was sapping all her strength, taking it from her as if it was nectar from a flower. She had to dredge the very depths of her reserves to keep from submitting weakly to his punishing embrace.

  Riordan had attacked with the swiftness of an eagle swooping on its prey. With the same unexpectedness, he freed her mouth and relaxed the talon-hard grip on her neck, his fingers sliding to her fragile collarbone, capable of snapping it at the least provocation. Jill's head sank wearily in defeat, her tousled golden hair cascading forward over his hand to conceal the flaming humiliation in her cheeks.

  But she wasn't allowed the precious seconds to regain her whirling equilibrium and take the calming breaths of air. Her chin was captured between his thumb and forefinger and raised so Riordan could inspect the extent of his conquest. Mirrored in his silver eyes was her own flushed and resentful expression, nothing more.

  "Which of us is stronger, Miss Randall?" His lip curled in a derisive smile.

  "Physically you are!" she hissed, blue flames shooting from her eyes, but Riordan was made of steel, not wood, and the fire harmlessly ricocheted over its target.

  The grooves around his mouth deepened. "Don't make the mistake of thinking it's only physical," he warned in a low voice.

  Releasing her completely, he was once again sitting behind the wheel. A movement of his hand near the control panel was followed by the comforting click of the car door being unlocked.

  "Goodnight, Miss Randall."

  Her knees trembled badly as she stepped from the car onto the curb. His assault on her—it could hardly be termed an embrace—had shaken her more than she realized, but it hadn't broken her spirit. With the security of distance between them, she turned, holding the door open as she leaned down to glare at him.

  "Don't you make the mistake of thinking it's over, Riordan. I'm going to do everything I can to make certain Kerry and Todd are married as soon as possible!" She hurled the glove of challenge, slammed the door and pivoted sharply toward the building.

  For a few quaking steps, Jill thought he might come after her. Unconsciously she held her breath, expelling it in a long sigh when she heard the snarl of the car engine. Those were bold words she had spoken, but she was determined to make them fact.

  Kerry returned some time past midnight. Jill was in her single bed, feigning sleep. Her mind was too filled with vindictive thoughts. She doubted if she could hold them back in the intimacy of a late night chat, and it was better if Kerry never found out about what had happened. Fortunately no attempt was made to waken her as her dark-haired roommate changed into her nightclothes and slipped silently into the small bed opposite Jill's.

  Morning brought the exhilarating knowledge that Riordan was on his way out of town if not already gone. Jill's sleep had been plagued by the lurking memory of his bruising kiss, but the rising sun seemed to burn away the humiliation she had suffered at his hands. Kerry, too, had seemed more relaxed and less haunted when she had dressed to meet Todd for church.

  Arching her back, stretching cramping muscles, Jill couldn't help wondering what had taken place during Todd's meeting with Riordan that morning. Whatever had transpired, she could be sure of one thing-Riordan hadn't experienced a change of heart.

  She blinked her eyes tiredly. Her mind was wandering from the task at hand again. If she had concentrated on what she was doing, the term paper would have been done an hour ago, she scolded herself, and forced her gaze to focus on the bonded paper in the typewriter.

  As she removed the error-free sheet, the hallway door opened. Jill glanced around to identify Kerry entering the room.

  "Excellent timing, Kerry," she greeted her roommate with a smiling sigh. "This is the last page. The typewriter is all yours."

  "I brought you a sandwich and a Coke, I thought you'd probably be hungry." Kerry motioned toward the paper bag she had set on the bureau top.

  "You're a lifesaver!" Jill gathered up her papers and stacked them on the corduroy quilted cover of her bed. With the bag in hand, she returned to the bed, curling her long legs beneath her to sit cross-legged near the head of the bed. "You and Todd must have gone out to dinner after church."

  Her comment was
met with silence. A curious frown pulled Jill's arched brows together as she glanced up. Kerry was going through the motions of hanging her dusty-rose coat in the closet, but her mind seemed far removed from the task.

  "Kerry?" Jill snapped her fingers to prod her friend back to the present.

  "What?" Kerry looked around blankly. "I'm sorry. Did you say something?"

  "Nothing important." Jill set the Coke on the table between the two beds and took the wrapped sandwich from the bag. "You were in a daze."

