"That means we can fly to Atlanta and Philly?"
"Yes, within a week"s time."
She snuggled closer. "I met all your brothers at Chase and Jessica"s wedding, but I don"t know much about them and I want to be prepared."
"Okay, then let me prepare you," he said. "At thirty-eight, Jared is the oldest and the only one who"s married. He"s the attorney in the family. Next comes Spencer. He"s only eleven months younger than Jared. He"s a financial planner. I always admired his ability to keep both his profession and personal life from falling apart a few years ago when his fiancee drowned. He took Lynette"s death hard, and I doubt to this day that he has fully recovered. Spence lives in California and is the CEO of a large financial firm there."
He looked at her and gave her his disarming smile and said, "I"m the third oldest and you know everything there"s to know about me. But if there"s more you think you need to know, then I rather show you than tell you."
"No, I think I have a pretty good idea of what you"re all about," she said, determined not to be sidetracked. "What about the others?"
His smile widened to touch the corners of his lips. "Then there are the twins, Ian and Quade. They"re thirty-three. You spent time with Ian at our wedding. He was seriously involved a few years ago with a woman who worked as a deputy for Dare, but they broke up. I don"t know the reason they split, and as far as I know, he hasn"t gotten serious about another woman since then."
He shifted their bodies and placed her on top of him. She felt his staff had grown as he entered her. She felt stretched, hot and ready. "My brother Quade works for the Secret Service. We barely know where he is most of the time, and when he comes home we know not to ask any questions. And last but not least, there is Reginald, whom we call Reggie. He"ll be turning thirty later this year. He owns his own accounting firm in downtown Atlanta."
Savannah lifted her head. She had heard the love, the respect and the closeness in Durango"s voice when he"d spoken of his brothers. "Now what about your-"
"I"m through talking for a while."
She raised an eyebrow. "Are you?"
"Yes."
She smiled. "So what would you like to do?"
He grinned and the s.e.xual chemistry between them was immediate and powerful. "I"d like you to perfect that skill I taught you earlier."
Twelve.
D urango woke up on Monday morning with an ache in his right knee. Although a glance out the window indicated a clear day he knew the ache was a sign that a snowstorm was coming. urango woke up on Monday morning with an ache in his right knee. Although a glance out the window indicated a clear day he knew the ache was a sign that a snowstorm was coming.
Being careful not to wake Savannah he eased out the bed and went into the bathroom. The moment the door closed behind him he took a deep breath and met his dark gaze in the vanity mirror. Except for the remnants of sleep still clinging to his eyes, he looked the same. Okay, he admitted he did need a shave. But there was something going on inside him that he couldn"t see. It was something he could feel and it was something the depth of which he had never felt before.
Not even for Tricia.
At the thought of the one woman who had caused him so much pain, he felt...nothing. Not that ache that used to surround his heart, nor the little reminders of the heartbreak that he had survived. What he felt now was an indescribable fulfillment, one that was new but welcome. It was a fulfillment that Savannah had given him. A warm feeling that she had miraculously placed in his heart.
In a short period of time, being around her, spending time with her and getting to know her, Savannah Claiborne had done something no other woman had been able to do. She had taken his heartache away. She had opened new doors for him, pa.s.sionate doors, doors filled with trust, faith, hope and love.
Love.
That one word suddenly made him feel disoriented. But just as quickly, he came to the realization that he did love Savannah. He loved everything about her, including the baby she was carrying. And he wanted them both, here with him, and not just temporarily, but for always. He didn"t want their marriage to end. Ever.
He sighed deeply, admitting that Jared had been right. His heart had been putty in the hands of the right woman.
Savannah"s hands.
Now, the big question was, what was he going to do about it? He"d had a hard enough job selling her the idea of a temporary marriage; she would probably fight him tooth and nail if he brought up the idea of a permanent one. But he would. Tonight. If he had to he would catch her at one of her weakest moments.
He would do whatever it took to win Savannah"s heart.
Savannah waited for the mail with excitement. Her boss had indicated that he would be sending the contract for her to sign for the proposal she had submitted for the calendar and doc.u.mentary. Already, several of Durango"s coworkers, eager to partic.i.p.ate, had volunteered.
As she sat at the table and sipped her tea she thought about the phone calls she had gotten from Durango. He"d called twice to warn her about a snowstorm that was headed their way. In the second call, he had informed her that he wanted to talk with her about something important when he got home. Although he wouldn"t go into any details, she could tell by the tone of his voice that whatever he wanted to discuss was serious.
She heard the mail truck pull up and quickly placed her teacup aside and grabbed her coat off the rack. As soon as she stepped outside, she felt the change in the weather.
After getting all the mail out of the mailbox, she quickly went back inside to the warmth. Tossing all the letters aside that were addressed to Durango, she came across two that were addressed to her.
The first was the one she"d been waiting for, from the company where she worked. The second, however, caused her to lift an eyebrow. It was a letter from Jared Westmoreland"s law firm. Curious, she ripped into the letter Durango"s brother had sent her and pulled out the legal-looking doc.u.ment.
