Chapter Eight
Tara couldn’t contain her euphoria over their quiet talk on the dance floor. Later in the evening, she and Harper visited the Bar C table, danced the slow dances and then came back to her parents’ table, which was now filled with ranching friends. How long had it been since she’d been this happy? Harper seemed unsure of just how far to go with her after their honest talk, so Tara solved that problem. She picked up his hand when they walked around the barn floor. And when he tentatively placed his arm around her waist one time, she leaned into him, silently letting him know that she yearned for the intimacy. The look in his eyes registered relief, but also heat. Harper wanted to kiss her.
And she wanted to kiss him so badly she swore she could taste his mouth on hers. This had been weeks in building between them. Tara was tired of waiting, but now she understood the foundation of Harper’s hesitancy. He doubted himself because of his failed marriage. It wasn’t that he wasn’t interested in her. She was relieved by the realization. Just having his large, rough hand around hers made her feel safer than she’d felt since she was sixteen years old. Harper fed her his protectiveness whether he knew it or not. It wasn’t that obvious, but she felt it around him as he extended and embraced her with it.
As they started the next slow dance, couples crowded onto the floor, and she liked the closeness of the people. It gave her an excuse to lean into Harper. There was no question he wanted her because she could feel the bulge of his erection against her belly. It did nothing but cause chaos deep within her, hunger combined with impatience and need. She wondered if he felt similarly.
Harper brought her into his arms, his hand enclosing hers. Tara lay her head on his shoulder, content as never before. She wouldn’t question where this was going. She wanted their relationship to continue in this direction. And when she got out of here and they were driving back to the Bar C, she would confide that to him. Right now, as her cheek rested on the fabric of his cotton shirt, feeling the heat of his flesh beneath it, the boneless movement of his body, she closed her eyes, sinking blissfully against him, allowing him to hold and guide her.
On a break, later, many of the couples went out to enjoy the coolish spring night. Harper had led her outside after he brought her jacket to her. The graveled driveway kept the mud away as they walked arm in arm with each other. A lot of low voices floated nearby. There were shadows around the massive barn. Above them, the night sky was clear, and Tara could see a growing quarter moon canting slightly in the western part of the sparkling canopy overhead.
“It’s so beautiful tonight,” she said, resting beneath his arm, her body against his as they ambled down the long slope toward the ranch road below.
“It is. Nights like this make you glad you live in Wyoming,” Harper said.
“Tell me about your parents, Harper. Where did you grow up? Where do they live?” and she looked up at his deeply shadowed face. He’d put on his cowboy hat before leaving the barn, although he had no coat on like she did. Just the muscles of his arm around her shoulders tamped down her worry about Cree Elson. In her wild imagination, she thought he might be nearby, hidden in the shadows, watching her, waiting to get her alone so he could kidnap her once again. Being with Harper soothed her fractious mind and she focused on him as a man she truly enjoyed being around.
“Well,” he said, slowing as the gravel met the muddy road, not wanting to step into it, “my folks live in Burns, Oregon. My father works for a sawmill, although so many of them are going out of business with the lumber industry slowing down that he worries he might not have a job as a millwright there for long.”
“That’s not good.”
Shaking his head, he said, “No, it isn’t. My mother, Irene, is secretarial assistant to the principal at a middle school in Burns.”
“Is her job safe?” Tara asked, moving around so that she could lean against the front of him, his hands settling on the small of her back. She saw the consternation in Harper’s darkened eyes as he looked out beyond her for a moment.
“Her job is. But my dad’s isn’t.”
“What else could he do if he was laid off?”
“He’s part of the generation where things went to high tech and he wasn’t trained for the upgrade. He isn’t that computer savvy and I worry about that. I’ve been trying to talk him into going to the vocational school in Burns and getting re-educated into computer sciences. If he could do that, he might be able to get a job where someone needs that skill. Everything is going to computerization.”
“All except our jobs,” she said wryly.
“Yeah,” Harper chuckled, “no computer is ever going to replace a wrangler, that’s for sure.” He lifted his hand and pushed a few tendrils away from her cheek. “My parents were born in Burns, and so was I. My grandparents on both sides of my family still live there. They’re pretty old now, but they still live in their homes and would never think of moving anywhere else. We’re a close-knit family that actually gets along with one another,” and he grinned.
