Albert turned and jumped down, then reached up and lifted Adella out. She didn’t know if it was because of his puny strength, but he seemed to struggle with holding her. She bumped against him. Immediately, she noticed the gleam in his eyes and realized he’d done it purposely. She held her tongue this time and when her feet touched the ground, she politely pushed away.
“Do you want to grab the blanket?” she asked as she stepped over and lifted out the picnic basket.
“Let me get the basket.” He reached out and took it from her. “You can take the blanket.”
He remained suspiciously quiet as he followed her over to a spot just under a tree. She flipped out the blanket and covered the small spot of grass. Continuing to play the part of a gentleman, he helped her unpack the basket, but she noticed he bumped against her a little more than necessary. She hoped she wouldn’t be fighting off the polecat’s advances before the end of the meal.
She filled her plate with the cooked chicken and freshly baked rolls and cheese that Aunt Lillian had prepared this morning. Adella even noticed her favorite pie was packed in the basket for dessert. Aunt Lillian thought of everything.
As she ate, Albert’s stare gnawed on her nerves. Couldn’t he look someplace else? She swallowed her bite of roll. “So, Albert, what are your plans for finding employment?”
He shrugged. “I thought about using some of my father’s contacts to get a foot in the door. He has friends everywhere.”
“How soon do you need to find work?”
“I’m not completely penniless. Pa gave me a little to survive for a while, but it’s running out quickly.”
“What will you do when you run out and you haven’t found work?”
He grinned. “Don’t laugh, but I thought about trying to capture that famous gang.”
Her heart caught in her throat, or was it the bite of chicken she’d just took? She swallowed hard. “You’re thinking about capturing them? By yourself?”
“Yes.”
“Do you know something the sheriff and his men don’t know?”
“Not yet.”
She nodded. “Personally, I think Clint and his men will capture them. From what I’ve heard, they are hot on Buchanan’s trail.”
“And I think Buchanan is sending Clint on a goose chase.”
“Why?”
“No reason, really. But don’t you think it odd that he hasn’t captured them yet?”
She shrugged. “I never thought of it like that.” She took another bite of her chicken.
“When I get the reward,” Albert continued, puffing out his chest with arrogance, “I’ve thought about opening a saloon.”
She snorted a laugh. “A saloon? Why not your own bank?”
“The saloon will make more money.”
“Don’t you know your pa will skin you alive?” She flipped her hand through the air. “Besides, this area has enough saloons already.”
He shook his head. “In my opinion, no town could have enough.” He met her gaze, and his confidence annoyed her. “I’ll be making a living, and providing for the family I’ll soon to have. Aren’t those necessary?”
Adella hadn’t been impressed with Albert so far since he arrived in Bonner County, but now she thought even less of him. It took her until now for her to realize they had nothing in common. She really didn’t have a lot of things in common with Gage, either. Yet with Gage, it was exciting to banter back and forth. It thrilled her to see his eyes ablaze with heat whenever their conversations flew out of control, especially when the fluttering in her stomach couldn’t stop dancing, making her want to be held by him and kissed to distraction.
When she found herself gazing across the field in a dream-like state, she quickly pulled her thoughts back to the man sitting across the blanket from her. With a sinking sigh, she realized Albert would never be able to take Gage out of her heart. Maybe no man could. So did she really want Gage out of her heart?
“Thank your aunt for fixing this meal,” Albert commented. “I just love her cooking.”
She forced herself to smile. “I’ll tell her. She’ll be happy you were pleased.”
She set the plate of food down beside her, unable to eat another bite. Albert did the same, and then scooted closer to her. She panicked. There was no way she wanted to get that close to him.
“I have an idea,” she said, quickly jumping to her feet, “let’s walk down by the stream.”
“Sounds good to me.” He smiled and stood.
