feel the same way about me too, am I wrong?"
She had to admit, he wasn't.
"Dusty, you’re right. I admit, I haven't been able to think about
anything but you," she confessed.
Her words touched something deep inside of him.
He reached down
and gently moved a stray hair from her face.
“Maddy, I swore up and down, I'd never get involved with a woman any
time soon; but when it comes to you, I can't help myself. I knew from the
minute I laid eyes on you at the diner, that I wanted you to be mine. All
mine. I want you. Not a one-night stand ...I mean permanent.”
Maddy was too stunned to speak.
"Now, the way I see it we're both free and over twenty one.
I can't
change the way I feel. I know you've got things to do, and I have so much
on my platter I can't think straight. I'll be by tonight around dusk. He
pulled a white bandanna from his pocket, and handed it to her. If you want
me, just tie this on the hitching post."
CHAPTER 21
“Wow, what a day!”
She was far from finished decorating, yet was pleased that she had made
so much progress in the last few months. Her cabin was beginning to feel
like home. She decided to unpack a few more boxes and headed upstairs to
her loft.
“I may not have the best taste in men, but I sure know how to make a
house a home,” she complimented herself.
She stepped back to admire her handiwork. The main focus of her
bedroom was a magnificent antique four-poster bed.
She smiled.
“My rule of thumb, there’s no such thing as too many pillows.”
The
room was awash in the glow of assorted candles.
She had placed her
beloved books in a beautiful hand-carved pine bookcase. Small houseplants
were strategically placed into the garden window that faced the Diamond.
The room had a massive stone fireplace for those cold winter nights.
“Perfect to snuggle up in front of...yikes, stop it Maddy. The man is
your boss...never mix business with pleasure,” she reminded her reflection
in the mirror.
She turned on the radio and Mickey Gilley was singing a beautiful
country love song,
"No I won't be afraid, just as long as you stand by me...if you're in need,
won't you stand, won't you stand by me..."
Maddy sang along. She'd heard the song a hundred times before. This
time, she really listened to it and the words touched her deep inside. Dusty
had managed to crawl under her skin, like an itch she couldn't quite scratch.
"Oh Lord, I'm in trouble," she said while she smacked her forehead.
"What am I doing?, I can't really be falling in love with the man, I just met
him. “I’m lonely, that’s all,” she muttered. She had been without a man for
so long. Even though she had lived with Jack for such a long time, they
hadn't made love for years.
She decided to luxuriate in a long, hot bubble bath. Candles illuminated
her oasis, and she leaned her head back against the tub.
“Dammit, why can’t you stay out of my head...”
She closed her eyes and envisioned his startling blue eyes, boyish grin,
and those dimples.
He certainly could fill out those wranglers he was
wearing. His sense of humor, his deep voice, his square jawline with just
the right hint of stubble. “I’m definitely attracted to you Dusty. . .maybe
someday, I’ll take you up on your offer.”
CHAPTER 22
Dusty felt like he'd swallowed an acre of dirt. They had been baling hay
all day long and he was a mess. Despite his physical appearance, he decided
to take a drive up around the bend to see if Miss Maddy had hung a
bandana out on the railing. It was dusk, and he squinted trying to see if it a
bandanna was there. He had been placing one on her porch weekly, and
still . . . nothing. He neared the cabin, and frowned. Nothing, nada, zip, as
in zilch. He felt dejected, but decided to leave the girl alone. He sure didn’t
want to pressure her into anything.
“Shit,” he mumbled.
Inwardly he couldn't really blame her, hell, she'd been through a lot,
but he wasn’t himself these days. Normally he was able to keep his desires
and
She had to admit, he wasn't.
"Dusty, you’re right. I admit, I haven't been able to think about
anything but you," she confessed.
Her words touched something deep inside of him.
He reached down
and gently moved a stray hair from her face.
“Maddy, I swore up and down, I'd never get involved with a woman any
time soon; but when it comes to you, I can't help myself. I knew from the
minute I laid eyes on you at the diner, that I wanted you to be mine. All
mine. I want you. Not a one-night stand ...I mean permanent.”
Maddy was too stunned to speak.
"Now, the way I see it we're both free and over twenty one.
I can't
change the way I feel. I know you've got things to do, and I have so much
on my platter I can't think straight. I'll be by tonight around dusk. He
pulled a white bandanna from his pocket, and handed it to her. If you want
me, just tie this on the hitching post."
CHAPTER 21
“Wow, what a day!”
She was far from finished decorating, yet was pleased that she had made
so much progress in the last few months. Her cabin was beginning to feel
like home. She decided to unpack a few more boxes and headed upstairs to
her loft.
“I may not have the best taste in men, but I sure know how to make a
house a home,” she complimented herself.
She stepped back to admire her handiwork. The main focus of her
bedroom was a magnificent antique four-poster bed.
She smiled.
“My rule of thumb, there’s no such thing as too many pillows.”
The
room was awash in the glow of assorted candles.
She had placed her
beloved books in a beautiful hand-carved pine bookcase. Small houseplants
were strategically placed into the garden window that faced the Diamond.
The room had a massive stone fireplace for those cold winter nights.
“Perfect to snuggle up in front of...yikes, stop it Maddy. The man is
your boss...never mix business with pleasure,” she reminded her reflection
in the mirror.
She turned on the radio and Mickey Gilley was singing a beautiful
country love song,
"No I won't be afraid, just as long as you stand by me...if you're in need,
won't you stand, won't you stand by me..."
Maddy sang along. She'd heard the song a hundred times before. This
time, she really listened to it and the words touched her deep inside. Dusty
had managed to crawl under her skin, like an itch she couldn't quite scratch.
"Oh Lord, I'm in trouble," she said while she smacked her forehead.
"What am I doing?, I can't really be falling in love with the man, I just met
him. “I’m lonely, that’s all,” she muttered. She had been without a man for
so long. Even though she had lived with Jack for such a long time, they
hadn't made love for years.
She decided to luxuriate in a long, hot bubble bath. Candles illuminated
her oasis, and she leaned her head back against the tub.
“Dammit, why can’t you stay out of my head...”
She closed her eyes and envisioned his startling blue eyes, boyish grin,
and those dimples.
He certainly could fill out those wranglers he was
wearing. His sense of humor, his deep voice, his square jawline with just
the right hint of stubble. “I’m definitely attracted to you Dusty. . .maybe
someday, I’ll take you up on your offer.”
CHAPTER 22
Dusty felt like he'd swallowed an acre of dirt. They had been baling hay
all day long and he was a mess. Despite his physical appearance, he decided
to take a drive up around the bend to see if Miss Maddy had hung a
bandana out on the railing. It was dusk, and he squinted trying to see if it a
bandanna was there. He had been placing one on her porch weekly, and
still . . . nothing. He neared the cabin, and frowned. Nothing, nada, zip, as
in zilch. He felt dejected, but decided to leave the girl alone. He sure didn’t
want to pressure her into anything.
“Shit,” he mumbled.
Inwardly he couldn't really blame her, hell, she'd been through a lot,
but he wasn’t himself these days. Normally he was able to keep his desires
and
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