Under the Open Sky (Montana Heritage Series)

by Michelle Maness

  “Hey, Jennifer,” she greeted while noting that Cade was talking with the blonde who had greeted him earlier.

  “Hey, Mandy, wow, you look awesome,” Jennifer noted.

  “Thanks, Angela made me her project,” Amanda admitted as she sat down beside her friend. Jennifer was a year ahead of her but she and Amanda had hit it off when Jennifer asked for help in class one day.

  “You should let her do it more often,” she suggested with a smile.

  “Maybe I will,” Amanda returned her smile.

  “So I take it your brother and Cade are friends now?”

  “Seem to be.”

  “Cade’s hot,” Jennifer noted, her gaze locked on him.

  Amanda studied his dark hair as the breeze played with it and considered his deep blue eyes and well-muscled torso.

  “I guess he is,” she acknowledged for the first time.

  “You guess?”

  “I hadn’t really thought about it honestly,” she confessed with a shrug; but now that she had...

  “How could you not with him living right there on the ranch and all?” Jennifer was staring at her incredulously.

  “I guess that’s just it, he’s my brother’s friend and one of the hands,” Amanda offered in explanation.

  “Whatever. You think Trent and Angie will hold it together as a couple after he leaves for school?”

  “I don’t know; I know they’re crazy over each other but she still has a year of school left and Trent’s leaving…I guess time will tell.”

  “I predict he’ll meet someone and one of the guys here will move in on Angie; she’s not got a shortage of male attention,” Jennifer threw a lock of long brown hair over her shoulder and watched as Trent dropped a kiss on Angie’s lips.

  “They are so totally sleeping together,” Jennifer remarked a moment later.

  Amanda frowned and studied her brother and Angela a moment before answering. “You think so?”

  “Totally, it’s obvious.”

  Amanda noted the way they looked at each other and how completely comfortable they were with each other. Jennifer might be right, she conceded.

  “Dad’ll flip if she ends up pregnant,” Amanda predicted.

  “Your dad’d flip? Have you met her father?” Jennifer waited expectantly for an answer.

  “No.”

  “He’s scary.”

  “So’s mine when he’s riled. I’m going to move around a little,” Amanda stood and straightened her skirt. “I’ll see you around.”

  “Sure,” Jennifer smiled as two of her friends rejoined her. Amanda moved back toward her brother’s table. She was stopped by an arm dropping onto her shoulder with enough force to make her stagger.

  “You go to my scwhool, right?” a voice slurred in her ear.

  Amanda looked up to find Jeff Jenkins grinning at her. He was cute, she had to admit, and she was flattered that he had taken notice of her; the raunchy breath she could do without.

  “Right,” she felt a timid smile tilt her lips.

  “Thought so,” swaying a little with the motion, he nodded.

  Okay, so his being totally inebriated ruined his good looks, she decided.

  “I know who you are!” Jeff suddenly looked inordinately pleased with his self. “You’re Trent’s little sister. You grew up,” his gaze swept down her body making her suddenly self-conscious. “You grew up nice,” Jeff’s smile widened as he tightened his arm around her neck to pull her closer until she was pressed against him. Amanda tried to gently extricate herself.

  “What’s the rush, sweetheart,” Jeff’s face was now in hers.

  “I’m hungry and I think my food’s arrived,” Amanda pushed against his chest.

  “I’m hungry too,” he shared as he dropped his face to her neck to nuzzle her.

  Amanda, her heart starting to pound, raised her shoulder and pushed harder against Jeff’s chest. She had never felt physically threatened like this before, not in this way.

  “Get your hands off my sister, Jeff,” Trent barked sharply from behind them.

  “Trent! How are you? You know your sister is all grown up,” Jeff smiled at Trent as though he wasn’t threatening Jeff’s physical wellbeing.

  “I said get your hands off my sister.”

  “Maybe your sister likes it,” Jeff’s arms slid lower around Amanda’s waist.

  Amanda pushed against him again to no avail.

