| Title: A Love to Die For Author: Peggy Chapter 1 The rearview mirror showed a red truck coming up fast behind her and she moved over just slightly to the right. After months of intense training and education, Jaime Strand was at last free to take the trip she had been dreaming of since the training started. Cramming for exams, endless classes, and the rigorous physical requirements had gotten to be a real grind toward the end. The training was a follow-up to her college degree, and it had been a long time since she had time to enjoy herself. Now, at age 26, she was free, for a month, before she reported for duty. The windows were down as she drove through the countryside. It was beautiful here in the wilderness of Montana. The mountains were covered with green pine trees and the valleys were lush with green grass. The sky was immensely blue, from which the nickname 'Big Sky Country' must have originated. The scent of pine rode in on the clean, fresh country air that permeated the car. The rushing wind blew through her loose, blonde curls that were usually bound on top of her head in an attempt to control them into looking like the professional woman she was striving to be. The nearest town was nearly 100 miles away, but she would make it by dinnertime. The loud blast of a vehicle horn broke through her peaceful thoughts. The mirror showed the red pickup truck right on her rear bumper. I wonder what his problem is, she thought, as she could see there was no oncoming traffic in the other lane. She moved over as far as she could to the side of the road to give him room to pass. Suddenly she was slammed from behind, and then again! She felt the loss of control, as the steering wheel seemed to take on a life of its own, whipping and turning in her hands as she struggled to hold on. Her car went off the road at near highway speed, bouncing through the gullies and over rocks. Everything was a green blur until she was finally able to slow the car. The red truck blew his horn all the way past as he disappeared down the road. Clinging to the steering wheel with her heart pounding in her throat, she brought the careening car to a stop, barely clearing a large pole gate. She folded her arms over the steering wheel and put her head on her hands as the smell of burnt rubber, or hot electrical wiring, assailed her nostrils. She wasn't sure how long she sat like that, trying to bring her heartbeat back to normal. "What are you doing on my property?" The angry, accented voice yelled through her car window. Frightened for the second time in what seemed like a very few minutes, she trembled as she looked into dark amber eyes, reflecting blind fury at her unintentional intrusion. In reaction to his rudeness, she retorted, "I'm very sorry to inconvenience you, but I'm not sitting here for my pleasure. Some maniac in a pickup truck intentionally ran me off of the road. My car went over that huge boulder back there, and I can't get the gears to change. It must have messed up the transmission. I'll have to get some help before I can remove my unwanted presence from your property." "Terrific! There isn't a repair shop within 100 miles of here! It will take at least a day before I can call someone to come out here. What the devil am I to do with you until then?" He grumbled. "Don't bother yourself about me! I'll just wait here in the car." "For a day or maybe more? Don't be ridiculous!" "Listen, you've made it very clear that I'm not welcome here, and I will not impose myself on you any more than necessary. I WILL remain here!" "Suit yourself!" He threw back at her, then turned on his heel and walked away. She watched him climb into the seat of his silver, extended-cab truck and disappear into the trees up the road, cursing him as her stomach began growling with hunger. The skies began to darken and she looked up. Just what I need, a storm is coming. Antonio stomped up the steps of the broad verandah just as the first few drops of rain splattered on the road behind him. From the force with which the drops hit, he could tell it would be a gully-washer. A pang of guilt stabbed through him at the thought of the girl sitting it out in her crippled car. It's her own fault, he justified to himself. She didn't have to be so stubborn! But I didn't have to yell at her either. She was nearly killed, from the sound of it, then I yelled at her. No wonder she wouldn't accept any help. Well, there isn't anything I can do about it now. I can't drag her up here kicking and screaming, now can I? Opening the front door, he stepped into the huge log ranch house he and his brother had built from timber they had cut from the acres of forest on the hills at the back of their property. It had been hard work, but he felt a sense of pride every time he walked through the door. The rooms were large and airy, but cozy and well decorated. The windows were large so as not to obstruct the view of the