by Debra Kayn
"Hang on a minute, Luce." She set the phone on the bed and hurried to knot the towel above her breasts. "I'm sorry, you caught me buck naked coming out of the shower. Now what were you saying? I'm needed where?"
She listened to Luce explain how it was mandatory for all women in town to come to the cafe. "Ladies' night out", she called it. Samantha sank down on the edge of the bed.
"You did not just call me fresh meat, Luce!" she laughed.
A night out did sound fun, and she always enjoyed her time with her friend. She didn't want to admit it to Luce, but the real reason she wanted to go was to see if Ranger Man showed up. All week she'd sat at the café in hopes that he'd come in for dinner, but he never did.
"Okay, stop begging. If you expect me to get dressed and come over, you better hang up and let me get ready." She glanced around her room, wondering what she should wear. "I will. See you in a few."
Samantha hung the cordless phone back on the charger. "Dress to impress...I can do that."
***
Following Luce's suggestions, Samantha wore a pair of low-cut jeans and a short black peasant blouse that bared her belly if she dared to raise her arms. She fancied the whole package up with a pair of black heels. Finally ready, she felt excitement for the night to come. Not that she planned to pick up a man, but she'd make an exception if a certain park ranger happened to make an appearance.
Samantha fiddled with a strand of hair that tangled in the large, silver hoop earring on her walk over to the café. Her steps lightened, and her hips loosened up. She was a true believer that shoes really did make a woman sexy.
Luce's Café brimmed with excitement. There were even more people here for Monday's Girls' Night Out than there were for Friday Night Karaoke. She stepped inside and immediately noticed that all the women stood on one side of the café, and the men clustered the other. It reminded her of the seventh grade dance she'd attended back in junior high.
A woman walked to the front of the crowd and announced that Ladies' Choice would commence in five minutes. Samantha excused herself through the throng of men blocking her way. At the sight of her, the men parted like the Red Sea, and their heads followed her passage. She bit the inside of her cheek to keep the giggle inside.
Back in Portland, men didn't give up their seat on the bus to a woman, much less treat her with respect. She liked the special treatment her gender received from men and it didn't surprise her that women were treated extra nicely in Skamania, where men outnumbered women five to one.
A high-pitched shrill tore through the room, right before Charlene, waving her arms in the air, caught Samantha's attention. She waved back. Charlene's two-finger whistle could put any construction worker to shame.
Samantha weaved between tables and approached Charlene. "It's good to see you here." She smiled. She'd enjoyed meeting Charlene earlier and had a hunch they'd get along great.
"Luce mentioned you were coming, so I saved you a seat." Charlene nudged the chair out with her foot. "I never miss Mondays. It's the one night a week when Darryl, my husband, volunteers to babysit." Leaning closer, Charlene whispered in Samantha's ear, "He knows after I get a couple drinks in me he's going to get lucky."
Samantha playfully slapped Charlene's arm in a show of mutual understanding. She laughed. Obviously, Girls' Night Out was the same in every state.
A male waiter with the arms the size of tree trunks approached the table. "What is your pleasure?"
Samantha raised an eyebrow, glanced at Charlene, and grinned. Samantha ordered a drink, and the moment the waiter left, she turned to Charlene.
"What happened to the waitresses?" Samantha burst out in laughter.
"Luce gives the waitresses the night off to socialize, and hires men to work these nights." Charlene leaned over to bump Samantha with her elbow. "From what I hear, the men rake in the bucks by going shirtless and only wearing a skimpy bow tie."
"Luce is a freaking genius." Samantha shook her head.
Charlene nodded. "Yep, she knows a good thing when she sees it."
"Testing. One. Two. Three."
A loud squelch came over the loudspeakers, and Samantha covered her ears. Luce stood at the microphone.
"Who wants to be our first singer tonight?" Luce wagged her finger at one of the gentleman waving his hand. "Remember, girls only."
Hands shot up in the air, and Luce pointed her finger over the heads in the crowd to a couple of ladies standing in the middle of the floor. The chosen women hurried over to the karaoke machine to select their song.
