Johnny stretched in front of the tiny window before he pulled the draping aside and stared down into the streets of Charlesville. It couldn't have been before nine a.m. and already the people were out and about taking care of what needed to be done on this Sunday. He saw a small cluster of women heading in one direction, towards the opposite end of town, far away from the saloons. The little biddies were on their way to church. With a smirk he let the drapes fall back in front of the window and hoped that the women were praying for his salvation.
He turned back towards the room and saw Samantha McCall, wrapped up in a bed sheet and curled towards the middle of the bed. He had no idea why she hadn't pushed the covering off, the heat was already forcing its way into the small room, but he assumed that she was use to this weather. It was even hotter in the South than it was out here. The only exception was the night, when the sun plunged from the sky and left the desert defenseless against the bitter air.
He turned away from the sighing brunette and looked for his boots. Grabbing them, he sat down on the edge of the bed and started to pull them on his feet. He knew that there was no set time to return to Alcazar's ranch, work wouldn't resume until tomorrow, but he would be damn if he was going to arrive before any of the drunken cowboys. Reaching for his shirt that was hanging from chair, he turned when he felt a soft hand pressed against his back.
Sam was awake, her brown eyes burning into his and a soft smile displayed across her lips. He had no idea what Sonny was thinking when he let this woman walk out on him. Probably what Johnny was thinking every time he watched Lu Spencer walk away. Western men had too much damn pride to swallow and the both of them were going to eventually wind up choking on it.
"Thank you for last night," Johnny said as he finished pulling his shirt on.
"I've never had a cowboy thank me before," Sam said as she sat up in bed.
"I'm not really a cowboy," Johnny winked as he reached for his hat, "It's all a ploy to woo the western women. I hear they're much more thrilling than the eastern ones. They're duds."
Sam laughed softly, "I'm sure," she then hesitated a minute before she brushed some hair from her face and let her eyes meet his again, "I need to thank you too, for last night. I know that when I first came in I didn't seem like I was in a rather good mood and you just…"
"Attacked you at the stairs?" he asked as he adjusted his hat on his head, "It was either you or Rachel and I was not drunk enough to take Ms. Adair upstairs. Or the one who can't stop giggling."
"Still," Sam said as she licked her lips, "You chose me and my night turned out better than I thought it was going to," she hesitated again, "I heard that you got the job at the Alcazar ranch. I heard that you'll be working with Lucky Spencer as co-foreman. I think that's wonderful but I'm afraid I'm going to miss you," she looked down at her knees and pulled them up to her chest, "Sonny was always a little more at ease when you were around to talk to."
"I'll be around," Johnny said as he grabbed his saddle bags, "Not as much as I'd like but I came out West for a reason and I mean to fulfill it," he reached for the doorknob and turned back to her, "When I'm here, can I come see you?"
Sam smiled as she slid out of bed and walked towards him, "I would be disappointed if you didn't," she wrapped her arms around him and gave him a hug, "Take care Johnny."
"You too, Sam," he leaned down and placed a soft kiss on her head before he pulled open the door and made a step out into the hallway.
Johnny heard another set of feet connecting with the wood structure and looked down the hall to see Sonny emerging from his room. His old friend looked haggard, like he hadn't gotten any sleep and Johnny could tell by the dazed look in his eyes that he spent most of the evening with a bottle of liquor.
He could feel the tightening in his muscles when Sonny's dark eyes met his and when they widened and a small vein popped on his forehead he realized that Sonny knew whose room he was coming out of. Johnny turned slightly and saw Sam's small body lean into his. He turned back to her and slid his fingers through her dark locks, pulling her towards him and placing a sensual kiss on her full lips. Then he turned back towards Sonny, tipped his hat and made his way down the stairs.
Sonny's eyes never left Sam's and she could feel the anger radiating off of his body. He had accepted that she would be his whore but apparently that still meant he wanted to chose whom she was allowed to sleep with. She'd be damn if she gave him that power. She had left the South because the Northerners were making all the choices for her.
With his gaze still on her, Sam stepped back into her bedroom and shut the door.
