Bluebells on the Hill (15 page)

'Where's John-Michael?' she asked, in what
she hoped was a casual tone.

'Down at the barn. You walked up?'

'Of course.' She would not be intimidated by
his eyes. She took off her glasses and moved to the large window.
The view was even better from this position.

'Thought maybe your friend from the other
night might have given you a lift.'

'Dave? He doesn't live around here.'

'Did you see him on your trip?' Mac left the
door to join her near the window.

'We traveled together.'

'I bet you did.'

Amanda felt the tug at the back of her head,
then her hair fell free onto her shoulders. She spun round to find
herself very close to Mac. He was dangling the ribbon.

'Give it back,' she said, her heart starting
to pound.

'Why not leave it down? It looks nice that
way.' he said, his fingers already brushing through.

'It's too hot.' She reached for the ribbon,
but he dangled it away from her with his other hand.

'It's not hot in here. Pleasant, I
thought.'

'Come on, Mac.'

'Come and get it,' he invited softy.

Amanda glared at him a moment, then put on a
deliberately sweet expression, moving close to him, looking up
nicely into his face, eyes blazing. 'Please Mac, give my ribbon to
me,' she said as sweetly as she knew how..

He smiled sardonically. 'How artificial.'

Moving quickly, he pulled her into his arms,
his face blotting out all else as his mouth claimed hers. Amanda
was startled, not expecting his embrace. Before she could protest,
however, his arms pulled her tight against him, molding her body to
his, his lips warm and persuasive against hers, the contact with
his body sending waves of desire and longing through her. One touch
of his mouth and she was lost.

As the kiss deepened, Amanda was vaguely
aware of Mac's hand in her hair, running his fingers through the
long tresses, gently rubbing the nape of her neck. She shivered
with delight, a lassitude taking hold, her body growing weak.
Gratefully she clung to Mac for support. His hands pulled up her
T-shirt, caressing the bare skin beneath it. Slowly his lips moved
against hers, his tongue penetrating the moist softness of her
mouth, his hands warm and exciting against her bare skin.

Amanda was floating on waves of sweet
pleasure. Her heart began beating heavily in her breast as she grew
breathless with the feelings Mac could evoke. She moved closer
still, pressing against him, moving easily in his arms as he tilted
her head back and trailed kisses down her throat, back to her
mouth. His hands warm and gentle on her skin, in her hair, rubbing
her back, tracing her spine, up and down. Now moving along her
ribs, his thumb beneath the elastic of her bra, caressing the swell
of her breast. Amanda's arms locked together around his neck as she
tried to move closer, to stop the tantalizing touch of his hand, to
slow the fire building within her. He held her away, his hands
continuing their wanderings, his mouth hot and firm and sweet
against hers. The moments floated by.

Suddenly Mac broke away, pulling his hands
abruptly from her. At the same second, Amanda heard a familiar
voice.

'Dad.' John-Michael entered the room from the
front door, surprise held him silent only a moment, then a big grin
lit his face.

'Hi, Mandy. I see you’re back.'

Blushing like a schoolgirl, she tried a weak
smile. ‘Hi, John-Michael. Yes, I'm back.'

She did not look at Mac. In fact, Amanda
didn't know where to look. Maybe she could just jump out of the
window and end it all.

Mac moved to his desk and rummaged through
some papers. 'I believe I owe you a check.'

'Wow, Mandy, you must be good!' John-Michael
teased, laughing as she blushed again.

'John-Michael!' Mac's voice was
thunderous.

‘
Yeah?' He was still
smiling.

'What are you doing here?'

‘
I live here.'

'Don't get smart. I mean now. I thought you
were going to exercise the two horses.'

'That's why I'm here. Jookie's thrown a shoe.
I did exercise the bay.'

'Leave Jookie for the day, then.'

'I planned to, until he got another shoe. I
came up for lunch.'

Amanda put her glasses back in place and
retrieved the ribbon, tying back her hair as she turned her back on
the two males and looked out of the window. Her eyes were blind to
the view, however. She was embarrassed to be caught in such
circumstances. She should never have been such a willing
participant. She could still feel Mac's hands on her, her breath
coming more quickly at the remembrances. She hadn't felt like this
before.

