Page 55 of Bryson

He gave her an amused stare. "What kind of deal?"

"That I would do anything, forgive him for allowing my dad to run out on us, forgive him for taking my mother away from me, if he would keep you safe."

His amusement fled when he noticed that she was being serious.

"Julianne--"

"I'm not finished." Taking his hand, she pressed it to her left cheek and closed her eyes briefly. Just the touch of his skin on hers reassured her and made her feel contented. "I love you more than my own life. I never dreamed I would love like this, but I do, and I want to spend a hundred years showing you how much." She opened her eyes, and he felt his heart picking up speed at the moisture in them. "Do you understand?"

He nodded and tried twice to speak but could not get past the lump that had formed inside his throat. Then he tried again, and this time it came out as a croak. "I had a lousy childhood." His hands gripped hers, eyes smoldering. "One where I would dream of getting rid of my father. I hated him with a virulence that was frightening, and he knew it." He drew her to him.

"The only solace I had was the ranch. I love the land, the animals, and the entire operation. It became my world, and then I met you. I met you, and you're my world. Darling, you're my everything. My life began when I met you." He closed his mouth over hers, and for several minutes, conversation was halted.

Chapter 16

The damage wasn't as profound as they expected. Flooding was an issue, of course, and several buildings had been inundated with water. As if to make up for the lack of sun for two days, the third day brought a ray of sunshine so fierce, it seemed to scorch the earth. Unfortunately, it also melted the snow too quickly.

They had also lost several heads of cattle, and during the storm, a newborn foal had succumbed to frostbite when it wandered out from the protective fold of the barn and its mother.

Bryson and his men worked tirelessly to repair damages. The local and elementary schools sustained damages as well, and the pediatrics department of one of the hospitals lost its roof.

Julianne threw herself into helping out by using her husband's influence to get a fundraising effort going. To her pleasant surprise, Brian offered his own assistance in terms of monetary donations and a promise to visit as soon as it was safe to do so.

The first thing Bryson insisted on as soon as the roads were safe to travel on was to have the doctor come over to do a thorough check on Julianne. He told her he would not rest easy until he knew everything was all right.

And it was. Their baby was healthy and showed no signs of any distress. He had been afraid that his constant lovemaking, especially during the stormy weather, had done some damage.

Now he could concentrate on setting the place to rights.

It took a week to assess the damage and another two weeks for the snow to completely melt so that they could go about the business of doing the repairs. The fence along the east side was completely damaged and needed a massive repair.

Julianne saw less and less of him as the days flew by. He would rise early in the morning and stumble in late at night, too tired to do anything more than give her a chaste kiss on the cheek.

But no matter how busy he was, he would take a break and drive her to her doctor's appointments. When he discovered they were having a son, he was too overwhelmed for words.

That night, he came home and handed her a stunning sapphire and diamond necklace with matching earrings.

"I want to tell you that you shouldn't have, but I'd be an idiot."

"And we both know you're the smartest woman alive." He grinned as he took it from her and clasped it around her graceful throat. "It suits you," he told her quietly, stepping back to examine the effect.

He moved closer, his eyes smoldering. She was wearing a slinky ice blue robe that was the only covering for her nakedness. The shower she had taken just minutes before he came home scented her skin with jasmine and raspberry. Her hair was piled on top of her head because she had yet to do her nightly ritual of twisting the strands.

Her skin was dewy and soft, and he could swear she was glowing. Parting the robe, he slid his hands up and down her arms, his skin heating up. He had not made love to her in over two weeks because of the pressure he faced with the ranch.

"I've neglected you," he murmured, his voice thickening.

"You have."

"I apologize. I want to make it up to you." He pushed the robe off her shoulders so that it pooled around her ankles.

"I'm not stopping you." Her eyes flared when he simply dropped to his knees.

"I've delegated most of the tasks to the men so that I could come home to my very pregnant wife. A son." His hands cupped her belly reverently. "We're having a son," he whispered against her stomach. As if acknowledging his joy, the baby moved, making her gasp.

"Does it hurt?" he asked anxiously, fascinated by the movement of her belly.

"No, it just feels... Oh!" She laughed shakily as the movement increased. "I think he's really happy that his daddy is home."