"I appreciate all the help that you've given to me today," Lucky said as he watched Alexis write up his purchases, "I thought that I had everything I needed when I was here the other day but Lorenzo felt there were a few more supplies that I should be carrying around with me. That and the cowboys ran out of tobacco so I offered to pick it up for them," he waited for her to say something but nothing came forth, "I know this must be difficult considering you aren't too fond of me."
Alexis sighed and put her pencil down, "Lucky, it's not that I dislike you."
"It's just that I'm not good enough for your daughter," Lucky said as he shoved his hands into his denims, "Kristina and I grew up together. I don't know why all of a sudden it's bad for us to spend time together. I apologized for the incident that…"
"Kristina explained that," Alexis said, "She told me that she was the one who was riding ahead and that was why she was forced to stay into town and away from the horses for a while. Oh Lucky, it's more than chasing off into the desert and skipping out on the store. You both are going in two completely different directions and I don't think that it's wise for you to spend so much time together."
Lucky slid a few gold coins out of his pocket and onto the counter, "I'm a foreman at the Alcazar ranch now which means I won't be in town often. When I am in town I don't see what's so wrong with me wanting to spend time with an old friend."
"Is that how you think Kristina looks at you?" Alexis asked, "As an old friend? Can you honestly tell me that that's how you look at her?" She quickly finished writing up the slip and handed it to Lucky along with his purchases, "My daughter has a responsibility here. We plan on leaving the store to her and her husband is going to help her take it over. You aren't that man Lucky. You want to roam this barren land and sell cattle for a living. I will not have my daughter get her hopes up only to be disappointed in the end."
"Did you ask Kristina if she wanted any of this?" he asked as he turned towards the door, "Your precious plans should be run by your daughter. She has her own dreams and I don't think any of them include this store."
"Kristina has yet to reach the age of eighteen and hopefully by then Ric and I will have her married and settled down," Alexis said, "She's well into the marrying age and I think it's time she becomes serious in her pursuit for a husband. I'm not about to let her run off and chase these fantasizes like your parents have allowed you."
Lucky's hand froze in the process of opening the mercantile door, "Excuse me?"
"Laura is well aware that I believe you should have been put on that carriage with Lesley Lu and headed back east for your schooling. You were still young enough to do what you were told and I think allowing you to stay here only…"
"Allowing me to stay here allowed my mother to see her son for another four years," he snapped, "Laura is also very much aware that if she would have sent me back east I would have stayed until I was of age and then I would've headed back out west, but not to here, to Texas or California, far away from her and my father's reach. And if this is your way of telling me to stay out of your business I got the message but you make sure you keep your opinions about my family to yourself," he yanked the door open and let one foot hit the boardwalk, "You also better be very careful with what you do with your own daughter or else you'll lose her just like my father is in jeopardy of losing me."
When both feet hit the boardwalk he made sure that he slammed the door to the Mercantile behind him. He couldn't believe the audacity that woman had in making judgments on him. He only hinted around about Kristina because he hated the idea of sneaking around with her. He didn't want to feel like she was one of the girls in Sonny's saloon. He wanted to make sure that she was courted properly but after the conversation with Alexis he was sure that wasn't going to work. He doubted he would get any help from Ric either.
Kicking a stone out of his path, Lucky made his way across the dusty road to where he had his horse tied. He had left at the crack of dawn that morning in order to get into town before his sister and her friends arrived back. He desperately wanted to see Kristina again, to see if she was as shaken as he after that kiss, but he knew that it was a bad idea; the less people that knew about their relationship, the better.
Tying his purchases to the back of his horse, Lucky was ready to climb into the saddle before someone grabbed the reins out of his hands. He turned around, ready to bark at that someone when he saw that his father was standing there, a grim look on his face. Lucky shook his head and let out a small laugh. Could this day get any better?
"I heard you got a job," Luke said as he threw the horse's reins back over the pole, "It was nice of you to stop by and let your mother know. She worries sick when you disappear from town, the least you could have done was told her that someone finally hired you on."
