Even if she hadn't admitted the fact that there had been no other men, he would have known the truth last night when he made love to her. The shy, gentle passion and the pent-up hunger he'd released told him all he'd needed to know. Devon hadn't spent the past year gaining sexual experience.
Garth's mood lightened at the thought. She'd waited for him because deep down she'd realized she wanted him and not some fancy city dude who drove a Porsche and wore a designer tie. On some level Devon understood that, even if she was dragging her feet about going back to Hawk Springs.
Reassured, Garth opened the truck door for Devon, who raised her eyebrows in mild amusement at the courtesy. She said nothing, however, and Garth walked around to the driver's side, keys in hand.
When he pulled away from the curb he saw Devon glance back once more but she didn't comment. Relieved to be on the road at last, Garth gave his attention to making his way through the city traffic.
"I figure we can arrange the wedding for next Saturday," he said easily as he found the freeway entrance ramp. "That way Lee and Kurt will be able to get away to attend. I'm sure you'll want them there. I'll call Ryan and tell him he's invited. We'll keep it small and simple. Bev can fix lunch afterward. That should do it. I'll be able to take the weekend off unless this buyer I've been talking to recently decides to show up to take a look at a couple of colts I'm going to sell to him. You know how it goes with buyers. But if McShaney decides to land on our doorstep next weekend, we'll take off the following weekend. Won't make that much difference."
"Take off where?" Devon asked far too politely.
Garth didn't like the tone of her voice. What was bothering her now? "Oh, I don't know. Maybe the coast. Would you like to spend your honeymoon on the coast?"
"Depends. How long is this honeymoon going to last?"
Garth frowned. "I told you. I'll take the weekend off."
"That's not a very long honeymoon."
Some of the relief he'd been feeling since he'd closed the door for the last time on Devon's apartment began to dissipate. It seemed as though every time he thought he'd gotten something settled with Devon, she threw a wrench into the gears. "Devon, I told you, I'm negotiating with a potential buyer. The deal's been in the works for a couple of months. In addition to that, I'm selling some property down in Arizona. That deal's been simmering for quite a while too. It should close any day now and I don't want to be out of touch too long until it's signed, sealed and delivered. On top of that, I'm having a new barn built and I have to be on hand to supervise. No telling what that contractor will do if he thinks I'm not looking over his shoulder. Besides, you know damn well Hawk's Flight doesn't run itself. I can't just take off for days at a time."
"Why the coast?" she asked unexpectedly.
Garth felt a prickle of unease. "I thought you'd like a weekend on the coast. You always said you like the ocean."
"Where on the coast, exactly, Garth?" she prodded softly.
"Does it matter? There's some nice country around Santa Barbara."
"Nice country? Are you by any chance thinking of buying some land near Santa Barbara? Or looking at some horses, perhaps?"
Garth's sense of unease grew. "Might as well kill two birds with one stone, honey, The Santa Barbara area would be a nice spot for a honeymoon and there is a piece of land near there I've been thinking about picking up. Someone I know has a good colt for sale down there, too. I thought we'd have a look at it while we're in the area. Doesn't that seem reasonable?"
"You're going to spend my honeymoon buying property and horses?"
"I told you," he said earnestly, "there's no reason we can't kill two birds with one stone."
"Let's get one thing clear, Garth Saxon. I do not intend to kill any birds on my honeymoon. I don't like the sound of your wedding plans. I'm going to scrap all of them, from Bev Middleton's lunch to the honeymoon."
Garth felt himself grow suddenly, searingly cold. He realized he was gripping the wheel of the pickup as though it were a life preserver. He'd been so certain it was finally settled between them. "Devon, what the hell's the matter with you? I thought we'd worked this out. You know you're going to marry me."
"If marriage is what you want, Garth, marriage is what you'll get. But we'll do it my way."
He snapped a forbidding glance at her and discovered her soft mouth was set in a very firm line. "What, precisely, do you mean by your way?" he asked evenly.
