Chapter Thirteen

Rachel

As they drove to the dance hall, Rachel could feel her excitement gathering, butterflies swirling in her stomach. Luke was taking her out. On a date. They’d lived together for almost a week and even slept in the same bed, but this seemed different. Fun. Flirty.

They’d spent every evening together, eating dinner and then sorting through Jed’s paperwork. She emptied the top two drawers and stacked things on the kitchen table and counter and, side by side, they’d either filed the records in the cabinet or pitched the papers they no longer needed.

Jed had left her, or them, a nice sum of money. Luke had even more of his own. He’d shown her the files on his computer, savings and investment accounts. He wanted her to think about a house for them, to pick out architectural plans. She pushed the notion aside. It seemed like too much, too soon.

“Are you going to show me how to dance?” she asked after they got out of the truck and walked up to the dance hall.

He smiled in response and put his hand on her waist, pulling her to his side. Her face flushed warm at the way he tucked her under his protective arm. While his touch was always intimate, he never crossed a boundary that made her uncomfortable. Even when she slept beside him, he didn’t allow himself liberties. He waited. She knew that. Hoping she’d come to him when she no longer hurt.

When the water heater exploded, the force knocked her down and she was surprised how much her body still ached. The pain had subsided a great deal, but she hadn’t thought it would linger this long. The mornings were the worst. She’d roll out of bed and suppress a groan and sit for a moment before shuffling to the shower.

When the fire marshal came to discuss the accident, Rachel met with him by herself since Luke was busy with ranch work. He’d told her how lucky she was the blast hadn’t been worse. She was glad Luke hadn’t been there to hear that. Even now, the man’s words made her shiver.

Inside the saloon, they found Tanner at the bar. Luke introduced her and Tanner gave her a hug.

“My mom’s pretty annoyed Luke went and got hitched without telling any of us,” Tanner said above the music.

“My mother doesn’t even know,” Rachel replied.

Tanner shook his head. “Never thought I’d see the day Luke would settle down.”

Rachel wanted to tell him the rest of the story, but Luke’s hand on her hip, and the slight pressure he applied, made her change her mind. He gave a slight shake of his head. Right, she thought. No one needed to know. The situation was complicated. It would be the sort of thing that would be difficult to explain. The marriage was an arrangement, even though she spent every night sleeping in Luke’s arms. Not exactly something she could casually brush off.

“Thought Molly and Joe would come have a drink,” Luke said. “I know Molly’s not drinking, but still, sometimes they join us.”

“Molly’s not feeling well,” Tanner said. “She’s having trouble and needs to rest until the baby comes. Plus, she thinks it’s unseemly to venture out to a bar when she’s got a big ol’ belly. She says she doesn’t want to try to dance, so why bother coming to a dance hall.”

Rachel felt a pang of longing. Luke had mentioned Molly’s pregnancy and how much she and her husband looked forward to the birth of her baby. Rachel never saw herself having children. She’d always thought being a teacher and having a classroom full of children would be enough, but now that she lived in a small town, where everyone knew each other, she might never get hired on.

Luke ordered a beer for himself and a white wine for Rachel. Tanner excused himself to ask a woman to dance, leaving Luke and Rachel alone at the table.

“I like seeing that wedding band on your finger,” Luke said after the drinks arrived.

She looked down at her ring and smiled. Luke had it resized and the wedding date inscribed on the inside of both of their rings. “I never thought you’d buy me one. Or that you’d want to wear a matching band.”

“It’s important to me to do this the right way. I know you think I’m playing.”

“I like being with you. And I like taking things one day at a time. Up until now, I’ve had my life planned. Finish my bachelor’s degree. Work a few years. Get my principalship.”

He nodded. “There’s time for that, but you could always take the next year and work with me.”

“Doing what?”

“Build a house. Settle the estate. Help me turn this ranch into the best cattle operation around.”

He grinned and took a drink of his beer. “I can see those wheels spinning inside your head. You’re not taking things one day at a time at all.”

She was about to respond, when her purse, sitting beside her, vibrated with a message. Luke had replaced her phone and part of her wished he hadn’t bothered. Since she got the new phone the day before, her mother had sent three messages, insisting she have the ranch appraised. Her mother and latest husband must have run low on funds. Why didn’t that surprise her?

“How about we dance,” Luke said. “You can’t learn to dance and fret over your life at the same time. It’s impossible”

“My purse…”

“Leave it. This is Colter Canyon. No one’s going to mess with a lady’s purse.”

