The weather had been warm and would be even warmer today. As the guests wandered off to explore the area, Sam worked with Libby to clean up the breakfast dishes. Libby had barely looked at him all morning. He tried not to wonder what she was thinking, but it was impossible to do. He had promised her sex would be good between them, but he hadn’t really had a chance to show her. He hoped she at least liked the sample he had given her.
Sam inwardly smiled.
“It’s warming up,” he said as they finished drying the last metal plate and tin coffee mug and put them away. They’d already dealt with the trash, put away the leftover food and hoisted the food box into a tree. No bears in camp last night, but he sure as hell didn’t want to attract them, or more raccoons.
“You going swimming?” he asked.
Libby smiled. “Absolutely.” Was there an impish tilt to those big blue eyes? Because just thinking about Libby in a bathing suit was enough to make him hard. “What about you?” she asked.
“Maybe. I’ve got some chores to take care of first.”
She glanced up at the sky. “It’s eleven o’clock. I think I’ll go change.”
Sam cocked an eyebrow. “Was that just a guess, or can you actually tell time by the sun?”
“I can navigate by the stars, and yes, I can use the sun to tell time. My dad and I made a sundial once when I was a kid.” She glanced away, shadows in her beautiful eyes. “I still remember how it works.”
He knew the memories must be painful. But he deeply believed remembering the past was the only way Libby could move forward toward a happy future. As she walked away, he glanced over to see Big John standing in the shadows. The man was as silent as a cat.
“Your woman...she is different from the others you have known.”
The muscles across Sam’s abdomen contracted. John had a way of knowing things that was almost spooky. “She isn’t my woman. She’ll be leaving in a couple of weeks. And you’re right. She is different.” He tossed the last of the cold coffee he had been nursing all morning and set the tin cup aside. “She belongs in the city. Soon as her time here is over, she’ll be going back to the life she lives in Manhattan.”
John said nothing, just gave him a pitying stare out of eyes as black as onyx. Turning, he walked away.
Forcing thoughts of Libby aside, Sam worked around the camp for a while, then changed into his swimsuit, grabbed a towel, and headed down to the lake. The water was clear enough to see the round multicolored rocks at the bottom. On the camp side, there was a long stretch of sandy beach. Sunlight glistened on waves slapping lightly against the shore.
Sam’s gaze roamed over the guests enjoying the water. One of the camp rules was that one person stayed out of the lake at all times to observe and make sure everyone was safe. At the moment, Caleb sat on a log on a low hill above the beach, a pair of binoculars beside him on the grass. His wife and kids played in the water. Betty and Alice were splashing around and laughing. Kim and Brad were both sunbathing on a flat rock a little way down the shore.
Sam glanced around for Libby, spotted her as she emerged from the lake a few feet away. Water streamed over her perfect breasts, tiny waist, and curvy hips. She was wearing a one-piece white swimsuit cut high on the sides and low in the front and back, tasteful, and yet she was the sexiest woman he’d ever seen.
His mouth went dry while his skin felt hot and tight. Jesus. He’d learned the shape of her body last night, but seeing her half-naked stirred an erection he fought to conquer. He clamped down on his lust but still had to concentrate on something else to bring himself under control.
“You should join us,” Libby said. “The water feels great, once you get used to it.” Her gaze slid over the front of his swimsuit, and her pouty lips edged up. Sam had no doubt she knew exactly the effect she was having on him.
“I think I’ll spell Caleb, let him go swimming with his family.”
Libby propped a hand on her hip, drawing his attention to the sexy curves he had touched last night. “Are you sure I can’t convince you?”
At the moment, there was almost nothing she couldn’t convince him to do. “Maybe later,” he said gruffly, and forced himself to walk toward the hill.
“Why don’t you take a swim?” he said to Caleb. “I’ll take a turn watching for a while.”
“Great. Thanks.” Caleb whipped off his shirt and tossed it on a bush, adjusted his swimsuit, and walked down the hill. He grinned as he waded into the water to join Jenny and the kids.
Sam sat down on the log, his gaze skimming the water for any sign of trouble. This was a job he took seriously and expected the same attitude from everyone else. The only people missing from view were Max and Vince, who had gone fishing on the other side of the lake.
Sam picked up the binoculars and scanned the shoreline, saw the two men reclining on towels spread open on the ground, both of them asleep.
They had come to fish, or so they’d said. A lot of places along the creek were catch-and-release, but the fish in the lake were keepers. So far neither man had brought back any photos of trophies they had caught, and there was no sign of a fish near their poles, which lay abandoned against the trunk of a tree. They had to be the worst fishermen he’d ever seen—or they weren’t there for the fishing.
Unease filtered through him. So far they hadn’t given him any reason to be concerned, and yet there was something about them he just didn’t trust. Over the years, he’d had lots of different people as guests. That was what made life interesting. Most of them had been really great people, but there had been a few troublemakers in the crowd.
The good news was the men would be leaving in three more days. He would just have to keep an eye on them until then. He checked the water, counted heads, then focused the binoculars back on the men across the lake. Neither Max nor Vince was anywhere in sight.
Apparently nap time was over. The unease returned. He’d be glad when they were gone.
* * * *
It was time to return to camp and help Sam get ready for supper. There was always work to do in the camp, Libby discovered. Big John handled the livestock, but Sam took care of the rest. He needed her help, and she was glad.
The evening meal went smoothly, a combination of fried lake trout Brad and Caleb had caught, hot dogs, potato salad, and chili beans. Libby ate more than she should have, fish not being a problem for her conscience, and Clara’s potato salad was delicious.
Afterward everyone sang songs around the campfire. Tomorrow morning they would pack up and head back to the ranch. Libby was enjoying herself, but a long hot shower sounded like heaven, and a comfortable mattress beat a narrow cot any day. She had to admit she’d be glad to get home.
A soft pang echoed in her heart. Not that Bridger Ranch was actually her home.