  “I am telling you one more time and then I start talking with my fist. Get your damn hands off my sister.”

  “You’re gonna make me?”

  “He is and I’m going to help him,” Cade had come to stand behind Trent; he crossed his arms across his chest.

  “You want a fight?” Jeff shoved Amanda away from him and Amanda stumbled backward; she was aware of her brother’s quick movement past her. Amanda found herself encircled in strong arms again, these supporting her just as she expected to fall.

  “You okay, Manny?”

  Amanda blinked up into Cade’s blue eyes and grimaced.

  “Manny?” Cade frowned at her. “You are shaking all over, come on,” Cade led her to a nearby table and seated her on the bench. Angela dropped down beside Amanda and wrapped an arm around her. Amanda’s gaze sought her brother to find him pinning Jeff to a post.

  “And if you ever lay a hand on my sister again I will tear your ass up Jenkins; you hear me?”

  Blood trickled from the corner of Jeff’s mouth as he glared at Trent and nodded. Trent released Jeff and stalked to where Amanda sat on the bench, her arms wrapped around her middle.

  “You okay, Mandy?” Trent demanded; Amanda nodded as she stood. Trent took her arm and led her back to their table.

  “What were you thinking, Mandy? He might be good looking but he’s not a nice guy,” Trent growled as he sat down across from his sister.

  “I didn’t invite his attention, Trent!” Amanda stared at her brother with wide eyes. How could he think this was her fault?

  “Jeff waylaid her; I saw the whole thing, Trent,” Cade spoke up.

  “Well, stay away from him and the entire breed like him,” Trent was still glowering at Amanda.

  “Hey ease up on her, Trent, I don’t think she enjoyed that any more than you did,” Angela chastised.

  Amanda dropped her gaze as she felt tears sting her eyes, her brother’s anger at her hurt. The waitress arrived and Amanda used the other’s distraction to wipe the tears from her eyes.

  “Mandy, you’re food!” Trent snapped. Amanda jumped and refused to look at her brother as she reached for her meal. “Are you crying?”

  “That jerk scared the hell out of your sister and you’re treating her as though she is somehow at fault; you’re being an ass, Trent,” Cade bit off the words.

  Amanda’s gaze jerked up as she watched wide eyed for her brother’s reaction. Her brother was enough like Sterling Jennings that few crossed him when he was angry.

  “I’m sorry, Mandy, when I saw Jeff pawing at you like that I snapped,” Trent admitted, “why did you smile at him like that?”

  “I was just being nice; I didn’t want him to try…” Amanda stumbled for the words to explain how her innocent pleasure at being noticed had turned so sour.

  “Any girl would be flattered to have the star of the football team notice her, Trent. The smile she gave him was hardly an invitation for what followed,” Angela came to her defense. “Only a guy like Jeff Jenkins would take it as one.”

  “That…outfit isn’t helping any,” Trent pointed out sullenly.

  “What? There is nothing wrong with her outfit!” Angela protested.

  “It’s okay, Trent,” Amanda quickly assured her brother; she wanted to bring the argument to an end.

  “No, it isn’t, Manny, your brother is being unreasonable,” Cade argued.

  “Don’t you butt in on this! I saw you look her over at the house when she came out!”

  “She looks nice; I noticed. When I start whisking her away to be alone wi
th her you can start throwing accusations my way but not until. Good grief, Trent, what are you going to do follow her around and beat up every man who looks her way or has the nerve to talk to her?” Cade demanded of his friend.

  Amanda glanced between the two men who sat glowering at each other and occasionally to Angela who suddenly looked amused. Amanda watched her brother’s shoulders relax a moment before a smile broke over his face and Amanda felt her insides unknot.

  “You’re right, I’m being an unreasonable jerk,” her brother acknowledged before turning to Amanda, “I’m sorry, Mandy.”

  “It’s okay,” she assured him with a relieved smile.

  “Can we eat now?” Angela demanded.

  “Best idea I’ve heard all night,” Cade acknowledged before picking up his burger and taking a bite.

