At the Rancher's Request

by Sara Orwig

  “And leaving me will be easy and won’t matter?” Mike teased. She turned to look into his brown eyes and the world momentarily ceased to exist for her as she was aware only of him.

  “No, you’ll be hard to leave, too,” she said quietly. He had been teasing, but she saw something flicker in the depths of his eyes and his expression became somber.

  “Don’t go, then. Wait a few more weeks,” he said as his attention went back to the road.

  “A few more weeks won’t make saying goodbye any easier. Actually, I think it works the other way around. The more I’m around the two of you, the more I want to be with you. Neither one of us is ready for another upheaval in our lives. We’re both having enough of one without compounding it, so I should go after Scotty’s party and after I have a car. If Russ can fix it and it isn’t too expensive.”

  “You’ll know soon enough. All right. Also, Scotty stays with you tomorrow. If you change your mind, just let me know. My sister is always happy to have Scotty over.”

  * * *

  After dinner that night they watched a movie with Scotty and then Savannah read to him before Mike tucked him into bed.

  As Mike joined her in the family room and closed the door behind him, he said, “Scotty’s asleep and we’re very much alone now.”

  “So come sit and we’ll relax and talk and enjoy the evening.”

  “Oh, yes, I intend to enjoy the evening and the rest of the night, and all my plans involve you every single second of the time.”

  She laughed as he crossed the room and picked her up. He sat, holding her on his lap and wrapping his arm around her waist as he kissed her.

  Forgetting everything else, she focused on Mike, kissing him and holding him tightly with one hand while she ran her other hand over him. Even though she hadn’t admitted it to him, she felt as if she couldn’t get enough of their making love either.

  As she held and kissed him, her heartbeat raced. Desire was a raging blaze that made her want him beyond any need for loving she had ever experienced before.

  “Mike, I want to love and kiss you all night and I want you to do the same,” she whispered.

  “I’m going to try.” His voice was a hoarse whisper as he tightened his arm around her waist. “We’ll love until the sun comes up.”

  Was loving him a bigger mistake than her engagement had been? She had entered into an intimate relationship with a man who would never be committed to anything long-term. If that was another mistake in judgment, it was already done and she would have to pay the price to her heart.

  Eight

  On Thursday afternoon Mike came in the back door. He had been out on the ranch since before dawn and Scotty ran to greet him. Savannah followed until she heard Mike’s cell ring. When she heard him answer, she turned around and went back to sit at the game table where she had been helping Scotty put together a puzzle.

  She could hear Mike talking but paid no attention until he came in from the other room.

  “Hello,” she said, smiling when Mike came in the family room. “I started to come greet you, but I heard you get a call.”

  He held up his phone. He had shed his hat and coat, but his face was still red from being out in the cold all day. “It’s Russ about your car. To fix it, he’ll have to order parts and it will take a few days. He can give you all the details if you want to speak to him directly. I told him time didn’t matter. The big deal is—Russ said it will probably cost about two thousand.”

  “Oh, my. Mike, I know very little about cars. I usually get my brother’s advice. If you don’t know cars, does anyone who works for you?”

  “I know a little and I’ll talk to Ray and a couple of dealers. It’s still cheaper to fix the car than to even buy a used one, let alone a new car. You said it’s only three years old.”

  She thought about it for a moment. “I think I’d rather get it fixed than go through the hassle of getting another car. I need a car—I can’t stay months with you.”

  “Yes, you can,” he said, smiling at her.

  “No, I can’t. You see what you can find out, but I’m leaning with fixing it. I’ll call Russ if you’ll give me the number. I can talk to him about it and if I feel I need to call my brother, then I will.”

  Mike jotted the number and handed it to her. “Savannah, there’s no hurry. You can stay here as long as you want. He has to order parts.”

  “I’ll call him,” she said, getting her cell phone and stepping into the hallway.

  After her call, she returned to the family room. Scotty sat drawing a picture and coloring it while Mike stood by the fire and turned to face her.

  “I told Russ to fix the car. He said it probably won’t be ready until the middle of next week.”

