Beauty's Kiss(49)

She gurgled a laugh. “I don’t know how wild I was. You were the one with all the moves... and oh, you have some moves.”

“I dig your body. But then, I’m pretty crazy about you.”

Taylor wrapped her arm over his, and squeezed. “I will miss you when you return to San Francisco.”

“I’ve been thinking about that, too.”

“When do you leave?”

“Tomorrow, early afternoon.”

She was silent, aware that Marietta would feel so different without him. She pressed her fingers to his hand, fitting her fingers between his. “When do you come back again?”

“I’m going to try to return next weekend. Dad doesn’t have much time left.” He dropped a kiss on the top of her head. “And I don’t think I could handle going more than five days without seeing you.”

Taylor smiled slowly. “So I’ll see you next weekend?”

“If you want to see me.”

“Oh, I want to see you.” She pushed him onto his back and leaned over his chest, smiling down at him. “And kiss you and make love to you—”

He reached up, cupped the back of her head and drew her face down to his. “I don’t think I can wait that long,” he murmured.

“Then let’s not. Because this long distance thing might be hell.”





Epilogue





April 18th



Actually, the long distance thing wasn’t as bad as they’d imagined. At least, for Troy, the distance hadn’t been a problem so far.

He was commuting weekly between San Francisco and Marietta, leaving San Francisco every Friday night, to spend the weekend in Marietta. Sometimes he’d spend the week in Marietta, too, trying to be with his father as much as he could in his father’s final days. Thankfully he’d been home, at the Sheenan Ranch, when his father died the first week of March, and as hard as it was to say goodbye, it was time.

Troy was in Marietta, too, when Doug Harris received a letter from Judge McCorkle, letting Doug know he could finish his probation at home, provided he continued to attend weekly counseling sessions.

Taylor showed Troy the letter. “You were behind this,” she said to him.

Troy shook his head. “I know nothing about it.” And it was true. Troy hadn’t needed to address Doug’s situation. Judge McCorkle wanted his loan. He wasn’t about to risk upsetting any of the Sheenans.

And now Troy was back again, this time to escort Taylor to the Wedding Giveaway’s Spring Gala at Emerson’s big barn tomorrow night.

Taylor was looking forward to the barn dance. Troy was just happy to have time alone with Taylor. An entire weekend alone if they chose to skip the barn dance and hide out in his suite. She wouldn’t have been able to do it before, but now that Doug had gotten a job on Brock’s ranch, a real joy, a paying job, Doug was happy out at Copper Mountain. He liked Brock’s cowboys and the easy camaraderie in the bunkhouse and said he’d already made a couple of friends.

“Things are working out,” Taylor had said when they’d tumbled into bed earlier this evening.

“Yes, they are,” he agreed.

Now, close to midnight, they’d just made love again, and were warm and relaxed. Taylor was curled up against him, smiling and practically purring with pleasure.

His little librarian was not a shy thing in bed.

“Come with me to San Francisco for a week,” he said. “We can fly out together, spend the week in California, and then have you back the following Sunday in time for work Monday.”

She opened her eyes, looked at him. “I wish I could—”

“Why can’t you?”

“Doug.”

He kissed her, his hand tangling in her hair. It was meant to be a quick reassuring kiss, but the moment her lips touched his, he just wanted more. That was the thing about her. It didn’t matter how much he had of her, it was never enough.

When the kiss finally ended, he stroked her flushed cheek then watched her sit up. “What about Doug?” he asked.

“I worry about him.”

“I know you do, but Taylor, he’s a young man—” Troy saw her lips part in protest and he added firmly, “—on his way to becoming a mature man and he can handle you being gone for a week. It’s good for both of you to have some independence, and you can rest easy knowing he’s at Brock’s and nothing’s going to happen to him there. Everybody in the bunkhouse will keep an eye out for him, and there’s no one more maternal than Harley. She’s one of five kids herself. She’ll take good care of Doug. You know that.”

Taylor lay back down next to him, nestling close. He wrapped his arm around her, holding her, feeling her tension. She was still so worried.