Expecting the Rancher's Child (Callahan's Clan) (12 page)

“Lunch is over and so is the competition. Cade, he’s an old man. He told me to call him Dirkson. He says he has a lot of regrets, and I believe him.”

“You didn’t tell him off for what he did?”

“I’m all grown up. It just doesn’t matter anymore.”

“I can’t believe I’m talking to the same Blake. I haven’t seen him in a while, but we’ve seen him all through the years and you haven’t, so you probably notice bigger changes. Well, maybe you’ll sleep better now. And maybe he’ll sleep worse,” Cade said, laughing. “Would serve him right, but he probably sleeps like an old dog in front of the fire.”

“That’s my cue to stop talking to you. My plane is taking off.” He could hear Cade chuckling as Blake ended the call.

He stared at his phone, wanting to call Sierra. He missed her, and he hoped he hadn’t permanently ruined his chances with her.

He needed a way to win her back.

He’d tried going out with friends, but even with the most charming ones, his mind wandered until he was lost in memories of being with Sierra. Today, with his father, it had been her voice whispering to him about William and the good he and his father could do for a child.

When he was alone at night, too many times he had reached for his phone to call her. He knew now he would never be able to move on, and he hadn’t expected it to be this difficult to figure out what to do next. But then, nothing about her had ever been simple. She still complicated his life, even when she wasn’t present and he hadn’t talked to her for days.

The thought that he might not kiss her again gave him a hollow feeling. The thought that she might be out of his life, except as his baby’s mother, made him hurt.

He hadn’t been turned down before by a woman who really mattered to him. Getting turned down by Sierra felt as if he had lost something valuable. He wanted to tell her he had dropped the hotel business, that he was no longer bent on revenge, that he’d even reached out to his father. But he couldn’t because she wouldn’t even take his calls.

He stared into space and saw her blue eyes and her thick, silky brown hair. He remembered her laughter. He remembered everything about her. With a groan, he shook his head.

He was in love with her.

He thought about his conversation with his father.
Don’t ruin the things that do matter.
He couldn’t let her go. He couldn’t lose her. He didn’t want to be like his dad—a man filled with regrets.

Why hadn’t he recognized the depths of his feelings sooner? Could he ever win her love after all the things he’d said and done? He couldn’t even get her to take his calls!

He picked up his phone to call her—and got her voicemail.

There had to be a way to reach her. And a way to make her listen.

* * *

Sierra stared at the papers on her desk without seeing them. Instead she saw Blake’s dark brown eyes, his smile and his thick, black hair. She missed him—and with each day she missed him more instead of less.

She couldn’t forget him. She couldn’t even shake him out of her thoughts. She didn’t want to marry him, but this being away from him was terrible. She knew she was in love with him. And that romantic part of her wanted to marry him. But what if they married and he never fell in love with her? Would that kind of one-sided marriage work?

She ran her fingers through her hair and massaged her temples. His revenge plan still chilled her. Hot tears threatened, and she wiped her eyes in hurt and annoyance.

She couldn’t concentrate on work, and she didn’t think it was healthy to be so glum, but she couldn’t see a solution to these feelings she had for Blake. If she could just stop thinking about him…but everything in her life reminded her of him.

How long was she going to cry over him and miss him? Was she making a huge mistake by not saying yes to his proposal?

* * *

Early Wednesday morning, Nan informed Sierra she had a call. Sierra didn’t recognize the name, but she took the call anyway.

When the call ended, she stepped into Nan’s office. “That was a man representing Dirkson Callahan. He’s made an appointment to see me, and he’ll be here this afternoon at one.”

“Dirkson Callahan? Mercy. Do you think he’s here because you’re carrying his grandchild?” Nan asked.

Sierra shook her head. “No. Absolutely not. Dirkson Callahan wouldn’t even talk to his own son. Why would he be interested in a grandchild? Besides, he has a little granddaughter. Blake’s half brother has a little girl and Mr. Callahan has never made overtures to her.”

“What would he want to see you about? If he’s making a donation, he’d send it in the mail.”

“I don’t think that’s what it is.”

“This will send Bert into a frenzy trying to figure out what’s going on. Speaking of Bert—when he checked on the children’s shelter, he said Blake had sent a bat and three balls—a baseball, a soccer ball and a football—plus a baseball glove and new tennis shoes to William. He also sent new balls and gloves to the shelter so they’ll have more equipment.”

“That’s good news,” Sierra said, surprised and pleased.

“Bert said Mrs. Perkins at the shelter told him that Blake Callahan stopped by to see William. Are you still not taking his calls?”

