CHAPTER NINE
Sunday morning Maggie slipped into Savannah’s pew and leaned against her just as Wade McMillen approached the pulpit. Slipping an arm around the child, Savannah pulled her close, acknowledging just how much she’d come to love her friend’s daughter. They’d formed a special bond, and it wasn’t unusual for Maggie to sit with Savannah during church services.
A talented speaker, Wade often used humor in his sermons. The theme of this morning’s talk revolved around the opportunities God presented. Savannah found herself laughing along with the rest of the congregation as Wade relayed the story of a man stuck on a rooftop in a flash flood.
Three times a rescue team had come for him, and each time the man insisted that God would provide. The man died and went to heaven and confronted the Lord, demanding to know why his faith had gone unanswered.
“I sent the Red Cross, a boat and a helicopter,” God told him. “What more could I have done?”
Wade had a way of communicating truth without being obtrusive, dogmatic or self-righteous. Savannah often wondered why he remained unmarried when any number of eligible young women in Promise would have been thrilled to be his wife. It was a frequent source of interest, gossip and speculation at any gathering of church members.
Maggie squirmed as the sermon drew to a close. She smiled up at Savannah and silently turned the pages of her hymnal, waiting until the choir stood to sing and she could see her mother.
The love she felt for this child poured through Savannah’s heart, and with it a desire so deep and so long denied that it bordered on pain. Until she’d met Laredo, she’d relinquished the dream of ever becoming a bride—and, of course, along with that, a mother.
The yearning to bear a child of her own burned in her heart now. She closed her eyes and her mind instantly filled with the image of a young boy of five or six. He was dressed in jeans, a shirt, hat and boots, a miniature version of Laredo. The child trailed after him as they headed toward the corral. Father and son. Their child, hers and Laredo’s. The thought moved her so strongly, she battled back a sudden urge to weep. Savannah felt a thrill of pure happiness at the sheer wonder of having found Laredo.
What a wonderful husband and father he’d be. Laredo had been patient and gentle with Maggie from the first, while Grady groped clumsily in his effort to make friends with the little girl. Laredo was a natural with children, and it was easy to imagine him surrounded by a whole brood of them.
Most important of all Laredo loved her. She was confident of that. Not that he openly confessed his feelings. But Savannah didn’t need a formal declaration or flowery words to know how he felt. A hundred times, more, he’d shown her his feelings.
Laredo was protective of her, his manner traditional in the very best way. He was thoughtful and considerate, sensitive to her moods and needs. As far as Savannah was concerned, his actions spoke far more eloquently than anything he could ever say. Last week, for instance, while she was working on the design for her catalog, he’d brought in a cup of coffee, set it on the desk beside her, kissed her cheek and silently left the room. Another day he’d seen her carrying a heavy load of laundry outside to hang on the clothesline, and he’d rushed to her side and carried it for her.
Wiley had teased Laredo unmercifully that day, pretending he was in dire need of assistance, mincing around and flapping his hands in a ridiculous imitation of a woman in distress. Laredo had paid no attention to his antics.
After the Sunday service was dismissed, Caroline met Savannah in the front of the church. “I thought you said Richard was coming with you this morning,” her friend said.
“I thought he would.” Savannah was deeply disappointed in her younger brother. Grady was barely speaking to her, which was nothing new, and all because she continued to champion her brother’s cause. Despite Richard’s reprehensible actions, he was their brother. No matter what he’d done, she wouldn’t allow Grady to throw him off the ranch. He had nowhere else to go. He’d told her he was still waiting for the money that was supposed to be in the mail; he seemed so sure it would be arriving any day. Because she believed him—had to believe him—she’d lent him money herself, although she didn’t let Grady or Laredo know that.
“Do you think he’s ever going to change?” Caroline asked. “I’m just so afraid that if you trust him, you might be setting yourself up for heartache.”
