Under the Open Sky (Montana Heritage Series)

by Michelle Maness

  “If you like horror flicks you’re in luck, otherwise,” Jenny shuddered as one of the women on the screen ran through woods, blood down the front of her skimpy gown.

  “She’s dead,” Amanda predicted again.

  “Most likely, but then most are by the end of these things,” Cade noted.

  “Hey Christy; hi Shauna,” Amanda finally greeted the women with her brother.

  “Hey, Mandy,” Christy smiled. Shauna, her face set in a pout, nodded.

  They fell quiet, each watching the movie, or not in Amanda’s case. She kept hiding her face or watching the other’s around her. Several couples were snuggled close as Amanda and Cade were, Trent and Christy included. Several of the other women were huddled in their sleeping bags only half watching. Trent kept glancing over to glare at Amanda and Cade; Amanda ignored him. When the movie ended there was an audible sigh of relief from the women.

  “Where did Jason get the equipment?” Trent asked of Amanda.

  “One of his friends from college is a tech junkie and let him borrow it,” Amanda explained.

  “What are we watching now?” Dede called as Jason started another movie. “I hope it isn’t another horror flick.”

  “No, it’s great. A revenge movie with lots of really awesome effects,” Jason responded.

  “Yep, the guys definitely chose the movies,” Jenny sighed as she righted herself. “Thanks, Cade.”

  “Welcome,” Cade settled his now free arm around Amanda.

  “I think Trent has kinda figured you two out,” Jenny muttered.

  “I think he’d already figured it out,” Cade admitted.

  “He doesn’t seem too happy, huh?”

  “Nope,” Cade agreed.

  “He’ll get over it,” Amanda offered.

  “He’ll have to,” Cade pulled her closer. Amanda smiled up at him before turning back to the screen. The movie was starting out well enough, everyone looked happy; including the sweet young woman they were currently focused on. Based on what Jason had said, Amanda didn’t hold much hope it would stay happy long. She was proven right a moment later when the young woman found herself being dragged beneath a set of bleachers, the crowd above not hearing her cry for help as they yelled and screamed and the band played. Feeling suddenly nauseous, Amanda found herself shaking when one of the guys who had grabbed her pinned her hands and kissed her as she struggled to get away.

  “I can’t watch this,” Amanda jumped up.

  Cade stood and followed her as she retreated inside the barn.

  “You alright, Manny?” Cade pulled her close and stroked her back.

  “No,” she admitted.

  “Look at me, Manny,” Cade lifted her chin. “He isn’t here; he’s in jail and he can’t hurt you. Besides, if he tried again I’d kill him this time.”

  “I know he can’t hurt me now but it stirred up bad memories,” Amanda told him. “I had nightmares for weeks that I didn’t get away,” Amanda shared.

  “I’m sorry, baby,” Cade hugged her closer and kissed the top of her head.

  “You okay, Mandy? It’s just a movie you know?” Trent, his expression puzzled, entered. Jenny was right behind him.

  “Think about it a moment, Trent; she’s been there,” Cade bit off impatiently.

  “Ah man, Mandy; I didn’t even think about that. Are you okay?” Trent, standing closer now, leaned down to meet her gaze.

  “I will be,” Amanda nodded.

  “What happened? Is Mandy okay?” Christy entered the barn.

  “No, the movie stirred up some bad memories,” Jenny answered.

  “What?” Christy’s eyes were huge.

  “Her prom date tried…” Trent wasn’t able to finish the sentence.

  “Oh,” Christy winced. “No wonder she doesn’t want to watch it.”

  “What do you say we sit this one out?” Jenny suggested as she claimed a seat on a nearby hay bale.

  “Good idea,” Trent nodded and followed her example. Amanda offered them a smile and allowed Cade to lead her to join them.

  “I don’t want to make things worse but he’s in jail, right?” Christy asked them.

  “Yes, Amanda agreed to press charges.”

  “Good. I’m glad you were brave enough to confront him, Mandy.”

  “If I hadn’t Cade would probably have been the one in jail.”

  Christy frowned. “Why?”

