Colorado Heart (9781101612026) (23 page)

As if he'd read her mind, Jake dropped her hand and grabbed her forearms. He pulled her close and she saw the storm had come full force into his eyes. “Don't you dare use what happened to you in the past as an excuse,” he said. “I know you were hurt, but it is over. You need to put it behind you and live your life. Whether it is with me or someone else isn't as important as the fact that you quit letting it rule your life. You are a beautiful woman, Cassie Parker. It's time you quit hiding it and started acting like one.”

Cassie opened her mouth to protest, but instead Jake kissed her. It was just like the first time he kissed her. Wild yet gentle, firm yet yielding, full of emotion. And her body responded for all she was worth, until they finally broke apart just to breath, and Jake leaned his forehead against hers.

“One more thing,” he said.

For the life of her Cassie couldn't imagine what he was about to say.

“Will you be my date for the dance?”

TWENTY-SIX

A
week had passed, and Cassie still didn't know what she was going to say to Jake tonight. Even though she'd agreed to go to the dance with him, she still wasn't sure how to respond to his confession of love. Every day she rode Puck around the lake in hopes of finding an answer, but she had yet to discover one. She went to visit Manuel and Rosa, and both assured her they were fine and that she needed to concentrate on herself now.

That was the problem; she'd been concentrating on nothing else for the past week. She had no excuse not to attend the dance either. If Eden could go with her crippled leg, then Cassie couldn't use the excuse of not having anything suitable to wear.

What are you so scared of?
Cassie stared out the window of the Castles' parlor. The only thing she knew for certain was that she was going back to her place tomorrow. It would be cramped quarters for a while with three of them living in the bunkhouse, but they would survive it. A new house and barn weren't going to build themselves and she couldn't keep on expecting Manuel to do all the work by himself.

“Cassie?” Eden came up beside her. Cassie hadn't even realized she was in the room until she spoke. “Come with me,” Eden said. “I have a surprise for you.”

“A surprise?” Cassie said. “You've done enough for me.”

“We can never do enough for our friends,” Eden said. She took Cassie's hand and led her to her room. A blue dress lay upon her bed. “It was always my favorite,” Eden explained, “which is why I kept it, even though it got too small. I've been working on it all week, for you to wear to the dance.” Eden picked up the dress and handed it to Cassie. Then she turned her around so that she faced a floor-length mirror.

It was beautiful, with a rounded neck framed in a delicate row of lace and capped sleeves. The color was the same as the sky, and it made Cassie's eyes seem bluer. It was perfect.

“It's so pretty,” Cassie said. “How old were you when you wore it?”

“Fourteen. I grew a couple of inches over that winter. Through here mostly.” Eden blushed as she waved her hands over her breasts. “And taller too.”

Eden was tall, especially when compared to Cassie, whose head just reached Eden's shoulder. To Cassie, Eden was elegant and graceful, yet Cassie recognized that she felt inadequate because of her noticeable limp. Just as she felt inadequate because of the wounds she carried on the inside. But Eden never used her limp as an excuse. She lived her life instead of hiding away or just staying in a chair. Maybe Cassie should take that as inspiration.

You are a beautiful woman, Cassie Parker. It's time you quit hiding it and started acting like one.

“Why don't you try it on?” Eden asked.

“I will,” Cassie said. She gave Eden a quick hug. “Thank you so much.”

“Let me know if you need any help,” Eden said as she left and closed the door firmly behind her.

It had been so long since Cassie had worn a dress. Over two years, since the trial. She had nothing to wear beneath it, but she had a feeling Eden and her mother would make sure that was taken care of. She noticed a pair of blue shoes on the bed. Another remnant of Eden's childhood.

The thought of walking into the dance terrified her, but she had nothing to lose by just trying on the dress. Cassie jerked off her boots and stripped down to her camisole and knickers. They seemed ragged and dirty next to the dress, so she took them off as well. Cassie caught sight of her body in the mirror as she turned to pick up the dress.

