He wasn’t planning...he was already gone.
Rosey had hemmed and hawed but finally admitted that all she knew was that Dean and his brother Nick had gone back to Thunder Canyon sometime early that morning.
Heartbroken, Shelby had only nodded and then asked Rosey to get her car from Dean’s trailer and leave her keys on the kitchen table. She’d gone searching for her phone in the bottom of her purse when she got back to Caitlin’s hospital room, but realized she must have left it at home in her mad dash to the hospital.
She didn’t want to ask Rosey to make another trip, so she forced herself to concentrate solely on her daughter when the doctors insisted she stay another night thanks to a high fever.
Besides, she didn’t think she’d have the courage to call Dean and ask why he’d left.
But now they were home and after a quick meal, they’d put a sleepy Caitlin to bed, her mother and Shelby stumbling over the little girl’s questions about Dean and when she was going to see him again.
She wanted him to sign her cast.
Her mother had given her shoulders a quick squeeze as Shelby had blinked back tears and gave only the answer she could—she didn’t know—and that was when Caitlin had simply told her to call him and ask him to come over. Vivian had smiled and whispered that the best advice often came out of the mouths of babes.
Her mother went off to bed, but Shelby, cell phone in hand, had chickened out and had gone to take a shower instead.
Now, dressed in her silky cotton nightgown and matching bathrobe, with her hair wrapped turban-style in a towel, she checked on Caitlin again—something she’d be doing a lot of for many nights to come—and found her daughter sound asleep.
She stood at the doorway, awed by the ease with which the little girl seemed to be recovering from her harrowing ordeal. Shelby, on the other hand, wasn’t faring so well. She missed Dean so much that her stomach hurt.
Grabbing her phone, determined to at least give him the apology he deserved, even though she’d much rather do it in person, she thumbed in her password.
Twelve voice mail messages.
She didn’t think twelve different people had her number. Okay, there was Rosey, her mother of course, her coworkers at the bar, Dean...
Could one—or more of them—be from him?
Almost forty-eight hours had passed since they’d last seen each other, a day and a half since she’d learned he had indeed left town.
She punched in the code and listened, pacing back and forth across the kitchen floor. One from Rosey, and two were from waitresses at the bar the morning Caitlin went missing. Not wanting to relive those moments, Shelby deleted them. The next thing she heard was Dean’s deep voice in her ear.
Shelby...it’s Dean...look, I know I’m probably the last person you want to talk to right now...
Oh, how wrong he was! She gripped the kitchen counter as a long pause filled the air. She wondered if he’d hung up, but then his voice returned.
This isn’t how I wanted to tell you...I mean, please know I’m thinking about Caitlin...the thing is, I need to go...
Her heart seized in her chest.
A knocking at the kitchen door made Shelby jump and her phone slipped from her hands to land in a pile of dirty dishes in the sink.
Damn! Shelby reached for the phone, hitting the button to exit from voice mail by mistake as the knocking came again.
Marching across the room, she peeked through the curtains, her frozen heart jump-starting back into action when she saw the wide shoulders and close-cropped blond hair.
Then he turned and looked directly at her.
Fumbling with the door, Shelby finally got it open and stared through the screen as Dean stood there looking wonderful in his familiar outfit of jeans and plain T-shirt.
She opened her mouth to speak, but nothing came out.
“You’re surprised to see me,” Dean said.
“Yes—” she nodded at her phone still in her hand “—I am. I was just listening to my messages, as a matter of fact.”
He heaved a deep sigh and braced his hands on his hips, her eyes drawn to the single yellow rose he held in his fingers.
“Can I come in?” he asked.
Shelby unhooked the door and scooted backward. “Of course.”
He stepped into the kitchen, his gaze immediately taking in the masses of flowers on the table and counters.
“Those are from...well, everyone. The day-care center, Rosey and Sam, the Traubs. Caitlin’s hospital room was so full we ended up leaving some flowers to be enjoyed by the other patients.”
“I planned to call the hospital to check on her, but then I saw Rosey and she told me Caitlin had been released today.”
“Just a few hours ago. She’s sound asleep now, perfectly healthy except for a selective memory of her adventure, which is probably a good thing, and a bright pink cast on her arm.” She was babbling, but she couldn’t help it. “I didn’t hear your truck pull up.”
“That’s because I walked.”
She blinked. “All the way from Thunder Canyon?”
He turned and looked at her. “From the Shriver place just down the road.” Then he thrust the rose in her direction. “This is for you.”
“It’s beautiful. Thank you.”
“It’s not much, considering all this.” He waved at the colorful arrangements.
“It’s perfect.” Shelby lifted the flower to her nose, the velvety soft petals and fragrant scent taking her back to Saturday night at his trailer.
Looking up, she found his gaze on her.
Was he remembering, too? Did it matter?
No, what was important now was that she had the chance to tell him what she’d wanted to say, what she needed to say.
“You know, I’m glad you stopped by. I tried to find you that first night at the hospital. Actually it was very early in the morning, but you’d already left.”