  “That’s far too soon,” Mike said, sounding as if he meant what he said, which surprised her.

  “Well, you have a houseguest a little while longer. Millie passed me in the hall and I let her know.”

  “Millie cooks enough for me to have a flock of houseguests all the time, so she’ll be pleased. Whatever she’s cooking now, I can’t wait. She ran me out of the kitchen before I could look.”

  Scotty looked up from his drawing. “Miss Savannah, will you be here for my birthday party?”

  “Definitely, Scotty. My car won’t be ready until next week. Your party is tomorrow.”

  He smiled and went back to his coloring.

  * * *

  By party time Friday night Scotty could not be still. He hopped and jumped and kept asking Mike the time.

  “I think he’s going to fall apart before a single relative gets here,” Mike said.

  “No, I won’t fall apart,” Scotty said and she laughed. “There’s the doorbell.”

  Scotty disappeared out of the room and she shook her head. “He’s so excited.”

  “This was a good idea you had, Savannah. He’s a happy kid. It’ll be a fun birthday.” The warmth in Mike’s eyes made her heart skip a beat. Mike’s appeal was growing daily and even though he wanted her to stay, she felt more strongly that as soon as her car was fixed, she should move on.

  Mike crossed the room to hug her.

  “Mike, Millie and her husband are in the kitchen, Scotty is running around, company is coming and I’ll be a wrinkled mess.”

  “I don’t care who sees me hug you and it makes Scotty happy for us to hug. He likes you, Savannah. I don’t think fuzzy sweaters wrinkle.”

  Smiling, she stepped away from him while happiness enveloped her.

  Mike’s brother Jake, a tall black-haired man, and his wife, Madison, a beautiful brunette wearing a navy sweater, slacks and knee-high boots, arrived and Mike made the introductions.

  “Hey, here’s the birthday boy,” Jake said, picking up Scotty and giving him a hug.

  “Hi, Scotty,” Madison said. “Happy birthday.” She handed him a big wrapped present which Mike took and put on a nearby game table.

  “We’ve heard a lot about you, Savannah,” Jake said. “Very good things. I’ll be the one to ask—are you going to show us the legendary gold ring?”

  Savannah laughed as she held up her hand.

  “See, I told you so,” Mike said. “They’ll all want to see it.” He glanced toward the door. “Here comes Lindsay.”

  “Hi, Jake, Madison, Savannah,” Lindsay said. Looking warm in a brown sweater, jeans and brown fur-lined boots, she bent down to hug Scotty. When he put his arms around her neck to hug her back, she picked him up, carrying him with her. “Here’s our big boy. How old will you be, Scotty?” Lindsay asked.

  He held up three fingers. “Three years old,” he answered. “I’m big.”

  “Yes, you are big,” she replied. “I saw your snow cowboy, your snowman and your snow dog. If we’d had more snow, you would have had a whole town
of people and animals.”

  Scotty smiled at her. “Daddy said they’ll melt this week.”

  “That’s what sunshine does, but then warm weather will come and you’ll have fun outside in the sunshine.”

  He nodded and wiggled, so she set him on his feet and he ran off. She turned to Savannah. “Let me see this fabled ring,” she said and Savannah held out her hand again.

  “It’s really pretty,” Lindsay said. “How odd for you to find that in the creek bank.”

  “Actually, it’s just fun to hear that I might have a tiny part of a legend. It has a date inscribed,” she said, pulling the ring off her finger. “It says 1861.”

  They all bent over the ring again. Lindsay took it to look closely and then hand it to Madison who studied it and passed it on to Jake who examined it and handed it back to Savannah.

  “I’m sorry you had so much damage to your car, but I’m glad you’re here,” Jake said.

  “Here are Destiny and Wyatt Milan,” Lindsay said. Savannah turned to see a tall man with the bluest eyes she had ever seen. At his side was a stunning redhead who bore no resemblance to anyone in the room, but who looked familiar.

  “I’ve seen her somewhere.”

