Always Dakota - Debbie Macomber [93]
“You’re wrong, Margaret!”
Sadly she shook her head. “Are you now claiming you did love me? You expect me to believe you would’ve married me if I didn’t have a dime to my name?”
He lowered his gaze. She had him there and he knew it.
“It didn’t hurt that you inherited the ranch. I won’t lie about that, but it wasn’t the only reason.” He hesitated and swallowed convulsively. “You were the first person who ever believed in me. I told you that before, and it’s the truth. You had faith in me. I’ve never had anyone stick up for me the way you did. Never had anyone look past my faults and love me despite them. Not like you—not with such sweetness…such innocence.”
“In other words, I was a naive idiot.”
“I never meant to hurt you. If I could go back and change any of this I would.”
Margaret couldn’t look at him and not feel the urge to forgive—but she refused to do that. He’d hurt her too deeply. “You can’t change the past.”
He gripped his hat with both hands and boldly held her eyes. “You got what you wanted.”
She frowned in confusion. “I wanted this kind of pain? I wanted this agony? Never in my life have I hurt more! It wasn’t this bad when my father died, and now you’re telling me it’s what I want? You’re crazy!”
“You wanted me, remember?”
Unfortunately she did remember, all too well.
“I’m no prize. You knew that when you married me.”
“All I want…” she sobbed “…is for all this pain to go away.”
“If I could make that happen, I would. But I can’t.” He moved toward her, then stopped when she tensed. “I’ve talked to Sheryl and her attorney. The baby’s due the end of June and she’ll be my responsibility.”
“It’s a girl?”
He nodded.
“You’ve spoken to Sheryl?” She couldn’t keep the dejection out of her voice.
“It was while I was in the attorney’s office, and it wasn’t a friendly conversation. Mostly I let him do the talking….”
She swallowed the huge lump that filled her throat.
“You’re right, I didn’t love you when we married. I’m guilty of that crime, but I didn’t marry you just for the ranch. I needed someone to believe in me, and even if it was only for these five months, all I can do is thank you. I’ve learned to love you, Margaret. Heart and soul, I love you.”
She could feel herself being drawn toward him, being lured back into his arms. Despite her own intentions, she was affected by his sincerity. “You love me,” she repeated doubtfully. “That’s mighty convenient, isn’t it?”
“Assume what you want, but it’s the truth.”
Margaret needed to think, needed to sort through the pain and all the confused emotions. It was too easy to allow herself to be swayed.
Pressing her hands to the sides of her head, she closed her eyes. “I can’t think now.”
“Take all the time you need. I’m not going anywhere. When you’re ready to talk, I’ll be here.”
That was fair, and necessary. She nodded, turned her back on him and walked inside.
Fourteen
Sarah couldn’t sit still. She paced the living room and glanced at the clock every other minute, waiting for Dennis to come home. She would have driven down to the service station and confronted him, but it was his day to make fuel deliveries. Briefly she considered waiting for him there. However, when she was this angry, she preferred to discuss the matter in private.
An hour later, the door off the kitchen swung open and Dennis came in, still wearing his grease-smeared coveralls. From the way he dragged his feet, she knew he’d had a long, hard day, but that didn’t stop her. She had to know.
“Did you and Calla have an argument last week?” she demanded.
Dennis snapped his head back, as though her sharp words had caught him by surprise.
“Did you have it out with my daughter?” she asked again, with the same outraged intensity. The anger had been festering inside her