Western Man (15 page)

Her cheeks grew hot. His hands started to move down her arms, their action too close to a caress. Sharon grabbed the dishcloth and began scrubbing at the dishes in the sink, forcing his hands off her arms, but they settled on her waist.

“I’m not even sure about that,” she said tensely, denying she had been so besotted with him back then that she would have gone all the way. “If that’s what you believed, what stopped you?” she challenged bitterly, not wanting this conversation to continue any more than she’d wanted the last. “Don’t tell me your conscience wouldn’t let you?”

“It wasn’t my conscience as much as it was your brother,” he stated.

“My brother?” Sharon frowned in confusion, her body poised motionless at his response.

“Scott was my best friend, practically a brother. You don’t mess around with a guy’s kid sister and expect him to stay your friend,” Ridge explained. “That’s why I kept ‘hands off.’”

“What’s the point in telling me this now?” Her lips came together in a grim line as she began washing the same plate over. “Is it supposed to make a difference?”

“The situation has changed.” His hands began to move to the front of her waist, sliding across her
stomach and causing her muscles to contract automatically at his touch.

“How?” She tried to breathe normally as she sliced a look backward out of the corner of her eye, feeling his breath stirring her hair.

“Because you’ve grown up.” His crossing hands had drawn her against the full length of his body—her shoulders touching the solidness of his chest, her hips feeling the rub of his thighs. “Big brother is no longer under any obligation to protect you. You haven’t done a bad job of taking care of me, so you must be able to take care of yourself.”

“So?” Sharon didn’t trust herself to say more than one word, afraid the thick disturbance within her would creep into her voice.

“So—while the situation has changed, I think other things haven’t. Namely—that still I think you’re a tempting morsel and I still want to do more than kiss you—and you want me to do more than that, too.” His head dipped to graze his mouth along the curve of her neck.

Just for a second, Sharon let her lashes drift shut at the sheer sensuality of his caressing touch. Shuddering, she recognized that what Ridge had said was true. Knowing it also drove her out of his arms and spun her around to face him in a trembling fury.

“I think I hate all you maverick cowboys.” Her voice was low and taut, riddled with bitter hurt. “Give you a good roping horse, some cattle, and a good time on Saturday night and that’s all you
need! Well, the rest of us want more than that! Some day I want a ring, a marriage license, and some children—in that order! You don’t need those things—and what’s worse, you don’t want them!”

The beginnings of a glowering frown appeared on his face, narrowing his eyes to blue slits of color. Her hands were doubled into rigid fists as Sharon glared at him, fighting back the tears stinging her eyes.

“You turn me on, Ridge. I won’t deny that,” she declared. “But you were right when you said I could take care of myself. So from now on, you can just leave me alone!”

Hot tears were on the verge of spilling from her lashes. With long, angry strides, Sharon swept out of the kitchen. She had meant everything she’d said, and she didn’t want to weaken her statement by breaking into tears. She didn’t stop until she had reached her bedroom and shut the door, leaning weakly against it while silent sobs shuddered through her body.

It wasn’t long until she heard the sound of Ridge moving along the wall outside her room. She stepped away from the door and impatiently wiped at the tears on her cheeks, breathing deeply to stop them. He knocked at her door.

“Sharon?” When she didn’t answer, he knocked again, louder. “Sharon.” He became more demanding. “Sharon, answer me!” She pressed her lips more tightly together. “Dammit, Sharon,” he swore a warning.

“What?” The response was whipped out of her, but it angered her that he could prod her into speaking when she had vowed not to say a word.

There was a long silence before he spoke again, his tone considerably subdued and terse. “Don’t bother with the dishes. I’ll do them tonight.”

She looked at the ceiling, wanting to laugh, but it hurt too much. He didn’t even need her to wash the dishes! After a few seconds, she heard him moving away from her door.

The next morning they didn’t have much to say to each other, although his lidded blue gaze strayed to her often. Sharon was in the kitchen washing up the lunch dishes when she heard the heavy tread of cowboy boots.

When she turned, Ridge appeared in the doorway, dressed in snug-fitting jeans and a chambray shirt with a brown, work-stained cowboy hat shading his face. His rugged vitality and masculine roughness seemed to grip her by the throat.

“I’m going with Hobbs this afternoon and look over the ranch,” he announced. “We’re taking the truck.”

It was on her tongue to ask if he felt up to it, but she doubted Ridge would admit that he wasn’t. The same ridiculous male pride that had insisted on discharging himself from the hospital was now driving him to climb back into the seat of authority—even if it killed him.

“All right.” Sharon swung back to the sink, tight-lipped in her disapproval.

She listened to his footsteps as he moved gingerly
to the back door, knowing that as soon as he was with his foreman, Ridge would be gritting his teeth and walking as if he didn’t hurt at all. Men, she thought with angry exasperation as she heard the door shut.

The dishes were done and she was putting the roast in the oven to slow-cook it to a tender doneness when the telephone rang. Sharon crossed the room to pick up the wall phone.

“Hello, Sharon?”

“Andy!” She recognized his voice with surprise. “I didn’t expect you to call.”

“You said to call on Saturday. Did you forget we have a date tonight?” Behind the joking tone there was a suggestion of hurt.

“No, I didn’t forget.” It had just slipped her mind. “I guess I didn’t realize it was Saturday already.”

“You’re still staying at Latigo, I take it,” he said, stating the obvious. “Isn’t Halliday up and around

yet?”

“He’s up, but I think there’s a difference of opinion about how well he’s getting around,” she murmured dryly.

“Is our date still on for tonight?”

Sharon hesitated only for a second. “Of course.” After last night, the timing of this date couldn’t have been better if she had planned it. Besides, Andy had always been able to boost her spirits, and they certainly needed boosting now.

