Authors: Jennifer Lowery
The blond-haired man named Bobby brought
her a glass of punch and she accepted with a tiny smile. He was a nice looking
man and very courteous, but he wasn’t Murphy. He had asked her out for coffee,
which she politely refused. He wasn’t giving up easily, she realized, when he
stayed to talk. Only half-listening, she let her gaze wander through the crowd.
And found Murphy.
Leaning against the doorway, he talked
to a handsome man she had noticed earlier. The man was a couple inches shorter
than Murphy and built just as solidly. His hair was a rich brown and his eyes
were a stunning, deep blue. When he’d caught her eye earlier she had been
struck by the depth of those midnight blue eyes.
Bobby continued to hold a one-way
conversation with her and she politely nodded and smiled when she was supposed
to. She had perfected the skill while married to Kent, when dragged to numerous
parties that bored her stiff. The people she met had been vain and
self-centered, so she’d learned to nod and smile as if listening intently,
while dreaming of being somewhere else.
“Sara. I have a recipe for you.”
She turned to see Peter MacKenzie
approach. Grateful for the distraction, she smiled at the handsome,
salt-and-pepper-haired man.
“Excuse us for a moment, would you, Bobby?”
Peter asked, tucking Sara’s hand into the crook of his elbow.
“Of course. Save a dance for me, Sara,”
Bobby said, and with a wink, mingled with the crowd.
“Thought you could use a hand,” Peter
said with a smile.
Sara nodded and smiled. “You were right.
Thank you.”
She liked Peter MacKenzie. He had a way
of making people feel at ease. He had given her the recipe for his coleslaw
earlier, but Bobby didn’t know that.
“Bobby’s a nice kid. Little pushy. Have
you met my son, Gabriel, yet?”
Sara looked up to see Murphy’s friend
with the deep blue eyes standing in front of her. “No, I haven’t,” she said.
The man had the same manner about him as
his father and Sara instantly liked him. His smile put her at ease. He reached
out a hand and she took it.
“I’m Gabe,” he said. “Nice to meet you,
Sara.”
“Gabe and Jon used to raise Cain in this
area,” Peter said. “But don’t you worry, they’re good boys now.”
Sara smiled at the way Peter referred to
everyone as “boys” instead of men, and with warmth and pride in his voice.
“Well, most of the time,” Gabe said with
a smile that she bet would make a nun shuck her habit.
“You served with Mu-Jon in the Army?”
she asked.
“Seems like a long time ago, but, yeah.”
“Friends and military pals, that’s
great. Are you home for long?”
Peter clapped a hand on Gabe’s shoulder.
“For as long as we can have him. Mind if I borrow him for a while?”
“Absolutely not. Nice meeting you,
Gabe.”
“Likewise. I’m sure we’ll cross paths
again.”
Sara watched them head toward the drink
table. Both men had the same easy, confident manner. Gabe definitely resembled
his father.
Turning, Sara searched for Murphy again.
He no longer stood in the doorway and she felt a moment’s disappointment. She’d
hoped he would come over and talk to her, but obviously he was still avoiding
her.
Then she saw him. And he wasn’t alone.
He stood near the buffet table, handing a paper cup to a striking, dark haired
woman in a very tight skirt and blouse. She smiled at him and accepted the cup.
Pain knifed through Sara’s heart. He had put a stop to all involvement with her
and already moved on. It hurt more than she cared to admit, so with a sigh she
turned away. Murphy’s scar made him sexy. It didn’t surprise her women were
starting to flock toward him. Men like Murphy didn’t come around every day. He
was a good catch.
Feeling lost and alone, she started to
make her way toward the door. Maybe she would call it a night before she had to
witness Murphy letting loose with the brunette. That would be more than she
could handle. She wasn’t ready to see him with another woman. Especially on the
dance floor and holding her.
Bumping her way past people, Sara almost
made it to the door when someone grabbed her arm and spun her around. Startled,
she gasped and found herself staring at Murphy’s chest showing through the
unbuttoned vee in his shirt.
“Where do you think you’re going?” he
growled.
“To bed,” she retorted. “Not that it’s
any of your business.”
“It is my business. You aren’t going
anywhere alone.”
“You can’t stop me. Besides, you’re too
busy to accompany me.”
She hadn’t meant to say that. Mercy, she
had never spoken a jealous word in her life. Murphy wasn’t hers, he could dance
with whomever he pleased. She frowned when he quirked a brow in amusement.
“Jealous?”
“No.”
“Liar,” he murmured and gripped her
elbow. “Come on.”
Sara tried to dig in her heels without
making a scene, but finding it impossible to do so, she followed him onto the
dance floor. The band played a slow song as Murphy led her into the far corner
and pulled her into his arms. Stunned, she stared up at him, not moving.
With an exaggerated sigh, Murphy lifted
her arms, draped them around his neck and began to sway to the music.
“Move your feet, Sheldon,” he ordered
softly in her ear.
Blinking, she let him lead her in a slow
circle, still shocked he was dancing with her. He held her lightly and moved
with grace and ease that had her melting against him. One hand rested on the
small of her back and the other cupped the nape of her neck. She was soon lost
in the scent and feel of him and forgot all about the people surrounding them.
“Nice dress,” Murphy murmured.
Sara blushed. “Thanks.”
“Next time you want to go in town and
spend my money, do it with back-up.”
“You knew?” she gasped.
He sent her a look that indicated how ridiculous
the question was.
“I don’t care about the money, Sara. If
you and Abby need anything, all you have to do is ask and I’ll get it for you.
It’s the fact you went into town without protection and without letting me
know.”
“I’m sorry.”
“Don’t do it again. I can’t protect you
if you ignore my orders.”
“I’m not a soldier, Murphy.”
