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23.33% ONE NIGHT TOGETHER / Chapter 14: SO I GOT YOU.

Chapter 14: SO I GOT YOU.

But last night had appeared to have accepted her denial, had acted like a perfect gentleman, had driven them all back to the ranch and said good-night almost absentmindedly, as if he'd forgotten they existed at all.

He was doing his duty, entertaining the aunt. That's all it was.

"You put a lot of thought into this," she said, once they were on the main road.

"What do you mean?"

"Finding out what I liked to do. Locating antique shops."

"I lost at poker." Andrew smiled at her before turning his attention back to the road ahead. Rose realized exactly how handsome he was. "So I got you." The statement seemed funny to her. "You got Francisca's Aunt Roro?"

"Yes ma'am. I'm to chaperone the elderly auntie and make sure she has a good time."

"I'm really sorry," She managed to say, but she couldn't help laughing. She even forget for a moment that she was embarrassed about February. And nervous to be alone with him. "You must have had terrible cards."

"Worst hands of my life," he said. "I lost twenty-one dollars, too."

"I should buy you lunch."

He glanced toward her again, but this time his expression was serious. "You also owe me breakfast, Roro."

She was too surprised to pretend she didn't know what he was talking about. Rose stared at the expanse of land that stretched toward the horizon.

There was nothing to see expect distant fences and occasional outbuilding.

"Could we at least get this out in the open?" Andrew asked. "I'm not much for games."

"Neither am I."

"No?" He glanced in the rearview mirror, then slowed the car to park on the side of the road. There wasn't another car in sight as he switched off the engine and turned to face her. "You want to get this over with?"

More than anything, she thought, unless she could continue to pretend it never happened. "This is very embarrassing."

"Why?" He frowned.

"I never thought I see you again," she said, facing him.

"But you have. So?"

"So...I don't know what to say." She knew her face was hot, despite the air-conditioned coolness inside the car. "I don't expect you to believe me, but I've never done anything like that before in my life."

"I don't make a habit of making love with strangers either," he said, a half-smile creasing his tanned face. "But you can't expect me to act like it didn't happen."

"I really wish you would."

He shook his head. "No way, lady. That was one hell of a snowstorm. And one hell of a night."

"WE'RE ALONE," Bobby said, grinning at Francisca Handel.

He really was the cutest thing, she thought once again. And when he took her hand and pulled closer, she didn't resist. Not one bit.

"I hope Aunt Roro has a good time," she said, feeling the tiniest bit guilty about sending her aunt off with that quiet Andrew Johnson. "I don't think she likes Andrew very much."

Bobby tugged her toward the hay barn. "Everybody likes Andrew, once they get to know him."

"Where are we going?"

"The barn."

"Why?" She hurried to match his long strides.

"What about training the horses?"

"They can wait," he said, grinning at her. "I can't."

Francisca giggled, thinking of various wonderful things that could be done in the privacy of a hayloft.

"Is that why you are in such a hurry?"

He stopped and tugged her against him.

He was hard in all the right places, she noted, feeling a thrill at the thought of being alone with him. They'd never actually done it, though they'd come close a few times at her roommate's home.

"Honey," he groaned, tickling her earlobe with his lips. "If Mrs Martin hadn't stopped talking to you about vacuum cleaners, I would have hurt myself."

"Hey!"

Francisca peered around Bobby's shoulder to see Marty coming toward them. "Hi," she said, as Bobby swore under his breath and draped his arm around her shoulder.

"What?" Bobby asked in an irritated tone.

"Andrew said I'm supposed to help you with the horses today." He tipped his hat to Francisca. "Hi, there."

"Later." Bobby tried to insist.

"Hi," Francisca replied, wishing Bobby didn't sound so rude. They were going to have hours alone together, so one little conversation couldn't hurt.

"Andrew said," Marty insisted. "And there will be hell to pay if I don't do what he said. I'm not gonna spend my day off mucking out stalls, that's for sure."

"Jeez," Bobby sighed. "Can't you give a guy a break?"

"Nope." Marty winked at Francisca. "I hope you don't mind, Francisca Handel, but we have got work to do."

"I don't mind," she replied, giving Bobby a smile.

"You said you were going to show me on how to train horses, remember? And maybe there'd be time to go for a ride?"

"A ride?" Marty grinned. "The twins wanted to come out this afternoon, so we could all go somewhere together."

"I'm not a very good rider," Francisca admitted. "But I do like to see more of the ranch."

"Don't worry, honey," Bobby said, giving Marty a dirty look. "I will give you the grand tour. Marty, why don't you start with the pinto pony and I will catch up with you in a while?"

Francisca blushed to think that Marty would know why there were going to the barn and what they might be doing there. "No, Bobby. Am not going to keep you from work." She ducked out from under his arm and took his hand. "Show me what a cowboy does."

He tugged her against him and lowered his voice.

"Honey, I will be glad to do that if you will go with me to the barn."

Francisca laughed, tempted once again, but Marty interrupted them. "Oh, yeah," he said. "Shorty wanted me to tell you that he can't find your dog."