"I don't see Mom because she hates it when we argue," Lucky said, "And you and I can't remember the last time we were in a room together when we weren't arguing," he reached for his reins again, "Lu found out the same day that I did and I knew she'd come right back here and tell you."
"Is there a reason we shouldn't know?" Luke asked slapping the reins away from his son's hand "Is there a reason your mother shouldn't care about her son's whereabouts? Lately, I could care less what the hell happens to you but she just buried three of her family members I need to make sure that she doesn't have to bury her son as well."
"Then you can tell her I'm fine and dandy," Lucky said, "I'm finally happy with the way my life is going and I'm not going to ruin in by returning to that damn house and watch her eyes tear while she tells me what she wants for me. You and mom decided what to do with my life, not me, you and her and when I didn't go along with your plan I suddenly became an outcast," he stepped closer to his father, "Do you know that this is the happiest I have ever been in my life? I am finally doing something, learning something, that I am excited about and not one member in my damn family is thrilled for me. Mom's probably crying about the businessman that she lost; you're pissed off because I upset her, and Lu's damn sensibilities won't let her do more than give me the tiniest hug possible. I had one person, one person in my life, who was just as excited as I was when I found out the news. She hugged me and congratulated me and told me she knew all along that I could do it. She wasn't even a family member."
"She was a she?" Luke asked with raised eyebrows.
Lucky finally got a hold of his reins and vaulted into the saddle before Luke could stop him. He wheeled his horse around his father before back tightly, "I will come visit mom when I know you're working one night and you won't be able to upset her again. I'll try once more to let her know that this is where I want to be. As for you, some days I just wish you'd burn in hell."
Luke watched as his son tapped the horse in its side and the animal started off at a gallop, quickly kicking up dust as they both headed out of town. Lucky was right, Luke couldn't remember the last time that he was with his son when they weren't fighting. It must have been over four years. All he knew was that once Lu was sent back east and Lucky didn't show interest in going, his wife's dreams had been shattered and their foundation slightly titled. Now, he wasn't sure if he would ever get the pieces back together.
"You're wrong."
Luke turned around and looked down to see the sad face of Kristina Lansing staring back up at him. Her lips were turned into a frown and her bright red hair was dancing in the dry breeze that drifted through the town today. Her green eyes held something different, something fierce, anger, distaste, maybe even contempt.
"I'm sorry?" Luke asked as he rubbed his hand over his face.
His eyes wandered around to both sides of the boardwalk and he realized that his conversation, his argument, with his son drew a lot of unwanted attention. People were now starting to resume their walking and Michael Corinthos was in charge of the carriage that was carrying his only daughter down the road to the Spencer home. Lesley Lu was probably too embarrassed to stick around for another fight while Kristina looked like she was raring to have one.
"You're wrong about your son, Mr. Spencer," Kristina said quietly, "He's not worthless and he's never disrespectful and he thinks of his mother more often than he would like. He's proud of what he's doing right now and he wishes that you were proud of him too."
"I never said that…"
"You don't have to," Kristina said, "The hidden words are in your arguments, the bickering, and the shouting that you do with one another. You both still care but neither of you want to move an inch," she shook her head with a sad smile, "That's not true, Lucky has done so much. You dared him to prove you wrong and he did. Now that he's finally somewhere you don't know what to do about it, no man does. How can you say that you were wrong without losing your pride?"
Luke opened his mouth to speak but Kristina hedged on, "And I know that this is none of my business but Lucky is a friend of mine and it wouldn't be right for me to stand by and not say anything. You are making the biggest mistake of your life, Mr. Spencer. Lucky is turning into the most wonderful man that I have ever met and you won't be able to lay claim to any of it. You are going to push him so far out of your life that you'll never be able to get him back," she picked up her skirts and started across the street, "Lose some of your pride before you lose your son forever."
Luke stood stunned as he watched the petite red head hurry across the street where her mother stood at the door waiting, a sharp warning on her lips. Kristina didn't seem to heed it as she went inside as if her mother said nothing at all. She was always like that, ignoring the rules that were around her and being the free spirit Luke always remembered her being.