“He’s my brother,” Savannah said simply. She was convinced that their mother, had she been alive, wouldn’t have allowed Grady to kick Richard out, either.
“There’s something different about you,” Caroline said when she reached her car.
“Different?” Although she formed the word as a question, Savannah knew what Caroline meant. And it was true. She wasn’t the same woman she’d been as little as a month ago. “I’m happy,” she said, blushing profusely. “Really truly happy.”
“Laredo?” Caroline asked.
Savannah lowered her eyes and nodded.
“I like Laredo,” Maggie announced. “And Richard.”
“What about Grady?” Caroline coaxed her daughter.
Maggie pinched her lips together tightly. “Grady’s...okay, I guess, but he yells too much.”
“I don’t think she’s forgiven him for shouting at her over the phone. I’ve tried to explain that he’s—”
“A beast like from Beauty and the Beast,” Maggie supplied. “I don’t care if he is a handsome prince. When he yells I have to cover my ears.”
“Oh, Maggie,” Savannah whispered, feeling wretched. “Grady likes you very much and wants to be your friend, too.”
“Then he shouldn’t shout at me on the phone,” she said in an eminently reasonable tone.
Savannah wanted to shake Grady. She didn’t know what had possessed him to explode at Maggie. His only excuse, weak as it was, had something to do with not knowing who was on the other end of the line.
It was getting to the point that she barely knew what to think of her own brother. She wasn’t sure who’d changed the most in the past few weeks, Grady or her. She knew having Richard around troubled him, and while Grady talked about throwing Richard out, she sensed that he struggled with what was right the same way she did. Richard was a charmer, but of the two men, Grady was the one with heart.
“Would you like to join us for dinner?” Savannah asked her friends, thinking it might help Maggie feel more comfortable with Grady. “I’ve got a huge roast in the oven, and fresh strawberry shortcake.”
“Mmm.” Maggie licked her lips. “Strawberries are my favorite.” Wide-eyed, she looked up at her mother.
“Not today, Savannah. I’ll take a rain check.”
“But Mommy...”
Maggie’s disappointment was a soothing balm to Savannah’s own. Since the phone incident Caroline hadn’t been out to the ranch. Whenever Savannah suggested she visit, her friend came up with a convenient excuse, or in this instance, just a polite refusal. It bothered Savannah and she hoped the uneasiness between Grady and Maggie would soon resolve itself.
When Savannah arrived back at the ranch, she discovered Richard sitting on the porch, strumming his guitar and singing softly. He stopped and waved when she pulled into the yard, then strolled over to the truck.
“Where were you all morning?” he asked as if her disappearance had worried him.
“Church. I thought you said you were coming with me.”
“I would’ve if you’d woken me up.”
“You’re an adult, Richard.”
His fingers stilled, the pick poised above the guitar strings. “You’re not angry with me, are you?”
She sighed. “No.”
He grinned boyishly and continued his song while Savannah went into the house. She set her Bible aside and checked the oven. The noonday meal was the primary one on Sundays. In the evening they all fended for themselves, giving Savannah time to pursue her own interests.
An hour later Savannah served the roast, and dished up hot-from-the-oven buttermilk biscuits, mashed potatoes and gravy, corn, a large green salad and strawberry shortcake for dessert. The meal vanished in minutes with lavish compliments from Richard and quiet appreciation from Laredo, Wiley and Grady.
Everyone disappeared afterward, leaving Savannah to herself. The afternoon was lovely, the sky blue and bright, the sun warm without the intense heat of summer. Spring was Savannah’s favorite time of year. After spending an hour in her garden, she arranged a vase of roses and set them in the kitchen, allowing their fragrance to fill the room.
When she’d finished, she picked up her knitting and sat on the porch, Rocket stretched out beside her. There was silence all around her, except for the soughing of wind in the greening trees and the occasional distant sound of traffic from the highway. Without informing anyone of his plans, Richard had disappeared. Grady had vanished into his office to catch up on some reading and Wiley was visiting his widow friend in Brewster. She didn’t know where Laredo had gone, but she hoped he’d join her, as he often did.
