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“One more thing,” he said.
“What’s that?” She turned and regarded him through a veil of gold-tipped lashes.
“About the fire.”
Here it comes, she thought frantically, bracing herself. This was too good to be true! She leaned heavily against the cool panels of the door. “I thought we were through discussing the fire.”
“Almost. But I thought I should explain.”
“You don’t have to—”
“Shh.” He placed a finger to her lips, tracing her pout. “Just listen. I put everything into perspective in Ireland,” he said. “I had a lot of time, sitting around hospitals and talking to the authorities. I thought things through, and I finally realized that I should never have blamed you for the accident.”
“The accident?”
“Right. No matter what happened, the fire was an accident. It was no one’s fault. Not yours. Not your father’s.”
“It was someone’s.”
“No. Let’s not try to fix any blame.”
Her throat closed around itself. Tears threatened to fill her eyes.
“I wanted to blame someone, Tessa. Mom and Dad were dead, I was in the hospital, and I thought there had to be some reason it happened—some person to blame. Your father was an easy target. So were you.” His eyes were bright with unshed tears. “Can you ever forgive me?”
Blinking, she forced a quavering grin. “I think I can find a way.”
“I’ll talk to your dad and make it up to him.”
“You’d better,” she teased. “I expect him to give me away at the wedding. You’ll probably have to do some fast talking. He’s not too fond of McLeans. Neither is Mitch.”
“When Colton gets here?
??”
“Oh, Lord, I hadn’t even thought about that. He hates me!”
“He just doesn’t know you.” Denver shoved open the door. “I think it’s time to start mending fences—and fast.”
His fingers closed over hers and he pulled her downstairs. How, she wondered, would they ever mend the old rift between the two families? Time was supposed to heal all wounds, but the past seven years had only deepened the gap.
Her father would be easy. If Curtis saw how happy she was, he’d forgive Denver. And when they had the baby, Curtis Kramer would glide around this ranch on cloud nine. The baby! Should she tell him? She slid a glance at Denver and couldn’t ruin the moment. She had to wait—at least until she was sure.
Besides, she and Denver had other hurdles. Mitchell and Colton would be more difficult to convince that she and Denver loved each other than would Curtis. Her brother and Denver were just too bullheaded and too much alike. Heaven help us, she silently prayed. God only knew what would happen when Colton McLean stepped back on Montana soil.
Chapter Fourteen
The sky was overcast, heavy with the threat of rain. Tessa glanced through her bedroom window to the shifting dark clouds and wished that the storm would hold off, if only for one more day.
Tomorrow she and Denver would be married. In a private ceremony in the Edwardses’ rose garden, finally, she would become Mrs. Denver McLean.
If only rain didn’t spoil the nuptials.
“I’m still not sure I approve,” her father said. Standing stiffly in front of a full-length mirror in her bedroom, he surveyed his reflection with a jaundiced eye. His tuxedo fit perfectly, the white shirt in sharp contrast to his tanned skin. “I used to call these things monkey suits, and that’s what I feel like—a damned circus monkey.”
“You’ll get over it.” She adjusted his bow tie and grinned. “I know you don’t want to hear this, but you look rather dashing and distinguished.”
“Bah!” His fingers scrabbled across the front of his stiff white shirt for a nonexistent pocket. “Damned fool things,” he muttered.