Her skin was pale all over, except for her face and hands, which were a golden hue from the sun. She was suddenly very self-conscious of her hands, which were rough from hard work. She'd spent so much time hiding the fact that she was a woman, she'd almost stopped thinking of herself that way. Except it was hard to deny it now, when her breasts were right there in front of her. They were larger than she remembered. The last time she'd looked at them like this, they'd been covered with bruises. Now they were pale white and unblemished, with the veins showing blue beneath her skin.

She ran her hands down the flat plane of her stomach as she looked in the mirror. Her ribs were visible, not because she was starved, but because she worked hard and it showed. Her waist nipped in before flaring gently over her narrow hips. Her legs were thin, like a young girl's. Her eyes avoided the place between. The place that had been violated.

“Why did I think I could just stop being a woman?” she asked the reflection in the mirror. There was no answer, just a startled look reflected back at her. Cassie touched the chopped ends of her hair that brushed against her shoulders. Cutting it off hadn't changed anything. Just as living in a state of denial for the past two years hadn't changed anything either. There was no erasing what had happened to her. She'd been raped. Did she want to spend the rest of her life hiding because of it?

Cassie picked up the dress. It was already unbuttoned down the back. She stepped into it and pulled it up. She pushed her arms through the sleeves and settled it on her shoulders. On a fourteen-year-old girl the lace-trimmed round neckline would have been modest. On a woman full grown, even a petite one like Cassie, it showed quite a bit of cleavage. Even without buttoning it, Cassie could tell the waist was an inch or two too wide, but the length was fine once she put the shoes on, and the color was perfect.

“Cassie?” Eden knocked on the door.

“Come in,” she said. “I need buttoning up.”

“Oh, it's nearly perfect,” Eden said. “Momma, come see.”

Laurie came into the room as Eden fastened the dress up the back. “You look lovely,” she said. Laurie pinched it in at the waist. “This won't take any time at all to fix.” She touched Cassie's hair. “And a good washing and trimming and a few turns with the curling iron will make all the difference in the world.”

Cassie grinned at her reflection in the mirror. She had a lot of time to make up for, and she didn't want to waste a minute more. “Let's get started,” she said.

*   *   *

Jake couldn't recall a time in his life when he'd been more nervous. He'd laid it all on the line with Cassie last week and then told her he didn't want an answer until tonight. Dang it, he should have just thrown her on the back of Bright and taken off with her. Or maybe he should have kissed her senseless. He knew what that was like. He was downright senseless when he kissed her.

Jared and Laurie had outdone themselves with the dance, as Jake knew they would. Jared made a good living with his cattle and more so with his horse breeding. He'd even asked Jake to let Bright cover some of his mares and promised Jake the pick of the bunch in return. Jake was anxious to see what came of it when the mares finally delivered. But not as anxious as he was to see Cassie.

He'd made himself stay away all week and lost himself in his work. He caught a glimpse of her one time, on Puck, as she went to her place, and dang if he didn't waste the entire morning watching to see if she came back by, which she did. He'd been afraid she'd just take off altogether, and he'd never find her if she did.

The entrance to the Castles' ranch was lit up with candles stuck in Mason jars. The drive had jars hanging on hooks at equal distances along the way, and there were more scattered among the outbuildings and barns below the Castles' house. There were even candles floating on the lake. It was a pretty sight on the moonless night.

There were several buggies parked outside the barn, and the sound of the musicians tuning up mingled with the soft chatter of those who were gathered around the tables outside. Tables covered with food and drink. There was no mistaking the silhouettes of Leah and Cade among the guests talking and laughing.

Jake handed Bright off to one of Jared's cowboys. He looked at the barn and he looked at the house. Soft lights shone through each of the windows, and more Mason jars with candles sat along the railing of the porch.

Cassie was still at the house. He'd bet money on it.

And he would have won. Cassie was waiting on the porch when he walked up. He had to take a moment. He was so stunned by her, standing there in the candlelight, in her pretty blue dress and her hair . . . it was pinned up in the back into a riot of curls. Her eyes were as blue as the sky and there was color on her cheeks, and her lips looked down-right luscious, so much so that he wanted to kiss her then and there. But he didn't. Instead, he held out his hand to her and she took it without hesitation and Jake guided her down the stairs.

