

Married in Montana

Book One in At the Altar

By Kirsten Osbourne

Copyright 2015 Kirsten Osbourne

Smashwords Edition, License Notes

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Savannah is tired of the dating scene, even though she wants to get married and have a family. She knows her mother will never move on with her own life as long as Savannah is single. Savannah goes to see a matchmaker, specializing in setting up couples who meet at the altar. At first, she thinks Scott is a dream come true, but his blundering soon makes her crazy.

Scott, a Montana bison rancher, doesn't have time to find a wife. His work is all-encompassing. Besides, he tends to have a hard time getting women to go out with him more than once. When he runs into a matchmaker he's known all his life, he tells her about the problems he's had to see if she can help him. When he meets Savannah at the altar, his heart stops for a moment. She's exactly what he's looking for. Will their diverse backgrounds keep them apart? Or will they be able to work through their differences to make their marriage a loving relationship?

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Prologue

Dr. Lachele Simpson sighed and ran her fingers through her purple hair as her last client for the day left her office. Why did no one listen to her? She not only had a doctorate in relational psychology from one of the best universities on the East coast, she also had intuition that far exceeded most. She knew when people were right for each other and always had.

When a client came to her and talked about whomever they were dating or thinking of dating? She knew the instant they mentioned their love interest's name whether that person was right for her client or wrong. She wanted the whole world to be happy, and she'd once thought her psychology practice would change things for people, but it just wasn't enough.

She'd been toying for some time with starting a new business. She wanted to find people who needed mates and match them up. Too often, though, people would meet and not be impressed with one another immediately, even though they would be excellent life partners. No, she needed people to agree to marry before ever meeting, so their initial reaction to each other wouldn't color their chances at happiness. She'd have to think on it, but she knew she could make it work.

She smiled to herself. She would find people who would agree to marry at the altar. There were so many people who desperately wanted to marry, but were too afraid.

She stood to pace her office, thinking about it more and more. She could advertise in newspapers in the West. There were still too many men in ranching areas and too few women. There were men in a lot of places who were just too busy to worry about dating. She could accommodate.

So many women were sick of the dating games. Men were just out for what they could get. Women would enjoy meeting a man knowing he was marrying her. Yes, she could make it happen.

Lachele's eyes lit up as she came upon the perfect name for her business: Matchrimony. She didn't care if she never made a dime. People would be happy, and that's all that really mattered.
Chapter One

Savannah sat across from her mother, struggling to find the right words to make her understand. "It's not a traditional dating service, Mom. We're not even going to date. We're getting married the moment we meet. We seriously will see each other for the first time as I'm walking down the aisle." She knew it sounded crazy, but she absolutely loved the idea. She may have read a few too many mail order bride romances, but it seemed perfectly logical to her.

"But that's preposterous! How could you have agreed to such a thing? Have you lost your mind?" Mrs. Blyton rarely liked what Savannah did.

Savannah had been raised to do what she was told. She'd rarely opposed her mother in anything, except her career choice. Her mother had wanted her to be a nurse. Instead, she'd chosen to teach. She hadn't told her mother about her major change until right before her college graduation though, because she knew her mother wouldn't approve.

"Every man I've met since high school has made it clear that he only wants one thing. I'm sick of playing dating games. I'm just done. I'm ready to marry. The woman that's running the business has a doctorate in psychology. She's put a lot of time and effort into finding the perfect match for me." Savannah took a deep breath, saying a silent prayer her mother would agree. "Please come to the wedding."

"Wedding. You're marrying a man, and you don't even know his name! How on earth can you call that a wedding?"

"No, I don't. And I don't know where he lives either. I know he lives in the continental US, and he's a Christian. I know he wants to marry. And I know that he's been specially chosen by a trained psychologist to be my husband. I'm going to go through with this. I'm not asking for your approval. I'm asking for your support." Savannah had rarely spoken to her mother in that tone of voice, and she held her breath waiting for the hammer to fall. She had a great deal of respect for her mother, but she needed to be able to live her own life.

Mrs. Blyton shook her head. "You don't have my approval. But I'll be at your wedding if it's important to you. I think you're crazy, but I'll be there. I'll have your old bedroom all fixed up and ready for you, so when you need to run away from him, you have somewhere to go."

Savannah ignored everything except her mother's agreement to be at the wedding. "Thank you. I do appreciate it!"

"Do you have a dress yet?"

Savannah shrugged. "Not yet, but the wedding's not 'til next weekend. I figured we could go look really quick after lunch." She had been toying with the idea of doing this for most of the past semester. After meeting with Dr. Simpson at the beginning of April, she'd informed her principal she wouldn't be back for the fall semester. She'd burned her bridges, and she was ready to follow through.

"You want to shop for wedding dresses after lunch. Do you think you can just walk into a dress shop and find something that fits? It's not that easy!"

"If God means for me to marry this man, then it will be that easy. Don't you think?" Savannah's mother had always taught her that faith was the most important thing a woman could have.

Mrs. Blyton sighed. "How could God possibly mean for you to marry a total stranger?"

Savannah ignored her mother's protests as they finished up their meal. "The wedding will be here in New York, but I need to be prepared to go anywhere. I just hope wherever I do go there's a need for teachers." She didn't want to give up her career just yet. Maybe when children came...

"What if you end up somewhere terrible? What if you end up in Texas? Even little old ladies carry guns in Texas. You'll end up getting murdered for making someone angry in traffic!"

"I'm sure people in Texas say the same thing about New Yorkers. I'm not worried." Her mother had always been worried about everything she didn't understand. Savannah was more than willing to experience something different. Living in a city her entire life had left her feeling as if there was something missing.

After lunch, they went to a small wedding shop around the corner from the restaurant. "So do you promise me you'll reconsider if we can't find a dress today?" her mother asked as they walked in.

"I promise I will think about it and pray about whether me doing this is really God's will." That was all Savannah was ready to agree to. She didn't think her mind would be changed, but she was willing to open herself to God's will. Of course, she'd been praying about it for months, and she believed what she was doing was God's will or she never would have agreed to it to begin with.

"Fair enough." Mrs. Blyton opened the door to the shop and held it for her daughter. Savannah's father had died when she was a small child, and she'd never had a desire to marry again. The man had been the love of her life, and she couldn't imagine that another man would make her happy. The idea of losing her daughter was petrifying.

Savannah walked automatically to a rack of clearance dresses. Most were styles from the previous year, but really? How much did dress styles change in that short of a time. She flipped through the dresses in her size and was about to agree that her mother was right when she got to the last dress. It was exactly what she was looking for. It was modest for a wedding dress, not showing too much cleavage and the skirt was flared, showing less than most. She hated the mermaid style dresses, thinking they clung too tightly to a woman's form.

She held the dress in front of her, and her mother's eyes softened. "If it fits, that will be the perfect dress for you," her mother admitted.

A saleswoman walked over. "That dress was returned last week. The bride found one she liked better, and it had already been altered."

Savannah bit her lip. It was her dream dress. "Do you mind if I try it?" she asked.

"Of course not! Do you need help?"

"Yes, please!"

Savannah and the saleswoman disappeared into one of the fitting rooms, and Savannah stripped down to her bra and panties.

"You'll have foundation garments under it, of course. When is the wedding?" the saleslady asked.

"A week from Saturday," Savannah said, waiting for the woman's reaction. She knew she'd left wedding dress shopping too long, but she wanted her mother to go with her, and truly? The shorter period of time her mother had to worry about the wedding, the better.

"Oh, that's fast. We can't get any major alterations done that quickly. Let's hope it fits!" While the saleswoman held the dress up, Savannah moved her arms into the short sleeves. Once they had it over her head, Savannah turned her back so the saleswoman could fasten the back of the dress.

