by Sara Orwig
Sierra faced a short man with a fringe of black hair and rimless spectacles that were perched on his nose. After she asked him to be seated, he opened a briefcase. “Ms. Benson, I’m here on behalf of Dirkson Callahan. He wishes to make a donation to this agency, particularly for a children’s shelter you have.” He handed a sealed envelope to her.
“It is in honor of his four sons, and he hopes it will help some less fortunate children.”
“Thank you,” she said, astonished, as she looked at the envelope in her hand. She began to open it. “Four sons?” she asked, remembering Cade and Gabe, the married son, Nathan—and Blake had to be the fourth. She opened the envelope and withdrew a folded paper. When she opened it, a check fluttered to her desk.
She read the handwriting scrawled across the page. In honor of my sons: Blake Callahan, Cade Callahan, Nathan Callahan, Gabe Callahan.
Dirkson Callahan.
She picked up the check and drew a deep breath when she saw the figures for a quarter of a million dollars.
“This is extremely generous, Mr. Sedgewick,” she said, looking at him. “That’s an enormous donation, and we’ll try to honor it the best way possible. This will help a lot of little girls and little boys, kids that have no families. Please tell Mr. Callahan we’ll try to find some way to thank him and honor his sons.”
“He does not want publicity for this. I’m sure you can understand. Just some simple recognition to his sons—perhaps a letter from the agency.”
“Of course,” she answered as he closed his briefcase and stood. She followed him to the front door of the agency and then turned back. Nan stood behind her, and Bert was beside Nan.
“What was all that about?” Bert asked.
“I can’t figure it out. Dirkson Callahan never acknowledged his oldest son. According to Blake, he barely was a father to the other three sons. Yet Mr. Sedgewick was Dirkson Callahan’s representative, and he gave me an envelope containing a donation to the agency in honor of his four sons. It’s a check for a quarter of a million dollars for the children’s shelter.”
“Saints above!” Bert gasped. “Sierra, what is it with you and the Callahans and all this money?”
“Are you and Blake engaged?” Nan asked.
“No, we’re not speaking. At least, I haven’t been taking his calls.”
“Maybe you better take them now,” Nan said.
“I have to agree. Think of what we can do for the children’s shelter.”
They stared at one another until Sierra passed him the check and headed for her office. “Bert, will you make a copy and get this check in the bank now?”
“Yes, I will,” he replied.
“I guess I’ll call Blake. I can’t figure this one out. How did Dirkson Callahan know about us or about the shelter? He’s never talked to Blake, and the other Callahan sons don’t know about the shelter.”
“Blake had to have told him,” Nan answered.
“That’s impossible. Blake is actively trying to destroy his dad’s hotel business. I can’t understand what just happened here.”
She heard her cell phone.
“Maybe that’s your answer. See if it’s Blake.”
“No, but I’ll take this call,” she said when she saw it was her mom.
They talked briefly. After telling her mother what had just happened, she tried to call Blake, but couldn’t get him. She stared into space. What had caused the huge donation, and when did Dirkson Callahan start acknowledging his oldest son? Where was Blake, and what was he doing? Why did she miss him so much when she was the one who’d said goodbye?
At six, Sierra closed and locked the office, then drove through traffic to her small house. As she tried to eat a bowl of soup and drink a glass of milk, a car horn sounded.
Looking out, she saw a tall man with a cowboy hat on her porch. He stood with his back to her, but she knew it was Blake.
“Just a minute,” she called. She opened the door and her heart thudded. He had on a broad-brimmed black hat, a navy shirt, jeans and boots.
She wanted to walk into his arms. Instead she asked, “What are you doing here?”
NINE
Blake took a step closer as she unfastened and opened the screen door.
“I didn’t call to tell you I was coming because you won’t take my calls,” he said as he closed the door behind him.
Her heart pounded, and she couldn’t get her breath. “Blake,” she whispered, knowing that she loved him, whatever he did. She was tired of pushing her feelings away. “I missed you.”
