Small Town Romance Collection: Four Complete Romances & A New Novella

by Brown, Carolyn

  "Good night, Angel," he whispered.

  "Night, Clance," she mumbled, but didn't open her eyes.

  He watched all of the movie, but he didn't remember much of it. All he could think about was his Angel, sleeping soundly beside him in the next bed. If he shut his eyes, he could see her looping her arm through his on the beach last night, and later, running through the mud puddles to hold open the McDonald's door for him. After another look at the news coverage on the beach, where it seemed Hurricane Blanche was tired of playing and decided to go back out in the ocean, he padded quietly to the bathroom to take a shower and brush his teeth.

  When Clancy returned, he stood beside her bed for a full minute just watching her sleep peacefully, and wondered what it would be like to see her face the first thing every morning. On a whim, he bent down and lightly kissed her forehead.

  "Clancy," she mumbled.

  "Good night, my angel," he whispered softly in her ear.

  Before he could raise up, she wrapped her arms around him and pulled his mouth down to hers for a searing kiss which opened her eyes and made him shudder.

  "I told you . . ." She pulled away.

  "Hey . . ." he backed up and put up his hands like the victim in an Old West bank robbery, "You started it I just stole one kiss on the forehead and said good night."

  "Oh, I must have been dreaming," she remembered "We were . . . never mind." She looked bewildered. She had been dreaming they were on the banks of Pennington Creek again. But they weren't teenagers anymore and she was enjoying kisses just like the one she'd awakened to. "This is crazy, Clancy." She sat straight up and patted the bed beside her.

  "Sorry I woke you, honey." He sat down and took her hand in his. She reached out to touch the soft hair on his chest where the silk bathrobe parted, and the thrill of it inched up and down his spine.

  "Kiss me again. The way you did last night," she said, pulling her lips down to his.

  "Angel, there's nothing I would like more than to kiss you until we're both breathless, but. . ."

  She pulled his mouth down to hers and claimed what had been truly hers years ago.

  "Angel . . ." His low voice was almost a growl and he nuzzled her neck.

  "Crawl in here with me." She pulled the covers back and invited him into her bed. Tomorrow she might be sorry. But tonight she was going to make love with Clancy Morgan, and the devil could have tomorrow, because right now was more important. The future was a blur, the past was a mistake, but the present was theirs. And Angel wanted to feel his body next to hers as she had on those hot summer nights under that old blue blanket long ago.

  He left his robe and matching shorts on the floor and she added her nightshirt to the pile, along with a pair of white cotton bikini underpants. There was no hurry—neither of them was eighteen years old and neither of them had to be home by midnight. They enjoyed long, exploring kisses until they were breathless. Clancy touched all the soft skin he remembered so well. His hands were back home when they caressed her body and she sighed aloud when she ran her fingers through his hair and pulled his face closer for more kisses.

  "Now . . ." She begged him to make love to her.

  "Yes," he nodded and they came together again, more than five hundred miles and ten years away from the banks of Pennington Creek where they'd met the first time.

  Except that this time would be better, Clancy vowed silently. The experience of years had taught him a lot about loving women . . . and he intended for Angel to remember this night forever. And he was no longer an eager boy who thought too much of his own satisfaction. Now, his greatest pleasure would be to take his time, arouse her slowly, and teach her every sensual delight he knew.

  But Angel didn't want to wait. And she wasn't about to just lie back and let everything happen in its own sweet time. She ran her hands over the hard, muscular contours of his body and down over his taut belly, and lower. She drew him toward her and into her, and Clancy sucked in his breath and trembled, fighting for control.

  She rocked against him, until his big hands gripped her hips and made her stop. Angel held still for a moment, and he reached up to hold her head and kiss her, hard.

  Angel responded passionately, as his lips sought hers, again and again, almost bruising in their intensity. He caressed her breasts and teased her nipples, tender with arousal, until she arched against him, lost in erotic sensation.

  Clancy started to move then, with deep thrusts that made her nearly wild with desire: His breath came in ragged gasps, faster and faster, until Angel cried out in climax and he moaned roughly, reaching his own release simultaneously. He collapsed over her for a fraction of a second, but rose up on his arms to keep from crushing her, and kissed her again and again until she opened her eyes, dreamy in the afterglow of love . . .

