“I can’t change the past,” Richard muttered, his shoulders hunched, “but I’d hoped we could put all this behind us and start fresh.”
“Not on your life,” Grady said. He stood face-to-face with Richard now, glaring at him. “You haven’t shown any true regret. Not once have you asked Savannah and me to forgive you. As far as I’m concerned, you got your inheritance, and you wasted it. Now get off our land.”
“You want me to leave?” Richard sounded incredulous. He looked at Savannah but she turned away. “You’re my family!” he cried. “The only family I’ve got. You don’t mean this. Okay, okay, you’re right, I should have asked you to forgive me. I meant to—that was the real reason I returned. Like I said, I want to make it up to both of you.”
Savannah wavered, ambivalent.
“You should have thought of that sooner,” Grady replied, his voice clipped.
She’d hoped they could resolve their differences and make Richard a part of their lives again, but Grady was right. Richard hadn’t revealed any sincere sorrow for the agony he’d caused them. But then he’d always been weak and easily influenced. Nevertheless he was their brother; it came down to that. If for no other reason than to honor the memory of their parents, she wanted there to be no ill will between them.
“You’re serious?” Richard’s face clouded with disbelief. “You want me off the ranch?”
“I’ve never been more serious in my life.”
Brother stared down brother.
“I...I’m without a job. I was working at...at a sales job, and they downsized. I don’t have anywhere to go. I left instructions for the check from my severance package to be mailed here.” He glanced hopefully at Savannah and then at Grady.
Savannah silently pleaded with Grady, but he refused to look in her direction. It was hell staying quiet, especially when Richard begged for her help.
“You, too, Savannah?” he whispered in the hurt voice that tugged at her heart. “Do you want me to leave, too?”
Savannah was in torment, not knowing how to respond. Of course she wanted him to stay, wanted their lives to return to the way they’d been before. But she didn’t know if that was possible.
“I’m ruined,” he whispered brokenly. “The money’s gone. I lost my job and I have no savings. All I could think about was getting back to you and Grady. Making things right again.”
Tears filled her eyes and she bit her lip, trapped as she was between the strong wills of her two brothers.
Not waiting for her reply, Richard leaned down and reached for his suitcase. Apparently he was weaker than they realized because he staggered, but caught himself in time to keep from collapsing.
Savannah could hold her tongue no longer. “Grady, please! He’s about to faint. One night,” she begged, sliding her arm around Richard’s waist. “Let him stay one night.”
For a moment she didn’t think Grady would relent. “All right,” he gave in, his reluctance clear, “but he sleeps in the bunkhouse. First thing in the morning he’s out of here. Understand?”
“Thank you, brother,” Richard said softly. “You won’t be sorry, I promise you that. I’ll find a way to make it up to you and Savannah. I didn’t know, didn’t realize...I’ll do whatever you want if you’ll just let me stay. You’re the only family I’ve got.”
* * *
Laredo hadn’t meant to listen in on the scene outside the house. But he’d been in the garden at the time, and it had been impossible to ignore. He wasn’t sure what had finally occurred between Savannah and her two brothers, but the three had apparently come to some kind of understanding. He didn’t see Savannah again until dinnertime, and when he entered the house, she was all aflutter. He smelled biscuits baking, their aroma more enticing to him than the world’s most expensive perfume. An apple pie cooled on the kitchen counter beside a standing rib roast, recently taken from the oven.
When she saw him, her beautiful face brightened with a shy smile of welcome. “Richard’s here.”
“So I understand.” Laredo had tried to put the events of the early afternoon behind him and hoped she had, as well. Kissing her had been a mistake, one he regretted. His weakness for her complicated an already difficult situation.
The last thing he wanted was to let her believe in something that could never be. His property—three hundred acres in Oklahoma—was waiting for him. That and his horse. They were all he had. And they were almost nothing compared to the Westons’ huge spread. Compared to what Savannah had now. It would be cruel to mislead her into thinking she could be part of his future. But if the kissing continued, it’d be as hard for him to walk away as it would be for her to let him go.
“He hasn’t eaten in two days,” she said, explaining the frenzy of cooking that had taken place that afternoon. “I baked his favorites just the way Mom would have.”
“How’s Grady dealing with this?”
A sadness came over her and some of the excitement drained from her voice. “Not very well, unfortunately. He won’t let Richard stay more than the night. He’s forcing him to sleep in the bunkhouse. Richard said he was willing to work for his keep, and I think if I reason with him, Grady might let him stay on until his severance check arrives. I’m hoping he will, but it’s hard to tell with Grady.”
“Savannah!” Footsteps echoed as Richard Weston bounded down the stairs from the upstairs bedroom and burst into the kitchen. “I found my old guitar.” He slid the strap over his shoulder and ran the pick over the tight strings, laughing with childish delight.
“I couldn’t make myself throw away your things,” Savannah admitted.
Walking about in his stocking feet, Richard circled the kitchen playing a mellow country hit Laredo recognized from the early nineties. A song of Reba’s, if memory served him.
The family resemblance was strong, Laredo noticed. Richard was a younger, slimmer, blonder version of Grady, good-looking and suave. Apparently he’d inherited a double portion of charm, as well. He serenaded his sister, causing Savannah to blush unmercifully. Laredo knew he should leave, but he found himself enjoying the scene.
When Richard finished the song, he set the guitar aside and glanced in Laredo’s direction, his eyes questioning.
Savannah’s gaze followed her brother’s. “This is Laredo Smith,” she said. She reached for Laredo’s hand, tucking it in both of hers. “He works for me.”
“Really, Savannah,” Richard joked. “I never suspected my older sister would have her own boy-toy.” He laughed then, as if he found the comment hilarious.
Any goodwill Laredo had felt toward the other man vanished with the ugly suggestiveness of his remark. Savannah’s face turned a deep shade of scarlet, and it was all Laredo could do to keep his mouth shut.
“It’s n-not that way with us,” she stammered.
“Whatever you say, big sister,” Richard responded. “Hey, when’s dinner? I could eat the entire roast myself.” He gripped Savannah by the shoulder and noisily kissed her cheek. “I can’t tell you how good it is to be home. I’ve missed you, Savannah, almost as much as I’ve missed your melt-in-the-mouth buttermilk biscuits.”
“I need to be getting back,” Laredo said, eager to check on Roanie. “I just stopped by to tell you I won’t be here for dinner.”
“You