Savannah took one look in the mirror, and tears popped into her eyes. It was perfect down to the last detail. The saleslady stood behind her, pulling at different places and making certain it didn't need to be altered much. "It's like it's already been altered for you!" she exclaimed. "I think we should have it hemmed about an inch, but other than that, it's perfect!"

"I think so too. I love it!" They walked out of the changing room, and Savannah stopped in front of her mother, who was sitting on a chair waiting. "What do you think?"

Mrs. Blyton blinked a few times. "I think you've found your dress."

Savannah looked at the saleslady. "Now for the scary question. How much?"

The saleslady smiled. "This is a return from last year's collection that's already been altered. It's less than half of its original price." She named a figure that had Savannah wincing, but only slightly.

Savannah nodded. "I want it. What about head pieces?"

An hour later, Savannah left the store with everything she needed. The dress would be ready Friday afternoon for her final fitting.

As they walked along the busy sidewalk in the middle of Manhattan, Mrs. Blyton sighed heavily. "You're not changing your mind, are you?"

Savannah shook her head. "No, Mama." She rarely called her mother mama, but there were times when she knew her mother needed it. "I'm not."

*****

Scott Ward did something extremely rare for him. He left his ranch in the middle of the day and went to his buddy Jake's house. He and Jake had been best friends since they were small boys, and he talked to him about everything. That day, though, he needed a favor. A big one.

Jake was a writer, and spent his days in his living room staring at a computer screen. Scott couldn't imagine how any man could stand being cooped up inside on a beautiful early summer day, but he knew his friend wasn't like him. Jake thrived on working, just as Scott did, but their jobs were as different as night and day.

Scott ran up his friend's front steps and pounded on the door, wondering why the man hadn't moved. His parents had left him their small house when they'd taken off in their RV to explore the US. They'd made it clear he could do whatever he wanted with it, because they were never coming home. Scott thought he should have sold it and moved somewhere bigger and nicer. His friend was a successful science fiction writer, and there was no reason for him to stay in the small three bedroom house he'd grown up in.

The door opened wide and Jake walked back to his computer after holding up one finger. Scott knew what that meant. His friend needed to finish the scene he was writing before he forgot what he was writing about. Jake had been doing that for as long as he could remember. Even in elementary school, he'd been scribbling away at stories every chance he got.

Scott wandered into the kitchen and opened the fridge, looking for something cold to drink. He found a root beer in the back and grabbed it, popping the top and taking a swig. He was hoping he could talk Jake into grabbing a bite to eat with him before he had to get back to work.

Jake called from the living room. "I'm finished. Bring me a Coke!"

Scott grabbed a second drink from his friend's refrigerator and carried it to him in the living room. He handed it to him before he sat on the couch, leaned back, and took another drink of his root beer. "Want to break for lunch today?"

Jake sipped his Coke, eyeing his friend over the top of it. "Sure. What's going on?"

Scott shrugged. "Just have something to talk about. Nothing major."

Jake finally nodded. "Sure. What are you in the mood for?"

Scott shrugged. "Probably just the diner. I don't feel like driving into the city." 'The city' was Billings, the biggest city in the area. They lived in the small town of King, Montana which had been named for a man who had ranched there over a hundred years before.

"Diner it is." The diner was the only restaurant there in King, and where they usually went to eat. Occasionally, if one of them had a hankering for a different type of food, they'd drive into Billings, but that didn't happen often.

Jake threw back the rest of his Coke before getting to his feet. "You came at a good time. I just finished my chapter and was about to figure something out for lunch anyway."

Scott grinned. He knew better. When Jake was writing he rarely took breaks to eat. He'd write for twelve hours straight and then wonder why he was so hungry.

Jake didn't bother to lock up when they left his house, just as Scott had left his house unlocked. In King everyone looked out for everyone else. It was one of the best things about the area.

Scott asked about his friend's book while they drove. "Is it another book in your dragon universe?"

"Yup. I keep wanting to write another mystery, but the fans want dragons, and they're my bread and butter. So I give them dragons."

Scott pulled into the diner parking lot, and they got out. Jennifer, a girl they'd known in school, seated them when they walked into the small diner. "Hi guys. Just the two of you?"

"Unless you're planning on joining us," Jake answered with a grin.

"Yeah, let's not poke a stick in the boss's eye today. He's in a bad enough mood already." She winked at them and led them to a booth along one wall. "This all right?"

"It'll work," Scott told her. He'd dated Jennifer in high school. When you graduated in a class of thirty-two, most of the boys had dated most of the girls.

She put menus on the table in front of them. "I'll get your drinks. Usuals?"

The men nodded, and she wandered off to put in their order. They'd both have the Tuesday special. While they waited on their smothered elk steaks, Scott brought up the subject he wanted to discuss with his friend. "You willing to take a trip with me next weekend?"

Jake raised an eyebrow. "I guess. Where're we going?"

"New York." Scott waited for his friend's reaction, knowing it would be a strong one. Jake wanted to travel everywhere, but Scott always refused to go with him, citing his ranch as the reason he couldn't leave Montana.

"You hate cities. You think Billings is too big. Why on earth do you want to go to New York?"

"Thought I'd fly out there and get married." Scott sipped at his water, keeping his eyes on his friend's face.

"Who are you marrying?"

"No idea." Scott tried not to laugh when Jake's jaw dropped. "Seriously. Listen. You remember Lachele King?"

"Sure. She graduated ten years before us, didn't she? Didn't I hear she's already married?"

"Well, she went to school in New York. She married Sam Simpson out there and got a doctorate in psychology. She has her counseling practice, but on the side she's doing some matchmaking. She's opened a business she's calling Matchrimony. Part of the deal is, you have to agree to marry whoever she matches you up with on the spot. So I won't meet my future wife until we get to the altar."

"And you're doing this why?"

Scott grinned at his friend's question. One of his favorite things about Jake is he didn't sugar coat anything. If he thought you were being stupid, he told you flat out.

"I don't have time to date, and I want a girl who's looking to marriage, not just one who wants to play games." Scott rested his weight on his elbows, leaning forward earnestly. "She's only matching up Christians. She does extensive interviews with each person before they're even allowed to be part of it. Really, unless I want to waste a lot of time, I can't think of a better way to find a wife."

"You can't just go to church and meet someone, like a regular guy would do?"

"There are four single women in our church. There's Ashley Mason. She's eighteen, and way too young for me." At thirty-three, Scott wasn't looking for a young girl. He wanted a woman who knew herself and what she wanted in life. "There's old lady Dixon." He didn't need to say anything more there. She was a great grandmother several times over. "There's Tina McElroy, and we both know she's not up to marriage." Tina was mentally challenged and not capable of doing for herself. "And then there's Annette." He and Annette had dated a few times before he realized there was just no spark between them. He wasn't looking for love at first sight, but there had to be something there.

"There are churches in Billings," Jake suggested.

Scott shrugged. "Then I'd have to drive to the city when I wanted to see her, and more importantly to me, she wouldn't be pre-screened. No, I like this idea. It's strange, but it's going to work for me."

Jake shook his head. "I think you're crazy."

"Does that mean you won't go to New York with me for the wedding?"

"Of course not! I'll be with you every step of the way. I don't have to approve of what you do to support you in it." He grinned. "Besides, Manhattan is supposed to have an awesome library!"

Scott smiled. "Thank you. I appreciate it." He raised his water glass to his friend in a silent salute. "Don't forget to bring a suit. You're the best man."

"No problem. You buying my plane ticket?"

"Are you crazy? You make more than me. You're buying my plane ticket!"

*****

"Are you sure you want to go through with this, Savannah? It's not too late to back out." Mrs. Blyton's eyes all but pled with her daughter.