He crossed the kitchen toward her. “Shelby—”
“No, Dean, please let me say this. I reacted terribly when the ambulance arrived with Caitlin. To blame you for what happened was stupid and thoughtless and I’m so sorry.” Her fingers tightened around the stem of the rose, the tiny thorns pricking her skin. “You’ve been so sweet and wonderful. My God, you saved my daughter’s life and I never even said thank you.”
“You were upset.” Dean took a step closer. “I understood that—”
“That’s no excuse.” Shelby shook her head and backed away, her backside bumping into the counter behind her. “I’ve heard... I know that you’ve decided to return home—” Her voice broke and she had to take a moment to swallow the sudden lump in her throat, but she forced herself to keep talking. “I’m sad that what we shared is ending. Caitlin will miss having you around as much as I will, but I’m grateful that my last words to you won’t be ones of anger.”
Two more steps and Dean was right in front of her, bracing his hands on the counter, caging her in with his body. He leaned in close. “Can I talk now?”
“Um, sure.” She jerked her head in a quick nod. “I guess—”
He crushed his mouth to hers, cutting off whatever she’d planned to say next with a kiss that consumed her. The first swipe of his tongue against hers took her breath, but it was the passion and intensity that had her responding with the same urgency.
She angled her head, the towel falling from around her hair to land on the kitchen floor, but she didn’t care. Her muscles tightened as liquid yearning raced through her.
Then slowly he gentled his kisses, now soft and unhurried and achingly sweet. Finally he dragged his mouth away and she found herself leaning forward, reluctant to end the connection between them.
Because once it was broken, she feared he would tell her what that kiss had really meant.
Tears threatened, forcing her to keep her eyelids closed. “I thought you were going to say something,” she whispered.
“I just did.”
Goodbye.
He w
as saying goodbye.
She squeezed her eyes tight, but a single tear escaped anyway and trailed down her cheek.
“Oh, Shelby, please don’t cry.” Dean brushed at the wetness with his thumb. “I’m not going anywhere.”
“What?” Her eyes flew open and then she blinked as more tears escaped. She reached to wipe them away, but Dean gently erased them for her. “What are you talking about?”
“Don’t you listen to your voice mails?”
Stunned, Shelby shook her head. “I just started to... I didn’t have my phone at the hospital. How many did you leave me?”
“I don’t know, seven or eight? I hate talking to those things. I sound like an idiot every time.”
“But I thought—”
He placed a finger against her lips, stopping her words. “I can figure out what you thought. You listened to town gossip.” He smiled and dropped his hand. “Don’t you know better than that, Miss Jenkins?”
Shelby thought she did, but now the hope swelling inside her at his declaration had her asking, “So what did you say in those messages?”
“That I had to go home because my dad got hurt—”
“Oh! Is he okay?”
“Yes, he’s fine. I also said I had some thinking to do, but that I’d be back by the end of the week.”
“But it’s only Tuesday.”
“I couldn’t stay away from you.” Dean brushed back her wet hair, his hands cradling her face. “Being away from Caitlin, away from Rust Creek Falls... I love you, Shelby. I’ve thought about moving here and starting my own contractor business and I’m almost as much in love with that old house down the road as I am with you, but the most important thing is being with you and Caitlin. No matter where that might be. You’d talked about moving away. So if you do, I want to go with you, because any place will be perfect as long as we’re together.”
Tears filled her eyes again, but this time they came from a place of unbelievable joy. For too long she’d been lost in the past, unable to move forward, too worried that she’d make another mistake.
She didn’t have to worry anymore because life wasn’t about the mistakes she’d made in the past; it was about living the life she wanted and being lucky enough to find someone to love who wanted to share that life with her.
Dean was the man she loved. The one she wanted to be with. Right here in Rust Creek Falls.
“Could you say that again?” she whispered, winding her arms around his neck, the rose still in her hand.
“Which part?”
“The part about loving me?”
Dean’s hands skimmed down her back, landing at her hips before he pulled her close. “I love you, Shelby Jenkins, and I promise I will for the rest of my life.”
“Oh, Dean, I love you, too.”
* * *
“Okay, no peeking now.”
Shelby smiled. “How can I peek with this cloth tied over my eyes?”
Dean returned her grin, even though she couldn’t see it. He’d picked her up around noon, glad when she’d told him her mother and Caitlin were out running errands.
That wasn’t true. Actually, they were already here. Everyone was here, except for him and Shelby.
“Are you sure I can’t take this off yet?” She’d looked a bit hesitant when he’d presented the blindfold, but had finally agreed to wear it when Dean told her it was part of her surprise. “You’ve parked the truck, so I’m guessing we’re here?”
“Not yet.” He shut down the engine and then raced around to the passenger side and helped her out. Eyeing the rocky incline before them, he made a split-second decision and scooped her into his arms.
“Hey!”
“Shh, it’s just easier this way.”