Enjoying the Sunday-afternoon tranquillity, Savannah lazily worked the yarn and needles. It didn’t take long for Wade McMillen’s message to make its way into her thoughts. God-given opportunities. She mulled over the opportunities that had recently come her way. Quickly, inevitably, Laredo sprang to her mind.
Deeply absorbed in her thoughts, she wasn’t aware of his approach until he stepped onto the porch.
“It’s a lovely afternoon, isn’t it?” she said, delighted when he claimed the empty rocker beside hers. For as long as she could remember, her parents had sat in these very chairs, side by side, lifelong companions, lovers and friends.
Laredo watched her hands moving the needles and the yarn. “My mother knits, too,” he said.
“My grandmother was the one who taught me.” She reached for the pattern book and showed him the cardigan she was making for Maggie. The needles clicked gently as she returned to her task.
“Church this morning was great,” she went on. “I enjoy Wade’s sermons.” She told him about the man in the flood, and Laredo laughed at the punch line, just as she knew he would. Someday she hoped Laredo would attend services with her, but she hadn’t had the courage to ask him. Not yet.
Courage. She’d missed opportunity after opportunity in her life because she was afraid. Afraid of what, exactly, she didn’t know. No more, she decided then and there.
“Wade got me to thinking,” she said. If she didn’t tell Laredo what was in her heart now, she’d always regret letting this opportunity slip by. She used her knitting as an excuse to avoid eye contact.
“Thinking?”
“About the opportunities that have come into my life...lately.”
Laredo leaned back in the rocker and relaxed, closing his eyes.
“I’ve never dated much,” she said. “I suppose it shows, doesn’t it?”
He lifted his hat brim enough to look at her. “It’s not a disadvantage, if that’s what you’re asking.”
She felt at a disadvantage, though, talking to him about such things, but forged ahead anyway. “It’s a bit of a detriment,” she said, trying to disguise the trembling in her voice. Her heart beat so fast she felt nearly breathless.
“I wouldn’t want to change anything about you, Savannah.”
“Thank you,” she whispered, encouraged by his response.
He apparently thought their conversation was over, because he sat back in the chair once more, stretched out his legs and lowered the brim of his hat.
“There’s something I need to say and I’m not sure how to go about it.” Her fingers felt clammy and stiff, and she let the knitting lie idle in her lap as she composed her thoughts.
“You can tell me anything, you know that.”
Despite the turbulent pounding of her heart, Savannah felt a sense of calm. “Since I don’t have much experience in this kind of situation, I hope you’ll forgive me for speaking frankly.”
She had his attention now, and he lifted the brim of his Stetson with one finger. “Situation?”
Gripping the knitting needles tightly, she continued, “I need to know if there’s a proper way for a lady to speak of certain...matters with a gentleman. Matters of the heart,” she added nervously.
Laredo’s position didn’t alter, but she thought she saw him stiffen. “That part I wouldn’t know.”
“I see.” Her mouth grew dry with anxiety.
An awkward silence followed while she carefully weighed her words. “Considering that you seem to be as much at a loss as I am, perhaps the best way to discuss this would be in a straightforward manner. My mother used to say, ‘Nothing works better than the truth.’”
“Savannah...”
He tried to stop her, but she wouldn’t let him, not while she had the courage to go on. Inhaling deeply, she began to speak. “I love you, Laredo. My heart’s so full, some days I don’t think I can contain all this joy. I want to thank you, to let you know how grateful I am to have met you.”
Her words appeared to stun him. Slowly Laredo sat upright and stared straight ahead, not responding to her words at all. If they’d brought him any pleasure, he wasn’t letting it show.
She waited, her hands trembling now at the bold thing she’d said. “Perhaps I’ve spoken out of turn, but it seems that when a woman loves a man she—”
“Savannah,” he interrupted quietly. “Don’t say any more. Please.”
