Restless Heart Page 19

  He nodded. “Yep, that’s how I feel, too. Let me go send that wire, and then we’ll find out if we’re dreaming of smoke or not.”

  Angeline leaned over the table and kissed him hard. “I love you, Sam Carver.”

  He smiled. “I love you too, Angel. Here this is for you.” Sam opened her hand and put a shiny black stone in her palm. “I found it down by the lake when I was kicking dirt around.”

  Angeline treasured each one of the gifts he gave her because they were from the heart, and no store-bought trinket could ever mean as much. Her hand closed around the pebble, and she had an idea of what they could do if Sam truly did have enough money for anything.

  The next two days, Sam went back to work on the chairs for their home, making six of them to match the table, so they could have folks over for dinner. Then because he didn’t have work, and the waiting to hear from his friend Philip was killing him slowly, he started on a rocking chair for Angeline.

  After his mother had died, one of the things his father had burned was her rocking chair. For some reason, he’d needed to destroy something, and it had been an easy target. Their house had not had a need for a rocking chair in the last ten years. Sam didn’t tell his wife, but he was hoping within a year, they’d need one.

  Having a child with Angeline would be the greatest gift he could ever receive. Knowing a life grew within her would be more than wonderful. He could make a crib or a cradle later on, but a rocking chair, well, that was something he could make now. She could always sit in front of the fire on it, reading. Angeline had already started going through his meager collection of books.

  “Sam?”

  He looked up to see Angeline at the backdoor, waving a yellow piece of paper. A telegram.

  Sam dropped the sanding tool and ran for the house as fast as his bum leg could carry him. She looked as nervous as he felt with her blue eyes shining in the afternoon sun.

  “I didn’t open it.”

  “You could have. I don’t have any secrets from you.” He took the paper with sawdust-covered, shaking hands and opened it.

  Sam,

  Investigated Carver Industries. STOP. Well-known business with multi-million-dollar value. STOP. Matriarch Mary Carver died two years ago. STOP. Michael Andrew Carver the heir of record, held in trust by attorneys. STOP. Three sisters Jane Ann, Gertrude Ellen, and Alison Marie live in Denver with families. STOP. All seems legitimate. STOP. Still looking into other request. STOP.

  Philip

  At first, Sam could hardly believe what he was reading. Bennington had been telling the truth about all of it. “Looks like I have a family and a wagon full of money in Denver.”

  “A family?” She smiled and clapped her hands together. “Sam, that’s wonderful!”

  “Yep, three aunts and their families are in Denver.” He kissed her hard. He had thought he’d lost every bit of his family when his father had died. Although he had his Angel, Jessup, and Lettie, there had been no blood relations left to speak of. He’d been an orphan, but now, he had a large family just waiting for him. “Do you want to take a trip?”

  She nodded. “Yes, let’s plan on going to Denver. First, you need to speak to Mr. Bennington though. He’s been waiting for four days now.”

  “Don’t like lawyers.” Sam grumbled. “They make me itch.”

  “He hasn’t bothered you since you asked him to wait. In fact, he’s been at The Blue Plate for every meal. Alice tells me he sits at the same table each time.”

  “Is he sweet on Alice?” Sam pulled her against him. “I’ll warn him off.”

  Angeline chuckled. “No need. She put him in his place.” Angeline nibbled on his earlobe. “I think perhaps before we head over to speak to Mr. Bennington, we need to celebrate your good fortune.”

  Sam growled as his cock rose to attention, pressing against her skirt. “I’m up for celebrating.”

  She waggled her eyebrows. “You’re very funny, Mr. Carver.”

  Sam tossed her over his shoulder and headed into the house, eager to be naked with his wife.

  “I’m pleased to hear you’re going to Denver. I know your aunts were apprised of my journey here, and Miss Jane in particular wanted to be sure to extend an invitation to you.” Ty Bennington sat at their kitchen table, the first guest they’d had for supper.