  "Was I?" The coat was carefully hung in the closet before Kerry walked slowly to her bed. She sat on the edge, staring thoughtfully at the hands she clasped in her lap. "I suppose I was thinking," she murmured.

  "That's a safe guess," Jill teased, but her expression was marked with concern. "Of course, the next question is what were you thinking about?"

  The hands twisted nervously in tier lap. "You remember that Todd met with Riordan this morning."

  "Yes." Her blue gaze hardened warily. She unwrapped the sandwich, pretending an interest in it. "What did the great man have to say?" She couldn't keep the sarcasm out of her voice.

  "Todd's application for a transfer to Harvard has been accepted. Riordan received the notification at the ranch this last week," Kerry told her.

  So Riordan had another ace up his sleeve, Jill thought angrily. All he had to do was keep Todd and Kerry apart for the summer and the distance between Montana and the East Coast would take care of the rest of the year. He was probably counting on out of sight being out of mind.

  "You and Todd will have to set the wedding date for some time in August, then, won't you?" Jill tossed her head back, letting the Shaggy, golden curls trail down her back. "With your grade point you could easily transfer to a university out there."

  "I couldn't afford the out-of-state tuition, though," Kerry sighed.

  As Riordan had no doubt guessed, Jill added savagely to herself. "And Todd wouldn't be able to help because Riordan is still holding the threat of shutting off the money supply over his head." Her fingers tightened on the sandwich, smashing the bread and wishing it was Riordan's neck. "The two of you can't allow him to blackmail you this way!"

  "Todd doesn't think we should do anything too hasty yet."

  "He surely doesn't think Riordan is going to change his mind. This isn't the age of miracles." At the pinched lines that appeared around Kerry's mouth, Jill wished that her reply hadn't been so completely negative. She should have left her friend with a little hope.

  "Well," Kerry breathed in deeply, "Riordan did make a proposition to Todd this morning."

  "What kind?" Jill was skeptical of any proposition Riordan would offer.

  "He…he conceded that he might have been too harsh and quick in his judgment."

  "That's big of him," Jill grumbled, biting into her sandwich.

  "He admits he was prejudiced against me before we ever met and that he should at least get to know me better. He still doesn't approve of the engagement," Kerry hastened to add.

  "So what has he suggested?" Jill asked dryly. "A trial period?"

  Until the autumn term started and Todd was gone to Harvard, Jill completed the thought silently.

  "Something like that," her roommate admitted, finally lifting her gaze from the twining fingers in her lap to look at Jill. "Todd works at the ranch in the summer. Riordan has invited me to spend a month there so he and I can get better acquainted."

  Total disaster, was Jill's first thought. Kerry was already intimidated by the man. A month in his company would totally subdue her even with Todd's support. Jill did not underestimate Riordan. She knew his capabilities and the lengths he would go to achieve his ends.

  She stared at her sandwich. "There is an obstacle to his invitation, Kerry. How are you going to stay at his ranch and earn money to pay for your fall term as well?" Both she and Kerry were going to work for Jill's parents that summer in their motel restaurant near the entrance to Yellowstone Park. "Mom and dad will have to hire someone to take your place. You won't even have a summer job after you've spent a month there."

  "Riordan has offered to compensate me for that."

  She should have guessed he would cover every contingency. Jill stuffed the partially eaten sandwich back in the sack. It had begun to taste like cotton.

  "You can't seriously be considering the offer," Jill protested desperately, pressing two fingers against her forehead, trying to rub away the throbbing ache that had started between her eyes. "You know it wouldn't work. He'd make your life a total misery. You know what he can be like when Todd isn't around. How long do you think you could take it?"

  "I couldn't, not alone. But—" thin brown eyes became round and pleading, engulfing the plainly petite features in a lost helpless look "—if you were with me—"

  "I'll let you in on a little secret," Jill interrupted quickly, drawing a deep breath and untangling her legs. "Riordan doesn't like me and he isn't about to invite me to spend a month at his ranch. Besides I, too, have to work this summer."

  "Jill." Something in Kerry's voice put her instantly on guard. "Riordan thought it might not look right for me to stay there at the house for a month with Todd and him. I mean, he does have a housekeeper, but…well, he invited you to come, too, as a kind of chaperone—with the same offer of compensation."