He smiled as he wondered when Kristina Lansing grew up and fell in love with his son.
"I'm sorry that you had to see that," Michael said as he helped Lu out of the wagon, "But I'm sure that your use to it by now."
"Sadly I am and I've only been home for a couple of months," Lu said as she looked back towards town where she knew her father still stood, "My mother had told me all about my father and Lucky but I didn't really want to believe it. They use to be so close," she looked up at Michael sadly, "We all were."
"Despite this morning, I had a really nice time last night and on our ride back into town," he brought her hands to his lips and placed soft kisses on the both of them, "I'd like to see you again. Would lunch tomorrow be alright with you?"
"I'd love to," Lu smiled, "Thank you for such a wonderful evening last night and I can't wait until lunch tomorrow. You know that I would love to invite you in but…"
"You need to explain to your mother what just happened before the town ladies do," Michael grinned, "I am familiar with that. I'm going to just wait to make sure you get in safely," he ducked his head with a small laugh, "I know it's in the middle of the day."
Lu smiled as she leaned over and kissed his cheek before she grabbed her bag from the wagon and hurried up the stairs. As soon as she reached the door she turned and waved at him, her face lit with pleasure before she hurried inside.
Michael sighed as he rubbed his hands together and walked around to the other side of the wagon. He couldn't believe this was happening to him but he was actually falling in love with someone, and not just anyone, but one of his best friends.
If there wasn't a tiny woman behind him scared of her own shadow, Jason would have thought that he was back at work, lingering in the dark, searching for the man with the biggest price on his head, his gun aimed and ready for anyone that may cause trouble. It was a lifestyle that lured him in and prowling around at night, hand hovering near his six-shooter, reminded him of how much he missed his days as a gunslinger. Now, he was once again breaking into someone's home so that a woman that he barely knew could somehow find a way back to a normal life.
"We have to break in," he whispered as Elizabeth came up beside him on the steps.
"There's no other way?" she asked looking around her. The last thing she wanted to do was pull attention to herself and Jason breaking through the Spencer's front door glass would do just that.
"I'll do it as quietly as I can," Jason said as he picked up a small gardening rock, "These people always lock their door, the whole damn block does. Their afraid someone is going to steal gold that they can easily replace. Move down a step," he motioned as he drew his hand back and barely tapped the glass, causing it to shatter inward and hit the floor.
Elizabeth watched as he slid his hand through the small panel and fiddled around with the door lock. His arm came back out unscathed and with a twist of the knob the door was opened beneath his hand. He motioned for her to quickly move inside and with one last look around he followed her.
Jason grimaced as his eyes adjusted to the dark foyer. The house reminded him so much of the one that he grew up in, the one that he despised. Even standing just inside the doorway he felt his skin begin to crawl. He would withstand it; he would deal with it, as long as it got Elizabeth to safety. The poor woman had been through more than enough.
"I think we should both go…"
"Who's there? I'm armed, state your business."
Elizabeth watched as Jason moved in front of her and drew his gun, aiming it at the heart of the short, stout woman who stepped towards him with a frying pan in her hand. He moved his gun towards his side but his body was still tense, Elizabeth could see the muscles bunching between his shoulders.
"I'm here for the Spencer's," Jason said, "I need to see them immediately."
"Decent people do not go barging into…"
"It's for me," Elizabeth said quietly as she poked her head out from behind Jason's body, "I'm Elizabeth Webber and Mr. Morgan has been kind enough to bring me home. Would you mind waking up my Aunt so that I may speak with her?"
The woman had turned white and dropped the frying pan as she gripped the stairs. Elizabeth cringed as more noise was made. She was afraid the entire neighborhood would wake up, including everyone that resided in this house, and she felt the only person she could deal with right now was her Aunt. That itself was pushing it.
"Dear sweet, Elizabeth, my child we have prayed," she said before she placed her hand over her heart and made her way towards the stairs, "I shall wake the household at once."
"No, please, please," Elizabeth said softly as she stepped forward, "Please, only wake Aunt Laura. I can't bear to see anyone else this evening."