"Well, for starters, I don't like the sound of a quickie wedding with only a few close relatives in attendance. Tacky. And the thought of Bev Middleton cooking up a mess of gray-green beans and roast beef for the wedding lunch is enough to make me nauseated in advance. I like Bev, but I don't care for her cooking. And last but by no means least, I have no interest in a weekend honeymoon on the coast, where I'll get to amuse myself trailing around after you watching you look at land or horses."
"But, Devon..."
"I'll take over the planning of the wedding. And I'll need at least a month."
"A month!"
"That's right. I'll need that long to get out the invitations and plan the menu for the reception. I am not having green beans and beef at my wedding party."
"Devon, this is getting ridiculous."
"It gets better," she promised him. "I think we'll go to Hawaii for our honeymoon."
"Hawaii!"
"Don't worry, we might be able to find a ranch on Hawaii for you to look at. We'll also find volcanoes and beaches and palm trees and luxury hotels. We'll be a few thousand miles from Hawk Springs and you won't be able to concentrate on anything except us."
"Devon, I told you, I can't just take off like that."
"Of course you can. You're just not used to the idea of taking a real vacation."
"Honey, be reasonable," he pleaded, "If we do things my way they'll be a whole lot simpler."
"They'll also be a whole lot less interesting. I want a big wedding celebration and a real honeymoon. Don't worry, Garth, I'll handle everything. You won't have to do a thing except show up on time."
She was serious, he realized. Devon was dead set on making a big production out of an event he had always assumed could be handled with the minimum of fuss and disruption. This past year had caused enough disruption in his life, as far as he was concerned. All he wanted to do now was get Devon legally bound to him and settled in at the ranch so that they could get on with their lives.
Now, here she was, making things difficult.
But at least she wasn't trying to wriggle out of the marriage altogether, he reminded himself. With that realization, Garth was aware of a giant wave of relief washing over him. For a few minutes there, he'd thought she was about to tell him she'd changed her mind about marrying him altogether. He'd been terribly afraid her inner uncertainty had gotten the best of her desire for him. Garth had been aware of the tightrope he was walking from the moment he'd arrived in San Francisco and found her looking so sophisticated and at ease in that singles bar. He could only be grateful that the latest stumbling block she'd placed in his path was relatively small.
"You're sure you want to go through all the hassle of a big wedding and a trip to Hawaii?" he asked Finally.
Devon heard the resigned acceptance in his voice and smiled to herself. Already she was feeling much better. The trick to dealing with Garth was to be firm and assertive, she decided. Start out as you mean to continue. "I don't mind in the least," she assured him blithely. "It will be fun to plan everything."
"Sounds more like a waste of time to me."
He wasn't going to fight her, Devon thought happily. He was going to let her do this her way. "Don't worry, Garth, I won't bother you with any of the details. Just arrange your schedule so that you'll have a week off next month."
"A whole week?"
"Don't look so stricken. It'll be good for you." The man had a lot to learn, Devon decided. He needed to learn that there was more to life than running a ranch and shouldering
responsibilities. He needed to learn that there was a place in life for the frivolous and the nonserious. He needed to learn to relax and enjoy himself. He needed to learn there was something else out there to eat besides beef. He needed to learn that marriage could be playful as well as passionate, that a relationship could be fun as well as a serious partnership.
He needed to learn to lighten up a little so that he could learn to love.
She'd better find a way to get the lesson across, because she loved him and she was about to tie herself to this man for life.
It was a sobering thought. Some of Devon's cheerful determination faded later that day as the rich lands of California's fertile Central Valley came into view. Small sleepy farm towns that reminded her of Hawk Springs and acres of lush fields slipped past the windows of the truck. When you drove through this part of California it was difficult to remember the state's glitzy media image.