He took her hand and led her to the dance floor. She felt nervous about dancing with him, because something told her by the fluid way he moved, he would be a good dancer. He was tall and muscle-bound, but he was sensuous and deliberate. He pulled her close, pressing her against his body and they moved across the dance floor as one. The dance was just a two-step, but it felt like something much more. A subtle seduction.

A twinge of embarrassment rippled down her spine. The way their bodies moved, completely in sync with each other, flooded her mind with erotic images.

Luke liked to stroll around the cabin with a towel wrapped low around his hips. He did it deliberately. She imagined what it would be like to run her fingers along his shoulders and down the ripples of his taut abs. He was so gentle with her, but she suspected beneath the chivalry, the manners and the gallantry, lay a savage possessiveness. If she ever submitted to him, he’d own her heart and soul.

Dancing with him didn’t help. If anything, it made her more worried. His arms around her, his scent, the music, it was all too much. After she finished her wine, she asked him to take her home.

He smirked. “Yes, ma’am. I’m happy to take you home.”

She rubbed her forehead. “Suddenly, I feel so tired.”

From the look in his eyes, it was clear he didn’t believe a word she said.

Her phone buzzed again. “I’m going to run to the restroom.”

“I’ll wait for you.”

She needed to send her mother a quick text but she didn’t want Luke waiting. “You could bring the truck around.”

He frowned. “All right.”

She hurried to the bathroom and sent a short angry text back to her mother, telling her to forget about getting money from the ranch. Jed had never liked her mother and even though Rachel didn’t know her grandfather well, she would never allow a penny of the ranch to go to her mother, and certainly not to the man she was presently married to.

If you keep texting me, I will block your calls.

With that, she turned off her phone. None of her friends would be texting her on a Friday night. Let her mother stew a while. It would serve her right.

She put a little lipstick on and left the bathroom, circled the dance floor and made her way to the exit. A man stepped in her way, keeping her from leaving.

“Aren’t you a pretty little thing?” he murmured.

He loomed over her, his eyes shining. He was drunk. He smelled, and Rachel tried to back away, but he gripped her arm, holding her.

“Kind of stuck up, aren’t you?”

His sour breath made her stomach clench.

“Go away,” she hissed.

“You and me are going to get to know each other a little.”

He pushed her backward, toward the dance floor. “I know Krav Maga, you bastard.”

“Is that like Kama Sutra?”

Rachel looked around wildly, but the bar was dark and no one noticed the man was manhandling her. To her shock, he was pushing her towards the back of the bar, to an even darker area, lined with couches. She slammed her boot down on his instep, but it glanced off. The man’s mouth twisted into a snarl.

“Little bitch,” he growled.

She tried again but this time he anticipated her move, and yanked her arm, setting her off balance.

“Your Krav whatever don’t work on me, blondie.”

Suddenly, the man lifted off the ground as if propelled by some strange force. He flew backwards and crashed atop a table. Luke stalked towards him, grabbed his shirt and yanked him to his feet. The man took a swing, missing wildly. Luke struck him, a blow that came from below and sent the man flying backwards.

A crowd had gathered. The music stopped. Luke stood over the man, his hands curled into fists.

The man groaned and put his palm to his forehead. “Shit, I’m bleeding.”

Tanner pushed through the crowd and came to Luke’s side. “What the hell’s going on?”

“This son of a bitch had Rachel. He was pushing her around.”

Tanner jerked his head around to her. “You okay?”

She nodded. “Fine.”

Only, she wasn’t. Her heart stuck in her throat. Everything had happened so fast. The worst part was the way Luke looked and sounded. His expression was dark. His eyes flashed with rage. Suddenly she wasn’t so sure she wanted to go home with him, much less sleep right next to him. Her fears were unfounded, but she couldn’t help the way they twisted inside her.

A few men came and picked up the drunken cowboy and hauled him off. One of them gave her a curt nod. “Sorry about that, ma’am.”

“Come on, man,” Tanner said. “Why don’t you let me buy you and Rachel a drink, so you can cool down a little?”

“A drink’s not going to cool me down,” Luke snarled.

He turned to Rachel. “He hurt you?”

Tanner had already asked, but Luke was too fired up to have paid attention.

“I’m not hurt,” she said, softly.

“Come on, Rachel. I’m taking you home.”

She nodded and went to his side, letting him take her hand. The crowd parted to let them pass. The truck sat outside the Magnolia, and Luke helped her up, shutting the door behind her. He pulled out of the parking lot, turning for home. They drove in silence, Rachel’s heart thudding heavily.