Sara Orwig - At the Rancher's Request

Finally, as she paused, he released her slightly.

“I guess we sort of lost it there,” she whispered. Both of them were breathing hard while she stepped away from him. “We can get back where we were.”

“Savannah,” Mike said, in a husky tone of voice and she turned to look at him. He hadn’t moved. He had one hand on his hip as he studied her. “We’ll never get back where we were.”

Startled, she blinked and her heart thumped faster. “We have to,” she said. “There’s no place in my life for you and there’s no place in your life for me.”

“A kiss isn’t a binding commitment,” he said, more as if to remind himself than inform her. “It was only kisses, Savannah. Warm kisses on a cold winter’s night—even beats hot chocolate.”

She suspected he attempted to make light of the moment, but that was impossible. He had a slight frown and she had complicated her stay at his ranch. They both had kissed away wise decisions.

“Savannah, we won’t fall in love—I promise you.”

“You can’t promise any such thing. No one can,” she said, realizing he had his heart locked away from any deep emotional involvement. “We’ve each had heartbreak and are vulnerable. I don’t need to make another emotional mistake on top of the huge one I’ve already made,” she said, feeling she should beware and guard her own heart because Mike was clearly warning her he would not fall in love.

He shook his head. “You won’t have even a tiny wrench to your heart because of one meaningless kiss. I’m not ready for anything serious and neither are you. We’re strangers who’ll be together only a day or two and never see each other again. Chalk it up to a stormy winter night and two vulnerable people. It was just a kiss that helped each of us on a cold winter’s night.”

Relieved that the moment was getting less intense, she shook her head. “What a line, Mike.”

Something flickered in his dark eyes and he shrugged. “Sounded good to me,” he said, continuing to make light of the situation.

“Well, maybe it put things in the proper perspective.”

“I think you did that,” he said.

“Let’s forget that kiss. Good night, Mike. See you in the morning and I’ll take care of Scotty if you’re out,” she said, shaking her head.

She stepped into her suite and closed the door, letting out her breath while she thought about his kiss. For just a few minutes Mike had made her forget her engagement, Kirk, everything else. Mike had made light of their kiss, but he had shaken her. His kiss had been sexy, spectacular, totally consuming.

She didn’t want any other complication in her life right now. She definitely didn’t trust herself to want to get to know any man better at this time. She had made a colossal mistake in judgment with Kirk, a man she had known when they were kids and yet she hadn’t really learned what she should have about him. She couldn’t know anything about Mike Calhoun, a man she had known hours when she had misjudged a man she had known well for years.

He certainly didn’t know the most important thing about her.

Frowning, she thought of what lay ahead. She placed her hand on her stomach and focused on the baby that she carried.

Three

As Mike walked down the hall to his suite, he raked his fingers through his hair. Savannah had defused the moment, eased them both away from memories that hurt and put their kiss in a better perspective. Even though it was meaningless to both of them, he shouldn’t have kissed her. Her kiss had stunned him, but it had been a long, long time since he had kissed a woman other than Elise—or wanted to. Nearly two years. It was natural for Savannah’s kiss to rock him. Along with their kiss came guilt, a feeling of betrayal of Elise’s memory and most of all, horrendous longing for Elise, the love of his life.

He walked into Scotty’s room and looked at his sleeping son who was curled on his side with his knees drawn up. Dark curls framed his face. Mike’s love for Scotty overwhelmed him. He ran his knuckles lightly along Scotty’s cheek, feeling his soft, smooth skin while love for his son held him by Scotty’s bed. He wished Elise could be with him to look at Scotty. “Your baby is beautiful,” he whispered to the empty room, thinking of her. “Elise,” he said, missing her, wishing she could see her son, wanting her with him and wishing he hadn’t kissed Savannah, yet their kiss hadn’t carried any significance. He loved Elise and Scotty with all his heart and always would. Tears stung Mike’s eyes and he blinked them away, drawing a little blanket up over Scotty’s shoulder.

“I love you, Scotty,” he whispered.

He left the room, leaving the door between their bedrooms open. Ten minutes later Mike returned with a blanket and stretched out on the brown leather sofa to sleep near his son.

He thought again of Savannah. In spite of a twinge of guilt, he’d had fun just being with her tonight—something that hadn’t happened in a long, empty time.

* * *

Sunshine spilled into the bedroom through sliding glass doors that opened onto a balcony. Savannah stepped out of bed, surprised she had slept until the sun was up. She showered, pulled on jeans and a red shirt, slipping her feet into loafers. She hurried down the hall. Half a dozen mornings lately, she had had morning sickness and she prayed she didn’t this morning. At the moment she was hungry, but in minutes she caught the first whiff of coffee and her stomach tightened. Surprised when she heard voices from the kitchen, she debated going to her room and waiting until Mike and Scotty were out of there, but she suspected they would come find her eventually. With a deep breath, she entered the kitchen.

Mike sat at the table across from Scotty, who was in a high chair that was pulled up to the table. Mike came to his feet as soon as he saw her.

“Good morning,” he said, smiling at her.

Tingles increased her awareness of him. How handsome he looked in jeans, a navy Western shirt with rolled back sleeves and his cowboy boots. His thick, black curls were as tangled as they had been last night and he looked appealing, handsome.

“Please sit,” she said, smiling at him. “Hi, Scotty. How are you on this beautiful morning?”

“I’m hungry,” he answered, smiling at her in return and she laughed.

She turned to Mike. “I thought you had some chores this morning and were going to be gone.”

“I’ve already been out. Scotty was still asleep. I’m going back to join them again after breakfast if you meant what you said about watching Scotty.”

“Sure I did if that’s all right with Scotty.”

“Scotty?” Mike prompted. “You’ll stay with Miss Savannah, won’t you?”

“Yes, sir,” Scotty said and smiled at Savannah again.

“That’s nice, Scotty. Did you see the snow this morning?”

“Yes, ma’am,” he answered politely. “This afternoon Daddy will help me make a snowman if I eat my breakfast.”

“A little bribe,” Mike said, grinning. “And it’ll be after I get some more chores done,” he added to Scotty who nodded. Mike turned to Savannah. “What can I fix you? We have bacon, eggs, orange and/or tomato juice, coffee, hot biscuits, dry cereal, blueberries, oranges, dried apricots—”

“Stop,” she said, laughing. “You’re naming way too many things. I just want cereal and a glass of milk. I can get my breakfast. You stay with Scotty.”

Mike reached the cabinets when she did and he retrieved a glass, turning to get the milk and pour it for her. “Tell me when.”

“When,” she said. “Not too much. Thanks.” She was so aware of Mike beside her, of his dark eyes intently on her. The sight of him made her remember last night, standing in his arms while they kissed.