Lee and Aunt Dottie had been the only true parents he and Wade had ever known.
Sam set his duffel bag on the bed then plopped down to test the mattress. Comfortable, he assessed, lying down and stretching out his legs. He laced his hands behind his head and rested on a navy corduroy pillow. He stared up at the ceiling, looking for a kind of peace that always seemed to elude him.
Sam had seen action in the Persian Gulf War, he’d battled the toughest opponents in the business world, but he had never known the kind of fear he experienced each night when he closed his eyes.
Thoughts of Tess would surface. But his mind denied Sam the sweet memories of his daughter. He didn’t deserve them, not yet. Not ever. Sam had lost so much that day, his daughter, a wife who had blamed him, and the better part of his soul. “I’m sorry, Tess,” he whispered quietly. “So sorry, sweetheart.”
Sam rose from the mattress and paced the floor. He had no intention of sleeping on this comfortable bed tonight. He grabbed the doorknob and yanked open the door.
Caroline Portman stood on the other end, balancing a tray, ready to knock.
“Uh, hi,” she said, “I almost forgot about dessert.” She lifted the tray to his eyes. “Ice cream sundaes, slightly melted, but delicious all the same.” She walked past him, stepping into the room. “Are you settled in for the night?”
“Not really. I won’t sleep here tonight,” he announced, “while you’re sleeping on a bale of hay.”
She grinned and those twin dimples peeked out. “I don’t mind.”
“I do. You get this bed tonight, or the deal’s off.”
“Really?”
“Yeah, really. The lady always gets the bed.”
Caroline tilted her head to one side and smiled. “That’s really not necessary.”
Sam stared, standing still in silent argument, his expression set in stone.
Caroline sent him a look of genuine appreciation. “Okay, and thank you. That’s very…very sweet.” Sam got the distinct feeling she hadn’t been treated with regard too often.
He wouldn’t belabor the point. Instead, he glanced at the sundaes. “Those look good.”
“Let’s sit outside and eat them,” she said, “before they melt even more.”
They opted for a bale of hay just outside the barn. The night was warm, the sky overhead twinkling with bright stars. Sam enjoyed the serenity. He took a deep breath, and Caroline’s fresh fruity scent invaded his brief peace. He glanced at her as she ate with gusto, devouring her ice cream. Sam found little enjoyment in life, but watching someone eat with such obvious glee made him smile.
“What’s funny?” she asked, catching him.
Sam shook his head and pointed to her empty dish. “You ate that like there’s no tomorrow.”
His observation didn’t rattle her; she grinned. “I know. I don’t indulge often, but when I do, watch out. ”
Good Lord, she looked pretty, sitting under the stars with moonlight streaming down. She had the softest features, a sweet smile and beautiful blue eyes. And Sam wondered about her comment. What other things did she indulge in? Her “watch out” statement intrigued the hell out of him. No, he wouldn’t allow his mind to go there.
“You saved the day, Sam. I want to thank you for coming to my rescue today.” Again, the sincerity in her tone made him think this woman, who deserved more, hadn’t been treated with much regard in the past.
“I’m far from a hero, Caroline.”
Caroline set the empty plastic ice cream dish on her lap and with head downcast, she admitted, “Still, I’m glad you’re here.”
“Because the stables mean everything to you.”
She nodded. “My heart’s been broken, Sam. I can’t ever let that happen again.”
Sam knew how she felt. Her sentiments echoed his own. Losses of any kind were hard to take—there was no way to measure the amount of pain they caused. Sam didn’t think he had an exclusive on heartache. Obviously, Caroline had had a bad marriage and had almost lost her precious ranch. “We’ve got a lot of work to do starting tomorrow. Let’s get some sleep.”
Caroline agreed. She stood up abruptly, dropping the dish and napkin that had been on her lap. Both went down to retrieve the items. They reached for the dish at the same time and bumped heads.
Sam’s hand covered hers and an electric shock traveled through his system. Her sweet laughter rang out, tempting his senses. His body instantly reacted. Not just a little slight jab, but a full-fledged, piercing arrow that angled straight to his groin.
He went thick and hard below the waist. He summoned all his willpower to contain his massive erection. Wasn’t happening. Instead, white-hot desire bulleted through his body. He ached from the fullness, something he hadn’t experienced in a long time. That dead part of his body came alive and no matter how hard he tried to bring the numbness back, he couldn’t.
Sam released Caroline’s hand and backed off, staring into her eyes. Had he lied to himself last night when he’d kissed her? Had he persuaded himself that he was immune to her soft lips and warm womanly body? Had he fooled himself into thinking that Caroline Portman hadn’t intrigued him from the very start, approaching him with her I-need-a-man, comment?
Sam didn’t have answers. What he had was a hard-on that was killing him.
“Sam?” Caroline looked at him with curious eyes.
“It’s nothing, Caroline. I’ll see you in the morning.” Stiffly, Sam rose and headed for the stable stall where he’d be sleeping tonight.
And he was hoping that when he woke, this momentary lapse would disappear in the morning’s light.
Three
“You are a beauty,” Sam admitted, stroking her female body, closing his eyes for a moment, relishing the feel of such a lovely creature. It gladdened his heart to see that she responded in kind.
“I see you’ve met Dumpling,” Caroline said, walking up to the mare’s stall. “And it appears you’ve made a new friend.”
Sam patted the mare with affection. “She’s a sweetheart, just like you said.”
Caroline approached, rubbing her cheek against the mare’s snout. The animal responded with a soft whinny. “Yeah, Dumpling and I go back a long way.”
She eyed the horse with tenderness; her face glowing and Sam figured she saved that look for only those who’d earned it—only those she trusted.
“How’d you sleep?” she asked. When she turned her attention and her baby blues on him, Sam inwardly flinched, the blow taking him by surprise. Those sparks, those damned unwelcome fireworks hadn’t disappeared as he’d hoped. They were alive and well and residing uninvited and unwelcome, flaming up his body. At least his anatomy below the waist hadn’t
