Jenny (13 page)

Cole hesitated. With no other woman to chaperone
them, it would be awkward for her to stay, but he
didn't know how he could just send her on her way.

"It's up to you. I can have one of the men ride with
you, if you'd like. I wouldn't want to put your reputation at risk."

Mira was so frustrated with Cole, she was ready to
curse out loud. Only a flash of distant lightning and
the accompanying rumble of thunder saved her from
being forced to leave.

"I guess I'd better stay. I'm sure my father will
understand when I explain everything," she lied.

Cole wasn't so sure, and he wasn't about to set
himself up for trouble. In a way, he regretted that he'd
ever let anything come of his casual acquaintance
with Mira. He knew she wanted much more from him
than he ever planned to give.

"Let's go in. I'll see about fixing up the extra bedroom for you."

She didn't protest his offer but played along. She
was delighted that she'd be staying the night. What
was going to happen next was anyone's guess, but
she was ready and eager for anything.

They sat in the parlor and talked for a while. Then
Cole went to make sure the bedroom was ready for
her. He was startled when, he turned and found her
standing in the doorway watching him. There was a
heavy-lidded, almost seductive look about her, but he
ignored it.

"I didn't hear you come down the hall," he said as
another streak of lightning rent the night sky and was
quickly followed by a loud clap of thunder that shook
the house.

"I just thought I'd come along and see if you
needed any help," she offered.

"No, everything's ready."

"Thanks. And where's your room?" Mira was already planning how she was going to seek him out in
the middle of the night. She could tell he was bound
and determined to play the gentleman with her, but
she was just as determined that he be anything but a
gentleman. She wanted him to love her. She wanted
him in her bed.

"My bedroom's right there across the hall," he told
her, nodding toward the closed door.

"I'm glad you'll be close in case I get frightened
in the storm," Mira said innocently.

"Well, this should blow over soon. I'll wake you
in the morning before I leave."

"You have to go somewhere early?"

"I'm a rancher. I've got livestock to tend to. If I
don't do it, it doesn't get done."

"That's what I love about you, Cole Randall. When you set your sights on achieving something, you don't
stop until you get it, and I know you've always
wanted the Branding Iron to be the biggest and the
best ranch around."

"That's what I'm aiming for," he agreed with a
smile. "Well, good night, Mira. I hope you sleep
well."

It irritated her that he was dismissing her so easily,
but the night stretched long and dark before them. She
would wait until the time was right, and then she
would go to him. She was certain he wouldn't refuse
her, especially if she came to him wearing only the
sheet from her bed.

Cole was glad when she went inside the room and
shut the door. His need to be alone had not lessened,
and he drew a deep breath of relief as he walked back
to the front of the house. The last thing he'd wanted
was to find Mira waiting for him tonight. Dealing
with Jenny all day had worn him out; putting up with
Mira all night could prove nerve-wracking.

He stalked to the kitchen and opened a cabinet to
pull out his whiskey bottle. He poured himself a single shot and downed it without flinching. Then, turning out the lights, he grabbed a slicker and headed
down to the bunkhouse. He would spend the night
with his men. There was an extra bunk there. In the
morning, he'd make certain he had others with him
when he went back up to the house. He had no designs on Mira, and he would have witnesses to the
fact that nothing had happened between them.

Mira undressed slowly, then slipped into the bed that
Cole had turned down for her. She'd decided to sleep
in the nude just in case he came into the room for
any reason. She hoped she got that lucky. The sheets
felt cool against her skin, and she fantasized about
how she and Cole could heat them up. It was a very
arousing fantasy.

Outside, the storm raged on. Inside, Mira bided her
time, waiting for the hours to pass, waiting for the
right moment to go to the man she wanted more than
anything in the world. It was after midnight when she
finally decided the time was right. The storm had not
abated. Rain still poured down in torrents. Rising
from the bed, she wrapped the sheet around her and
moved quietly toward the door. It opened silently, and
she tiptoed across the hallway, ready for what was
promised to be the most momentous few hours of her
life. Mira figured that after tonight, it could only get
better, because she would soon have Cole all to herself.

Mira reached for his doorknob and turned it. For a
moment, she feared he might have locked the door,
but it opened easily, soundlessly. She stepped into his
bedroom, ready for him, wanting him. She moved a
few steps farther into the room and then let the sheet
drop away. She shivered in anticipation of what was
to come. Her plan to ride over here to see Cole had
been brilliant he was going to be hers.

"Cole." She said his name softly.

She was surprised when he didn't respond. It was
dark in the room; she couldn't see him and realized
that he was probably sleeping soundly. With utmost
care, she crept nearer to his bed, intending to slip in
beside him and press herself up against him. She
hoped he would be caught up in the excitement of the
moment. No words would be necessary between
them only actions.

She knelt carefully on the side of Cole's bed and
reached for the covers, wanting to curl up against the
warmth of his body, wanting the heat of his passion
to sear the night chill that was settling over her.

"What?" The word was torn from her as she discovered that Cole's bed was empty.

Mira jumped up, her hand at her throat as she
backed away, snatching up the sheet and clutching
it to her. Her shock turned to anger as lightning lit
up the sky and she saw that his bed had not been
slept in.

Mira wondered where he'd gone. The house was
dark. She made her way down the hall and looked for
him in the parlor. But he was not there. Cole had
chosen not to stay in the house with her. When he'd
spoken about protecting her reputation, he'd been serious Damn him!

Mira swore out loud as thunder rent the night, and
tears of frustration burned in her eyes. She'd wanted
to make love to Cole. She'd wanted to lie in his bed,
in his arms, and know the full beauty of his possession.

