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No, not for you. For Rob, she reminded herself sternly. An internal dash of cold water on the warmth his words stirred in her heart.
It would be a mistake to forget the reason she was here. To Carter, delivering Rob’s message had been a duty. An obligation. But Savannah had an obligation, too. To do everything she could to protect the health of her unborn child. Even if it meant swallowing her pride and accepting help from a stranger.
“I hope this isn’t a bad time,” she stammered. “I probably should have called first.”
Except that if she’d dialed Carter’s number any earlier, Savannah knew she would have lost not only her voice, but her nerve. She’d packed her suitcase that morning and stowed it in the trunk of the car, giving God what she hoped was ample opportunity to send some kind of sign that He had another plan. One that didn’t include Carter Wallace.
Yet here she was.
“I didn’t call before I showed up at your door that day, either,” Carter said easily. “So I guess that makes us even.”
No, they weren’t. Not until he understood that she didn’t intend to be a charity case or outstay her welcome here. She’d scheduled another appointment with Dr. Yardley in two weeks. If the test results proved that she was obeying orders, Savannah planned to ask for an increase in her hours at the diner again and continue her search for another apartment.
“I can pay rent.” Savannah didn’t look at Carter as she put the car into gear and continued down the long gravel driveway. “I don’t expect to live in the cottage for free. Or I can help out around the house or in the kitchen. I’m a pretty decent cook.”
At one time, she’d dreamed of attending culinary school. Before she’d met Rob.
“Chicken and dumplings are your specialty, right?”
“How did you know...” Savannah’s voice trailed off, leaving an awkward silence in its wake.
Rob must have told him.
The day they’d met, Carter had claimed that Rob talked about her all the time when they’d served together in Afghanistan. Savannah hadn’t believed him—until now. The thought that Rob’s friend knew more about her than she knew about him was a little unsettling.
And what else had Rob told him? The truth—or more lies? Less than twenty-four hours after they were married, Savannah had discovered that her new husband didn’t seem to know the difference. She’d been so tired of being alone that she’d let Rob sweep her off her feet.
Believed everything he’d said...
“Don’t worry about things like paying rent or washing dishes right now.” Savannah could feel the weight of Carter’s gaze, studying her profile. “How about I show you where you’ll be staying first? You can unpack your things. Settle in and get a good night’s sleep.”
Which could only be, Savannah thought ruefully, a tactful way of saying that she must look as exhausted as she felt.
“All right.” Self-consciously, she looped a wayward strand of hair behind her ear. She knew the past few days had taken a toll on both her health and her emotions. The stress of apartment hunting during the day. Wrestling with her fears at night. Savannah had been reading through the New Testament every morning, taking comfort in the fact that other believers had faced difficult situations, too, and God hadn’t abandoned them.
She trusted Him. Men, not so much anymore.
“Keep going past the main house,” Carter instructed.
The simple description didn’t do the place justice.
Savannah tried not to gawk as they passed a magnificent two-story home fashioned from native stone and brick. The setting sun winked off the mullioned windows and painted the glass with a rosy, welcoming glow. Trumpet vine wove through the spindles of the wrought-iron fence that separated the landscaped lawn from the rest of the property.
Everything was neat and well cared for. The Colby Ranch could have easily been featured on the cover of Texas Today magazine.
“It’s beautiful,” Savannah murmured. “Did you grow up here?”
“No.”
Savannah tried not to flinch at the sting of Carter’s curt response. Although he seemed to know a lot about her, it was becoming clear that Carter wasn’t going to be very forthcoming about his own life.
* * *
Carter saw Savannah’s hands tighten around the steering wheel and realized the word had come out a little sharper than he’d intended. He tried again.
“No,” he said more softly.
One-syllable words were okay on a military base, but if he wanted Savannah to stay at the ranch, it was clear to Carter that he would have to brush up on his people skills. He could coax a disabled vehicle back to life and make an engine purr like a kitten, but he’d never been much for small talk.
Especially when the woman sitting next to him took his breath away.