mountain scenery. Someday, he wanted a family to share all of this with. For now, there were only the two of them. They had hired a local lady, to cook and clean for them, but she left for home every day by 5:00 PM. One day, if conditions changed, he would be able to send for Serena, that is, if she hadn't given up on him and married already. He missed her! These thoughts were not improving his mood, and as he headed for the shower, his brother, Juan, looked up from the paper he was reading at the large, oak dining room table. "What are you so steamed at?" Antonio didn't answer, but threw Juan a dirty look. Juan just smiled, knowing Antonio couldn't stay in a bad mood for long. As soon as he finished his shower, his mood would be back to normal, he knew. But it wasn't. Something must be eating him, Juan thought to himself as he watched Antonio pacing back and forth like a caged panther. He walked to the window and looked out at the slashing rain, just as a huge lightning bolt struck somewhere nearby. "Damn it!" Antonio spat out. "Get your raincoat and come with me." "In this downpour? Where are you going that can't wait for the rain to let up?" "I'll explain on the way," Antonio answered as he pulled on his raincoat and headed out to the truck. Juan shrugged into his coat and followed his older brother out into the storm. It was difficult to see her car as they approached. The beam of their headlights flashed into the front seat as they pulled up, but it didn't look as if anyone was in the car. They approached the driver's side with a flashlight and found that the windows were down. Everything in the car was wet from the pounding rain. They finally saw her. She was huddled, shivering, under a sweater in the back seat, and she looked soaked to the skin. Antonio opened the door and tried to roll up the windows but they were jammed, apparently from the bumpy ride the car had taken over the rocks. She appeared to have fallen into an exhausted sleep and she didn't know they were there. "Get that blanket out of the back seat," Antonio called to Juan, "and try to keep it dry." Taking the blanket from his brother's hand, he reached inside the car, threw the wet sweater off and wrapped the dry blanket around her as he pulled her into a sitting position. She awoke then, and struggled. "Stay still," he ordered! "We'll have you warm and dry in a few minutes." Shielding her body with his, he carried her, unprotesting, to the truck and placed her inside. "We can't do anything about the car tonight, we'll have to get it towed up to the house tomorrow. Let's get her home." They climbed in on either side of her, and Antonio turned the truck to go back through the stormy blackness to the house. The heater was on, but still he could feel her slender body shivering uncontrollably beside him. Luckily, it was a short distance to travel before they arrived back at the house. Again shielding her from the rain as much as he could, Antonio gathered her up in his arms and sprinted for the steps. Carrying her inside, he pulled a chair up by the fireplace and placed her in it. He pulled a towel from the linen closet and started to pat her hair dry. Still she shivered. "This isn't doing any good! I need to get her into a warm bath. Warm up some of that chicken soup Lorena left in the fridge." "Are you sure you don't need help, brother?" Juan asked with a twinkle in his eye and a sly smile. Antonio just threw him another dirty look as he picked her up again and headed down the hall to the bathroom. He put the lid down on the toilet and sat her there while he filled the tub with warm water. "Do you need help getting those wet things off?" "I think I can manage," She answered with her teeth clenched to keep them from chattering. "I'll be right outside. If you need any help, just yell. There are towels in that cabinet. I'll try to find you something dry to put on when you're through." Gratefully, she gave him a weak smile to say, "Thank you." He closed the door behind him and she started to peel off her soaked clothing. She was so cold that the warmth of the water made her skin tingle as she slid into it. She almost cried out, but gradually her shivering subsided and she felt almost back to normal. Using some shampoo that was sitting on a small shelf over the tub, she washed her hair. The shampoo had the masculine scent of sandalwood, but it wasn't unpleasant, in fact it felt comforting in a strange sort of way. Wrapping herself in the large fluffy towels from the cabinet, she combed through her hair. She had rinsed out her underwear and dried them the best she could with the hair dryer. They'll have to do until I get my suitcases from the car. Just then Antonio knocked on the door. "Are you all right? Can I get you anything?" "I borrowed the hair dryer I found in the drawer. I hope you don't mind. Did you find some clothes I could wear?" "Nothing that will fit you, I'm afraid, but