Chapter Five
L aura finally relaxed. To be honest, she’d been worried they’d run into Becket’s brothers tonight. It would be best for all concerned, she’d decided, if she didn’t see more of the oldest Weston brother.
He bothered her. She didn’t like the way she reacted to him. The strange vibes, the stupid butterflies in her tummy—she was twenty-nine, for goodness’ sake. Who still got butterflies at nearly thirty?
Becket had ordered wine for them after asking her what she preferred to drink—she’d have to tell his mother she’d raised him well—and they’d just ordered food.
“So, why does a pretty lady like you decide to move to a small town like Marietta?” Becket asked with his big smile.
Laura laughed. “Don’t waste those baby blues on me, okay? Your own mama warned me about you. Tell me about the history of your ranch.”
“My moves are clearly wasted on you.” Becket grinned.
“Clearly. Relax and tell me about your family history.”
“Okay, if you’re sure. You’ll have to stop me, though. We’re all very passionate about our land and once I start…”
“I’m sure. So shoot—when did the first Westons arrive here in Montana?”
“Okay, here goes. Way back, around the 1860s, there was a big demand for beef in the mining towns and that was when cattlemen appeared in the valleys around here…”
Becket had lost his flirty manner, and it was obvious he knew the history of the land around Marietta and particularly of their ranch. “The early ranchers relied on the practice of what is known as ‘open range,’ where they grazed large plots of unsettled lands, continually moving their herds to fresher pastures. I won’t bore you with the details of all the problems the ranchers had back then. Then, at some point in the late 1800s and again in the early 1900s, there was legislation promising large parcels of land to applicants who would improve the land through agriculture. Many of the new ranchers also participated in the open range ranching, but the increase in fenced-in privatized land, plus the difficulty of managing livestock during cold winters, eventually led to the end of...”
A commotion behind them stopped Becket in the middle of his sentence. His eyes widened. “Damn it, I don’t believe this,” he muttered as he got up quickly. “Excuse me…”
“Becket,” a woman cried. Laura turned her head to see a disheveled-looking blonde rushing toward Becket. “Why don’t you answer my texts?” she cried out. “How can you be with someone…” she sobbed, pointing toward Laura, obviously distraught.
With an apologetic backward glance in her direction, Becket steered the woman in the direction of the doors.
Ignoring all the glances in her direction, Laura took a sip of her wine. It was an awkward situation, but she was hungry and wasn’t leaving before she finished her dinner. Hopefully, she’d be able to get an Uber.
Closing her eyes, she enjoyed the layers of baked cherry, blackberry, currant, and a hint of cardamom of the cabernet sauvignon Becket had ordered. No use wasting a lovely wine.
At the sound of scraping chairs, she opened her eyes. Hayden and Cooper Weston, both looking devastatingly handsome in neat pants and shirts, were sitting down at the table. Before she could get a word out, the waiter hastened closer.
“Another glass, please?” Cooper asked. “We’ve eaten, but we thought we could share your wine, if you don’t mind, Laura?”
Hayden just stared at her.
“We’re the rescue team,” Cooper said as the waiter left. “Becket…um…has his hands full.”
“Thanks.” At least she sounded normal. “I don’t really need rescuing at the moment. Maybe when I’ve finished my meal, I’d rather not walk home. And you’re welcome to share the wine.” She took out her phone and handed it to Cooper. “I was serious the other night when I said I want to get a dog. If you have one, that is. May I have your number?”
“Sure,” Cooper said, entering his details. “Last week a Jack Russell-kinda mutt turned up on my doorstep. She’s clean now and got her shots, but she needs more attention than what I can give her. Might be hard to earn her trust. She hasn’t had it easy, but you’re welcome to come and have a look.”
Laura smiled. “How do you know she had a tough time?”
Cooper shrugged. “She’s told me.”
Animal whisperer, Becket had called him. “I’ll pop in sometime over a weekend, thanks. I’ll let you know.”
“What about tomorrow morning?”
Aware of the silent Hayden still staring at her, she glanced his way. “I still have some unpacking to do, but soon. I’ll let you know.”
“Sure, I’ll send you directions to my house.”
*
Hayden was glad Cooper was talking, because he was struggling to breathe, let alone talk. Barefoot, in jeans and a sweater, Laura was beautiful. All dressed up like she was tonight, she literally took his breath away.
In a soft pink top, cut low, leaving her shoulders bare, she had him just about salivating. Long golden earrings dangled from her ears, touching her neck every now and again as she moved her head. He couldn’t stop staring at the exact points where they grazed soft skin every so often.
