Allie reached to take his hand in hers, and somehow, everything seemed right once more. "Talk to him after breakfast, Bran. Get it all said between you. Sam needs you."
Brandon's lips curved sardonically. "Seems everyone needs me, suddenly."
Allie moved to kneel between his outstretched legs, leaning forward to kiss him. "But no one needs you as much as I do, Bran."
"Prove it," he murmured.
She lay back on the rock, gently pulling him toward her until he covered her body, and he took her once more in the shadows of the night.
Chapter 27
Allie awoke sometime before daylight in her own bed. She lay in the darkness, between sleep and wakefulness, and for a moment, she was unable to remember where she was. The waterfall had disappeared, and the surface she lay on was soft – not the sun-warmed rock they'd made love on. A smile of satisfaction curved her lips, and Brandon turned, laying his rough palm against the satin of her thigh.
That brought her to full awareness, and she shifted, rubbing her eyes as she stretched. Breakfast. Boys. Men. She moved her head to look under Bran's arm, through the window. No doubt, by the look of the night sky, it was time for her to get up and start the day.
As she moved to sit up, Brandon opened his eyes. "What's wrong?"
His tousled hair fell across his forehead, his wariness obvious. She smiled at him, a shot of desire running through her. "Nothing," she answered in a less-than-steady voice. "I just need to get up. Get breakfast started."
Outside, the low voices of the drovers floated on the soft breeze as they began to stir, and Brandon gave her a look of resignation. "Morning always comes."
She stood up and stretched in the darkness. "Good thing."
He gave a short laugh, reaching to land a playful swat on her bare backside. She turned to retaliate, but he rolled away, quickly coming to his feet on the other side of the bed out of her reach. She settled for throwing a pillow at him instead, which he deflected easily.
"So predictable," he teased.
"Am I?"
He reached for his jeans. "Anything but. You know that, don't you? I've never been able to predict you."
"I wouldn't think it would have been all that hard." She pulled her clean undergarments on, not facing him.
He stopped buttoning his shirt. "I never expected to see you back down the whole town with that rifle, Allie. Never expected to see you – of all people – come around that corner."
"What else?"
He was silent a moment. She stood with her back to him. "I never expected you to run out across the courtyard that day and try to save me from Tolliver's whip."
Allie smiled at the lingering disbelief in his tone, after all these years. "How that must have rankled!" She finally faced him in the semi-darkness. "You, a man of fifteen – Bran, I can't say I'm sorry for that. It was impulsive. I could think of nothing but protecting you."
He laughed outright. "Don't apologize, Allie." Seriousness came into his eyes, spreading over his face. "It was – the most selfless thing anyone had ever done for me. I cherish that memory. And the one of you with the rifle in your hands. Twice, you've come to my rescue now," he teased. "It's my turn."
"You've already done that."
He came around the bed, closing the space between them, pulling her close in the fleeting darkness. He held her face between his hands, studying her in the dim light. "Unpredictable, Allie. But that's one of the things I love most about you. One of the things I'm happiest about."
His admission brought a sudden tightness to her throat. She looked up into his eyes, just as the veil came over the vulnerable look that she swore she'd seen. She swallowed hard. Her unpredictability had never seemed to be any kind of asset – until now. "I make you happy, huh?" She kissed his chin, lifting her face to his, her arms going around his neck.
"Uh-huh." He started to drop a light kiss on her lips. She clung, held his mouth with hers, and moved fully over his, the heat of it scorching to her core.
"How? Tell me how." Her tongue flicked across his lips, and he groaned softly.
"So many ways," he muttered. "You asked me to marry you, didn't you?"
"Umm…" Her lips curved up against his in a teasing smile. "And you agreed."
"Unpredictable." He put his tongue into her mouth, teasing, tasting, tempting. She crushed close against the warmth of his bare skin at the top of his partially-buttoned shirt
"Not really," she managed to whisper.
****
Later that morning after breakfast, the drovers prepared to head out, back south to Texas. Fred Barnes walked over to where Brandon stood talking with some of the boys.
"Brandon." He extended his hand, and Brandon took it in a firm handshake.
"Thanks, Fred, for all your help. Don't know what we would've done without you and your men."
"It was our pleasure. I expect we'll be seeing you all on a regular basis, when this operation of yours takes off."
"I hope so. You're welcome here anytime."
"Mrs. Gabriel," Fred said, as Allie stepped outside. He tipped his hat. "Thank you for your hospitality. We appreciated the fine cooking."