Savannah shook her head. She'd already been to the beauty parlor to have her hair and make-up done for the wedding. It was just before ten, and she was getting married at ten-thirty. She was about to step into her wedding dress. "I'm sure. I really feel like this is the right thing to do." She pulled her dress up and put her arms through the sleeves, turning her back to her mother.

"I worry about you."

"Don't. I'm a big girl. And I have money saved up, so if something happens, I can always come home. I won't stay in a bad relationship."

There was a knock at the door, and Savannah called out, "Come in!" They were in the bridal room at the back of the church, getting ready for Savannah's big day.

Dr. Simpson stepped into the room, closing the door behind her. She approached Savannah with a smile. "You look beautiful. Scott is going to go crazy when he sees you."

"Scott? Is that his name?" Savannah asked.

"It is. I'll let you two learn everything else about each other once you've exchanged vows." Dr. Simpson held her hand out for Mrs. Blyton to shake. "I'm Lachele Simpson. I've been working with your daughter on her match for a couple of months now." Dr. Simpson had dark hair with purple streaks and a warm loving smile. "My great great great grandmother was a mail order bride in Montana in the 1890s. I figured if she could be happy as a mail order bride then, there were people who would be happy with that sort of arrangement now." She turned her attention to Savannah again. "I think you're going to be very pleased with Scott."

"I'm certain I will." Savannah squeezed the older woman's hand. "I trust you not to tie me to a toad."

Dr. Simpson threw her head back and laughed. "A toad? No, I won't tie you to a toad. I should put that in my advertisement. 'No one will be tied to a toad.' Do you think it would work for me?"

Savannah couldn't help but giggle at the psychologist's silliness. "I would think so. It would have worked for me!"

Dr. Simpson took a seat, crossing her ankles in front of her. "This is how it's going to work. I found a minister who will marry you. When you're walking down the aisle you will see Scott for the first time." She looked between the two women. "Is there someone who you have here to walk you down the aisle?"

Savannah looked at her mother. "I was hoping my mom would do it."

Mrs. Blyton raised both hands as if to ward off the very idea. "I don't think that could work for me. I would be too nervous to be fulfilling a traditional male role that way."

Dr. Simpson nodded as if she understood. "I thought that might be the case. I brought my husband, Sam, along to walk you down the aisle if you'd like."

Savannah considered it. She wanted to say she could walk down alone, since her father wasn't there, but she really wasn't certain she could do it...walking alone to a man she didn't know? "I'd like that."

When it was time, Dr. Simpson left for a moment and brought back a man in his mid-forties. He had dark hair and kind green eyes. "This is my Sam. Sam? This is your daughter for the next hour."

Sam smiled, reaching out to take Savannah's hand and put it through his arm. He was wearing a charcoal suit with a red striped tie. "We'll do it together. You've never married, and I've never walked a daughter down the aisle. We're even."

Savannah smiled. "You don't have any daughters?"

Sam shook his head, while Dr. Simpson and Mrs. Blyton walked out ahead of them. "Just one adopted son. Lachele couldn't have any babies, but we sure do love our boy."

"Oh! I'm sorry to bring up a sore subject." Savannah wanted a houseful of children and couldn't imagine being told she couldn't have them.

"It's been too many years for it to be a sore subject." Sam patted the hand that still rested on his arm. "You ready?"

Savannah took a deep breath. "I'm doing the right thing, aren't I?"

"Definitely. If Lachele found you a man, I guarantee, he's the right man for you." He started walking slowly through the back of the church to the aisle they'd walk down together. "Smile big now, beautiful."

Savannah tried to calm the butterflies in her stomach that were starting to feel as if they were eagles, fighting their way out. She forced a slight smile on her face, walking toward the front of the church with the man beside her. Why she felt comfortable with him, she didn't know, but he seemed like a teddy bear to her.

There were two men standing together at the front of the church. One man, with hair just as blond as hers stood gazing at her steadily, a half smile on his face. He looked as if he were wondering what had possessed him to be there as well. Seeing that look on his face for some reason reassured her. She didn't mind marrying a man who would marry a stranger, as long as he knew it was odd.

Scott watched as his bride walked down the aisle toward him on the arm of a dark haired man. She was beautiful. Somehow he'd been certain that only a plain woman would agree to marry a stranger, but that wasn't the case with her. She made his knees weak. He wanted to meet her halfway and take her hand from the other man, but he knew that would be unacceptable. He could just imagine her father's reaction to that.

When Savannah reached the front of the church, she stood uncertainly for a moment as Sam took her hand and placed it into Scott's. Scott squeezed her hand tightly, and she looked up at him, a smile on her lips. This was the man she'd spend forever with. Oh, how she hoped it would work out.

They followed the preacher's prompts. Savannah repeated her vows, her voice stronger than she had expected it to be. When Scott responded, his voice was deep, filling her with warmth. She could imagine his voice talking to a small child, and the idea filled her heart with joy. She wanted children, and she could see this man as a father.

"I now pronounce you man and wife. Scott? If you're so inclined, you may kiss your bride."

Savannah swallowed hard. She liked how the pastor had worded it. She didn't like the idea of being forced to kiss just moments after she'd met Scott, but they were married. He had the right to ask a whole lot more from her in just a few hours.

Scott saw the nervousness on Savannah's face, and briefly considered not kissing her, but he knew the nervousness would just last longer that way. No, it was better to get the first kiss over and done with. He leaned down and brushed his lips against hers softly.

Savannah felt a spark of energy rush through her. If they weren't compatible in any other way, they'd definitely be physically. It wasn't everything, but it was something to start with.

After the kiss, they stared into each others' eyes for just a moment, before the pastor cleared his throat.

Savannah blushed. She knew she'd done nothing wrong, but she felt as if she'd shared an extremely intimate moment with a room full of people. "I forgot everyone was here," she whispered softly.

Scott smiled, pleased that he was affecting her the same way she was affecting him. He slipped an arm around her waist as they turned to face the congregation of people looking at them.

"I now present to you, Mr. and Mrs. Scott Ward."

Ward. My new last name is Ward. Savannah faced the people in front of her, very aware of the man at her side. She'd agreed to be with him forever. She refused to regret it.
Chapter Two

A small reception followed, which suited Savannah nicely. She'd invited a few close friends to the nuptials, but she didn't want to spend all day there. Not when she could be getting to know her new husband.

They got very little chance to speak as they greeted the people who had come and had cake and punch. When it was time to go, she thanked Dr. Simpson before turning to her mother. "I'm going to be fine," she hissed in her mother's ear. "I promise."

Her mother had a look of almost panic. "I don't even know the man. Where will you be going?"

Savannah almost laughed when she realized she didn't know. She had no idea at all where she'd be living. She looked at Scott, her smile sweet and her eyes full of laughter. "My mother wants to know where I'll be living." How could she have forgotten to ask that? The whole situation was ridiculous.

Scott grinned, realizing the reason for her laughter. What they were doing was crazy by most standards. "I live in a small town outside of Billings, Montana. It's called King. Dr. Simpson grew up there, and we went to the same school, although she was ten years ahead of me."

"So Dr. Simpson knew you growing up?" Mrs. Blyton asked, her eyes narrowed.

He put his arm back around Savannah before answering. They'd been touching almost constantly since Mr. Simpson had put her hand in his at the front of the church. When he'd mistakenly referred to the man as her father, she'd quietly explained who he was.

"Well, she moved to New York when I was seven or eight, but yeah, we went to the same church." He understood the older woman's reasons for worrying. He'd just married her daughter after all.

"That makes me feel better!" Mrs. Blyton said. "And she interviewed you before matching you with Savannah, right?"