  Five

  Amanda sat beside Cade as they waited for her brother to return from walking Angela to her front door. The Brown’s home had a deep front porch and without a single light on in the lower portion of the house, the couple was completely hidden in the porch’s deep recesses. As soon as Angela had slid from the cab of the truck Amanda had scooted over to put space between herself and Cade. She now understood what she had not earlier in the evening. She was attracted to Cade Winston. That he had admitted to checking her out earlier only made her that much more aware of him. The trip from town to Angela’s had been torture, his leg pressed against hers and his hard chest behind her shoulder. Having only admired a few guys around school from a distance, being pressed up against one she was attracted to was a completely new experience and she wasn’t altogether sure she liked it.

  “Do you think they’re sleeping together?” Amanda asked, her thoughts returning to her conversation with Jennifer.

  “What?”

  Amanda looked over to find Cade scrutinizing her in the green glow of the radio. A slow ballad played at a low hum but not loud enough to follow.

  “Do you think Angela and Trent are sleeping together; you know having sex,” she repeated her question.

  “I think it’s pretty likely,” he finally answered. “Why?”

  “Jennifer noticed earlier and then I watched them more closely. If Jennifer is noticing it then Dad is certainly…”

  “Going to notice,” Cade finished her sentence. “Another thing for the two of them to fight about, huh?”

  “Yeah,” Amanda grimaced at the thought. She knew the peace in the house was tenuous at best.

  “I’ll say something to him.”

  “Thanks, I think it would be better coming from you,” Amanda mused.

  “Yeah, I guess so, your brother would like to think you don’t even know what the word means,” Cade informed her.

  Amanda snorted. “I know,” she acknowledged.

  “Hey, Manny, I know you have a brother and don’t need another one, but be careful around guys like Jeff Jenkins. Your brother leaves in a few weeks and won’t be around to get your back.”

  “I know,” Amanda admitted, “and I will.”

  “Good.” Cade fell silent as Trent strode off the porch and moved their way.

  “Sorry,” Trent apologized for their wait as he started the truck. “You two are as quiet as monks; don’t you know how to have a conversation?”

  “We talked,” Amanda responded.

  “What about?” Trent glanced at her before turning from the driveway.

  Amanda grinned at her brother, “Sex.”

  “What?” her brother’s head snapped around, his gaze boring into hers. Glancing at Cade briefly, Amanda turned her gaze to the road ahead. His shoulders were shaking and she realized that she amused him; it gave her a rather heady feeling.

  “You’re kidding right?” Trent demanded when she didn’t answer.

  “No.”

  “Since when do you know about sex?”

  “Good grief Trent, Dad had that talk with me a few years ago.”

  “But that’s all you know right?”

  “You mean am I having sex? No! What kind of girl do you think I am?” Amanda glowered at her brother. “I’m fifteen!”

  “You shouldn’t be discussing his sex life either, that’s more education than a fifteen year old needs.”

  “We weren’t discussing his sex life either,” Amanda corrected.

  Trent frowned at the road ahead, silence filling the cab of the truck until he rolled to a stop in front of the house.

  “Then whose were you discussing?” Trent finally demanded.

  Amanda scooted across the seat and hopped down. “Thanks, Cade,” she acknowledged his holding the door for her. “We were discussing yours,” she informed her brother before turning and bounding up the front porch steps.

  “Mine?” Trent stopped short and stared after his sister.

  “She asked me to talk to you,” Cade explained.

  Choosing to go on in instead, Amanda didn’t wait around to hear what else he planned to say.

  “Hey, Daddy,” Amanda greeted him with a kiss on his cheek. He was seated in his favorite recliner, a western on the TV.

  “Hey, Pumpkin,” her dad glanced at her and then did a double take. “What are you wearing?”

  “It’s called a skirt,” Amanda grinned at his look of consternation.

  “I know that, but well, that isn’t one of your church skirts.”

  “It’s a school skirt; I just haven’t worn it before.”

  “Yes, well, um, you look…very grown up,” her father finally managed.

