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“So why didn’t you tell me?”
“I tried to call. You weren’t here. No one was.” Blinking slowly, he forced his eyes open. “Besides, I wanted to surprise you.”
“You managed that,” she admitted, her fingers quivering as she brushed his hair from his eyes and tried to smooth the wrinkles from his brow. “I wanted to kill you.”
“You and that idiot in Ireland.”
“Did they catch him?”
Denver shook his head. “I don’t know. I don’t think so.” He took her hand in his. “I guess I really blew it, handled the horse deal all wrong. I just didn’t want you to sell stock. Those horses mean too much to you.”
“I can’t believe this,” she murmured. Recognizing the lines of strain around his mouth, the weariness in his eyes, she almost trusted him again. Slowly, she pressed her lips to his cheek.
“Believe, Tessa.”
“I want to—” Oh God, was she baring her soul to him again?
“Did I hurt you that badly?” he asked softly as he draped one arm around her waist, holding her close. The nearness of him, his smell and touch, caused her skin to tingle, her heart to race. “After the fire—did I hurt you that badly?”
Shuddering, she shut her eyes. “I was okay.”
“Were you?” Levering himself onto one elbow, he pushed gently on her shoulder. She fell back against the pillows.
“I did this all for us, you know. I bought the horses and told Ross I wouldn’t sign any real estate papers because I thought I’d come back here and marry you. I thought we could straighten everything out.”
Her heart lurched, missing a beat. “How?” she asked, her palms beginning to sweat. She couldn’t risk believing him again. Not completely. Not when it came to matters of the heart. She was too vulnerable. Just because he mentioned marriage wasn’t any reason to run back to him, believe anything he said.
“I already talked to my partner. I’m thinking of splitting off—maybe starting a consulting firm in Helena.”
“You’d hate living here.”
“Maybe not. I had a lot of time to think things over in Northern Ireland. I did some serious soul-searching.”
“And what did you find out?”
He cocked his head to the far wall, where her suitcase had landed. “That I want to be with you. No matter where you are.”
She sniffed, her pulse leaping, her eyes shining.
“This ranch is only important if you’re here. If you’re leaving—so am I.”
“And if I’m not?” she asked, twisting to face him. Her long hair fell over his arm, red-gold tresses spilling over wrinkled white cotton.
One corner of his mouth lifted. “Then I stay.”
She swallowed hard. “Is—is this some kind of a proposal?”
His gaze flicked from her eyes to her lips and back again.
Tessa’s breath lodged deep in her throat.
“What do you think?” he asked, pushing up on his elbows, placing trembling lips against the side of her neck.
Her pulse played hopscotch. “I think I’m crazy to even consider it.” But she leaned back, twining her arms around his neck, feeling his thick dark hair brush her fingers.
“Let me be the judge of that.” His breath whispered across her face.
“What about the fire?” she asked quietly.
