Runaway Bride (23 page)

"Do you always wake up in such a good
mood?" he queried.

"I never thought about it, but I do
love my mornings. At home I usually had a cup of coffee and sat out
on the front porch and watched the sun come up."

"You have a nice front porch, do you?"
he questioned, waiting for the coffee to perk in the old camping
pot he found under the sink.

"A veranda, we live in a two hundred
year old, newly renovated classic plantation home. The porch is
enormous; we have many chairs and tables outside, because we all
like to gather there."

"Sounds very comfortable and rich. I
suppose you can't wait to get back to it, either." he asked,
turning to watch her expression.

"Y-yes, yes of course," she answered,
casting her glance downward as she spoke.

"Well, we'll have you back to your
parents in no time."

"Can't wait to get rid of me, huh?" she
seemed to wait for his answer.

"Savannah, you've been an experience,
I'll say that," he countered.

"Is that how you'll remember me?" she
focused in on him.

He stared down into her face and
smiled, "It sure is..." Then as though the coffee became the most
important thing in the room, he took his time pouring some in the
one chipped cup he had found and washed.

He sipped it, "It's hot, so be
careful," then he offered it to her, carefully turning the cup so
she didn't have to drink after him.

Without blinking she took the cup,
turned it back around to where his lips had been and sipped it.
"You make wonderful coffee."

"Thanks..." he studied her long and
hard. "Why'd you go to that damn saloon?"

She dropped her gaze, moved away, "I
was trying to prove something to myself, I guess. I mean, I was
this close," she held up her fingers, "To marrying a man that was
gay, and I hadn't a clue. I had blinders on. I couldn't see it.
Didn't want to see it. Some people call it naive. I felt a little
stupid that I hadn't figured it out. I mean, I had plenty of gay
friends. I had gone about my life for so long, just enjoying my
time with Chad. He was a very likable young man. We got along well,
knew most of the same people, and had the same interests. I had
visions of taking care of his old and beautiful house. I think now,
I might have been in love with his home, and not so much him. I
lived in a fairytale world. I wanted suddenly to live in the real
world. Experience the real things in life. Most of my friends were
very good at flirting. I thought I'd try. Even though you'd kissed
me, you acted as though you could kiss me and walk away, unscathed.
That's sort of insulting to a woman, Ben."

"I'm sorry I was so rough on you." he
apologized, his voice going low and controlled.

"I guess you did it for my own
protection." she tried to laugh it off, and fell short. "I didn't
really consider myself in an emotional state when I came here. And
vulnerable, too. I guess I was wrong. You know we had several gay
friends. They were fun to be with, but Chad gave me no clue…no
inkling. I liked them, enjoyed them. But never in a million years,
had I guessed it about Chad."

"Maybe he didn't know it himself, for a
while. I'd think it would be hard to know someone like you, and try
to tell them something like that."

"Someone like me?"

"Yeah, someone with stars in her
eyes."

"I guess you are right."

"Yeah...well, I don't think you would
have ever guessed it till he was ready to admit it to himself and
others."

"I wish him only happiness."

"I'm glad of that. He sounded like a pretty nice
fella, for someone I woke in the middle of the night, at
least."

Savannah chuckled.

"And Savannah…I didn't walk away unscathed from your
kisses," he smiled.

"
No?"

"No, now I think we should go." He remarked glancing
outside and sure that the waters had receded, since the sun had
heated up the lower valley.

He drove her down the highway to a
small café where they enjoyed breakfast together, talked, and he
made his decision. He was taking her home to her parents where she
belonged. He'd be kidding himself if he thought for one minute
she'd be happy in a little hay-seed town like his, with a house
full of kids and nothing to look forward to. No, this was best. So
why did it eat at him all the way home?

When they reached his house though,
there were more problems to deal with. Problems he hadn't expected
or even contemplated.

"Sheriff, where have you been?
Savannah, what is the meaning of this?" her mother demanded to
know.

