A Country Affair by Debbie Macomber
Four
“The way I figure it,” Kate said, munching on a carrot stick, “I’m only going to convince Luke I don’t intend to marry him by dating someone else.”
Linda looked as if she were about to swallow her apple whole. The two were seated in the school lunchroom on Friday afternoon, reviewing plans for the Thanksgiving play their two classes would present the following month.
“Dating someone else?” Linda echoed, still wearing a stunned expression. “A few days ago you said you were finished with love and completely opposed to the idea of men and marriage.”
“I’m not expecting to fall in love again,” Kate explained impatiently. “That would be ridiculous.”
“You talk about being ridiculous?” Linda asked, setting down her half-eaten apple. “We were discussing Pilgrim costumes and suddenly you decide you want to start dating. I take it you’re not referring to Miles Standish?”
“Of course not.”
“That’s what I thought.”
Kate supposed she wasn’t making a lot of sense to her friend. Luke and the issue of marriage had been on her mind all week, but she’d carefully avoided any mention of the subject. Until now. The rumors regarding her and Luke continued to burn like a forest fire through Nightingale, aided, Kate was sure, by the silly grin Luke wore around town, and the fact that he was buying her father’s ranch. True, he hadn’t pressured her into setting a wedding date again, but the thought was there, waiting to ambush her every time they were in the same room. She used to be able to laugh and joke with Luke, but lately, the minute they were together, Kate found herself raising protective barriers.
“All right, you’ve piqued my curiosity,” Linda said, her eyes flashing with humor. “Tell me about this sudden interest in the opposite sex.”
“I want to stop the rumors, naturally.” And convince Luke that her marriage proposal had been rooted in self-pity. He’d been so strong and she’d felt so fragile....
Linda pushed aside the pages of the Thanksgiving project notes. “Have you picked anyone in particular?”
“No,” Kate murmured, frowning. “I’ve been out of circulation for so long, I’m not sure who’s available.”
“No one,” Linda told her in a despondent voice. “And I should know. If you want the truth, I think Nightingale would make an excellent locale for a convent. Have you ever considered the religious life?”
Kate ignored that. “Didn’t I hear Sally Daley mention something about a new guy who recently moved to town? She seemed to think he was single.”
“Eric Wilson. Attorney, mid-thirties, divorced, with a small mole on his left shoulder.”
Kate was astonished. “Good heavens, how did Sally know all that?”
Linda shook her head. “I don’t even want to guess.”
“Eric Wilson.” Kate repeated it slowly, letting each syllable roll off her tongue. She decided the name had a friendly feel, though it didn’t really tell her anything about the man himself.
“Have you met him?” Kate asked her friend.
“No, but you’re welcome to him, if you want. My track record with divorced men isn’t exactly great. The only reason Sally said anything to me was that she assumed you and Luke would be married before the holidays were over.” Linda grimaced. “She thought I’d need her help in finding a date for the wedding.”
A sense of panic momentarily overtook Kate. This wedding nonsense was completely out of hand, which meant she had to come up with another man now.
“There’s always Andy Barrett,” she murmured. Andy worked at the pharmacy and was single. True, he wasn’t exactly a heartthrob, but he was a decent-enough sort.
Linda immediately rejected that possibility. “No one in town would believe you’d choose Andy over Luke.” A smile played across her mouth, as if she found the idea of Kate and Andy together somehow comical. “Andy’s sweet, don’t get me wrong,” Linda amended, “but Luke’s a real man.”
“I’ll think of someone,” Kate murmured, her determination fierce.
Linda started to gather her Thanksgiving notes. “If you’re serious about this, then you may have no choice but to import a man from Portland.”
“You’re kidding, I hope,” Kate groaned.
“Nope. I’m dead serious,” Linda said, shoving everything into her briefcase.
Her friend’s words echoed depressingly through Kate’s mind as she pushed her cart to the frozen-food section of the grocery store later that afternoon. She peered at the TV dinners, trying to choose something for dinner. Her father had dined with Dorothea every night since they’d become engaged, and the wedding was planned for early December.
“The beef burgundy is good,” a resonant male voice said from behind her.
Kate turned to face a tall, friendly-looking man with flashing blue eyes and a lazy smile.