He stiffened, then relaxed, but only
slightly. “Just trust me, all right?”
Sara smiled and pressed closer to him.
“Since you put it that way, yes, I will.”
Murphy’s hand circled her back. It felt
good to be in his arms again and she never wanted to let him go. He smelled
like the outdoors and soap from his shower. A heady combination. She breathed
deeply, wishing more than anything they were alone.
Her hands burrowed in his hair. He
needed a haircut, but she wasn’t complaining. She liked to run her hands
through the silky strands. His hard thigh pressed between hers and she drew in
a sharp breath. The pressure on the back of her neck increased. She lifted her
head to find Murphy staring down at her with heat in his eyes. If they kept
this up, he was going to break his own rule. She so wanted that to happen.
“I’ve missed you,” she murmured.
His eyes darkened and he scowled.
“Nothing has changed, Sara.”
“I know.”
He pulled her closer and she rested her
cheek on his chest, lulled by the steady beat of his heart. She wanted to stay
in his solid, strong arms forever. But she knew a pipe dream when she had one,
so she settled for the here and now.
“Abby is staying with Justine and Paul,”
she said.
He remained silent.
“I miss her.”
More silence.
“I know she’s safe there.”
“Yes, she is.”
Sara sighed. She didn’t know why she’d
needed Murphy’s reassurance, but it made her feel better. She closed her eyes
and let the sway of Murphy’s body lull her into a state of euphoria.
Murphy distanced himself from her and
she sighed heavily.
When she looked up she found him staring
at her with an amused look.
“Song’s over,” he said.
“You’re a good dancer.”
“That surprises you?” he mused.
She grinned. “As a matter of fact it
does. What else do you do that I don’t know about, Murphy?”
A wicked spark entered his eyes and she
wished she hadn’t asked. It only made her want him more and brought the truth
of their situation to the surface. It was getting harder and harder to imagine
leaving him. He already had her heart.
“Mind if I cut in?” MaryAnn asked behind
them.
Sara smiled and stepped reluctantly away
from Murphy.
“Not at all. I need a drink anyway.”
“Thanks. How about it, big brother,
wanna take a turn on the dance floor for old time’s sake? See if you still have
it?” MaryAnn asked with a devilish grin.
Sara watched Murphy swing his sister
onto the dance floor. She was so in love with this man. Agile and graceful, he
fell into step with the other couples as they moved rapidly around the dance
floor. It was a big step for him and she couldn’t be prouder. Forcing him to
come home under these circumstances wasn’t ideal, but it had turned out well.
She hoped someday he forgave her for pushing him too fast.
In need of fresh air, she slipped out
the back door and into the cool night. Taking a deep breath, she moved to the
corral and leaned against it to stare into the night. Stars sprinkled the sky
and a half moon shone down on her. A perfect night for a party and she’d had a
great time. She’d certainly never danced so much in her life. Nor had she
enjoyed it so much. Leaving this behind was going to be hard.
Saddened by the thought, she decided to
go back to the house and call it a night instead of returning to the party. She
made her way around the barn and headed toward the hill leading to the house.
Halfway there, a man spoke in the darkness.
“Mind if I join you?”
She stopped and turned to see Gabe move
into position beside her. Normally she would have been running for the house
and feeling very uncomfortable about being followed, but she didn’t get the
urge with Gabe. Not only because he was Murphy’s friend, but because he put her
at ease.
“Sure,” she said, continuing her walk.
“That would be nice.”
He fell into step beside her.
“Are you turning in for the night?” he
asked.
“I’m beat. I think I’ll take a long bath
and go to bed. Are you having a good time?”
Gabe smiled. “Yeah, I haven’t been to
one of Alice’s dances in a long time.”
“She has a knack, doesn’t she?”
“Always has. You sure you’re ready to
call it a night?”
They reached the back porch. Sara nodded
and smiled. “I am. Thanks for the escort.”
“Anytime.”
Sara ran a bath, thinking about Murphy.
It made her happy to see him dancing with his sister. Family like his was hard
to come by and he needed to hold on to it. She had been close to her mother and
missed her terribly. Her mother was the only one in the world who had cared
about her. How she missed having someone there.
Murphy had a caring family who loved him
very much. She hoped he realized how important that was. He’d shut himself off
from them, so he got a taste of what it was like to live in isolation. Maybe he
would understand how wrong he’d been. She’d lived with the same isolation, only
not by choice, and never wanted to go there again. Although one day she would
leave here and be back where she’d started.
After sprinkling in a handful of bath
salts, she undressed and lowered herself into the tub. The water soothed tired
muscles, but did nothing for her raging hormones. That one dance with Murphy
had her stirred up.
A half-hour later she was still restless
and frustrated, so she climbed out of the tub and wrapped herself in a towel.
She’d thought she heard Alice come in a little bit ago, but decided she wasn’t
in the mood for company. Maybe she would do some drawing before turning in. She
was working on a project she wanted to finish before she and Abby moved on.
Something for Murphy’s family she hoped would give back some of what Stephen
had stolen from them. Although to see them tonight, she would never know they
had lost anything in the fire. They had accepted the loss and moved on, not
letting it get them down.
Murphy’s family was strong, and that
bond made what Stephen had done null and void. They threw it back in his face.
She was proud of them, wished she was more like them. They would overcome any
obstacle thrown in their way and do it as a family.
They hadn’t let Stephen win, and neither
would she.
She walked into her bedroom and stopped
when she found the lights off. Hadn’t she left them on?
When she flipped the switch, nothing
happened. She tried it again. Still nothing. The light bulb must have burned
out. Having no idea where to find a spare, she dropped her towel and felt her way
to the bed where she’d laid out her pajamas. After slipping into her tank and
shorts, she climbed across the bed, and laid her head down.