His eyes narrowed, and he dropped a package from his hand and wrapped his arms around her. He pulled her close, and she clung to him as he kissed her.
She held him tightly, as if she might lose him again.
How could she marry him if he didn’t love her? Yet how could she not marry him when she loved him so much?
She stopped thinking. She was in his arms, kissing him, and right now that was all that mattered. When he picked her up and raised his head a fraction, she looked up into dark eyes filled with desire. “Where’s your bedroom?”
She pointed and pulled his head down for another kiss. He stood her on her feet beside the bed as he unfastened buttons on her yellow cotton blouse and removed her skirt.
Her hands shook as she undid his jeans. She ran her hands over him as if to make certain he was still there, and she didn’t stop kissing him when he picked her up to place her on the bed.
* * *
Later, Sierra had no idea what time it was as she lay in his arms, their warm bodies pressed together with her tangled hair spread across his shoulder. His lips touched her temple, her cheek, her ear.
“You haven’t taken any of my calls.”
“I tried to call you today, and you didn’t answer.”
He raised his head slightly. “Why did you try to call me?”
She pulled the sheet higher beneath her arm. “Blake, your father made a huge—huge—donation to the children’s shelter. It was done in honor of his four sons.”
Blake stared at her. “I’ll be damned. I called him, Sierra. I decided you’re more important than old hurts, and having your love is more important than any revenge—”
“You did?” she cried, sitting up and throwing her arms around him to hug him.
“Hey,” Blake said, hugging her and laughing. “Yes, I did. Do you want to hear what happened?”
She looked into his eyes and pulled him closer to give him a long, passionate kiss before she listened. “Now tell me.”
Looking amused, he settled beside her, pulling her close by his side. She placed her head on his shoulder as she waited.
“I called him and asked him to go to lunch. I told him I wanted to see him. He accepted my invitation.”
“You did this for me?”
“Yes, I did.”
“Why?”
He gazed at her, his warm brown eyes making her heart race. “I love you and I want to marry you. That revenge thing seemed to be what was in the way. It’s gone now, Sierra. Will you marry me?”
Her heart thudded. She didn’t know what he’d done, or much about the meeting with his father, but he was telling her he loved her and she knew she loved him.
“Yes. Oh, yes, I’ll marry you. I love you, Blake.” Tears of joy filled her eyes and spilled down her cheeks.
“Hey, what’s this?” he said, rubbing away tears with his fingers. “Why are you crying?”
“I love you so much and didn’t realize it until I thought it was too late. I thought you were out of my life.”
“I hope not.” He kissed her again. “I love you, Sierra. With all my heart. I want you more than anything else.”
“I love you so much, Blake,” she whispered between kisses. Finally, she lay back and looked up at him. “Now, tell me about lunch, and why he made this gigantic donation to the shelter.”
“My father was really a stranger. I could have grabbed a guy off the street and wouldn’t have felt any differe
nt about him. I was surprised how old and frail he looked. I remembered him as I had as a child, a strong, powerful man. I had already decided to end the competition with his hotels. It seemed pointless and was causing trouble between you and me.”
“There really wasn’t much of an ‘us’ earlier.”
“There’s been an ‘us’ since the day I met you. Don’t tell me you didn’t feel sparks flying when we met. I know better.”
“I suppose so,” she said, smiling at him. “Go back to your dad.”
“He was kind of sad. I felt sorry for him. He said he made mistakes, thinking money was the most important thing. He said he didn’t know how to be a father. I reminded him he has a new little granddaughter. He said he really never knew how to be a dad, and it’s too late now.
“Sierra, I don’t ever want to end up like my dad. I told him it wasn’t too late, and I gave him your card. I told him about the children’s shelter, and that he could be a dad in spirit by helping those kids and making a donation. I guess he decided to do that.”
