Stallion Pass, Jessie and Savannah Clay, Mike turned his thoughts to D.C. and the appointments he had, things he had to do.
At the airport, he milled with the crowd until his plane was called. Picking up his carry-on and a newspaper, he lined up as the first people moved into the jetway.
“Mike!”
“Would Mike Remington please come to the desk,” came an announcement over the intercom. He turned, first to see who had called his name.
“Mike!”
Surprised, he saw Savannah hurrying toward him. “Mike, wait!” she called and waved.
The first thought that came to mind was that he had forgotten something, but he had brought hardly anything with him and he was certain he hadn’t left any possession with Savannah.
“Mike, wait!” she cried, getting closer. “I’ll marry you.”
Three
Mike was certain he hadn’t heard correctly. He stared at her as she came rushing up to him.
“I’ll marry you!” she cried again as she stopped only a few feet from him.
“You’re crazy,” he said, staring at her in dismay.
“Would Mike Remington please report to the desk?” a voice said over the intercom.
“Go tell them to cancel that announcement,” she said breathlessly, staring at him.
Transfixed, he could only stare back. “You were right earlier. You and I can’t marry,” he said, never for one second thinking she would take him up on his offhand suggestion that they have a marriage of convenience.
“I thought about it,” she said, and he was only dimly aware of people moving around them. They had suddenly been shut off from the rest of the world. The moment was surreal; the concept of any kind of long-lasting contract with her was an absolute impossibility. But she was standing there in front of him, still in her tailored navy suit and blouse, a couple of loose, golden tendrils curling around her face, and she looked and sounded earnest.
“Would Mike Remington please report to the desk.”
“Just a minute,” he said to Savannah. “Let me get them to stop paging me.”
“They’re paging you because I asked them to. I was afraid you’d already be on your plane.”
He nodded and rushed to the desk to tell them the person who had been looking for him had found him. He also canceled his flight. When he turned away from the counter, he saw Savannah standing to one side of the hall, waiting for him solemnly. She looked pale and uncertain, something else he wouldn’t have expected.
He crossed to her and took her arm. “Let’s go where we can talk.”
In minutes they were in a quiet, deserted airport bar. He had ordered a soda for her and beer for him. Stunned, he still couldn’t accept the past few minutes.
He sat facing her. “I can’t believe that you’d marry me. And frankly, I didn’t give the offer much thought.”
“I figured you’d try to wriggle out of it.”
“Not necessarily. I’m just surprised. What made you change your mind?”
“I’ve thought about this—not marriage, but what to do about Jessie. If we have a marriage of convenience, I’d get Jessie right now. You’d be the official guardian, but you can do as you damn well please. You’ll be an instant millionaire. I have enough money to take care of my needs and Jessie’s, although there is a trust for that and a trust for her.”
“You said it yourself—it would be like putting a lion and a tiger together,” he reminded her, appalled that she had taken him up on such an impossible offer.
“So you didn’t mean it and you’re weaseling out?” she asked, sparks flying in her eyes again.
His anger flared, and he took a deep breath, hanging on to his temper. “I’m not weaseling out, but I don’t think it’s a smart move.”
“What else will keep Jessie from becoming a ward of the state?”
They glared at each other as he took a long swallow of beer. He wanted to shake her and he wanted to walk away. Tell her no and grab the next flight and get out of Texas. On the other hand, she had a point. He could do as he pleased, leave the baby with her, and Jessie wouldn’t be turned over to the state. That should make them both happy. And getting the chance to see Savannah soft and warm again was very appealing.
“Could you adopt her if we were married?” he asked her.
“I think we would have to do it as man and wife, then we could get a divorce. Otherwise, you’re her legal guardian and it would be complicated if not impossible. I’ll look into it. We adopt, and then we could break up the marriage and you would be free. Surely that isn’t asking too much of you to give.”
“Listen, Savannah, I’m tired of you painting me as the bad guy just because I don’t want this responsibility. This was thrust on me without my knowledge or consent.”
“Sorry,” she said.
“You don’t mean that,” he accused, thinking about what she had said. “Before we rush out and say vows, let’s sleep on this tonight.”
“That’s fine with me,” she answered, suddenly bestowing one of those win-over-the-world smiles on him. “Why don’t you let me cook dinner for you? Come to my place about seven o’clock.”
“I have to get a hotel room and a car….”
“You could stay at my place,” she told him a bit desperately.
“Thanks, Savannah. Your place will be great tonight since I might have trouble getting a room this late,” he said, wanting to mess up her day as much as she had ruined his. “This will give us a chance to see if we can tolerate being under the same roof together.”
She flashed another knee-melting smile at him. “You surprise me again, Mike. But remember, my condo is far smaller than that Stallion Pass mansion. At my place we’ll know we’re together.”
“Now who’s trying to weasel out of an invitation?”
“Not on your life,” she said, reaching over to give his arm a squeeze. “I’m delighted. Let’s go.”
“All right,” he answered, amused that she was taking charge and making decisions again, mindful of the current that ripped through him when she touched his arm.
They left, and in minutes were headed into the heart of the city. At her condo, she opened the door and led him inside. “I’ll put steaks out to grill—how’s that?”
“Sounds fine, Savannah,” he replied, looking around at oak cabinets and woodwork, green plants, a yellow-tile counter, a glass-top table, expensive furnishings and state-of-the-art kitchen equipment.
“Come with me and I’ll show you around,” she said, leading him into a large living area with a stone fireplace, a big-screen television, a polished hardwood floor and elegant fruitwood furniture. “Here’s where I spend most of my time. There’s the dining room,” she said with a wave of her hand. Through an open doorway, he saw a crystal chandelier hanging above a long, oval wooden table and chairs. “Your room is this way.”
“This is very nice,” Mike remarked as he walked beside her.
“Thank you. I like it, but my favorite place is my home in Stallion Pass. It’s near one of my brothers and his family, and one of my sisters and her family. There’s my office,” she said, waving her hand at another open door. He saw a neat desk with a computer and printer, bookshelves filled with law books.
“You can stay in here,” she said, entering a room on her right that had green-and-beige decor, a