The photograph hadn’t done her justice. Savannah’s honey-brown hair fell loose around her shoulders, a perfect frame for her delicate features and wide green eyes.
The only thing missing was the smile.
Carter still hadn’t seen one of those.
When he’d heard her voice on the phone, he couldn’t believe that Savannah had actually accepted his invitation. Not until he’d spotted her car parked at the gate. Both hands gripping the steering wheel, ready to turn around and exit his life as quickly as she’d entered it.
He wasn’t sure why Savannah had changed her mind, but now that she was here at the Colby Ranch, Carter was going to make sure she stuck around for a while.
It’s what Rob would have wanted.
Carter was certain about that, no matter what Savannah had said about their marriage. Why would Rob fake devotion to a wife that he’d abandoned? What would he have to gain?
Savannah might need a place to stay, but Carter needed some answers. And the woman sitting next to him was the only one who could provide them.
Another light winked on in the house. Carter hoped no one would glance out the window and see an unfamiliar vehicle nudging its way up the drive. Typically after Lupita served dessert, everyone pitched in and cleaned up from dinner and then gathered in the family room to watch a movie or play a game. Ty and Maddie would help Darcy with her homework. Jack and Gray would take part in what had become their favorite pastime—giving each other a hard time—while the women planned their upcoming nuptials with all the intensity of a military strategist.
And they insisted he join them.
Bonding, Maddie called it. Carter figured it was easier to bond with people who shared your DNA. He’d never had much in common with his siblings before, and now he was no longer sure he and Gray had that in common.
Carter would count the seconds until he could come up with a reasonable excuse to slip away. But now, for the first time, he hoped they followed standard protocol again and did not show up at the cottage to meet the newest visitor. It might overwhelm Savannah and give her a reason to bolt.
She didn’t trust him, that much was clear.
But Rob had. Which meant that Carter was honor bound to shield her from potentially stressful situations.
Meeting his family definitely qualified.
* * *
Savannah fixed her eyes on the driveway.
The sudden drop in temperature inside the car made her wonder if there was some family dynamic going on between Carter and his sister that she should know about. The last thing she wanted was for her presence to add tension to an already strained relationship.
“You can take the first right behind the barn.” Carter pointed to an enormous metal building with a green roof. Two chestnut horses stood shoulder to shoulder in a corner of the paddock, dozing under the branches of a cottonwood tree.
Savannah followed his instructions and saw a row of adorable little cottages scattered along a creek bed.
“I’ve been staying in the main house but the cottage on the end is empty. My sister had it all made up for me, but I never moved in. That means it’s all yours,” Carter said.
Yours.
In spite of her misgivings, the word flowed through Savannah, as sweet as a glass of tea on a hot summer day. Even knowing this was a temporary arrangement couldn’t prevent the sense of wonder that swept over her.
The branches of two mature pecan trees formed a canopy over a cottage as whimsical as an illustration in a child’s storybook. A sloping roof with patchwork shingles shaded an enclosed porch like the brim of a hat. Narrow wooden shutters trimmed the windows. Blue. Her favorite color. A hand-woven basket, overflowing with gourds and miniature pumpkins, sat on the top step like a welcome gift.
An Australian shepherd emerged from one of the outbuildings and ambled toward the car as Savannah pulled up in front of the cottage.
“That’s Nipper. Jack Colby’s dog.” Carter shook his head. “Don’t let the name fool you, though. The only thing that mutt might do is lick you to death.”
“Is Jack part of your family?”
“That’s the question of the day,” he muttered.
Savannah frowned. “I don’t understand.”
But Carter didn’t bother to enlighten her. Instead, he hopped out and jogged around the front of the car to open her door. His large hand gently cupped her elbow as he helped her out of the vehicle.
The warmth of his touch sparked something that sent Savannah’s blood racing through her veins like a prairie fire.
She sucked in a breath, yanked her heart back in line.
It wasn’t as if she were...attracted...to Carter Wallace. More than likely sleepless nights and low blood sugar had tipped her off balance.
