An Unexpected Proposal-2-4
1433 Words
This dispute abruptly quit when the riders encountered a fallen tree in their path. Positioned so that they could neither go under nor over it, and the way around complicated by thickets and brush, they opted to move it.
Stormi’s greater height made her the best assistant to Stephan in clearing the trail. The tree was small enough to afford hope of removing it, yet large enough to pose a problem for a space. Eventually, they managed to drag it off the path enough to get by. Just ahead lay a small clearing.
“Hey! Strawberries!” Lyndsay promptly dismounted, passed the reins of the horses she held to Stormi and Thomi, and hurried off to sample some.
Stephan made a casual suggestion to Storm that she might like some strawberries as well. She took the hint, giving the reins of the horses over to him. “Just to be sure you have enough to keep yourself occupied!” she said meaningfully.
Ming reveled somewhere in the delights of the forest, leaving Thomi unprotected there in charge of Sherwyn Bay and Thaena. Greedily they munched the lush grass beside the trail, yanking impatiently at the reins for more freedom. Got to be a struggle to maintain her balance.
His own hands full with Valient and Vespry, Stephan shot her that heart stopping smile and asked, “So—since your family feels we’re officially seeing each other—”
“You let them think it! We’re not seeing each other!”
“We’re seeing each other right now! Should Persistence become my first name?”
She gave a sound of annoyance. “Thought it already was! Anyway, exercising my father’s horses together doesn’t mean we’re dating! Look, you were going to marry—Whatshername! Don’t you feel anything?”
He shook his head. “Nope.”
“Seriously?”
“She wasn’t worth having feelings for.”
She couldn’t let it go. Just couldn’t believe he could honestly feel nothing over such a cruel break up. “You aren’t angry or resentful? Disappointed? You can forget her—just like that?”
“Someone’s made me forget her—just like that!”
“Yeah, right!” But flushed at his soft caressing tone.
He chuckled and retorted, “Admit it! You’ve been doodling my name on every available blank space since yesterday!”
The blush deepened; she gave an involuntary choke of laughter and countered, “What’s the surprise? You keep turning up! But, that doesn’t mean I want you to!”
“I don’t know . . . I hardly think you’d waste time doodling my name if you didn’t! Besides, you want to forget Charley, don’t you?”
“Yeah, I’d like to forget him. Only how do you forget someone who’s—” She broke off abruptly, sucked a long breath and ended, “Look, I can’t forget! And being with you won’t change it! Don’t waste your breath trying to convince me it will!”
For a moment, he just stood watching her. Then, passing the two pairs of reins to his left hand, he advanced. Misliking his look, Thomi backed away. Thaena, urgently clipping the grass in that little area, found her in her path, and shoved her out of it. Still clutching both pairs of reins, Thomi stumbled into Stephan’s willing free arm.
Stiffening, Thomi let go the reins and twisted in his hold, wrenching free with more force than he ever expected from a person of her small stature. She backed again; this time into Sherwyn’s grazing spot. The colt wasted not a second in ridding it of her. Catching her this time, Stephan prepared for her struggle, trying for a hold that would be firm but gentle.
His consideration meant nothing to her.
She exploded into action, doing all she could to free herself. Luckily for him, Ming still hadn’t put in an appearance. Although that could happen any second if her loyal pet caught wind of her complaints! He recalled her acting something like this on the street yesterday. Strange that she hadn’t displayed such panic hanging from that scrubby little bush before that!
“Thomi! Thomi, I am not going to hurt you! Will you just calm down! I—ugh!” For she’d elbowed him squarely in the gut, winding him.
He hugged her tightly against him so she couldn’t do it again. But it only made her worse. He decided then, that she needed to face him. Not that she made that maneuver easy. Dropping the reins, he ordered, “Stop it, Thomi! I only want to talk to you!”
“Let . . . go!” She put all her weight into the attempt to free herself, her breath coming in hard gasps. No trust glowed in those dark green eyes.
“There’s no reason for you to—” He stopped, an unthinkable notion coming to mind. “What happened between you and Charley, Thomi? He has his faults, but I’ve never known him to be—”
Rebellion displaced fear. “Nothing happened! Let me go!”