“Eric Wilson,” he introduced himself, holding out his hand.
“Kate Logan,” she said, her heart racing as they exchanged handshakes. It was all Kate could do not to tell him she’d been talking about him only minutes before and that she’d learned he was possibly the only single prospect in town—other than Luke, of course. How bizarre that they should run into each other almost immediately afterward. Perhaps not! Perhaps it was fate.
“The Salisbury steak isn’t half-bad, either.” As if to prove his point, he deposited both the beef burgundy and the Salisbury steak frozen dinners in his cart.
“You sound as though you know.”
“I’ve discovered frozen entrées are less trouble than a wife.”
He frowned as he spoke, so she guessed that his divorce had been unpleasant. Sally would be able to provide the details, and Kate made a mental note to ask her. She’d do it blatantly, of course, since Sally would spread Kate’s interest in the transplanted lawyer all over the county.
“You’re new in town, aren’t you? An attorney?”
Eric nodded. “At your service.”
Kate was thinking fast. It’d been a long time since she’d flirted with a man—if you didn’t count the way she’d behaved at the wedding. “Does that mean I can sue you if the beef burgundy isn’t to my liking?”
He grinned at that, and although her comment hadn’t been especially witty, she felt encouraged by his smile.
“You might have trouble getting the judge to listen to your suit, though,” he told her.
“Judge Webster is my uncle,” she said, laughing.
“And I suppose you’re his favorite niece.”
“Naturally.”
“In that case, might I suggest we avoid the possibility of a lawsuit and I buy you dinner?”
That was so easy Kate couldn’t believe it. She’d been out of the dating game years, and she’d been sure it would take a while to get the hang of it again. “I’d be delighted.”
It wasn’t until Kate was home, high on her success, that she realized Eric, as a new man in town, was probably starved for companionship. That made her pride sag just a little, but she wasn’t about to complain. Within hours of declaring that she wanted to start dating, she’d met a man. An attractive, pleasant man, too. It didn’t matter that he’d asked her out because he was lonely or that he was obviously still embittered by his divorce. A date was a date.
Kate showered and changed into a mid-calf burgundy wool skirt and a rose-colored silk blouse. She was putting the last coat of polish on her nails when her father strolled into the kitchen. Even from her position at the far side of the room, Kate caught a strong whiff of his spicy aftershave. She smiled.
“You look nice, Dad.”
“Thanks,” he said, tugging on the lapels of his tweed jacket, then brushing the sleeves.
“Do you want me to wait up for you?”
A flush worked its way up Devin’s neck. “Of course not.”
Kate loved teasing him, and as their eyes met, they both started to laugh.
“You’re looking awfully pretty yourself,” Devin commented. “Are you and Luke going out?”
“Eric Wilson is taking me to dinner.”
Devin regarded her quizzically. “Who? You’re kidding, aren’t you?”
“No.” She gave him a warning frown. “Eric’s new here. We met in the frozen-food section at the grocery store this afternoon and he asked me to dinner.”
“And you accepted?” His eyes were wide with astonishment.
“Of course. It beats sitting around here and watching reruns on television.”
“But...but what about Luke?”
“What about him?”
“I thought... I’d hoped after Clay’s wedding that the two of you might—”
“Dad, Luke’s a dear friend, but we’re not in love with each other.”
For a moment Devin looked as if he wanted to argue, but apparently decided against it. “He’s a good man, Princess.”
“Trust me, I know that. If it wasn’t for Luke, I wouldn’t have survived the last couple of months.”
“Folks in town have the impression that you two might be falling in love, and I can’t say I blame them after watching you at the wedding.”
Kate focused her attention on polishing her nails, knowing that an identical shade of red had crept into her cheeks.
“Luke and I are friends, Dad, nothing more,” she repeated.
“I don’t mind letting you know, Kate, that I think very highly of Luke. If I were to handpick a husband for you, it would be him.”
“I...think Luke’s wonderful, too,” she said, her words faltering.
“Now that he’s buying the ranch, well, it seems natural that the two of you—”
“Dad, please,” she whispered. “I’m not in love with Luke, and he doesn’t love me.”
“That’s a real pity,” came Devin’s softly drawled response. He reached for his hat, then paused by the door. “I don’t suppose Luke knows you’re going out tonight, does he?”
