Chapter Sixteen
Marynne
"You ready?" Sam stuck his head in the kitchen door, letting a cold draft spin through as I put away the last of the breakfast dishes.
"All done. Let me grab my jacket." He'd promised to show me something this morning, and eagerness rushed my steps.
The last few weeks seemed like a fairytale, like nothing I ever imagined happening to me. During my childhood, any time I showed romantic or fantastic tendencies, Grandmother crushed those things out of me with her constant warnings against men. No Prince Charmings lived in her world, and she wouldn't allow me to even consider the possibility for myself. She even forbade me from reading except as necessary for schoolwork when she discovered a tattered paperback romance novel in my room. The ban on reading for pleasure lasted until I came here. Together, Ande and I had discovered a mutual love for books, the more tawdry, the better.
I smiled as I shrugged into my coat. The spiteful child in me wanted to rub Grandmother's face in what I had now, but I resisted the impulse. If she knew I found true happiness, she would find some way to ruin it.
Outside, Sam slipped his arm around my waist and led me to his truck, then helped me in. "Where are we going?" I barely waited for him to close his door before the question came out.
He gave me his most devilish grin. "Just wait. It's a surprise." He refused to give hints, even after I slid across the seat and let my hands wander under his jacket. Cold fingers on his abs brought a gasping laugh, but still, no clues.
At first, I thought we were going to the meadow where Jake and Ande got married and we first met, but he went past the turn for it. A few minutes later, he parked the truck beside a small grove of trees. "We walk from here."
Finally, we arrived at our destination. I looked around, taking in the gently rolling plain, but nothing really special jumped out at me. "What do you think?"
I fumbled for words. "It's beautiful. But why are we here?"
He grinned again and took a few steps away. "I'm thinking right here is a good spot for a porch, with a swing."
A porch with a swing? I looked around and shrugged. "Yes, it's a relaxing place. But why are you telling me this?" Hope tugged at my heart but I squashed it down with a ruthless scowl. He'd never given any real indication—
"I'm asking if you'll live here with me. When I get the house built, that is." He grinned. "A tent would be fine for summer, but with winter coming, I doubt you'll want to freeze every night, even if we are sharing a sleeping bag. So we have to wait for the house. Or spring." He held his hands out at his sides, waiting for my reply.
My mind raced. "Sam, I don't know what to say." I wanted to jump into his arms and scream Yes!, but something held me back. "You really don't know me all that well."
He turned half away from me, then back. "I know everything I need to know. I love you. I want a future with you. I want to marry you, if you'll have me. But if those things aren't what you want, I won't push you into anything. As long as there's a chance, I'm willing to wait until you're ready." He turned all the way this time and took a few steps away.
In the back of my mind, Grandmother's voice berated me with how horribly I'd failed, and how Sam deserved so much better. Damn it! "Yes!" I ran after him and he stopped.
"I don't want this to be something you agree to because you think I expect it of you, or because you're afraid I'll be upset, Marynne. I want you to say yes, but only when you're ready, and when you're certain." He took my face between his hands. "This is totally not how I intended to propose to you. Hell, I only recently realized I wanted forever with you. There's no rush, sweetheart. We have plenty of time."
Tears threatened, but I forced them back. Not happening. Not now. "I'm saying yes because I love you. I never expected you to ask, and when you did, all I could hear was Grandmother's voice telling me you deserved better. I hate her for making me hesitate, for making you doubt how I feel about you. I want it all with you, Sam. Everything." His mouth crashed to mine as the last word met the air.
Sam
My head buzzed with the need to hurry up and make her mine, get a ring on her finger before she realized she was too good for me. For the first time ever, I owed her grandmother a slight thank you, for making her doubt herself enough to even give me the time of day. If Marynne had lived the sort of life she deserved, had the supportive and happy childhood and unconditional love of family, she would never have given me a second look.
I devoured her lips, and when that was no longer enough for either of us, I led her back to my truck and made love to her in the backseat. She should have better, but she had me in every possible sense. The entire drive home, I barely managed to look where we were going. I needed to keep her in sight for fear she would vanish if I looked away.
When Dad and Nate returned from the trip, we all ate dinner together. Marynne and I hadn't said anything to anybody about our future plans so far, but we wanted to tell the whole family together.