  Afterward she curled up to sleep in his arms and he drew her close to his side, blissfully content. Now what was he going to do to keep her there forever? What did Angel want? If she had a fling with him for two weeks and then went back to her oil company without a backward look, it would be what he deserved

  Angel awoke with a start when the alarm buzzed at seven o'clock. She was still in the crook of Clancy's arm, snuggled up beside him. Lord, what had she done? This was all her own doing. She'd wanted Clancy in her bed last night and she'd made the first overture. Before she could get anything sorted out, he opened his eyes, smiled, and kept staring at her. . . making little ripples travel up and down her spine.

  "Good morning," he finally said when she didn't blink her green eyes, and he wondered if she was regretting last night's lovemaking.

  She nodded slightly. "Will we get to Tishomingo tonight?" she asked.

  Evidently she was going to avoid any mention of what they'd done between these sheets last night, he thought. "Well, this is Friday. We could give ourselves plenty of time, and get there Saturday night. Want to stop off in Shreveport and play on a gambling boat tonight, or go dancing?, '

  "Let's go as far as Shreveport and rent a motel room with one bed," she said seriously.

  Clancy's face lit up.

  "Or we can stay right here," he suggested.

  "Nope, I'm hungry," she declared, and pulled out of his embrace. "Anyway, you can't kiss me until I brush my teeth."

  She threw the sheets back and padded to the vanity mirror, unashamed of her nakedness.

  "You are beautiful," Clancy exclaimed, feeling heat rise from his toes to the top of his head. He grabbed his robe so she wouldn't see the arousing effect she had on him.

  "Coffee," she muttered with her toothbrush still in her mouth. "I need at least a pot of black coffee to wake up. Let's load this stuff up and go eat breakfast. How far is it to Shreveport?"

  "Too far," he chuckled.

  Twelve

  "Maybe this isn't a good idea," Angel's stomach had butterflies the size of buzzards flapping in her stomach. She hadn't been this nervous since the day she signed the final papers, to purchase the building for Conrad Oil from Red.

  "Hey, it's all right, I promise." Clancy shut the door of his Bronco and went around to open her door and gather up a load of luggage. "My mother doesn't bite, you know. And besides, she and Tom are still honeymooners so they won't even know we're around most of the time."

  "You should have called first. She can't say no now." Angel nervously tugged her red shorts down and smoothed the front of a matching sleeveless jacket.

  "Clancy!" Meredith Morgan, immaculately groomed as always, met them at the front door. "And Angela? Is that really you looking so grown-up? Come in. Tom and I just got home this morning. We heard about the hurricane and figured you'd come back."

  "See?" Clancy whispered to Angel. "We thought we'd move into the guest house out by the pool if that's all right," he said, as he walked in the front door and set the bags down to hug his mother. "Can't stay in Florida, and Angel's still got the better part of two weeks' vacation," he explained.

  Angel looked around at the inside of the house. It hadn't changed m
uch in the past ten years. The only thing new was the pool and the guest house, which she could see through double glass sliding doors on the other side of the dining area.

  "Hello." She stuck her hand out to Meredith when Clancy set the luggage down in the living room, and went back for the rest.

  "Oh, don't you offer me that hand, girl. Come here and give me a hug. I'm so sorry to hear about your grandmother's passing." She wrapped her arms around Angel and patted her back sympathetically. "She was a fine woman and I really liked her. Now, tell me about the hurricane. I'm glad you got out in time We were worried."

  "So were we," Angel said seriously. "I didn't know if Clancy was going to drive us out or paddle us out for a while there, but we finally reached dry ground. Are you sure this is all right? I can get a motel room," she asked honestly.

  "Absolutely not," Meredith brushed away the idea with a flick of her hand. "That's what the guest house was built for. The pool isn't the ocean, but I bet the sun's just as hot here, and you won't have to worry about a hurricane. Really, we want you to stay here."

  "Thanks." Angel nodded "Clancy, honey, show me where to go and I'll help you," she said when he came back in the house.