Dean cradled her close and dropped a quick kiss on her lips. She relaxed in his embrace, much like she’d done four days ago when he told her how much he loved her.
And she’d said the same to him.
Since then, they’d both been busy with work and he went over to her place in the evenings for dinner and to spend time together, but Shelby was still uneasy about leaving Caitlin for long periods of time. He understood that and hoped he wasn’t taking things too fast with his surprise for her today.
“So, I know we’re outside because the sun feels wonderful and the air smells so fresh and clear and... Wait, is that water I hear?” Shelby turned her head. “Are we at the falls again?”
Dean remained silent as he walked up the last rise, easily spotting the small crowd gathered around a picnic lunch. He smiled at everyone and sent Caitlin a wink as he walked past her. The little girl blinked back at him and giggled.
“Okay, I know that giggle.” Shelby started to squirm. “What is Caitlin doing here?”
“Relax, Mama,” she called out. “It’s a surprise!”
“Yeah, it’s a surprise,” Dean repeated, his voice low. “And we’re almost there.”
“Almost where?”
Moments later, Dean planted Shelby’s feet to the ground, making sure she was steady before he reached behind her and loosened the covering and eased it away.
She blinked in the bright sunshine and looked around, her eyes growing round with surprise once she realized where she was standing. “Oh, Dean! The bridge! You rebuilt Daddy’s bridge.”
“Actually a group of kids from the high school wood shop did the work with a little help.” Dean took her hands in his, loving the expression on her face. “Thanks to photographs, they were able to re-create the original design. They’ve been working hard to get it finished before school starts next week.”
“Oh, it’s beautiful!” She lightly trailed her fingers across the waist-high timber railing. “What a wonderful surprise. Thank you.”
“Wait, we’re not done yet.” Dean turned and motioned for the people behind him to come forward. “There are some folks here I’d like you to meet.”
It took a few minutes to introduce Shelby to his family as everyone had made the trip up from Thunder Canyon. His father, his left arm in a sling to support his recovering collarbone; his brothers, Nick, whom Shelby already knew, and Cade; Cade’s wife, Abby; his sister, Holly, and her husband, Bo Clifton, and their daughter, Sabrina, who already seemed quite taken with Caitlin as the two girls stood together and chatted.
Shelby’s mom admitted that she’d found out about the picnic just last night from Dean but agreed to play along to surprise her daughter. Soon, everyone was enjoying a picnic lunch and it meant the world to Dean to see Shelby and her family embraced by his.
“Did I throw you into the deep end of the pool here?” He nudged Shelby’s shoulder with his own as they sat together on one of the blankets. “You know, with my family?”
“Sort of,” she said, then smiled in return. “I thought maybe we’d take a trip down to Thunder Canyon—you, me and Caitlin—in the next couple of months so we could meet everyone, but this was very sweet. Everyone in your family is so nice. Thank you for a wonderful day.”
“Do you think you can stand a bit more wonderful?”
“What do you mean?”
Dean got to his feet, held out his hand and helped Shelby up. He led her back to the bridge, enjoying her delight at being able to stand there as the rushing creek flowed beneath them.
“I love you, Shelby.” He took her hands and stood right in front of her. “I want to spend the rest of my life with you, and be a proper father to Caitlin and any other children who might come our way.”
“Dean, what are you saying?”
He reached into his pocket and pulled out the small velvet box. Dropping to one knee, he held tight to one of Shelby’s hands as the other had flown to cover her mouth when she gasped. “I’m saying, I know this is awfully fast, maybe too fast, but this summer love between us is a forever love and I want you to be my wife.” He opened the box and showed her the solitaire diamond inside. “Will you marry me?”
“Oh, Dean, yes! Of course! Yes!”
As their families clapped and c
heered behind him, Dean slipped the ring on Shelby’s finger, then rose and took her into his arms. The promise of love and happiness he saw there told him they’d found their happily-ever-after at last.
Together.
* * * * *
Look for THE MAVERICK & THE MANHATTANITE
by USA TODAY bestselling author Leanne Banks,
the next installment in
MONTANA MAVERICKS: RUST CREEK COWBOYS
On sale September 2013, wherever Harlequin books are sold.
Keep reading for an excerpt from It’s a Boy! by Victoria Pade
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Chapter One
“No, Carter, you can’t eat cheesecake with your hands!” The man groaned. “Oh, sure, now scratch your head with cheesecake hands. Great. Perfect. Cheesecake in the hair. Can you just stop? Please...”
Heddy Hanrahan was witnessing the fiasco of an intensely hunky business-suit-clad man ineptly dealing with a little boy Heddy guessed to be about two years old.
They were sitting at a table in her small cheesecake shop. And since they were her only customers late on that Monday afternoon, and the man was having such trouble with the very, very cute little boy with the big blue eyes and the now-cheesecake-laced light brown hair, it was difficult for her not to keep glancing in their direction.
The Maverick's Summer Love (Montana Mavericks: Rust Creek Cowboys) Page 20