  “Thanks, Daddy. I’m going to bed. Love you.”

  “Love you too.”

  Amanda entered her room and moved to the mirror to study herself again. Her skirt came to just past mid-thigh, not that short at all, she realized, and her shirt while fitted, didn’t cling. She had been paranoid after her run in with Jeff. He had been drunk, she reminded herself and turned to dress for bed. She was just leaving the bathroom from washing her face when her brother topped the stairs.

  “Hey, Mandy, thanks for the warning; the last thing I need is another fight with Dad,” Trent admitted.

  “I know.”

  “You scared me though and I think you know it,” Trent accused.

  Not bothering to deny his claim, Amanda smiled.

  “Funny,” he groused. “Look, I like Cade well enough but he’s a very experienced man and not anyone to play around with.”

  “I didn’t,” Amanda countered.

  “Just be careful, guys like him seem to have some draw on women.”

  “I’ve seen that, as I said: I’m fifteen!”

  “There are girls your age…”

  “Yeah, I know; I’m not and I don’t plan to not until…” Amanda stopped and frowned.

  “Until you marry?”

  “Like you?” Amanda crossed her arms and challenged her brother and watched him frown.

  “Okay, until what?”

  “I’m ready and I’m not ready and can’t imagine that I would be anytime soon. The idea of just sleeping with some guy for the heck of it creeps me out.”

  “It should!” Trent followed her into her room. “And I plan to marry Angela.”

  “Good.”

  “I do,” Trent insisted.

  “I said good!” Amanda turned on her brother and planted her hands on her hips.

  “I’m sorry, Mandy. I just realized tonight that you’re growing up and I won’t be here to protect you,” Trent admitted.

  “Daddy will.”

  “But he doesn’t understand our generation, men in his generation were more…honorable or something.”

  “Right teen pregnancy is an invention of our generation,” Amanda offered with a serving of sarcasm.

  “Where do you get your sharp tongue?!” Trent demanded of her.

  “Maybe mom was sassy,” Amanda offered as she seated herself on her bed and grabbed one of her pillows to pull it close.

  “Sassy? Is that how you like to dress it up?” Trent moved to seat himself at her desk.

&nb
sp; “Spirited?”

  “Sharp; you could cut a man to pieces.”

  “Good, so I can look out for myself,” Amanda grinned at her brother.

  “I hope so, Mandy; I hope so.”

  ______________________________________

  “You are spending too much time with that girl; I won’t have you throwing your future away son. You are at a critical point in your life where the decisions you make will shape the rest of your life!” Sterling yelled at his son.

  Amanda sighed impatiently. As much as she dreaded her brother leaving at least the fighting would stop when he did. Trent had spent nearly every spare moment with Angela since his graduation and their father had taken notice.

  “I am eighteen years old and if I want to see Angela I will!” Trent shot back.

  Amanda stood and crawled onto the porch before scooting down the post to head for the barn. She couldn’t stop her brother and father from arguing but she didn’t have to stay and listen to it. She hated the way her father and brother fought lately, it seemed at times it was all they did; it had never been this way before.

  The day’s heat had abated leaving a cool breeze to tease Amanda’s hair as she walked the rutted farm road between the house and barn; Big Boy once again trotted beside her. Here, with the night sounds serenading her, she felt peace replace the tension that had tightened her shoulders. Amanda’s steps slowed as she neared the barn and found the door open and lights glowing from inside. Cade was bent over the engine of one the tractors just inside the double doors. Amanda quickened her pace; perhaps Cade would be better company than her family was at the moment.

  “Hey, Manny, what are you doing out here so late?” Cade glanced up at her as she entered and leaned against the tractor wheel.

  “I’m a refugee of World War III,” she muttered darkly; her brows were drawn in frustration.

  “Your dad and Trent at it again?”

  “Of course.”

  “I told your brother to cool it some; he won’t listen.”

  “Nothing new there but this is the first time I can really recall my brother and father staying at each other so long.”

  “They’ll move past it, if nothing else your brother leaving will put an end to it.”