"Yes, she was visiting King for a bit. The town was named for her ancestors, Eli and Daisy King. Anyway, she was at church one Sunday, and I mentioned that I wished there were more marriageable women in our congregation. She asked if I was interested in being matched and outlined what she was doing, and the next day we spent at least eight hours of her interviewing me and putting me through psychological testing. She contacted me two months later and told me she'd found a match." His eyes went to Savannah at that. He was surprised he'd been able to keep them off her for long enough to talk to her mother.

Savannah felt his gaze on her and met his eyes again. There was something about her new husband that was just compelling to her. He was handsome, yes, but she'd met so many handsome men in the past. No, it was more than that. Her eyes were drawn to his lips, and she thought about the kiss they'd shared. It had only been one, but she wanted more.

"How are you going to get your things to Montana?" Mrs. Blyton asked suddenly. "I never even thought of that."

Savannah forced her eyes off of her new husband's lips, blushing slightly. She leaned into him as she focused on her mother again. "I sold most of my furniture and boxed up everything else. Dr. Simpson arranged for everything to be shipped to Scott's house." It seemed odd to know his name after almost a month of knowing she'd be getting married but having no idea who she would marry. "It will be shipped tonight. She told me she didn't want me to feel like I had to marry him, because he was in possession of all my worldly belongings."

Scott grinned at that. "And would you have felt that way?"

Savannah looked up at him, her eyes crinkling at the corners with amusement. "No, I really don't think I would have."

"Good." He sighed. "We have a flight to catch." It was getting late.

"Today?" Savannah asked with surprise. Somehow she'd thought they'd spend their wedding night there in New York.

He nodded. "We have a few minutes, but then we need to head to the airport."

Mrs. Blyton looked at Savannah. "We need to get you changed."

Scott frowned. "How long will that take? We need to be at the airport in forty-five minutes."

Savannah's eyes widened. "We need to leave then. My bag is in the bride's room." She rushed to get her bag, finding him right behind her.

He snagged it and gripped her hand. "Do you mind flying in your dress?"

Savannah looked down at her wedding dress and shrugged. "I don't have much choice." She rushed back into the church's fellowship hall and hugged her mother tightly. "I'll call you tomorrow so you know he didn't murder me in my sleep."

Scott overheard Savannah and laughed softly. Lachele had picked well. He needed more humor in his life. Who didn't?

He took her hand and they hurried out of the church together. "Is your best man not coming with us?" she asked. When she'd met Jake earlier, they'd said he lived very close to Scott, and they'd flown out together.

Scott held his hand up to hail a taxi. He knew they must look a sight standing in the middle of a busy Manhattan street in their wedding clothes. "He's going to do a bit of research and fly back tomorrow."

A taxi stopped in front of them and Scott got into the back, scooting to the other side. Savannah got in beside him, closing the door. Once he'd given the driver their destination, she asked, "Research?"

"Oh, he's a science fiction writer. He never goes anywhere without hitting the biggest library he can find."

"He's going to love the Manhattan library."

"We drove past it on the way to the church. He told me he was extending his stay." He shook his head. "Honestly, I think the only reason he agreed to be my best man was he'd heard about the Manhattan library. Seeing it? I really thought the man was going to start drooling and jabbering like an idiot on the spot."

Savannah smiled, leaning her head back against the seat. She hadn't slept well the night before, because she was so nervous about marrying a stranger. It was amazing that she wasn't more nervous now than she had been. He calmed her, though.

"Well, now that I know what your best friend does for a living, want to tell me what you do?" she asked with a grin.

He laughed. "I guess that's something you might want to know." He saw the look on the taxi driver's face in the review mirror, letting him know the other man was listening to their conversation. "I'm a rancher."

"Oh, that's cool. I've never known a cattle rancher."

He shook his head. "Actually it's bison."

"Bison? You mean like buffalo?"

He nodded. "Did you know bison are the only cattle indigenous to the United States? They're meant to be grown here, so they don't need the kind of vaccinations beef cattle need, and they tend to do better in the extreme weather that's part of the Montana winter. It really makes a lot of sense." There was so much information that just wanted to pour out of his mouth when he started talking about bison, but he wouldn't overwhelm her just yet.

"I don't think I've ever eaten bison," Savannah told him. "Does it taste like chicken?"

He laughed. "No, that's rabbit, but I eat that too. Bison is like a sweet beef. It's leaner than beef, so it's better for you." He shrugged. "I could eat it three meals a day."

She looked at him, smiling. He was obviously very happy to talk about his work. "What made you decide to ranch bison instead of cattle?"

"When I was a boy, my dad was always researching the possibility. He started the process of switching over when I was thirteen. We started with twelve bison. That was twenty years ago. As the bison herd grew, we sold off more and more of the cattle. I have two milk cows left, and they require more veterinary visits than the entire herd of buffalo."

"Where are you parents now?"

He frowned. "They were killed by a drunk driver six years ago when I was twenty-seven."

"I'm sorry."

"We were close." He squeezed the hand that had immediately gone to his. "What about your father?"

"Heart disease. It's just been Mom and me for a long time."

"Is she going to be okay without you around?"

Savannah nodded emphatically. "It's going to be good for her. There's this sweet man who goes to our church who has been in love with her for as long as I can remember. I think she'll look at him with me gone." Part of the reason she'd wanted to leave was so her mother would start living her own life.

"She was too worried about you to think about herself?"

"Yes. She's a good mom. I thought she would start living again when I started college. And then when I finished college and started teaching. Nope. It was always about me." She shook her head. "Sometimes I feel like I ruined her life, but I know it wasn't my fault."

Scott turned to face her on the seat. "I think it's great that you two were that close. It shows me family is very important to you." He reached out his hand and stroked her cheek with his finger. "I wasn't expecting someone as pretty as you." His voice got deeper with the compliment.

Savannah blushed. "You weren't?"

He shook his head. "I guess I thought that anyone who had to go to a matchmaker in a big city would be a little less attractive." He hated admitting what his thoughts had been to the beautiful girl sitting beside him.

She shrugged. "Well, I've done some dating, but none of the men I knew were interested in settling down. They just—" She blushed. "They just wanted sex. I didn't. So it didn't go well."

Scott couldn't be disappointed that she hadn't wanted to sleep around. "That makes sense."

"You won't mind if I work, will you? I'll have to research the laws for teachers in Montana, but I do want to work at least for a while."

Scott frowned. "I hadn't really thought about you working. I guess I don't mind. What do you teach?" Would she insist on teaching once children came along? A thought occurred to him then that frightened him. What if she didn't want children? He'd told Lachele that he wanted children, hadn't he?

"High school English. It hadn't occurred to me that you wouldn't want me to work." She sighed. "We'll work it out."

He caught her under the chin with his forefinger, dropping a quick kiss on her lips. "Yes, we will. If you want to work, I'm not going to stop you from doing it." He'd rather she didn't, but he wouldn't let her be unhappy just to appease him.

"We'll see what the laws are, and if there are any openings close by." She wanted to work, but she didn't want to disappoint him.

The driver pulled into JFK airport then. "What airline?"

After Scott told him, he pulled up in front of a terminal. Scott had her bag in one hand and had her hand held in his other. "Let's go!"

They hurried through the airport check-in process and to the terminal. Her bag was a carry-on. "Do you think I have time to change?" she asked. Everyone was looking at her. Who wore a wedding dress through the airport?

Scott glanced at his watch. "Flight boards in two minutes."

"I guess I'm flying to Montana in my wedding dress." Savannah shrugged. "Something to tell the grandkids."

He leaned down and kissed her softly. "We may need to concentrate on making our own babies first."

