“I think I knew the minute you stopped to offer me a ride.” He got to his feet and walked away from her.
“Laredo?”
“I promised Wiley I’d check on Roanie. Remember?”
In other words their discussion was over; he had nothing more to say. Nor did he wish to hear what she might say. “All right,” she said, hanging her head in defeat.
He got as far as the garden gate, then turned back. “You won’t go to the ghost town without me?”
“No,” she promised.
He nodded. He seemed about to speak again but hesitated. If he dared apologize for kissing her, she didn’t know what she’d do. Probably scream in frustration. That would be an unprecedented event—Savannah Weston screaming! She gave an involuntary giggle.
Savannah watched him leave, then carried the tray of empty glasses back into the house. Despite his withdrawal, his abrupt departure, she felt like dancing around her kitchen. He’d kissed her! And it had been wonderful.
Not only had Laredo kissed her, he’d said he’d been thinking about it for days. The same as she had. That was enough to make her heart wild with joy. But there was more. He’d as much as said he loved her.
“Oh, please,” she prayed, closing her eyes and clasping her hands, “let it be true. Don’t let this be a cruel joke.” But she knew otherwise; she’d felt it in the wonder of his kiss.
With the afternoon free, Savannah baked chocolate-chip cookies, one of her many specialties. She tucked a dozen inside the freezer to save for Maggie’s visits and filled the cookie jar with the rest.
Because the kitchen door was open, she heard Grady’s truck pull into the yard, followed by his near-frantic shout.
“Savannah!”
It wasn’t her name that shook her, but the way he yelled it. Rushing to the door, she found him stalking toward the house.
“Grady, for heaven’s sake, what’s wrong?”
“You’re not to talk to him!”
“Grady,” she said, her patience gone. “We’ve already had this discussion. Laredo—”
“Not Laredo,” he barked as if she were slow-witted or being purposely obtuse.
“Who?”
“Richard.”
“Richard?” She saw him then, her younger brother. Her “big boy,” the baby she’d loved and cared for and spoiled. He walked slowly down the long driveway, hefting his suitcase, eyes focused on the house as if the sight of it was the only thing that kept him on his feet.
“Richard,” she cried, and pressed her hands to her mouth. “Grady, how could you drive past him like that?”
“He’s not welcome here, Savannah.”
“Grady, he’s our brother.” Not caring what he thought, she flew out the door and raced down the stairs. Richard. He was here at last. Now they’d learn the truth, the real truth, and everything would be right with their world again.
Richard had come home.
Five
Richard had changed, Savannah mused. Although dusty from the road and weary to the bone, he’d acquired a look of sophistication she hadn’t seen six years ago. This was Richard, her brother, but at the same time he was someone she no longer knew. None of that mattered, however, the instant he wrapped his arms around her and joyously hugged her close. Her tears mingled with laughter and pleas that he put her down.
“Savannah, oh, it’s so good to see you.” His face brightened with excitement. “You’re even more beautiful than I remembered.”
Wiping the tears from her cheek, she smiled up at him. “I can’t believe it’s you.”
“I’m home. You have no idea how good this old place looks.” He gazed longingly toward the house.
Her heart warmed in that moment, and she was almost willing to forgive him the agony his betrayal had cost them.
“Don’t get comfortable, little brother.” Grady’s eyes were savage. He stood on the top step, feet apart, arms akimbo, barring the door.
Slowly Richard set Savannah away from him and faced his brother.
“Grady,” she said in warning. Despite his faults, Richard was their brother and the least they could do was hear him out. “Give him a chance to explain.”
Richard looked from brother to sister. He advanced slowly toward Grady, then paused. “I don’t blame you, Grady. You have every right to be angry.”
“You’ve got that straight.”
“What I did was despicable.” Richard stretched out his arm to Savannah, as if he needed her to stand with him. She stepped to his side, wanting to right the past and thrust all the ugliness behind them. They were a family, and if they couldn’t forgive one another, then they’d be hypocrites to sit in church every Sunday. The Good Book was full of the power of forgiveness. Only this wasn’t what Grady wanted to hear. Not now. Not yet. He demanded his pound of flesh first, and while Savannah understood his anger, she wanted him to give Richard the opportunity to set things straight.
“Despicable is only one in a long list of words that come to mind when I think of you.” Grady’s face was hard and unyielding. He’d braced his feet apart in a way that said it would take the strength of ten men to budge him from that porch. Nothing Richard could say would change his mind. Savannah had bumped against that pride of his often enough to know. Unless something drastic happened, Grady wouldn’t let Richard set foot in the home where he was born and raised.
Her younger brother hung his head in shame. “I don’t blame you for hating me.”
“Oh, Richard, you don’t know how difficult it was for us,” Savannah said, despite her determination to hold her tongue.
Richard’s face crumpled with regret. “I’m so sorry. I was young and stupid, and then once I owned up to what I’d done...I couldn’t face you and Grady. I was too ashamed.”
“You stole that money from your own flesh and blood!” Grady spit out.
“I was crazy with grief,” Richard pleaded, sounding the same way he had as a child when he knew he’d done something wrong. “I didn’t think. All I knew was that Mom and Dad were gone.”
“And Dad had stored away a hunk of cash,” Grady said.
Richard gestured weakly. “I was never cut out to be a cowboy, even you have to admit that,” he said, and glanced up at Grady for confirmation. “I could read the writing on the wall. With Dad gone you’d expect me to help around the place, and it just wasn’t in me. Still isn’t. Cows and me never saw eye to eye. You said it more than once yourself.” He gave a crooked half smile, enticing Grady to agree with him.
Grady remained cold and silent, his eyes as hard as flint.
“I know it was wrong to take that money. A thousand times since, I’ve cursed myself for being so stupid, so greedy.”
“You should have phoned,” Savannah chastised. “You could have let us know where you were. Grady and I were worried sick.” She looked to her brother to continue, to explain what they’d endured because of Richard.
Once again Grady’s cool silence was answer enough.
“I thought about coming home,” Richard said in a small pleading voice. “You don’t know how many times I’ve thought of it. You’re right, Savannah,” he said, rushing his words. “I should’ve called. I know that now, but I was afraid of what you’d say. I didn’t have the courage to face you.”
“What happened to the money?” Grady threw the question at his brother with a vengeance.
“The money,” Richard repeated, and the sigh that followed said it all.
“You blew it,” Grady said with disgust.
“I put it up as capital in a business venture. My plan,” he said, glancing desperately to Savannah and then Grady, “was to triple it and share the profits with you two. I thought if I did that, you’d forgive me and let me come home. Then we could go on the way we always have. But—” he paused and looked away “—the venture went sour.”
“In other words you lost everything.”
Richard nodded slowly. “The investment wasn’t as solid as I was led to believe. It was a bitter lesson. But you have to understand,” he added, motioning toward Grady, “I was desperate to come home.” His voice shook as though the memory was as painful to him as it was to Savannah and Grady. “By this time I missed you both so much I would have done anything to find a way home.”