Love on the Line (34 page)

She sniffed and smiled. And all the dammed-up energy he’d held in for so long rushed into the kiss he pressed to her lips.

The midday sun spilled over the bed and woke Ryan. He hadn’t planned on sleeping. Cara lay curled against him, still sound asleep. He leaned up on his elbow and watched her breathing. It was all he could do not to trace the relaxed smile that rested on her lips, but he didn’t want to wake her. He’d seen the smudged circles under her eyes. She hadn’t been sleeping any better than he had.

He inched away to slide out from under the sheet.

“No,” she murmured as she reached a hand to him. “Not yet. I don’t want to face the world yet.”

He curled back around her. “We can face it together.”

She shot up in the bed, pulling the sheet around her. “You don’t know what you’re asking for.”

“I know what I have.” He kissed the worry lines at the corners of her eyes. “You’re exactly the woman I was looking for.”

The lines around her eyes relaxed. “Well, you aren’t exactly the man I was looking for.” She circled her arms around his neck and pulled him to her, pressed her lips to his. “But you’ll do,” she said between kisses.

“Just glad to be on the team, ma’am.”

She cuffed him, and he grabbed her arm.

“One thing is true,” she said. “Well, lots of things are true. But I now know this—make-up sex is even better than people say.”

He tugged her against his already hard erection. “I’d prefer moving-forward sex.”

“Then we should have a proper date,” she said, pushing him away playfully.

The sheet slipped down, exposing her breasts, her nipples peaked with arousal. Was the woman trying to torture him?

He straddled her and lifted her to him. “How about a proper date for the rest of our lives?”

She took in a sharp breath. Maybe his timing sucked, but he was in the pond now—might as well dive.

“Marry me, Cara.”

A smile crinkled the corners of her eyes. “You haven’t slept and you’re covered with donkey blood.”

“I heard it adds to the attraction.” He leaned down and nipped a kiss to her ear.

She hadn’t answered him. He’d ask again. Every day if he had to. Until he got the answer he had to have.

“Well, you might feel very differently after you’ve had a taste of my world and my family. A taste of Caroline Barrington.”

“Um, last I noticed, your parents aren’t in this bed.” He leaned down, caressed her lips with his. “And I like what I’m tasting right here.”

She shivered as he ran kisses down her neck, to her breasts. Hooking an arm around her waist, he laid her back across the bed. The duvet puffed up around them, cocooning them in a whispering cloud of taste and touch. He needed no words now. He loved her slowly, relishing the way her body rose with her pleasure, how she met his moves with passion. And what he saw in her eyes burned away the restraints that had kept him from trusting completely.

He held her as their breathing returned to normal, as the world returned, as the need for words returned.

“I love you, Cara,” he whispered against her ear. “Marry me. Marry me and we’ll slay our dragons together.”

“Dragons?”

“What would you call them?”

She pressed up from the pillow and turned her face to his. “I can’t possibly make such a decision on an empty stomach.”

The twinkle in her eyes made hope expand in his chest.

“Then let me make you breakfast and
then
you can agree to marry me.”

“Cain says you don’t know how to make breakfast.”

“I’ve never been so motivated before.”

She giggled. The same, sweet giggle he’d heard that day they’d struggled with Belva’s squash. The day he’d probably lost his heart.

He grabbed his jeans from a chair near the fireplace and knocked the little painting off it. It tumbled toward the still-glowing embers of the fire he’d built just before they’d slept. He grabbed at it and caught it just in time.

“You just saved the three million I’ve earmarked for the clinic. I’m selling that painting at auction next week.”

She was testing him, he knew. Testing his reaction to her world, a world where rare paintings hung in people’s homes. A world of big money.

“But you love it,” he said.

“I don’t know how long it’ll take for me to wrest funds free from the foundation, to deal with all the paperwork and red tape. That painting’s a more immediate source of funds.”

She wrapped the sheet around her, rose from the bed and studied him for a moment, the realization that he knew the painting’s value dawning in her face. “When—when did you know?”