She blushed, wondering if he would expect to make love that night or if he'd agree to wait to get to know each other better. If she'd been asked the previous day, she'd have insisted they needed to wait, but now that she was getting to know him, she wasn't certain that was true. Sure, she was nervous about her first time with a man, but Scott made it more appealing than she'd thought it would be.

"I'm flying us home first class. I can't always do that, but I thought since we weren't taking a honeymoon, I could spring for it."

She smiled. "That sounds nice. I've never flown first class." She wondered if they'd be in a separate room for it like she'd seen on movies. Of course, she'd only flown twice ever, so she didn't know much about it at all.

"You'll like it."

Once they were settled in their seats, and each of them had a soft drink, Savannah unwrapped the blanket that had been waiting on her seat. She covered up with it, feeling a bit less conspicuous once her wedding dress wasn't showing as much. They were in the second row, and it seemed that everyone who walked past them was eyeing her dress and grinning at her. "How long is the flight?" she asked.

"We have a layover in Salt Lake City, so it's going to be seven hours by the time we're done." He glanced at his watch. "You might as well just nap if you're tired."

She nodded. "I really didn't sleep well last night. I wasn't sure what I'd find when I got to the church today."

"And? What did you find?"

"Let's just say I was pleasantly surprised." She took the pillow she'd stuffed into the seat pocket in front of her and set it against the window.

He frowned. "That's not going to be comfortable. Use my shoulder."

Savannah bit her lip. It felt very intimate to be using his shoulder as a pillow, but he was her husband after all. Finally, she nodded, resting her pillow against his shoulder and her head on the pillow.

She was asleep in moments, letting the exhaustion and the movements of the plane wash over her.

Scott kissed the top of her head as soon as he realized she was asleep. He was sitting with the woman he'd promised to spend the rest of his life with, and he knew so little about her. It was awkward, but he was hopeful. There was a strong physical attraction if nothing else. And they both seemed to feel the same way about family commitments. Surely that would be enough to build a future on.

*****

They were both exhausted when they finally landed in the airport in Billings. "Did you drive?" Savannah asked. She'd never had a car and had no idea how to drive one, having always lived in the city and relied on public transportation. She was more than willing to learn, though. If she was going to work, she'd have to. Scott lived in a rural area, and rural areas weren't known for their subway systems.

"Yeah. My car is in the parking garage." He held onto her hand as they rushed through the airport, dodging people. "I'm ready to be home."

"When did you leave for New York?"

He grinned. "Jake and I flew out at midnight." He'd barely slept in all that time, and he was exhausted. The cat naps he'd caught on various planes just weren't enough.

They went into the dark parking garage and he found his truck right away. It was an extended cab pick-up truck, and he felt strange asking her to get into a truck in her wedding dress.

Once they were seated, he drove through the airport, not sure what to say to his new bride. He was attracted to her, yes, but how did you have a conversation with a total stranger who just so happened to be your wife?

"Did you teach in a public school in New York?" he asked, grasping at a topic.

She shook her head. "I taught in a small Christian school."

"You enjoy teaching?" he asked.

She thought about that for a moment. "Mostly. Some aspects of it aren't great, but I like helping to form kids into the best adults they can possibly be." She was glad they'd had a morning wedding, because it was still light out. She loved the scenery. "Montana is beautiful."

"Have you never been here before?"

She shook her head. "Furthest I've ever been from New York was Disney World when I was six." Her father had died a few months later, so it was one of her best memories of him.

"I think you'll like it here. You always lived in the city then?"

"Yeah. I don't even have a driver's license." She wasn't sure why she'd suddenly blurted out that piece of information, but it was something they'd have to deal with quickly if she was going to work. She had a feeling there was no subway system that went to his ranch.

He looked at her in surprise. "It never occurred to me you wouldn't have one. We'll have to teach you to drive this summer."

"I'd like that." They were out of the city by then, and she could see mountains off in the distance. She couldn't wait to get out and walk around the area. "Were you an only child?"

He nodded. "Yep. I was raised in a house that has been in my family for generations, and I still live there. I plan to raise my children there as well."

"Do you want a lot of kids?" It felt so strange to be asking him questions that would have been covered while they were dating.

"I do. I have in my head that ranching families should be large."

"But you were an only child."

He nodded. "My mom had some problems having me, and the doctor advised against her having more. She wanted a dozen kids." He stopped at a stop sign. They were on a rural road not far outside of King. "Do you want children?"

"Yes, I always have. I don't have a reason why, but I've always wanted several."

"Do you feel like cooking tonight, or do you want to stop in town and get a bite to eat?"

His abrupt change of subject startled her, and Savannah thought about it for a minute. She didn't want to have to cook, because she was exhausted, but did she really want to show up in the town she would soon be part of for the first time in her wedding dress? She still couldn't believe she'd flown across the country in it. "I am hungry." What difference did it really make?

He pulled off the main street and was soon parallel parking in front of a small diner. "Come on. This place has the best food in town." He didn't add that it was the only restaurant in town, because the food was good.

He ran around the truck and opened her door for her, offering a hand to help her out. He didn't want her tripping on the wide skirt of her wedding dress. Slipping his arm around her waist he led her into the diner, expecting some reactions, but knowing it would be best if people saw him with his bride in her dress. They would get the news of his wedding around much faster than he ever could.

Jennifer smiled toward the bell that rang as they opened the cafe door, her eyes widening. She rushed to Scott. "Scott! Was there something you forgot to tell me the last time you were here?"

"Not that I can think of," he answered, deliberately misunderstanding her. "This is my wife, Savannah."

Jennifer smiled. "It's so nice to meet you, Savannah." She took the other girl's hand in hers. "Scott and I dated in high school."

Scott sighed. "I think I dated every girl in my high school class at least once. There weren't that many of them." He was worried Savannah would think there had been more to his relationship with Jennifer than there really had been. Jennifer had married a school friend as soon as possible after graduation.

Jennifer wrinkled her nose, leading them to an empty booth off to the side of the room. "I've never seen you around here. Where are you from?"

"New York." Savannah was uncomfortable under the other woman's scrutiny, so she picked up her menu. "What's good here?"

Jennifer took the hint. "What can I get you to drink?"

"Water please," Savannah answered quickly.

"Water and a root beer. I'll be right back."

Savannah frowned. Another woman knew what her husband would order to drink and she didn't. It didn't feel right. She was suddenly struck by just how strange the situation was. What had she done?

Scott took her hand, winding his fingers through hers. "What's that look about?"

"It just seems strange that I don't know anything about you. How long is it going to take me to know what your preferences are? How will I even know what to cook when I don't know what you like?" She felt almost panicked.

"I'll make you a list of things I hate. Anything else is allowed!" He brought her fingers to his lips. "Seriously, though. It's a strange situation, but I know we can make it work."

She bit her lip, looking at her silverware, not sure how to ask what she wanted to ask. "But...will you give me a little time to get to know you?"

"You can have as long as you need. The rest of our lives even!"

"You don't mind waiting then?"

"Waiting for you to get to know me? Of course not. I need to get to know you too."

Savannah felt relief wash over her. "Oh good. I was worried you'd insist on tonight, and I just don't know if I can," she babbled. "I mean, I have feelings for you, and I know I can soon, but maybe not tonight. It would just feel so strange, and..." She trailed off when she saw the look on his face.

Scott listened to her, finally comprehending her meaning. He sighed. He wanted her, and had planned to make love to her that night. How could he not? They were married, and she was a beautiful woman after all. "How long do you think you'll need?" he asked, trying to keep the annoyance from his voice. She had every right to ask for time, but he had every right not to want to give it to her.

She shrugged. "I really don't know. Maybe a few days? Maybe a few months?"

His eyes widened. "Days, I can handle. Months? That sounds excessive."

She frowned. "How about we reassess things in a week? Does that sound reasonable?"