Tears began forming in her eyes when she read it. In his ever efficient way, Durango was taking every precaution by reminding her of the terms of their agreement, as well as putting in writing what he intended to do for her and the baby after their marriage ended. The purpose of the paper she held in her hand was to remind her of their agreement. Their marriage was nothing more than a business arrangement.
She wondered if that was what he wanted to talk to her about when he got home. Had he detected the change in her? Had she not been able to hide the fact that she loved him? Maybe he wanted to get everything out in the open, and back into perspective? Was the doc.u.ment his way of letting her know he was beginning to feel smothered and wanted her to leave?
A sudden pain filled her heart and she knew she could never stay where she wasn"t wanted...or loved. Her mother had remained in such a situation, but Savannah had vowed that she never would. Tossing the doc.u.ment on the table, she went into the bedroom to pack. If she was lucky, she would be able to catch a plane to Philadelphia before the bad weather set in.
She was going home.
Durango glanced up at his office door and saw Beth standing there. He smiled. He hadn"t had a chance to thank her for hosting the party the past weekend.
Before he could open his mouth, she quickly said, "Paul just called and said that an SUV resembling yours pa.s.sed him on the road."
Durango lifted an eyebrow and sat up straight in his chair and frowned. He had begun using one of the park"s SUVs so that Savannah wouldn"t be without transportation at the ranch. "And he thinks he saw my Durango?"
"He said it looked a lot like yours and that it was headed toward Bozeman. He was concerned with the storm coming in."
So was Durango. He had called Savannah twice earlier to tell her about the bad weather coming their way and she hadn"t mentioned anything about going out. Why on earth would she drive to town?
"Maybe it wasn"t your truck, but one that looked like yours."
Durango knew Beth was trying to keep him from worrying, but he was already reaching for the phone to call home. Most people around these parts knew his truck when they saw it because of the custom chrome rims.
He began to panic when no one answered the phone at his place. He then tried Savannah"s cell phone. When he didn"t get an answer he hung up the phone and glanced back at Beth, who had a worried look on her face. A snowstorm in Montana wasn"t anything to play with and the thought of Savannah out in one wasn"t good. He stood, already moving toward the door. "I"m out of here. I need to find Savannah before the storm hits."
"Call me when you do."
"I will." He tossed the words over his shoulder as he quickly left.
No need to panic now, Savannah told herself as she continued to drive although she could barely see the road through the snow. It seemed the huge flakes had begun coming all at once, blanketing everything, decreasing her sight to zero visibility. Savannah told herself as she continued to drive although she could barely see the road through the snow. It seemed the huge flakes had begun coming all at once, blanketing everything, decreasing her sight to zero visibility.
Knowing it was no longer safe to move Durango"s truck another foot, she pulled to the shoulder of the road and killed the engine. She reached into her purse for her cell phone and tried several times without success to reach Durango. Without the heat in the truck, she soon began to feel chilled. She reached for the blanket Durango kept under the seat. Savannah wrapped it around her shoulders, grateful for the warmth it provided, but knew it was only a temporary measure. She wasn"t sure how long she could sit here like this, but she also knew to get out of the truck in this type of weather would be suicidal. She wasn"t far from the ranch but she wasn"t familiar enough with the area to venture out on foot. She decided to stay put.
The best thing to do would be to wait and turn on the engine for heat every so often. She hoped and prayed that the storm would let up or that someone would find her.
Durango drove the road that led from Bozeman to his ranch. Within eight miles of his home he spotted his truck on the side of the road. Pulling up beside it, he quickly got out of the Jeep, ignoring the snowflakes that clung to his face. His heart was beating rapidly as he ran to his SUV.
His heart leaped in his chest the moment he opened the door. Savannah was wrapped in his blanket and curled up on the seat. He reached out and touched her and the first thing he noticed was that she was cold as ice. The second thing he noticed was her overnight bag and camera case on the floor. Where was she going? Why was she leaving? Where was she going? Why was she leaving?
"Savannah? Baby, are you okay? What"s going on?"
When she didn"t respond he panicked. He pulled her gently into his arms, sheltering her face in his thick, furlined parka.
His first inclination was to get her to a hospital and fast. But that was a fifteen-mile trip. He was adequately trained in first aid and made a quick decision to get Savannah to a warm place.
Since they were close to the ranch, he decided to go there. Once at home he would call Trina. He had spoken to her earlier and knew she was at the Marshalls" place on a medical call. The Marshalls" baby had picked the day of what looked to be one of the biggest snowstorms of the year to be born on.
Trina would have to pa.s.s by his place on the way home. If she hadn"t left already, he would have her stop at his ranch. As he slogged through the deep snow to the SUV, he couldn"t help worrying about his wife and child.
He didn"t know why she had tried leaving him, but now that he had found her, there was no way he would ever let her go.
"And you"re sure Savannah and the baby are going to be all right, Trina?"
Trina motioned for them to step out in the hallway before she began speaking. "Yes, they are both doing fine. I checked the baby"s heartbeat and it"s as strong as ever. That"s a tough kid the two of you are going to have."