  Jessup eyeballed him with his usual table manners. The old man told Sam to refuse the money. After all, he’d lived every day without a cent, and he was just fine.

  “I’m more interested in my children, or our future children.” He squeezed Angeline’s hand. “I want to be sure they’re taken care of. For us, well, we’re going to live here but visiting Denver whenever we can.”

  “Perfect. I’m sure we can decide on someone to run Carver Industries in your stead. There are some good candidates we can speak to while you’re in Denver, if you like.” Bennington sipped at his coffee with impeccable grace. The man really was a gentleman.

  “I don’t know about interviewing folks for a job. I wouldn’t know the first thing about what to ask them.” Sam looked nervous about the possibility.

  “We can provide you with questions or even sit in on the interviews, but truly, all you need to do is determine if you like the candidate. The man will be responsible for your entire family’s fortune. You must trust your instincts here.” Bennington, or Ty as he’d insisted they call him, had more to him than just being a lawyer, that was for sure.

  Sam seemed to think so as well. “I like that plan. Who’s heading it up now?”

  “Your Aunt Jane’s husband, Dominic Archer, is the acting president. He worked for your grandfather, and then your grandmother. He’s got quite a bit of experience.” It was what the lawyer didn’t say that niggled at Angeline.

  “You don’t think he’s the right person for the job.”

  Ty’s gaze swung to her; his brown eyes full of surprise. “What makes you say that, Mrs. Carver?”

  “We might be the poor relations, but I can tell when someone is telling a half-truth or not giving all the information they have.” She raised her brows, waiting for him to contradict her.

  He grinned sheepishly. “Your wife is very intelligent, Mr. Carver.”

  “She is that, and more.” Sam winked at her. “I want to meet this Dominic Archer, then decide if he’s the right man for the job.”

  “Mr. Archer is a savvy business man. I’ll let you meet him and make your own judgment.” Mr. Bennington shrugged. “I’m only thinking of the company and its leadership. However, your plan is a sound one. We can definitely decide while you’re in Denver.”

  Angeline was proud of Sam and glad to see that Ty would be traveling with them in two days’ time back to Denver. She was hoping to have someone to assist them, since her experience was limited to horses, carriages, and wagons. She’d never been on a train or a fancy coach. The very idea was intimidating.

  After everything was cleaned up and the lawyer left, Angeline tugged on Sam’s hand and pulled him outside to take a walk. The sun had already set, and the twilight was bright enough for them to see where they were going. She held his hand as they strolled toward the lake.

  Sam was quiet, but he was thinking about a million different things, as Angeline likely was, too. Their lives had already changed so much in the last year. Now things were about to change even more.

  As they arrived at the lakeshore, Same breathed in deeply. The lake had a calming effect on him, one he was certain had something to do with his mother and her people, and all of it connected to him.

  She turned to Sam and opened his hand, placing the black rock in his palm this time. “I want to build a house here for us, our family, our children. I want to wake up to the sun on one side of the lake, and then see its mirror image on the other side at the end of the day. I want you to teach our children to swim in it. I want to make love in it and be here for the rest of our lives.”

  Sam stared at her, realizing she was absolutely right. Coming to the lake had suddenly made it
all clear in his mind. He knew it was the right thing to do—it was already their home. Now, all they needed was a house.

  Sam’s smile was as wide as a country mile. He whooped and held her up in the air, spinning her around until she protested. “My angel, you are a genius! We’ll design a perfect house. Let’s build it when we get back from Denver.” He kissed her then spun her around again, laughing.

  The air had turned summery, and the warmth of the lake beckoned. She sucked in a breath when he set her down, and she looked at the water then back at Sam.

  “Can I have my first swimming lesson now?”

  He grinned. “Oh, I think we can arrange that.”

  They quickly chucked their clothes, eager to find out just how warm the water was. Sam hadn’t been swimming in years, but he’d never forgotten how. He led her out past the mud that squished between her toes into the deeper water.