"I don't think that Luke will allow his wife to come down alone," the woman said, her eyes moving towards Jason, "But I will avoid Miss Spencer's room and just arouse them. I myself will then head straight back to bed until the morning."
"Thank you," Elizabeth whispered as she watched the woman head upstairs.
She turned quickly when she felt warmth on her back but as quickly as Jason placed his hand there he withdrew it, not wanting to frighten her in anyway. She gave him a sad smile and moved closer towards him.
"Does everyone look at you like that?"
"Like what?" he asked quietly, although he already knew the look she was referring too.
"Like you're the devil incarnate," Elizabeth said softly, "She's not the first person I saw look at you that way and I don't think that she'll be the last."
"The people around here don't like what I do for a living."
"What do you do?"
Jason sighed and ran his hand over his face, "I'm a gunslinger. I hire my gun out for ranchers who need it and for men that need to be brought in. It pays well," he hesitated, "People have been after me for a few years now because I'm a fast draw and sometimes I don't bring those men in alive so…" he licked his lips, "Some people in this town think that I'm a killer."
Jason watched as she grew silent, her mind digesting the news that she just heard. The look in her eyes didn't change, just became thoughtful, as she nibbled on her lip as if she were debating what to say next.
"What are the chances of you killing the savages who did this to me?"
"Oh God, its true!"
Elizabeth turned around to see her Aunt Laura rushing down the stairs towards her, arms outstretched and pulling her into a tight hug. She felt the fear well upside of her again, the helplessness that always came when someone got a little too close and she struggled with the urge to resist pulling away when she realized that Laura had stepped back; Jason had made her.
"You found her," Laura whispered as she took Jason's face in her hands, tears streaming down her pale face, "I can never repay you for what you have done, Jason. You name your price and Luke and I will deliver it in gold the minute the banks doors open tomorrow morning."
"I didn't do this for money," Jason said confused, "I did it because Elizabeth needed to be found."
The silent words were lingering between all of them. Elizabeth needed to be found and for some reason this stranger was the one who decided to find her. She couldn't explain the emotion that she felt inside of her when Laura moved away from Jason and his ice blue eyes connected with her sapphire ones. The distrust that she felt, the fear that still resided when he was around, all seemed to fade away. This man found her, not because he was paid to, but because he wanted to, and Elizabeth had no idea why.
"We need to get you a bath," Laura said as she slid her arm around her niece's shoulder and moved her towards Luke, "Your Uncle Luke and I thought you were dead. We lost hope each day that slipped by and you weren't returned to us."
"We're so glad to see you, Elizabeth," Luke said with a small smile on his face, "I'll make sure that Betty fetches the…"
"No, please," Elizabeth said, "I'm just so very tired and I'd like to sleep. Is it alright if we do everything else in the morning?"
"Of course it is," Laura said as she moved Elizabeth towards the stairs, "You sleep in as late as you want and I'll make sure no one disturbs you. I think we should wait until later in the afternoon before we sit down with Lesley Lu and explain to her that you have come back and will be living with us."
Elizabeth felt as if her head was spinning. Things weren't moving this fast last night in Emily Alcazar's home and she was mistakenly attacked there. She desperately turned towards Jason, wanting him to make it right, as he had been the past few days but instead of him standing there, like her shelter, he was walking with Luke towards the door and the panic once again set in.
"No!" she said pushing aside Laura and hurrying towards Jason, "Where are you going?"
Jason looked startled, "I have a place on the other side of town that…"
"No, you can't," Elizabeth pleaded softly as she reached out and took Jason's hand, "I need you to stay here with me, please. Please Jason."
He looked down at her, those beautiful eyes brimming with tears, and then he looked at her relatives, their faces stricken with pain and dismay. The words that Lorenzo had said to him last night were echoing in hid mind. He shouldn't be surprised if Elizabeth wound up needing him.
He took her hand and stepped forward, "Would you mind if I spoke to Elizabeth alone for a moment please?"
"No, of course not, take all the time you need," Laura said as Luke enveloped her in an embrace.