here they are. I found a pair of jeans that Juan grew out of a few years back, they might come close. There's a sweatshirt here, too. It's probably big enough you can even sleep in it if you want to. Do you want me to bring them in?" She opened the door and reached for the clothing he had in his hand. She looked much better with some color back in her cheeks, he thought, as he handed them over and backed away from the door. When she finished dressing, she straightened up the bathroom and hung the towels over the rod to dry. Following the sound of the men's voices and the delicious smell of chicken soup, she walked into the dining room. Antonio turned his head toward her to check out the fit of the clothing, and was astonished at the change in her from the bedraggled bundle he had carried into the house an hour before. The jeans fit her slim hips and long, slender legs like a second skin. The soft blue color of the sweatshirt perfectly matched her eyes, making them appear almost misty. Her long blonde hair had been pulled behind her ears and tumbled in waves over her shoulders. Her feet were bare, her toenails painted a light coral. He had forgotten to get her something to put on her feet. He shook his head slightly to dislodge the momentary lapse of consciousness. A hot bowl of chicken soup and some rolls were waiting for her. Her stomach rumbled as Antonio pulled out a chair for her to sit. She was sure he had heard it when she caught the guilty look that suddenly shadowed his eyes. She felt a little uneasy until the men each took a roll and began eating with her as they discussed the storm and speculated on how long it would last. They weren't looking directly at her and she was able to eat her soup with utter enjoyment. She was beginning to feel herself again. Just as they finished eating, lightning struck once more, immediately followed by a clap of thunder that made them all jump. The lights flickered once, twice, and went out. The fireplace was the only light in the house. "I think we had better build up the fire and move closer to it, it might get chilly before the power comes back on," Antonio suggested. "It's a good thing I brought in a supply of firewood today, aren't you glad I'm clairvoyant?" grinned Juan. Antonio gave him a push on the shoulder and Juan tumbled, laughing, full length onto one of the two sofas sitting in front of the fireplace. It didn't seem that he intended to budge from there once he had landed, so Antonio steered Jaime toward the other one. Smiling at their play, she settled herself into one corner thinking what a couple of handsome men they were. Both had brown eyes that warmed when they smiled, shiny, dark hair that curled over their ears and at the nape of their necks. They were trim and muscular. Antonio was a bit bigger and more filled out�and their accents were so charming. A tiny smile crossed her lips but Antonio dragged her thoughts away as he handed her a throw, "We can't have you getting chilled again." He left the room as she wrapped it around her. He was back in two minutes with a pair of socks in his hand. He handed them to her and settled down on the sofa, leaving a little distance between them, and stretched out his long, lean, muscular legs toward the fire. She sat quietly, listening, as the two men planned the best way to get her car moved up to the house the following day. They would place a call in the morning to see how long it would take to get the repairs made. Juan said goodnight and went off to bed. She watched the flames as the cozy warmth seeped into her, and she slowly began to relax. Someone asked her a question, then asked again before she realized she was being spoken to. "I'm sorry, what did you say?" "I asked you what your name was, and where you were heading before you were run off of the road," Antonio questioned softly, recognizing how tired she must be. "I'm Jaime Strand, and I'm on vacation, just going wherever I end up day by day. I'm very grateful for all you've done for me. That idiot that ran me off of the road scared me to death!" He didn't answer for some time, then said quietly, "I want to apologize for yelling at you. I have my reasons for not wanting strangers around the place." She didn't reply. Glancing sideways, he realized she was asleep. He studied her face with the frame of golden curls, dark lashes leaving shadows on her cheeks from the firelight, a slight crease in her forehead from the stress of the day. One curl hung slightly over one eye and he gently pushed it back from her face. He stood up and walked to the window. It looked as if the rain was tapering off some, but there still was no power. He went to another room and brought back two pillows and two blankets. He placed his hand behind her neck and gently placed the pillow beneath her head, straightened her out on the sofa, and covered her with one of the blankets. The other pillow he put on the second