“…we regularly attend grazing workshops and talk about what the best practices are.” Cooper’s voice finally penetrated his befuddled mind. “…proper grazing techniques can improve overall land health. Our practices include high-density grazing with cattle herds, allowing adequate time for the soil to rest. It has led to some remarkable changes on our range lands.” Cooper slapped Hayden on the shoulder. “But Hayden here is really the man to ask about that.”
Just then, two waiters approached. One put the extra glass in front of Cooper and the other put one plate down in front of Laura. Hovering with the other plate in his hand, he looked at Hayden.
“Just put it down, thanks,” Cooper said and waited for the waiter to leave before he spoke again. “Becket and Laura have been talking about grazing,” he told Hayden, clearly amused. “Definitely a first for our Becket.” He chuckled as he got up. “Excuse me, I see Aiden O’Sullivan and his wife over there. They were looking for a dog. By the way, Aiden has written a story on the deferred rotation system used around here. I’ll send you the link if you’re interested.”
“Thanks, yes,” Laura said, and Cooper walked away. “You really don’t have to stay,” she told Hayden, picking up her fork. “I’m fine eating alone. I often do.”
“Damn it, Laura, I can’t stop thinking about—” He stopped himself just in time before the “you” slipped out.
“Thinking about what?” she asked.
Staring at her mouth, he shook his head. What the hell was happening to him?
Just then a harried-looking Becket returned. Frowning, he looked at Hayden. “What are you doing here?”
“Your date was sitting on her own.”
He turned to Laura. “I’m so sorry, Laura, for leaving you alone, but it was the only way to avoid a total hysterical meltdown…”
Inhaling sharply, Laura put down her fork, picked up her bag, and got up. She’d had it with these Westons. “Please don’t talk about women like that. Expressing one’s feelings doesn’t make you hysterical. It means you’re human. You seem like a nice guy, Becket. Maybe if you let people see that, treat women with the respect they deserve, and stop trying to be the town Casanova, you won’t need to deal with people you’ve hurt. Maybe you Weston boys should try talking about your feelings. I’m going home.”
And turning on her heel, she walked away, head held high, leaving Hayden struggling to catch his breath. It was a good thing he hadn’t known about the short black skirt and high heels she was wearing.
“She can’t walk home in those heels,” Becket said. “But I don’t think she’ll get into a car with me right now. You may have better luck, although I wouldn’t bet on it.” He grinned.
“Coop’s with me…” Hayden began, just as Cooper returned.
“What’s going on? Where’s Laura?”
“Walking home in heels,” Becket said.
Hayden got up. “I’ll offer her a ride. You go with Becket,” he said to Cooper.
“Who says I’m ready to go home?” Becket grinned.
Hayden glared at him. “I think you’ve given the folks here tonight enough to talk about for the next year. We have a business to run in case you’ve forgotten. You want respect? You need to earn it.” He walked away, ignoring all the curious looks and whispers.
*
Laura slipped on her coat as she quickly moved toward the exit of the hotel. The hotel had been restored over two and a half years ago, Becket had mentioned. The grand lobby glowed with lovely paneled wood, marble, and gleaming light fixtures, but she hardly noticed it again as she quickly made her way outside.
The only person she could blame for the fiasco of a date was herself. Hadn’t she vowed to steer clear of men, of relationships? And here she was, not quite two weeks in a new town, and already in the middle of someone else’s drama.
As she was digging into her purse for her phone, Aiden and Vivian O’Sullivan, Annie’s sister and husband, who she’d met while staying at Annie’s, stepped out of the hotel.
Frowning, Vivian walked up to her. “Everything okay, Laura?”
“We saw what happened inside. May we offer you a lift home?” Aiden asked.
“Thank you, yes. I’m so sorry…”
“We live on the same street. We’re Arlene’s neighbors on the other side,” said Vivian, taking Laura’s arm. “No problem.”
Within minutes, the O’Sullivans dropped her off. Vivian walked with her to her front door. “Oh, my goodness, it’s cold! We’re from Portland, and I’m still not used to it.” Vivian laughed. “I really admire the fact that you can walk in heels on these slippery surfaces.”
“I’m from Missoula. It does get pretty cold there, too, so I’m used to it. But, yeah, heels aren’t the best option in this weather.”
“Will you be okay?” Vivian asked as Laura put the key in the front door.
“I’ll be fine, thanks. I’m much happier at home, knitting and reading, than going on dates. I should remember that.”
Vivian smiled. “Has nobody told you about the magic of this town? It has a way of opening up your heart, whether that’s what you want or not.”
“My heart is in no danger…”
Behind them was the crunch of tires on snow, and both Laura and Vivian turned around.
“You have a visitor,” Vivian said, as Hayden got out of his truck. “You want us to hang around?”
