Lover of My Dreams by Lynnette Bernard Page B

him, and had kept her distance from him. Sam had written to her at college a few times over the years and Rachel had answered only sporadically, always telling him how her life was busy and that she was glad for the time away from her aunt’s ranch.
    Eventually, the letters from Sam grew fewer and with longer gaps between them. Now only Roy was the common ground that kept each of them up to date with the other’s lives. It was through Roy that she knew how well he did in medical school and how exhausted he was through his residency. She also knew that Sam often spent a few weeks each summer at the Monroe Ranch. Now that he had completed his residency and was working at Denver Memorial Hospital, she was relieved that at least one of the threats that Edwin McCoy had made could not be wielded. She willingly gave up her dreams to be with Sam in order to protect his future, but the time she had lost in having a deep friendship with him over the years was what she regretted the most.
    Roy had told her that Sam had become engaged to a woman who belonged to the elite society of Denver. Rachel was glad for him. She wished him only happiness, but she was honest enough to admit to herself that she also felt an overwhelming sense of sadness and loss. As much as she wished things could have turned out differently, they hadn’t. Agonizing over what could have been was useless and would only cause her more unnecessary pain. If only the damned dreams would stop. They served no purpose except to make her constantly aware of the man she would never have, and the love she would never realize. Even though Roy had told her that Sam had recently broken up with his fiancée, Rachel still had to keep her distance. Her Aunt Kay was still in jeopardy of being hurt by Edwin McCoy’s threat.
    “We’re almost there,” Richard’s sensuous voice interrupted her thoughts. “I hope you like the restaurant. I want you to have a nice time.”
    Rachel smiled as she looked into his hazel eyes. “I’m sure everything will be great,” she told him quietly, unable to keep the warmth from her eyes as she looked at him. Despite her lapse into the past and the sad memories it provoked, she was happy to be with Richard right now.
    “I want it to be better than great,” he insisted, reaching out to cover her hand with his own and squeezing it tightly. “I have a special night planned for you.”
    “It’s already special,” Rachel told him quietly, pushing away the sadness that had clouded her mood.
    Richard smiled at her and leaned toward her to place a gentle kiss on her forehead. When she looked up at him, he kissed her lips slowly, moving his mouth across hers seductively as his hand reached up to cover her left breast and fondle it boldly. Rachel reached up quickly and pulled his hand away with some effort then looked up to see if the cab driver had seen Richard’s indiscretion. She couldn’t help but get flustered at his boldness and was a little uncomfortable with how much he took for granted when he touched her.
    “Please, Richard,” she whispered as quietly as she could as she held on to his hand to keep it from roaming further.
    Richard looked down at her and smiled. “Always the shy one,” he teased. “All right, I promise. No more touching until we get back to my apartment.”
    He leaned forward to kiss her lips quickly then sat back in the seat, his left hand resting on her knee and stroking the length of her thigh. As the taxi made its way to the cobblestone road leading to the barge that housed the River Cafe , Rachel found herself unable to truly enjoy the breathtaking sight before her. The taxi entered the semi-circled driveway and stopped before the gangplank that led to the popular restaurant.
    Richard paid the cabby and opened the cab door. Stepping out and turning to reach for Rachel’s hand, he pulled her from the taxi. She stepped out carefully and removed her hand from his to straighten her dress and adjust her purse. The