As she led the way, Albert’s hand slid behind her, just above the waist of her skirt. One inch lower and she’d give him a what-for with her elbow. With each step, her anger grew, and she’d have to end this afternoon of leisure very soon or she’d forget her manners and punch him in the nose.
From the corner of her eyes, something in the group of trees not far from the stream caught her attention. She glanced in that direction and realized there was a man hiding in the trees. Could her eyes be deceiving her, or was that man Gage Grayson?
They reached the edge of the stream and stopped. She moved her gaze in that direction once again. Sure enough, standing behind a tree, she detected the side of Gage’s face. Trying to act casual so Gage would not know she had seen him, she let her attention move slowly away from the trees until it had surveyed the whole field. When she settled her sights back on Albert, her lips tugged into a grin, and she didn’t fight off the urge of excitement building up inside her.
She should be angry. Why, that dirty rotten polecat was spying on her and Albert. Yet, this made no sense. Why was Gage spying on her when he acted as if he wanted her to be with Albert? He hadn’t seemed a bit jealous that afternoon in his house. He’d encouraged her to be with Albert. Could she have read him wrong? Was he indeed, jealous?
She wanted to be upset, but she couldn’t garner up any anger for Gage. Instead, she was in the mood to tease. Taking in a big breath of air, she moved beside Albert, displaying her widest smile, for not only Albert’s sake, but for Gage’s. She hooked her arm through Albert’s and gazed up into his eyes.
“Albert? Have I told you how much fun I’ve had this past week? I’m so glad you decided to stop in to see me.” She raised her voice a bit, hoping that Gage could hear her.
Albert’s grin broadened. “I, too, am enjoying myself.”
“I really hate to see you leave.”
“Like I said before, I don’t really have any plans to leave in the immediate future.”
Going one step further, she rested her head on his shoulders, noticing right away that he was not as muscular as Gage. Such a shame for Albert. He wrapped his arm around her shoulders and his body relaxed.
“This is nice,” he said huskily.
“Yes. I just love watching the water run over the rocks. It’s so soothing for the soul.”
“No, I was talking about us. About this.” His arm tightened around her shoulder.
She rolled her head back just enough to look over to the clump of trees again. Gage’s body leaned away from the tree while he practically strained his neck to see what was going on by the stream. Adella bit her lip to keep from laughing out loud.
She tried not to appear as if she was watching Gage, but she also wasn’t very comfortable in Albert’s arms, either. For some unknown reason, her legs itched. Casually, she reached down her leg and scratched. Within seconds, her other leg became irritated, and she had to rub that limb, too.
The longer she leaned against Albert, the more her legs burned with soreness, and the uncomfortable feeling seemed to crawl up her legs. Beside her, Albert shifted his stance, then he reached down to scratch his leg, too. This was too coincidental, but she couldn’t let Gage know that something was not right in her and Albert’s cozy little embrace.
She pulled away slightly and turned fully toward the trees. Gage quickly ducked and stumbled backwards. From that direction came a loud cuss. Even Albert jerked his head toward the trees.
“Is somebody over there?”
&nbs
p; “I’m not certain.”
She stepped away, and the itching on her legs increased. She could stand no more of this. Bending, she lifted her skirts just enough to scratch her ankles. She let out a loud gasp. Her legs were covered with tiny red ants. They were standing in an ant hill!
“Awh.” She screamed and stomped fiercely, trying to get the ants off her. Behind her, Albert’s high-pitch screamed echoed around them as he stumbled into the water, falling on his back and rolling around like his body was on fire. If not for the intense pain in her legs, she would have laughed out loud over his candid display.
She looked back to the trees again. Gage ran alongside his horse, almost in a limp as he pulled at his pants. She couldn’t be sure, but from back here it looked as if he’d been attacked, too, but by a sticker bush, instead.
Forgetting her pain for a few seconds, she did laugh out loud, not caring who heard her outburst.