“They’re not going to an assisted living facility?” Tara guessed. Her skin tingled pleasantly as his fingertip grazed her temple. She wanted Harper’s touch. Ached for more of it. Her intuition told her that he wasn’t a man who moved fast with anything. And maybe his broken marriage was the reason why. Tara knew they had the time to explore and grow whatever it was that had sprung between them.
His mouth curved. “No, my grandparents would never do that. They’re pretty set in their ways. My Grandpa Joe says he’s dying in his own bed.”
Laughing a little, Tara said, “I understand. Maybe because we’re so much younger, we don’t think about things like that.”
“Not yet,” he murmured, gazing down at her. “But we all age. We’ll all be where our parents and grandparents are someday. I lived with several generations of my family growing up and I saw the process.”
“So?” Tara whispered, her hands moving to his shoulders. “What are your dreams, Harper?” She saw his gray eyes alight with amusement.
“Nothing special, Tara. I had always wanted a marriage like my mom and dad have. They love each other to this day. They’re the best of friends and they love doing things together. Growing up? I always thought I’d have the same thing. When I met and fell in love with Olivia, I expected it. But things . . . life . . . had other challenges for me.”
Hearing the sadness in his soft voice, she said, “But you can try again, Harper. I’ve always heard my mom say that no one should get married until they’re in their late twenties, that we’re just too immature and inexperienced to do it any sooner than that.” He opened her hand on his shoulder, feeling the warmth of his flesh beneath the fabric. “My parents got married at eighteen and they’re still together, but I think they’re the exception to the rule.”
“I do, too.”
“When did your parents get married?”
“Right out of high school. They’d been going together for years. And they had planned on getting married after graduation.”
“And here you are, twenty-seven years old and they’ve been married that long. It speaks to them truly enjoying and liking each other,” Tara said.
“And maybe that’s the mistake I made with Olivia,” Harper admitted. “I’ve had years to think about my actions, about where my head was at, how I saw her and myself.” He grazed her cheek with his thumb. “My mom and dad share a love of hiking. The Cascade Mountains are real close and as kids growing up, their parents were always hiking, having picnics and being in the forest together as a family. I think, looking back on it, I didn’t give Olivia and me enough time to get to know each other, to do things together, to find out if we were compatible. My folks love to fish and that’s their focus when they go on hikes into the mountains.”
“You may be right,” Tara agreed, enjoying leaning her hips against his. No question he wanted her; the heat was pulsating throughout her abdomen, telling her he wanted the same thing.
“Do your folks share something in common?”
“Oh, many things. They love card games, bridge especially. They have a circuit here in the valley and a bridge club. I always know where they are on a Saturday evening because that’s when the club gets together. My mom is an avid sports fan, loves the Arizona Cardinals football team. My dad loves all the professional football teams. They sit and watch the games together.”
“That’s good,” Harper said. He moved his hands up her back and then slid them to her waist. “What about us, Tara? What do we share in common?”
She laughed. “Cleaning out horse box stalls, riding and repairing fence line.”
“You know, since you’ve come to the Bar C, you haven’t done much photography.”
“Been a little busy,” she said, seeing the warmth come to his eyes. “I’m selling well on the stock photo websites, Harper.”
“I’ve been thinking about that. There’s some really nice old, broken-down cabins up in the Salt Mountains. There’s a beautiful trail into Prater Canyon. In fact, the end of Maud and Steve’s property sits on the edge of the state park. I was thinking that if the weather cooperates, maybe sometime next week we could pack a picnic lunch, throw it into our knapsacks and go to the park. We could take that trail up into the mountains where the old cabins are. I think they would make a good photo. What do you think?”
“Sounds like fun. I’d love that, Harper. But are you big on hiking?”
“Sure am. There are several nice cold creeks up into the Prater wilderness area. I intend to try to catch some trout for us. If I get lucky? I’ll catch enough to bring back and fry for dinner that night. What do you think?”
“That sounds fantastic!” Tara said, excitement in her voice. “Before I came into your life, did you fish much?”
“Yes. My dad taught me trout fishing and I love it. I’m not sure which is more important to me—the hike into the area or actually fishing. I like the woods, the quiet; it was very helpful to me after I got PTSD.”