Jennifer came back with their drinks then. "What will you have?"

Savannah looked at the menu. "I haven't even read over the menu yet."

Scott squeezed her hand. "Do you mind if I order for you?"

"That would be wonderful."

"We'll both have a bison steak, baked potato loaded, and salad." His eyes met hers. "Dressing?"

"Italian." She'd never eaten bison, but since he raised it, she should try it.

Jennifer looked at Savannah. "How do you like your steak cooked?"

"Medium well."

When Jennifer walked off, Savannah had to assume that the other woman already knew how Scott liked his steak. She looked at her husband. "A week?"

"On one condition," he said, not liking the idea of waiting but not willing to start their marriage on the wrong foot by insisting on his marital rights.

"What's that?"

"I get to try to convince you otherwise."

She smiled. "So you're going to constantly be asking me for sex?"

He grinned. "Oh, I'll be a little more subtle than that." He brought her hand to his lips, kissing the palm, his tongue sneaking out to touch her skin.

"I see." She nodded. "That's fair. I think it's a perfect compromise."

"So do I," he told her. "It sounds very fair to me."

"Is there a spare room I can use until our week is up?"

He frowned at that. He would have an easier time convincing her if they were sharing a bed, but he could see where that would give him an unfair advantage in their little game. "Yes, you can have any of the spare rooms you'd like."

"Thank you," she said simply. She felt like she was being a bad wife even asking, but she knew she'd feel like she was being a bad person if she jumped into bed with a total stranger the day she met him, even if he was her husband. "Tell me about the ranch."

He took the change of subject in stride, talking about the huge spread and the men who worked for him. "I have a foreman, but I'm out there sweating and working every day right along with my men." He eyed her. "Do you ride?"

She shook her head. "No. I wanted to when I was a girl, but after my father died, we just didn't have the money for any extras. Mom worked, but it wasn't the same as both of them working."

She heard a buzzing from her purse, and opened it, taking out her phone. "My mother's texting me." She handed him the phone so he could read the message for himself.

Scott laughed, reading the message aloud. "'Has he killed you yet? If he has, please don't answer this. If not, please give me a call so I know you're all right.' I think you should call her."

"I think that might be a good idea." She considered going outside to make her call, but she was already feeling conspicuous enough. She pushed the speed dial for 'Mom' and put the phone to her ear, waiting for her mother to answer. "I'm fine! We made it to Montana. Yes, Mom. We're eating dinner at a cafe in King. I'll call you in the morning. I love you too."

As she spoke, Scott studied her. Her face was filled with amusement. He enjoyed seeing her emotions as they crossed her face. When she put the phone down, she was shaking her head. "She's still convinced you're going to kill me tonight."

"I never kill a woman the day I meet her. I wait until it's been at least a week!"

Jennifer stopped at the table then, giving Scott a strange look. "You two didn't just meet today, did you?"

Savannah didn't meet the other woman's eyes as she took her steak. She eyed it, wondering what it would be like. Eating bison was a new experience, but she had a feeling it would be happening often.

Scott ignored Jennifer's question. "Can I get a refill on my root beer when you get a chance?"

When Jennifer had walked away, he asked, "How do we tell people we met?"

Savannah shrugged. "I don't know. In ten years, if we're happy, I don't care if people know we met at the altar. Now? I don't feel right talking about it."

"I won't lie to people."

"I don't want you to lie. I just don't want to answer the question. It's no one's business anyway, is it? Let's make sure we don't post it on Facebook for the whole world to see."

"I guess not." He cut into his steak and took a bite, watching her as she toyed with hers for a moment. "You'll like it. Try it with an open mind."

She cut off a piece and bit into it, her eyes lighting up. "That's good!"

"I know. It's one of the best meats out there. Definitely the best red meat, in my opinion."

Jennifer brought back his drink, looking back and forth between the two of them. She looked like she wanted to ask more questions, but she didn't. Instead she said, "You want your check now? Or should I wait and see if you want dessert? Sorry, we're fresh out of wedding cake." She laughed at her own joke, while Scott shook his head.

"We had enough wedding cake earlier. I think you can just leave the check."

Jennifer put the check on the table and wandered off to refill some drinks for others.

Scott squeezed Savannah's hand. "I know it's weird and awkward right this minute, but I trust Lachele. She's smart, and she's always had good intuition where matchmaking was concerned. I remember it was all over town when she was in high school that one of the teachers in school was someone she thought would be perfect for her aunt. So she invented a reason for her aunt to have to come up to the school so she could introduce them. They were married two months later and have six kids."

"Wow. Really?" She'd never heard of anything like that.

"And that was before she got a doctorate in psychology. I trust her."

"I do too. But you're right. It is awkward." She shrugged. "I'm not sure what I expected. I saw you, and my heart fluttered. I felt so much, but now that we're alone, it's strange."

He raised an eyebrow and grinned. "Your heart fluttered?"

She blushed. "I mean I was attracted to you. You were someone I would have chosen from a line up to date." She stopped then, realizing she was just digging a bigger hole for herself. She sounded stupid.

He smiled, kissing the hand he still held. "You know what? I felt the same way. I saw you, and all I could think was that a beautiful woman was about to marry me. How could I complain about that?"
Chapter Three

On the short drive to the ranch from King, Scott pointed out different things that he wanted Savannah to see. Finally they reached the ranch. "This is my home," he said simply, driving up the long narrow driveway.

She stared all around her. The area was vast, and the mountains were beautiful. She would be able to see mountains every day. She liked the idea, although catching her breath was a bit difficult. "I can feel the difference in the air."

"We're over three thousand feet above sea level. Is it hard for you to breathe?"

She shook her head. "Not exactly. It's just odd. I'm sure I'll get used to it."

He parked in front of the house, getting out and coming around to help her down. As soon as she was out of the truck, he bent and picked her up, carrying her to the house. "Put me down!"

"I'm carrying you over the threshold. I'm a groom, and it's my job." Once they were inside he set her down and ran back out for her overnight case.

Savannah stood in the middle of the living room looking around. He was a man who liked his electronics apparently. There was a huge flat screen television in the living room that had been mounted on one wall. A couch faced it with two recliners grouped to make a nice sitting area. She wandered to her right and found a dining room complete with a beautiful hutch full of china and a nice long oak table.

The kitchen was off the dining room, and she peeked her head in. There was a large refrigerator and a stand-alone freezer beside it. There were two built-in ovens that reminded her of the kitchen Alice had cooked in on The Brady Bunch. A microwave graced one counter, and the island in the middle of the kitchen had a built in flat top stove. She could definitely cook there.

"Savannah! Where'd you go?" Scott called from the living room.

"I'm in the kitchen, admiring!" she called back.

He walked into the kitchen and smiled, putting his thumbs in his pockets. "You like my kitchen?"

"I love your kitchen!"

"My mom had just had it remodeled before she died. It's barely been used since."

"What have you been doing for meals?"

He shrugged. "I have a cook for my men, and I've been eating in the bunkhouse a lot. I make sandwiches in here, or I drive into town to eat at the diner. It always felt weird eating alone here after my parents were killed."

Savannah walked to him and wrapped her arms around him. "You won't have to eat alone anymore."

Scott smiled at that, happy to have her there. "I'm glad," he said simply, cupping the side of her face with one huge hand. "Let me show you where you'll stay." Taking her hand, he led her toward the stairs, grabbing her suitcase on the way up. "There are two sets of stairs. One here in the kitchen, and one in the living room."

The house was enormous. It was so different from where she'd grown up. Space was at a premium in New York, so the apartment she'd grown up in had been small. The entire apartment she'd shared with her mother could have fit into his living room.