The color of acute embarrassment erupted in her cheeks. “Is saying I love you improper?”
“There’s nothing improper about you. It’s me.”
“You?” She was utterly confused, completely on edge. She feared what would happen next.
“I’m not the right man for you.”
The relief was so great she nearly laughed aloud. “Oh, Laredo, how can you say such a thing? Nobody’s ever been more right for me in my entire life.”
“Savannah, I have nothing...”
“Do you think that matters?”
“Yes,” he said quietly. Intensely. “It does.”
She waited a moment, then told him with gentle insistence, “For most of my life my parents and then Grady were sure they knew what was right for me. The amazing part of all this is that no one ever bothered to ask my opinion. I’m thirty-one years old, and believe it or not, I know what I want. I want you. I love you.”
He leaned forward and pressed his elbows to his knees as though her words had brought him pain, instead of joy.
Her back went rigid. “I apologize if I’ve embarrassed you.”
“It’s not that. Savannah, listen to me. I’m truly honored that you love me, but it won’t work. It just won’t work.” His voice sagged with regret, with defeat.
“Is it— Don’t you care for me?” It seemed impossible he didn’t share her feelings. She’d been so sure. And she’d hoped that revealing her love would free him to acknowledge his.
He hesitated. “I...”
“If you tell me you don’t return my affection, then I’ll apologize and never mention it again.” Although she made the offer, Savannah had no doubts. Laredo couldn’t have held her or kissed her with such gentle passion if he didn’t care for her.
He waited so long to answer she feared he was about to lie. “You already know what I feel.”
She closed her eyes in gratitude. “I do know.” Now that he’d admitted the truth, she felt confident enough to continue. “Once we’re married—”
“Married?” He half rose from his seat, his voice harsh with shock.
His reaction jolted her. When two people loved each other, marriage seemed to be the next step. And really, given she was already over thirty, there was no reason to wait. Especially if they intended to start a family, which she sincerely hoped they would. The sooner the better.
“I assumed...I hoped,” she faltered, then blushed when she realized he might not consider marriage necessary. “I’m afraid that if we don’t legally marry, my brother will object. I...I would, however, defy him, if that were...necessary.” But she prayed with all her heart it wouldn’t be.
Laredo stood up and walked over to the railing, holding on to it, his back ramrod-straight with tension. “I won’t marry you, Savannah.”
Her heart sank as she absorbed the firm conviction in his statement. “I see,” she said, struggling to hide her disappointment. “As I said earlier, while marriage would offer certain advantages, I’m willing to forgo the...legalities.”
He whirled around. “Savannah, dear God in heaven, don’t you understand what I’m saying?” He knelt in front of her, his eyes wide with pain. “It isn’t that I won’t marry you. I can’t.”
“Can’t?” The awful possibility dawned. “Are you...do you already have a wife?”
“No.”
She brought both hands to her heart in a gesture of relief.
“Look at me!” he demanded. “I don’t have a pot to piss in. I don’t have one damn thing to give you. Do you honestly think I’d take you away from your home, your family and friends, your roses and everything else to live in a trailer? Because that’s all I’ve got—a lousy trailer.”
Feeling his pain, his inadequacy, she touched his cheek lovingly. “Do you think it matters to me where we live? As for my garden, I can start another. You’re all I need, all I’ll ever need.”
He closed his eyes. “Savannah, I can’t. I’m sorry, but I can’t.” His hands squeezed hers with enough strength to make her fingers ache.
“I’m offering you my heart, my love, my life,” she said, her voice barely audible.
He claimed both her hands with his own, then turned them over and pressed his lips to her palms. When he raised his head, his eyes held hers. “You’d give all this up for me?”
“I wouldn’t be giving up anything, Laredo. I’d be gaining so much more.”