"What?" she asked.

"Huh?" Bobby shrugged. "Gus is always around here somewhere."

"Not Gus," Marty said. "The little guy. what's his name?"

"Pookie?" Francisca squeaked. "He's lost?"

"Well," the cowboy drawled. "Just for a while."

"Oh, my God," Francisca said, looking around the vast area of ranch buildings and fences. Everything looked dangerous, considering Pookie's size and trusting nature. "Aunt Roro's going to have a fit! Once I get married, he's the only thing she will have left."

*****

CHECK OUT MY NEW STORY 'ANNIE'S PERFECT HUSBAND'

*****


Chapter 15: ONE NIGHT TOGETHER 01

"IT'S GOING TO BE one hell of a night," he'd said, setting his duffel bag beside her suitcase as he joined her at the end of a line of people at the airline's check in counter.

She'd turned to see a tall man dressed in jeans and leather jacket standing behind her. Snowflakes dotted his dark Stetson and the shoulders of the barn jacket. He looked completely out of place in an airport full of resigned businesspeople and frantic families.

She'd looked at her watch. "It's only two o'clock."

"Yeah," he'd said, looking unconcerned as he gave her a quick grin. "And I figure we're going to be here all night."

"I hope you are wrong," she'd replied, then turned to face the checkout counter. The clerks continued to look frazzled and defeated, but then this was Chicago in February and no one should have been surprised when a monster of a snowstorm threatened to change their traveling plans.

She felt a tap on her shoulder and turned around. She hoped this man wasn't going to be a pest.

"Excuse me," he said. "Can I leave this bag with you? I'm going to make a phone call."

She looked past him and saw that they were no longer at the end of the line. "All right." Rose had said, wondering at the same time if she was breaking some unwritten rule of the airport etiquette or merely being polite to a stranger. He'd smiled, and she felt her heart stop for a second. She'd wondered later if it was a reaction to the Stetson. She didn't see many of those in Rhode Island.

"Thanks. I will be back real soon."

And of course he wasn't, since the lines at the phones were as long as the lines at the airline counters. But this line wasn't moving, either, and Rose didn't have to nudge his duffel bag more than six feet before the cowboy-because that's all she could think of to call him-returned looking pleased with himself.

"There," he said, joining her in line as if they were a couple traveling together. "Thanks."

"You are welcome." She smiled at him, despite her intentions to remain aloof. Befriending strangers in airports was not something she did. She'd never been one of those people who found it easy to talk to people she didn't know well.

"I had to see if I could get my room back," he explained.

His voice had a slight Western drawl Rose found comforting. After all, Everyone knew that westerners were friendly and hospitable. Or so she told herself.

"Oh." It was all she could think of to reply. He had blue eyes that looked straight at her. A friendly, direct gaze, not at all intimidating, she thought.

"Yep. I had to do some fast talking, they said I could have it back." He glanced behind him, where they both saw that at least fifty people had joined line. "I have a feeling we are not going anywhere tonight."

The thought was exactly what she didn't want to face.

She peered around the large man in front of her and checked the departing-flights board on the wall. Her flight to Providence, scheduled to depart an hour ago, was still listed as delayed.

"I hope you are wrong," she said. "I have to be at work in the morning."

"So you don't live here," the cowboy said.

"No," She glanced at the board again, just to reassure herself that her flight was still listed. "I've been here since ten."

"Why?"

"I thought I'd better get here early, since it was snowing." She grimaced. "I should have known everything would be delayed."

The line moved forward a couple of feet and the cowboy bent down and moved her suitcase forward for her. He wore polished brown cowboy boots with pointed toes and decorated leather.

"Thank you," she offered. They'd stood for a few moments in silence, with Rose wishing she'd eaten more breakfast than a bagel and a coffee. she glanced at her watch again, and the line inched forward another foot.

Rose wanted to go home, wanted to sink into her warm bed and watch Masterpiece Theatre on television tonight. she'd hoped to be home by nine, but even she had to admit that the odds of being stuck in O'Hare airport were increasing. Outside there was nothing to see expect swirling snow and the gray outlines of planes and trucks.

Anything that moved was doing it slowly. She wondered if she should try to get her hotel room back, or even if she would be able to find a taxi to return her downtown.

She wondered if she'd be spending all day and maybe all night in the airport.

She'd always been good at worrying.

~--------------------~

Andrew started the car. He wasn't going to push his luck by breaking the silence between them. Andrew figured Rose was going to come around eventually, especially now that he'd gotten her to admit she knew exactly who he was and where they'd met. He drove through Beauville and pointed out the local landmarks.

"Steak barn," he said, pointing to a two-storey restaurant on the corner of Main and Cotton. "Best steak in the country. Next to it is J.C Penny's, if you want to do any shopping." He drove slowly down the next block. "Movie theater, gift shop, real estate, insurance." Then, "The library. Round the corner is a grocery store."

She obligingly looked out the window.

*****

CHECK OUT MY NEW STORY 'ANNIE'S PERFECT HUSBAND'

*****


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