  Lindsay smiled. “Yes, you have. She is a television personality and has had a bestselling book. Right now she has a new show about little-known places in history. She is a Calhoun. She and Wyatt haven’t been married long, so I don’t know how much longer she’ll do the show. She married Verity’s sheriff. So now we have two Calhouns married to Milans. My grandparents couldn’t deal with that but they’re deceased, so they don’t have to.”

  “So the feud is real and still ongoing?”

  “Definitely,” Lindsay said.

  “It is with Lindsay and Tony Milan,” Mike remarked and Lindsay shrugged.

  “I didn’t start it,” she said.

  As Wyatt and Destiny approached they greeted everyone. “Destiny, Wyatt, this is Savannah who is staying at the ranch while she gets her car fixed. Savannah, meet our newest Calhoun cousin, Destiny, who we met not too long ago, and her newlywed husband, Wyatt Milan. Here’s another Calhoun and a Milan who get along,” Mike said.

  “Destiny, I’ve seen you on television and it’s exciting to meet you,” Savannah said.

  “Thank you. I hear you are now involved in one of the local legends—let’s see the famous ring you found in the creek with 1861 inscribed on it. I heard that Chuck Poindexter thinks it’s authentic.”

  As she held out her hand, Wyatt glanced at it and Destiny bent over it. “It’s beautiful,” Destiny said. “This is fascinating. Mike said Chuck told you that no one has ever said they’ve lost a gold ring in all the years he’s been in business.”

  “That made me feel better about keeping it because I would give it back instantly if we found the owner.”

  “You’re the owner now, I’d say.”

  “Wyatt,” Mike said, “Baxter is passing out drinks, but he’s also getting the door, so let’s go to the bar and I’ll get you a drink and you can bring one to Destiny.”

  “I’ll wait for Baxter,” she said, smiling and looking again at the ring.

  “Destiny, stop trying to figure a way to get this legend into your show,” Wyatt remarked with a smile. “C’mon, Mike. I’ll take you up on your offer.”

  In minutes Savannah heard a commotion and glanced around to see a tall, brown-eyed man with straight brown hair come into the room. He carried Scotty and both were laughing while Scotty held a wrapped birthday gift in his arms. Mike took the gift as Scotty got down and ran to play.

  “Savannah, meet the last Calhoun to arrive tonight—my brother Josh Calhoun. Josh, this is Savannah Grayson, Mike’s houseguest,” Destiny said.

  “Whom your brother rescued,” Savannah said smiling at Josh. “I’m glad to meet you, Josh. It’s nice to get to meet Mike’s family.”

  “We’re all around this area except our folks who retired to California. I’m glad you were stuck out in this storm. Glad to meet you.” He turned to Destiny. “It’s good to see you, Destiny. I think you’re transforming Wyatt into such a talkative guy I don’t recognize him.”

  She laughed. “It probably won’t last, so be patient.”

  “May I see the legendary ring?” he asked Savannah and she held out her hand. “All of us have to see this ring. With all the junk and stuff that has been washed up by the creeks around here, no one has ever found a beautiful ring until you, Savannah.” He held her hand, studying the ring. “There are lots of legends, so some of them are bound to be based on truth while others are purely myth, but also may have been based on some kernel of truth.”

  “Good theory,” Lindsay said. “We can hope that Savannah finds true love now, but I told her a good horse might be more worthwhile.”

  Destiny laughed. “I hope it’s true love and if that happens, let me know. Wyatt’s right—I’m trying to think how I can get this into my book or my show.”

  As the women talked, Savannah glanced across the room to see Mike watching her. Surprised, she gazed back at him a moment before trying to focus on the conversation around her and forget Mike, something she couldn’t do totally.

  When dinner was announced, they went through a buffet line and then sat at the big table in the informal dining room with Scotty in his high chair that was pulled up to the head of the table beside Mike. She sat to Mike’s right with Lindsay beside her. While they ate, she enjoyed the Calhoun family who seemed close, and from the conversations she heard, they saw each other often.