ALBERT PULLED THE HORSE to a stop and Adella released her tight hold on the seat of the buggy. Her attention swept across the area Albert had chosen, the gentle brook flowing over the rocks, keeping rhythm with the sounds of the afternoon's chirping insects. Overhanging trees shaded their spot, and a grassy knoll sloped down the hillside nearby.
This was their third outing, and this time she suspected there was a reason he wanted to be alone with her. Of course, she was almost thankful to the ants which had interrupted their last outing, painful as it had been. Both she and Albert had bites on their legs and itched for the following two days. Inwardly, she chuckled when she thought that her pain was nothing compared to Gage’s. Why that poor man could not sit down for twenty-four hours due to the welts from the sticker bush on his arse.
Albert set the brake then jumped down. “Nate tells me that this is another spot you enjoy visiting.”
She smiled. “I used to come here with my brother to play in the water. We skipped rocks and had mud fights.”
He laughed, grabbed her waist and lifted her down. “Do you miss being a tomboy? From the way your family talks about you, I get the impression you used to wear pants more often than dresses.”
Once she found her footing, she pulled away from his hold. “That was a very long time ago, but I really don’t miss it as much as I thought I would.”
“Why not?”
She shrugged and watched the water cascade lazily around the boulders of the stream. “It’s rather nice being treated like a lady. I like the attention the boys are giving me now.”
He turned her chin toward him, his fingers caressing her skin. “So, you prefer the boys over the men?”
“I’ve not had very many men pay attention to me.”
“How many?”
Gage came to mind, but she quickly dismissed the idea of trying to explain her feelings about Gage to Albert. Confusion was still lodged in her head and heart where Gage was concerned. “Just a couple, really. Of course, now that I think about it, I really don’t think one of them was being serious with me. I think he just wanted to know what it would feel like to kiss me.”
“Who was it?”
“Clint.”
Albert’s expression quickly changed to surprise. “Clint kissed you?”
She nodded. “I think Clint was bored that night and needed a distraction. He kissed me and I laughed. It felt as if I were kissing a relative.”
“And how did Clint feel?”
“Luckily, he felt the same.”
He moved closer. “I hope you don’t feel that way about me.”
She waved her hand. “Of course not. I don’t think of you as a relative.”
“I’m glad, because I really like you. I was absolutely miserable after you left Lewiston.”
Fear crept inside her, but she still managed a smile. Albert had been a true gentleman, but her feelings for him didn’t rise above friendship. There couldn’t be anything stronger, and Gage was the cause.
“My aunt and Violet have kept me so busy I don’t have time to miss my friends in Lewiston.”
“I bet the men in this town have been lining up at your door.” He chuckled. “Do I have to fight off any of your beaus?”
She laughed. “Sorry to disappoint, but nobody has been pounding at my door lately.”
“Are the men around here addled? You’re absolutely adorable, Adella. You’re the prettiest girl I know.”
He stroked her cheek again, but let his fingers trail down her neck. The sensations were unpleasant and she stepped back, but the buggy blocked her way.
“I’ve always been just one of the boys around here, and I think that’s the reason they don’t come courting,” she said.
“Then luck is certainly on my side.” Albert moved closer and slid his arms around her waist. “I like having you all to myself.”
Why couldn’t she feel the excitement with Albert she experienced whenever Gage held her? Plain and simple, Albert just could not thrill her the way Gage could. It wasn’t fair! Her body had a mind of its own and wouldn’t allow those feelings for anyone but Gage.
“You’re too sweet, Albert. Believe me, I don’t deserve your admiration.”
He leaned his forehead against hers. “I just wish I could show you more attention, but unfortunately, I’ve decided to leave tomorrow.”
Surprise washed over her, and she widened her eyes. Happiness welled up in her chest. Just the other day, he said he didn’t have plans on leaving. He must have changed his mind.
“I understand.” She tried not to look too thrilled about the news.
“So, I was thinking,” he said, pulling her body against his, “that maybe you might want to give me something to take along the trail so that I’ll think of you all the time.”
