The Durango Affair - Brenda Jackson [61]
“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 document 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 assumed 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 document Jared sent?” When she didn’t respond to his question quickly enough, he said, “You assumed 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 document 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 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