  “He beat the hell out of Chris,” Trent supplied.

  “Good for you,” Christy nodded at Cade.

  “I was in town that night,” Troy told them as he and Samantha approached. “I thought he would kill him.”

  “Can we please change the subject?” Amanda requested.

  “We can’t watch the movie either. Her boyfriend’s getting his revenge but it’s too gruesome even for me,” Troy explained why they had joined them.

  “It’s awful,” Samantha shuddered.

  “Hi, is this where the party is moving to?” Chloe asked as she and Dede entered the barn.

  “Join us,” Amanda invited. One by one or two by two, people began to drift inside and form groups here and there as the movie continued. Trent, Cade, and Christy were discussing their upcoming return to college when Amanda spotted Samantha seated by herself; Troy was talking with a couple of guys a few feet away.

  “I’ll be back in a moment,” Amanda told them before she moved to join Samantha.

  “Hey, Sam,” Amanda smiled as she seated herself.

  “Hi, Mandy.”

  “Want to come join us? I never intended to choose a new friend over an old friend, Sam; I’m not quite sure what happened to us,” Amanda finally gave voice to her confusion.

  “I’m sorry, Mandy. It was more my fault than yours,” Samantha admitted.

  “Why, Sam?”

  “Do you realize that in all the years we were friends that most of our conversations were about horses, books, or what silly thing the popular kids at school had done now?” Samantha asked.

  “The same popular kids I ended up hanging out with; is that it?”

  “No, not entirely. You realize we never discussed boys?”

  “We didn’t did we? I mean I told you I thought Chris was cute, but we didn’t did we?” Amanda was frowning.

  “No, we didn’t. Our sophomore year we were two of a kind, both more interested in books and horses than boys, well until you got into Chris but even then you didn’t say much about it.

  “I was thinking about it earlier and realized we didn’t giggle over boys the way my sister and her friends did.”

  “That bothers you?” Amanda was still puzzled.

  “In of itself? No. By summer I was in turmoil and didn’t know how on earth deal with it.”

  “Deal with what?”

  “I thought if I avoided you it would be easier but my sister kept telling me how she kept running into you and how different you were but I wasn’t prepared for how different. You left for the summer unsure of yourself with guys and came back a knock out who was turning them all on their ear; I didn’t know what to do with that. You were leaving me behind and even more than that….but I realized that I never told you.”

  “Told me what?”

  “I had the worst crush on Cade.”

  “What?” Amanda felt her eyes go wide. She hadn’t been aware that Samantha was even aware of the opposite sex.

  “I did and after he went to work for your father I thought that was a good thing. You were always talking about him and your brother, which suited me fine. Until it was ‘Cade started calling me Manny; I wish he would stop.’ or ‘Cade taught me to drive but don’t tell Trent and Daddy.’ I wondered what else he was teaching you but I didn’t have the guts to ask. I kind of figured out you liked him without you saying so.”

  “I didn’t know how to deal with it so I thought maybe if I avoided you over the summer I would be over it by the fall but I wasn’t. There you were so different and wearing his jacket…I didn’t know what to say so it was easier t
o say nothing.”

  “Sam, I’m sorry. I had no idea,” Amanda was the one at a loss for words.

  “No, you didn’t; as I said: I never told you.”

  “Now, I don’t know what to say,” Amanda admitted.

  “I’m happy for you now, Amanda, but it was hard for me then.”

  “I’m sorry.”

  “You didn’t know,” Samantha shrugged. “Who’s the chick throwing herself at Cade?” Sam nodded to where Cade stood; Shauna smiling up at him.

  Trent and Christy had drifted over to where one of Trent’s classmates had just entered with one of Amanda’s classmates and Jenny, Chloe, and Dede, were fussing over a litter of puppies in a nearby stall.

  “I am going to end up hurting her,” Amanda predicted. “Excuse me, Sam,” Amanda’s eyes had narrowed.

  “Go set her straight,” Sam grinned.

  “I will.”

  Amanda crossed the barn; Shauna’s flirting was setting her nerves on edge.

  “I would really like an opportunity to make up for getting sick on our first date, Cade. You should let me cook dinner for you at my place,” Shauna offered.

