The warm summer sun caressed her bare shoulders through the open roof of the jeep. Samantha reveled in the picturesque scenery once more. Beautiful and rugged heightened by a salient freshness. Her mouth opened and swallowed the fresh air. She welcomed the rush of the cool wind in her face as her jeep approached the animal crossing.
Silently, her wish for the sight of a powerful dark horse and an equally potent rider with deadly blue eyes, complemented by a masculine body didn’t materialize. Reluctantly, she changed gears and continued her journey. Her nerves tingled while a mixture of trepidation and anguish revisited to clench the muscles of her tummy vehemently as she envisaged the imminent confrontation with Cody.
Twenty minutes later, she drove up the driveway and parked the jeep outside the open front door. A sense of déjà vu stole over her. The only difference this time, the place hummed with activity that had nothing to do with cattle, but with the preparation for the wedding the next morning.
No amount of procrastination could subdue the inevitable. Now or later, she’d have to face Cody. Taking a deep breath, Samantha stepped from jeep and grabbed her suitcase. She mounted the stairs to the front door and entered.
A moment later an ecstatic Freda greeted her with a smile. “Samantha. It’s good to see you again, sweetheart.” The older woman enveloped her in a delighted hug. After an exchange of pleasantries, she ushered her upstairs where Samantha headed quickly for Deborah’s bedroom cognizant of the fact she may run into Cody.
Outside the door, she tapped lightly and entered “Hi.”
“Sam?” Deborah squealed in delight, and almost tripped on her veil in a rush to hug Samantha. “Gosh, girl, you’re a welcome sight.”
“Careful, we can’t have you injured now.” They came together in another quick hug.
“Thank goodness you’re here. I was beginning to think you’d back out at the last minute.”
“Don’t be silly. You know I’d never do that to you. Wow, your dress is gorgeous.” Samantha sat down on the bed overflowing with various undergarments and dresses. “Jeez, are you really pregnant?”
“That’s the whole idea.” Deborah laughed and caressed her barely visible tummy. The dress was superbly designed to hide her pregnancy. Unnecessary since at four months Deborah hardly showed.
“I envy you, girl. Some women show off a little tummy in the first three months. Not you.” Samantha laughed and rubbed Deborah’s stomach fondly.
“C’mon don’t just sit there. You’ve a dress to try on.” Deborah leaned down, rescued a dress from the bed, and placed it in Samantha’s outstretched hand. “We did some last minute alterations on mine hence the test run.”
Samantha held up the emerald green satin dress and admired the soft creation. “Wow, it’s stunning.” “It’ll look even better on you,” Deborah said.
“Believe it or not this is Cody’s choice of color and style. No. He still doesn’t know you’re here…so go and try it on,” Deborah answered her unasked questioned.
Samantha slid out of her sleeveless cotton dress and slipped on the other dress, reveling in the feel of the cool material. A step forward took her in front of the mirror. Her gaze roamed the reflection with interest. Despite the weight loss, the dress hugged her hips and fell in soft folds to the floor. The low neckline showed a hint of cleavage and the chiffon bell sleeves danced playfully over her wrists. Seductive in its cut, the design also sported a fashionable knee-length slit revealing a touch of leg. The deep emerald color not only enhanced the clear green of her eyes but also gave added depth to her dark hair.
Deborah let out a low whistle. “I guess Cody had you in mind when he picked the color.”
“How did you rope him in to help choose dresses?” An image of tough cowboy Cody frowning over material shades popped into her head.
“A rose among the thorns has its benefits. They wanted to help with the prep so I took full advantage.” Her friend’s lips dipped in a mischievous smile. “I told him a friend of mine from school, who has green eyes like you, was the maid of honor.” Deborah grinned. “I still think Cody thought of you. It suits you one hundred percent.”
“You’re nasty, even on the eve of your wedding.” Samantha laughed despite the anxiety in the pit of her tummy. She changed back into her sundress.
“Sam?”
“Hmm.” She turned and met Deborah’s intent gaze. “What happened?” Deborah sat down and tapped the bed lightly, beckoning her.