"Meaning of what?" Savannah asked
innocently.

"You've been gone over night,
with...with this cowboy Sheriff, I take it. I want some explanation
as to why."

"Melanie, give them time to explain."
her father was insisting.

"Explain what?" Savannah's frown was
aimed straight for them. "There was a storm, mother, a flooded out
bridge. The Sheriff was kind enough to seek shelter for us both,
until the water receded. That's all, not that I owe any
explanation, mother. I'm twenty-six years old, and it's a little
late to worry about my virtue, don't you think?"

Ben watched the goings on between them,
surprised at how fast Savannah rose to the defense. He smiled,
tipped his hat back and looked her father in the eye, "I assure you
sir, and your daughter was not compromised in any way."

"You don't owe them an explanation. I'm
old enough to take care of myself." Savannah met him nose to
nose.

"I don't believe it," Melanie was
saying. "Why, this man admitted just hours ago he was in love with
you."

"He...what?" Savannah turned to her
mother first, then to Ben.

"Well...I...yes...but"

"You love me?" Savannah repeated the
words. "You told them you loved me?"

Ben looked her in the eye, smiled and
took her by the arms, "Yes, I wasn't going to mention that
though...since you're leaving."

"You weren't going to mention it?" her
voice rose an octave.

"Well now, looks like there just might
be a wedding after all," her father was saying.

Everyone was jumping the gun. Not
considering the reality of the matter. Savannah didn't belong in
Junction She was a high society little girl and despite the fact
that he admired her more every moment he was with her, he couldn't
ask her to give up what she had for him. Could he?

And no one was going to throw him a
shotgun wedding. If he got married it would be on his own, not
prodded by a long barrel.

"You certainly didn't act as though you
loved me last night," she said emphatically.

"Didn't I?" his eyes never left
hers.

"You mean...you didn't make love to
me...because—you love me?" she barely uttered the words, as though
it just dawned on her what he was all about. She narrowed in on
him.

When he smiled but didn't answer, she
probed further, "Is that what you are telling me?"

"Now see here, Savannah.” her mother
seemed flabbergasted.

"Yes, that's what I'm telling you. It
was the hardest thing I've ever done, but yes!" He turned and
started to go into the house. "A man doesn't take advantage of the
one he loves."

"And you aren't going to give me the
chance to tell you how much I love you?" she shouted to his
back.

"You do?" he asked, not turning around,
but his shoulders bunching and knotting and then relaxing as he
finally turned around with a big smile on his face.

"An unless you marry me, very soon, I
promise I'll run away again..." she giggled.

"Savannah..." he murmured as he slowly
walked towards her.

"Oh Ben..." she cried as his arms came
out and wrapped about her, pulling her into him and smothering her
with a kiss that threatened to undermine all his better intentions.
They seemed oblivious to her parents.

"Savannah, really...the man is supposed
to do the asking," her mother prompted but finally gave in just a
bit, when they refused to stop kissing.

"What are we going to do with her,
she's grown impossible?" Melanie ran to her husband's
side.

Mr. Kingsley laughed, "Doesn't look
like it's our problem any longer, dear!"

"And that's for sure," Ben murmured as
he felt Savannah melt into his arms again. He pulled away, and
smiled down into her love- drugged face, "She might be trouble but
she's my trouble."

"I'm not sleeping with you until we are
married, you know."

"I know…God help me!" He chuckled and
pulled her straight into his arms for another melting
kiss.

About the
Author

Rita writes romance, westerns,
children's, short stories and poetry. You'll find her work at
Smashwords.com, and Create Space.com. Sold at Amazon and Barnes and
Noble.com too. From her series of the the Travers Brothers to her
single titles like Wandering Heart and Pretend Mom, there is a
variety of romance here. Rita writes both sensual and sweet
romances. Her westerns are full of adventure, romance and danger.
Her children's stories are located at
http://ritahestand.com/Willysworld.html

Don't miss any of Rita's
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