  Meredith heard the endearment and raised one eyebrow at her son, who grinned sheepishly. He looked different. Same dark hair, same walk, same five o'clock shadow that his father had at this time of day, no sunburn; nothing new . . . except his eyes. They were full of life and sparkle. And if his Angel was the one who put the glow back in his eyes, then Meredith Morgan silently swore she'd sell shares in Hades to keep her around.

  "This way." He nodded toward the doors about the same time Tom opened them from the outside.

  "Merrie," he said, "those ferns have got to be watered every day, and we're going to have to plant more—Oh, hello, Clancy. Didn't know you were back home." He grinned. "Oh, my goodness! Angel Conrad! Come here and give me a hug, child Lord, it's been ten years, since I've seen you and you're still as beautiful as you ever were, maybe even more so."

  "You're still a giant," she giggled, standing on her tiptoes to hug him even when he leaned forward.

  "And you're still too short!" Tom laughed. "Are you stayin' a while with us?"

  "I guess so. The hurricane sent us back home, and Clancy says there's room for me in the guest house."

  "Room for you anywhere you want to hang your hat around here," Tom said. "Let me carry those bags for you. We've got dinner reservations at some place over in Ardmore. You two have to go with us." He skirted the pool and opened the west door of the guest cottage.

  Meredith was behind him shaking her head violently so he couldn't see it, but Clancy and Angel could. Tonight was a special surprise and she didn't intend to share it, not even with her son and his true love.

  "Thanks, Tom," Angel said. "But it's been a long day, and all I want is a hamburger from the Dairy Queen. Then I want to come back here and sit in one of those lounge chairs by the pool until the stars come out. Airplanes were meant to get a person from one end of this country to the other, not automobiles!"

  "I heard that. Then I'll get on in the house and get ready to go, and you kids can fend for yourselves," he said. "And Angel, it's mighty good to have you back for a while. We missed you and your granny when you left."

  "Thank you." She patted his arm as he went back to the main house.

  "Not that I don't want you," Meredith whispered, "but this is a special evening I had planned for the two of us . . ."

  "That's quite all right," Angel said.

  "You are going to church with us in the morning aren't you? The service begins at eleven," she said.

  "Sure." Clancy nodded "We'll be up and ready, Mama."

  When Meredith was back in the main house and the doors were closed behind her, Clancy turned to Angel, wrapped her in his arms and kissed her passionately. They had arrived in Shreveport by midafternoon, spent a couple of hours in bed, ordered pizza in and hadn't left the room until this morning. Then he'd stopped several times, pulled off to the side of the road, and leaned over for more kisses just as passionate as this one. "Just to keep me going until we get home," he'd explained each time to make her giggle.

  "See, I told you." He raised an eyebrow like his mother.

  "Okay, you win." Angel said. But that doesn't mean this whole experience is going to be one, big happy ending to our love story, she thought.

  An hour later Clancy held open the door of the local Dairy Queen for her, then chose a table for two right in the middle of the restaurant. While he went to the counter to order hamburgers, she remembered what she'd thought about on the beach. She expected to be impressed if he took her to the Dairy Queen on Main Street in Tishomingo, and here she was, but the sun was still hanging in the sky and the new courthouse across the street didn't tumble into a mound of rubble. The very event which would have made her swoon at the age of eighteen wasn't so big a deal after all at the age of twenty-eight!

  "Hey, Clancy!" Jim Moore's voice could be heard booming from two tables over. "Where you been, man? We got up a fishing trip last night down on the river and caught a ton of suckers. Larry fried them on the riverbanks and brought the beer. You missed a good time."

  "I was busy outrunning Hurricane Blanche." Clancy grinned at his old friend. "She tore up the hotel where we were staying in Florida."

  "We?" Jim raised an eyebrow. "You and Melissa getting back together?"

  "Hell, no!" Clancy exclaimed.

  "Oh, hi, Clancy." Janie came through the side door and walked up beside her husband. "You didn't order for me, did you?" she asked. "You seen Melissa, Clancy?"