  “It’s chilly in here,” Amanda announced as she slid her arms inside Cade’s jacket and snuggled up to him. “Hello,” Amanda greeted Shauna coolly.

  “Hi,” Shauna’s expression was stony.

  “You cold?” Cade wrapped his arms around Amanda.

  “A little,” Amanda smiled up at him; his grin told her that he knew she was making a statement. “Warm me up?”

  “I guess we’ll finish this conversation at school,” Shauna made it clear she intended to pursue Cade.

  “You can try,” Amanda turned to offer a brittle smile to the older woman.

  “Excuse me?” Shauna’s eyes narrowed.

  “He made his decision last night, Shauna; don’t be a sore loser,” Amanda returned.

  “What does a kid like you know about pleasing a man?” Shauna’s expression was demeaning.

  Amanda felt her blood boil and was considering clawing the woman’s eyes out when Cade intervened.

  “Manny’s right; I made my decision. As for pleasing me I’m sure she’ll make a very astute student; if you’ll excuse us,” Cade nodded at the woman opposite them. Amanda glanced back to find Shauna watching them, her face red whether from embarrassment or rage Amanda wasn’t sure; maybe both. Cade led her out the open barn doors to lean against the side of the barn furthest from the movie screen.

  “You’re red,” Cade accused as he surveyed her in the light from a nearby street light.

  “Am I?” she laughed as she slid her arms around his neck.

  “Mmm, hmmm.”

  “So when are you going to start these lessons?” she teased.

  “Not tonight,” he chuckled.

  “You drive me mad,” she informed him.

  He kissed her before responding.

  “The feeling is mutual, baby,” he assured her before kissing her again. He pulled away with a groan a few minutes later. “We should join the others,” he told her.

  “Or go to my place,” she countered.

  “Nice try,” Cade pushed off the barn and claimed her hand.

  “Fine,” she sighed and allowed him to lead her back inside.

  “There you are,” Trent frowned as they entered. “Where have you been?”

  “Amanda needed to cool off a moment; she got her temper riled,” Cade explained.

  Trent looked ready to ask questions but was cut off before he could.

  “Why’s everyone in here?” Jason entered and addressed the group at large. No one seemed willing to answer him. “You don’t like my movie? Okay,” Jason sighed. “I brought a couple of chick flicks, since the guys are obviously going to go where the girls are, I’ll put one of those on instead.”

  “Thank you!” Jenny called after him.

  “I think I can stomach a chick flick; want to go watch the movie?” Cade offered Amanda.

  “I think I can manage that too,” she smiled in return. They headed back outside and reclaimed Amanda’s vacated blanket and started unrolling sleeping bags to ward off the increasing chill in the night air. The semi-circle was filling again, as everyone settled down for the movie.

  “You can borrow my sleeping bag,” Cade offered Trent. Having come at the last minute, Trent hadn’t come prepared. Cade and Amanda were snuggled up under Amanda’s.

  “And I have an extra blanket Shauna can use,” Amanda added.

  Trent glared at them a minute before accepting their offer.

  “Thanks,” he finally offered begrudgingly.

  “You’re welcome,” Amanda smiled at him before snuggling back close to Cade to watch the movie. The movie was more to Amanda’s liking but she found herself closing her eyes and simply enjoying being close to Cade as he and Jenny talked. She liked the rumble of his voice in his chest.

  “Cade,” Trent called.

  “Yeah?”

  “Watch yourself with my sister,” Trent cautioned his friend.

  “I have no more desire to see Manny hurt, than you do,” Cade returned.

  “See it to it you don’t and keep in mind that she doesn’t have your experience,” Trent added.

  “Butt out, Trent,” Amanda opened her eyes to glare at her brother.

  “I thought you were asleep,” Trent admitted.

  “No,” Amanda stood and grabbed her bag. When she sat on the edge of a bale of hay and removed her boots, her brother frowned at her.

  “What the hell are you doing?” he demanded when she pulled a pair of flannel pants on under her skirt.

  “Changing,” Amanda unbuttoned her skirt and pulled off.

