and then made the decision. It was just after eight, and he would be down at the stables again after being out all afternoon on the range. She was going to have to let him know that he was onto a loser by chasing her. It was only fair. She couldn’t let him continue to believe she was going to have an affair with him.
Her mind made up, Lydia raced down the stairs where her sister sat comfortably with her feet raised on a footstool.
“Could you listen out for Aaron and Rosie for a little while for me?” she asked Kate as she passed through the lounge.
“Sure. Where are you off to?”
“I need to straighten something out with Sam.”
“Really?”
“Kate,” Lydia paced back through the room, “he’s made it clear that he’s umm … interested.” Kate’s eyebrows shot up and a smile curved her face.
“Really?” she repeated, this time drawing the word out.
“He can’t be.”
“Why?”
“Because he has no idea about me.”
“Okay.”
“Stop it.”
“Stop what?”
“That. Being patient and … and doctor-like.”
“I am a doctor.”
“You’re my sister. You’re supposed to be on my side.”
“I am.” Kate sat up straight, lowered her feet to the floor, and looked at her younger sister. “Perhaps the time is right for you to forgive yourself and move forward with your own life.”
Lydia stared at her from across the room for a moment and then shook her head firmly. “I’ll disappoint him.”
Her sister’s look of sympathy stirred her heart. “Why don’t you let him be the judge of that?”
Lydia shook her head and stepped backward toward the door.
“I won’t be long.”
As she walked out, she heard Kate’s deep sigh. “The only one who can help you, Lydia is you … unless you let Sam.”
She had no idea what she was going to say to him. All she knew was she had to settle this with him now, otherwise she was going to suffer another restless night. He drove her crazy. What she felt for him drove her crazy. Her heart hammered in her chest, her blood raced through her veins, her breath stuck in her throat—and that was only at the thought of him—and she thought about him all the time, especially at night when she slid into bed; her body became restless and her mind whirled. She had to put a stop to it.
The stables were empty except for the quiet hush of the horses blowing out gently or shuffling into a more comfortable position as they settled down. She could hear his voice at the far end of the stable as he sang to himself. She recognized the country song and smiled as she stepped forward.
“Sam?”
There was a moment of silence, and then Sam stepped out from behind a large black stallion, holding some kind of small hook in his hand.
“Lydia? What are you doing down here?”
“I need to speak with you.”
He stepped forward, but she held up a hand.
“Earlier, you said you wanted me.”
“Lydia, I don’t think…”
“No, please. I need to say this. You said you wanted me but … I’m not very good in bed. I’m no good at sex.” The words rushed out, and she watched as his mouth dropped open and his eyes widened.
“Christ, I can’t stand here and listen to this. Lydia, honey, please don’t say any more.” Jack stepped out from behind the black stallion, and as he spoke, Lydia clapped both hands over her mouth. Eyes huge with horror, she stood routed to the spot for a split second before Sam stepped toward her. She spun on her heel and tried not to run, holding her body ramrod straight as she stalked back through the barn, trying to muster as much dignity as possible. She heard a gravelly male voice coming from behind her
“No woman who looks the way she does is going to be bad at sex.” She whipped her head round and stood stock still for a moment as Carl stepped out of the stall next to the stallion, a piece of straw between his teeth. He tilted his head to one side and grinned. “Not when she can move the way she does.”
“Dear God,” Jack
Her mind made up, Lydia raced down the stairs where her sister sat comfortably with her feet raised on a footstool.
“Could you listen out for Aaron and Rosie for a little while for me?” she asked Kate as she passed through the lounge.
“Sure. Where are you off to?”
“I need to straighten something out with Sam.”
“Really?”
“Kate,” Lydia paced back through the room, “he’s made it clear that he’s umm … interested.” Kate’s eyebrows shot up and a smile curved her face.
“Really?” she repeated, this time drawing the word out.
“He can’t be.”
“Why?”
“Because he has no idea about me.”
“Okay.”
“Stop it.”
“Stop what?”
“That. Being patient and … and doctor-like.”
“I am a doctor.”
“You’re my sister. You’re supposed to be on my side.”
“I am.” Kate sat up straight, lowered her feet to the floor, and looked at her younger sister. “Perhaps the time is right for you to forgive yourself and move forward with your own life.”
Lydia stared at her from across the room for a moment and then shook her head firmly. “I’ll disappoint him.”
Her sister’s look of sympathy stirred her heart. “Why don’t you let him be the judge of that?”
Lydia shook her head and stepped backward toward the door.
“I won’t be long.”
As she walked out, she heard Kate’s deep sigh. “The only one who can help you, Lydia is you … unless you let Sam.”
She had no idea what she was going to say to him. All she knew was she had to settle this with him now, otherwise she was going to suffer another restless night. He drove her crazy. What she felt for him drove her crazy. Her heart hammered in her chest, her blood raced through her veins, her breath stuck in her throat—and that was only at the thought of him—and she thought about him all the time, especially at night when she slid into bed; her body became restless and her mind whirled. She had to put a stop to it.
The stables were empty except for the quiet hush of the horses blowing out gently or shuffling into a more comfortable position as they settled down. She could hear his voice at the far end of the stable as he sang to himself. She recognized the country song and smiled as she stepped forward.
“Sam?”
There was a moment of silence, and then Sam stepped out from behind a large black stallion, holding some kind of small hook in his hand.
“Lydia? What are you doing down here?”
“I need to speak with you.”
He stepped forward, but she held up a hand.
“Earlier, you said you wanted me.”
“Lydia, I don’t think…”
“No, please. I need to say this. You said you wanted me but … I’m not very good in bed. I’m no good at sex.” The words rushed out, and she watched as his mouth dropped open and his eyes widened.
“Christ, I can’t stand here and listen to this. Lydia, honey, please don’t say any more.” Jack stepped out from behind the black stallion, and as he spoke, Lydia clapped both hands over her mouth. Eyes huge with horror, she stood routed to the spot for a split second before Sam stepped toward her. She spun on her heel and tried not to run, holding her body ramrod straight as she stalked back through the barn, trying to muster as much dignity as possible. She heard a gravelly male voice coming from behind her
“No woman who looks the way she does is going to be bad at sex.” She whipped her head round and stood stock still for a moment as Carl stepped out of the stall next to the stallion, a piece of straw between his teeth. He tilted his head to one side and grinned. “Not when she can move the way she does.”
“Dear God,” Jack
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