sofa so he could keep the fire tended through the night. He lay down and pulled the blanket over him, but he didn't fall asleep until the wee hours. His mind wouldn't rest. He was torn and confused by the feelings of tenderness this girl aroused in him. She was beautiful, no doubt about that, and his conscience stabbed him every time he looked at her. His body tightened as he thought about how she had looked in those jeans, and it made him angry. He didn't want to have these feelings. I'm in love with Serena. What if this girl is a spy? Looking at her face in sleep, he could hardly believe it. All I know about her is her name, and she could have been lying about that. Carlos has never used a woman to locate me before, but maybe he thought I would be susceptible to a woman by now. Damn! It's working, too. Well, we'll see about that! I'll ask some pointed questions and have a look through her car in the morning and see what I can find out. With that last conscious thought, he finally fell asleep. Morning came quickly. Jaime woke up first. As she stretched, she wondered for a minute where she was. Feeling the warmth from the fireplace, it slowly came back to her and she wondered who had kept the fire going all night. Her eyes wandered to the other sofa and saw him. His brownish amber eyes were shielded now in sleep. His thick black lashes were emphasized by the soft, black, shiny curls falling over his forehead. His expression in sleep was young and boyish, not even close to the stern visage she had witnessed from her car window when he was yelling at her. One arm was raised and circled behind his head, one leg hung off of the sofa as if he hadn't had enough room for his full length. The other knee was raised and leaned against the sofa back, his jeans stretched tautly over his strong thigh. The blanket was half on the floor, as if he had done a lot of tossing and turning in his sleep. He had slept in his clothes, but his shirt buttons had come unfastened nearly to his waist. The shirt was twisted, allowing a vision of a tanned and muscled chest, liberally sprinkled with dark, curly hair. From his chest, his body tapered down to a narrow waist and hips. She had the sudden impulse to run her hands over that tempting chest, and she had to clench them at her sides to make them behave. Her thoughts disturbed her. She hadn't taken time from her education to think about having a relationship with any man. Why was this one disturbing her so now? She had already had a taste of how unpleasant he could be. She had also seen the camaraderie between the two brothers. What a contrast this man is. Her eyes roamed over his handsome face once more and settled on his lips. What would it be like to kiss him, she wondered, and suddenly realized his eyes were open and he was watching her. Caught looking dreamily at his mouth, she quickly glanced toward the fire. "You didn't get very much sleep if you had to keep the fire going all night," she said in an attempt to dispel her embarrassment. Throwing off his blanket, he sat up, "I'm used to not getting a lot of sleep. It's nothing new. You slept well, I hope?" "Oh, yes, thank you." "Are you hungry?" "I am, a little," She answered just as her stomach rumbled loudly. "A little, huh?" he laughed. Embarrassed again, she walked to the window and looked out. The rain had stopped, but it was still gray and overcast. "I would be happy to fix breakfast if you'll show me where to find things in the kitchen." He watched her as she walked and felt the familiar tightening again, and his mood suddenly changed. "That won't be necessary! There isn't any electricity." He said, almost rudely, "My housekeeper will be here in fifteen minutes. She always fixes breakfast." Wondering what she had said that made him angry, she did the only thing she could do. She sat down again by the fire, and pulled the blanket around her once more. He strode swiftly from the room, and she heard the water turn on in the shower a moment later. With no electricity, the water was cold as it poured over him. Just what I need, he thought, a cold shower to get my thoughts straight again. Nevertheless, he didn't linger any longer than he had to. He finished up and walked out just as Juan arrived to take his shower. By the time both men were dressed, Lorena had breakfast on the table. There was no electricity at her house either, so she cooked it in a dutch oven and brought it with her. Juan chatted sociably with Jaime while they ate, but Antonio didn't say a word and his eyes didn't leave his plate. "Come on, Juan, let's go get that car up here, " Antonio said as Juan finished his last bite. "Where are your car keys?" He asked, without even looking at Jaime. "I guess they're still in the ignition. I didn't get a chance to pick them up." "Hmmmph," He grumbled and headed for the door. Juan threw a look at Jaime and shrugged his shoulders as he turned and followed along. |