“There isn’t any reason to tell him.” She tried to act nonchalant. But she desperately wanted to avoid another showdown with Luke. Pleadingly, she raised her eyes to her father. “You aren’t going to tell him, are you?”
“I won’t lie to him.”
“Oh, I wouldn’t expect you to do that,” Kate murmured. She blew at the dark-red polish on her nails, trying to dry them quickly. With luck, Eric would arrive soon and she could make her escape before she encountered Luke.
Kate should have known that was asking too much. She was standing at the kitchen window beside the oak table, waiting for Eric’s headlights to come down the long drive, when Luke walked into the house.
Kate groaned inwardly, but said nothing. Her fingers tightened on the curtain as she changed her silent entreaty. Now she prayed that Eric would be late.
“You’ve got your coat on,” Luke observed as he poured a mug of coffee.
“I’ll be leaving in a couple of minutes,” she said, hoping she didn’t sound as tense as she felt. Then, a little guiltily, she added, “I baked some oatmeal cookies yesterday. The cookie jar’s full, so help yourself.”
He did exactly that, then sat down at the table. “If I didn’t know better, I’d think you were waiting for someone.”
“I am.”
“Who?”
“A...friend.” Her back was to him, but Kate could feel the tension between them.
“Are you upset about something?”
“No. Should I be?” she asked in an offhand manner.
“You’ve been avoiding me all week,” he said.
He was sitting almost directly behind her and Kate felt his presence acutely. Her knees were shaking, her breath coming in short, uneven gulps. She felt light-headed. It had to be nerves. If Luke discovered she was going to dinner with Eric, there could be trouble. Yes, she told herself, that explained the strange physical reaction she was experiencing.
“Kate, love—”
“Please,” she implored, “don’t call me that.” She released the curtain and turned to face him. “I made a mistake, and considering the circumstances, it was understandable. Please, Luke, can’t you drop this whole marriage business? Please?”
His look of shocked surprise didn’t do anything to settle her nerves. A strained moment passed before Luke relaxed, chuckling. “I’ve broken stallions who’ve given me less trouble than you.”
“I’m no stallion.”
Luke chuckled again, and before she could move, his arms reached out and circled her waist to pull her onto his lap.
Kate was so astonished that for a crazy moment she didn’t react at all. “Let me go,” she said stiffly, holding her chin at a regal angle.
He ignored her demand and lightly ran the tips of his fingers along the side of her jaw, stroking downward to cup her chin. “I’ve missed you this week, Princess.”
A trail of warmth followed his cool fingers, and a foreign sensation nibbled at her stomach. Kate didn’t know what was wrong with her—and she didn’t want to know.
“I’ve decided to give you a chance to think everything through before we contact Pastor Wilkins—”
“Before we what?” she flared.
“Before we’re married,” he explained patiently, his voice much too low and seductive to suit her. “But every time we’re together, you run away like a frightened kitten.”
“Did you stop to think there might be a perfectly logical reason for that?” She’d told him repeatedly that she wasn’t going to marry him, but it didn’t seem to make any differences. “I’m sorry, I truly am, but I just don’t see you that way.”
“Oh?”
He raised his hand and threaded his fingers through her hair. She tried to pull away, to thwart him, with no effect.
“That’s not the feeling I get when I kiss you.”
She braced her hands against his shoulders. “I apologize if I’ve given you the wrong impression,” she said, her voice feeble.
He cocked his eyebrows at her statement, and his lips quivered with the effort to suppress a smile. That infuriated Kate, but she held on to her temper, knowing an argument would be pointless.
“It seems to me,” he continued, “that we need some time alone to explore what’s happening between us.”
Alarm rose in Kate’s throat as she struggled to hide her response to him. The last thing she wanted was “time alone” with Luke.
“I’m afraid that’s impossible tonight,” she said hastily.
“Why’s that?”
He was so close that his breath fanned her flushed face. It was all Kate could do to keep from closing her eyes and surrendering to the sensations that encircled her, like lazy curls of smoke from a campfire.
His mouth found her neck and he placed a series of kisses there, each one a small dart of pleasure that robbed her of clear thought. For a wild moment, she couldn’t catch her breath. His hands were in her hair, and his mouth was working its magic....