“You are a beautiful woman, Cassie Parker.”

“Just because you are right this one time doesn't mean I'm going to let you make a habit of it,” Cassie replied tartly.

“Does that mean we have a future together?”

“I refuse to answer that question until I've seen you dance.”

“Believe me, Cassie, I can dance,” Jake said.

“That remains to be seen,” she said.

He tucked her arm into the crook of his and they walked toward the barn. Jake glanced down at the top of her head but was suddenly distracted by what was under her chin. He'd always thought she was blessed, but now that her breasts were out there for everyone to see . . . he wasn't so sure how he felt about that. While he appreciated the view very much, he knew he didn't want anyone else gazing upon her blessings.

“What am I going to do with you, Cassie?” He sighed.

“I thought you always had a plan, Jake.”

“I always think I do, until you show up and knock everything sideways.”

“How about if we don't worry about it right now and just enjoy the dance?”

“That's my problem, I'm afraid everyone is going to enjoy the dance just a little too much at my expense.”

“It must be a hard life you live,” Cassie said with some satisfaction.

Jake tugged on one of her curls and watched in fascination as it sprung back into place. How in the heck did women do that? “It's a burden,” he said with a grin.

They'd come to the barn and Jake kept a tight hold on Cassie's arm. Ward tipped his glass in a toast as they walked up and Jake grinned at him. Dang if Cassie wasn't the prettiest girl here, and there were a lot around. Everyone in the area had come, people from town, all of the outlying ranches, all the cowboys, except from Watkins's spread, and even some of the miners.

“Cassie, you look absolutely stunning,” Leah said.

“Thank you.” Cassie smiled. “And thank you for all of the help you gave us after the fire.”

“That's what we do around here,” Leah said. “We look out for each other.”

“That's one of the things I like best about Angel's End,” Cassie said. “The way the people look out for each other.” She gazed up at Jake and his heart swelled. He was beginning to think things just might go his way.

“Oh look,” Leah said. “Rosa and Manuel are here.”

“They are?” Cassie turned around. Sure enough, Rosa and Manuel were walking up to the barn. “I didn't think they'd come.”

“I asked them to,” Jake said. “After all, they are a part of this community too.”

“Did Jake tell you about the barn raising?” Cade asked.

“No,” Cassie said.

“It's supposed to be a surprise.” Leah poked her husband.

“Sorry,” Cade said, and rubbed his arm where Leah had prodded him. “It's next Saturday at your place. We figured we'd worry about the house after that.”

“We'll have everything done before the first snow,” Jake said. “If it all goes according to plan.”

Cassie nodded. Jake could see there were tears in her eyes, but she quickly blinked them away as Rosa and Manuel arrived.

“My Cassie,” Rosa said. “You look so beautiful.”

“She does, doesn't she?” Jake watched her as she talked to Rosa and Manuel. She positively glowed with happiness. It was a sight he never thought he'd see.

Jared came up. “Jake, you want to do the honors and welcome everyone to the dance?” he asked.

“It's your place, Jared. You go right ahead.” Jake wasn't leaving Cassie's side for anything tonight.

Jared went to the makeshift stage, set up in the middle of the barn, and everyone filed inside. Jared welcomed everyone, and the trio of musicians, Silas on the guitar, Gus on the fiddle and one of Jared's cowboys on the bass, began to play a lively song. Couples moved onto the dance floor and soon everyone was dancing, and those that weren't were clapping and stomping along. A passel of kids, most of them the Martins', with Banks among them, looked down from the hayloft and laughed at the adults' antics.

“Would you care to dance?” Jake asked Cassie.

“I thought you'd never ask,” she replied sassily.

Jake whirled her out onto the dance floor. As tiny as she was, he could have just picked her up and gone with it, but she was nimble and quick and she kept up with him. Jake had learned how to dance at the private school his mother scrimped and saved to send him to and he wasn't afraid to show it now. Soon Cassie was laughing breathlessly as they twirled around the floor, and her joy was infectious. He couldn't help but grin from ear to ear at her, and he was conscious of people nudging each other and pointing their way.