Finally Home (11 page)

She watched as Noah gracefully wiped his bowl with a piece of cornbread, soaking up the last few drops of chili. He chewed the last morsel slowly and washed it down with a gulp of tea. His eyes pierced Amanda’s tormented stare. She moved her gaze to her own bowl, which remained half full. “Guess I-I wasn’t as hungry as I t-thought.”

He frowned, sensing a change in her mood. “Are you all right?”

Flinching at the roll of thunder overhead, she faked a cheerful laugh. “Oh I’m just a little tired all the sudden. Think my chili makes me sleepy.”

“
Want me to help with the dishes?”

“
We can move them to the sink--I’ll worry about them tomorrow.”

Noah pushed back his chair and began gathering up the dishes. He followed Amanda to the sink and set the dishes into the soapy water. Grinning, he lifted a hand to her face, wiping off a soap bubble.

Her eyes flew to his when he didn’t remove his hand. His fingers caressed her cheek, then brushed over her temple and slid into her hair. A small moan escaped her lips when he pulled her closer. “Don’t do this Noah.”

He ignored her protest and covered her mouth with his own. His hands slipped from her hair and glided over her shoulders and down her back, pressing her against him.

“
Please, Noah....” she pleaded, gasping between kisses, “....stop.”

He rested his lips against her neck. “This is ridiculous. Why should we stop?”

Withdrawing from his embrace, she tried to catch her breath. “Are you forgetting the other day?”

“
Our little disagreement.”

“
No, not just a disagreement. A battle of wills!”

“
I was hoping you’d come to your senses. That this dinner was part of your surrender.”

“
I made it clear that I was inviting you over as a thank you for the desk,” she fumed.

“
So things haven’t changed?”

“
In a day? Not unless
your
stubborn head has changed its mind!”

He shook his head, closing his eyes. “We could be happy together, Amanda. I care about you.”

A sharp tingle washed over her skin. He was admitting...he cared! But was it a ploy? Could he be saying he cared in order to sway her thinking? Oh, how would she know for sure? “I could not be h-happy if you sold the ranch.”

“
Amanda! You have such a narrow view of things! There is life outside this ranch.”

“
I know there is. I lived in Chicago, remember? But you don’t seem to understand that I want a life here! That the ranch means something to me!”

“
And I want a life anywhere but here,” he stated.

Just as Amanda quivered from Noah’s cold glare, lightning struck close to the house and the lights switched off.

Standing in the darkness, Amanda pressed her hands against the kitchen counter, wanting to feel some stability. Her eyes focused on the kitchen window where flashes of lightning were dancing against the panes. “We need to flip the breaker.”

“
Where’s the power box?”

Noah was right beside her, so she reached out for his arm. “It’s on the side of the house.”

“
Where’s your flashlight?”

“
I don’t know where the flashlight is. I can’t remember unpacking it.”

“
I’m going outside. You stay here,” he left her and shuffled into the living room.

Amanda felt her way out of the kitchen, her eyes still not adjusted to the darkness. Her dog began to bark when Noah opened the front door. “Webster! Shhhh,” she stooped down and clapped her hands. The dog bounded into her arms.

“
Which side of the house?” Noah called over his shoulder.

“
The left, by the oak tree,” she said and stood. She could see outlines of the living room furniture now. And she could see Noah. His broad shoulders and long legs filled the doorway.

“
Take you coat,” she ran to the coat hook and snatched Noah’s coat. Giving it to him, she followed him onto the porch.

The rain had slowed, but was still steady. Amanda hugged herself against the cold wind and looked at Noah.

“
I have a flashlight in the truck. I’ll be back in a minute,” he buttoned his coat and jumped down the porch steps, sprinting to the two-year-old truck his father used to drive. When he returned to the porch, he gazed at Amanda then clicked on the flashlight. “Let’s hope the breaker is just flipped. Could be electricity is out at the ranch, too. If so, we may be spending the night without light.”

Amanda’s eyes remained glued to Noah’s rain-soaked body as he jogged along the house and then disappeared around the corner with the flashlight. She hoped it was just the breaker. She hated being alone in the dark. Even at night she always kept a light on in the house while she slept.

Closing her eyes, she sat on the porch swing and waited. But when she opened her eyes, she inhaled a raspy breath. A figure was moving through a clump of trees beyond the fence.

Squinting, she tried to absorb some detail she could recognize. Then, with a gasp, her hand flew to her mouth in surprise. The long black coat and wiry frame could only belong to one man.

CHAPTER ~ SIX

Amanda was rocking frantically in the swing when Noah came back. “Let’s go see if the lights will come back on.”

“
It’s him. I saw him,” she whispered.

Noah turned off the flashlight and sat beside her. “What?”

She pointed to a group of trees beyond the fence. “He was sneaking through those trees.”

Rubbing his tired eyes, he looked in the direction she was pointing. “You saw someone? Are you sure?”

“
It was Mr.--Mr. Ellinger.”

“
Your imagination is running wild,” he slapped his knees and jerked the swing to a halt.

Shaken, she trailed him to the door and followed him inside. “It was him, Noah. I’m not imagining anything!”

Noah sighed and began flicking the light switches. “The lights aren’t coming on. Has to be a power outage.”

“
Listen to me, Noah! I saw him.”

“
Maybe you did see someone. Probably a ranch hand,” he squeezed her shoulders.

Her eyes darted over his face. She could feel rainwater dripping from his hat and onto her nose. “I know who I saw.”

“
Grab some things. You can stay at the ranch tonight,” his voice was rough. “I’m gonna start up the truck.”

“
Why should I go with you?
You
don’t believe me!”

