by Sara Orwig
It was almost an hour before Mike returned. “He’s finally asleep. Occasionally, it takes him a while to unwind.” Mike crossed the room and put his hands on the arms of her chair and leaned down. “I don’t want you walking up stairs on your own, so you’ll either sleep downstairs tonight or I get to carry you upstairs. I’d prefer you’d be upstairs.”
“If that’s what you want,” she said.
“Let’s go now,” he said, picking her up. She felt soft, warm in his arms and he wanted to kiss her.
“Take me to my room. I can get around and I’ll be fine by myself while I get ready for bed.”
Upstairs, he set her down near her bed. “I’ll sleep on your sofa in the sitting room so I can hear you if you need something.”
“Mike, I’ll be fine or they wouldn’t have sent me home.”
“I’ll sleep on the sofa in your suite,” he repeated and she shook her head.
“All right, but you don’t need to. Suppose Scotty looks for you.”
“He rarely wakes up during the night. When I put him to bed tonight, I told him that’s where I would be,” Mike said. He gazed at her. “You look pretty, Savannah, even after being in the hospital.”
“You’re ridiculous, but that’s nice to hear because I don’t feel pretty.”
He wrapped his arms around her. “Tell me—do you really feel all right?”
“Yes, I do. I don’t have a lot of energy, but I feel well.”
“Good,” he said. “Maybe you were just meant to stay here. I’m glad you’re here and we both know exactly how Scotty feels about you.”
“I’m glad to be here, Mike.”
He wanted to hold her and love her, but that was out. He’d like to have her in his bed where he could hold her all night long. He slipped his hand behind her head to kiss her and felt her arms around his waist as she stepped close.
She shifted and he released her.
“I’ll be back in about twenty minutes,” he said as he turned to go.
Later, as he walked down the hall he saw Savannah’s bedroom door was open and the light on, so he walked to the door and knocked lightly. She lowered an iPad to look at him. “I thought maybe you decided to sleep in your own bed.”
“No. I’ll be on the sofa so just call if you need anything—or want me to move in here,” he said, smiling at her.
“I’d love for you to move in here if you’ll get up and go in the morning before Scotty wakes up.”
“I’d like to take you up on that, but Doc said no. I might disturb you and keep you from getting a peaceful night’s sleep just by turning over or breathing loudly. You’ll sleep better by yourself.”
“That’s what you think,” she said, laughing.
“Savannah, one more remark like that and I’m going to ignore Doc’s orders for what’s best for you.”
She waved her hand at him and scooted down in bed and he ached to join her and hold her in his arms and kiss her.
“Good night, Savannah,” he said, walking away without looking back, trying to exercise willpower.
* * *
The next morning, after assuring Mike she would be fine on her own for a few hours and would likely nap, Mike had gone to Verity for errands and to take Scotty to get a haircut. Lindsay was coming for Valentine’s Day and then taking Scotty home with her for that night. Mike had said it would give Savannah more peace and quiet, but she didn’t need any more than she had and she loved having Scotty around. Millie fixed Scotty’s meals and Mike helped him dress and undress—all she had to do was play with him and he was a little charmer.
She spent the time deciding what she would wear for Valentine’s Day. She felt better and had more energy and was ready to go back to the doctor for the follow-up appointment. She hoped he told her to resume life as normal except for the long car trips and excessive activities.
On late Saturday afternoon when she dressed for the evening, she tingled with anticipation of spending the holiday with Mike and making a small party out of it for Scotty.
They had Millie’s special baked spaghetti, a favorite of Scotty’s, and a heart-shaped chocolate cake with pink icing.
Savannah dressed in a red sweater and matching slacks. The sweater covered her waist and she left the top buttons of her slacks unfastened, realizing this would be the last time she would wear them for a while. She turned to study herself in the mirror. Her waist had definitely thickened.
Taking the stairs slowly, she went down to find Mike by himself in the front room. “Is the party in here? The decorations are in the family room.”
“Wow,” he said, turning to look at her from her head to her toes. She tingled and forgot her question. He wore a blue long-sleeved dress shirt with an open collar, Western cut slacks and his black boots, and she wanted to walk into his embrace and kiss him.
Instead, she stood still and enjoyed watching him walk toward her, her heart beating faster the closer he came. “You look gorgeous,” he said in a husky voice.
“Mike,” she whispered, barely able to get her breath.
When he slipped his arms around her, she stepped close against him and turned her face up for his kiss. His arms tightened around her as he kissed her passionately.
When they finally moved apart, she gasped for breath. “I can’t wait for the doctor to tell me I can resume normal activities. There’s a particular activity I miss,” she whispered and his gaze became more intense as he focused on her mouth.
“Savannah, I can’t wait for us to be alone.”
“I think we are right now,” she said, kissing him and ending the conversation.
She walked beside him into the hall as Scotty came running from the kitchen.
“Aunt Lindsay is here,” Scotty said. “She said to tell you.”
“Thank you,” Mike said. “Run and tell her we’re coming.”
Scotty was gone, dashing down the hall and disappearing through the open door into the family room.
