Right Here Waiting (5 page)

“Are you coming or not? We don’t have all day, especially
if you still plan to take our guests on that nature walk you mentioned to Martha
before dinner last night.” She wasn’t even aware he heard her conversation with
Martha.

She hoped he would be in a better mood today than he’d
been in last night, but apparently he wasn’t. “Just let me grab my purse and
I’ll be right out.”

She meant for him to stay outside, but he didn’t. As soon
as she turned her back to him, he followed her inside, closing the door behind
him. He closed the distance between them making her nervous.

He grabbed her and forcefully pushed her against the
wall. Not hard enough to do any damage, but he made it clear he meant business.
He pinned her with his strong hands, his body mashed against hers, his
closeness stirring the heat within the center of her.

“Let me go, Blade.” She fought him, trying to push him
away, but it was no use. “You’re hurting me,” she said through gritted teeth. She
tried to read his expression for a clue as to what his problem could be, but it
was too hard to tell.

He loosened his grip on her, but not entirely. “Not until
you give me some answers and I want the honest truth.” She frowned.
What was
he talking about?

“What do you want to know?”  She was more annoyed with
his behavior than anything else.

His breath was ragged and his tone of voice sounded harsh
as he spoke. “Why wouldn’t you allow me to make love to you last night, but as
soon as I was gone, you let Rex into your cabin and into your bed?”  Had he
gotten into the liquor? Whatever it was, it turned him into a madman.

“I did no such thing. Is that what he told you?” What
little she knew about Rex, he didn’t seem like the type of man who would spread
stories. She credited herself as being a pretty good judge of character.

“He didn’t need to. As soon as he told me he left his
cowboy hat on your bed, I put two and two together.” Was he serious?

“Yeah, and you’re coming up with five. If you’d stop
yelling long enough, I can explain.” His accusations were hurtful and cut to
the bone.

“Explain what? How you allowed my cousin to touch you in
places on your body I have only dreamed of exploring with my own hands and
mouth? And with a man you just met. Is that how people do things back in New
York City? Is that what you have been learning over the past five years? “ Were
the white coats just around the corner?

“Go take your meds, Blade. You’re delusional.  For your
information I never had sex with your cousin or anyone else last night. Not
that it’s any of your business, because the people I allow into my bed is none
of your concern.”

He didn’t say a word. Instead he leaned in closer and her
whole body tensed as she realized what he was about to do. It was too late to
stop him. His mouth came down on hers. There was nothing tender, nor passionate
about the kiss. It was demanding. He suddenly pushed away from her. She felt
rejected.

“Let’s go.” He began walking towards the door. She
followed him out although the tension between them was awkward. 

Did he believe her? Was that what this kiss was about? She
was still feeling pretty shook up by the time she climbed into the truck and
took her seat next to Blade.

He handed her a bag of Martha’s freshly glazed donuts and
a thermos of strong black coffee, which instantly wiped away any fatigue she
may have been feeling with one sip.

It didn’t however, relax her. She was still feeling
pretty uneasy by the time they reached the shopping center in Boise. 

Blade went off to buy some supplies for the ranch,
leaving her on her own to shop for clothes.  It was just as well.  She needed
time to think, and she couldn’t form a clear and rational thought in her mind
with him around.

Were the feelings between them just wishful thinking, or
was there something much more deeper like Blade believed? Could it be possible
these feelings she felt for Blade were genuine love?

There was only one way to find out, but was she willing
to take the chance and explore these feelings between them? Would Blade be
willing to explore deeper into this after believing she seduced his cousin?  Or
did Blade really have a string of girlfriends like the blond who was renting
one of the cabins? She felt a strong ache in her heart.

They apparently dated at some point in the not so distant
past and she heard Blade tell her they would go out again soon. She didn’t want
to come between them if they were a couple.

A million different questions ran through her head with
no answers to any of them. She wasn’t the type to indulge in one night stands
with any man. It was all or nothing. It hurt her knowing Blade thought she’d
done so with his cousin and it was possible he could still believe it.

She was looking at a rack of jeans in the first store she
entered when she heard someone calling out her name. “Megan, is that really
you?” She jumped at the sound of her name.

Releasing her hold from a pair of jeans she had been
examining, she turned to see a woman who looked familiar standing behind her,
but couldn’t recall who she was. She tried her best to be polite regardless.
“Yes it is.” She allowed a small smile to make itself at home on her lips.

“I thought so.  How are you holding up? I know your
parents’ death must have been hard on you.” Okay, so this woman knew her
parents. It didn’t narrow it down a whole lot. Her parents made many friends
over the years.

“Thank you for your kind concern. I miss them dearly.” It
was the honest truth. She felt a strong ache in her heart and hoped she didn’t
start bawling like a baby in front of this woman. It would be the talk of the
town.

“Why didn’t you ever come back to visit them after you
went away?” Megan winced.

There it was. The question she hoped no one would ask
her. It was what she asked herself over and over again in her mind since she
received the news about her parents’ automobile accident which eventually led
to their deaths. Her mouth went dry. She really didn’t know what to say. There
was no answer.

She saw Blade approaching them. “Hello, Mrs. Dunaway. It’s
nice to see you again. It has been awhile since you’ve been out to the ranch. How
have you been?”

Why didn’t she recognize Edith Dunaway to begin with? Edith
was her mother’s best friend. She knew the woman her whole life. Edith even
bought Megan some cute little outfits when she was a little girl.

“I’m doing well.” She turned her attention back to Megan.
“You are staying out at the ranch, aren’t you?”

