Read Online Time After Time by Billie Green - Free Book Online Page B
Authors: Billie Green
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her, she had felt guilty. Guilty!
As she drove, her hands gripped the steering wheel tightly, her thoughts spinning. The whole thing was crazy. Why should she feel guilty about kissing an attractive, likable man? Was some long-buried hang-up finally rising to the surface?
That was totally unreasonable, she told herself. She didn't have any hang-ups about men. It was only a
friendly kiss, for Pete's sake. She had kissed dozens of men, and nothing like this had ever happened before.
So what in hell was wrong with her? she wondered in confusion.
Even when she was in front of the television with her work spread out on the coffee table, the feeling nagged at her, pulling her thoughts away from the campaign.
Luckily, the differences Mr. Gregory had told her to look for were glaringly obvious. The movie hadn't finished playing when she pulled it out of the VCR and walked to her bedroom.
She sat on the edge of the bed, stretching her back. No more thinking, she ordered herself firmly. No thoughts of unfounded, random guilt. No thoughts of the two campaigns. Tomorrow was soon enough to think about it all.
She plumped her pillow, then lay back and closed
her eyes. Seconds later her eyelids began to twitch
gently.
* * *
Leah stood in a small, open valley that rested between gently rolling hills. Around her, wildflowers made a vivid rainbow for her to pass through. Her sunbonnet rested on her back, exposing the blond hair that gleamed in the bright spring sunlight. The faded blue calico of her dress pressed against her legs as she walked through the knee-high growth.
Her arms were overflowing with pink and red and yellow blooms. She had enough flowers for every room of their small ranch house, but still she was reluctant to start back. It was spring, the sun was shin-
ing, the breeze was warm on her face and she was young. That was enough reason for dawdling.
Laying aside her bundle of flowers, she sat down, then flung out her arms and flopped back on the soft grass. She closed her eyes and inhaled deeply. A couple of months from now the grass would be stiffer and the air would be dryer. But now it was spring, and she could imagine no more perfect place on the earth.
She opened her eyes as the sound of hoofbeats reached her. Sitting up, she turned toward the noise and saw a horse as it topped the small hill to her right. Leah shaded her eyes with one hand, studying the rider. Surely Pa hadn't sent one of the men after her? she thought. She hadn't been gone more than two hours.
But when the rider drew closer, she knew it wasn't one of the men from the ranch. She felt her muscles tighten in surprise and scrambled to her feet. The rider pulled his horse to a halt several yards from her and stepped from the saddle in a fluid movement.
Leah felt a wave of emotion wash over her, its force making her sway slightly. Suddenly she began to run toward him. He met her halfway and grabbed her up in his arms, swinging her around in a joyous circle, as though he too felt the power of being young on a spring day.
"Paul," she whispered breathlessly. "When did you get back?"
"Today," he said, laughing down at her. Sparks of platinum light appeared in his green eyes.
When he set her on her feet, she pulled away from him, and her golden-brown eyes dropped in embar-rassment and confusion. "I didn't mean to do that," she whispered. "You surprised me."
She glanced at him from the corners of her eyes. The white shirt he wore contrasted sharply with his sun-bronzed skin. If it hadn't been for the green eyes and the careless ease of his posture, he might have been taken for a Spaniard.
When he pushed the stained Stetson farther back on his head, Leah met his eyes, her brow creasing in worry. "You shouldn't be here. Pa gave orders to the men to run you off the minute you set foot on Bar R land." She paused, frowning. "What a stupid name for a ranch. Have you ever realized how hard that is to say?" She shook her head in exasperation at her
As she drove, her hands gripped the steering wheel tightly, her thoughts spinning. The whole thing was crazy. Why should she feel guilty about kissing an attractive, likable man? Was some long-buried hang-up finally rising to the surface?
That was totally unreasonable, she told herself. She didn't have any hang-ups about men. It was only a
friendly kiss, for Pete's sake. She had kissed dozens of men, and nothing like this had ever happened before.
So what in hell was wrong with her? she wondered in confusion.
Even when she was in front of the television with her work spread out on the coffee table, the feeling nagged at her, pulling her thoughts away from the campaign.
Luckily, the differences Mr. Gregory had told her to look for were glaringly obvious. The movie hadn't finished playing when she pulled it out of the VCR and walked to her bedroom.
She sat on the edge of the bed, stretching her back. No more thinking, she ordered herself firmly. No thoughts of unfounded, random guilt. No thoughts of the two campaigns. Tomorrow was soon enough to think about it all.
She plumped her pillow, then lay back and closed
her eyes. Seconds later her eyelids began to twitch
gently.
* * *
Leah stood in a small, open valley that rested between gently rolling hills. Around her, wildflowers made a vivid rainbow for her to pass through. Her sunbonnet rested on her back, exposing the blond hair that gleamed in the bright spring sunlight. The faded blue calico of her dress pressed against her legs as she walked through the knee-high growth.
Her arms were overflowing with pink and red and yellow blooms. She had enough flowers for every room of their small ranch house, but still she was reluctant to start back. It was spring, the sun was shin-
ing, the breeze was warm on her face and she was young. That was enough reason for dawdling.
Laying aside her bundle of flowers, she sat down, then flung out her arms and flopped back on the soft grass. She closed her eyes and inhaled deeply. A couple of months from now the grass would be stiffer and the air would be dryer. But now it was spring, and she could imagine no more perfect place on the earth.
She opened her eyes as the sound of hoofbeats reached her. Sitting up, she turned toward the noise and saw a horse as it topped the small hill to her right. Leah shaded her eyes with one hand, studying the rider. Surely Pa hadn't sent one of the men after her? she thought. She hadn't been gone more than two hours.
But when the rider drew closer, she knew it wasn't one of the men from the ranch. She felt her muscles tighten in surprise and scrambled to her feet. The rider pulled his horse to a halt several yards from her and stepped from the saddle in a fluid movement.
Leah felt a wave of emotion wash over her, its force making her sway slightly. Suddenly she began to run toward him. He met her halfway and grabbed her up in his arms, swinging her around in a joyous circle, as though he too felt the power of being young on a spring day.
"Paul," she whispered breathlessly. "When did you get back?"
"Today," he said, laughing down at her. Sparks of platinum light appeared in his green eyes.
When he set her on her feet, she pulled away from him, and her golden-brown eyes dropped in embar-rassment and confusion. "I didn't mean to do that," she whispered. "You surprised me."
She glanced at him from the corners of her eyes. The white shirt he wore contrasted sharply with his sun-bronzed skin. If it hadn't been for the green eyes and the careless ease of his posture, he might have been taken for a Spaniard.
When he pushed the stained Stetson farther back on his head, Leah met his eyes, her brow creasing in worry. "You shouldn't be here. Pa gave orders to the men to run you off the minute you set foot on Bar R land." She paused, frowning. "What a stupid name for a ranch. Have you ever realized how hard that is to say?" She shook her head in exasperation at her
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