“Kelsey,” he said, his voice hoarse.
“Shhh.” She touched his lips with her finger. “Get some rest, cow-boy.” She kissed
him and watched him drift off to sleep.
Kelsey pulled off her glasses and set them on the desk. She was so tired that the
words had begun to blur across the screen.
After leaving Kade at the hospital last night, she hadn’t been able to sleep, too
wired after the traumatic experience. Instead, she’d plunged into writing the story
of yesterday’s fiasco and sent it off to her editor. She’d deal with the feature article
later.
Theresa had sent Kelsey a quick e-mail, promising to call. She’d raved over the article,
apparently ecstatic over Kelsey’s involvement in bringing down a notorious smuggler
who just happened to be backing a candidate for U.S. Congress. But she’d also expressed
her relief that Kelsey and Kade were both fine.
Of course Montano had called a press conference, claiming ignorance of Stevens’s activities.
But the damage had been done, and it was possible that the mayor’s candidacy for Congress
was in jeopardy.
Once she had returned from visiting Kade in the hospital that morning, Kelsey had
thrown herself into her work and finished the last of the interviews by telephone.
She had a bit more to do, but it could wait until tomorrow, when she could think clearly.
As clearly as anyone who’d just been through what she and Kade had been through could.
It was now late afternoon and Kelsey was ready for a nap. She yawned and started to
get up but stopped when her cell phone rang.
She looked at the caller display, then said, “Hey, Theresa,” as she put the phone
to her ear.
“Girlfriend.” Theresa’s voice held excitement, as if she couldn’t wait to give Kelsey
some kind of news. “I wanted to call you first thing this morning, but I was practically
held hostage by the boss woman herself. Do you realize that you’re national news?
Major U.S. media has picked up your story.”
Kelsey didn’t have the energy for excitement. Theresa had enough for both of them.
“I’ve been too busy to think about it.”
“Are you okay?” Concern came into Theresa’s tone. “I should’ve called this morning,
but I figured you must be all right to have written that article only hours after
it happened.”
“I’m fine.” Kelsey gave a tired smile to herself. “I’m just tired enough to sleep
for a week. Maybe two.”
After they hung up, Kelsey stared out the window without seeing. She had more important
things to think about than being picked up by the AP.
Should she risk telling Kade again that she loved him, and if he loved her in return,
should she risk a future with him?
“Done,” Kelsey said as she e-mailed the final draft of the feature to Theresa. She
leaned back against the den chair and relaxed.
It was hard to believe that at this time one day earlier Sal had betrayed them, Stevens
had held them at gunpoint, and Kade could have died. Her skin chilled and she shivered.
No use thinking about that now. It was over and he would be fine.
The house was eerily silent. Chuck had headed to Bisbee to buy a new pane of glass
for the front door. Sadie had gone to Douglas to run errands and then to see Kade.
Trent was staying home with Kelsey since he had a cold and they didn’t want to risk
Kade catching it.
And if she could work up the courage, Kelsey planned to tell Kade how she felt when
he came home.
Was she making the right choice? Could she do it—could she tell him that she loved
him again? And what if he rejected her?
In her heart she knew Kade was the only man she’d ever love. And if there was any
chance he loved her, she had to know.
Sighing, she rubbed her belly, trying to imagine what it would look like in a few
months. She wouldn’t tell him about the baby—yet. She wouldn’t be able to handle it
if Kade insisted that they get married based on his outmoded cowboy sense of honor
and duty. But if he didn’t want to continue their relationship she’d still allow him
to be a part of his baby’s life.
Kelsey wandered around the house, which smelled of ham cooking in the Crock-Pot and
bread baking in the bread machine. Afternoon sunshine spilled through the windows
on the west side of the house, giving everything in the living room a soft glow. To
avoid seeing the boarded-up pane in the front door, she headed out the back door to
the pond.
Monarch butterflies danced over Sadie’s irises, zinnias, and roses. The flowers were
a bright splash of purples, oranges, and reds in the midst of all the greenery. The
bees’ hum as they gathered pollen was oddly soothing as a warm breeze caressed her
skin. She smelled wet earth and moss from the pond.