“I’ll pick you up between five-thirty and six.”

Since her mother had sent over only every-day-type clothes, Sharon put on the peach-colored dress she’d worn the day she’d brought Ridge home from the hospital. Her light caramel hair was freshly shampooed and curled loosely on her shoulders. It was ego building to see her reflection in the oven door’s glass window, even though she had a towel tied over the front of the full skirt to protect it.

The roast and its accompanying vegetables were done; there was a salad in the refrigerator, and some peas were in a pan on the stove burner ready to be warmed. The evening meal was virtually ready, except for the last-minute dishing up.

She turned around and skimmed the table with a glance, then realized there wasn’t any bread out. Scott could eat half a loaf at one sitting. As she walked to the cupboard bread drawer to correct that oversight, she heard the back door open. A wave of tension tightened her nerves. When she turned back to the table with the loaf of bread in her hands, she was mentally prepared to meet Ridge.

Stiff legged and holding himself carefully, he entered the kitchen and more or less fell into a chair. He swept off his hat and dropped it on the table, then slumped against the chair back. There was an ashen quality about his face and the dullness of pain in his eyes. He was breathing in a slow, halting rhythm.

Without a word, Sharon left the bread on the table and went back to the cupboards, fetching him
a glass of water and a pain pill. She set them in front of him. “Here you go, tough guy,” she said unsympathetically. Ridge glanced at the pill and threw her a look, then tossed the pill into his mouth and washed it down with the water. “I probably wasted my time cooking this supper for you.” Sharon declared, irritated with him for aggravating his condition. “Your stomach is liable to revolt at the first bite of roast beef.”

“I’d forgotten I was going to get something to eat tonight for a change.” The sharp edge in his voice was attributable to the pain he was obviously feeling. “How come Scott isn’t coming to dinner?”

“As far as I know, he is.” Sharon gave him a blank look.

“Then how come the table is only set for two people?” Ridge gestured to the two place settings, then his gaze swept over her, taking in the full-skirted dress. “And how come you’re wearing that?”

“I’m going out tonight. I have a date with Andy Rivers,” she announced into a room that suddenly seemed deadly quiet. “He should be here any time to pick me up.”

“And what happens to me while you’re out with your oil man?” It was a half-snarling demand. “You’re supposed to be here to take care of me. That was the deal.”

“I’m sure you’ll manage to survive,” Sharon murmured dryly. “Or you can ask Scott to stay and hold your hand if you’re afraid of being alone for a few hours.” Ridge lapsed into a thick silence that
prickled her nerve ends. “Everything is ready for dinner. All you and Scott have to do is warm the peas and slice the meat.”

There was no response. From outside came the slam of car doors. Sharon looked out the window to see her brother and Andy coming up the walk together after arriving separately. After a short glance at Ridge, she untied her apron and went to the door to greet them. He remained seated in the kitchen chair, all his attention centered on the cigarette he’d just lit.

The tension became electric after Sharon invited Andy into the house to wait while she got her jacket and purse. Ridge didn’t say five words to him. She was seething at his rudeness when she walked out the back door with Andy.

“I’m sorry Ridge wasn’t very polite to you, Andy.” She felt she had to apologize for him. “He isn’t in the best of moods right now.”

“I’m used to it,” he shrugged to show it hadn’t bothered him. “There’s a lot of ranchers that see red when they meet some guy who’s interested in the oil shale that might be under their rangeland.”

It seemed wisest to let Andy think along those lines. There was no reason to enlighten him about the circumstances that had preceded his arrival at the ranch. Tonight she had every intention of putting Ridge out of her mind.

Andy was fun, undemanding company. Even if she wasn’t able to forget Ridge, Sharon did find herself relaxing and enjoying the outing. They made a long evening of it, driving all the way to
Glenwood Springs to take in a show and eat afterwards.

It was well after midnight when he drove to the end of the long lane into the headquarters of Latigo Ranch and stopped in front of the house. All the ranch buildings were dark, but lights burned in the house windows.

“It looks like somebody’s waiting up for you,” Andy observed as he switched off the engine.

“Ridge probably just left the lights on for me,” Sharon reasoned, certain that after the strain of the afternoon, Ridge wouldn’t have the stamina to stay up this late.

Andy climbed out of the car and came around to open her door. His hands rested companionably on her shoulders as they walked to the house, both fairly well talked out after the long drive.

“I enjoyed myself tonight,” Andy said, then slid her a boyish grin. “I guess I always say that when I take you home, but it’s true just the same. I guess it’s because I feel I never have to prove anything to you—or come on like some heavyweight lover, which I’m not. I can just be myself.”

“Me too.” Sharon agreed with all he said, from her point of view as well.

“Some guy’s gonna marry you one of these times and I’m gonna come back here and find out I’ve lost a friend,” he declared with a mock shake of his head, stopping as they reached the door.

“We’ll always be friends, Andy,” she insisted.

“Not if you marry one of these ‘cattle-or-die’ ranchers.” With a
nod of his head, he indicated the occupant of the house where they were standing.

It wasn’t necessary to reply as Andy bent his head to kiss her goodnight. The outside light suddenly flashed on, its brightness blinding both of them and startling them into moving apart. The door opened and Ridge loomed in its frame, glowering at the pair of them.

“It’s you,” he muttered harshly and Sharon wondered who else he expected it to be. “I thought I heard a car door.”

“You did.” Sharon said, resentment starting to build at the way he continued to stand there, holding the door open.

“Are you coming in or not?” Ridge snapped impatiently.

She was ready to defy him, but Andy took the opportunity away from her. “Good night, Sharon. I’ll give you a call when I’m going to be in the area again.” There was almost a smile on his face as he bent his head and discreetly kissed her cheek.