“Or you could stay.”
She stared at him, unsure what to say.
“I know two children who will be very unhappy to see you leave,” he said, then paused. “And so will I.”
She swallowed, her heart pounding so loudly she was certain he must hear it. “Mason—”
“I understand that your life is there, but I don’t want you to go.”
She shook her head. “I don’t have a life in London. Not really. A few friends, a flat I don’t particularly care for, a job I can live without. I realized since my memory returned yesterday that I’ve been hiding out from life. I don’t take any risks, I don’t try anything new. I go to work, I come home and that’s about the extent of it.”
“So you won’t be missing much if you come back to the Bittercreek with me.”
She curled her hands together, stunned that he would ask after all she had put him through. She wanted to—oh, how she wanted to—but at the same time, she had come to a sad realization while she’d been in that holding cell.
“You don’t even know me, Mason. Those days at your ranch, that wasn’t the real me. With the amnesia, I could be anyone I wanted. I could be brave and clever and exciting. But Jane Withington is not any of those things. Since Colombia and my father’s death, I’m afraid of everything. I’m shy, I’m boring and I’m a terrible coward. What if you don’t like that person very much once you get to know me?”
He was silent for so long she thought he must have seen the wisdom of her words.
She should leave now, she thought. Go and nurse her broken heart somewhere private. Before she could make her legs cooperate, he was there in front of her. He pulled her to her feet, clasping both of her hands in his uninjured one.
“I know all I need to know. I know you’re wonderfully kind to two hurting children. I know you’re brave enough to fight for what’s important—you saved my life, Jane. Did you think I didn’t see you going after Djami with that jagpang so he wouldn’t finish me off?”
He paused and when he spoke, his voice was gruff. “And, most important, I know I love you and if you returned to England, you would take my heart with you.”
She let out a stunned breath, but before she could respond, he kissed her. His mouth was warm and sweet and the emotion in his kiss brought more tears to her eyes.
After far too short a time, he pulled away slightly. To her amazement, this incredible, strong man who raced into a room full of vicious terrorists without a thought to his own safety now seemed hesitant, almost uncertain of himself.
“When Djami’s FBI agents were taking you away from the ranch yesterday, you said you couldn’t love a man who had nothing inside him but suspicion and mistrust.”
“I was hurting and frightened, Mason. I shouldn’t have said that.”
“No, you were right. I spent so long walking through ugliness and filth that I couldn’t recognize someone good and wonderful when she walked into my life. I should have trusted you. My heart did from the first but my head took a while to catch up.”
Joy burst through her like a vast field of flowers opening to the sun. She smiled, wondering what Harry would say. “Better late then never, Agent Keller,” she said with a smile.
He kissed her again. “I love you, Jane,” he said against her mouth.
“And I have been in love with you since I was fifteen years old and you first came to my rescue.”
Something else had been ratting around in her mind all night and she wondered if he would think her crazy if she said it. No, she was done with being timid.
“Don’t you find it odd that our paths would cross again after all these years?”
He kissed the corner of her mouth and she shivered. “I don’t know,” he murmured. “I haven’t really thought of it.”
“I have. And you know what I think? I think something led me to you, to exactly that mountain road you would be traveling on.”
She thought of the way those lorry doors had broken free at just that point in the journey. “I think someone knew I would need you and put me right where you couldn’t help but stumble over me.”
“Well, if that’s true, I owe whoever it was a cigar. Finding you was the luckiest day of my life.”
Mine, too, she thought.
Thank you, Harry.
Though it was probably her imagination, she thought she felt just the lightest touch of lips on the top of her head, and then it was gone.
ISBN: 978-1-4268-6282-3
THE INTERPRETER
Copyright © 2005 by RaeAnne Thayne
All rights reserved. Except for use in any review, the reproduction or utilization of this work in whole or in part in any form by any electronic, mechanical or other means, now known or hereafter invented, including xerography, photocopying and recording, or in any information storage or retrieval system, is forbidden without the written permission of the editorial office, Silhouette Books, 233 Broadway, New York, NY 10279 U.S.A.
All characters in this book have no existence outside the imagination of the author and have no relation whatsoever to anyone bearing the same name or names. They are not even distantly inspired by any individual known or unknown to the author, and all incidents are pure invention.
This edition published by arrangement with Harlequin Books S.A.
® and TM are trademarks of Harlequin Books S.A., used under license. Trademarks indicated with ® are registered in the United States Patent and Trademark Office, the Canadian Trade Marks Office and in other countries.
Visit Silhouette Books at www.eHarlequin.com
*Outlaw Hartes
*Outlaw Hartes
*Outlaw Hartes
†The Searchers
†The Searchers
†The Searchers
The Interpreter Page 21