Music filled the room, and the waiter brought Samantha and Charlene's drinks to the table. The women sang off-key, but everyone clapped and cheered them on. All the men whooped and hollered.
Between acts, the waiter showed up with another drink and placed it on a napkin in front of Samantha. She shook her head and waved her hand.
"I didn't order another drink. It must belong to someone else."
"Compliments of your secret admirer." The waiter winked and glided away without revealing the identity of her supplier.
She scanned the side of the room with all the men, but not one stood out because they all seemed to stare in her direction.
"Charlene, is there something on my face?" She patted her cheeks, lowered her chin, and glanced down at the front of her blouse. Nope, all buttons fastened.
"I think I know who to pick for the next round." Luce walked around the room, teasing the women who declared themselves too shy to sing in front of a crowd.
Samantha leaned closer to Charlene. "Who do you think sent me the drink? I don't know anyone."
Charlene pointed out a few single men in the crowd that Samantha might find appealing. Samantha giggled and smacked Charlene on the arm.
"No way, he's not my—" Samantha jumped at the hand that landed on her shoulder. She sat up straight and turned her head.
"We have a newcomer tonight. You all heard about our new veterinarian, Samantha James..." Luce squeezed her shoulder.
Samantha shook her head and scooted her chair back to escape her friend's outstretched hand. No way!
The crowd clapped and stomped the floor. Luce placed her hand over the top of the microphone. "They won't give up, Samantha. It's your initiation as a member of the community." Luce winked at Charlene.
Charlene looped her arm through Samantha's. "Come on, I'll sing with you. Everybody has to perform sometime. Let's get it over with."
Together, the three women walked over to the karaoke machine. Samantha's heart beat faster, and she felt her cheeks burn bright red.
"How about this one? That'll get the girls going." Charlene pointed at a song.
Samantha nodded and took a microphone from Luce. "I'm going to get you back for this." She shook her finger.
Luce smiled and stepped back.
The music started, and Samantha turned toward Charlene and lifted a corner of her mouth. She knew the song by heart. A perfect song for the ladies. She hoped the other women in the crowd would raise enough noise to drown her out.
Her voice soft and a little shaky, she concentrated on keeping in beat to the music. The extra blood supply to her cheeks also brought a roar through her ears, muting the words.
A few sympathetic souls clapped along with the song. She raised her voice more; she'd need to elicit a bigger response if she planned to live this down. She turned to Charlene and winked. At least someone she knew stood up here with her.
Charlene threw her arm over Samantha's shoulder, and together they giggled their way through the chorus and belted out the last verse to the cheering squad of females in the room. The men groaned and shook their heads in awkwardness. Samantha smiled. Most of the women in the room knew the country song where abusive Earl had to die and two childhood friends shoved him in the trunk of their car.
Samantha bowed to the crowd, and Charlene grabbed her hand and dragged her back to their table. She laughed, giddy with relief that her time on stage was over. Her face, on the other hand, would ta
ke a week of downtime to recover from the flush that surely stained her cheeks.
A round of drinks later, Samantha realized the ladies had moved over to the men's side of the room and they all mingled together. The karaoke machine was put away for the night, and soft music played from the jukebox for those who wanted to dance.
"I think I figured out who your admirer is." Charlene gazed over Samantha's shoulder.
"Who?" She leaned forward and rested her elbows on the table. This should be interesting. She didn't know anyone here besides Charlene and Luce, and the mischievous grin on her friend's face piqued her curiosity.
She followed Charlene's finger and turned in her seat. She found herself gazing at a belt buckle only six inches away from the tip of her nose. Oh dear.
Below the belt's accessory sat a man's private parts well packed in a pair of jeans. She slowly raised her eyes. She should have known that a present that size could only belong to one man.
"Nice song." Bobby smiled down at her.
"Just bonding with my girls."
The drinks had affected her more than she realized. She sounded like a drunken college girl.
Samantha found herself more and more attracted to Bobby every time they were together. He possessed the qualities she enjoyed in the opposite sex. Whatever the reason, her mind wandered to Ranger Man often.