  Even though Wyatt was a Milan, he seemed accepted by the Calhouns and close to some of them. It was even more so with Madison, except Lindsay kept most of her conversation with the Calhouns or she talked to Savannah a lot of the time during dinner.

  When dinner was over, Baxter and Millie carried in a birthday cake with three burning candles and placed it in front of Scotty. Everyone sang “Happy Birthday” to Scotty, who wriggled with eagerness and gazed intently at the cake.

  “Make a wish, Scotty, and blow out the candles,” Mike said.

  “I wish...”

  “Don’t tell,” Mike said. “Just wish,” he added.

  Scotty nodded and moved his lips and then blew. His cheeks puffed out and his aunts and uncles cheered him on until the third candle flickered out and everyone applauded.

  Millie came into the room and picked up the cake. “I’ll slice the cake in the kitchen and we’ll serve,” she said and left after taking orders for ice cream with cake.

  Savannah didn’t have much appetite and she was aware of Mike seated so close beside her. It was fun to see Mike enjoying his family and Scotty having a wonderful birthday celebration as the center of attention.

  After dessert they gathered around and Scotty opened each present, thanking the givers and running to give each one a hug and a kiss.

  As he opened the package with the books Savannah had bought for him, he smiled and ran to hug her. As she leaned down to hug him in return, he kissed her cheek.

  “Thank you for my books,” he said. When he leaned away, his brown eyes sparkled. “Will you read one to me tonight?”

  “Yes,” she replied, laughing. “Happy birthday, Scotty.”

  “Thank you!” he flung as he ran back to open the next present.

  Laughing, she looked up to meet Mike’s gaze. As his dark eyes rested on her, she tingled and remembered that next week she intended to leave for California, even though Mike urged her to stay longer. The approaching departure hurt because she would miss Mike. When she looked at Scotty, more pain stabbed her. She would miss Scotty, too. Father and son filled a big void in her life.

  As soon as she drove away and focused on California, she would try to forget Texas. That’s what she’d have to do. Her gaze went back to Mike to meet his again. This time
she remembered moments from last night. With an effort she turned her head so she had to look elsewhere and for the next half hour, she tried to avoid glancing his way.

  When Scotty finished opening his presents, people stood to refresh drinks, look at the presents or just move around to talk to others.

  Wyatt and Jake helped Scotty put together two model helicopters that could be flown by remote controls. He had two choppers and sat on the floor with his uncles with helicopter pieces spread in front of them as they put them together.

  Destiny and Madison sat talking and Lindsay was beside Savannah, turning to her. “You should stay another week, Savannah. We’ll get some spring weather before you know it and things will pretty up. Too bad you won’t be here when the bluebonnets bloom. They’re beautiful. Stay next week and I’ll have you over and show you some of my prize horses.”

  “Thank you, Lindsay. I don’t know much about horses. Whether I stay or go depends on my car. As soon as it’s ready, I’ll be on my way. Besides, Mike has had enough of me.”

  “I don’t think he has,” Lindsay said. “That’s why I asked you to stay. He seems happier than he has been since losing Elise. He hasn’t had a party for Scotty before. Scotty is so excited and he likes you, too.”

  Savannah smiled at Lindsay. “Don’t worry about your brother. He’s a fun, good-looking guy and he’ll get back to really living, and Scotty is a happy little kid. They’ll both do all right and all of you are a support for them. They don’t need me and Mike isn’t ready for a relationship and I’m not, either.”

  Lindsay laughed. “I’m that obvious? I worry about my big brother.”

  “You and your siblings are a nice family and that’s good that you’re concerned about each other. I’m close with my family.”

  Lindsay tilted her head. “I’d think if you’re close, you wouldn’t leave for California. That’s far from Arkansas.”

  “Guess what?” Mike said, suddenly appearing behind them and taking Savannah’s arm. “Scotty wants you to see what he just built. C’mon, Lindsay, you, too. Scotty is pleased with his efforts. His uncles have been helping him, but as far as he’s concerned, he has done this single-handedly, so you’ll both have to ooh and aah. And then he wants us all to play a new game with him. Let’s go look at his remote-control choppers.”