Laura’s heart was beating so loudly she barely heard Vivian’s question. “It’s okay. I’ll be fine. He won’t be staying. Probably just checking if I’m okay.”
“Okay, we’ll talk soon.” With a wave, Vivian walked away.
Hayden had stopped to talk to Aiden, who was sitting in his truck, but as Vivian approached he nodded in her direction and walked toward Laura.
She unlocked the front door and switched on the light in the entrance hall, but didn’t enter. If he had something to say, he could say it out here on the porch.
“I was going to bring you home,” he said, as Aiden drove away.
“Not necessary. As you can see, I’m fine. Good night.” As she quickly turned to open the door, her foot slipped. Everything happened in slow motion—her hand shot out to grab the doorknob, her bag dropped, her hand slid from the knob and two strong arms caught her before she could fall on the floor.
“Damn it to hell, woman,” Hayden muttered as she fell against him. He staggered a few steps backwards through the open door into the house with her in his arms.
Out of breath, she lifted her head. His amber eyes turned darker and his jaw tightened. “You are touching me again,” he growled, slipping his hands around her waist.
She should push him away, demand he leave, but something strange was happening. The whole entrance hall suddenly seemed to be vibrating with peculiar electric currents, and her limbs felt heavy. Moving was impossible.
Her senses took in everything: his strong jaw and wide, muscled shoulders, the earthy tones of his smell, his warm hands on her waist, the muscles moving beneath her fingers, his ragged breathing. Or was it hers?
“This time I’m going to respond,” he murmured against her mouth, only millimeters separating their lips.
As if hypnotized, she stared at his mouth. She wanted this. His kiss. It was all she’d been thinking about since he’d knocked on her classroom door. Actually, no. She’d wanted this since she’d seen him in Grey’s Saloon on her first night in Marietta.
But instead of kissing her mouth, his head dropped down and warm lips trailed over her shoulder, leaving feather-light kisses wherever they touched.
Before she could catch her breath, their lips met. Barely. She felt it down to her toes, though. Her breath hitched somewhere in her throat. Amber eyes roamed over her face once more before he took her mouth again.
This time a wild torrent simply picked her up, and all she could do was cling to him as one sensation after the other slammed into her. This was how one should be kissed. This was probably the kind of kiss Rhett Butler had been talking about when he’d told Scarlett O’Hara in Gone with the Wind she should be kissed often, and by someone who knew how. This guy…this guy was the Yoda of kissing.
She’d never experienced anything like this. This assault on her senses, the merciless giving of pleasure until she was just about drowning in it—how was it possible that she hadn’t known kissing could be like this?
Impatient hands were inside her coat, moving up and down her sides, igniting little fires under her skin as far as they went. She was burning up, her body moving restlessly against his, her only thought that he should never stop.
As the sound of a car honking nearby finally penetrated the fog in her brain, he lifted his head. His breath, like hers, was ragged, the amber pools darkened with desire.
“Hayden…”
With a soft swear word, he stepped back, rubbed his face. “I…I apologize. That…should never have happened. It’s crazy. I…there is…I can’t do this. I’m sorry.”
Before she could utter a word, he walked out of the house. “Lock the door behind me,” he called out as he pulled it close.
Still floating somewhere in space on a soft, pink cloud, her brain filled with lustful thoughts of warm hands on her body. What had just happened took another minute to sink in.
Hayden Weston had kissed her. Kissed her like she’d never been kissed before…wasn’t there a song about it?
And then he’d left because it should never have happened.
After locking the door, she leaned her hot forehead against the cold surface of the wood. Her breath was still uneven, her heart racing at an alarming pace.
Inhaling deeply, she finally turned around and walked on alarmingly unsteady legs in the direction of her room. Like he’d said, it was crazy. He’d made it clear nothing could come of it, whatever “it” was and, anyway, hadn’t she also vowed to steer clear of men?
In her room, she began pacing. This usually helped when she needed clarity on something.
The whole thing could be explained away if you looked at the facts: he’d been a widower for a while, she hadn’t been with someone for…she couldn’t even remember the last time she’d been kissed. And never by a real-life Rhett Butler, that was for sure.
For some reason or other, she’d ended up in his arms five times. Plus, they were both healthy adults, so feeling vibes between them wasn’t that strange. What had happened between them was purely physical.
Calmer, she stopped pacing. There. She was going to forget it had ever happened and move on with her life. She had things to do—a house to buy, a scarf to knit, books to read.
Hours later, she was lying in bed, still wide awake, staring at the ceiling, reliving every single second of Hayden’s kiss. With a groan, she turned on her side. Okay, it had happened only hours ago. She’d have to give it time. She’d forgotten all about the previous kisses she’d had. At some point, this one would also fade from her memory.
Closing her eyes, she willed herself to sleep.