“No,” she breathed, her voice low and trembling. Any resistance she’d managed to rally had vanished.
“Yes, my darlin’, Kate?”
He sought her mouth then, and excitement erupted inside her. She clung to him, arms around his neck as his lips returned again and again to taste and tantalize her.
When he buried his face in the hollow of her throat, Kate moaned softly. She felt nearly faint from the rush of pleasure.
“Call Linda and cancel whatever plans you’ve made,” he whispered.
Kate froze. “I can’t.”
“Yes, you can. I’ll talk to her, if you want.”
“I’m not going out with Linda.”
“Then call whoever it is and cancel.”
“No...”
A flash of headlights through the kitchen window announced Eric’s arrival. With a burst of frantic energy, Kate leaped off Luke’s lap, feeling disoriented and bewildered. She rubbed her hands over her face, realizing she’d probably smudged her makeup, but that didn’t concern her as much as the unreserved way she’d submitted to Luke’s touch. He’d kissed her before and it had been wonderful—more than wonderful. But in those brief moments when he’d held her, at the wedding and then again the next day, she hadn’t experienced this burning need. It terrified her.
“Kate?”
She looked at Luke without really seeing him. “I’ve got to go,” she insisted.
“There’s a man here.”
Kate opened the door for Eric. “Hi,” she greeted him, doing her best to appear cheerful and animated, but suspecting that she looked and sounded as though she was coming down with a bad case of flu. “I see you found the place without a problem.”
“Actually, I had one hell of a time,” he said, glancing at his watch. “Didn’t you notice I’m fifteen minutes late?”
Well, no, she hadn’t. Not really.
“Kate, who is this man?” Luke demanded in a steely voice.
“Eric Wilson, this is Luke Rivers. Luke is buying the Circle L,” she said breathlessly.
The two men exchanged the briefest of handshakes.
Kate didn’t dare look in Luke’s direction. She didn’t need to; she could feel the resentment and annoyance that emanated from him like waves of heat. “Well, I suppose we should be on our way,” Kate said to Eric, throwing him a tight, nervous smile.
“Yes, I suppose we should.” Eric’s gaze traveled from Kate to Luke, then back again. He seemed equally eager to escape.
“I’ll say good-night, Luke,” she said pointedly, her hand on the back door.
He didn’t respond, which was just as well.
Once they were outside, Eric opened his car door for her. “You said Luke is buying the ranch?”
“Yes,” she answered brightly.
“And nothing else?” he pressed, frowning. “The look he was giving me seemed to say you came with the property.”
“That’s not true.” Even if Luke chose to believe otherwise. After tonight, she couldn’t deny that they shared a strong physical attraction, but that was nothing on which to base a life together. She didn’t love Luke; how could she, when she was still in love with Clay? She’d been crazy about Clay Franklin most of her life, and feelings that intense didn’t change overnight simply because he’d married another woman.
When Clay and Rorie had announced their engagement, Kate had known with desolate certainty that she’d never love again. If she couldn’t have Clay, then she would live the remainder of her life alone, treasuring the time they’d had together.
“You’re absolutely certain Rivers has no claim on you?”
“None,” Kate assured him.
“That’s funny,” Eric said with a humorless chuckle. “From the way he glared at me, I feel lucky to have walked away with my head still attached.”
Kate forced a laugh. “I’m sure you’re mistaken.”
Eric didn’t comment further, but she could tell he didn’t believe her.
After their shaky beginning, dinner turned out to be a pleasant affair. Eric took Kate to the Red Bull, the one fancy restaurant in Nightingale, a steak house that specialized in thick T-bones and fat baked potatoes. A country-and-western band played local favorites in the lounge, which was a popular Friday-night attraction. The music drifted into the dining-room, creating a festive atmosphere.
Eric studied the menu, then requested a bottle of wine with their meal.
When the waitress had taken their order, he placed his elbows on the table and smiled at Kate. “Your eyes are lovely,” he said, his voice a little too enthusiastic.
Despite herself, Kate blushed. “Thank you.”
“They’re the same color as my ex-wife’s.” He said this in bitter tones, as if he wished Kate’s were any color other than blue. “I’m sorry,” he added, looking chagrined. “I’ve got to stop thinking about Lonni. It’s over. Finished. Kaput.”