* * *
That night Laredo sat up in his bunk, his back against the wall, his mind whirling. Savannah had almost made him believe it was possible for the two of them. He was well aware that she’d be the one to make all the sacrifices; while that didn’t seem right or fair, she’d assured him of her willingness to do it. To do whatever was necessary for them to be together.
Laredo rested his head between his hands and dreamed with his eyes open. A growing sense of excitement, of possibility, grew within him. He loved her.
Richard strolled into the bunkhouse and threw himself down on the cot where he’d slept that first time. Some nights he slept in the house; Laredo wished this was one of them. He supposed it depended on whether or not Grady was in the house and likely to notice. Despite her older brother’s insistence, Laredo knew Savannah would never make Richard leave. She’d even let him stay in his boyhood room, perhaps allowing herself to believe that everything was all right again. Other nights, Richard slept in the bunkhouse. Grady must be around this evening.
“Hey, what’re ya doing?” Richard asked.
“Thinking,” Laredo answered shortly, hoping Weston would take the hint.
“So you’re trying to steal Savannah away from us.”
How did Richard know? “Do you have a problem with that?” Laredo demanded, suspicious of the other man’s intentions.
“None whatsoever.” Richard’s hands flew up and he grinned broadly. “As long as you love her,” he added in melodramatic tones.
“I do.” Not until the words escaped his lips did Laredo realize he had no problem telling Richard how he felt, although he’d never once told Savannah he loved her, not in so many words, at least.
“Ain’t love grand,” Richard said with an exaggerated sigh. He flopped back on the cot and gazed up at the ceiling. “At least in the beginning.”
Laredo let the comment slide, although it hit its mark. Bull’s-eye. What started out beautiful could often end up a disaster.
“Savannah’s a real sweetheart,” Richard continued. “Did you notice how hard she worked cooking for the party? Actually, if I know my sister, she was grateful to stay in the kitchen. It’s always been difficult for her to deal with crowds, even people she’s familiar with and known most of her life. I don’t know why she’s so damn shy. Take her out of her element and she wilts like a flower without water.”
Laredo frowned, wondering if Richard was actually delivering a subtle message, one he would deny if asked, but would gleefully recount as an I-told-you-so if it came to pass.
“If you have something to say, then just say it,” Laredo muttered.
“Me?” Richard’s voice echoed his surprise. “I’m not saying anything other than how pleased I am for the two of you.”
“Nothing’s been decided.” Laredo wanted to correct that impression right off.
Richard rolled his head to one side to get a better look at Laredo. “Really?”
“Really.”
“Well, if everything goes as planned, it’ll be wonderful. I know she’ll make you happy, and once the kids start coming...”
“Kids?” The word exploded from Laredo’s lips before he thought to censor it. They wouldn’t be able to afford kids for years, although he knew Savannah was eager for a family. He was, too, but it just wasn’t going to be possible, not until he’d established himself, had some income he could count on.
“I wouldn’t advise you to wait too long,” Richard was saying. “Savannah’s already over thirty. Apparently the older the woman the more likely the chance of complications.” He shook his head wisely and sounded as if he knew what he was talking about.
“I hope you’ve got good health insurance,” he added. “From what I’ve heard, having a baby costs thousands of bucks these days.”
Health insurance? Laredo could barely afford to put food on the table, let alone worry about extras. He knew Savannah, too. If there were problems, she wouldn’t let him know because she wouldn’t want him to worry.
“What about her rose garden?” Richard asked next. “We both know how important that is to her.”
“She’s talked about moving part of it,” Laredo responded, but his mind was still stuck on the possibility of something happening to Savannah, miles from town, with few friends or neighbors. The reality of what he was asking hit him hard. It sounded romantic and exciting—the two of them building a home together, breeding quarter horses—until he thought about the risks.