By the look in his eyes, she knew what he wanted. She also knew he wasn’t going to get it. She acted innocent, hoping she read his intentions wrongly. “I’m sorry, but I don’t have a miniature portrait of myself.”
He laughed huskily. “No, my sweet, I was thinking more on the lines of this—”
He crushed his mouth over hers, and right away she stiffened. It was hard to let him kiss her. His lips were not gentle, and the throaty sounds coming from him were making her nauseous. The body pressed so intimately against hers was not the hard muscles of a certain cattle rancher, either.
Albert withdrew slightly. “Come on, Adella. Relax and let me show you what kissing is all about.”
She turned her face. “Albert, no. I can’t do this.” She tried to pull back, but he held her tight.
“You’re just frightened of the unknown. I’ll teach you the different ways of kissing.”
She squirmed and avoided his kisses the best she could without being too rude. “I don’t think I want to learn from you.” His hold tightened. Panic set in. “Albert, please let me go. I don’t feel right about doing this with you.”
“Oh, but Adella, you certainly feel right to me.” He slid his hand down her back, toward her buttocks.
Hot anger shot through her and she pressed the palms of her hands against his chest. He still wouldn’t move. She gnashed her teeth and let her hand fly through the air until her palm connected with his cheek. “Albert, I said no!”
She waited for his reaction, but he grinned haughtily and pressed his mouth to her neck, moving his slobbery kisses downward.
“You just need to learn how to please a man, Adella, and I’m going to be that lucky man.”
“Over my dead body,” she snapped. “Albert, I’m warning you, if you don’t let me go this instance, I’ll do something awful to you.”
Without moving his descending mouth, he chuckled. “You couldn’t harm a flea.”
Nobody, but nobody talked to her like that, especially this man with only one thing on his mind. Thank heavens Gage wasn’t anything like Albert. Gage’s kisses were so much sweeter, and she ached for that gentle treatment. Suddenly her perfect image of Albert was shattered, and hatred for him boiled through her blood. It was time to get physical. She’d show this man exactly how tough sh
e could be.
Pushing her hands against him as hard as she could, she moved him back just enough to bring up her knee. Luckily he wasn’t as tall as Gage, and the point of her knee met perfectly with his groin. As he fell away, a loud gurgle exploded from his throat and he clutched his crotch in a bent position. Pain etched itself on every line of his face, but she didn’t care. She was going to add insult to injury.
Not very often was she privileged to punch a man in the face, but she wouldn’t pass up the opportunity when presented to her. She doubled her hand into a fist and let it fly until it connected with the end of his nose. This time a sickening crunch rented the air. Adella was sure she had broken his nose. Blood poured down his face. He held his groin with one hand and with the other covered his bleeding nose, which didn’t stop the flow of blood very well.
Before climbing back to the buggy and leaving his sorry butt there, she reached in her wrist purse and pulled out a handkerchief.
“Here, this might help stop the bleeding.” She tossed it to him, then turned and climbed into the carriage. “Next time, maybe you’ll think twice about pawing at a lady,” she snapped, then urged the horses forward in a fast trot.
She didn’t feel like laughing, although the picture of Albert’s bloody nose and twisted body stuck in her head. Her hopes were shattered of ever finding the perfect man. Albert certainly wasn’t, but he had given her that impression. So if he couldn’t pass the test, what man would? And if that man ever came along, would he take Gage out of her heart?
Chapter Nineteen
A gentle breeze swept through the open window of the kitchen and caressed Adella’s face, stirring the few tendrils that had fallen loose from the stylish knot on the back of her neck. She sat at the table with her aunt and Violet, helping to prepare dinner. As she chopped the carrots and onions, the faces of two men appeared in her mind. The one she loved to hate, and one she hated to love. The more she thought about Albert’s false gentlemanly manners and Gage’s stubborn hide, the harder her knife struck the cutting board.
Reach for Heaven Page 23