Roxie barked and hobbled past her to the driveway. The bandage on the dog’s haunch
was dusty but bright against her black hair. Kelsey still couldn’t believe that Roxie
had only been shot in the leg. Like Kade, the dog was injured, but she’d be okay,
too.
Trent came out of the house, smiling and chatting. They spent the afternoon together,
Kelsey following wherever the boy led. Even though he’d been sick earlier, he sure
had a lot of energy now. She played with him in his hideout, tossed the ducks grain,
helped him feed his potbellied pigs, and pitched a game of horseshoes in the windbreak.
It was almost dark when they finally walked back to the house. Trent slipped his hand
into hers. “I told Dad I wanted to keep you.”
Kelsey’s heart twisted as she stared down at him. “That was sweet of you.”
He sighed and hung his head. “I wasn’t supposed to tell you that.”
“Oh,” she whispered.
Kade had told his son not to tell her that he wanted her to stay.
Her face felt frozen, her heart numb as they entered the house. “Trent, I’m not feeling
well,” Kelsey said. “I’m going to lie down for a while.”
“You gonna be okay?” His little face puckered in concern. “You don’t look so good.”
She forced a smile. “I’m tired and need to rest.”
After she kissed his cheek she slipped into the guest room and threw herself onto
the bed. She wasn’t going to cry. She was finished with crying over anyone.
Kelsey turned on her back and stared at the ceiling. The back porch light was on,
shining through the leaves of the mulberry bush outside her window. Shadows winked
and moved in a collage of light and gray above her.
Her head ached from holding back the tears, but her heart ached more. She felt empty.
Hollow. Alone.
She placed her hand on her belly and caressed it. No, she had her baby. The precious
life growing inside her. The gift Kade had given her.
Kelsey found the strength to smile. Everything was going to be all right.
The following afternoon, the Turners went to pick up Kade from the hospital when he
checked out.
Kelsey stood at her bedroom mirror and studied her reflection as she brushed her hair.
Thoughts of all the things Kade had said to her over the past couple of weeks flooded
her mind. Showing her his property and talking as though he was including her in his
plans. Picking out the stoneware pattern that she’d fallen in love with.
Calling her his woman.
“Damn it, Kelsey.” She thumped the brush down on the dressing table. “You can’t blow
this chance. Just maybe Kade loves you, too.”
The sound of someone clearing his throat caused her heart to drop to her belly. She
cut her gaze to the doorway and saw Kade standing there with his good arm hitched
up against the doorway.
Heat flushed over her from head to toe. “You heard that.”
He gave a slow nod and the corner of his mouth twitched.
Well, he already knew she loved him—she’d told him that when he was shot—so what did
she have to lose?
“I love you, Kade Owen.” She stood a little straighter and faced him. “I need to know
how you feel about me.”
Kade smiled and in a few steps had his good arm wrapped around her shoulders and her
body pressed to his. He squeezed her tightly to him and kissed the top of her head.
“Don’t you already know, honey? I’ve loved you from the beginning. I just had to wait
until you figured out you loved me, too.”
Kelsey sagged against him, almost unable to believe it was true. He did love her.
He lightly tugged on her hair so that she was forced to look up at him. “How could
you not know? I said it in a thousand different ways.”
Emotions swirled within her like one of their summer monsoons. Happiness, yet worry
over what he’d think about her being pregnant.
Before she had the chance to say another word, he said, “Come on. I want to take you
somewhere special.” He turned away, heading toward his room, and tossed over his shoulder,
“Pack your overnight bag.”
Insisting that he could drive just fine with one good arm, Kade drove from the ranch
toward Bisbee, but Kelsey couldn’t help worrying about him.
He loves me.
They talked about nothing and everything. About her time with Trent and how much Kade
disliked hospital food. Yet he didn’t mention the future.
When they reached Old Bisbee, she smiled as she thought of the day they’d spent there.
As Kade drove up the winding Main Street, memories assailed her. She saw the shop
where they’d bought the rose-colored skirt and blouse. The museum. The cafe where
they’d eaten lunch. The shop where they’d picked out the dinnerware.