Durango had nearly been a basket case when she"d arrived. Any a.s.sumption she"d had that the only reason he had gotten married was because Savannah was pregnant had gotten blown out the window, smothered in the snow. What she saw in Durango was a man who truly loved his wife.
Seeing that her words had relaxed him somewhat, Trina continued by saying, "You did the right thing by bringing her here and getting her warm. Giving her that tea really did the trick. But I"m glad you found her when you did. I don"t want to think about what would have happened if you hadn"t. She knew the risk of carbon monoxide poisoning which is why she hadn"t kept the truck"s heater running and I"m glad she didn"t."
Durango nodded. He was glad, as well. "How long will she be sleeping?"
"For another couple of hours or so. Just let her rest," Trina said, slipping into her coat.
"Are you sure you want to go out in this? You can stay and wait for things to clear up."
Trina smiled. "Thanks, but I know my way around these parts pretty good. Have you forgotten that I grew up here? I only live a few miles away. I"ll be fine. And I promise to call you when I get home."
Durango nodded, knowing there was nothing he could say to Patrina Foreman that would make her change her mind. Perry had always said that stubborn was her middle name. "Thanks for everything, Trina. How can I repay you?"
"You already have, Durango. From the day you moved into the area, you were always a true friend to me and Perry, and then, after I lost him, you, McKinnon, Beth and everyone else in these parts were there for me, giving me the shoulder I needed to cry on and helping me keep the ranch running. For that I will always be grateful."
She smiled and continued by saying, "Perry and I were married for five happy years, and my only regret is that we didn"t have a child together. Then I would have something of his that would always be with me. But you have that, Durango. You got the best of both worlds. You have a wife you love and the child she is giving you. Take care of them both."
An hour or so later, Durango stood at the window, barely able to see the mountains for the snow. It was falling thicker and faster. At least Trina had called to let him know she had made it home and he was glad of that. He had also called the rangers" station to let everyone know Savannah was safe and doing fine.
He sighed deeply and lifted the doc.u.ment he held in his hand and reread it. It had included all the things he had told Jared he wanted in it, and now after reading it he could just imagine what Savannah had thought, what she had a.s.sumed after reading it herself. How would he ever convince her to stay now?
He glanced around the room. The house would be cold, empty and lifeless without Savannah there. No matter what he needed to do, get on his knees and beg if he had to, he refused to let the woman he loved walk out of his life.
Savannah forced her eyes open although she wasn"t ready to end her dream just yet. In it Durango had just removed her clothes, had begun kissing her. But a sound made her come awake.
She glanced across the room, and there he was, the man she loved, kneeling in front of the fireplace, working the flames and keeping her warm. She breathed in deeply as pain clutched at her heart. She recalled packing, trying to make it to the airport before the storm hit. How had she gotten back here, to a place where she wasn"t wanted? That agonizing question made her moan deep in her throat and it was then that Durango turned around and stared at her, holding her gaze with his and with a force that left her breathless.
She watched as he stood and slowly came over to the bed, his gaze still locked on hers. "You were leaving me," he said in a low, accusing tone. "You were actually leaving me."
Savannah sighed. Evidently he wasn"t used to women leaving him and the thought of her abandoning him hurt his pride. "You didn"t want me anymore," she said softly, not knowing what else to say. "I thought it would be best if I left."
"Did you think that I didn"t want you anymore because of that doc.u.ment Jared sent?" When she didn"t respond to his question quickly enough, he said, "You a.s.sumed the wrong thing, Mrs. Westmoreland."
Savannah blinked. In all the weeks they had married, he had never called her that, mainly because they"d both known the name was only temporary. So why was he calling her that now? "Did I?"
"Yes, you did. I thought having everything spelled out in a doc.u.ment was what you"d want. I guess I was wrong."
"It doesn"t matter," she said softly, trying to hold back her tears.
He came and sat on the side of the bed and took her hand in his. "Yes, it does matter, Savannah. It matters a lot because you matter. You matter to me."
She shrugged, weakly. "The baby matters to you."
"Yes, and the baby matters to you, too. But you also matter to me. You You matter because I love you." matter because I love you."
She blinked again and those beautiful hazel eyes of hers stared at him with disbelief in their depth. He was determined to make her believe and accept him. "I do love you. It would be a waste of time to ask exactly when it happened, but since we have all the time in the world you can go ahead and ask me anyway," he said, smiling and stretching out beside her on the bed.
"When?" she asked, barely able to get the single word out.
He paused, as if searching for the right words. "I think it was when I arrived late at the rehearsal dinner and saw you standing there talking to Jessica. And when you looked up and met my gaze, something hit me. I a.s.sumed it was l.u.s.t, but now I know it was love. l.u.s.t would not have driven me to have unprotected s.e.x with any woman, tipsy or not, Savannah. But when we made love I was driven with an urgency I"d never felt before to be inside you and feel the full impact of exploding inside you."
He grinned. "Pill or no Pill, no wonder you got pregnant. Now when I think about it, it would have really surprised the h.e.l.l out of me if you hadn"t. I was hot that night and so were you. Mating the way we did was just a pregnancy waiting to happen. It wasn"t intentional, but it was meant to be. And regardless of how you feel about me, I love you."