Under the Open Sky (Montana Heritage Series) (16 page)

             
“Yes, sir,” Amanda nodded.

             
“Good, now that that is all sorted out.” Trent nodded and offered his sister a smile; she smiled in return.

             
“I think what your brother was trying to say it to look out for heartbreakers like Cade. But you’re taking Cade with you so there’s one you don’t have to worry about us getting into trouble with,” Jenny offered a wicked smile.

             
Amanda watched Cade turn several shades of red and started laughing.

             
“Oh my God! Cade; I didn’t know you were even capable of blushing!” Amanda ribbed him.

             
“I don’t think I’ve ever seen him blush either,” Trent admitted.

             
“I take back everything I ever said in their defense; you tell your father not to let those two out of the house together,” Cade muttered causing the others to laugh. “Damn.”

             
“That was pretty good,” Trent smiled at Jenny. Amanda watched her friend light up and felt her heart twist slightly. She didn’t hold much hope of her brother seeing past Jenny’s relationship to Angie.

             
Content just to be with her brother while she could, Amanda let the conversation move on without her.             

             
“We really should try and get some sleep, we both have long drives ahead of us tomorrow,” Trent announced.

             
Amanda sighed and kept her eyes closed; she wasn’t ready for this.

             
“Come on, Mandy, we should go,” Jenny shook her foot.

             
“I don’t think I can walk,” Amanda argued.

             
“Come on,” Cade came to stand in front of her.

             
“What?” Amanda frowned up at him.

             
“Stand up,” he ordered. “On the bed,” he clarified when she placed her feet on the floor. He turned and offered her a piggy back ride; Amanda giggled.

             
“Are you that spoiled, Mandy, that you can’t even take about six or seven steps across the hallway?” Trent demanded of her as she accepted Cade’s offer.

             
“Why should I if I don’t have to?” she reasoned.

             
“Good night, Trent,” Jenny waved as she followed Amanda and Cade out of the room.

             
Cade dumped Amanda rather unceremoniously onto her bed, before turning to leave.

             
“Night, Manny.”

             
“Night, Cade,” she responded.

             
“Night, Jenny,” Cade nodded on his way out the door.

             
“G’night, Cade,” Jenny called after him and then closed the door before leaning against it to smile at Amanda. “You know, don’t you, that it drives your brother absolutely nuts when you two flirt.”

             
“What?” Amanda felt heat climb into her cheeks. Of course she had been flirting, but Cade?

             
“You two are always flirting or watching each other when you think no one is looking. It drives your brother positively batty.”

             
“Whatever,” Amanda climbed from the bed to turn back the covers.

             
“It’s the truth and you know it.”

             
“Like you don’t flirt with my brother,” Amanda shot back.

             
“Yes, but he doesn’t flirt back; Cade does.”

             
“I’m too young for Cade,” Amanda reminded her friend.

             
“Which is the only reason he hasn’t made a move. No, I take that back, that and the fact that your brother would kill him,” Jenny predicted as she climbed onto the bed and leaned against the headboard.

             
“So are you looking forward to the school year?” Amanda chose to change the subject.

             
“Like a trip to the dentist, but at least you and I can keep each other from going insane,” Jenny offered a smile.

             
“We’ll have to compare schedules,” Amanda suggested.

             
“I’ll pick you up every morning, you’re on my way anyway and that way we can ride together.”

             
“You don’t have to do that,” Amanda argued.

             
“I want to,” Jenny shrugged.

             
“In that case,” Amanda smiled at her friend. Amanda set her clock she wouldn’t miss her brother leaving and climbed back into the bed.

             
“I guess we should get some sleep huh?” Jenny mused as she slid further into the bed.

             
“I guess so,” Amanda agreed; she doubted that she would sleep a wink that night.

Eleven

              By the time school started, Amanda was more than thankful for the distraction. She had known she would miss her brother and Cade but she was not prepared for the hole that both left. She hadn’t realized how much she had come to enjoy seeing Cade as she meandered around the ranch or how much she enjoyed fighting with her brother, odd as she found it. In a way it showed he cared.

             
Amanda surveyed herself closely. She wanted to make a statement her first day back for her junior year. She had chosen a fitted sundress of white with an over layer of eyelet lace and spaghetti straps. To fend off the cool morning air, she had paired it with a jean jacket and boots. She had straightened her hair, applied light make up and dug through her jewelry box for her locket and a pair of earrings. A light mother of pearl pink gave her nails just a touch of color. Amanda smiled; they weren’t going to recognize her!

             
“Mandy! Come eat,” Naomi called up the stairs.

             
Amanda clattered down the stairs and entered the kitchen her aunt stopping to stare in amazement.

             
“Mandy!”
              “What?” Amanda ran a self-conscious hand over her dress.

             
“You look so…” her aunt blinked, “feminine!”

             
Amanda laughed before kissing her aunt’s cheek and taking the offered plate of food. “Mornin’ Daddy,” she kissed his cheek and slid into her chair.

             
“Good morning,” her dad glanced up; then did a double take. “Well, who’s this joining us for breakfast,” her father, his expression a cross between pride and consternation, surveyed her.