How funny John-Michael must view them. His
Dad and the new neighbor. She smiled a little. High drama it was
not. Living on a ranch, he wouldn’t be unaware of the physical
aspects. For a moment, Amanda wished she was unaware of them. Mac
was damnably attractive. She took a deep breath.

'Here you go.'

Turning, she saw Mac standing several safe
feet away, check extended.

Suppressing a smile, she reached for it,
scanned it. One hundred dollars.

'Thank you.' She risked a quick look to his
face; it was closed. 'I will remind you, I don't plan to sell any
time soon.'

'I know. Maybe you'll change your mind.'

'I'll come for a lesson today or tomorrow, if
it's all right,' John-Michael said.

'Fine. Whenever. I'll be home or at the
creek.'

She folded the check and stuffed it into her
jeans' pocket.

'Do you want a ride home?' Mac asked, still
standing several feet away.

It was tempting. Maybe he would come in when
they reached her house--- 'No, it's a nice walk. Downhill, too,
this time.'

'See you later, Mandy,' John-Michael
said.

'Bye, John-Michael, Mac.' She left, head held
high.

***

It was Sunday afternoon before John-Michael
appeared. Amanda heard the horse and went to greet him when he
arrived.

'Hi.'

'Hi. I hope it is convenient for a lesson,'
he asked.

'Sure.'

Joining her on the deck, he seemed more
unsure of himself than before.

'Before we start, I'm sorry if I was out of
line teasing the other day. Dad gave me hell for it,' John-Michael
said, fingering his guitar awkwardly.

'No problem. Your dad over-reacted. He
shouldn't have said anything. I knew you were teasing.'

'He's been like a bear with a sore head these
last few days. Worse than before.' He gave her a sly look. ' You
wouldn't like to come up and charm him out of it, would you?'

'Watch it, John-Michael, or no more lessons.
I irritate your father as much as you say you do, if not lots
more.'

‘
Didn't seem like it the other
day.'

'John-Michael!'

'Okay, I get it. I've practiced while you
were gone. See if I've improved.' He sat down on one of the frayed
porch chairs, put his guitar in place, and began playing. Amanda
could see a definite improvement. It was heartening for a teacher
to have such an apt pupil.

'You’re doing very well.' She spoke warmly
when he had finished. 'Let's continue on.'

She taught him more chords, new timing and
wrote out several new songs to practice. She showed him how to read
music, though what they’d practiced so far had been from
familiarity.

When he was leaving, John-Michael paused.
'You ride, don't you?'

'Sure do.'

'Want to go on a picnic tomorrow with me? I
know a nice field where we can eat. It has a nice view. I thought
of sort a way to say thank you for all you’re teaching me.'

'I'm a sucker for nice views and good
companionship. I'd like to go. Shall I come late morning?'

'Yes, or I can bring a horse here.'

'No, I'll walk up, meet you there. What shall
I bring?'

'Nothing. I'll fix the lunch. Thank you for
the lesson. Thanks for all the lessons.'

'You're welcome, John-Michael. I'll see you
tomorrow.'

She waved to him as he rode away, his words
from earlier echoing in her head. So Mac was in a bad temper, was
he? Disappointed at the interruption? Amanda frowned. If he were,
why not come to see her? He certainly knew where she lived. Maybe
John-Michael was exaggerating, or maybe Mac was only upset at being
caught dallying with Timber's resident hippie. She had better get
that cleared up. But how? Just come out and say, I'm not a some
unemployed ne'er do well. I'm a country singer and make tons of
money and am known all over the country? Hardly. She'd wait until
it came up casually, naturally, in conversation.

CHAPTER NINE

John-Michael, bulging saddle-bags slung over
one shoulder, led the way from the big house to the barn the next
morning when Amanda arrived. The barn was large, with lofts
towering above the stalls, hay from last winter still remaining.
When the summer's crop was in, the loft would again be filled to
its rafters, with enough hay for feed all winter.

'Jessie's a good one.' John-Michael stopped
beside a stall, looking over the rail at the brown mare gravely
staring back. One white streak blazed down her face. 'I'll saddle
her for you.'