Here in the inner heart of California there was no sign of the glitter of Hollywood, the glamour of the Malibu beachfront, the sophistication of San Francisco or the picturesque vineyards of the northern wine country. This was farm and ranch country. The small towns shared the vices, virtues and love of gossip that characterized small towns everywhere.
"What are you smiling about, Devon?" Garth asked after a long period of silence.
She leaned her elbow on the window edge and rested her head against her hand. "I was just thinking about my big plan for us to have an affair. You were right. It would have shocked the socks off Hawk Springs."
"You can say that again."
"Might have been fun to make everyone sit up and goggle, though," she mused. "When I think of all the years I had to be so careful not to cause gossip in case it got back to Lee and Kurt and hurt them..." She let the sentence trail off.
"You think it might be humorous to get even now by doing something outrageous?" Garth shook his head, but he was smiling faintly. "I think I can understand the feeling."
That surprised her. "You can?"
"Sure. But I'd just as soon you resisted the temptation," he added wryly. "We're going to have to live there, remember? I guess towns as tiny and remote as Hawk Springs have their drawbacks but there are advantages, too."
"I know," Devon admitted. "Why do you think I decided to stay there with Lee and Kurt after our parents were killed? I thought about taking what was left from the sale of the farm and moving to L.A. or Sacramento or some other city, but I decided it would be safer to let the boys finish growing up in a small town and a familiar environment. I'd already spent enough time in L.A. to know what can happen to a kid there. I didn't know if I'd be able to keep Lee off the street. He was so wild during those last couple of years of high school."
"You had a lot on your hands."
"I owe you a lot for the help you gave me during his senior year," Devon said reflectively. "I was at my wit's end. He was threatening to quit school and leave town. Then there were the speeding tickets and the nights he came home drunk." She closed her eyes, remembering. "God, I was scared, Garth."
"It's over, Devon. Lee's going to be okay. You saw him at Christmas. He's happy in college and he's got his feet on the ground."
"Thanks to you. That night the sheriff called at three in the morning to tell me he had Lee in custody, I nearly went out of my mind."
"Instead, you called me."
"Yes," Devon said softly. "Instead, I called you."
"It was the first and only time you'd ever asked for my help," he said.
Devon chuckled, able to laugh about it now. "Well, you've got to admit, the first and only time was a major event. I was hardly asking for a small favor." In desperation she had finally turned to the man who had been offering friendship and more for over a year.
She had been wary of accepting what Garth was offering, so certain that soon she would finally be free of Hawk Springs and all her obligations, so convinced she hadn't wanted to tie herself to a man who was, in turn, tied to his land and his horses. One more year, she'd told herself over and over again during Lee's senior year in high school. One more year and she would be free.
But the night the sheriff had called, she'd known she couldn't handle Lee alone. She'd needed help and she'd known where she could get it. It was Garth who'd dealt with the sheriff. It was Garth who'd calmly taken charge of Devon's rebellious and resentful brother. And in doing so, he'd taken a great weight off Devon's shoulders. When it came to the crunch, Garth would always be there, Devon thought. A rock to lean on.
How did you teach a rock to enjoy the lighter side of life and love?
"Doesn't look like much has changed in Hawk Springs since I left," Devon remarked as Garth exited the interstate and drove into town. In truth, she would have been startled if anything had changed. Devon was certain the small assortment of shops on Main Street looked exactly as they must have looked twenty, thirty, maybe forty years previously. She knew the styles featured in the windows of Perkins Clothing store were at least that far out of date.
"There's a new supermarket on the other side of town and a new restaurant on Main," Garth told her.
"It's a wonder the place survived the excitement of a new grocery store and a restaurant. Must have caused quite a sensation when they opened. What does the restaurant serve?"
"Steaks, mostly."
"Somehow, that doesn't surprise me."
"How long is it going to take to run through your repertoire of sarcastic comments on Hawk Springs?" Garth sounded mildly curious.
Devon flushed with unexpected embarrassment. "I'll try to restrain myself."
