Wildflower (18 page)

“Too early for spring cleaning,” he answered on a growl as he struggled with the buttons of her pants. They finally gave way. His cock drummed in anticipation of what was to come.

With a sigh, she stretched out across the table and he felt her body relax. After fumbling with his Levi’s, they hit the floor. He wiggled his large hands between her denims and her skin.

Slowly. Torturously.

He knew what to expect. There wasn’t an inch of her body he hadn’t intimately explored. But he still so enjoyed the unveiling.

Her pants slid down her legs and he parted her bare butt cheeks with his hands. He rubbed the broad wedge of his cock down to her pussy opening, coating it with her slick juices. He then tucked the burgeoning head at her puckered ass entrance. With a hand on the back of her neck to hold her secure, he shifted her feet to a wider stance. He canted forward. Pressed his cock forward…

Loud knocking on the door froze his insides as she went rigid beneath him.

“Hallo!” Arch called from the front porch.

A half a blink later, Logan pulled away. “Goddamn it.”

In one motion, he yanked up her denims then scrabbled to do the same with his own.

“Hallo!” Arch hollered again. “Boss? Matt?”

“Yeah, Arch,” Logan bit out. “Be right there.”

He worked to right his pants—damn, if they weren’t tight—when giggling swiveled his head around.

With her face flushed and merriment dancing in her green eyes, Matt was the picture of youthful beauty. He restrained his own grin and gave her his best severe look. She only giggled louder. She clamped a hand over her mouth, lest Arch hear her.

With a last look to make sure they were both decent, he yanked the door open. She stood by his side, a grin still on her face.

“What is it?” Logan demanded of Arch.

“Rider’s coming in. Looks to be one of the Applegate brothers.”

Matt’s smile vanished. “Which brother?”

“Can’t tell,” Arch answered. “But he’s probably riding into the yard right now.”

She hustled onto the porch as Logan grabbed their coats and followed behind. He handed Matt hers.

Sam Applegate loped toward them then reined his horse to a stop at the house. “Morning, folks.”

Logan went down the steps. “Applegate.” He extended his hand. “What brings you out so early in the morning?”

“My brother wants to talk some cattle business with you.”

“Oh?” He looked across the yard. “Where is he?”

Sam crossed his hands on the saddle horn. “Coming. He’s driving the buckboard with Elisabeth, so he’s lagging behind.

Matt came off the porch like a bolt of lightning. “Elisabeth? Is she all right? Is it safe for her to travel?”

Her reaction startled Logan. Why would she be so worried about Elisabeth? When had they become such dear friends?

“She’s fine,” Sam assured her. “Stubborn, but fine. This trip was her idea. Said she had something important to discuss with you, Matt. George talked hisself blue to convince her not to come, but she wouldn’t listen.” Sam swung down from his horse. “Elisabeth was bound and determined to come calling.”

“So she’s all right?” Matt pressed.

Sam smiled. “Like I said, she’s fine.”

Logan stepped forward. “What cattle business did you and your brother have in mind?”

“We were wonderin’ if you’d be interested in buying our herd.”

His eyebrows rose. “Why you selling? Not moving on, are you?”

“No.” Sam slapped his reins against his gloved palm. “Selling is my brother’s idea. He won’t leave that wife of his for two minutes let alone two months to drive our beeves north. I’d drive the herd myself, but with hiring extra drovers and buying supplies, we’d lose more money than we’d make in Abilene.”

“Why not sell to one of the bigger drives coming through?” Arch suggested.

“For three cents on the hoof?” Sam shook his head. “We figured a neighbor wouldn’t be so mean greedy and give us a fair price. One we could use to rebuild for next year.” Sam snorted. “‘Course, with all the rustling in these parts, we might be better off selling the land like that Dobson character at the bank suggested. Moving on to somewhere else.”

The mention of the sleazy banker pricked the skin on Logan’s neck. “How
bad’s
your rustling trouble?”

Another snort. “Bad. With just me and George to guard it, our herd is easy pickings.”

Logan intertwined his fingers with Matt’s. “Well you’re welcome to put your beeves with ours in the east pasture. That should cut down on the number of longhorns you lose.” He led Matt across the yard. “We can chew all this over once your brother arrives. For now, head to the barn with Arch. He’ll help you tend to your horse. Then meet us in the cookhouse for breakfast.”

Sam dipped his head. “Much obliged.”

“You think George and Sam will sell out and move on?” Matt asked as they walked.

Sorrow laced her voice. He hadn’t realized how close she’d gotten to Applegate’s wife. For Matt to lose her only woman friend would be tough. “I don’t know,” he answered. “Maybe. In the best of conditions, working cattle on the prairie isn’t an easy life. You add in rustling and what wasn’t easy gets a whole lot harder.”

“Yeah.” She sighed. “I know.”

“Having them move their herd in with ours at the east pasture should help though.”

She walked up the cookhouse steps. “What do you make of Dobson suggesting they sell out?”