“
Don’t make me throw you over my shoulder, Amanda. It’ll be safer at the ranch,
if
there is someone roaming around out there.”

She felt tugged in two different directions. Part of her wanted to go with him, not wanting to be alone in the dark during a storm with Mr. Ellinger wandering around. The other part wanted to stay out of defiance and anger. How could he not believe her?

“
I’m only coming with you because of the storm! In case lightning strikes the house again....”

“
You can use my flashlight if you need to gather some clothing. I’ll take Webster to the truck.”

She nodded and went to the kitchen. Grabbing her laptop, she felt a chill that ran deep under her skin. She couldn’t shake the feeling that someone was watching her.

********

“
Oh, children, you are both soaking wet,” Maria squealed as Noah guided Amanda into the house. He released Webster, who immediately crept toward Amanda and huddled at her feet.

“
Amanda will stay with us tonight,” he scanned the many candles lit throughout the house. “Would you mind lighting some candles upstairs in the guest room for her?”

“
Ok, and I will light some candles in your room, too. And mine of course,” she chuckled. Skipping to the staircase, Maria made her way up.

Noah snickered. “She loves the rain. And oddly, the more severe the storm is, the happier she is.”

Frowning, Amanda looked at him. “Why is that?”

“
I think because she married on a stormy day.”

“
Maria was married?”

“
Only for two years. Her husband died young,” the clunk of his boots upon the tiled floor frightened Webster. The dog began to whimper.

“
It’s ok, Web,” Amanda set down her laptop and bag, then squatted to circle her arms around Webster.

“
Hopefully the electricity will be back on soon.”

She looked up at Noah. “If you don’t mind, I’m going to turn in.”

“
Yeh, I think that’s a good idea. I need to get out of these wet clothes.”

Amanda smiled as he grabbed her laptop and bag, then nodded for her to follow him up the stairs.

********

Tugging the soft bed covers to her chin, Amanda sighed. The large antique bed was so comfortable; she didn’t think she ever wanted to leave it. But the dim morning light was flooding into the picture window beside the bed, coaxing her to rise and start her day. She rolled onto her side and blinked, trying to focus on the clock hanging on the wall over the dresser.
Nine
. It was nine a.m. already! Yawning loudly, she looked around the bedroom for Webster. She found him sleeping on a plush rug beneath an old red lounge chair.

A knock on the door caused her to sit upright. “Y-yes, who is it?”

“
Noah.”

“
I just woke up,” she informed him.

“
Just wanted to let you know that Maria made some breakfast if you want any. And the electricity is working again.”

“
Thanks,” she felt a little flustered at hearing his voice so early in the morning. Almost liked it.

When he didn’t respond, she guessed he had left the door. Her mind thought back to last night. The way he kissed her. When he said he cared about her. Oh why couldn’t they make things work? Why couldn’t he love the ranch as much as she did? There were so many why’s in her head this morning! Why couldn’t Noah believe she saw Mr. Ellinger last night?

Touching her aching head, she fell back into the fluffy pillows.

She woke two hours later. Clutching the sheets in her fists, she groaned. Forcing her legs over the bed, she sat on the edge. She wondered where Noah was and if he waited for her to join him for breakfast.

Groggy from too much sleep, she shuffled across the bedroom and to the spacious bathroom, blowing Webster a kiss along the way.

Thirty minutes later, Amanda was descending the circular staircase, her eyes searching for Noah. But the house was quiet. She didn’t even hear sounds from the kitchen. Walking into the dining room, she found one place setting on the table. Assuming it was left for her, she grabbed the goblet and headed to the kitchen. Peeking inside before entering, she couldn’t find a sign of Maria.

“
Hmmm, looks like I’ve been abandoned,” she murmured to herself and went to the refrigerator.

After a light breakfast of orange juice and one of Maria’s delicious blueberry muffins, Amanda jogged upstairs to retrieve her coat. Before heading back to her house, she wanted to walk around the ranch. Maybe she’d find a clue that would prove Mr. Ellinger was sneaking around Moonlight Ranch last night!

Cool breezes stung her face when she stepped outside onto the front porch. At least the rain had stopped. But puddles of rainwater were scattered everywhere, glittering from bits of sunlight that fought to escape from still-lingering clouds. Amanda stretched her arms over her head and then wrapped them around her waist as she walked down the porch steps.

Her head turned toward the stable when she heard voices. Dodging muddy puddles, she walked along the empty corral and stopped at the large open doorway of the stable. Noah’s voice was obvious, then she distinguished Maria’s high-pitched laughter. She poked her head inside, noticing three other men standing beside Noah and Maria. Her eyes rounded in surprise when she spotted the object of everyone’s conversation.

A fuzzy brown foal lay huddled against Angel. Amanda moved into the stable. “She gave birth!”

Five heads turned in her direction, but only Noah spoke. “Very early this morning.”

“
Ain’t she a beauty, Miss Brookfield?”

Amanda nodded at the cowpoke, who she now recognized as Luke. “Yes, she is.”

Maria rubbed her hands together. “Oh, what a delightful morning! Think I will go bake a special cake to celebrate the new birth.”

Noah rubbed his hands through his hair and moved to where Amanda was kneeling a few feet from Angel and the foal. “She’s shaking, Noah. Is she ok?”

He squatted beside her. “Yep. She’s a healthy foal. It’s normal that she’s a little shaky.”

Amanda glanced at him. He looked tired. There were dark shadows under his eyes and his usually tan face looked pale. “How early was the foal born?”

“
About three this morning.”

“
So, when you knocked on my door earlier...you had been up for quite a while already.”

“
Been up since around one thirty,” he opened his mouth and yawned deeply.

She stared at him in amazement. “Doesn’t that make you proud?”