“Oh, my, yes he did. I think Bert was close to fainting. I have the note your dad wrote.”
“Because of you, we’ve made peace.”
“I’m thrilled. I’m so, so happy. Thank you. Blake, he sent us a huge check for a quarter of a million dollars for the children’s shelter. We can take more kids now, and pay tutors and… I’m thrilled.”
“Oh, I have something—just wait. Don’t go anywhere and don’t do anything while I go get what I brought you.”
“A present? The only thing I can give you right now is a dog.”
“That’s not the only thing,” he said, grinning slyly at her. She shook her head.
She watched him walk away and thought about the day she’d had—Mr. Sedgewick, the check, Blake on her doorstep, in her arms, in her bed. He loved her. The best of all possible days.
Blake returned, slipped beneath the sheet and turned to her. “I have to ask your dad for your hand in marriage.”
“You know that’s an old-fashioned custom that you don’t have to do anymore.”
“Why do I feel that I would make a better impression on your minister father if I did it?” He placed a long box in her hand. It was wrapped in pink paper and tied with a wide pink silk ribbon.
“For you, darlin’,” he said.
Curious, she opened it and gasped as she looked at a beautiful gold chain necklace with a heart-shaped pendant covered in diamonds and a large diamond in the center.
“That, my love, is a gift from me to you because you are having our baby,” he said solemnly.
“Blake, that is gorgeous. It’s the most beautiful necklace ever. Thank you,” she said.
“Turn around and let me put it on.”
She laughed. “In bed—that’s ridiculous, but okay.” She sat quietly while he fastened it around her neck. She looked down at the brilliant diamonds. “Blake, it’s beautiful. I love it. Thank you.”
He kissed her and she held him tightly, kissing him in return. He shifted and took her hand in his. “This ring is also for you,” he said, opening her hand. “Sierra Benson, will you marry me?”
She smiled at him in delight. “Yes, oh, yes, I will. I love you, Blake Callahan,” she added.
“Hold out your hand,” he said, slipping the ring on her finger. She looked down at a dazzling emerald-cut diamond surrounded by smaller diamonds.
She gasped. “Blake, that is magnificent. My word,” she said, sounding breathless and holding her hand out to turn it, letting the diamonds catch the light and create small rainbows. “This is the most beautiful ring ever, in all of history.”
He laughed. “It’s pretty.”
Suddenly her smile vanished. “Blake, what will I do about the agency? I promised my grandfather I would keep it going and work to help others.”
“First of all, you’re pregnant, so focus on that for now. The time will come when you can get back to your work with the agency. I’ve got enough money, and the agency has enough money to keep going. Bert can run things while you’re away. If you want, you can have another branch in Dallas. How’s that?”
“There will be a lot of back and forth because of all my family living here.”
“That’ll be easy. I have my own jet. We have cars. You’ll be able to get back and forth when you want to, or bring your folks to see us. Okay?”
“Okay. You’re worth making a few little sacrifices for,” she said.
He grinned. “Thank heavens for that.”
“I still think this is the most beautiful ring.” She admired it until he leaned close to kiss her, and she wrapped her arms around him to hug him tightly.
Later, still in each other’s arms, he said, “Let’s have this wedding soon.”
“I agree. If we start planning tonight, we can get married this month.”
“If you say we can have the wedding soon, then let’s do it. The sooner the better, as far as I’m concerned.”
“It’s not late now. Let’s get dressed and go tell my family. They’ll love it.”
“Sure. Your folks, my half brothers—I’ll call them.”
“Blake, I heard about you and William—that you donated baseballs, a bat and a glove—lots of equipment for him and for the kids. That was wonderful.”
“I wanted to. I’d like to have him out to the ranch sometime. I suppose it’s inevitable that we’ll have all those kids out. I’ll charter a bus or fly them there.”
“We’ll figure it out. That would be wonderful.”