But it wasn't going to happen.

Not tonight.

Mira returned to Cole's room and lay down on his
bed. It was soft and welcoming. The scent of him was
on his pillow, and she clutched it to her breasts, aching for him, willing him to return, yet knowing that
he wouldn't. She lingered there for hours, not leaving
the bed's comfort until near dawn. She remade the
bed, straightening the covers so he would never know
that she'd tried to come to him in the night.

It was just at sunup when Mira heard Cole enter
the kitchen accompanied by some of his men.

"Did you sleep well?" Cole asked when she joined
them.

"Very well. Thank you for the hospitality," she answered.

Her gaze was hungry upon Cole, unmindful that
Fred and another ranch hand were present. Even first
thing in the morning, she thought him the most handsome man she'd ever seen. The dark shadow of a
day's growth of beard on his jaw only added to the
attraction she felt for him. If they had been alone at
that moment, she would have gone into his arms and
never let him go, but she was forced to control her
emotions and her needs. Damn! She'd been thwarted
in this plan, so she was going to have to come up
with another. Nothing would stop her from becoming
Mrs. Cole Randall.

Mira ate breakfast with the men, then was on her way home. She was not pleased with the way her trip
to the Branding Iron had turned out, but at least she
had gotten to see Cole for a little while and she'd
gotten to sleep in his bed.

Mira wondered how many other women could say
that.

She hoped there were none.

"Damn, Cole, that was one hot woman," Fred told
him after Mira had gone. "Why in the hell did you
spend the night in the bunkhouse with us when you
could have had her all to yourself?"

Cole looked over at him and smiled slightly,
though he wasn't amused. "That is exactly why I
stayed in the bunkhouse."

The men laughed with him. Cole was trying to
make light of the moment, but, in truth, he was asking
himself the real reason why he hadn't spent the night
in the house. Mira was a good-looking woman, and
she had made no secret of her desire for him. She had
been there for the taking, but he'd turned his back
and walked away.

The truth was there for him to see. He'd spent the
night thinking of Jenny and of how she'd looked
wearing those pants, instead of thinking of Mira,
ready and willing under his own roof.

Cole grew irritated.

Mira was gone.

It was a new day.

He needed to start concentrating on the work he
had to do.

And he would, if he could keep himself from remembering his first sight of Jenny on that roof.

"We will have so much fun! Haven't you always
wanted to experience the real Wild West?" Rose Stanford said excitedly to the friends gathered around the
dining room table in her palatial home. Her dark eyes
were sparkling with delight. "This is your chance!
Who's going with us? Melanie and I are planning to
leave a week from Friday, so that gives all of you
plenty of time to get your personal business organized
so you can travel with us. We'll be away for a few
weeks, so plan for a big adventure."

Rose's enthusiasm was contagious-as usual. Rose
lived life with such vitality that any time she got excited about anything, others were automatically drawn
along with her. Her excursion to the Lazy S Ranch
was no exception.

"Aubrey and I will join you," Richard Donathan III
announced immediately.

"Good! Anyone else? One hundred dollars a week
per person is nothing, really, and that will cover all
your expenses except for traveling, of course," Rose
told them, making up a figure that she knew her companions could easily afford.

The members of her social group were all from the
best families in Philadelphia, and money was no object to them. She knew that if she'd quoted too low
a price, they would have considered the trip beneath
them. She hoped Jenny wouldn't be upset by the price
she'd set, but judging from the tone of Jenny's letter,
Rose sensed that her friend needed all the cash she
could get, as quickly as possible. She was going to
do her best to help her out.

"What exactly does one do on a guest ranch?" Aubrey Miles asked, now that he had been committed
by Richard to participate.

"Anything you want," Rose told him, smiling to
herself as she tried to envision Aubrey dressed in
cowboy garb. High-fashion gentleman that he was,
she had never seen him less than perfectly attired. It
was going to be interesting to see how he adapted to
a rougher, more physically challenging environment.
"There will be horseback riding, trail hikes, hunting,
and all kinds of outdoor activities, I'm sure. It should
be quite wonderful. The Lazy S is a working cattle
ranch, so we'll actually get to see real cowboys at
work. From what Jenny tells me, the scenery is mag nificent, so I'm taking my camera equipment along to
take lots of photographs."

Several others expressed interest in making the
trek, and they promised to make a definite commitment in the next day or two.

"For those of you who can't make it, I'll tell you
all about the Lazy S as soon as we get back. This is
going to be the best trip ever," Rose declared, and she
meant it. If nothing else, she'd get to see Jenny again.
She missed her friend desperately.

Rose had been interested in the West ever since
she'd first met Jenny at school several years before.
Jenny's tales of what went on at a real ranch had
fascinated her, and she was thrilled now to have the
opportunity to go out West and experience it firsthand. She'd taken lessons in photography and prided
herself on taking pictures of unusual characters and
settings. As popular as everything with a Western
theme was right now, she hoped she might be able to
sell some of her photos. If that happened, she might
establish a career for herself as a photographer.

Her father, of course, thought it was ridiculous for
her to even think of a career. Anthony Stanford, business tycoon, wanted his daughter's happiness, but he
also believed in following convention. Women were
to be cosseted and adored first by their fathers and
then by their husbands. They shouldn't have to concern themselves with anything as common as the
workaday world. But for all his old-fashioned, almost
dictatorial ways, Rose knew that all she had to do was smile at him and he would give in to her wishes.
She knew she was most fortunate to have a rich father
who adored her, so she took full advantage.