  "Yep, and I don't ever want to see her again," he said "Come over here." He motioned to his friends. "Get your food and come sit with us," Clancy nodded toward the center of the room where Janie could see a dark-haired woman she didn't recognize.

  "Sure," Jim said. "What do you want, Janie? Bacon cheeseburger with extra cheese?"

  "Not with all those fat grams!" She slapped his arm. "Give me a chef salad and a diet Coke."

  Angel smiled up at Clancy when he sat the tray down in the middle of the table. "Oh, my. Two bacon cheeseburgers, two orders of tater tots with chili, and two chocolate malts. Tell you what, since you've provided our supper, I'll wash the dishes when we finish, just to show you I'm all for equality."

  He threw back his head and laughed. "Does that mean you'll tote the paper to the trash can and put the tray on the shelf above it?"

  "Yep, and don't take it lightly, sir. I don't offer to do dishes very often." Angel unwrapped her burger. "I love junk food," she declared, rolling her eyes toward heaven. "Beats cooking any day."

  "Clancy, darlin', have you heard about Melissa?" Janie pulled up a chair and sat down without paying much attention to the woman with him. He'd brought a few dates around in the past, but they never came back a second time, and she knew in her heart that someday he and Melissa would get back together. Besides, whoever this woman was, she'd probably get mad and go home if Janie kept a running conversation going about Clancy's first wife. At least it had always worked that way in the past.

  And if that didn't work, Janie could manage to get this woman to herself for a few minutes and fill her in on how much Clancy really loved his wife, and it was beginning to look like things could work out for them. Janie would blink innocently and tell this one, just as she'd told a few others, that she didn't want to see her get her feelings hurt, but Clancy would never love anyone but Melissa.

  "I'd rather not talk about her." Clancy glared at Janie but she didn't look directly at him.

  "Oh, sure you would." Janie shook the salt shaker over her salad. "She and Daniel are getting a divorce, and now's the perfect time . . ."

  All the blood in Angel's veins turned to ice water. The burger tasted like sawdust and she knew she'd gag if she tried to swallow the bite in her mouth. So much for Tishomingo and coming to terms with the past.

  "Janie, you remember Angela Conrad," Clancy reached across the tabl
e and took Angel's hand. "We graduated together and she played for us at the alumni banquet, remember?"

  Angel looked to her right into the coldest blue eyes she'd ever seen. If looks could kill she would be stretched out on the floor, ready for the undertaker to embalm her. Janie and Melissa had been inseparable in high school, she remembered. And evidently, their friendship was still thriving.

  "Hello, Angela." Janie nodded without blinking, recognizing Angel at last. "What are you doing back here?"

  "Visiting Clancy," Angel felt a twitch at the corners of her mouth but she suppressed an automatic, polite smile. "Hurricane Blanche ran us out of Florida so we came home for a few days." She picked up her hamburger and forced herself to eat a bite even though it was tasteless, determined not to let Janie know even for a second that she was rattled.

  "I see." Janie turned back to Clancy and ignored Angel. "Melissa told me she was going to Florida to see you and that you two could might work things out," she said, as if Angel were just another piece of furniture. "Then she called and said she was flying back to Virginia to settle things there, so I thought—"

  "Evidently you thought wrong," her husband Jim interrupted. "It's good to see you, Angela. Where have you been keeping yourself all these years?"

  "Oh, I live in Kemp part of the time, and in Denison the rest," Angel could tell he was honest in his efforts to cover up his wife's tactlessness.

  "What are you doin'? Besides outrunnin' hurricanes and singin' with that band of yours." Jim picked up his chili dog and took a bite.

  "She's the president of Conrad Oil Company," Clancy said. He couldn't believe Janie could be so rude.

  "You're kiddin'." Jim's eyes were round as saucers. "You that Angel? Red talks about you all the time. Says you're smarter'n anybody in the business. Lord, I didn't know he was talkin' about Angela Conrad."

  "Thank you," she said. "How do you know Red?" It looked like they were going to have a three-way conversation which Janie could report back to Melissa because the woman was ignoring all of them and picking at her salad as if she expected to find a cockroach hidden under the lettuce leaves.