"Come dance with me, Sammy." Bobby gathered her hand in his and pulled her from the chair. She floated across the floor, wanting to be back in his arms.
She molded into Bobby's embrace and welcomed the familiarity of having his arms around her again. The music played slow, and Samantha swayed. What a perfect way to end the day.
Samantha snuggled onto Bobby, glad she'd come to Luce's tonight.
"Sammy? You might want to step back a smidgen before I embarrass myself when this dance is over." Bobby tucked her hair behind her ear.
What did that mean? Samantha tilted her head. Bobby pressed his body in tight with hers. She jumped a foot's length away from him and laughed.
Bobby pulled her closer. "Not that far away." He chuckled. "You sure don't make this easy for me."
"I'm sorry." She gazed up at him and laughed again. "Okay, I'm not one bit sorry."
"You joke, but I've wanted to hold you ever since the other night. In fact, I can't stop thinking about you. It's crazy, but I've even found myself trying to make excuses to go to your clinic and see you." Bobby inhaled. "I even half-wished that damn wolf might show up and let me bring it in for a check-up to see if everything healed the way it should."
Samantha stopped moving her feet and stood smiling up at him. "Really?"
"Really." He tilted her face and gently brushed his lips against her mouth. "You fascinate me."
The music changed to an upbeat song, and Samantha stood motionless in Bobby's arms. Warmth flared up inside her lower stomach.
"What's the matter, Sammy? Cat got your tongue?" Bobby cupped her cheek. His thumb strummed tiny circles under her eye.
Samantha closed her eyes and swallowed. She fought to gain control of herself, but her body turned to mush under his touch.
"I think you've shocked me." She lifted her brow. "I haven't been able to stop thinking about you too."
Bobby laughed and squeezed Samantha to his chest. "Damn, Sammy. I think you got under my skin."
Samantha quivered as self-awareness overcame her. Surely, if she strung a wire between Bobby and her, the electricity between them would light up the entire room.
The music ended, and Samantha led Bobby back to the table. She glanced over her shoulder and lowered her gaze to the belt buckle that had drawn her attention earlier. She wiggled her eyebrows in the direction of his jeans. She practically vibrated from pure female satisfaction, knowing she'd aroused him and that he wanted her.
Samantha scooted her chair closer to Bobby and bumped her shoulder to his arm. Flirtatious and happy, she surprised herself with her desire to move forward with Bobby and see where their attraction led them.
"Do you want me to buy you another drink?" Bobby nudged her back.
Samantha nodded. "Wait... So, you're my secret admirer? I didn't even know you were here earlier. Charlene and I tried to figure out who sent me the drink."
Bobby winked and waved his hand to get the waiter's attention. He ordered another round of drinks for everybody, but Charlene declined.
"I'm hitting the road. Time to go pay the piper for my one night out of the house." Charlene hugged Samantha and patted Bobby on the cheek. "See you all tomorrow, bright and early."
Bobby waited until Charlene was out of hearing range. "What did she mean, 'pay the piper'?"
"Just girl humor." Samantha placed her hand on his thigh. "Hey, did you know I hired Charlene? She's my new veterinarian assistant-slash-receptionist."
"That's great. I work for her husband, Darryl. Nice people." Bobby leaned to the side to allow the waiter to set down their drinks.
"Really? I didn't know that." Samantha sipped her drink. "It's really strange how fast both Luce and Charlene fell into my life. I swear, it seems like we've known each other forever. I've never had that happen before. Usually I'm so busy with work..." She shrugged. "Friends end up falling by the wayside. I'm liking the change in my life since moving to Skamania."
Samantha filled Bobby in on all the improvements she'd accomplished at the clinic and in her apartment. She set down her empty glass, and her elbow barely missed spilling the drink in Bobby's hand.
"Oopsie, I didn't realize I drank that so fast." Samantha touched her forehead. "Good thing I can walk back home. I hadn't planned on having an admirer furnish my liquids for the night." Samantha laughed. "Now look what you did. It's all your fault."
Bobby kissed her forehead. "That's okay. I'll take the blame for this one."