He hoped it was curiosity and not wariness that he saw in the tilt of her head and the furrow between her brows.

“The first morning we made love in this bed. Alex and his sister had dragged me to the impressionist exhibition at the Legion of Honor the week before.”

He rested the painting carefully on the chair. “I just wouldn’t let what my brain was telling me sink in. I’m letting it all sink in now. A little late, but letting it in... letting you in.”

He scooped her into his arms and carried her back to the bed.

She wriggled her feet to the floor. “You’ll never get my answer until I have my breakfast.” She crossed her arms. “And I want to see that baby donkey with my own eyes, to make sure your alibi holds up. Women have been known to fall for stories less believable than that.”

“I’ll never lie to you, Cara.”

“No.” She took his hand in hers, closed her fingers over his. “I know you won’t.” She inhaled deeply. “And with the exception of the life I’ve lived for the past three years, I’ve never lied in my life. I don’t plan to start now.”

Ryan heard the splatter of water against the window. “It’s raining,” he said.

She let go of his hands and walked to the window overlooking her garden. “So it is.” She opened the window and inhaled, closing her eyes. “There’s nothing like the scent of the first autumn rain.”

He slid his arms around her and snuggled her against his chest. “I might take issue with that.” He buried his face in her hair, inhaling the intoxicating scent of her.

He eyed the bed and ran his hand along the curve of her waist. She batted his hand away.

“Breakfast,” she said with a glint. “And then I’ll think about whether I’m joining your team.”

“Our team,” he said. “But with love on the line, maybe we should call out for delivery.”

“It’s the country, Ryan. They don’t deliver breakfast, in case you haven’t noticed.” The mischievous twinkle returned to her eyes. “And I’m holding out until I see that donkey.”

Epilogue

One year later
.

Cara put the finishing touches on the tray of Asian spring rolls and placed it beside the others spread on the kitchen counter. Everything was ready, everything except maybe her.

She wiped her palms on the denim apron she’d worn to keep the worst of the mess off her slacks and tucked an errant strand of hair behind her ear. The chorus of voices floating in from the nearest paddock told her that the donkeys were a big hit with their families and guests.

“I thought we might find you in here.” Jackie Brandon blazed into the cavernous kitchen followed by a troupe of women Cara had come to treasure as friends.

“Chained to the kitchen?” Alana Tavonesi, Alex’s cousin, chided. “I’ve brought olives, still warm from the oven. I baked them with rosemary from our ranch. That’s for remembrance, you know.”

She did know. But she didn’t need rosemary to remind her of the blissful happiness she’d discovered.

“Where’s the guest of honor?” Chloe McNalley, Scotty’s wife, bounded into the kitchen. “It’s been a week since I’ve seen him. I’m lined up for admiration duty.”

“You’ll have to fight my mother for that privilege.” Cara laughed. “Or Ryan’s mother. I’m not sure which of them is more formidable.”

“I’m tough,” Chloe said as she reached for one of the spring rolls and popped it into her mouth. “These are delicious. Don’t tell me you can cook.”

“Ryan made them. Hors d’oeuvres and desserts are his specialty.”

Chloe laughed. “Maybe he can teach Scotty. He’s still at featherweight chef level one—champagne and ramen noodles.”

“Breakfast of champions,” Alex Tavonesi said as he walked in and snitched one of the carefully arranged spring rolls.

“You’re all ruining my artwork,” Cara said, batting Alex’s hand away as he reached for a second roll.

Alex glanced around the kitchen. “Where
is
the guest of honor?”

“If Ryan had had his way,
you
would’ve been guest of honor,” Cara said.

In Ryan’s mind, Alex was the one who’d suggested he look for land in Albion Bay and therefore was responsible for bringing Cara and Ryan together. Ryan had invited the entire Tavonesi clan to the party. He’d also invited every player on the Giants. She was still getting used to being surrounded by people who loved their lives, people who pursued their dreams with an energy that inspired and fascinated her and lifted her.

“Glad someone has their priorities straight.” Alex grinned and devoured another spring roll before she could stop him.