“Moving part of the garden,” Richard repeated. “Great idea.” He sat up, tapping one foot on the floor. “You be real good to my big sister now, you hear?” Clapping his hands together, Richard laughed. “Hey! I’ll bet you want me to keep my mouth shut about this in front of Grady. Right?”
Laredo didn’t answer. The next time he looked up Richard was gone, which was just as well. Savannah’s brother had opened his eyes to a few home truths. While it was fine to dream about making Savannah his bride, a dream was all it would ever be. He couldn’t take her away from everything she knew and loved, couldn’t put her health and happiness at risk. One of them had to keep a level head, and it looked like the responsibility had fallen to him.
He loved her, but he couldn’t marry her. Wouldn’t marry her. As soon as it could be arranged, he’d get out of her life. For her own good, as well as his own.
* * *
A week later, as Grady sat on Starlight and watched over the grazing herd, his thoughts grew dark and oppressive. Sometimes he could cast off these moods when they threatened. More often, like now, he couldn’t. He worried more and more about Savannah; he wasn’t sure what had happened to his sister, but she hadn’t been herself. Not for days. Outwardly nothing seemed wrong; she was as pleasant and cordial as always. Still, the difference was there. It seemed as if the light had gone out of her eyes somehow. The joy he’d seen in her of late had vanished.
He was no expert when it came to romance, but the answer was obvious. Something had happened between her and Laredo, who seemed equally miserable. Clearly they’d suffered some sort of falling-out. It was bound to happen, Grady realized.
He hated to see his sister hurt, and it made him feel helpless. He had no idea what to do, what to say. He’d even considered talking to Caroline, this being a woman thing and all. Savannah’s best friend might be able to see her through this disappointment.
If only he could talk to someone about Richard. He supposed Cal Patterson, as his closest friend, would be that person. And yet he felt embarrassed. Ashamed. He hardly knew how it had happened, but Richard had managed to sweet-talk his way back into the family. It hadn’t taken long for Savannah to pick up where their parents had left off, Grady thought with some bitterness. She spoiled him, indulged his every whim, pandered to his wishes as if he deserved a hero’s welcome.
Grady still wanted Richard off the ranch, but every time he got to the point of ordering him to leave, he found he couldn’t. Either because of Savannah’s pleading or his own sense of...what? Obligation? Family loyalty? Pity? The one thing Grady had insisted on was that Richard sleep in the bunkhouse, but his worthless brother had found a way to thwart even that.
It had started innocently enough, with Richard cleaning out his old bedroom, sorting through his things. Before long he’d started sleeping up there. Some nights, anyway; Grady never knew for sure. It was another way Richard kept him off balance.
Grady shifted his weight in the saddle, tired after a long day. Just when he was about to head back to the ranch, he noticed another rider approaching at a gallop.
Laredo Smith. He waited for the man to join him.
“Problems?” Grady inquired.
“Not really.”
From the way he’d ridden out here Grady wondered if the house was on fire. “There’s a reason you came to see me, isn’t there?”
“There is.”
Apparently Smith was having a difficult time spitting out the words. He looked even worse than Savannah, pale and lifeless.
“You were right, Grady,” he said without emotion. “Have been from the first.”
Grady liked the way this conversation had started. With Richard pulling the wool over everyone’s eyes, it felt good to be told he was right about something. “How do you mean?”
“About me.”
Grady’s smile faded. This wasn’t what he wanted to hear, wasn’t what he’d expected, either. “In other words, you’re the thief Earl Chesterton suspected?”
“No.” His denial was quick. “Not that.”
Grady would have been disappointed had it been the truth. Smith had proved himself a hardworking and talented horseman, probably the best he’d ever hired. He still didn’t trust him, though, especially where his sister was concerned, and because of that, Grady had made a point of being difficult, demanding, even unreasonable. Laredo hadn’t responded in kind, not once, and in the process had earned Grady’s respect.
“You claimed I wasn’t good enough for Savannah,” Laredo said bluntly.
