Wild Wyoming Nights (17 page)

“I’ll tell you what I think.” His hand caressed her palm as he spoke.

“What’s that?”

“I think you are in love with my brother and he’s in love with you, too, but you’re both too stubborn to try to find out.”

Cocking one eyebrow at him and pulling her hand out of his grasp, she replied, “Do you now.”

“Yes and you know what else?”

“What?”

“I’m going to step aside and let you two find your way together because I think that’s the best thing for you both.”

She chuckled softly. “Aren’t you the benevolent one?”

He flashed his dimples that were so much like his brother’s. “Besides, you need a man in your life on a permanent basis.”

Didn’t I hear those same words from Chase?

“Your brother isn’t interested in anything permanent, in case you hadn’t noticed.”

“Oh, yes, he is. He loved having a wife at home. Me—I don’t need a permanent fixture. I’m a wanderer.”

“Uh-huh…until you run into your perfect match.”

Cole’s laughter warmed her heart. “That will never happen. I’m not in one place long enough.”

“Oh, it will happen. Sooner rather than later, I think.”

“Are you a prophet now?”

“No, just a feeling.”
Oh, if you only knew, Cole Wilder.
When he had taken her hand earlier, images had flashed across her mind. She didn’t like being sensitive except if it was something good, and the man across the table from her didn’t have a clue that his life was about to be turned upside down. She smiled and almost rubbed her hands together gleefully. It would do him good to be put in his place by a woman.

They spent the rest of their evening teasing each other, and by the time he took her home she counted him among her friends.

* * * *

Several days later, Chris called and asked her out. “Please, Abby. I want to see you.”

“I don’t know, Chris.” She paced, uncomfortable with his presence in her life. Lately, every time they were together, she got a bad feeling, a bad vibration from him.

“It’s just dinner. No big deal. I promise.”

Ignoring the prickling of her skin at his words, she finally agreed.

“Great! I’ll pick you up about six.”

“That’s fine. I’ll see you then.”

During dinner he was the perfect gentleman, never pushing. He didn’t even touch her, or even try to hold her hand and she began to relax.

I’m just overreacting.

When he finally took her home, she actually had started to enjoy his company, his laughter, and his stories. They pulled into her driveway and when he stopped the car, he smiled that devilishly handsome smile.

“Would you like to come in for some coffee?”

“Sure. I’d like that.”

Once he was settled on her couch and she handed him the cup, she sat beside him. He continued to tell her stories of the emergency room and some of the crazy things that went on there. When he brought up his family, she listened intently, hoping she could learn to like him beyond friendship since Chase wasn’t interested in her for anything permanent.

After several moments, he placed his empty cup on the table and he reached over, brushing her hair off her shoulder. His other hand took her chin in his grasp, turning her face toward him.

“Christopher, I…”

His lips found hers; effectively cutting off her words as he softly caressed her lips with his. He pressed further when she didn’t push him away. She wanted to feel something, anything. Feeling his tongue run along the crease of her mouth, she opened to him, letting her tongue entwine with his for a moment before she pulled away.

“God, I want you, Abby.” His hand found her breast, sliding across her nipple.

She stood and moved across the room, rubbing her arms. “I’m sorry. I wish I could feel something, anything, Chris, but I don’t.”

Before she had a chance to react, he was in front of her, pulling her tight against his chest as his lips took hers. The heat of his mouth seared her as he tried to push her into accepting him by making her body react to his. Abby pushed against him until he lifted his lips, but he continued to hold her arms.

“Stop teasing me. I know you want this as much as I do.”

“No, Christopher, I don’t.”

“I know you do. I can feel your body react to mine even if you don’t want to admit it to yourself.” His fevered whisper sent chills down her spine when he took her lips again. She pushed against his chest, wedging her arms between them until she could push him away. His rapid breaths against her cheek terrified her. She was alone in her house with him and he could do anything he wanted.

“Please…”

“That’s it, baby, beg,” he whispered against her neck as he bit the soft flesh.

She whimpered and managed to push him back until he lost his balance slightly. “You need to leave—now!”

He panted with exertion as he stepped back. He must have realized he’d pushed too hard, and he opened his mouth to apologize but she stopped him.

“Get out of my house, and if you come near me again, you’ll be sorry.”

His face took on an angry hue and he spat, “I know you want this, too, but I’ll give you time, Abby. You’ll call me begging for me to take you.”

“Not in this lifetime. Get out!”

His satisfied smile sent shivers down her arms. When he turned and left, he slammed the door behind him. She heard him peel out of her driveway as she sank down on the couch. Tears brimmed on her lashes, rolling down her cheeks in hot streaks, and she let the sobs rack her body.

Her mind screamed,
Joshua—–no, not Josh. God
,
Chase
,
I need you.

She didn’t know how, but in what seemed like the space of a heartbeat, he was on her porch calling her name. Without waiting for her to answer, he pushed open the door and moved to her side, pulling her into his arms.

“It’s okay. I’m right here.”

She sobbed against his chest like she’d done so many times before, wetting his t-shirt under her cheek while he rubbed her back. When her tears finally subsided, she lifted her face to his.

“I’m sorry,” she whispered.

He wiped the remaining tears from her cheeks with his thumb, murmuring, “Nothin’ to be sorry for.”

She cleared her throat and pushed against him to put a little more space between them. Letting him hold her like that sent her heart into overdrive and she wasn’t sure what she wanted at the moment. “What are you doing here?”

“I heard you.”

She frowned and her eyes met his. “You heard me?”