Cara swallowed down the lump of emotion rising in her throat and untied her apron. “Maybe we should head down to the paddocks and find out. But I’m warning you, Alex, watch out for my dad. He’s still pissed we’re not having this party at the Pacific-Union Club.”

Sabrina, Alex’s sister, sailed into the kitchen. “Did I hear
difficult dad
? Turn him over to Alana; he’ll never know what hit him.”

Alana gave her cousin Sabrina a look that could be interpreted only as lovingly mock offense. Then she pulled a bottle of wine from a bag and proceeded to deftly uncork it. “Before we head out, how about a toast?” She poured a rose-colored liquid into the wine glasses that Cara had previously lined up on a tray. “My first vintage. A rose Pinot.”

“And what are we toasting?” Chloe asked as she took the glass Alana handed her.

“Well, we could toast Sabrina’s new film deal,” Alana said with a twinkle. “Or we could toast Scotty and Chloe’s upcoming anniversary—”

“Or we could toast your guest of honor,” Jackie interrupted, shooting a wink at Alex. “After all, he’s the cutest baby on the planet.”

“To the guest of honor,” Alex boomed. He turned to Jackie. “And don’t get any ideas. At least not until spring.”

They trooped out of the kitchen and down the path to the paddock.

Sam and Molly Rivers were feeding carrots to Liza and her foal. Both donkeys looked splendid in the garlands of roses and greens that Molly had brought as a surprise. Sam had his hands full keeping the foal from nibbling the inhaler he had strapped in a leather case on his belt and from eating the roses on Liza’s garland.

Belva and Perk had Cara’s dad cornered. From the look of her finger wag, Belva was giving him a full-on dose of Albion Bay common sense.

Ryan stood off to one side with his dad, Quinn, Cain, and Matt Darrington, Alana’s newly wedded husband. From their gestures, Cara suspected they were planning a fishing outing. She hoped they planned to take her.

And though Ryan’s dad had scoffed during his first visit at the over-the-top barn Ryan had built for the donkeys, and nearly had an apoplectic fit over the heaters, after two days on the ranch this visit he was clucking over the animals like they were his own.

Cara’s mother and Ryan’s stood near the tiered fountain that served as the donkey’s water trough, with their backs turned, oblivious to their surroundings.

As the procession from the house reached the paddock, Ryan looked up and the smile he beamed at Cara melted her bones. She was sure no one had a better husband than she did, although several of Ryan’s teammates could give a good run for a close second.

“I wondered if you’d forgotten us,” he said as he reached to take her hand.

“Fat chance,” Alana chimed in before Cara could respond. “We were inside rehearsing our toasts.”

Ryan leaned down and brushed a kiss to Cara’s cheek. “I know one toast that I’ll be giving in private,” he whispered against the curve of her ear. The shiver of anticipation had her wishing the party was over.

Perk clapped his hands and called the gathering to attention.

It occurred to Cara that Perk would make a great general or field marshal. Maybe he had been one. With all the hubbub of setting up her foundation office in the spacious cabin Ryan had built with the help of Alex and Matt on the east slope of the ranch, the work with Alston to do what they could to expose Dray Bender and keep him from stealing some other unsuspecting philanthropist’s funds, and the effort to get the county’s approval for the clinic fast-tracked, she hadn’t had the time yet to find out all she wanted to know about her neighbors. But she wasn’t going anywhere; she had plenty of time to discover what made her friends the wonderful people they were.

Perk spread his arms to the gathered family and friends. “I understand that there are among us some who think that the
city
would’ve been a more proper place to hold this ceremony.” He glared at Cara’s dad who, to his credit, smiled. “But if it hadn’t been for the good town of Albion Bay, we wouldn’t be here celebrating today.” He winked at Belva. Cara was surprised to see the old lady blush. “Now, I’m no minister, but with the rights vested in me as mayor, I’d like to get this shindig started. Ladies?” He looked over to where Ryan’s and Cara’s mothers stood huddled together at the fountain, paying him no mind. He cleared his throat and bellowed, “Ladies,
might
we have the guest of honor, please?”