He showed her the different rooms upstairs. "There are six bedrooms upstairs, and one bedroom downstairs. The one downstairs, I use as an office for my paperwork." He pushed open a door on the right. "This is our room. There are only two bedrooms with attached baths. This is one. I'll put you in the other for your first week here." He walked two doors down and pushed the door wide. "I'm sorry the bed's not made up, but there are clean linens in the closet."

"I can make the bed." She walked into the room and looked around. There was a small adjacent bath with a shower, but no tub. "This will work fine for me."

He put her suitcase on the bed. "Don't get too comfortable in here."

She smiled. "I won't."

"It's not too late. Do you want to change, and we can sit on the back porch for a minute?"

"You have a porch?" she asked. For some reason, a porch had been something she'd always wanted. "Do you have a swing?"

He nodded. "My mother loved porch swings, so my father built one for her. Change and meet me in the living room."

"I need help." Her voice was low, and she hated asking but there was no way she could get out of her dress on her own. There was a tiny row of buttons that went from her back all the way down to her hips. She turned her back to him, holding her hair to one side, so he could see what she needed him to do.

Scott swallowed hard, looking at her. He wanted to say that if he helped her undress, he should be able to touch everything he uncovered, but he'd agreed to wait. He stepped forward and tried to make quick work of the buttons down her back, but his fingers were big, and the buttons were tiny and incredibly stubborn. When he'd gotten enough undone that he was sure she could remove it, he kissed the side of her neck before stepping back. "If you need more help, just let me know. I'll take off or unfasten anything you need."

Savannah blushed. "What a sweet offer. You're going to be a good husband, aren't you?"

"When it comes to undressing you, I am!"

After he'd left, Savannah quickly stepped out of her dress and hung it in the closet before opening her suitcase and finding a pair of shorts and a sleeveless blouse. She put on the clean clothes and went into the bathroom to run a brush through her blond hair. At least she was presentable.

She didn't bother with shoes before she stepped out of her bedroom and went down the stairs, finding him waiting for her. He'd changed into a pair of shorts and a tee shirt. He was looking out the window and didn't notice her coming down. "Which way is the porch swing?" she asked.

He turned, his eyes traveling up and down her body. If anyone else had looked at her that way, she'd have been offended, but he was her husband and had every right to admire her body if that's what he wanted to do.

He took her hand, leading her out to the porch. She gasped in surprise when she saw the swing. It was made of oak and had been stained. It hung by chains from the porch ceiling. "I won't ever want to go inside!" She ran to it and sat down, finding it as comfortable as it was pretty.

He smiled, enjoying her delight in the swing. It would thrill him if she used it half as much as his mother had. He sat down beside her after a moment, his long leg setting the swing in motion. He pulled her to him, his arm over her shoulders as they both stared out at the mountains in the darkness.

"How could you ever leave here? This must be the most beautiful place on earth."

"You'll notice I didn't leave for long," he said with a yawn.

She snuggled close to him, her head on his shoulder. "You're tired. You should go on up to bed." She hated the idea of him leaving her, but she needed to put his needs first. That's what a good wife did.

"Not yet. I'd rather spend time with you first." He kissed the top of her head.

She smiled up at him, pleased that he wanted a little more time as well. "I like your house."

"Our house. Me too. It was a great place to grow up. Someday, I'll show you all the hidden passageways where I played hide and seek with friends."

"Oh! Hidden passageways? Sounds like fun."

He turned to her more fully on the swing, pulling her closer. "I want to kiss my wife."

She smiled. "You've already kissed me twice today. That's all you get." Her eyes were twinkling with amusement.

"Oh really? What if I grab you and kiss you anyway?"

"I'll have to scream and kick."

He chuckled. "What good will that do?"

She shrugged. "No idea, but it sounds like fun." She turned so she was sitting sideways on the swing facing him. "Or, I can make it easier for you." She leaned toward him, her eyes on his.

He leaned down and caught her lips in a kiss, his tongue tracing the outline of her mouth. His arms went around her, and he pulled her against him.

She put her arms around his shoulders, her heart beating faster as their torsos met. She clung to his broad shoulders, her lips parting for his kiss.

His hands roamed over her back, his tongue seeking hers. After a moment, he came up for air, and to ask a question. "What are the lines?"

"Lines?" she asked.

"You know, what lines can't I cross this week?"

"I—I don't know. I hadn't really thought about it."

"Well, if I wanted to pull you onto my lap, would that be all right?" He caught her hips, and pulled her onto his lap, astride him. They were touching from hip to torso. "Is this against the rules?"

She blushed but shook her head. "I don't think so. If it becomes too much, I'll say something."

He nodded, pulling her head down for another kiss. His hands stroked all over her back, one coming around to cup her breast.

She moaned softly against his lips. His touch felt so good to her.

His thumb found her nipple through the thin fabric of her bra and tank top. It was already erect, so he toyed with it, wondering how she'd react if he pushed the fabric out of the way.

They were both out of breath when he broke the kiss. "I want to touch your skin, but I don't want to do anything you don't want. May I unfasten your bra?" It felt strange asking, but he didn't want to frighten her. He hadn't expected her to allow the liberties he'd already received.

Savannah looked into his eyes for a moment, torn with indecision. She wanted to feel him touching her. She wanted it badly. But if she let him touch her that way, would they be able to stop? Finally she shook her head. "Not tonight," she whispered, hating herself a little bit.

He nodded, pulling her head down for another kiss. He was glad she was honest with him about her feelings. He'd been afraid she would agree just to make him happy. This time when they kissed, he kept his hands on her back, trying to respect her feelings.

"I'm glad we're married," he finally told her, just hugging her to him.

She rested her head on his shoulder, glad he wasn't angry with her for stopping him. "We should sleep."

He nodded. "We should. I just don't want to let you go."

"I'll be here tomorrow."

He grinned. "Forever, I hope."

"That's the plan."

*****

Early Sunday morning, Savannah heard Scott stirring, so she got up and showered quickly. She wanted to make breakfast for him before he went out to do the chores that had to be done, even on Sunday.

She pulled on the same shorts and tank top she'd worn the night before, because she'd only packed three changes of clothes in her small carryon. Hurrying down to the kitchen she mixed up pancake batter and fried up some bacon.

He stopped in the kitchen on his way out to the barn. "I just need to milk the cows and gather eggs this morning," he told her. "My men will do the rest of the work today."

"Are we going to church?" she asked.

"Would you be all right if we waited 'til next week?"

"Definitely. I didn't bring church clothes. They should be here by next weekend, though."

He stepped into the kitchen and pulled her against him, kissing her quickly. "Good morning, wife."

She smiled. "Good morning, husband!"

After he'd gone outside, she poured the pancakes into the pan, watching them as they bubbled. By the time he got back inside, she'd made a plateful. She put a short stack on a plate for him and added some bacon. "Do you want milk or coffee?" she asked. She'd made coffee for herself, but she didn't know which he preferred.

"Coffee. If it's before noon, that's all I drink." He took a bite of the pancakes and smiled. They were good. "I have a confession to make."

"What's that?" she asked, setting coffee in front of him, and sitting beside him on a barstool with her own plate.

"I'm not a morning person," he said with a yawn. "I'd rather stay up all night than get up early."

She laughed. "Me too. I don't think the cows share your attitude though."

"They don't." He sighed heavily. "My men make fun of me because I carry around a thermos full of coffee all morning. They know not to talk to me until I'm finished with it."

She shook her head with a smile. "Sounds like they're smart!"

"They are!" He grinned, taking her hand in his. "I don't feel nearly as grumpy as usual this morning, though. Waking up to a beautiful woman cooking my breakfast is something I could get used to."

"Oh good. I was afraid you'd make a rule that I couldn't speak until noon or something."

"No, I like talking to you too much for that."