The hair on the back of Logan’s neck continued to tickle. “I don’t know, but I don’t like it.”

“Me neither. Kinda strange, considering he wanted us to do the same thing, don’t you think?”

He held the door for her. “Yeah, I do.”

“Still seems desperate for George and Sam to consider selling.”

“What’s desperate to one man might seem reasonable to another.” He nodded a greeting to Chuck then he hung up their coats. “Without the money from the stockyard sale, they probably wouldn’t make it through the year.”

She took a plate. “But if they combined herds with other ranchers for the drive, they’d be able to get their cows to Abilene and not be forced to start all over.”

Logan pulled up short, his hand on her arm. “What’d you say?”

Confusion arched her eyebrow. “That maybe the Applegate brothers should consider combining herds with other ranchers from around here.”

He stared at her. “Where’d you come with such a notion?”

Her hackles visibly rose. “Why? You think it’s dim-witted?”

“I never said that. I just wondered where the idea came from.”

“It came from my head about four years ago.” She held out her plate for a helping of Chuck’s scrambled eggs. “Pa never cared for the suggestion, though. Said no one could count on anyone for help, but themselves. Best just to go it alone.”

“I see your pa’s point. But that doesn’t take from the fact I think you’re on to something.” He took his own plate. “We should consider joining herds with some of the other ranchers.”

She paused in snagging a piece of cornbread, her eyes wide. “You mean you
like
the idea?”

He nodded once. “I do. There’d be shared cost and shared responsibility. For the smaller spreads that could be the difference between staying here and being forced to leave.”

Matt seemed to hold her head a bit higher as she accepted a cup of tea from Chuck. Logan cursed Gene, once again. This time because the old man never realized just how damn
smart his daughter
was. And how beautiful.

He edged close to her, his voice low so only she could hear. “It’s such a fine idea, maybe I should show you my appreciation. In bed.”

The most attractive blush brightened her cheeks right before her elbow landed in his ribs. “Behave, Logan Cartwright,” she hissed.

He eased away with a small grumble. “If I must.”

“You must.” She slid a glance to him. “At least for now.”

Desire darkened her eyes and she turned to sit at the table. A moment later, he sat beside her, his leg solid against hers. Unfulfilled tension vibrated through him. He would have liked a morning tumble with his wife, but there’d be time later. He applied himself to his breakfast.

Sam and Arch came in, along with Josh, and Chuck piled their plates high. Little conversation was shared as the sound of scraping forks occupied the room. The squeal of buckboard wheels turned everyone’s attention to the door.

“That’d be George and Elisabeth,” Sam announced.

Plates and cups were quickly stacked in the wash bucket and everyone walked out the door in time to see George help his very pregnant wife down from the buckboard.

Logan trailed behind his wife as she hurried down the steps. She gave Elisabeth a quick hug. “How are you feeling?”

“I’m fine. Tired and bigger than a barn, but fine.”

Matt shook her head. “Maybe you shouldn’t have come.”

“Nonsense. Thank you, dear,” she said to George when he handed her a rather large package from under the seat. She looped her arm through Matt’s. “Let’s you and I have a cup of tea while the men folk do their talking, shall we?”

Logan touched Matt’s shoulder before Elisabeth could pull her away. “What about discussing your idea for the cattle drive with George and Sam?”

She smiled one of her heart-stopping smiles and shook her head. “You do it. I need to keep Elisabeth
company
.”

With that, the two ladies turned and walked across the yard.

~
~
~

Matt couldn’t stop staring at the package Elisabeth carried. Was it her dress? The thought made her giddy. She’d never been giddy her whole life. She opened the door to the house. “That’s my dress, isn’t it?”

Elisabeth returned her smile. “It is indeed. And a few other items.” She placed the bundle on the table and took off her bonnet and cape. “How about fixing that tea then we’ll see what alterations are needed.”

Lickety-split, the kettle was on and tea leaves were measured into cups. Elisabeth sat in Gene’s rocking chair and gentle creaking filling the room. Matt fingered the string holding the paper together then ever so slowly loosened the knot. The paper fell away. Air caught in her chest.

She remembered the material being pretty, but what she saw wasn’t pretty. It was exquisite. She gently stroked the back of her hand against the fabric. It was softer than Turk’s muzzle. And delicate. So very delicate. She felt for sure if she rubbed it wrong, it would tear.

The creaking paused. “It’s all right to touch it, Matilda. It won’t bite.”

Ducking her head at the tease, Matt wiped her palms on her denims before lifting the dress out of the paper. It was impossibly long, seeming to go on forever. Pearl buttons adorned the front with matching lace at the cuffs and neckline. She held it in front of her body and turned to Elisabeth.

“Oh, Matilda. That green is perfect with your hair and eye color.” She pushed from the rocker. “I brought some of my undergarments for you as well. I can’t fit into them now.” Two off-white, flimsy-looking things remained nestled in the brown wrapping.

“What in the world are those?” Matt eyed them suspiciously.