Guard your heart, Savannah.
Savannah had forgotten her grandmother’s advice when she’d met Rob. She wasn’t about to make the same mistake again.
“Come on. I’ll show you the inside.”
Savannah balked. “You’re sure that your sister won’t mind an extra houseguest?”
Carter glanced in the direction of the main house. The flash of some emotion—guilt?—didn’t exactly put her mind at ease.
“Sergeant Wallace?”
“It’s Carter, remember?” That elusive dimple made an appearance again. A secret weapon designed to sneak through a woman’s defenses and affect her ability to think straight.
Fortunately, Savannah had become immune to a charming smile.
“Now that we’ve got that cleared up...how about answering my question?”
Chapter Five
Carter realized he’d made a tactical error. He should have known that Savannah would see through his pitiful attempt to sidestep the question before she unpacked her suitcase from the car.
“No one will mind a bit that you’re here.” Carter hoped it was true.
According to Maddie, the Colby family had taken Keira Wolfe in after she’d been injured in a car accident and suffered short-term memory loss. The veterinarian was now Jack’s fiancé and staying in a guest room down the hall until the couple exchanged their vows. Violet also made room for Landon Derringer and Elise and her son, Cory, during their frequent visits to the ranch. Even in the midst of their own problems, it seemed that Violet and Jack didn’t mind lending a helping hand to someone in need. And Savannah definitely qualified.
He couldn’t help feeling protective of her. It wasn’t that she appeared weak and helpless. Just the opposite. It couldn’t be easy to accept help from strangers, and yet Savannah had done the best thing for her and the baby. He respected that. He respected her.
Relief took some of the starch out of Savannah’s slender shoulders. “That’s good, because I don’t want to take advantage of your sister’s hospitality.”
Carter decided this might be a good time to clarify a few minor details. After all, Savannah would find them out sooner or later. Although if he had his way, later—much later—would be better.
“Maddie doesn’t actually own the ranch,” he admitted. “She’s a...guest...here, too.”
Savannah, who’d started up the narrow sidewalk, froze midstep. Twisted around to look at him.
“A guest?” she repeated.
“Belle Colby actually owns the Colby Ranch. Maddie is spending some time with Belle’s...daughter.”
Violet. Maddie’s identical twin sister. His long lost half sister. Carter could barely make sense of what had happened, let alone try to explain it to someone else. And something told him this wasn’t the time to launch into a lengthy explanation about the Wallace family tree. The one that had sprouted a few branches since his last deployment.
“So Belle Colby gave you permission to invite me here?” Savannah asked slowly.
Carter drove a hand through his hair. “Belle is...recovering from a riding accident that happened last summer. She’s in a long-term care facility in Grasslands right now, but the family is...hopeful that she’ll recover.”
Savannah’s lips parted but no sound came out. She glanced down at the keys clutched in her hand and Carter realized she was only seconds away from getting in the car and driving back to Dallas if he didn’t explain.
“It’s complicated.” Really complicated.
Savannah’s eyes narrowed. “What exactly is going on, Sergeant?” she demanded. “Are you dispensing information on a need-to-know basis only? Because if that’s the case, I need to know a whole lot more before I accept your invitation to stay here.”
Carter suppressed a smile. Savannah was downright beautiful when she got riled up. She got some color in her cheeks and those eyes...as green as cottonwood leaves.
“Fine. I’ll try to explain. But keep in mind that sometimes truth is stranger than fiction—”
“There you are!”
Carter slowly turned around. Great. Just great.
Walking toward them was the proof.
“Is that Maddie?” Savannah whispered.
Carter’s eyes narrowed on the young woman striding toward them. Brown-and-gold-plaid shirt, complete with pearl buttons. A silver belt buckle roughly the size of a paperback novel.
And he still couldn’t say for sure.
At some point over the past few months, Maddie had swapped her designer labels for Western wear. To make life even more interesting, the two women conspired together, taking an almost fiendish delight in making it difficult for people—like him—to figure out which one was which. Or who was who.
“Maybe.”