Amanda took a deep breath, savoring the
mingled scents of hay, horse and manure. It brought back a
hundred-and-one memories. She’d grown up on a ranch in Colorado.
Her parents still ran the place. While cattle was their main focus,
one couldn’t ranch without horses. She’d spent half her life before
making it big on the back of a horse.

'I can manage, if you show me the tack.' She
had ridden since she was five.

'Sure. Here's a halter. We can take them to
the rail near the tack room, less distance to carry all the
gear.'

'A man after my own heart,' Amanda said
easily. 'Lead on.' She competently put the halter on the docile
mare, snapped on a lead line and opened the stall.

John-Michael brought out his chestnut and led
him to the opposite end of the barn from where they had entered.
Amanda followed, through the large opening, then to the left.
Immediately adjacent to the barn was the tack room, a hitching rail
before it. Tethering the horses, John-Michael showed Amanda where
the tack was. In only minutes, both were busy saddling the
horses.

'Oh, oh,' John-Michael said softly. 'Here
comes trouble.'

'What?' Amanda looked up as Mac rode into the
yard, stopping behind John-Michael's horse, dispassionately
regarding them.

'Hi, Dad,' John-Michael said.

Mac nodded, his eyes on Amanda.

She licked her lips, conscious of his regard,
and continued her activity, feeling suddenly awkward and
clumsy.

'Going riding?' Mac asked.

'Yes. Thought I'd show Mandy around. Have a
picnic up near the point.'

'I see.' Mac continued to watch them. The
silence stretched out endlessly.

Amanda finished first, but was in no hurry to
draw attention to the fact. Before John-Michael was ready, however,
Mac spoke again.

'Mind if I join you?'

John-Michael looked up in surprise, then
pleasure filled his face. 'Sure Dad, glad to have you.' He paused.
'I guess we have enough food for three.'

'I won't eat much,' Mac promised, his gaze
still on Amanda.

'Oh, I'm sure there's plenty.' John-Michael
was ready. He led his horse away from the rail and mounted. Mac
remained where he was, watching Amanda.

'Need any help?' he asked. 'You mount from
the left.'

She threw him a scathing look. 'I know.'

Leading her horse a few steps from the rail,
she double checked the cinch, and mounted. It had been a year or
more since she had last ridden, her last visit home to Colorado.
But one never forgot. She loved riding, and wondered suddenly why
she had not done much of it in the last few years. The pressures of
work were not so demanding she could not have spared some time for
riding. Not that riding in some prissy arena would be the same as
riding the range.

'Oh, yes. You're a ranch gal, I forgot. That
cowboy hat you wear should remind me,' Mac murmured, drawing up
beside her as they left the barn yard and began descending along a
trail that skirted one of the pastures. John-Michael was in the
lead.

'I was raised on a cattle ranch in
Colorado.'

'Gave it up for the carefree work free life
in San Francisco, eh? Ranching’s hard work.'

'I'm not against hard work . ..' she began.
Was now the time to tell him what she did, why she had taken her
trip? He interrupted and the moment was gone.

'As long as it's someone else's and you can
just sit around and make beautiful music.'

'Some people like music,' she snapped.

'Sure, but for entertainment and relaxation
once their work is finished for the day.'

'Someone has to make it for other people to
enjoy.'

'Hey, you two, come on.' John-Michael was a
dozen yards or more ahead, turned in his saddle. 'I thought you
wanted to see the place, Mandy, not fight with Dad.'

Amanda urged her horse forward, catching
up.

'Yes, I do. Sorry, but your father ...' She
shook her head.

'We mustn't offend our guest's gentle
sensibilities,' Mac said joining them. 'From now on, I'll be the
model host and guide. Please note on your left is a five acre
pasture. It will support over ten head of horses during our growing
season, with supplements. We have irrigation for continuous growth
of grass during the summer months. Ahead is another pasture.'

The tour of the ranch was thorough and
informative, though once or twice Amanda suspected Mac was
deliberately throwing facts and figures so furiously at her to try
to overwhelm her. She listened intently, concentrating on keeping
it all straight, in spite of him. All the numbers she could not be
expected to remember; the basics of ranching she was already
familiar with. It wasn't all that difficult.