Chase ran his fingers down her cheek. “Yeah, don’t ask me. I don’t understand it, either. I was sitting in front of the television watching something and it was like you stood behind me, I heard it so clearly.”

“What did you hear?”

“I heard you say you needed me.”

The silence was deafening as their eyes locked until she pushed away from him and stood to pace the floor.

This can’t be happening. I can’t have that kind of connection with him. I’ve never had that with anyone, not even Joshua.

“Holy fuck!”

She spun back around, startled by the angry tone and harsh words coming from his mouth. She’d never heard anything more than a few curse words from him, but this was different. The livid look on his face was enough to shrink the strongest man to a mere puddle and it sent her heart to her toes.

“What the hell happened to your neck?”

Her hand went to the spot where Christopher bit her. He stopped in front of her, took her chin in his hand as he turned her face, and pulled her hand down.

“Who did this to you?”

Abby shook her head. She couldn’t tell him, not if she didn’t want something to happen. The controlled rage on his face was enough to let her know he would probably kill Christopher if he knew. His body shook with the rage simmering just under his skin.

“God, Abby.” He pulled her to his chest, rubbing her back and she wrapped hers around him. “Baby, tell me who did this to you. No one has the right to hurt you like that.”

All the anger, shame, and lack of control spilled out in tears that wracked her body as he whispered sweet nothings in her ear. She could feel the anger in him by the tight knot of muscles beneath her cheek, the hard ridges of his back, and she held on for dear life. The tenderness in his embrace, the way he moved his hands over her back softly, soothed away the hurt and confusion, even if he didn’t realize it.

“Cole?”

Abby shook her head again.

“Bridges.” It wasn’t a question. It was a statement. Hesitating just long enough with her answer, she knew he figured it out when he murmured, “I’ll kill him.”

She pulled back in his arms so she could look into his eyes. The slate grey color mesmerized her for a moment. She shook her head, trying to clear her thoughts long enough to stop him from doing anything stupid. “Chase, no. It’s okay. Let me handle this.”

His eyes softened when he looked at her. “He had no right to do this.”

Running his fingers along the mark softly, he bent his head and kissed the spot, running his tongue along it, soothing the hurt, taking away the pain. Moaning under his tender ministrations, she gave into the sensations he caused. “Mmm.”

He pulled away from her, searched her eyes for what, she wasn’t sure, until a frown rippled across his face. He sighed and murmured, “I’m not the man you need.”

Shaking his head, he turned and walked away, softly closing the door behind him, leaving her standing in the middle of the living room with her mouth hanging open.

“Damn you!” She screamed in frustration before she grabbed a glass from the table and threw it against the door.
 
It shattered when it hit, and shards flew in several directions. Wrapping her arms around her waist, a tortured sob rippled from her mouth as she sank down on the couch.

The phone rang and she groaned. She rubbed her sleeves across her face and picked up the phone.

“Abigail. What’s wrong?”

“Hi, Mom.”

“I haven’t talked to you for a while, but I know you are upset.”

She sniffed and wiped her eyes. “I’m just confused. I don’t know what to do anymore.”

“Chase was there, but he’s confused, too. The other man didn’t hurt you, did he?”

She sighed and stared at the ceiling.

I should have known.

“No. He didn’t really hurt me, but God, Mom. How come things can’t be easier?”

Her mother laughed. “If life was easy, Abigail, it wouldn’t be near as much fun. Why don’t you tell me about Cole?”

A small chuckle escaped her lips. “I can’t keep anything from you, can I?”

“You should know better, Abigail.”

“I know. Cole is Chase’s brother. He looks so much like Josh, Mom, it’s eerie.”

“But he’s not Joshua.”

“I know, and the more I get to know him, the more I realize he may look like Josh to some extent, but they are completely different people.”

She heard her mother sigh. “I’m glad you understand.”

“Why?”

“You are meant to be with Chase, sweetheart. That’s why God led you to Wyoming.”

“I wish I could be so sure.”

“Trust me.”

“Well, he doesn’t seem to believe like you do. I don’t know what’s between us, and I’m getting so frustrated, it’s driving me crazy.”

“Give it time. He needs to come to terms with what fate has planned for you two. He’s a stubborn, independent man.”

Abby laughed for the first time in a while. “You can believe that. So what’s been happening at home?”

Their conversation turned to other topics, relieving her of the intensity of their conversation. She didn’t want to discuss Chase with her mother, nor did she wish to talk about the feelings she wasn’t sure were her own these days.

* * * *

Saturday night at a cowboy bar in Laramie, Wyoming was everything she expected it to be, loud and crowded. Abby didn’t frequent bars necessarily, but Cole volunteered to take her out to get her mind off his brother. She knew she could trust him. He wanted Chase and her to find their way together, but she didn’t think that would ever happen. Chase didn’t think he was the man for her.

“Come on,” he laughed, grabbing her hand and pulling her out on the dance floor with him. He slipped his hand around her waist while she placed hers on his shoulder. “Lighten up, Abby. We are here to have fun, remember?”

“Sorry, Cole. I’ll try.”

“Don’t try—do or do not.”

She smiled and rolled her eyes.
Star Wars
fan she was, and his feigned attempt to imitate Yoda was just stupid.

Trying to lighten the conversation, she asked, “So how many of the women in this bar do you know?”

Cole’s eyes wandered around the room for a couple of minutes before he shrugged. “Most.”

“Why am I not surprised? That would probably be why I’m getting all kinds of dirty looks from every woman in here.”