  “Here?” Trent stared at her in disbelief.

  Amanda pulled a long sleeved t-shirt over her halter top, untied the neck and shimmied out of it as well.

  “Done and I didn’t even expose myself,” Amanda rolled her eyes at her brother as she stuffed her cloths into her bag.

  Cade was laughing and shaking his head at her.

  “Will I offend your delicate sensibilities if I do the same?” Jenny teased Trent and watched him turn red.

  Amanda snuggled back under the sleeping bag and watched her brother’s face redden further as Jenny, trading her own skirt and top for flannel pants and a t-shirt, repeated Amanda’s actions.

  “I think she actually unnerved your brother,” Cade commented for Amanda’s hearing alone.

  “You think?” Amanda smiled up at him.

  “Something like that can really get a man’s imagination going,” Cade informed her. Amanda felt her face flush; Cade laughed.

  “I won’t do that again,” she commented.

  “Feel free,” he teased.

  “What did you say to Amanda to make her light up like that?” Jenny demanded as she reseated herself.

  “You don’t want to know,” Amanda assured her friend and watched her brother frown. Relishing the feeling of Cade’s thumb caressing her hip, Amanda closed her eyes again.

  “What time is it?” Amanda asked.

  “Three-thirty,” Jenny offered on a yawn.

  “I’m going to sleep,” Amanda announced.

  “Hold on, before you do; sit up,” Cade instructed her. Amanda sat up and watched him scoot down until he was lying down. “Okay.”

  Returning her head to his shoulder, Amanda laid back down.

  “Night, Jenny; night Trent,” Amanda offered.

  “Good night,” Jenny returned.

  Trent glared at her. She closed her eyes and shut him out. Within moments she felt her eyes growing heavy.

  Twenty-One

  When Amanda woke the next morning a fire crackled in the early morning light, the wood snapping and popping as it filled the air with the heavy scent of wood smoke. She could see her breath, she realized, but she wasn’t the least bit cold. When she shifted slightly she realized why. She was lying against Cade; that she expected. Jenny huddled against her back she didn’t expect. Amand
a chuckled silently.

  “What’s funny?” Cade, his voice still heavy with sleep, asked.

  “I think Jenny is cold,” Amanda informed him.

  Cade glanced over at Jenny and smiled.

  “Well, if your brother had any sense…” he let the sentence trail.

  “I know,” she sighed.

  “Good morning, Manny,” Cade smiled at her.

  “Good morning,” she smiled in return. “You have whiskers,” she reached up to rub his jaw.

  “I’m sorry.”

  “Mmm, mmm; I like it,” she told him.

  “Do you?” he asked.

  “You look sexy,” she assured him.

  “Thank you,” his eyes twinkled.

  “You’re welcome,” she smiled up at him. Cade reached up to push a strand of hair off her face and let his fingers trail along her jaw to tilt her chin up and drop a light kiss on her lips.

  “You two need a room,” Jenny muttered.

  “Good morning to you too,” Amanda laughed.

  “It’s cold,” Jenny complained.

  “I’m warm,” Amanda countered.

  “Of course you are; we’re not all lucky enough to sleep pressed up against the man of our dreams,” Jenny reminded her.

  “Sorry, Jenny,” Amanda offered.

  “Not your problem,” Jenny sat up and reached for a fleece throw she had shoved in her bag. “Dang, we’re buried in fog,” Jenny commented. Amanda glanced around to realize her friend was right.

  “What time is it?” someone asked a short distance away.

  “Seven fifteen,” David returned.

  “Fire’s roaring,” Jason invited.

  “Sounds good to me,” Jenny grabbed her sleeping bag and wrapped it around herself as she moved to stand by the fire. A few others were starting to stir and seek the heat as well.

  “Should we join them?” Cade asked Amanda.

  “In a minute,” she requested and snuggled back against him. Cade shifted until she was lying beside him, one of his arms underneath her and his other wrapped around her.

  “Maybe I should have taken you up on your offer last night,” he teased. “Waking up with you like this would have been even more pleasant without company.”

  “I offered,” she reminded him.