There were presents on the table for Scotty in the informal dining area with the table set with a red tablecloth, a centerpiece of red, white and pink mixed flowers and hearts that Mike had given to her in the hospital and then brought home for her.
Millie and Baxter served the spaghetti and later the valentine cake Millie had baked and ice cream.
Finally, after dinner they gathered in the family room and Scotty passed out valentines while Mike piled Scotty’s presents by a chair.
With Savannah’s help Scotty had made little valentines for each of them and one for her he had made by himself. She looked at the poorly cut red valentine with a stick figure that had wobbly legs and arms and a large head with big dots for eyes. The printed letters ran together and the e had been left off “I love you,” but Savannah knew she would keep the valentine and treasure it always.
Through dinner and afterward, whenever she looked at Mike, there was a sparkle in his dark eyes she had never seen before, a warmth when he looked at her that made her want to be alone with him.
Scotty was excited over an electronic game from Mike, more books from her and a magic kit from Lindsay. He immediately put on the hat from the magic kit and wanted Lindsay to show him how to do some of the tricks.
When it was time for Lindsay to take Scotty home with her, they said their goodbyes and Savannah waited in the family room, while Mike walked out to Lindsay’s pickup with them.
He came back in, crossing the room to take her hand. “Come sit with me—either on the sofa or in front of the fire on the floor. Which will be the most comfortable for you?”
“Probably the sofa at this point in my life,” she said. He took her hand to gently pull her to her feet. As soon as she stood, Mike stepped close and wrapped his arms around her. “Lindsay will call when they get home, so we’ll get an interruption shortly. Let’
s go up to my room. I’ll build a fire there.”
“Tonight was fun, Mike. I’ll treasure my valentine that Scotty made for me.”
He smiled. “You and Scotty have bonded from the first.”
She felt a pang in her heart at the thought of leaving the little boy soon, but she said, “Scotty probably bonds with everyone he meets.”
They went to Mike’s room and she watched as he got a fire blazing and closed the screen. His phone rang and he talked briefly to Lindsay and then placed his phone on a table and took Savannah’s hand to draw her to her feet and wrap his arms around her.
“At last. I’ve waited for this moment far too long,” he whispered. She started to answer, but he covered her mouth and kissed her.
Savannah’s heart thudded and she tightened her arms around him, clinging to him and kissing him as if she had waited too long also.
As she had always done with Mike, she shut out all thoughts of the past or future and kissed him passionately, knowing that she loved him. Even if she had to tell him goodbye forever at the end of the month, she had already fallen in love with him and that couldn’t change.
Mike paused to lean back and look at her. “Savannah, you did what I didn’t think anyone could ever do again.”
“What’s that, Mike?” she asked, thinking more about kissing him than what he was saying.
“You caused me to fall in love with you. I love you,” he said.
Stunned, she looked up at him and saw the love in his brown eyes. She couldn’t get her breath and sparks danced in her middle. “Mike, are you sure?” she asked. Without waiting for his answer, she hugged him. “I love you. I love you and I didn’t think you would ever love again.”
He tilted her face up. “Savannah, will you marry me?”
She blinked in surprise, never expecting to hear a proposal from him or even a declaration of love. “Marry?”
“Will you marry me?” he repeated.
“Mike, you want me and my baby? This won’t be your baby.”
“If you marry me, it’ll be my baby. I will adopt him or her and it will be my baby and I’ll love this baby and so will Scotty. We have room in our hearts for more babies. You haven’t answered my question.”
She studied him, her heart pounding so hard she felt certain he could hear it. “You’re sure?”
“I’m very sure about what I want. Will you marry me?”
Joy and amazement filled her while tears of happiness spilled on her cheeks. “Oh, Mike,” she answered. “I love you, Mike.” She kissed him hard and then pulled away. “Have you asked Scotty?”
“You’ve got to be kidding,” Mike said, drawing her back into his arms and kissing away her reply. She held him tightly, joy dancing in her. “He’ll be thrilled.”
Pausing, he reached into his pocket to pull out a box. “This is for you.”
He placed the small velvet box in her hand. She opened it to look at a dazzling ring with a huge sparkling emerald-cut diamond, surrounded by smaller diamonds. “Mike, this is the most beautiful ring. I love it and thank you. Put it on my finger.”
He took her hand in his, as he looked at her.
“Will you marry me?”
“Yes, oh, yes! I love you with all my heart and this time, Mike, I’m not making a mistake and I can trust my judgment.”
“You don’t know that for sure, but I’m going to try to prove you right. I love you. I can’t tell you what joy you’ve already brought in my life and helped me out of my grief. Elise would have wanted me to marry again, just as I would have wanted her to if it had been the other way around. Life was meant to be lived, not shut away from the world. I love you.” He slipped the ring on her finger and drew her to him to kiss her, holding her so tightly, she could barely breathe. She didn’t know how long they kissed before he raised his head. “I think we should call Lindsay and Scotty and tell them. Then we can tell the others.”
She felt like laughing and dancing and spinning around for joy. “Yes, let’s tell them. Lindsay may not get Scotty to bed tonight, but I want to tell them and call my family who will think I’ve lost it. They don’t know you.”