“Well, I would love to go with you on a hike and trout fishing,” Tara said. “I’m sure there’s going to be plenty to shoot because from what Shay has said, the Salt River Mountains are filled with all kinds of wildlife.”
Nodding, he said, “They are. We’ll carry bear spray on us, for sure. Plenty of grizzly and black bear around.”
“Sounds exciting.”
He snorted and said, “Oh, you’ll feel your adrenaline pouring through you when you meet a big eight-hundred-pound sow grizzly.”
“I’m sure I will.”
“Then? It’s a date?” and he dug into her gaze.
Tara felt his hands tighten just a bit around her waist, and the burning quality in his gaze made her think he was going to kiss her. There were plenty of other couples around, but they were the farthest away from the barn. “That’s a date, Harper. Now? Will you kiss me?”
His mouth twitched, deviltry coming to his eyes. “In a heartbeat, Ms. Dalton,” and he released her waist, his hands framing her face, gently angling her chin upward to meet his descending mouth.
Tara pushed up on her toes, meeting Harper’s mouth. Closing her eyes, her hands resting near the column of his neck, she wanted this more than anything else. The scent of him as a man, the way his mouth brushed hers so lightly, sent a thrill arcing through her. She knew Harper could be strong and powerful with her, but she relished the gentleness he shared with her as he explored her lips. His mouth was cherishing, and she tasted the sweetness of the hot chocolate he’d drunk earlier. A low sound of pleasure vibrated in the back of her throat as his mouth made more contact with hers. Tara could feel him holding back. She wasn’t sure why. She was no wilting lily and responded with her fire and need for him, fearless and wanting Harper to know she really could be kissed fully, not as if she were some breakable woman. In the back of her mind, she wondered if Olivia had been, though, and that was why he reined himself in with her. There was so much she didn’t know yet or understand about Harper that she wanted to know. Tara wasn’t the kind to assume anything. She’d rather ask and drag out the information so she would know where they stood with each other.
She lost herself in the returning pressure of his mouth, taking hers more surely as she had arched into him, her hips tight against his. Oh! There was no question he wanted her, his erection strong against her belly. She wasn’t ready to go there yet with Harper. He was still healing from his marriage. Unsure of himself with her, still blaming himself for what had happened between him and Olivia.
As Tara felt his rough hands loosen a little against her cheeks, his finger trailing downward, sending skitters of fire through her, she languished in the heat and need of his mouth taking hers. Now Harper understood she wasn’t a fragile thing. She was strong, confident and sure of herself with him, and that seemed to loosen some of the hold he had upon himself. She moved her hands across his chest, glorying in the power of him, his skin growing taut where she caressed him. It was a wonderful exploration and she absorbed the tension in him against her, the need building until she could feel an ache below, telling her just how much she wanted him.
The music of the fiddles and accordion drifted out of the barn. It was a call to everyone that the band was back and dancing was going to take place shortly.
Tara didn’t want the kiss to end. There was a subtle tension through Harper as he hungrily took her lips, kissing her deeply, unleashing his desire as he cupped the back of her head, ravishing her lips. She drowned in the emotion he shared with her, his need, his adoring her as he gentled his kiss toward the end, kissing each corner of her mouth, brushing her wet lips one more time before he reluctantly eased away.
Lifting her lashes, she drowned again in the raw need burning in his eyes. There was no mistaking that look: This was a man who worshipped his woman, wanted to please her even more than he had already. It was a wonderful discovery, and Tara cried inwardly as he released her head, helping her to stand on her own two feet. She felt heady, euphoric and dazed all at the same time. Never had she been kissed like this. There was so much more to Harper. Vaguely, she realized in her erupting lower body and thudding heart, that he was a man of few words; he let his actions speak for him.
All Tara could think was: Wow. Just . . . wow . . .
* * *
Harper could barely think straight as he placed his arm around Tara and led her back to the barn and the music. He longed for some quiet, uninterrupted time with her, not at all interested in the dance or socializing anymore. That kiss had changed everything for him. Everything. As he walked to the Dalton table and sat down to chat with Tara’s mother and father, he tried to focus on them, not his overjoyed heart.
“Harper, Tara tells us that you’re working toward a degree to become a paramedic.”