Grady frowned. He really didn’t like the turn this conversation had taken. “What’s going on between you two?” he asked, eyes narrowed.
Laredo ignored the question. “I need a favor.”
“You got it.”
His immediate response appeared to surprise Smith. “You might not be so fast to agree once you hear it involves money.”
Grady sobered; the wrangler was right. “How much?”
“I need a loan. Enough to pay for the repairs on my truck and get me to Oklahoma.”
“Any particular reason you’re anxious to be on your way now?”
Smith rested his hands on the saddle horn and averted his face. “I’ve got my reasons.”
“I don’t suppose those reasons have anything to do with my sister?”
“They might.”
“You hurt her, Smith, and you’ll regret it.” Grady was torn. On the one hand, Savannah’s happiness seemed to depend on this man; on the other, he’d prefer to see Smith leave, get clear away from her. Grady suspected Smith’s departure would come too late, that Savannah was already in too deep, emotionally committed to a drifter.
“Why the hell do you think I need that money so damned bad?” Laredo asked savagely. “The sooner I’m out of her life the better. Listen, I don’t expect you to give me that loan without collateral. I’ll leave the title to my truck with you until I can pay you back. Agreed?”
Grady mulled it over, not the decision to lend Laredo money—he had no problem with that—but why, exactly, Laredo seemed so anxious to leave. He sighed. He wasn’t sure if he should interfere in the man’s private affairs; he certainly wouldn’t have appreciated anyone meddling in his.
“Agreed?” Laredo said again.
“There’s another way,” Grady said thoughtfully. Laredo stared at him long and hard before Grady continued. “You could stay here. I’ll make you an offer that’ll make it worth your while. A partnership—you and me and Savannah. I understand you’re interested in breeding quarter horses. You could do that here on the Yellow Rose just as well as in Oklahoma.”
Either Laredo was speechless at the offer or he was shocked that Grady knew this much about him and his plans. Grady credited Wiley for the information. His foreman had a loose tongue.
“If you’re trying to bribe me into staying, all I can say is you’ve insulted the finest woman I know.”
“It isn’t a bribe,” Grady insisted, damning himself for his inability to say things the way he wanted. “All I’m trying to do is give you another option.” He stopped and boldly met the other man’s eyes. “You love my sister, don’t you?”
“Loving Savannah doesn’t have anything to do with the loan,” Laredo said stiffly. “Look, I have almost nothing to bring to a marriage. Nothing that’s mine, that I worked for. I can’t give her the things she’s used to and deserves to have. I won’t ask her to give up what she’s got here. And a partnership...well, there’s no way I could buy into the Yellow Rose, so a partnership is charity, pure and simple. I work for what I get—I don’t accept charity.”
Laredo’s anger seemed to burn itself out and he said, “That loan. Are you willing to give it to me or not?”
“It’s yours if you want it, but—”
“I want it.”
“All right,” Grady said, and thrust out his hand. For the very first time he believed in Laredo’s sincerity. For the first time he fully accepted that his sister had chosen a man who deserved her love. A man he respected. A man he’d misjudged.
Laredo gripped his hand, and not for the first time Grady noted the intense sadness in his eyes. Grady refused to let go, demanding Laredo’s full attention. “Are you sure this is what you want?”
Laredo nodded. “I’m sure.”
He rode off with the same urgency with which he’d approached.
Grady frowned, wishing there was something he could do. But he knew that neither Savannah nor Laredo would appreciate his intrusion in their lives. This was between them; they had to work it out themselves—or not.
Bad as he felt for both of them, he could do nothing.
* * *
Laredo noted the number on the small single-story dwelling in a quiet neighborhood and glanced down at the address on the slip of paper. He was about to commit perhaps the most cowardly act of his life. But what else could he do?
He stepped out of the truck and walked down the narrow path to the front door, a long narrow box tucked under his arm. He hesitated briefly, then rang the doorbell. It didn’t take long for someone to answer. Maggie Daniels’s eyes lit up in delight when she saw who it was.