“Yes,” Sierra said, shocked and lost in thought. Blake had taken the time to see William. She didn’t want to think about why that made her feel warm and hopeful. “He went by there. So he’s been in Kansas City?”

“Sierra, talk to him. You didn’t know he was here because you won’t take his calls.”

“That’s amazing that he’s been out to see William. Did Mrs. Perkins say anything about William joining the other kids?”

“Yes, she did. He’s been making friends. She said once he started talking to the other kids and playing with them, he seemed to like being with them. She said he’s changed a lot. He’s still shy with her and other adults, but not with kids.”

“That’s really good news,” Sierra said, surprised and pleased. “So Blake did help. I’ll tell him how great that was.”

“So you’ll talk to him?”

“I’ll think about it. I’m happy for William. I might just send Blake a text.”

Rolling her eyes, Nan left Sierra’s office. Sierra turned back to her desk, thinking about William, about Blake being in Kansas City and not calling, and about someone coming this afternoon who was sent by Dirkson Callahan. The last was the most puzzling to her.

At one o’clock, Nan ushered in a man she introduced as J. Wilson Sedgewick, who represented Dirkson Callahan.

Sierra faced a short man with a fringe of black hair and rimless spectacles that were perched on his nose. After she asked him to be seated, he opened a briefcase. “Ms. Benson, I’m here on behalf of Dirkson Callahan. He wishes to make a donation to this agency, particularly for a children’s shelter you have.” He handed a sealed envelope to her.

“It is in honor of his four sons, and he hopes it will help some less fortunate children.”

“Thank you,” she said, astonished, as she looked at the envelope in her hand. She began to open it. “Four sons?” she asked, remembering Cade and Gabe, the married son, Nathan—and Blake had to be the fourth. She opened the envelope and withdrew a folded paper. When she opened it, a check fluttered to her desk.

She read the handwriting scrawled across the page.
In honor of my sons: Blake Callahan, Cade Callahan, Nathan Callahan, Gabe Callahan.

Dirkson Callahan.

She picked up the check and drew a deep breath when she saw the figures for a quarter of a million dollars.

“This is extremely generous, Mr. Sedgewick,” she said, looking at him. “That’s an enormous donation, and we’ll try to honor it the best way possible. This will help a lot of little girls and little boys, kids that have no families. Please tell Mr. Callahan we’ll try to find some way to thank him and honor his sons.”

“He does not want publicity for this. I’m sure you can understand. Just some simple recognition to his sons—perhaps a letter from the agency.”

“Of course,” she answered as he closed his briefcase and stood. She followed him to the front door of the agency and then turned back. Nan stood behind her, and Bert was beside Nan.

“What was all that about?” Bert asked.

“I can’t figure it out. Dirkson Callahan never acknowledged his oldest son. According to Blake, he barely was a father to the other three sons. Yet Mr. Sedgewick was Dirkson Callahan’s representative, and he gave me an envelope containing a donation to the agency in honor of his four sons. It’s a check for a quarter of a million dollars for the children’s shelter.”

“Saints above!” Bert gasped. “Sierra, what is it with you and the Callahans and all this money?”

“Are you and Blake engaged?” Nan asked.

“No, we’re not speaking. At least, I haven’t been taking his calls.”

“Maybe you better take them now,” Nan said.

“I have to agree. Think of what we can do for the children’s shelter.”

They stared at one another until Sierra passed him the check and headed for her office. “Bert, will you make a copy and get this check in the bank now?”

“Yes, I will,” he replied.

“I guess I’ll call Blake. I can’t figure this one out. How did Dirkson Callahan know about us or about the shelter? He’s never talked to Blake, and the other Callahan sons don’t know about the shelter.”

“Blake had to have told him,” Nan answered.

“That’s impossible. Blake is actively trying to destroy his dad’s hotel business. I can’t understand what just happened here.”

She heard her cell phone.

“Maybe that’s your answer. See if it’s Blake.”

“No, but I’ll take this call,” she said when she saw it was her mom.

They talked briefly. After telling her mother what had just happened, she tried to call Blake, but couldn’t get him. She stared into space. What had caused the huge donation, and when did Dirkson Callahan start acknowledging his oldest son? Where was Blake, and what was he doing? Why did she miss him so much when she was the one who’d said goodbye?

At six, Sierra closed and locked the office, then drove through traffic to her small house. As she tried to eat a bowl of soup and drink a glass of milk, a car horn sounded.

Looking out, she saw a tall man with a cowboy hat on her porch. He stood with his back to her, but she knew it was Blake.