“This means I need to hire you and Eli and Lucinda and my contractor again. Now we’ll need a nursery in the new wing, and we’ll need a nursery in my Dallas home, too, unless you don’t like that house.”
“That is a gorgeous mansion. Of course I like it. And, yes, we’ll need a nursery both places, but that’s doable. Now let’s shower, dress and go see my family. I can’t wait to tell them. They’ll be so happy for us. You’ll see.”
Hugging her tightly, he looked down at her. “You’ve given me faith in people, Sierra. I have never seen a married couple so filled with care and love for each other as your parents—I really didn’t think that was possible. Because of you, I know there is good in people. I guess that rose-colored view is contagious—or is it just that I’m so in love that you’ve made me believe, and I see good everywhere now?”
She held him tightly. “I love you. Your life is going to change in lots of ways, but it will all be good.”
“What’s really good is kissing you,” he said in a husky voice.
And he kissed away her response.
EPILOGUE
Sierra stood in the foyer with her arm linked through her older brother’s. The church was packed with every seat filled, and an overflow crowd watched on big screens set up in other rooms while some just waited outside.
She looked at the row of bridesmaids. The last one was going down the aisle now. They were in pale yellow silk dresses and carried bouquets of spring flowers. Her oldest sister, Ginger, was her matron of honor, and there were eight attendants. The groomsmen were two of Blake’s half brothers and his friends. Cade was the best man. Two five-year-old nieces, Viola and Tina, were flower girls. Sierra’s gaze slipped past them and went to her tall, handsome rancher fiancé. In a black tux, Blake took her breath away.
She wanted to be finished with their vows and the party and to be in his arms. She thought of all the joy Blake had brought into their family and the families of others through his donation to the agency, and she thought of how he had stopped holding on to the hurt he had experienced as a child.
On the groom’s side of the church, she saw Blake’s father sitting straight backed, facing his son. He was a solitary figure, and he looked as frail to her as he must have looked to Blake. She was surprised he was present.
Brad Benson squeezed her arm. “You look beautiful, Sierra. Dad told me to tell you that he just hopes you have what he and Mom do. He told me that when I married, too.”
She
smiled at her older brother and looked at her father, standing near the altar rail in his robe, waiting to say the vows that she and Blake would repeat.
She was filled with love for her dad, thinking what a contrast he was to the father Blake had.
“Blake’s a good guy,” Brad said, and she smiled.
The wedding planner shook her veil lightly. “Now, it’s time,” she said, and Sierra walked down the aisle with her brother to have her hand placed in Blake’s.
Blake smiled at her as she stepped beside him, and they moved forward to face her father, who smiled at her before beginning the ceremony.
When they were man and wife, trumpets and organ music filled the church. Then they walked back up the aisle and into the foyer.
“Now we circle around to come back for pictures,” she said, leading him through the church that was as familiar to her as her home.
The reception was at the country club. Blake had reserved the entire place. A band played in the ballroom, and there were tables of food in various rooms. People filled the club—friends and people Sierra had helped, relatives and employees, cowboys from Blake’s ranch.
The party commenced, and Sierra only saw Blake across the room until it was time to cut the cake. Then they were again separated to talk to guests until the first dance.
Music became lively as the dance floor opened to the crowd, and arms waved in the air while people danced and sang.
Blake took Sierra to one side. “Think we’ll be missed if we step into the library?”
She laughed. “Yes, we’ll be missed. Let’s go back and party for the next hour, and then maybe we’ll disappear.”
He glanced around. “There’s no one out here right now.” He kissed away her answer, and she kissed him in return.
“I can’t believe we’ve been here alone this long. C’mon and join the fun,” she said, taking his hand and returning to the dance floor to join the festivities.
Later she stood in a big circle with Blake’s arm around her waist. Cade was there, and Gabe. She had finally met Nathan, but he and Lydia had left early to take baby Amelia home.
She was glad for Blake that his half brothers had made him part of their family, and she was thankful that their own baby would be welcomed by her big family.