“Hi, Laredo!”
Caroline revealed no such pleasure. “What are you doing here?”
He removed his hat. “I need you to do something for me if you would.”
Savannah’s friend didn’t invite him inside, and it was just as well. He wanted to leave now, immediately. As he’d told Grady, the sooner he was able to put some distance between Savannah and him, the better.
“Come in,” Caroline finally said, unlocking the screen door.
Laredo declined. “Thanks, but this should only take a moment.” He handed her the box. “Would you mind giving this to Savannah for me?”
“You can’t do it yourself?”
“No, ma’am.”
She didn’t accept the box. “Why not?”
“I don’t plan on seeing her again.” Saying the words created a terrible sense of loss. He might be convinced that leaving was for the best, but that didn’t make it any easier. He’d gotten the loan from Grady, and after supper Wiley had driven him into town to pick up his truck. He’d said his goodbyes to everyone.
Everyone except Savannah.
Although he called himself every name in the book, he couldn’t make himself do it. He couldn’t look her in the eye and pretend he didn’t love her, and that was the price she’d demand before he left. She’d insist he say it to her face and he wouldn’t be able to.
It occurred to him as he drove away from Powell’s Garage that this feeling of grief and fear and loss must be similar to what his father had experienced when he left for Vietnam all those years ago.
“Well, if you won’t come in, I’ll join you on the porch.” Caroline opened the screen door and stepped outside. Maggie, dressed in purple pajamas, followed her mother.
“I’d be much obliged if you’d give this to Savannah for me.” He repeated his request.
Caroline’s smile was knowing. “You love her, don’t you?”
Laredo couldn’t have denied it if he’d tried. “Sometimes love isn’t enough.”
“Really.” She crossed her arms and walked to the porch railing and stared into the night sky. “Don’t you think Savannah deserves to have you give her that gift yourself?”
“She deserves a great deal more than I can ever give her.”
Caroline turned and faced him, leaning against the railing.
“What’s in the package, Mommy?” Maggie asked.
“A gift for Savannah,” her mother answered.
“Can I see?”
Laredo opened the box. As a parting gift and a token of love, it wasn’t much, but it was all he could afford. “It’s a shawl.” He brought it out to show the little girl.
When Caroline saw the antique white silk threaded with gold strands, she sighed in appreciation. “It’s perfect for her.”
He was tempted to smile. He’d realized the same thing when he noticed it in the window of Dovie’s shop. Instantly, he’d pictured Savannah sitting on the porch, the shawl wrapped around her shoulders. He’d never thought of himself as romantic, but in some small way he hoped that when she wore it, she’d feel his love. He hoped she’d understand that even though he’d left her, he would always love her.
“I know I’m asking a lot of you,” Laredo said to Caroline.
“No,” she replied. “The one you’re asking a lot of is Savannah.”
He recognized the truth of that immediately.
“Like I said,” Caroline went on, “she deserves to have you give her this gift.”
He shook his head. “I can’t. Either you do it or I’ll mail it.”
Caroline hesitated. “Is there any message to go with it?”
He shook his head. He’d already said more than he’d intended.
“Nothing, Laredo?” Her eyes begged him not to be so cruel.
“Tell her...” His throat felt thick.
“Yes?”
“Tell her thank-you.” He set his hat back on his head and hurried down the walkway.
Maggie tugged at her mother’s sleeve. “Where’s Laredo going?”
“I don’t know, sweetheart. Laredo!” Caroline called to him.
He looked back.
“How’d you manage to pay for the repairs to your truck?”
He stood silent, refusing to answer her.
It didn’t take Caroline long to figure it out. “Grady. He lent you the money, didn’t he?” She leaped down the porch steps and planted her hands on her hips. “That son of a—” She bit off the last word.
Laredo climbed into his truck and started the engine, desperate to leave before he found an excuse to stay.