             
“Funny,” Amanda commented before popping a bite of pancake into her mouth.

             
“I take it this is the dress you asked for the money for?” her father queried.

             
“Yes, don’t you like it?” Amanda set her fork down and waited for her dad’s answer. She valued her dad’s opinion.

             
“Yes, and no,” he responded with a smile. “You look beautiful: too beautiful.”

             
“Thank you, Daddy,” she grinned before resuming her breakfast. She had no more than cleared her plate and put in the dishwasher than Jenny was blowing the car horn to let her know she was there.

             
“Bye, Daddy, Bye, Naomi,” she kissed both on the cheek and darted out the door; she paused long enough to grab her bag and purse. Jenny stood beside her open driver’s side door waiting.

             
“Look at you!” Jenny called and let out a low whistle.

             
Amanda opened the passenger door and dumped her bag into the floorboard of Jenny’s car before climbing in.

             
“Who are you trying to impress?” Jenny demanded as they turned around and started for the highway.

             
“Nobody; everybody. It’s a new year and I feel different this year, Jenny,” Amanda shrugged.

             
“You certainly look different,” Jenny offered on a wide smile. “Where’d you get the jacket?”

             
Amanda glanced down at her jacket. It was the perfect slightly frayed and worn jean jacket; its faded color lent it a character a new jacket lacked.

             
“From Cade. I forgot my jacket one night when I had gone to town with him and Trent to pick up supplies for their dorm room and he gave it to me. He said to keep it; he had bought a new one,” she explained.

             
Jenny’s brows rose.

             
“What?” Amanda demanded.

             
“That was his signature jacket for like the past two years of school.”

             
“Okay; so?” Amanda waited for Jenny to make her point.

             
“Just saying, he wore it like all the time and it was kinda his signature.”

             
“Oh,” Amanda shrugged. “Guess he wanted a new look for college. Anyway, it was perfect for the dress.”

             
“Right,” Jenny, an enigmatic smile on her face, nodded. It only took a matter of minutes to arrive at the school, park, and cross the parking lot.

             
“I’ll see you in first; I’ve got to run by the office,” Jenny informed Amanda.

             
They had received their schedules in the mail and after comparing found that they would share first period, third and therefore lunch, and finally sixth; the final period of the day. It probably helped that they were both in all honors courses. Their penchant for boldness and out spokeness aside, the two of them probably qualified as brainiacs.

             
“See you there,” Amanda returned as she walked past the mural of the trapper without pausing to nod. She went straight to her assigned locker to put her lock on and waved at a couple of girls she had met through Jenny over the summer. She had known who they were, but had never really spoken to them before prior to summer.

             
“Omigosh! Mandy; is that you?” Samantha was staring at Amanda with wide eyes when she turned from her locker.

             
“Hey, Samantha,” Amanda smiled as she noted that her friend looked just as she always had. They had spoken briefly a time or two over summer but the childhood friend she had once shared all her thoughts with now felt like a stranger.

             
“You’re a knock out!” Samantha said it like an accusation.

             
“Okay,” Amanda felt heat fill her cheeks.

             
“Wow; I just can’t get over it. I’ve never seen you in a dress outside visiting church with you and never make up. How was your summer?”

             
“It was good, over all. Well, except for Trent’s accident.”

             
Samantha had called to offer her condolences after she had heard about it. That was the last time the two had actually spoken.

             
“How was yours?” Amanda returned.

             
“Good. Boring but fine,” Samantha shifted uncomfortably as though she wasn’t sure what to say. “How did things go with Cade as your dad’s new hand?”

             
“Cade worked out well; in fact, he and Trent left for college together about a week ago.”

             
“Really? Wow. I didn’t figure him for the college type.”

             
“He’s a natural at fixing things and smart,” Amanda shrugged.

             
“Sure; I mean I never really knew him.” Samantha played with the edge of her book bag strap. Her gaze, seeming to pause on the jacket a moment, slid over Amanda before she again shifted her weight.

             
“You weren’t on the bus,” Samantha blurted it as though she had been handed a life line.

             
“Oh, yeah, I rode with Jenny, Angie’s little sister, we kind hit it off this summer.”

             
“Right; that’s good. I’m sure she needed a friend after losing her sister. How’s your brother?”

             
“He had a hard time dealing but I think he’s slowly starting to come around,” Amanda shared.

             
“That’s good. I should get going before I’m late for class.”

             
“See you around,” Amanda offered.

             
“Yeah,” Samantha offered a strained smile.

             
Amanda parted ways with her friend; she was wondering what had happened between them. She rounded the corner to find Chris Atkins leaning against a locker talking to a friend. She slowed her steps as she studied him for a moment and recalled the fierce crush she’d had on him last year. He was still good looking and she would be flattered should he look her way but she was no longer quite as enamored with him, she realized with a sense of satisfaction and relief. She watched as he looked up, his gaze sliding over her before he offered her a lazy smile. Amanda, her insides flipping slightly, smiled in return; she had admitted she would be flattered if he noticed her. She couldn’t resist sneaking another peak at him as she turned to enter her homeroom; he was still watching her! Amanda’s smile widened as she entered the room, her lower lip between her teeth.