Temptation Ridge (35 page)

She shrugged. Her hair was getting wet; her cheeks glistened. “What if you are? How did I screw up? I thought I showed you I knew exactly what I wanted. You think I’m fickle? That I’m too young and too stupid to know whether I really love someone?”

“You’re not stupid— I never thought that. Young, maybe.”

“Oh—you thought it was
puppy
love?”

“No, sir,” he said. “Nothing puppy about it. Come out of the rain.”

“No. Not until a couple of things are settled. If we can’t come to terms, I’ll go to the general’s. But I’m not moving to San Francisco—I don’t want to be there. I’ve never lived in a big city and I don’t like them that much. What I like is
here.
”

“Come up on the porch at least and we’ll talk. Out of the wet and cold…”

“No,” she said, holding her ground. “Maybe I expected too much too fast, but you expected too little. I don’t want another man’s hands on me. Ever. This is where the only hands I ever want are. Yours. Only yours.”

He couldn’t help but smile at her, standing so proudly, so stubbornly in the rain, arms crossed over her chest. “Then why did you go? I never minded putting my hands all over you.”

“I needed a tan. And I thought you didn’t love me. I want more than this—I want the whole deal. I want a child someday. It doesn’t have to be soon—but I want a child, at least one, and it has to have a father, and that’s a deal breaker.”

He tipped back his head with a laugh. “Who do you think you are? Deal breaker?”

“I think I’m the only woman you’ve loved in forever. And you were going to pitch me out that fast, just because I make you nervous. I thought you didn’t trust me, but now I think you don’t trust yourself.” She shook her head. “I don’t want a man like that. I need a man with guts, who’s sure of himself. Confident enough to stand by me. I need a man who’s not afraid to take a risk or two for something important.”

“I’ve taken a risk or two,” he said. “And you don’t scare me. Come up here on the porch.”

“No. Not until you say that if we stay solid, there will be a real relationship and a family. I don’t want any of this ‘I don’t get involved’ shit. It’s all crap, Luke. You can
have some time to be sure, I’m patient. But I’m not giving you up.”

He smiled at her. “I don’t need time to be sure. I know how I feel.”

“Still on that? Still that ‘never gonna happen’ bullshit?”

“Okay, I guess it could happen,” he said. “If it did happen, it would happen with you. I just always thought you deserved more.”

“More than everything I’ve ever wanted in the world? See what an idiot you turned out to be?”

He had to laugh. She was something, this woman. “Shelby, come here. I don’t have to think about it—you’re the most solid thing I’ve ever had in my life. Now come here.”

“I thought I wasn’t enough for you—but I was too much,” she said. “And you don’t get to decide what I deserve. What I deserve is a man who looks at me grow fat on his baby and feels pride. Love and pride.”

“Okay then,” he said. “I love you. Come here.”

“Not good enough. You have to say something to convince me this is worth the gamble. I came a long way and I came alone. I was betting on you, on us. I love you and you love me and I’m sick of screwing around. Say the right thing for once. Say something
profound.
”

He stared at her and his smile slowly faded. He put his hands on his hips. He took a deep breath and felt tears gather in his eyes. “You’re all I need to be happy, Shelby,” he said. “You’re everything I need…”

He actually surprised her. Her arms dropped from over her chest and she gaped at him for a second.

“You’re everything,” he said. “It scares me to death, but I want it all with you. I want you for life. I want what you want, and I want it right now.”

“Huh?”

“Everything, Shelby. I want you to be the lead in my shoes that keeps me on the ground. The mother of my children. My best friend, my wife, my mistress. It’s a tall order.” He took a breath. “If you won’t quit, I won’t.”

“You’re sure about that?” she asked him.

“Sure it scares the hell out me you’ll change your mind? Or sure I want it all? Oh, yeah, honey. I’m sure.”

“I won’t change my mind,” she said softly.

“I can’t hear you!” he yelled. “I can’t hear you because you won’t come out of the frickin’ rain!”

She ran up the porch steps and into his arms. He lifted her off the floor and went after her mouth hungrily. She cried against his lips. He had a tear or two he ignored, loving her tears of relief.

“Am I enough?” she asked.

“Way more, you always were,” he said. “I want you so bad, I never wanted you to go. I don’t know if this is fair to you—”

“Here’s the deal—I decide what’s fair to me, you decide what’s fair to you. We stop deciding for each other. The idea is to work
together.
You’re a little controlling….”

“I’m flawed in many ways.”

“All I want is that you love me enough to make a life with me. It doesn’t have to be tomorrow you make the promise, but you have to give us a chance…”

“It can be tomorrow. It can be tonight. Losing you almost killed me.”

“Oh God,” she whimpered. “Can you love me forever?”

“Probably longer. It’s like I don’t have a choice. Think you can handle that?”

She took a deep breath. “You just try me.”