Free Savage Land by Janet Dailey Page A

In that one brief moment when his head had begun to bend towards hers, Coley had actually felt that it was natural and right. Was that where her shame came from, from her own bold desire and not from Tony's teasing, but from his catching her in that vulnerable moment?
    Visibly subdued, she made her way into the house and up the stairs into her room, her mind conscious of only this confusing revelation.
    She spent the rest of the morning trailing after her aunt as Willy made her daily rounds in her rose garden. If she noticed Coley's inattention to her conversation, she made no mention of it. The whole family was present for lunch, a rare occurrence since quite often one or several were out on another section of the ranch. Somehow Coley managed a small smile when she looked at Jase, her round eyes expressing the apology for her morning conduct that she was too shy to put into words. With a barely perceptible nod, Jase accepted it.
    Danny's expression was a little grim when he sat down beside her while Tony winked at her from across the table. Coley fought for a calm composure although she was aware that there were two bright dots of colour on her cheeks.
    'How are your swimming lessons?’ Tony asked with a malicious twinkle in his eye. Danny stabbed at a pea on his plate.
    'Very well,’ Coley replied, accepting a dish from Ben with just the slightest tremor. ‘I'll soon be as good as you and Danny.'
    'As soon as you get to the advanced level, why don't you let me take over for Jase?’ Tony gleamed at her, flashing his white teeth at her in a knowing smile. ‘I'm an excellent teacher.
    His barely disguised innuendo flooded her cheeks as she concentrated her attention on her plate. She glanced briefly at Jase, meeting the full force of the piercing gaze. He was waiting for her reply too. She mustn't let Tony's teasing to get her. She had to show Jase that her skin was tough and she could take it.
    'Really, Tony?’ she replied as coolly as she could. ‘I never would have guessed that you were experienced in the teaching class.'
    Tony's head jerked back at her words as he glanced over at Jase, but not quick enough to see the sly smile that Coley saw before it was quickly suppressed by a studied concentration of the steak he was slicing. She could have almost giggled with her delight, but she turned instead to her brother, anxious for a change of subject.
    'What have you been doing this morning?’ she asked.
    'Taking care of a mare that just foaled,’ Danny answered, a hard glint in his eye as he looked at his sister. ‘It's a late foal and we've been keepin’ a close eye on it.'
    Danny couldn't keep the pride from sneaking in his voice.
    'A little baby?’ Coley exclaimed, captured by the excitement of birth. Turning excitedly to Ben, she asked, ‘Can I go down and see it?'
    'Of course. Danny can take you down after lunch,’ Ben smiled good-humouredly.
    'Will you, Danny?’ Her eyes gleamed.
    'Sure. But you'll have to change in some jeans. Those shorts aren't exactly the thing for a barn,’ Danny stated.
    'Right away,’ Coley cried happily, pushing her chair away from the table. ‘May I be excused, please?'
    'You haven't had your dessert yet, Colleen,’ admonished Aunt Willy.
    'I'm not hungry. I'll have it later,’ Coley called, already at the doorway. She started to leave the room, then ducked her head back in. ‘You be sure and wait for me, Danny.'
    'I will.’ His voice sounded disgruntled, but there was a happy expression on his face as she returned his smile and bounced out of the room.
    Coley raced up the steps into her room, creating a small whirlwind when she got there as she rummaged through her drawers for her jeans and a top. She changed in record time, then stopped in front of the mirror to touch up her hair briefly with a comb and add a hint of the peach lipstick. She wrinkled her button nose at her reflection and dashed out of the room. She arrived breathless at the bottom of the stairs and hurried