He succeeded in making her face him. Acting on impulse, he took both her wrists in one hand, shoved back her sleeves. Unprepared for what he uncovered, for a moment he could only stare in disbelief. “Charley did this? Thomasyna . . .”
Her hands twisted agitatedly in his. “What do you care?”
There were many things he could have answered then. Things that might have helped him gain at least a sliver of her trust. None of those came front and center in his brain. Keeping her imprisoned with one hand, he plucked a ring out of his shirt pocket and held it up. “I’ll always care what happens to my wife, Thomasyna!”
Thomi gasped, taken totally off guard by both his passionate declaration and his producing of the ring. She recalled, all at once, her little brother’s happy statement earlier. “Know what? Stephan thaid he wantsth to mawr—!”
“Mawry . . . Marry you!”
That’s what Daine had been about to tell her when the ruckus occurred in the barn! Well, how could this i***t dare say that to little kids? Especially ones who’d blab it all around town within thirty seconds! And naturally, almost everyone would believe it.
Eight small, but perfect diamonds ringed an exquisite emerald—the two set left and right slightly larger than the pair fore and back—and all set in a white gold filigree band. A shaft of sunlight touched the stones, setting off the green fire in the emerald and making the diamonds flash and glitter. O, never had she seen stones as fine as these. Fabulous!
Didn’t that figure, though! Just like a guy to expect dinner and marriage—or s*x, usually s*x—just like that! Well, she might have to be grateful he’d saved her life; she might owe him a dinner for it. But marriage wasn’t open for debate.
Nor, at any moment before the ring—the wedding ring—was s*x.
She stared up into those determined blues and stated flatly, “You are crazy!”
“I am,” he agreed. “About you!”
There was that in his deep blue gaze that seemed to confirm that idiotic pronouncement. For an unguarded instant, she lost her way in it, and he dared to gather her closer to him to prove it.
Her trance broke.
Thomi caught her breath in a little frightened gasp, for now these arms encircling her reminded her of Charley’s . . . possessive, unyielding, demanding. In her experience, this kind of hold meant but one thing.
With a strength borne of fear and wrathful desperation, she broke free of it.
“Thomi, wait!”
Not giving him so much as a glance to show she’d heard him, Thomi snatched up Sherwyn’s reins. Pulling him around between her and Stephan, she vaulted upon the colt’s back. Valient spooked just then, and Thaena bolted.
Stephan didn’t bother trying to catch them. Thinking only of stopping Thomi’s retreat, he made a grab for Sherwyn’s bridle. At the same time, Ming burst out of the bushes to Thomi’s right. He flew straight for Stephan, his eyes an unnerving shade of red.
Anticipating Stephan’s move, Thomi yanked on the reins, her hand unusually heavy. The colt reared, forcing Stephan back. Now he had to deal with Ming, who showed every sign of launching an attack.
As she wheeled Sherwyn about, pressing him into a headlong gallop, she heard Stephan’s stern command to her dog. His voice emitted a good deal of authority, but she didn’t stop to find out whether Ming had obeyed it. Down the trail she bolted, plowing through or going over whatever got in her way. Branches snagged her clothes and hair.
She never noticed.
The main trail came up before Thomi had time to cue Sherwyn toward the stable. Crossing the path into the brush, he skirted berry bushes and a stand of pines. The bay colt obeyed her signal to circle back, never breaking stride. Another branch whipped her face, stinging her eyes, making tears stream. She tried to check his speed for she couldn’t see a thing. Checked it just as she felt him collect himself for a mighty leap.
Desperate to gage her situation, Thomi managed to open her eyes a slit. She sucked in an apprehensive breath.
A large downed log blocked the trail completely. Much larger than anything Sherwyn had yet been schooled over.
If only she’d known—if only she hadn’t checked him!
A powerful thrust lifted him off the ground. Maybe, his gallant attempt would—
The sharp tick of hooves striking wood cut off that hope. As Sherwyn tumbled down hard on the other side, Thomi somersaulted through the air, slamming into a merciless elm.
- Writer