  "Oh, no!" Jill was on her feet, striding away from the bed to the solitary window. Sunlight glistened platinum gold over her hair dancing around her shoulders as she shook her head vigorously. Her hands rubbed the chilling gooseflesh on her upper arms. "No!"

  "Please." There was a throbbing ache in the coaxing tone.

  Jill spun around. "It just wouldn't work, Kerry."

  Lord, but that man had a devious mind! He had considered every possible argument she could have made to prevent Kerry from going.

  That he had invited Jill confirmed the magnitude of his arrogance. She had challenged him and now he was offering a front row seat for her to watch him tear the engagement apart. Riordan would have his revenge and be aware of any move Jill made to thwart his attempts. Jill had underestimated him again, and she didn't like the sensation of being bested.

  Kerry's soulful eyes didn't see any of that. "You must come."

  "Don't you see," Jill protested in agitation, "if I come I'll end up losing my temper and only make the situation worse for you and Todd. The wisest thing for you to do is refuse the invitation and take the chance that Riordan won't be able to influence Todd into breaking the engagement. That's the most logical thing, because Todd does love you."

  "I can't."

  The dark head was turned away, tears misting diamond bright in her brown eyes. Jill wanted to take her by the shoulders and shake her hard.

  "Why can't you? You can't go there alone!"

  "Yes, I can." Kerry brushed away a tear with her hand and let her unreproachful gaze meet Jill's impatient look. "I love Todd. I don't want to come between him and his brother. Not having a family I think I know how important it is. If there's only the slimmest chance that Riordan might approve of Todd marrying me after spending a month at the ranch, I'll take it. I'd feel better if you would come with me, but I'm going either way."

  "Kerry, this is a stupid time to turn heroic," Jill sighed. Her mouth thinned in self-anger at the way Kerry winced from the unconsciously cutting remark against her natural timidity. "Besides, there're my parents to consider. They're expecting me to work this summer, not have a vacation. I couldn't tell them at the last minute that they're going to have to find someone else to take my place."

  "You said yourself that they have more applications than jobs. They could easily hire someone else," Kerry reminded her quietly.

  "I suppose they could," Jill conceded grudgingly, "but they would never agree to this plan. Riordan has a housekeeper. You said so yourself, and chaperones went out of fashion with hoop skirts."

  "You could call them and see."

  Staring into the resigned yet pleading face of her roommate, Jill knew s
he would have to make the telephone call. What kind of a friend would she be if she let this poor defenseless creature walk into Riordan's lion den without protection? The question was, who was going to protect Jill? She hoped her parents would.

  They were infuriatingly understanding.

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  Chapter Four

  THE BIG SKY COUNTRY . The last of the big-time splendors. That's the way the brochures described Montana. The vast prairielands in the east rolled westward, gathering speed to swell into mountains towering like a tidal wave over the landscape.

  Looking over the horizon where majestic mountain peaks tried to pierce the crystal blue bubble of sky, Jill felt the answering surge of her heartbeat. Their early summer coat of vivid green could only be rivalled by the bold splash of autumn or the stark white purity of winter.

  Now it was green, a multitude of shades broken only by the dark brown of tree trunks driving upward toward the sky, the rocky faces of the mountains catching the golden sun, and the gay pinks, yellows and white of wild flowers dotting the meadows and craggy slopes. Breathtaking and awesome, the scenery remained constant while ever-changing. The tremendous sensation of being released from an earthbound existence to soar to some magnificent plateau was overwhelming.

  "I feel it every time," Jill murmured.

  "What did you say?" Kerry glanced at her curiously, not quite catching the softly spoken words.

  "I was admiring the scenery." Reluctantly she drew her gaze to the interior of the car. "I never tire of looking at the mountains, especially when you can see them like this, unbroken by any man-made structure."

  "They make me feel small and insignificant," Kerry inserted, "but they are beautiful."

  Jill leaned forward to glance around her friend at their driver. "I've lived in Montana all my life, but always in town. What's it like, Todd, to live in the mountains year round?"

  He smiled faintly sliding a brief look to her. "I don't know."

  "What?" Her blond head tilted to the side in surprise.