"This is your home, Devon. You were happy here once."
"That was back when I was a little girl and didn't know any better."
"Back before you started thinking of the place as a trap. You can be happy here again if you'll just give yourself a chance," Garth said seriously.
It wasn't going to be that easy, Devon thought, but Garth was the only man on the face of the earth who could make the effort worthwhile. Devon wondered if he knew that.
Hawk's Flight looked as lush and prosperous as it had the day Devon had left town. Bathed in the early-evening light from a slowly setting sun, the green pastures, pristine white fences and well-tended barns were the perfect image of rural beauty. There were several sleek mares in the fields with their foals. Garth's two magnificent stallions, High Flyer and Royal Standard were in their paddocks.
The main house also appeared very much the same, except for a fresh coat of paint. It was a low, rambling structure with plenty of old-fashioned porches and a circling drive in front. Garth had done little to it except keep it painted and in good repair since he'd bought it. He believed in maintaining buildings and equipment in good condition. But Devon knew inside the house she would find the same heavy old drapes, the same dull carpet and the same sturdy, oversize furniture that had been in the place when the former owners sold out to Garth.
Devon was examining her new home with mixed feelings when she spotted the candy-red sports car in the drive. The vehicle looked totally out of place.
"Looks like you've got visitors, Garth."
He, too, was eyeing the dashing little car. "Ryan must be here."
"Ryan? He's driving a car like that these days?"
"Says it goes with his image as an account executive. He wanted a Porsche but had to settle for the Ford when I wouldn't come across with a loan."
"Poor Ryan." Devon could just imagine that scene. It would have taken a lot of nerve for Ryan to ask his half brother for a loan for a car. Devon could have told him the courage was wasted. Garth would go to the ends of the earth for Ryan if he'd thought his brother really needed the help. But he'd draw the line at providing money for something as frivolous as a sports car. It was Garth's considered opinion that Ryan lacked common sense and judgment.
Of course, Devon reminded herself as she jumped out of the pickup, Garth probably thought she was lacking in both qualities also.
As soon as her feet hit the ground she was almost bowled over by the three huge ranch dogs that came racing around the corner of the house. They barked joyously as they greeted their master and his guest.
"I wonder what Ryan's doing here at Hawk's Flight," Garth remarked as he unloaded suitcases from the back of the pickup. "Probably wants something. But as long as he's here, he might as well make himself useful. Go inside and tell him to come out and give me a hand with this load."
"I'm sure he'll offer to help as soon as he knows we're here," Devon said pointedly. She patted one of the dogs on the head. The beast grinned delightedly, his tongue hanging out of his mouth. "There's no need to order him to give you a hand."
Garth cocked one brow in a sardonic, but silent comment and lifted another box out of the pickup. Devon started up the walk toward the front door. The dogs danced around her.
The door opened before she could knock. Beverly Middleton, in all her plump glory, stood on the threshold. Bev was in her late fifties and had been widowed for nearly ten years, and seeing her again after a year's absence, Devon was inclined to forgive the older woman's lack of imagination when it came to cooking.
"Hi, Bev. It's been awhile." It was amazing how much pleasure she felt in seeing a familiar face, Devon thought suddenly. She would never have guessed she'd miss anyone in Hawk Springs.
"Well, well, well. So he brought you back, did he?" Bev shook her head in mock wonder. "I told him when he left he'd have a job on his hands dragging you away from the big city." She came down the steps and enveloped Devon in a huge, bosomy hug. "Could have sworn you'd put up more of a fight. You were always as stubborn and proud as one of Garth's fancy, high-bred horses."
"We all know what happens to his horses," Devon murmured.
Bev laughed, stepping back again. "In the end he always has 'em eating out of the palm of his hand, doesn't he? Same way with you?"
"Not quite. But I've decided to wage my battle on his turf. How have you been, Bev? You look good."
Saxon's Lady Page 6