Samantha zipped up her dress, neared the bed, and took a seat.
“Probably something serious to prevent you from returning my calls, wasn’t it?” Deborah said. Samantha’s eyes welled up. Her friend gasped and threw her arms around her in a hug. “Hey, I didn’t mean to pry.”
“No, no you didn’t.” Sniffing, Samantha sat back. “I was in a coma for the last two months.”
“A coma?” Deborah uttered in a horrified gasp. Samantha nodded. “Oh, my God, Sam.” Her eyes filled immediately with concern and tears. “I’m sorry.” She enveloped Samantha in another hug. “And here I was such an ass, under the impression my friend chose to ignore me. Damn, I feel like such an idiot.” Her tears flowed with Samantha. “I’m so glad you’re okay, though,” she whispered between sobs.
Minutes later, Deborah fetched tissues from her chest of drawers, and handed one to Samantha, and then plopped down on the bed.
“Papa didn’t want Mom telling anyone.” “How did you end up in a coma?”
“My father and I got into a heated argument. He set up an arranged marriage for me which I didn’t want. I left home and had an accident.”
“Oh, you poor baby,” Deborah cried squeezing Samantha’s hand affectionately.
Samantha recalled her friend’s conversation in the restaurant about her falling in love and her father’s possible response. Her words were vague at the time yet so true. “Don’t say I told you so.”
“What? Hell, girl, no one deserves a ‘told you so’ after what you endured.”
“I don’t know if I’m ready to see Cody tonight and still be calm for wedding tomorrow.”
“Relax. The guys are at Steven’s bachelor party and with luck they’ll be back long after we’re asleep.”
Samantha gave her a weak smile. “I hope so.”
****
Samantha gave her a weak smile. “I hope so.”
Cody escorted his sister gracefully down the aisle. He smiled easily and acknowledged greetings from their guests. Hardly believable, his baby sister was about to take the biggest step in her life and the proudest moment of his life, for a substitute father. His gaze on Deborah, he smiled and squeezed her hand tightly before facing forward once more. Halfway down the aisle, his gaze rested on the maid of honor. He almost tripped over in shock.
Samantha.
He tensed. Every muscle froze in anguish. What the hell is she doing here? When did she arrive? Deborah played a neat trick not revealing Samantha’s attendance, let alone standing at the altar as the maid of honor. Gorgeous in the very dress he chose.
As though she’d sensed his shock, his sister looked up at him and held his gaze. “Surprise,” she whispered as they stepped up to the altar.
Cody battled for a calm he didn’t quite feel and handed Deborah over to Steven without a glance in Samantha’s direction then stepped away.
“Steven and Deborah, we come together to consecrate a union…”
As the priest conducted the official wedding sermon, Cody found it difficult to keep his gaze off Samantha. The angle she stood gave him a chance to run an appreciative glance over her without her knowing. Her stare remained steadfast on the bridal couple. The emerald dress emphasized her sparkling green eyes framed by long thick lashes. Her long hair swirled below her hips. Combed back on the sides with jeweled hairgrips, it augmented her high cheekbones, smooth skin, and dainty teardrop earrings. His gaze dropped to her plush lips as they parted in a sensual smile. Every cell in his body prickled in response. Damn, she’s beautiful.
Hell. He’d missed her. Yearned day and night to see her…touch her and hear her beautiful voice. Torture, he didn’t think possible followed his every waking minute over the last two months. After her father gave him the distressing news about Samantha’s marriage, he drove back to the hotel, picked up his luggage, and headed for the airport.
The solace Cody sought in the bottle had no bearing on his pain. It merely skimmed the edges of his deep-seated misery that left him with a tenacious ache for Samantha. A month of drunken stupor made his sister take charge like a serious mother hen. Deborah clucked and consoled with a maternal harshness until Cody finally admitted the best solution to his impractical inebriated brain was work. He worked, immersing himself non-stop without rest.
His present to an overwhelmed Deborah was a smaller ranch farther down the road. Cody slogged his body to the bone and his workers to set up the ranch. Complete with a house, a few corrals, and a fair amount of horses and cattle.
