Song of the West by Nora Roberts Page B

me?” Finely etched brows disappeared under a fringe of bangs. “What for? I wouldn’t think a lowly gym teacher from Philadelphia would interest Lesley Marshall.”
    â€œAny teacher who caught Jake Tanner’s attention the way you have would interest Lesley. He wouldn’t have gone out of his way to show just anyone around the ranch, you know.”
    A light color rose in Samantha’s cheeks. “I think Miss Marshall’s mind was put to rest after she got a good look.” Her hand moved expressively down her sweatshirt and jeans. “She’d hardly see any danger here.”
    â€œDon’t underestimate yourself, Sam.”
    â€œNo false modesty.” Samantha’s sigh came from nowhere. “If a man’s attracted to silk and champagne, cotton and beer are no competition. I’m cotton and beer, Bree,” she murmured. Her voice trailed away with her thoughts. “I couldn’t be anything else if I wanted to.”
    ***
    The following day, Samantha’s continuing battle with her paints and brushes was interrupted by a more welcome visitor. Annie Holloway arrived at the ranch’s kitchen door with a beaming smile and a chocolate cake.
    â€œHi.” Samantha opened the door wide in welcome. “It’s nice to see you again, and bearing gifts, too.”
    â€œNever like to come empty-handed,” Annie announced, handing the thickly frosted cake to Samantha. “Dan always had a partiality for chocolate cake.”
    â€œMe, too.” She eyed the cake hungrily. “He’s not here right now, and I was just going to make some coffee. Do you suppose we could start without him?”
    â€œGood idea.” Setting herself comfortably in a chair, Annie waved a wide-palmed hand. “I reckon it wouldn’t hurt for us to have a slice or two.”
    â€œBree’s taking a nap,” Samantha explained as she put down the mugs of steaming coffee. “The doctor says she still has to lie down every day, but she’s beginning to grumble about it a bit. Very quietly, of course.”
    â€œYou’re keeping an eye on her.” Annie nodded and added two generous spoons of sugar to her coffee. “Dan says she’s up to company now.”
    â€œOh, yes, people have been dropping by now and again. Ah . . .” Samantha added cream to her own cup. “Lesley Marshall was by yesterday.”
    â€œI wondered how long it would be before Lesley hauled herself over to get a look at you.”
    â€œYou sound like Bree.” Sipping her coffee, Samantha shook her head. “I don’t know why Lesley Marshall would want to meet me.”
    â€œEasy. Lesley’s a mite stingy with her possessions, and she’d like to group Jake among them. She hasn’t figured out yet that Jake is his own man, and all her daddy’s money can’t buy him for her. When my Jake picks his woman, he’ll decide the time and place. He’s always been an independent rascal. He was barely twenty when he lost his folks, you know.” Samantha lifted her eyes to the warm brown ones. “It wasn’t an easy time for him, they’d been close. They were a pair, Jake’s folks, always squabbling and loving. You’re a bit like her when she was a young thing.” Annie smiled, her head tilting with it as Samantha remained silent. “Nobody’s 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 there’s times, though it’s been better than ten years, I still miss her.”
    â€œIt must have been hard on Jake, losing his parents and having all the responsibility of the ranch when he was still so young,” Samantha murmured.
    â€œSeemed to change from boy to man overnight, just out of college and still green. ’Course,” she continued, “he’d been in the saddle since childhood and what he