Chapter Nine
Nine
Blake took a step closer as she unfastened and opened the screen door.
“I didn’t call to tell you I was coming because you won’t take my calls,” he said as he closed the door behind him.
Her heart pounded, and she couldn’t get her breath. “Blake,” she whispered, knowing that she loved him, whatever he did. She was tired of pushing her feelings away. “I missed you.”
His eyes narrowed, and he dropped a package from his hand and wrapped his arms around her. He pulled her close, and she clung to him as he kissed her.
She held him tightly, as if she might lose him again.
How could she marry him if he didn’t love her? Yet how could she not marry him when she loved him so much?
She stopped thinking. She was in his arms, kissing him, and right now that was all that mattered. When he picked her up and raised his head a fraction, she looked up into dark eyes filled with desire. “Where’s your bedroom?”
She pointed and pulled his head down for another kiss. He stood her on her feet beside the bed as he unfastened buttons on her yellow cotton blouse and removed her skirt.
Her hands shook as she undid his jeans. She ran her hands over him as if to make certain he was still there, and she didn’t stop kissing him when he picked her up to place her on the bed.
Later, Sierra had no idea what time it was as she lay in his arms, their warm bodies pressed together with her tangled hair spread across his shoulder. His lips touched her temple, her cheek, her ear.
“You haven’t taken any of my calls.”
“I tried to call you today, and you didn’t answer.”
He raised his head slightly. “Why did you try to call me?”
She pulled the sheet higher beneath her arm. “Blake, your father made a huge—huge—donation to the children’s shelter. It was done in honor of his four sons.”
Blake stared at her. “I’ll be damned. I called him, Sierra. I decided you’re more important than old hurts, and having your love is more important than any revenge—”
“You did?” she cried, sitting up and throwing her arms around him to hug him.
“Hey,” Blake said, hugging her and laughing. “Yes, I did. Do you want to hear what happened?”
She looked into his eyes and pulled him closer to give him a long, passionate kiss before she listened. “Now tell me.”
Looking amused, he settled beside her, pulling her close by his side. She placed her head on his shoulder as she waited.
“I called him and asked him to go to lunch. I told him I wanted to see him. He accepted my invitation.”
“You did this for me?”
“Yes, I did.”
“Why?”
He gazed at her, his warm brown eyes making her heart race. “I love you and I want to marry you. That revenge thing seemed to be what was in the way. It’s gone now, Sierra. Will you marry me?”
Her heart thudded. She didn’t know what he’d done, or much about the meeting with his father, but he was telling her he loved her and she knew she loved him.
“Yes. Oh, yes, I’ll marry you. I love you, Blake.” Tears of joy filled her eyes and spilled down her cheeks.
“Hey, what’s this?” he said, rubbing away tears with his fingers. “Why are you crying?”
“I love you so much and didn’t realize it until I thought it was too late. I thought you were out of my life.”
“I hope not.” He kissed her again. “I love you, Sierra. With all my heart. I want you more than anything else.”
“I love you so much, Blake,” she whispered between kisses. Finally, she lay back and looked up at him. “Now, tell me about lunch, and why he made this gigantic donation to the shelter.”
“My father was really a stranger. I could have grabbed a guy off the street and wouldn’t have felt any different about him.
I was surprised how old and frail he looked.
I remembered him as I had as a child, a strong, powerful man.
I had already decided to end the competition with his hotels.
It seemed pointless and was causing trouble between you and me. ”
“There really wasn’t much of an ‘us’ earlier.”
“There’s been an ‘us’ since the day I met you. Don’t tell me you didn’t feel sparks flying when we met. I know better.”
“I suppose so,” she said, smiling at him. “Go back to your dad.”
“He was kind of sad. I felt sorry for him. He said he made mistakes, thinking money was the most important thing. He said he didn’t know how to be a father. I reminded him he has a new little granddaughter. He said he really never knew how to be a dad, and it’s too late now.
“Sierra, I don’t ever want to end up like my dad. I told him it wasn’t too late, and I gave him your card. I told him about the children’s shelter, and that he could be a dad in spirit by helping those kids and making a donation. I guess he decided to do that.”
“Oh, my, yes he did. I think Bert was close to fainting. I have the note your dad wrote.”
“Because of you, we’ve made peace.”
“I’m thrilled. I’m so, so happy. Thank you. Blake, he sent us a huge check for a quarter of a million dollars for the children’s shelter. We can take more kids now, and pay tutors and... I’m thrilled.”
