Page 23 of Under an Oklahoma Sky

What she didn’t add was that it would also mean less time in his arms. While her attraction to him was unlike anything she’d felt for anyone except Mark, she had her children to think about. She knew Adam would never intentionally hurt Jenna or Matthew—of that, she was one hundred percent sure—but what would the other kids and people in town say about her being involved with an ex-convict? Yes, he never should have gone to prison, but facts had a way of getting lost once people started slinging mud—especially in a small town.

“Okay.” He nodded and glanced down at her feet. “Let’s do it.”

She took his hands and placed one on her shoulder and the other on her waist. “We’ll start with a simple box step. You step forward, and I’ll step back, then one step to your right, then back and to the left.”

He grinned at her. “I think your definition of simple is different from mine, but I’m willing to give it a shot.”

Trying to ignore how aware she was of his hands on her, she led him through the basic steps. He was stiff at first and, true to his prediction, stepped on her toes a few times. But as the song played on, he began to relax. Unfortunately, that only made it harder for her to remember why keeping her distance had seemed like such a good idea.

Their bodies swayed in time to the music, their steps growing shorter as the space between them gradually dwindled. They’d started a good eighteen inches apart, but by the time the first song ended and another began, they were much closer than they had been before. She kept her gaze pinned to his chest, afraid of what would happen if she looked into his eyes. The little restraint she had left was sure to vanish.

If Adam sensed her turmoil, he didn’t show it. Instead, he brought her other hand up to rest on his shoulder, then wrapped his arms around her, closing the gap between them even more. Neither spoke—they just danced. The second song ended, and a third began.

She no longer had the strength to hold him at bay. Lifting her chin, she found him gazing down at her, and the desire in his eyes made her forget every sensible argument she’d made to herself. His full mouth practically begged to be kissed.

Her hands slid into his hair and tugged him toward her. Ever so slowly, he lowered his head until their lips met.

She sighed and held onto him as the kiss deepened. One would think an inexperienced, middle-aged man wouldn’t be able to affect her this much, but holy hell, knowing she was the woman awakening this side of him made her feel strangely powerful.

The backs of her legs bumped into a stack of three hay bales, though she didn’t remember crossing the barn floor that far. Breaking the kiss, Adam glanced at the hay behind her, then back at her, silently asking permission. At her nod, he lifted her onto the top bale, where she sat facing him. He stepped closer, and she reached for him again.

Whether or not the man knew it, he was slowly destroying every bit of resolve she had left. She wondered if she would have been this attracted to him if he’d come on like gangbusters instead of a shy, stray dog learning to trust and figuring out what was and wasn’t allowed. She’d always had a soft spot for strays—damn it.

Her arms went around his neck as he kissed her again, and she let herself forget all the reasons getting involved with him was a bad idea. Right then, none of them seemed nearly as important as they had an hour ago. All that mattered was being there with him and how wonderful it felt to be wanted again.

A faint rumbling filtered through Sage’s thoughts, but it wasn’t until another round of thunder sounded that she realized what it was. She groaned in dismay, and Adam did the same. The pregnant mares and new foals needed to be brought into the barn before the storm got any closer.

He stepped back and cupped her chin. The regret in his eyes probably matched her own before he leaned forward and placed a chaste kiss on her nose. “Looks like playtime is over. Thanks for the dance lesson.”

She couldn’t help the coy smile that spread across her face. “It was my pleasure.”

A deep chuckle rumbled from him as he helped her down. “Mine too.”

Chapter Nine

Pushing her shopping cart, Sage strode up and down the aisles of the local Piggly Wiggly, checking things off her short list as she found them. She was only getting the necessities since it would be another few weeks before the first foal was sold, with the second one going shortly after. Most of that money would have to go toward the past-due mortgage payments, so every dollar counted right now. While she always felt sad saying goodbye to the horses, her family needed the money more than anything. Such was life on a farm.

As she made her way through the Health & Beauty aisle, she slowed when she reached the family planning section. Condoms weren’t on her list and hadn’t been since she’d first gotten married. But thoughts of Adam — and how their private encounters had grown increasingly passionate lately—brief but intense—made her wonder when they might take things further, and whether Adam would even think about needing protection.

She was getting to the point where taking things slowly was becoming increasingly difficult. Each brush of his lips against hers, each heated stare when no one was watching, and each touch that was far from innocent left her wanting more. She knew he was unaccustomed to romantic relationships, and they’d agreed not to rush things, but that didn’t mean she couldn’t be prepared in case they both decided the time was right.

Out of the corner of her eye, she saw Mrs. Davidson, the church organist, coming her way, so Sage quickly shifted her attention to the mini-pads and tampons next to the condom display. No need to give the notorious gossip fresh fodder for the rumor mill.

They exchanged pleasantries, but thankfully, the old biddy moved along without her usual chitchat. As soon as Mrs. Davidson turned the corner at the end of the aisle, Sage snatched a box of condoms from the shelf and glanced around to make sure no one was nearby before hiding them under a loaf of bread in her cart. Thank goodness the store now had several self-checkout registers, so she wouldn’t have to hand them to a clerk.

After quickly locating most of the items still on her list, Sage headed down the dairy aisle and stopped short. Standing a few feet away, Mrs. Davidson was conversing with Missy Brooks and Shelly Barrett, who were closer to Sage’s age, and it was clear from their startled expressions she’d caught them off guard. Eyes widened and mouths dropped as they stared at her. Even if she hadn’t heard the words “shacking up with an ex-con” fall from Missy’s lips, it wasn’t hard to figure out she’d interrupted their bull session concerning her and Adam.

Her eyes narrowed at the three gossipmongers as she crossed her arms. “Please don’t stop talking on my account. I’m dying to hear all about the ex-con I’m shacking up with. I hate getting news third hand, especially when it’s about me and I should be the first to know. Tell me, how far has the rumor mill gotten? Are there any facts involved, or are you just making it all up as you go?”

Mrs. Davidson gasped and brought her oh-so-holy-and-innocent hand to her chest as all three women blushed. The church organist was the first to recover. “W-Well, I never⁠—”

“Maybe that’s your problem, then. You might be a lot happier if you spent less time worrying about everyone else’s life and more time enjoying your own. Now, if you’ll excuse me…” Sage pulled the box of condoms out from under the bread and waved it in front of their shocked faces. “…my ex-con and I have plans tonight.”

Without giving them a chance to respond, she shoved her cart forward, forcing the women to jump out of her way. “Have a nice day, ladies.”

Anger surged through her, and she fought hard to keep it under control. Pelting the women with containers of yogurt and sour cream like she wanted to would only be childish and give them more to talk about, no matter how satisfying it would be.

Damn it. She should have known she and Adam would become the talk of the town after the barn raising when she’d kissed him in front of everyone, but it still bothered her—not that she’d let anyone know it. She’d gone from being Mark Hammond’s poor widow to the town floozy in a scant few weeks, despite the fact that her relationship with Adam hadn’t yet been consummated.