Landry's Law (16 page)

“Yep. Apparently the Feds got suspicious when they checked to see if your mother’s work phone was tapped. When they found out it wasn’t, they knew someone close to the case had to have told Whitlock and Updyke how to find you.”

“Peter White agreed to help them kill me for a measly hundred grand? I’m offended.”

“So was your mother.”

Her face brightened. “You talked to my mother?”

“And your father and all three of your brothers.”

“Where’s my cell phone?’ she asked. “I haven’t talked to them in six years.”

“Sorry, Chance has you on strict bed rest for the next four days. I’m only allowed in because I threatened to punch him in front of all his nurse groupies.”

“Four days?” Savannah practically whined.

“You’ve waited six years, a few more days won’t matter. I promise you, the minute I get you home, I’ll hand you the phone and you can talk yourself a blue streak if you feel up to it.”

“I definitely will take you up on that.” Her expression changed. She looked sad. “I can’t believe that four people are dead because of me.”

“Because of Junior,” Seth corrected. “And technically, one of those was mine.”

“I guess I’m glad you’re an expert shot.”

He winked at her. “You might be surprised at how many things I’m an expert at.”

With her swollen lip, she gave him half a wicked smile. “I know at least two things you’re expert at.”

“No talking dirty,” Seth warned. “We need to start fresh.”

“Seth,” she began tentatively, “I want to go home to see my family.”

“Okay.”

“I don’t know how long I’ll stay,” she said.

He tried to keep the hurt out of his expression. “I understand. But you have to do one thing for me before you leave.”

“What?”

“Have dinner with all of us out at the ranch before
you leave. Your rescue was a joint effort and a lot of people would love to see you back on your feet before you go.”

“Deal. When?”

“Two weeks? That way Chance tells me your face won’t be swollen and your ribs will be less painful so you can be gently hugged.”

“By you?”

“Among others.”

“Are you sure we can’t have a private party at your house in the meantime?” she suggested with a wink.

“Chance took those activities off your dance card for a couple of weeks. I’ll be by to see you tomorrow.” Seth kissed her head and slipped out of the room. He needed help, and he knew just who to ask.

I
N TWO WEEKS
Savannah still wasn’t able to wash her own hair or tie a shoelace. However, aside from a few greenish smudges under her eye, her face was back to normal and her ribs didn’t hurt. If only she could lose the blasted cast. She wasn’t sure she could take four more weeks of this.

She knew she couldn’t take much more of the new Seth. Incredulously, he acted as if their morning together at the ranch had never happened. He held her when they watched television, but he had her sleeping in the guest room of his house. It was as if something had extinguished all that passion.

She wondered if the something was knowing that Junior had touched her, even just a little. Maybe he held her somehow responsible for Junior’s sexual impropriety.

Then there were the secret calls that he only took in his bedroom. It didn’t take a rocket scientist to figure out they were probably from Ruthie.

She was supposed to be getting ready for dinner at the ranch, and she was growing more melancholy by the moment. She wanted to see her parents for a week or two, but then she had thought she would come back to Jasper to see if it could work between Seth and her. But in all the time since her ordeal, Seth hadn’t once said he loved her, nor had he asked her to stay.

“So much for love at first sight,” she grumbled. Well, maybe she’d try to give Seth a little going away present of her own.

Clutching the edges of her bathrobe together, she went to Seth’s door and knocked.

“Yes?”

“I need some help getting dressed.”

“Wear something more simple,” he called through the door.

“No, this is a special occasion. Will you please help me?”

She heard a muffled sound, then Seth appeared and very nearly took her breath away. She had never seen him in a suit and it was a good thing, too. If she
didn’t have the blasted cast, she’d be doing her absolute best to seduce him right there. The charcoal raw silk accentuated his dark coloring and the monochrome shirt and tie made him look like the western version of a
GQ
ad.

Savannah purposefully placed herself in front of the mirror in the bathroom. She then pointed to the items she needed assistance with. Unbeknownst to Seth, she watched his every reaction in the reflection.

She dropped her robe and stood completely naked before him. She watched as his Adam’s apple bobbed. Maybe he wasn’t as immune as he was leading her to believe.

“The bra closes in the front.”

Seth accomplished that with less than steady hands.

“Panties next.”

He was chewing his lower lip.

“Those are thigh-high stockings, so just carefully pull them on for me, okay?”

“Sure.”

There was a catch in his voice but he managed to get them on.

“Okay, now help me get this dress on and we’ll be finished.”

She had selected a short cocktail dress with a neckline that swooped off the right shoulder. When she turned so that he could slip it over her head and weave her cast through the opening she saw the tiny beads of sweat on his upper lip.

Her libido was in overdrive, but there was something very reassuring about knowing she still had an effect on him. A point he reinforced when he all but ran from the bathroom.

They left for the ranch a short time later. Their conversation on the way over included the weather, cattle futures and other unimportant items.

By the time they arrived, Savannah’s earlier sense of triumph had all but vanished.

Seth took her good elbow and escorted her up the stairs. He pushed open the door and the foyer was dark. In fact, most of the house was dark.

Until Savannah started to walk past the dining room. Then the lights came on and scores of people yelled surprise.

If that wasn’t enough to give her heart failure, seeing the five people in the front of the crowd was.

“Mom! Daddy! Guys!” She raced forward, hugging and kissing her family for the first time in eons. Her little brothers were now all taller than she was and her father’s hair had started to go silver.

“This is a beautiful place sweetheart,” her father said. “I think you made an excellent choice.”

“Choice?”

Seth came up to her and took her hand. Shocking her beyond comprehension, he got down on one knee in front of practically the whole town and their respective families.

“Will you marry me?” he asked. He reached into
his jacket pocket and took out a black velvet case. Flipping it open, he showed her the largest diamond ring she’d seen on this side of a store window.

“I can’t yet.”

Her response drew a series of whispers and a horrified look from Seth.

“Can’t or won’t?” he asked, clearly embarrassed.

“I can and will, I just have to do something first.”

“What?”

Reaching out, she cupped his upturned face. “I love you, Seth. Now that I’ve said it, I have to marry you. Call it Landry’s Law.”