People who'd arrived alone to the café paired off and left together, arms linked or holding hands. Samantha observed the wandering couples. Girls' Night Out sure ended differently than it began, with the men and women divided down the room.
"How about I walk you home?" Bobby spoke into Samantha's ear and followed his request with a brush of a kiss against her cheek.
He nibbled the sensitive spot below her ear, sending a wiggle up the back of her neck. She shivered. A delightful chill spread over her body. Her nipples hardened, and goose bumps broke out over her arms.
Samantha's hand lay on Bobby's thigh, and her upper body leaned into his. She had a wild urge to crawl onto his lap and let all these wonderful feelings engulfing her lead the way.
"Deal." Samantha stood, and Bobby held out his hand.
Chapter Nine
Bobby grabbed his coat off the hook by the door and laid it over Samantha's shoulders. His arm covered the coat, and Samantha did what came naturally. She slipped her arm around his waist.
The purr of engines and the flash of brake lights surrounded the café. Samantha walked beside Bobby along the sidewalk toward the clinic, happy and excited over how much fun she'd had tonight.
The moon shone bright, and the cool night air felt wonderful against her skin. She gazed up at Bobby and snuggled closer. Everything in her world appeared pretty dam perfect tonight.
"Did you have a good time tonight?" His hand strayed down her arm.
"I did." Samantha's sigh trickled into the night. "I don't know why I'm surprised. With you here with me, I wonder if I'm in one of those sappy romantic movies. You know, the kind that have you rolling your eyes and groaning at how cheesy the couple acts?"
He coughed and nodded. "Yeah, I had my own moment of sappiness earlier on the dance floor."
Samantha studied the clinic from the middle of the block. Her moment of content was quickly doused with a cold bucket of water at the sight of the sheriff's patrol car parked outside. She stumbled and reached for the front of Bobby's shirt. What did the sheriff want now?
"Are you okay?" He stopped walking.
She nodded. "Yeah, let's go to my apartment. You'll come in, right?" She caught he
r bottom lip between her teeth. She wanted to beg him to stay. At least until the creepy sheriff left her alone.
"Sure." He picked up her hand and gave it a squeeze. "Let's go."
Samantha and Bobby approached the sidewalk leading up to the clinic, and the sheriff stepped out in front of them. Sheriff Dickerson raised his hat and gazed at her.
Bobby stopped. "Evening, Sheriff."
Sheriff Dickerson didn't acknowledge Bobby but, instead, kept his head turned toward her. "Thorn."
She stiffened and slipped her arm out from around Bobby. She clamped her mouth tight and refused to acknowledge the sheriff.
"How's our new little town veterinarian tonight?" The sheriff twirled the toothpick he always seemed to have stuck in the side of his mouth. He controlled the sliver of wood with his tongue and leered at Samantha.
She shuddered, and stepped away. "Excuse me."
She hurried toward the door of the clinic and fumbled with the keys. She groaned. Why tonight? Why did it seem as if all law enforcement officers went out of their way to make her life miserable?
"Hey, you okay?" Bobby gently took the keys out of her hand and unlocked the door.
Samantha rushed inside and stood out of sight from the glass door. "Sure. Fine." She ran both hands through her hair and shook her head. "No, I'm not. I don't like policemen, and he startled me. I'm sorry if I embarrassed you."
"No problem. There's no love lost between the sheriff and me. I don't understand what went through the minds of the citizens of Skamania when they voted him into office, to tell you the truth." Bobby pulled her into his arms.
"It helps that you're here with me. I'm glad you came over." Samantha snuggled against him.
"Do you want to tell me why you don't like policemen?" Bobby ran his fingers through the mass of curls over Samantha's shoulder.
She stepped away. "It's not important."
She trailed her finger down his chest to his belly. "What's important is for you to come upstairs with me." She took his hand and walked him up to her apartment.
Samantha led him to the couch with four odd-colored cushions set in the sides and the homemade afghan spread over the back, and motioned for him to sit down. She sat beside him and laid both legs over one of Bobby's legs, his hand still held within hers. She traced the outline of his knuckles and delighted in the size difference of their hands.
