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“I see.”
He studied the doubts in her eyes and then let out a long breath of air. “Besides, I had to stay away because I wanted to give you some time to think things through, to realize that I was sincere. I thought you’d come to the same conclusion that I have; that we love each other and should be together.”
“Like some fairy-tale romance,” she countered.
He grimaced and leaned over the fence. “Like two sensible people would. You can’t tell me you haven’t thought about it.”
“To tell you the truth, I haven’t thought about much else,” she admitted.
“And?”
She sighed and lifted a shoulder. “I think we should just give it a little time, that’s all. I—I want to be sure this time.”
“I thought you realized that I’m not like your ex-husband,” he said softly.
She flinched and bit her lower lip. “And I won’t hurt you or Cody.”
She forced a trembling smile and looked into his eyes. They were a clear ocean-blue that seemed to see into the shadowed corners of her soul. “I’d like to marry you,” she admitted huskily. “But I can’t. Not yet. I just need a little time to think things through.”
“I’ll be here about two more weeks,” he said.
“And then?”
He raked his fingers through his hair. “Then it will be near the first of September. I have another job to go to.”
“In Idaho?”
Shaking his head, he stared across the fields and watched the grazing cattle. “Central Oregon. Then I’m back in Boise.”
She ran her fingers along the top rail of the fence and shivered despite the heat. “And what about Caleb Johnson?”
“I don’t know.”
“You told me part of your deal with him was to get me to sell off my land.”
“He’d like that. For the final twenty-five percent.”
“And . . . and do you think that by marrying me you could convince me to sell my land and move to Boise with you?”
His brow creased and impatiently he ran a hand over his tight jaw. “You still don’t trust me, do you?”
“I want to.”
“But it’s impossible?” he said, his temper flaring.
“I’m just trying to be cautious.”
Closing his eyes, he tried to count to ten. He got lost at three. “Son of a bitch!” he whispered through clenched teeth and began pacing along the fence line. “You don’t trust Caleb and with good reason, and I’m convinced that he’d do just about anything to get you to move off this land, but for crying out loud, Dani, I am not asking you to marry me because of Caleb Johnson! Or my company! As far as I’m concerned, he can keep the final twenty-five percent of the company. He’s in a minority position and will have no authority! I can do as I goddamn please!”
He walked up to her and with his face twisted in anger, took hold of her shoulders. “And what I want, lady, is you! I’ve waited and been patient and asked you nicely to marry me, and you’ve pussy-footed around the issue, as if I’ve got some dark ulterior motive. Now I realize that you have your reasons to doubt me, but dammit, I love you!”
His lips came down on hers hungrily and his strong arms wrapped around her so tightly and possessively that she was barely able to breathe. He moaned into her mouth and his broad hands covered her back, pulling her close to him, against the hard wall of his chest and between the muscular lengths of his legs.
“Dear God, Dani,” he whispered into her hair, his breath ragged and torn, his heart thundering in his chest. “Just say yes.”
She swallowed hard, looking into his deep blue eyes and, with a trembling smile, nodded. “Yes, Chase,” she said irrationally. “I’ll . . . I’ll marry you.”
“Thank God.” A weary grin stretched from one side of his face to the other and he kissed her again, softly this time. “I’ve spent the last week lying awake at night and wondering what I’d do if you turned me down.”
