CHAPTER THIRTY-NINE
BLADE PULLED UP to Dakota’s place just as the last of the sunset faded. He was almost up the steps when he saw her sitting in one of the wicker chairs.
“You made it home before dark,” she whispered as she stood.
He circled her waist with his arm and lifted her up to kiss her. “I have to leave tomorrow, but I’ll be back as soon as I can. It seems my vacation has ended.”
She held on tight. “I don’t want you to go.”
“I know, but there are things I have to do, Elf.” He smiled, loving her tears. Loved knowing she cared enough to cry.
Without a word, they moved inside and joined Grandmother at the kitchen counter while Maria cooked. Blade told them all about what had happened at the Bar W and Grandmother swore the whole feud between the two families had been started by old man Collins because he was always wanting more land.
After supper, Blade kissed each of the women good-night. Maria stood still and let him kiss her cheek. Grandmother rubbed her kiss off, but grinned for once. Dakota walked him to the guestroom and kissed him twice.
“Don’t go,” she whispered.
“I have to, but I swear I’ll be back. Believe me.” He kissed her one last time, but she didn’t answer him.
Once in his room, he felt the pain again. Deep in his chest.
Pain he couldn’t ignore. Pain he couldn’t stop.
He tried to sleep. He walked the floor. He even made a list of all he had to do, but the pain wouldn’t go away.
She didn’t believe him. Dakota didn’t think he’d be back.
Blade thought of waking her up just to tell her one more time that he was coming back. But if she still didn’t believe him, the pain in his chest might crack his ribs.
He was staring out the window, looking at the lake, remembering the sad story Grandmother had told him, when the bedroom door opened slowly.
When he turned, just for a moment, he thought he was staring at a vision. It couldn’t be real. Dakota was standing there with her white T-shirt pulled halfway off.
“I’ve come to sleep with you, Hamilton.”
“I’m coming back.” He said the one thing he had to say again.
“I know. I wouldn’t have come if I didn’t believe that. This isn’t a one-night stand, you need to understand. This is the beginning of forever.”
He crossed the room, helped her with her T-shirt and picked her up. As he carried her to bed, he realized the pain in his chest had stopped.
“I think I’m in love with you,” he whispered as he began kissing every part of her. “I think home isn’t a place, but a person, and you’re mine.”
She put her small hands on either side of his face and met him eye to eye. “Hamilton, stop talking and make love to me.”
He grinned. “You running my life, Elf?”
“Looks like I’ve found my calling.”
They both laughed and began their one-night stand that might just last every night of their lives.
The next morning she cried as he left at dawn. “I’ll be back,” he kept saying but she didn’t stop crying. He couldn’t tell her when—a day, a week. His job was unpredictable.
“I’ll call,” he whispered as he kissed her one more time.
“No. I don’t want to talk to you until you’re here.”
He turned and walked away. Feeling sick inside. He was doing just what he said he would do. He was leaving her. Duty called and deep down he wasn’t sure she’d be waiting for him when he came back.
A few days later Maria called to tell him Lauren and Lucas were getting married, but he said he couldn’t make it home by Friday. They were in the middle of a big investigation and they had to work fast.
Jerry called later to tell him the repairs on his house were coming along. It was ready to move in soon.
No word from Dakota.
On March 15, he pulled up to the Davis house and ran to the door. For the first time the old adobe house was locked up. He tried Grandmother’s house. Locked up. Not a light on at either place.
He drove over to his land and turned on all the lights. Then he parked the new Dodge Ram he’d bought in the middle of the road. Dakota would have to pass his place to get home, and he planned to sleep in the bed of the truck to catch her.
Finally, he heard her old pickup rattling down the road. He walked out in the center of the road.
Dakota braked hard and jumped out of her truck. “Get out of the road, Hamilton. I almost ran you down.”
“Come home with me, Dakota. The house is almost finished. I want you to see it.”
“No. I can’t step foot on your land.”
“You don’t believe that old curse, do you?”
“I believe Grandmother. She says I can’t live on Hamilton land.”
Grandmother climbed out of the truck and Maria did the same. He was going to have to face all the Davis women—and to tell the truth, he loved them all. They were his family.
“I’m not giving you up, Dakota. I’m staying right here. Not moving until we work this out. I want to live the rest of my life with you, so you’d better tell me what you want because I’m not going anywhere.”
Grandmother circled him slowly as if he were a tree that sprang up in the road.
Dakota turned to her grandmother. “What do I do? He’s crazy as any Hamilton ever born, but I love him.”
Grandmother poked him in the stomach with her walking stick. “Load him in the truck and we’ll take him home. You don’t know him well enough to marry yet, so we’ll just keep him for a while.”
Blade smiled. “I’ll follow you in. If it takes a year, I’ll talk you into marrying me.”
Dakota kissed his cheek. “What if I don’t say yes in a year?”
Blade winked. “Then I’ll marry your shichu. If I can’t be your husband, I might as well be your grandfather.”
All three women laughed.
Without another word, he gathered up his family and went to the Davis house. He’d meant what he said. Home wasn’t a place; it was a woman, and he’d be happy as long as he was with Dakota.