Before we could, though, Dad glanced my way. "Sam, you'll need a few days off. Nate and Jake will cover for you with anything that can't wait around here. There'll be a backhoe here first thing in the morning. He's got two days to get everything set over on your land."
I felt like a deer with a semi barreling down at him, unable to escape the hold of the headlights. "What?"
"Crew will be in then to start pouring footers. I suggest you and Marynne make pretty quick work of a floor plan."
Broken record. That was me. "What?"
He shook his head. "Jake, you and Ande need to work on your own floor plans. The workers will all be moving over to your place as soon as they finish each phase on Sam and Marynne's place. Nate, you can either go ahead and do it on your own, or wait for a woman to figure out your floor plan." He paused for a long drink of his tea. "Boys, your Gramma always wanted the best of everything for you. Over the years, she saved, and made some good investments. She also had some life insurance. She wanted that money used to build homes for each of you to raise her great-grandbabies in."
Ande and Marynne both brushed away a few tears, and if I were truthful, my brothers and I did, too. "I don't know what to say, Dad. Other than I asked Marynne to marry me, and she said yes."
A flurry of congratulatory jokes and hugs broke out, with Janna squealing her delight at all the noise. When everything settled down, Dad spoke again. "Your Gramma would be so proud of all of you, and she would love the family you're building." He swallowed hard. "Sometimes, I'm sad when I think how you all missed out on having a momma around, but then I realize she gave you far better. You got the best things about having a gramma, and she was there to take care of you when you needed it, too."
A brief silence fell before Jake spoke. "I remember the first time I took a girl out for a date. Gramma lectured me for an hour on what to say and do, and what not to say and do. Right before I left, she told me not to forget who my Gramma was, and if some girl was dumb enough to hurt me, she'd have to deal with her." We all laughed and shared similar memories.
Tires crunched gravel in the driveway, and for the first time I could remember, Dad didn't get up to see who it was. Boots crossed the porch, quick and light, just before a knock came at the door. My brothers and I glanced at one another, not sure how to proceed. Dad always answered the door if he was there when a visitor came. Maybe he expected company?
Finally, Ande rose, opening the door with a smile. "Can I help you?"
"I'm looking for Nate Quick." The feminine voice shocked us all even more.
"Sure. He's right here. Won't you come inside?" Ande stepped back to reveal a stunning redhead in worn jeans and boots with a snug white tank top under her rough denim jacket.
Nate, looking pale and terrified, stood up. "Jean. Is something wrong?"
The woman rolled her eyes. "Of course not. You forget I was coming?"
My shy brother's eyes widened, and if possible, he went even paler. Ande interrupted, saving him. "Jean, is it? I'm Ande, Nate's sister-in-law." She offered her hand and went around the table to introduce everyone.
Jean grinned and accepted Ande's offer of iced tea and a seat, while Dad looked on with a knowing a smirk. Yes, he totally expected the company, and now he expected a front row seat to the fireworks, it seemed.
Jean turned to Jake. "Since the cat seems to have Nate's tongue, I'm here to return your mare. You'll want your vet to confirm, but I feel certain she took. That girl couldn't wait to get hold of our Max. Don't think I've ever seen a more eager mare. She was all ready to go before he even made it all the way into the breeding pen."
Nate's face turned more shades of red than I thought physically possible, and he stayed silent. The rest of us welcomed Jean, made small talk about horses and weather, and silently speculated, until she jerked her head toward the door and pinned Nate with her gaze.
"You going to come help me offload this girl, Nate?" She started for the door. "Later folks, but duty calls." My middle brother followed her like a lost foal.
"What just happened?" Jake stared at the door long after it closed, speechless as the rest of us. Only Dad seemed to have an inkling of what we saw.
"I think Nate just got his dance card filled." Ande grinned and swung a giggling Ian into an impromptu waltz. My brother didn't come back from the barn until long after everyone else had gone to bed.
Nate's discomfort was quickly forgotten as every moment of the next four weeks was spent playing a frantic game of keep-up with the building crew. As soon as Marynne and I thought we were caught up, someone came to us for another decision. If that wasn't enough to keep us busy, she and I decided we'd like to move in as husband and wife, so there was a wedding to plan. I, for one, had no intention of waiting one day beyond the builder handing us the key to the house. Lucky for me, my fiancée agreed.