Yet, no amount of hard effort wiped away the relentless reminders of Samantha. Everywhere he looked was a constant reminder of her smile…her body…her laugh. It hurt like hell. His bedroom became a place of total agony as memories of endless nights spent there in her arms, seized his mind. Distraught, the den became his bedroom as a safety measure against his tormented mind.
Now, here she stood in his very own backyard, happily married, to taunt him all over again. Cody made no attempt at ignoring the pangs of jealousy which clawed at his heart. The notion of another man’s touch and lips on her set his blood to boiling point. Livid, his heart hammered harshly against his ribcage like an angry rodeo bull. Damn, it hurt.
The priest pronounced Steven and Deborah, husband and wife. The announcement yanked him from his gloomy reflections. Cody regained his composure and masked his distraught features with a brilliantly false smile. He stepped up to join the queue congratulating the couple, careful to avoid Samantha.
****
Samantha placed her glass of juice on the table and ventured toward the opening on the far end of the reception tent. She scanned the crowd as a slight wind ruffled her hair. Frantically her gaze searched until it rested on Cody’s masculine form. A soft sigh filled with longing hissed slowly past her lips. Mesmerized, her eyes took a life of their own refusing to look away, and was dimly aware of how unfairly magnificent he appeared.
Dressed immaculately in a black silk shirt and cream pants having discarded his matching sports jacket somewhere along the day, his clothes hinted at the ripple of brawny muscles beneath. Samantha had only seen him in denims and the suit lent his large frame a regal air of sophistication.
Her desire to be in his arms intensified with each breath. Throughout the entire ceremony and the reception, he made no move to seek her out or at least acknowledge her presence. Cody made every effort to avoid her, with evident ease. Intimidated, the urge to leave as soon as the bridal couple left for their honeymoon grew. It was obviously pointless getting him to listen.
As the band played their first note, Samantha shelved her miserable reflections. She forced a smile as the bridal couple took the dance floor.
Chance’s approach prevented her from taking a seat. “Hey, darlin’, I believe it’s customary for the best man and the maid of honor to take the dance floor next.” Samantha smiled, accepted his invitation, and proceeded to the dance floor hand in hand. “How’s, my favorite gal?”
“Good thanks.”
“Why did you leave without a goodbye?”
Samantha searched her head for an appropriate response. “Some family emergency, and I needed to rush back home.”
“Uh-huh. I don’t believe a word of it.” Chance shook his head.
Her eyes implored his understanding.
“Relax, darlin’, no explanation needed. Next time please come say goodbye. We are friends, aren’t we?”
“Yes, I most certainly will.”
“I believe it’s my turn.” Reece cut in good- naturedly and winked impishly at Chance when he took Samantha in his arms. “So, now that you and Cody are no longer an item care to give the younger brother a try.”
Samantha gawked at Reece in bewilderment then burst out laughing when he wiggled his brows in mischief.
“What? Can’t fault a man for tryin’. Anyway, one brother’s loss is another’s gain and I sure as hell burn between the sheets.”
“God, Reece you need a filter.” Samantha shook her head with a smile. “When are you going to grow up?”
He uttered a throaty chuckle. “Being serious, darlin’, ain’t a prerequisite for being responsible.”
“In other words, never?”
“Probably.” Reece tightened his arm around her waist. “A hot woman like you is wasted on my frosty brother.”
Samantha laughed and kissed his cheek lightly. “You’re awesome for my ego right now.”
“Don’t let my stupid brother walk over you. He’s a blindsided idiot who doesn’t know a gem when he sees one,” he said, his gaze held hers firmly.
Stunned, she could’ve sworn there was an unusual solemnity in his words. “I won’t.”
Thirty minutes later, Samantha danced with several guests and finally pleaded exhaustion to her last partner then headed for the bathroom. On her way up to her bedroom, she wondered why Cody disappeared when she took the dance floor with Chance.
Maybe he was still annoyed, and her dance with Chance made him angry. Why should it? If it affected him, why didn’t he acknowledge her presence earlier? Several minutes later, she emerged from the bathroom with a towel over her wet face.
“Hello, Lady.”