  “Now, you can float. Don’t fight the water, be at peace with it. It can’t drown you if you don’t let it.” He held her arms. “Now, kick your legs slowly, as if you were squatting.”

  She struggled a bit but soon had the rhythm of treading water. He smiled at her and pulled her against him, water splashing up between them and into his nose.

  Angeline laughed and swatted his shoulder. “Sam!”

  “I can’t help myself. I love you so much, I just need to be near you always. My body just takes over.”

  And take over it did. His cock rose to attention, pressing against her wet thigh in the water. She raised her eyebrows at him.

  “See?”

  “You don’t need an invitation, Sam. Make love to me.” Her simple statement summed up their relationship.

  They loved and were loved. No apologies, no need to stand on ceremony. Sam would never hurt her, and she would never hurt him.

  “Wrap your legs around me.”

  Her long legs wrapped around his waist, nestling her pussy nicely against his waiting cock. He jerked against the wiry curls caressing him. She smiled and leaned forward to kiss him.

  Since Sam could still stand with his head above water, he braced himself on the bottom and slid her down until he was fully sheathed inside her.

  The lake, the woman, the perfection of the moment was not lost on him. This was where they were meant to be, where they would make babies and raise a family. He thrust slowly in and out, feeling each movement in the water around him. It was the most sensual experience of his life.

  Her hard nipples rubbed up and down his chest as they moved, their tips teasing him, making him hotter and hungrier for her. He took her hips and started pushing her down as he thrust up.

  Water splashed between them, but he didn’t care. All that mattered was mating with her, being part of Angeline in this special place. His balls tightened as he drew closer to his release.

  Sam reached between them and flicked her clit. She moaned and threw her head back, which put her breasts at nearly eye level. Her hair fanned out in the water behind her like a blond curtain.

  His mouth closed around her nipple, tugging and lapping at her while he held on as long as he could. Her pussy tightened around him, and he knew she was coming. Sam bit her nipple, and she shouted his name.

  The walls of her passage clenched so tightly, he came immediately, spilling his seed into her. Black spots danced behind his eyes as he roared her name.

  His Angel, his wife, his love.

  Chapter Twelve

  ‡

  The trip to Denver from Wyoming opened Angeline’s eyes to a great number of experiences. While Sam had traveled on trains back east ten years earlier, she’d never stepped foot on a train before. The sounds, the smells, the rumble of the locomotive as it rolled out of the station. All of it seemed like a different world to her.

  Sam smiled at her wide-eyed innocence, but he never made fun of her, which she appreciated. She truly felt like a small-town girl suddenly thrown into a big city, and she hadn’t even gotten to Denver yet.

  Unfortunately, during the first hour on the train, Angeline discovered exactly what Alice had been talking about when she’d called Sam a half-breed. A woman passing by with her daughter stared at Sam with a horrified expression. She pulled the little girl against her skirts.

  “Oh, sweet Lord, it’s a savage. Don’t look, Laura Sue.” She hurried past, pale as milk, while everyone in the compartment turned to look at them.

  “Why are they staring at us?” Angeline whispered to Sam. “It’s not as if we haven’t paid for our tickets.”

  In fact, Mr. Bennington had paid for them, saying he would be reimbursed from the company accounts when they arrived in Denver.

  “I’m used to it, Angel. People are going to think whatever they want.” He looked out the window at the passing scenery.

  It wasn’t the last time people treated them badly. By the time they pulled into Denver late that night, Angeline was so upset that she wanted to punch somebody. He’d been called a savage, an “injun”, a heathen, and a scalper. She’d never heard most of those words used before and couldn’t how imagine people could just throw those words at someone without knowing them.

  No matter what Sam said, he wasn’t used to being called names. People sneered, shouted, and even spit at them. She was also called names, but only because she sat with Sam. It was simply infuriating.

  Angeline decided right then she would never live in Denver, if that was the way people in Colorado behaved. No wonder Sam’s parents had left.

