me?â Finely etched brows disappeared under a fringe of bangs. âWhat for? I wouldnât think a lowly gym teacher from Philadelphia would interest Lesley Marshall.â
âAny teacher who caught Jake Tannerâs attention the way you have would interest Lesley. He wouldnât have gone out of his way to show just anyone around the ranch, you know.â
A light color rose in Samanthaâs cheeks. âI think Miss Marshallâs mind was put to rest after she got a good look.â Her hand moved expressively down her sweatshirt and jeans. âSheâd hardly see any danger here.â
âDonât underestimate yourself, Sam.â
âNo false modesty.â Samanthaâs sigh came from nowhere. âIf a manâs attracted to silk and champagne, cotton and beer are no competition. Iâm cotton and beer, Bree,â she murmured. Her voice trailed away with her thoughts. âI couldnât be anything else if I wanted to.â
***
The following day, Samanthaâs continuing battle with her paints and brushes was interrupted by a more welcome visitor. Annie Holloway arrived at the ranchâs kitchen door with a beaming smile and a chocolate cake.
âHi.â Samantha opened the door wide in welcome. âItâs nice to see you again, and bearing gifts, too.â
âNever like to come empty-handed,â Annie announced, handing the thickly frosted cake to Samantha. âDan always had a partiality for chocolate cake.â
âMe, too.â She eyed the cake hungrily. âHeâs not here right now, and I was just going to make some coffee. Do you suppose we could start without him?â
âGood idea.â Setting herself comfortably in a chair, Annie waved a wide-palmed hand. âI reckon it wouldnât hurt for us to have a slice or two.â
âBreeâs taking a nap,â Samantha explained as she put down the mugs of steaming coffee. âThe doctor says she still has to lie down every day, but sheâs beginning to grumble about it a bit. Very quietly, of course.â
âYouâre keeping an eye on her.â Annie nodded and added two generous spoons of sugar to her coffee. âDan says sheâs up to company now.â
âOh, yes, people have been dropping by now and again. Ah . . .â Samantha added cream to her own cup. âLesley Marshall was by yesterday.â
âI wondered how long it would be before Lesley hauled herself over to get a look at you.â
âYou sound like Bree.â Sipping her coffee, Samantha shook her head. âI donât know why Lesley Marshall would want to meet me.â
âEasy. Lesleyâs a mite stingy with her possessions, and sheâd like to group Jake among them. She hasnât figured out yet that Jake is his own man, and all her daddyâs money canât buy him for her. When my Jake picks his woman, heâll decide the time and place. Heâs always been an independent rascal. He was barely twenty when he lost his folks, you know.â Samantha lifted her eyes to the warm brown ones. âIt wasnât an easy time for him, theyâd been close. They were a pair, Jakeâs folks, always squabbling and loving. Youâre a bit like her when she was a young thing.â Annie smiled, her head tilting with it as Samantha remained silent. âNobodyâs going to ride roughshod over you, at least not for long. I saw that straight off. She was stubborn as a mule with two heads, and thereâs times, though itâs been better than ten years, I still miss her.â
âIt must have been hard on Jake, losing his parents and having all the responsibility of the ranch when he was still so young,â Samantha murmured.
âSeemed to change from boy to man overnight, just out of college and still green. âCourse,â she continued, âheâd been in the saddle since childhood and what he
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