“Oh, I have something—just wait. Don’t go anywhere and don’t do anything while I go get what I brought you.”
“A present? The only thing I can give you right now is a dog.”
“That’s not the only thing,” he said, grinning slyly at her. She shook her head.
She watched him walk away and thought about the day she’d had—Mr. Sedgewick, the check, Blake on her doorstep, in her arms, in her bed. He loved her. The best of all possible days.
Blake returned, slipped beneath the sheet and turned to her. “I have to ask your dad for your hand in marriage.”
“You know that’s an old-fashioned custom that you don’t have to do anymore.”
“Why do I feel that I would make a better impression on your minister father if I did it?” He placed a long box in her hand. It was wrapped in pink paper and tied with a wide pink silk ribbon.
“For you, darlin’,” he said.
Curious, she opened it and gasped as she looked at a beautiful gold chain necklace with a heart-shaped pendant covered in diamonds and a large diamond in the center.
“That, my love, is a gift from me to you because you are having our baby,” he said solemnly.
“Blake, that is gorgeous. It’s the most beautiful necklace ever. Thank you,” she said.
“Turn around and let me put it on.”
She laughed. “In bed—that’s ridiculous, but okay.” She sat quietly while he fastened it around her neck. She looked down at the brilliant diamonds. “Blake, it’s beautiful. I love it. Thank you.”
He kissed her and she held him tightly, kissing him in return. He shifted and took her hand in his. “This ring is also for you,” he said, opening her hand. “Sierra Benson, will you marry me?”
She smiled at him in delight. “Yes, oh, yes, I will. I love you, Blake Callahan,” she added.
“Hold out your hand,” he said, slipping the ring on her finger. She looked down at a dazzling emerald-cut diamond surrounded by smaller diamonds.
She gasped. “Blake, that is magnificent. My word,” she said, sounding breathless and holding her hand out to turn it, letting the diamonds catch the light and create small rainbows. “This is the most beautiful ring ever, in all of history.”
He laughed. “It’s pretty.”
Suddenly her smile vanished. “Blake, what will I do about the agency? I promised my grandfather I would keep it going and work to help others.”
“First of all, you’re pregnant, so focus on that for now.
The time will come when you can get back to your work with the agency.
I’ve got enough money, and the agency has enough money to keep going.
Bert can run things while you’re away. If you want, you can have another branch in Dallas. How’s that?”
“There will be a lot of back and forth because of all my family living here.”
“That’ll be easy. I have my own jet. We have cars. You’ll be able to get back and forth when you want to, or bring your folks to see us. Okay?”
“Okay. You’re worth making a few little sacrifices for,” she said.
He grinned. “Thank heavens for that.”
“I still think this is the most beautiful ring.” She admired it until he leaned close to kiss her, and she wrapped her arms around him to hug him tightly.
Later, still in each other’s arms, he said, “Let’s have this wedding soon.”
“I agree. If we start planning tonight, we can get married this month.”
“If you say we can have the wedding soon, then let’s do it. The sooner the better, as far as I’m concerned.”
“It’s not late now. Let’s get dressed and go tell my family. They’ll love it.”
“Sure. Your folks, my half brothers—I’ll call them.”
“Blake, I heard about you and William—that you donated baseballs, a bat and a glove—lots of equipment for him and for the kids. That was wonderful.”
“I wanted to. I’d like to have him out to the ranch sometime. I suppose it’s inevitable that we’ll have all those kids out. I’ll charter a bus or fly them there.”
“We’ll figure it out. That would be wonderful.”
“This means I need to hire you and Eli and Lucinda and my contractor again. Now we’ll need a nursery in the new wing, and we’ll need a nursery in my Dallas home, too, unless you don’t like that house.”
“That is a gorgeous mansion. Of course I like it. And, yes, we’ll need a nursery both places, but that’s doable. Now let’s shower, dress and go see my family. I can’t wait to tell them. They’ll be so happy for us. You’ll see.”
Hugging her tightly, he looked down at her.
“You’ve given me faith in people, Sierra.
I have never seen a married couple so filled with care and love for each other as your parents—I really didn’t think that was possible.
Because of you, I know there is good in people.
I guess that rose-colored view is contagious—or is it just that I’m so in love that you’ve made me believe, and I see good everywhere now? ”
She held him tightly. “I love you. Your life is going to change in lots of ways, but it will all be good.”
“What’s really good is kissing you,” he said in a husky voice.
And he kissed away her response.