“Just a minute,” she called. She opened the door and her heart thudded. He had on a broad-brimmed black hat, a navy shirt, jeans and boots.

She wanted to walk into his arms. Instead she asked, “What are you doing here?”

NINE

B
lake took a step closer as she unfastened and opened the screen door.

“I didn’t call to tell you I was coming because you won’t take my calls,” he said as he closed the door behind him.

Her heart pounded, and she couldn’t get her breath. “Blake,” she whispered, knowing that she loved him, whatever he did. She was tired of pushing her feelings away. “I missed you.”

His eyes narrowed, and he dropped a package from his hand and wrapped his arms around her. He pulled her close, and she clung to him as he kissed her.

She held him tightly, as if she might lose him again.

How could she marry him if he didn’t love her? Yet how could she
not
marry him when she loved him so much?

She stopped thinking. She was in his arms, kissing him, and right now that was all that mattered. When he picked her up and raised his head a fraction, she looked up into dark eyes filled with desire. “Where’s your bedroom?”

She pointed and pulled his head down for another kiss. He stood her on her feet beside the bed as he unfastened buttons on her yellow cotton blouse and removed her skirt.

Her hands shook as she undid his jeans. She ran her hands over him as if to make certain he was still there, and she didn’t stop kissing him when he picked her up to place her on the bed.

* * *

Later, Sierra had no idea what time it was as she lay in his arms, their warm bodies pressed together with her tangled hair spread across his shoulder. His lips touched her temple, her cheek, her ear.

“You haven’t taken any of my calls.”

“I tried to call you today, and you didn’t answer.”

He raised his head slightly. “Why did you try to call me?”

She pulled the sheet higher beneath her arm. “Blake, your father made a huge—
huge
—donation to the children’s shelter. It was done in honor of his four sons.”

Blake stared at her. “I’ll be damned. I called him, Sierra. I decided you’re more important than old hurts, and having your love is more important than any revenge—”

“You did?” she cried, sitting up and throwing her arms around him to hug him.

“Hey,” Blake said, hugging her and laughing. “Yes, I did. Do you want to hear what happened?”

She looked into his eyes and pulled him closer to give him a long, passionate kiss before she listened. “Now tell me.”

Looking amused, he settled beside her, pulling her close by his side. She placed her head on his shoulder as she waited.

“I called him and asked him to go to lunch. I told him I wanted to see him. He accepted my invitation.”

“You did this for me?”

“Yes, I did.”

“Why?”

He gazed at her, his warm brown eyes making her heart race. “I love you and I want to marry you. That revenge thing seemed to be what was in the way. It’s gone now, Sierra. Will you marry me?”

Her heart thudded. She didn’t know what he’d done, or much about the meeting with his father, but he was telling her he loved her and she knew she loved him.

“Yes. Oh, yes, I’ll marry you. I love you, Blake.” Tears of joy filled her eyes and spilled down her cheeks.

“Hey, what’s this?” he said, rubbing away tears with his fingers. “Why are you crying?”

“I love you so much and didn’t realize it until I thought it was too late. I thought you were out of my life.”

“I hope not.” He kissed her again. “I love you, Sierra. With all my heart. I want you more than anything else.”

“I love you so much, Blake,” she whispered between kisses. Finally, she lay back and looked up at him. “Now, tell me about lunch, and why he made this gigantic donation to the shelter.”

“My father was really a stranger. I could have grabbed a guy off the street and wouldn’t have felt any different about him. I was surprised how old and frail he looked. I remembered him as I had as a child, a strong, powerful man. I had already decided to end the competition with his hotels. It seemed pointless and was causing trouble between you and me.”

“There really wasn’t much of an ‘us’ earlier.”

“There’s been an ‘us’ since the day I met you. Don’t tell me you didn’t feel sparks flying when we met. I know better.”

“I suppose so,” she said, smiling at him. “Go back to your dad.”

“He was kind of sad. I felt sorry for him. He said he made mistakes, thinking money was the most important thing. He said he didn’t know how to be a father. I reminded him he has a new little granddaughter. He said he really never knew how to be a dad, and it’s too late now.

“Sierra, I don’t ever want to end up like my dad. I told him it wasn’t too late, and I gave him your card. I told him about the children’s shelter, and that he could be a dad in spirit by helping those kids and making a donation. I guess he decided to do that.”

“Oh, my, yes he did. I think Bert was close to fainting. I have the note your dad wrote.”

“Because of you, we’ve made peace.”