“I take it you didn’t want the divorce.”
“Do you mind if we don’t talk about it?”
Kate felt foolish for bringing up the subject, especially since it was obviously so painful for him. “I’m sorry, that was thoughtless. You’re trying to let go of the past.”
The bottle of wine arrived and when Eric had sampled and approved it the waitress filled their glasses.
“Actually you remind me of Lonni,” he said, after taking a sip of the chardonnay. “We met when we were both in college.”
Kate looked down at her wineglass, twirling the delicate stem between her fingers. Eric was so clearly in love with his ex-wife that she wondered what had torn them apart.
“You were asking about the divorce?” He replenished his wine with a lavish hand.
“If it’s too difficult, you don’t need to talk about it.”
“I don’t think either Lonni or I ever intended to let it go this far,” he said, and Kate was sure he hadn’t even heard her. “I certainly didn’t, but before I knew what was happening, the whole thing blew up in my face. There wasn’t another man—I would’ve staked my life on that.”
Their dinner salads were served and, picking up her fork, Kate asked, “What brought you to Nightingale?”
Eric drank his wine as if he were gulping cool water on a summer afternoon. “Lonni, of course.”
“I beg your pardon?”
“Lonni. I decided I needed to make a clean break. Get a fresh start and all that.”
“I see.”
“You have to understand that when Lonni first suggested we should separate, I thought it was the right thing to do. We hadn’t been getting along and, frankly, if she wanted out of the relationship, I wasn’t going to stand in her way. It’s best to discover these things before you have children, don’t you agree?”
“Oh, yes.” Kate nibbled at her salad, wondering what she could say that would help or comfort Eric.
An hour and another bottle of wine later, Kate realized he’d drunk the better part of both bottles and was in no condition to drive home. Now she had to tactfully make him realize that.
“Do you dance?” she asked, as he paid the dinner bill.
He frowned slightly. “This country-and-western stuff doesn’t usually appeal to me, but I’m willing to give it a whirl, if you are.”
Kate assumed all the wine he’d been drinking had quelled his reservations. When the band began a lively melody, Eric led Kate onto the crowded dance floor.
Kate was breathless by the time the song ended. To her relief, the next number was a much slower one. She recognized her mistake the minute Eric locked her in his embrace. His hands fastened at the small of her back, forcing her close. She tried to put some space between them, but Eric didn’t seem to notice her efforts. His eyes were shut as he swayed to the leisurely beat. Kate wasn’t fooled; her newfound friend was pretending he had Lonni in his arms. It was a good thing her ego wasn’t riding on this date.
“I need a little more room,” she whispered.
He loosened his grip for a moment, but as the song continued, his hold gradually tightened again. Kate edged her forearms up and braced them on his chest, easing herself back an inch or two.
“Excuse me, please.” A harsh male voice that was all too familiar came from behind Eric. Kate wished she could crawl into a hole and die the instant she heard it.
“I’m cutting in,” Luke informed the other man, who turned his head and looked at the intruder incredulously.
Without a word of protest Eric dropped his arms and took a step in retreat. Neither man bothered to ask Kate what she wanted. She was about to complain when Luke reached for her hand and with a natural flair swept her into his arms. The immediate sense of welcome she experienced made her want to weep with frustration.
“Why did you cut in like that?” she demanded. She felt disheartened and irritable. Everything she’d worked for this evening was about to be undone.
“Did you mean for that city slicker to hold you so close?”
“How Eric holds me isn’t any of your business.”
“I’m making it my business.”
His face was contorted with anger. His arms were so tight that Kate couldn’t have escaped him if she’d tried. Judging by the looks they were receiving from the couples around them, they were quickly becoming the main attraction.
The instant the music ended, Kate abruptly left Luke’s arms and returned to Eric. Her date stood in the corner of the room, nursing a shot glass filled with amber liquid. Kate groaned and hid her displeasure. Eric had already had enough wine without adding hard liquor.
“I thought you said there was nothing between you and Luke Rivers,” he muttered, when she joined him.
“There isn’t. We’re just good friends.”
“That’s not the impression I’m getting.”