  “Miss Jane is waiting for us at the house along with some others,” Bennington said as he gave Angeline his hand to help her disembark the train. “They’re most anxious to meet you.”

  “The house?”

  “The Carver house. It had housed each generation of Carvers until your father left.” The lawyer let them outside the train station while two porters trundled behind them with their bags.

  A beautiful black coach sat outside with a driver perched on top with a nicer suit than anyone in Forestville owned. Angeline had a feeling she and Sam were about to embark on a rather uncomfortable day.

  “Good evening, Chambers.” Mr. Bennington obviously knew the driver personally.

  “Good evening, sir.” The young man could be no older than she was, and his avid curiosity was plain. He stared at both of them, his gaze wide.

  They all climbed in, and Angeline sat on the softest cushion she’d ever felt. The coach walls were lined with blue satin, and the seats were obviously stuffed with feathers or something equally as soft. Her stomach flipped at the knowledge this was only the coach. What must the house be like?

  They drove along more smoothly than she thought a coach could. Sam sat beside her, his fingers laced with hers. Mr. Bennington glanced at their joined hands and smiled.

  “You two are a love match; that’s very evident.” He leaned forward and spoke very softly. “I will warn you that some members of your family won’t be happy to have the heir apparent appear. They’ve grown comfortable feeding on the fortune they have accustomed themselves to coveting.”

  Sam scowled. “That was something you could’ve shared in Wyoming.”

  “I thought perhaps you wouldn’t come if I told you too much. I was your grandmother’s personal attorney, and she so hoped your father and you would return. It was her fondest desire to see her grandson at the helm of the company.” He had affection in his voice when he spoke of Mary Carver. “She was a great lady, an amazing business leader. She has some rather large shoes to fill.”

  “You’re not making me want to stay here, you know. I already feel like a fish out of water, and I never sat on anything so soft before.” Sam’s grip on her hand tightened. “The first person that speaks rudely to Angeline gets tossed out of the house on their ass. I’m not a business man or a great leader, but I’m smart enough to spot a snake.”

  Angeline felt like they were girding themselves for battle. Mr. Bennington made it sound as if there might be a battle waged over Carver Industries and the fortune it entailed
. Angeline was very afraid she and Sam would be woefully outgunned.

  The coach stopped in front of the biggest house on the block, an enormous structure with columns in front and a rolling green yard on either side. A fountain splashed merrily as they circled around the horseshoe-shaped entrance.

  “It looks like one of the mansions I saw out in Virginia.” Sam gaped just as much as she did.

  “Well, truthfully, you could call it a mansion, but everyone in the family simply refers to it as the House.” Bennington looked uncomfortable.

  Sam narrowed his gaze. “House, hm? How many rooms does it have?”

  “Forty-seven.”

  Angeline gasped. She couldn’t even imagine the size. It made her mind spin in circles.

  “Jesus.” Sam turned to look at her. “Say the word and we’ll turn around and go back to Forestville. I’ll just give it all to the greedy bastards waiting for us.”

  She looked into his dark gaze, reached out and ran her hand through his silky black hair, and smiled. “You are stronger than any one of those people in there. You’ve fought a war. You’ve survived things they can’t even fathom. There’s no way we’re going to let them run us out of here without a fight.”

  Although her stomach actually quivered with fear, she kept her smile steady. He took her hand and kissed it.

  “I love you, Angel.”

  “I love you, too, Sam. Now let’s show them what a real Carver can do.”

  This time, he smiled and she knew he was ready to face his family. She wished she was as ready. Angeline had never felt so intimidated in her life as they stepped out of the carriage and into the warm night air.

  The front door was enormous, at least ten feet high, with a huge brass knocker. However, Mr. Bennington didn’t knock; he just opened the door and gestured for them to enter. Angeline and Sam stepped through together, hands tightly entwined.

  The brightness of the crystal chandelier made everything glow. Coming from the darkness of the evening, it was almost blinding.