“I’m thrilled. I’m so, so happy. Thank you. Blake, he sent us a huge check for a quarter of a million dollars for the children’s shelter. We can take more kids now, and pay tutors and… I’m thrilled.”

“Oh, I have something—just wait. Don’t go anywhere and don’t do anything while I go get what I brought you.”

“A present? The only thing I can give you right now is a dog.”

“That’s not the only thing,” he said, grinning slyly at her. She shook her head.

She watched him walk away and thought about the day she’d had—Mr. Sedgewick, the check, Blake on her doorstep, in her arms, in her bed. He loved her. The best of all possible days.

Blake returned, slipped beneath the sheet and turned to her. “I have to ask your dad for your hand in marriage.”

“You know that’s an old-fashioned custom that you don’t have to do anymore.”

“Why do I feel that I would make a better impression on your minister father if I did it?” He placed a long box in her hand. It was wrapped in pink paper and tied with a wide pink silk ribbon.

“For you, darlin’,” he said.

Curious, she opened it and gasped as she looked at a beautiful gold chain necklace with a heart-shaped pendant covered in diamonds and a large diamond in the center.

“That, my love, is a gift from me to you because you are having our baby,” he said solemnly.

“Blake, that is gorgeous. It’s the most beautiful necklace ever. Thank you,” she said.

“Turn around and let me put it on.”

She laughed. “In bed—that’s ridiculous, but okay.” She sat quietly while he fastened it around her neck. She looked down at the brilliant diamonds. “Blake, it’s beautiful. I love it. Thank you.”

He kissed her and she held him tightly, kissing him in return. He shifted and took her hand in his. “This ring is also for you,” he said, opening her hand. “Sierra Benson, will you marry me?”

She smiled at him in delight. “Yes, oh, yes, I will. I love you, Blake Callahan,” she added.

“Hold out your hand,” he said, slipping the ring on her finger. She looked down at a dazzling emerald-cut diamond surrounded by smaller diamonds.

She gasped. “Blake, that is magnificent. My word,” she said, sounding breathless and holding her hand out to turn it, letting the diamonds catch the light and create small rainbows. “This is the most beautiful ring ever, in all of history.”

He laughed. “It’s pretty.”

Suddenly her smile vanished. “Blake, what will I do about the agency? I promised my grandfather I would keep it going and work to help others.”

“First of all, you’re pregnant, so focus on that for now. The time will come when you can get back to your work with the agency. I’ve got enough money, and the agency has enough money to keep going. Bert can run things while you’re away. If you want, you can have another branch in Dallas. How’s that?”

“There will be a lot of back and forth because of all my family living here.”

“That’ll be easy. I have my own jet. We have cars. You’ll be able to get back and forth when you want to, or bring your folks to see us. Okay?”

“Okay. You’re worth making a few little sacrifices for,” she said.

He grinned. “Thank heavens for that.”

“I still think this is the most beautiful ring.” She admired it until he leaned close to kiss her, and she wrapped her arms around him to hug him tightly.

Later, still in each other’s arms, he said, “Let’s have this wedding soon.”

“I agree. If we start planning tonight, we can get married this month.”

“If you say we can have the wedding soon, then let’s do it. The sooner the better, as far as I’m concerned.”

“It’s not late now. Let’s get dressed and go tell my family. They’ll love it.”

“Sure. Your folks, my half brothers—I’ll call them.”

“Blake, I heard about you and William—that you donated baseballs, a bat and a glove—lots of equipment for him and for the kids. That was wonderful.”

“I wanted to. I’d like to have him out to the ranch sometime. I suppose it’s inevitable that we’ll have all those kids out. I’ll charter a bus or fly them there.”

“We’ll figure it out. That would be wonderful.”

“This means I need to hire you and Eli and Lucinda and my contractor again. Now we’ll need a nursery in the new wing, and we’ll need a nursery in my Dallas home, too, unless you don’t like that house.”

“That is a gorgeous mansion. Of course I like it. And, yes, we’ll need a nursery both places, but that’s doable. Now let’s shower, dress and go see my family. I can’t wait to tell them. They’ll be so happy for us. You’ll see.”

Hugging her tightly, he looked down at her. “You’ve given me faith in people, Sierra. I have never seen a married couple so filled with care and love for each other as your parents—I really didn’t think that was possible. Because of you, I know there is good in people. I guess that rose-colored view is contagious—or is it just that I’m so in love that you’ve made me believe, and I see good everywhere now?”

She held him tightly. “I love you. Your life is going to change in lots of ways, but it will all be good.”

“What’s really good is kissing you,” he said in a husky voice.

And he kissed away her response.