Kate didn’t know how to respond. “I apologize for the interruption. Do you want to dance?”
“Not if it’s going to cost me my neck.”
“It isn’t,” she promised.
Another lively song erupted from the band. Eric took her hand and she smiled encouragingly up at him. As they headed for the dance floor, Kate tried to ignore Luke’s chilly glare.
Midway through the song, Eric stopped dancing. “I’m not very good at this fancy footwork,” he declared. With that, he pulled her into his arms, tucking her securely against him.
“This is much better,” he whispered, his mouth close to her ear. Once more his hold tightened.
“Eric, please. I’m having trouble breathing,” Kate told him in a strangled voice.
“Oh, sorry.” He relaxed his grip. “Lonni and I used to dance like this all the time.”
Kate had guessed as much. It was on the tip of her tongue to remind him that she wasn’t his ex-wife, but she doubted it would make any difference. Eric had spent much of the evening pretending she was.
At the moment, however, her date and his ex-wife were the least of Kate’s problems. Tiny pinpricks moved up and down her spine, telling her that Luke was still glaring at her from the other side of the room. She did her best to act as though he wasn’t there.
She smiled up at Eric, she laughed, she talked, but with each breath she drew she could feel Luke’s eyes on her, scrutinizing every move she made.
When the music stopped, Eric returned to their table and his drink, swallowing the remainder of it in one gulp. The music started again and he pulled Kate toward him.
“I think I’ll sit this one out.” She hoped that would appease Luke, who looked as if he were about to rip Eric in two.
Her gaze fell to her lap and she folded her hands, concentrating on not letting him know how much a single glance from him affected her.
“How much have you had to drink, Wilson?”
While her eyes were lowered, Luke had come over to their table. His voice was controlled but unmistakably furious.
“I can’t say that’s any of your concern, Rivers.” For his part, Eric seemed nervous. He leaned back in his chair, balancing on two legs, and raised his empty shot glass.
“I don’t agree,” Luke countered, moving closer. “From what I can see, you’ve had plenty. I’m taking Kate home with me.”
“Luke,” she protested, “please don’t do this.”
“Your date’s in no condition to drive.”
It was all Kate could do not to stand up and defend Eric. Unfortunately Luke was right. She’d known it even before they’d finished dinner, but she wanted to handle things her own way.
“I can hold my liquor as well as the next man,” Eric said, daring to wave his glass under Luke’s nose. It was apparent to everyone that his courage had been fortified by whiskey. Few men would have taunted Luke in his present mood.
Luke turned to Kate. “You’ve got better sense than this, Kate.”
Kate did. But she had no intention of telling him so. “I think Eric knows his own limit,” she returned.
“Then you plan to ride home with him?”
“I’m not sure yet.” She wouldn’t, but she wasn’t about to give Luke an armful of ammunition to use against her.
Luke scowled at her with such fury it was difficult for Kate to swallow normally.
Slowly he turned to Eric. “If you value your teeth, I suggest you stay exactly where you are. Bob,” Luke called to the sheriff’s deputy across the room, “would you see that this newcomer gets home without a problem?”
“Sure thing, Luke.”
“Kate,” he said, addressing her next, “you’re coming with me.”
“I most certainly am not.”
Luke didn’t leave her any option. He leaned forward and pulled her upright, as if she weighed no more than a bag of popcorn.
She struggled briefly but knew it was useless. “Luke, don’t do this. Please, don’t do this,” she pleaded through clenched teeth, humiliated to the very roots of her hair.
“Either you come with me willingly or I carry you out of here.” Luke’s composure didn’t falter. When she resisted, he swept his arms behind her legs and lifted her from the floor.
“Luke,” Kate cried, “put me down this instant. I demand that you put me down.”
He completely ignored her threat as he strode toward the door, his gaze focused impassively ahead of them. The waitress who’d served her dinner came running up to hand Kate her coat and bag. Her eyes were flashing with humor.
“Stick by your man, honey,” she advised. “That city slicker can’t hold a candle to Luke Rivers.”
“Luke’s the man for you,” someone else shouted.
“When you gonna tie the knot?”
Two men were holding open the lounge door for them. The last thing Kate heard as Luke carried her into the cold night air was a robust round of applause from inside the lounge.