Jason nodded as he led Elizabeth towards the living room, the small area that was off to the left of the foyer. He released her hand as soon as they were alone and closed the door behind him, not wanting the Spencer's to hear anything that might hurt them further.
"Are you alright?" he asked softly, "This is your family…"
"I know," she said as she reached up to wipe her tears away, "I know that their the ones that are suppose to make me feel safe and I know that this is the place I was suppose to be originally and after you found me. I know that this is where I was going to wind up Jason but now that I'm here…" she looked down at her hands as she cried softly, "You have no idea what it's like to lose everyone and everything and then to think that the world just gave up on you. I thought…I thought I was going to be spending the rest of my life in some Indian's tribe until I convinced him to let me go and then when I was shunned from that town I thought I was going to spend the rest of my life alone, wandering from town to town, trying to find some acceptance. I never thought that someone cared so much to come and find me and even though I made it very clear that I knew he was going to rape me and kill me he showed me otherwise. He proved to me that there were still good people out in this world. And while it still pains me to trust him I can't let him go because he has been the only one that's been there for me since this all happened," she sniffled, "I know they didn't mean to give up on me but what else could they do? You Jason, you…I'm just so scared to let you go because I'm afraid that I'm going to end up right back in the desert, all alone, begging for my life."
If Jason could, he would have given her the world at that very moment. No one in his life had ever bothered to tell him what he meant to them. In one blurted out phrase, this woman managed to tell him that he was her rock and she couldn't bear to let him go. He knew that it was nothing more than a dependency, he knew that eventually Elizabeth Webber would be strong enough to stand on her own but until she reached that point he would continue to be her strength and he would kill any man that dare step in her way.
"I'll stay here, for the night," he said quietly, "And after that, we'll see what we can do."
"Thank you," she whispered tearfully.
"Thank you," Jason emphasized, "For never giving up."
"I can't believe that she's back either," Lu said astonished, "It's amazing. She's such an incredible woman for having survived all that she did. I wanted to spend some more time with her but I got the feeling that she was being suffocated so I told her that maybe we could talk after lunch. She seemed a little relived."
"I'd like to meet her when she feels up to it," Kristina said with a small smile, "I want to let her know that she has a friend in town in case she needs one."
Lu reached over and squeezed her best friend's hand, "Thank you so much. I'm going to tell her that after my lunch with Michael. I invited him over afterwards but I don't think that's such a good idea right now and I'm sure he'll understand."
"Guys like Michael always do," Kristina said and looked over when she heard the door open, "Dusty cowpokes on the other hand…"
"Morning," Johnny said tipping his hat, "Do you have any tobacco left? Apparently it was passed out yesterday without my knowledge and I didn't get any. I'd appreciate a pouch if that's not a problem."
"No problem at all," Kristina smiled, "I'll be back in one second with it. Is there anything else you need?"
"Some of those peppermint sticks," Johnny said, "I heard Mrs. Alcazar loves them."
"She does and some other candies too," Kristina said, "I'll throw some of them in there as well."
"Much obliged," Johnny said.
Lu rolled her eyes and waited for her friend to walk away before she turned on Johnny, "Kissing up to the lady of the ranch? I hope you know that Emily is not one of those loose women and if you even look twice at her, Lorenzo will shoot your eyes out."
"I'll heed your warning," Johnny said as he dug a piece of gold out of his pocket and slid it on the counter.
Lu looked at him with raised eyebrows as his eyes moved around the store and avoided coming in contact with her. She wasn't familiar with this Johnny. He was being quiet, reserved and it was scaring her.
"I hear that you'll be taking orders from my brother," Lu said as she stepped closer to him, "Us Spencer's always come out on top and I could have told you that had you let me know that you were going on that interview. I would have saved you the embarrassment."
Johnny moved around her and leaned across the counter when Kristina came back with his packages all wrapped, "Keep the change," he said motioning towards the gold piece, "And have a lovely day."
"That was weird," Kristina said opening the drawer and slipping the money inside.
"That was weird," Lu muttered then realized what she said, "I'm sorry, what was weird?"
