Savage Land (22 page)

'Yes,’ Coley answered breathlessly. Her eyes looked beseechingly into his. ‘I thought you wanted to marry me just to get the ranch, not because you cared for me.'

'You don't think that's the reason now?'

'No, I mean ... I don't know.’ She felt so awkward as she blinked at the tears that were forming in her eyes.

'I don't even remember proposing last night.'

'Well, I'm not asking you to now.’ Her pride reasserted itself as the tears threatened to fan. ‘I just wanted you to know I was sorry, that's all. You can go back to your Tanya.’ She turned and fumbled with the door latch, the hurt, anger and humiliation frustrating her attempt to open it.

'Coley, I don't want Tanya.’ Jase laughed, grabbing her arm and twisting her around to him.

'Let me go!’ she shouted, twisting and turning as he took her in his arms.

Finally she was pinned against his chest with no more strength to resist. He determinedly lifted her chin with his hand until she was gazing sullenly into his face.

'Don't you see, Coley,’ he said with a tender smile, ‘you were unbearably cruel last night and stubborn, too. You never even gave me a chance to explain. But, darling, I love you so much I'd forgive you anything. I've never wanted Tanya, only you.'

Then he was bending his head, his lips touching hers gently, almost reverently, until Coley threw her arms around his neck to give his kiss back to him.

'Oh, Jase,’ she sighed, minutes later as she pressed her head against his chest, ‘tell me again that you love me.'

'I love you. That first night I had a feeling that you were going to change my life. I tried to stay away from you, to keep you from finding out how I felt, but you wouldn't let me,’ he answered, pushing the wet curls away from her face with a trembling hand.

'I hated Uncle Ben so much when he offered you the ranch if you married me. I knew how much you wanted this land. I didn't see how you could resist such a temptation.’ Her face raised in glowing wonderment to his.

He touched her lips lightly before replying, ‘I realized I loved you more. I loved you so much more that accepting his offer meant putting a price on that love, which would have only cheapened it.'

'Oh, Jase, what have I ever done to deserve you? I can't cook, I can't sew, I can't grow roses. I'm not even pretty.'

'Coley, you've brightened the days of an old man and filled a childless woman's heart with love. You give yourself, and I'll cherish you all the rest of my life.’ The warmest light was shining out of Jason's eyes that Coley had ever seen.

'I hope all our children have blue eyes like yours,’ she said before he covered her lips with a short but burning kiss. He hugged her closer to him as if afraid she would run away. ‘Why did Uncle Ben change his mind?’ she asked suddenly, pushing away from him to raise questioning eyes to his face.

'Because of you and that argument you had with him. You must have said something to him that made him think. At least, between that and a private conversation with Tony,’ he answered, locking his hands behind her back to gaze down lovingly at her.

'I saw him packing this morning,’ Coley remarked. ‘But what has he got to do with it?'

'I didn't probe too deeply into the reasons, but I got the feeling that Ben has decided that Tony was there the night Rick died. The only thing that Ben would say was that he had judged too harshly and too suddenly once before and he wasn't going to do it again.'

'Do you mean that Tony was...’ Coley began, only to be silenced by a hand covering her mouth. With surprising clarity, Tony's exclamation that day in the canyon came rushing back to her with new meaning. ‘I was afraid something would happen to you, too.'

'Hush. Too many ill feelings have been nurtured by the past. I agree with Ben, there'll be no judging,’ Jase said sternly. Then he smiled. ‘Do you know you're drenched? And I am, too, now.’ Coley shivered in affirmation of his statement. ‘You'd better come over here and get some hot coffee in you. I'll get a blanket to put around you.'

Coley followed him to the table and accepted a cup from him, before succumbing to a giggle.

'What's so funny?’ he asked, walking over to remove the blanket from the cot and put it around her shoulders.

She hugged it around her for a second before glancing up at him mischievously.

'I really don't know what good this blanket is going to do with all of these wet clothes on underneath,’ she said innocently. ‘The last time I was caught in the rain, there was a stranger who ordered me to take off all of my clothes.'

'Not this time, Coley,’ Jase said, sweeping her, blanket and all, into his arms. His arms trembled about her as he gazed ardently down into her love-starred eyes. ‘That would be demanding too much control even from a Savage.'