“Yes, as a matter of fact, I am. I’m staying in one of
the guest cabins.” She managed to maintain her smile.

“How wonderful. Now that I know you’re there, I’ll be
making visits to the ranch more often. How long will you be staying? I do hope
you won’t be returning back to New York City right away.” It would be nice to
have Edith around, even if the older woman reminded her a lot of her mother.

“Don’t worry,” she assured Edith, trying to hide her
distaste over the situation. “I won’t be returning to the city for another
year. I have some unfinished business to attend to here first.”

“Oh yes, the will.” She knew about the twist in the will?

She felt strongly now the stipulation in the will was
Edith’s idea, but she didn’t have any solid proof. She couldn’t just come right
out and ask Edith, either. It would be rude to make an accusation like that
without knowing for sure.

Edith excused herself, saying she needed to run more errands
before she could go home. Megan hugged the woman before she watched her walk
away.

Blade turned to her, a flame of something – anger –
desire and said, “Don’t get too hooked on the idea of going back to New York,
because if I have my way, and you know I will because I don’t take no for an
answer, you won’t be stepping foot back in New York City ever again.” She’d
show him, she decided.

CHAPTER FOUR

S
he stared at Blade in shock. She
couldn’t believe it. Who did this man think he was? If he thought he could stop
her from going back home when the year was up, he was dead wrong. She would
prove to him just how out of line he was.

“I don’t know who you think you are, or what you think
gives you the authority to tell me where I can or cannot live, but once this year
is up, I’m gone.  Not you. Not anyone else. Nobody will be able to stop me from
going home.” She smiled smugly. She made her point pretty clear.

“This is your home.” Would the guy never give up?

“Not anymore, it isn’t.  Idaho hasn’t been my home since
I left on my eighteenth birthday.” Would he ever understand where she was
coming from? Probably not. He had always been a very stubborn man used to
having his own way. Will not this time.

“We’ll just see about that,” he said as he turned and
walked out, but called over his shoulder, “Meet me at the truck at one so we
can get back to the ranch."
Yes,” we will see,
she thought to
herself.

She had half a mind to catch up with Edith and hitch a ride
back to the ranch with her. It would serve Blade right. But she didn’t. Instead
she stayed and finished her shopping and was pretty satisfied with all her
clothing selections. She couldn’t wait to get back to the ranch and change into
a pair of her new jeans. She knew they wouldn’t be as comfortable the ones she
wore in her youth, but she would have these jeans broke into in no time flat.

* * *

A
t five minutes to one, she met Blade
at the truck, a few minutes earlier than they planned on. He was already there
waiting for her. He got out and loaded her purchases into the back along with
the supplies he picked up for the ranch. As he did so, he didn’t say a word. Was
he still upset over the little scene back at the store?

As she stood watching Blade, she heard something behind
her; the sound of someone clearing their throat. She jumped, startled and
turned to see a vaguely familiar looking man standing behind her. She saw a
glimpse of him the day before when she first arrived.  Blade introduced him as
Fred Bishop, the ranch hand who drove her car into town to be repaired. She
politely thanked him; laughing about her behavior. Blade caused all her senses
to go into overload, and she was acting like some nervous kitten. It wasn’t
like her at all. She sighed, trying to relax.

Blade walked around to the passenger side of the truck
and opened it; motioning for her to get in. “Fred first,” she said, backing
away. She wasn’t in the mood to sit next to Blade. The last thing she needed was
physical contact with him. She didn’t know how much longer she would be able to
resist him. Thinking about it scared her.

When they arrived back at the ranch, she received the
miracle she’d been hoping for.  An activities director was found and hired on
while they were in Boise. She would need to find something else to do around
the ranch to make herself more useful and to fulfill her parents last wishes.

She was relieved to know she wouldn’t have to plan
anymore activities for the guests at the ranch. It really wasn’t a job for an
ad executive. No job on the ranch was suitable for an ad executive, she
realized, but what choice did she have? Maybe she could help with the marketing
end of the ranch, she thought with a grin.

She was stuck here for a year and there was no getting
around that. She would just have to make the best of it. Her career with the
largest ad agency in New York City was as probably as good as over. The thought
depressed her. What was her parents thinking?

After changing into a pair of jeans and t-shirt, she took
the guests out on their nature walk later that afternoon as promised. It was
good way for her to get to know them all a little better as she answered all of
their questions about various landmarks on the property. The whole time Blade
was with the blond. It was only obvious they were involved in something more
than just friendship. She noticed how the woman kept her arm linked with
Blade’s and the looks she cast Megan’s way were as if to say, “Back off, he’s
mine.” She didn’t know why, but it felt like a knife through the heart. She
felt a strong desire to fight for Blade, but she couldn’t. He wasn’t hers to
start with. This woman had every right to claim him, and from where she stood,
it looked as though it was what Blade wanted. After all, he wasn’t protesting.

She tried to ignore them and was relieved when the it was
over. She couldn’t stand to see Blade with another woman. She needed to get out
of there. She started walking back to the house when she felt a hand on her
shoulder. She turned and found herself face to face with Blade. The blond was
standing only a few feet away, her arms crossed and the scowl on her face
pinned directly at them. It was obvious she didn’t want Blade associating with
her.

Her mouth went dry, but she forced herself to speak
anyway. “Don’t you think you should get back to your girlfriend?” The last
thing she wanted to do was come between any couple. As much as she was fond of
Blade, this was no exception.

“She’s not my girlfriend,” he said with a low growl. What
would he call it, then?