Harper held the judge’s gaze. “Yes, sir, I am. I’ve already got the approval from the fire chief of Wind River FD to apply for a job opening they have waiting for me once I graduate.”
“Isn’t that dangerous work?” Joanna Dalton asked.
“Not compared to what I was doing in the military,” he said, trying not to smile. Harper understood that civilians didn’t understand the rigor and stress on those in combat. But maybe, in this case? They knew Tara was under a lot of pressure and wanted to know more about him. He wondered if they’d already picked up the fact that he and Tara liked each other. Were they doing some questioning of him to find out who he really was? Seeing if he measured up to Tara or not? Harper thought so but didn’t become defensive about it. He saw Joanna’s expression turn thoughtful at his answer.
“Can you tell us more about yourself?” Scott Dalton urged.
Okay, Harper got it. Clearly, Tara’s parents saw them as more than just employees working at the Bar C. He wondered if Joanna’s radar—that woman’s intuition—had tipped her off and she’d mentioned to her husband. More than likely.
He gave them the short version of his family history. They were working middle class, nothing fancy, and he wondered if that disappointed them. Was this going to turn into something of a comparison between the two families? Would they see his family as less than their own? Think he wasn’t good enough for Tara? All those fears moved through his mind at lightning speed. Harper didn’t want her parents set against him. Glancing to his right where Tara sat, she appeared at ease. Maybe he was gun-shy because he remembered meeting Olivia’s parents, who were very rich and didn’t think anything of him at all.
“I know they need a full-time paramedic over at the fire department,” Scott said. “How much longer before you graduate?”
“One more year,” Harper said. “I’m carrying an A in all my classes.”
“I would imagine,” Scott added, “that because you were a combat corpsman, you find the paramedic route a little boring?”
Grinning, Harper said, “In some ways, but saving lives is my focus. The teachers have already asked me to do a PowerPoint presentation on combat medicine and the golden hour. I can share some of my experiences from over in Afghanistan with the students because combat medicine is different in some respects from the paramedic/EMT medicine practiced here in the USA.” He saw Scott give him a pleased look.
“That speaks well of your teachers, to recognize that your skills are superior in areas they probably have never been taught about.”
Harper liked Scott Dalton’s understanding, and it surprised him. The man hadn’t been in the military, but maybe because Tara had been, he’d done his homework. “Yes, it does. I’m enjoying the classes at the college and they’re teaching me the way it’s done now, here, in this country.”
“Well,” Joanna piped up, “you’re such an asset to the valley, Harper. We’re all glad you’re here. There’s a real need for a full-time paramedic with our fire department. As it is now? We have to rely on helicopters to come from Jackson Hole to pick up a sick or injured person.”
“Yes,” Tara said, “and people can die en route on a fifty-mile helo ride. With Harper getting his degree, he’s going to be able to stabilize the patient so we can hopefully prevent tragedies from occurring.” She gave him a warm look filled with pride.
Harper realized all his fears about not being good enough for Tara were caused by his own anxiety. Scott and Joanna Dalton were looking at him with respect. It was such a huge difference between the way Olivia’s parents had treated him.
When Tara reached out, covering his hand on the table with her own, squeezing it, he wondered if she was reading his mind. But then, they did have this magical, invisible tie to each other. And she had to be picking up on his concerns and anxieties. Just the warmth of her hand for that brief moment quelled all his fears, saw they were turning out to be baseless.
“Well,” Scott said, “we’d like to have you and Tara over for dinner on Saturday. Are you available?”
Harper glanced over at Tara. “I am. How about you?”
She grinned. “I love having dinner with my mom and dad.” She turned to her parents. “We’d love to come over. What time?”
“Make it four p.m.?” Joanna said. “That way we can sit and chat for a bit beforehand.”
And ask me more questions, Harper thought. But now he wasn’t as wary because he felt Tara’s parents genuinely accepted him. Whether he wanted to admit it or not, that was important to him. He knew that, in part, Olivia’s parents had derided her, while he was deployed in Afghanistan, for marrying someone “out of her class.” He often wondered how much of her parents’ cajoling her had played a part in the final demise of their relationship. Harper realized he’d never know for sure. But at least now? Tara and her parents accepted him, admired and respected him. Another huge, invisible load slid off Harper’s shoulders that he hadn’t realized, until that moment, had been there all this time.