Kristina laughed knowingly, "It was weird that the two of you were in the same room together and you managed to last a few minutes without biting each other's heads off. That's the first time that's happened since…no, that's the first time that's happened."
"It's because the man knows better," Lu smiled, "I have to meet Michael. I'll talk to you later this evening and let you know when you can come over to see Elizabeth. I'll tell her how much of a wonderful friend you are. I'm sure she'll be thrilled to meet you."
"Enjoy," Kristina said, "And tell Michael he owes me a lunch one of these days."
Lu laughed as she stepped outside onto the boardwalk and made her way down towards the small diner. It was a gorgeous day for late September and while the heat still bore down upon the city they were receiving a slight breeze from the west. She couldn't wait to see Michael again and tell him the wonderful news about Elizabeth, that and she was hoping that one day soon he would kiss her.
She moved towards the right to avoid a slight gap in the wood only to find herself tripping into the dirt and then falling, no, being pulled into the one of the small alleyways that were hidden beneath the shadows of the town. She found herself pressed up against the William's hardware store with a hand pressed over her mouth. She bit down when she recognized the smirk.
Johnny chuckled as he drew his hand away, "That didn't hurt one bit."
"I should have known better," Lu said, "I actually thought you were having a bad day and here you were just saving it up until we were alone."
"And you do enjoy being alone with me, don't you Lu?" he smirked as he leaned against the building with his hand, "But I do appreciate your concern. I am feeling under the weather."
"More sleep, less time with the doves, it works wonders," Lu snapped as she pushed at his chest but he refused to move, "If you please, I have a…"
"Lunch date with Sonny's kid, I'm well aware of that," Johnny said as he reached up and rubbed a strand of her black hair between his fingers, "How was dinner? Was the conversation as thrilling as I imagined it would be? How about the kiss?" he watched her eyes become even more heated before he burst out laughing, "The frisky lad hasn't even kissed you yet. The dumb fool."
"I said get out of my…" Lu was cut off as she felt Johnny's lips searing against hers. She could kick herself for actually groaning when the man pulled back.
"Spencer's always come out on top right?" he asked as he pulled her into another kiss, pulling her body up against his, her breasts pressed tightly against his chest, "That's perfect because I love aggressive women."
And with a slap on her backside, Johnny slipped back onto the boardwalk laughing.
"Mmm, afternoon Mr. Alcazar," Emily murmured as her husband wrapped his arms around her, a coffee mug in his hand while his lips placed kisses along her neck, "You slept in late this morning. The boys are going to talk."
"Let them," Lorenzo said as he smiled and dropped a kiss on her check, "They know that I have a beautiful wife who I can't keep my hands off of. Anyone of them would trade places with me in a heartbeat."
"I think its more for the money than it is for me," she laughed softly.
"Think again," he said as he brushed some hair from her face, "You were wonderful with Elizabeth, you know that? The way you talked with her, stayed with her until she fell asleep, allowed her to help cook breakfast, kept her as far away from me as possible."
"That had nothing to do with you."
"Yeah, it did," Lorenzo said, "I mistakenly attacked her and I think it's going to take a long time before Elizabeth will feel comfortable with me but I'm okay with that, there's no rush. I think you're one of the few friends that she's going to have here and if you want to ride into town to see her you let me know. I'll have someone accompany you."
Emily smiled as she turned and slipped her arms around her husband, "You always know what I'm going to say or ask. I was thinking about going into town and spending a few nights in the hotel so that I could spend some more time with Elizabeth. She's going to need to get out into the town in order for anyone to respect her and I want to offer my help in doing that."
"I'm a lucky man in having found you," he said quietly as he leaned down and placed a soft kiss on his lips, "And while I want to stay here the rest of the day making love to you I have to go out and make it look like I actually work here."
Emily laughed as she watched him finish his coffee and then hand her the empty mug. He gave her one last kiss before he adjusted his hat and made his way down the stairs. He halted when he saw there was a rider approaching at a gallop.
"It's your brother," Lorenzo said.