“Are the brothers going to be coming after me with fire?”
“No. Not when they see how happy I am and if they notice my pregnancy they may think this is your baby. Did you think of that? I’ll tell them if they ask, but they may just assume.” She looked at her ring again. “Mike, this is beautiful. I didn’t have any idea—you’ve never told me you love me.”
“I guess I hadn’t faced my feelings until you were sick. That scared me badly. When I was so worried, so scared for you, I realized that my feelings ran deep,” he said, tightening his arm around her. “Savannah, let’s wait until morning to call our families and tell them. Lindsay will bring Scotty back in the morning and I want to tell him next. Is that all right with you?”
“I think that’s the best thing to do because right now I have you all to myself,” she said, kissing him. When she paused, she looked into his dark eyes. “I hope we have so much joy and a wonderful life together and fill our lives with babies.”
“Oh, my. Miss Neonatal Nurse. Do you have a number in mind?”
Feeling giddy and bubbling with happiness, she laughed again. “No. Just maybe three or four or five.” Suddenly, she sobered and placed her hand on his arm. “Mike, what if I can’t carry this baby or have any more?”
“I love you, Savannah. I’m not marrying for babies. I’m marrying because I’m in love with you. Whatever happens we’ll work it out together.”
“Thank you,” she whispered.
He kissed her and raised his head. “On that subject—we’ll have two children right after we marry. I can take care of us—can you give up your career while the children are home and growing up? I haven’t asked if you’ll live out on my ranch. I haven’t asked you a lot of things and I think that was the mistake you made with your ex-fiancé, but here, I’ve done the same thing with you.”
“You asked the important questions. Yes, I can give up my career for babies. Yes, I can live on your ranch if you and the babies are here. I just want to be with you, Mike. I love you with all my heart.”
* * *
She slept little that night, waking up pressed against Mike who had his arm around her. She smiled in the darkness and felt as if she should glow with the happiness that filled her. She was going to marry Mike—how long would she be in shock because of his proposal? She had never dreamed he had fallen in love, never expected a proposal. Joy bubbled inside and she smiled, turning to hold Mike close in her arms. He loved her and she loved him and this time she was certain.
* * *
Lindsay and Scotty didn’t arrive until after lunch. Mike hugged Scotty and set him on his feet, then turned to Lindsay while Scotty ran to greet Savannah.
“Lindsay, I proposed to Savannah and she accepted.”
Lindsay took a deep breath. “You’re sure?”
“Very,” he replied.
Lindsay smiled and hugged him. “Congratulations! If you’re happy, then I’m happy. Mike, if you’re happy, then it’s wonderful.”
“You’re the first person we’ve told. I’d like to talk to Scotty alone for a minute.”
“Sure. He’s going to be so wound up the rest of the day. Let me take him home for one more night.”
“I might take you up on your offer.”
“Let’s go find Scotty.” They both walked to the family room where Scotty was holding a white scarf and waving his magician’s wand for Savannah.
“I’m going to interrupt the magician’s act. Scotty, I’d like to talk to you a moment.”
“Yes, sir,” he said, setting aside the scarf and wand to leave with Mike. As they left the room, Lindsay crossed to Savannah and held out her hand. “Savannah, welcome to the C
alhoun family,” she said.
Savannah stood to hug Lindsay lightly. “Thank you. I hope all of you are happy with what Mike is doing.”
“How could we not be? He really does look happier than he has since Elise’s diagnosis. His happiness is all we really care about.”
“Me, too. He has a wonderful family and it was nice to meet all of you.”
“Well, now you’ll be part of the family. And you’ll know some of the Milans, too, because of Jake marrying Madison, plus Wyatt and Destiny. Scotty is going to be overjoyed. He likes you and that’s the real test.”
“I already love him. You can understand that because you’re with him so much.”
“I’ve worried about my brother, but now I can stop worrying. You’ll be good for him.”
“Mike will be good for me. All of you will be. This is so like a dream. I hope Scotty is happy. That’s essential.”
“You’ll know when they come back and join us.”
* * *
Mike sat in a chair in his study and put Scotty on his lap. “I want to tell you something. I hope it makes you very happy,” Mike said, feeling certain of the reaction he would get. “Scotty, tonight I gave Savannah a diamond ring and I asked her to marry me and she said yes. We are going to get married. She will be my wife and your second mother. Your mother will always be the woman who gave birth to you and loved you with all her being. But now you’ll have another mother who will live with us and be a huge part of our lives.”
“Miss Savannah’s not going to leave us?” he asked, his eyes wide.
“No, she’s not,” Mike said.
“Yay!” Scotty cried and jumped down. “Can I go see her?”
“Yes. I take this as an answer from you that you are happy that she will be your second mother.”
“Yes, sir.” His smile vanished and he leaned against Mike’s knee. “Daddy, can I call her Mom? Mama wouldn’t mind, would she?”
Mike ached for Scotty’s loss and his need for a mother who loved him. “No, your mama wouldn’t mind if you call Miss Savannah Mom. You ask Miss Savannah if you can call her that. I imagine she will like it.”