'Isabel, you can't really believe-'
'Will you stop interrupting me? I need to finish this. After you left, I had plenty of time to think things over, and I realized I also felt obligated to dear Dr. Simpson. Yes, I did, and so I slept with him. Trudy didn't mind. Then I realized I also felt obligated to Wendell Border. The man tried to get help for me, after all. This isn't funny, Douglas, so you can stop smiling.'
'Did you sleep with Wendell?'
'Yes, I did,' she said. 'His wife was very understanding. The Arabians belong to you. They can't be separated, and Parker did sell Pegasus to you. Besides, I don't have any place to keep them.'
'You own half of Montana,' he reminded her.
'No, the orphanage owns half of Montana. The sisters should be moving into Paddy's grand house any day now with the children. They'll be selfsufficient and have a nice income from the rents they collect on their grazing land. I made the sisters promise to call their new home Paddy's Place. They wanted St. Patrick's Place, but I got my way.'
'You gave it all away? What about your son? How are you-'
'My baby and I will be just fine. I'm going to teach at the school and will make enough money to support the two of us.'
'Isabel, I really need to kiss you.'
'No,' she said. 'I haven't finished with my obligations. I realized I was beholden to your brothers. They were very helpful, if you'll recall, and I am going to sleep with each one of them too. It's only fair. When I'm finished, I'm going to come out here and shoot you for being so stubborn.' She put the shotgun down and tried to walk away. 'Cole? May I have a few minutes of your time?' she called out.
Douglas was laughing when he grabbed her hand and pulled her toward him.
'I love you, Isabel. I loved you then, I love you now, and I'll love you until the day I die. We're like your Arabians, sweetheart. We can't be separated. I've been so damned miserable without you and Parker. I don't want to get over loving you, and the only man you're ever going to be obligated to is me. Ah, sugar, don't cry. I was coming to get you. I couldn't fight it any longer. Being away from you and Parker was making me crazy.'
'I'm leaving you this time.'
He wrapped his arms around her, leaned down, and kissed her. 'No, you're not leaving. We belong together, now and forever.'
She put her arms around him and let him kiss her again. 'Are you through being stupid, then?'
He laughed again. 'Yes,' he promised.
'I'm still going back to Sweet Creek, and you'd better follow me. God help you if you don't. You're going to court me and take me to tea parties and dances. I don't care if you want to or not.'
'I've got a much better idea. Marry me, sugar.'
One Red Rose
Chapter 0ne
He found her in his bed.
Adam Clayborne surprised his family by coming home in the dead of night two days earlier than expected. He hadn't planned to return to the ranch until Friday, but his business was finished, and he was sick and tired of sleeping outdoors. He wanted clean sheets and a soft mattress underneath him.
He knew the house was packed to capacity, for next weekend was Mama Rose's birthday, and his brothers and sister had all agreed to come back to the homestead early to help with the preparations. Most of the town of Blue Belle was invited to the shindig, along with twenty or thirty people from as far away as Hammond. Mama Rose had made a good number of friends since she'd taken up residence at the ranch a little over a year ago. There were more than fifty men and women in her church group alone, and every one of them was planning to attend the celebration.
By the time Adam had bedded down his horse and gotten a cool drink in the kitchen, it was well after midnight. The house was as quiet as a church on Saturday night. He removed his boots in the foyer and tried not to make any noise as he crept up the stairs, went into his bedroom at the end of the hall, and began to undress. He didn't bother to turn up the lamp on the night stand because the moonlight streaming in through the open window was sufficient for him to make out the contours of the furniture.
He tossed his shirt on a nearby chair, stretched his arms wide, and yawned. Lord, it was good to be home. Bone weary and half asleep, he sank down on the double bed to take off his socks-except he didn't actually sit on the bed. He sat down on a very soft, warm, sweet-scented woman.
She let out a loud groan. He let out a blasphemy.
Genevieve Perry had been sound asleep one second and was wide awake the next. She felt as though the house had just caved in on her. Instinctively she shoved the dead weight off of her legs and bolted upright in the bed. Grabbing hold of the sheets, she held them up to her neck and peered over at the huge man sprawled out on the floor.
'What are you doing?' she whispered.
'I'm trying to get into my bed,' he whispered back.
'Adam?'
'Yes, Adam. Who are you?'
She swung her long legs over the side of the bed and put her hand out to him.
'My name's Genevieve, and it's such a pleasure to meet you. Your mother's told me so much about you.'
His eyes widened in disbelief. He almost laughed, so ludicrous was the situation. Didn't the woman realize he could see her bare arms and legs? She obviously didn't have much on, and that sheet was a paltry barrier at best.
'I'll be happy to shake your hand when you're dressed.'
'Oh… Lord.'
Her reaction told him she'd finally recognized the awkwardness of their circumstances.
'I guess turning the lamp up is out of the question,' he said.
'No, no, we can't do that. I'm in my nightgown. You really should get out of my room before anyone finds you here. This isn't appropriate.'
'It's my room,' he reminded her. 'And lower your voice, or you'll wake the entire household. I don't want my brothers running in here to find out what's going on.'
'Nothing's going on.'
'I'm aware of that, Genevieve.' He sat up, untangled his long legs, and braced his arms on his knees. He tried to be patient as he waited for her to explain why she was in his bed.
Her vision finally adjusted to the darkness, and she got a good look at the man she had been dreaming about for the past two years. Lord, he was gorgeous. She had tried to picture him in her mind, had fantasized about him too, but now she realized she hadn't done the man justice. The angles of his face were perfectly sculptured. He looked as though he had been molded from one of the ancient statues she'd seen in the museum back home. Adam had the same square forehead and high cheekbones and the identical straight nose and mouth. His eyes made him even more beautiful. They were the color of midnight. His gaze was intensely focused on her now, and she could feel the heat all the way down to her toes.
She couldn't stop staring at him. He was much bigger than she'd imagined him to be, and far more muscular. He was lean, yet his upper arms were enormous, suggesting amazing strength. She could feel the coiled tension in