The bed-and-breakfast where they’d stayed.
And then Kade parked right in front of it.
Kelsey turned toward him. “What are we doing here?”
He trapped her in his azure gaze. “I have something to show you.”
Kade took her hand after they got out of the truck, and he smiled. Warmth seeped into
her and she wanted to melt against him. Instead, she let him lead her into the inn,
where he approached the guy at the front desk. The ponytailed clerk tossed Kade a
key without either of them saying a word.
“What’s going on?” she asked as Kade led her up the stairs.
“You’ll see.”
At the top of the staircase, Kade inserted the key into the lock of the same room
they’d stayed in before. He opened the door and gently pushed her inside.
Kelsey stared openmouthed while the door closed behind them. Flowers completely filled
the room. Bouquets of red and yellow roses sprinkled with baby’s breath covered the
vanity. Vases brimming with white lilies and orchids topped the bureau. Baskets of
purple irises, blue bachelor’s buttons, and pink carnations lined the walls. The only
space left open was the bed and a pathway to it.
She looked up at Kade and saw him watching her, a silly grin on his face. “Do you
like it?” he asked, his voice almost shy.
“I’ve never seen anything so wonderful in my life.” It smelled like a florist’s shop,
sweet with the perfume of roses and carnations. “You did this for me?”
“It’s only the beginning.” He brought her to him and kissed her so thoroughly that
her knees gave out and he had to catch her with his good arm. He started nibbling
at her ear.
“Your injuries.” She gave him a worried look. “Are you sure you’re okay?”
“When I’m with you everything’s fine.” Kade tossed his Stetson on the table.
Kelsey shivered as he started unbuttoning her blouse. He undid the front clasp of
her bra and she gasped as his mouth captured her nipple.
She held his face in her palms and drew him up just high enough to lightly kiss the
wound at his temple, then the cuts and bruises on his face. When she helped him unbutton
his shirt, she winced at the sight of the bandage around his arm.
Faster than she had time to think, they were both naked and tumbled to the bed. She
kissed the bruises on his chest, her heart twisting at the sight of the dark purple-and-blue
flesh.
He pushed her back against the pillow. “Let me,” he murmured. His lips took possession
of her, loving every inch of her body. He slowly eased down her belly, to the soft
hair, to the delicate skin of her thighs.
And when his tongue met that most intimate part of her, he drove her almost to climax,
licking and sucking her clit, and then stopped, slid on a condom and moved over her.
She was burning alive for him, wanting him deep within her. She wrapped her legs around
him, but he just braced himself on his good arm and smiled.
She slid her arms around his neck. “Don’t stop.”
“Say it,” he whispered.
“What?” She squirmed under him, begging him without words to take her.
“Tell me you love me,” he said. “Say it. I want to hear it again.”
He lowered his head and captured her nipple in his teeth and she moaned as she murmured,
“I love you, Kade.”
He kissed her hard as he slid into her, filling her, his strokes slow and purposeful.
She clenched his hips and raked her nails over his skin, urging him on.
“Look at me,” he said, his voice husky.
She gazed up into his blue eyes, their normal brilliance clouded with passion. Shock
wave after shock wave rolled over her as she climaxed. He groaned and his body convulsed
as he found his own release.
Kelsey closed her eyes, feeling completely boneless. Utterly relaxed, with his heart
beating against hers. She lifted her lids to see him watching her. “You don’t play
fair.”
“I know.”
He withdrew from inside of her but remained on top as he leaned over and opened the
nightstand’s drawer. Her eyes widened as he pulled out a red velvet box and laid it
between her breasts. “Open it, honey.”
Her hands trembled as she opened the box and saw an exquisite diamond-and-sapphire
ring. She looked at Kade and saw him smiling at her.
“Marry me, Kelsey.”
Her thoughts spun. “Wow,” was all she could think to say. “Really?”
“I bought this the day after our stay here.” He stroked her hair behind her ear and
his face was suddenly serious. “Like I said before, I fell in love with you the day
I met you. I’ve wanted to tell you so many times, but it never seemed to be the right
moment.”