Emily hurried down the stairs and met Jason as he pulled the horse up in front of the house, "Is everything alright? Is Elizabeth okay?"
"She's as well as can be expected," Jason said as he climbed off of the horse, "I'm sorry for surprising you. I haven't ridden like that in a while and I think both me and the horse needed it," he looked over towards the corral where the cowboys were working on breaking in some new mustangs, "How are things going here?"
"Wonderfully crazy as always," Emily laughed softly, "Would you like to come in and have some coffee? Lorenzo just made it."
"Yeah," Jason nodded, "There's actually some family business I need to discuss with you," he looked between Emily and Lorenzo, "That's if I wasn't interrupting anything."
"No," Lorenzo said, "I was just telling Emily I need to go earn my salary. If you can, stay for dinner, if not, stop by before you leave. I know your busy these days and maybe Emily and I can come see you in town, take you out to dinner there."
"I'll let you know," Jason said. He watched Lorenzo nod and then head off towards the corral before he turned towards Emily, "I came by to see if you still have the key to the house."
"House?" Emily asked curiously, "What ho… You want the keys to mom and dad's house in town? Jason you hate that place. You swore you'd never step foot in it again. I vividly remember that argument."
"I know," Jason nodded and looked away from his sister, "I know what I said and I know when I said it but things have changed and if you have the keys I'd like to move back into the place. I'm assuming that you're the one who owns it."
Emily motioned for him to follow her into the house and he did so. She led the way into the study where she kept the key to her childhood home. She dug it out of the desk and handed it to him, watching him curl it up in his tight fist.
"Are you sure about this? You don't look very happy about?"
"It's something that I have to do," Jason said quietly, "I'm hoping that I'll just be sleeping there."
"Your doing this for Elizabeth."
Jason sighed and then nodded begrudgingly, "Yes, I'm doing this for Elizabeth."
"The house isn't in my name," Emily said, "Grandmother placed it in your name before she left. The paperwork is in the bank vault in town. She gave me the key hoping that one day you would come looking for it."
"I can't be living on the other side of town in a saloon," Jason said, "If Elizabeth needs me she needs to get to me and she isn't going to go walking through any saloon to do it."
"Okay," Emily said, "I'd like to see her soon. Tell her to let me know when she's feeling up to it. Johnny and Lucky are in and out of town practically every day you can send a message through them."
Jason nodded, "I'm going to see your husband before I leave. Stop looking at me like that, I said that I'm doing this for Elizabeth."
Emily shook her head as she watched her brother go, "Then I guess I'll just have to thank Elizabeth."
"Thank you so much for lunch and dinner," Lu laughed softly as Michael walked her to her doorstep, "I'm sorry that I'm unable to invite you in but I don't think it's a good idea with Elizabeth just getting back. Soon though, I promise."
"I've got all the time in the world when it comes to you, Lu," he said softly, "Will I be able to call on you tomorrow?"
"I hope that you do," Lu said, "Goodnight, Michael."
"Goodnight Lu."
Lu hesitated for a moment before she turned to head into her house. She was pulled back as she reached for the door handle and into Michael's arms. Her eyes fluttered close as his face inched towards her and his lips descended upon hers. Michael Corinthos, the boy she was hopelessly falling in love, was kissing her.
His warm lips were pressed against her own, his arms were wrapped around her, and his fingers were finding their way into her hair. He was gentle, he was sincere and he pulled back with a smile on his face.
"Goodnight."
"Goodnight," she smiled as she turned and hurried in the door, locking it behind her.
Michael had kissed her. Michael had finally kissed her, a kiss that she had been waiting for, dreaming about, a kiss that made an eastern girls fantasy's come true. And yet Michael's kiss was nothing compared to Johnny's. There was no fire, no spark, nothing that made her toes curls, nothing that made her yearn for me.
Finally everything that she had wanted was laid right before her and her body, her heart, was telling her not to take it. They were shouting to her brain that the one man she really wanted was miles from town, sharing a bunkhouse with a bunch of other men. Placing her hand over her mouth, Lu fled to her bedroom where she cried herself to sleep.