"What are we going to do today, since we're not going to church?" she asked.

He took a sip of his coffee, studying her. "I thought I'd teach you to drive."

She made a face. "Now?"

He nodded. "If you want to get a job this summer, you need to learn quickly. I'll teach you here on the ranch, and since they're private roads, you don't need a permit."

"All right." She knew he was right, even though she was in no hurry to learn. "I guess you're going back to work tomorrow?" At his nod, she shrugged. "Today it is then."

*****

That evening Savannah looked up the online drivers' education information for Montana. Scott said he'd take her to get her learner's permit the following day. Once she had that, she would be able to get her license quickly. They'd put in several hours driving around the property, and she felt that she had a good understanding of how to do it. Now all she really needed was some practice.

She spent a few minutes reading over the information provided before she wandered out of his office to find him. He was sitting on the porch. She joined him on the swing, immediately sitting close to him.

His arm went around her and he held her close. He wanted to beg her to reconsider waiting a week, but he'd agreed to her nonsense, so he felt like it was half his fault anyway. Constant sexual frustration was making him grumpy, though.

"Tell me something I don't know about you," she said as she watched the sunset behind the mountains.

He smiled and thought about it. "I played football in college."

"Really? What position?"

"Quarterback," he responded. "I thought for a short time I wanted to make a career of it, but I realized I didn't have enough desire. I wanted to help my dad raise bison even more." His hand stroked up and down her arm as they talked. He figured the more he touched her, the faster she'd get used to his touch and be willing to allow more intimacies between them. "Tell me something I don't know about you."

"I love drama and singing. I was in all of our school plays, which is odd, because at heart, I'm an introvert. For some reason, though, I like to be on stage."

"Really? Do you sing well?"

She shrugged. "Not well enough to be a professional, but well enough to play the lead in a school play in high school."

"What parts have you played?"

"I was Maria in West Side Story, Liesl in Sound of Music, and Marion in The Music Man. I had some smaller parts too, but those are the ones most people would recognize."

"So you could just break into 'I Feel Pretty' at any moment with no provocation?"

"I could and probably will before too terribly long. I spend a lot of time singing old show tunes. It makes me happy." She shrugged, wondering if he'd think less of her for admitting it.

"What's your favorite musical then?"

"Wicked," she responded without any hesitation. "I saw it on Broadway at least once a year from the time I was fifteen. I saved all my babysitting money and took my mom, because a friend told me I'd love it. Then we did it every year for her birthday."

"Really? I've never seen Wicked."

"If I'd known that yesterday, I would have forced you to miss the plane, just so we could see Wicked before leaving. I'm sure we could find a play of it around somewhere, but you need to see it on Broadway." For a moment, she got a far-away look, knowing she'd miss being able to see a Broadway show whenever she felt like it.

"I'm sure we'll visit occasionally. We'll see Wicked." He could tell she was going to miss her home, but there was no way he could leave the ranch. "I thought we'd drive into Billings around lunch time tomorrow. We'll get your learner's permit then."

"Just don't ask me to drive home. I'd rather get some practice on the country roads first."

Scott kissed her softly. "I won't. But I might pull over once we get out of town and make you drive from there. We need to get your license as soon as possible so you can interview for jobs."

"I know. It just seems so strange to just be learning to drive at my age. How many twenty-eight year old women will be there with their husbands who are teaching them to drive?"

"Does it really matter? No one will notice you."

"I hope not. Wouldn't it be fun, if while I was getting my permit, a future student was getting his license? That would be something they'd remember forever." She rolled her eyes, thinking about how truly awful that would be.

He grinned. "Do you always make up strange scenarios in your head when you're planning to do new things?"

She nodded. "Doesn't everyone? I play the 'What's the worst thing that could happen?' game before I do anything. It makes me feel better."

"That would make me feel worse, but whatever works for you!" It was all he could do to keep from kissing her, but he didn't want to start that again until he knew he could finish it. "So tell me about your most recent relationship."

Savannah shrugged. "I don't think I've ever had what you could call a relationship. I've been out with several different men once or twice, but never more than that."

"Really?" He frowned. He hadn't expected that. Did that mean she was completely inexperienced sexually?

She turned fully to him on the swing. "I can see the question in your eyes, so I'll answer it for you. Yes, I'm a virgin. I've done more with you on this swing than I've ever done with another man."

He ran his fingers through his hair. He wasn't upset by her answer exactly, but he really hadn't expected it. He'd only been with a couple of women, but a couple was very different than none. "I didn't expect that," he told her, not sure what else to say.

"Does it bother you?"

He shook his head. "No, it doesn't bother me. I mean, I like the idea of being the first, but it makes it a bit more nerve-wracking than it would have been otherwise. You know?"

"It really worries you?"

"It makes me worry I'll do something that will make you hate sex, or worse, be afraid of it. It puts some pressure on me."

She hadn't thought of it that way. "Well, I just always believed I should wait 'til I married. I guess now that I'm married, I could head to a bar and find someone to take care of it for me." Her eyes were filled with laughter, letting him know she wasn't serious at all.

He pulled her close to him, kissing her hard. "You changed my mind. I like the idea of being the only man you ever make love with."

"Good, because that's what I want. One man in my bed every night for the rest of my life."

"I'll be happy to be that man." He kissed her again, more sweetly this time, his hands roaming over her back. "Wanna start that tonight?"

She laughed softly. "I should have known you had an angle..."

"I always have an angle." He rained kisses over her face, moving down to nip her ear. "Let me show you all my angles."

She shook her head. "Not yet. I'm sorry." She hated turning him down, but he was still a man she'd only known for two days. How could she crawl into bed with him?

He sighed, resting his cheek atop her head. "I understand." Mostly.
Chapter Four

True to his word, once they were out of Billings the following day, Scott pulled over to the side of the road so Savannah could drive.

"What if I kill us?" she asked.

"Don't," he answered as he jogged around the truck. "You don't want to die a virgin, do you?"

She giggled. After his strong reaction to her virginity the night before, she was surprised he would make jokes about it today. "Maybe we should spend some time in the backseat before I drive?"

He groaned. "If I could fold my body up enough to do what I wanted to do to you in the backseat, I'd have you there by now." At six foot four, he was not going to be participating in sexual yoga in the backseat of a vehicle anytime soon.

She leaned over to kiss him before she restarted the truck, carefully going through the whole checklist of things he'd talked to her about the day before. She put the truck into drive and took off with a jerk.

"Pick up your speed a little," he instructed. "If you drive forty-five on a highway, some idiot is likely to rear end you without looking."

She pressed her foot onto the accelerator and watched the speedometer as it picked up to sixty-five. "Is that better?"

He nodded. "Just watch the road now."

Savannah did her best to keep her eyes on the road as she turned whenever he told her to turn. She was surprised by how comfortable she felt behind the wheel after only a few hours the day before. And she liked speed. The faster she drove the more powerful she felt.

Scott watched her as she drove, admiring her beauty. He found it hard to believe she was his wife. She seemed to have it together, well mostly anyway.

When she pulled into the driveway, her eyes were lit up and she had a smile on her face. She parked the car and turned to him. "That was fun! I like to drive fast!"

He laughed. "Just not too fast! We don't need speeding tickets."

"I'll try, but no promises." She unbuckled her seatbelt and slid across the seat to him, pulling his head down for a quick, sweet kiss. "Thank you for being so patient with me."

He growled low in his throat and took over the kiss, his tongue plunging into her mouth. He knew she was talking about driving, but he wasn't feeling particularly patient in other ways. How would she react if he dragged her up to his bed?

Savannah clung to his shoulders, returning his kiss. At that moment, she could think of no reason to keep making him wait. Just the fact that they'd spent two nights under the same roof without him trying to push her into sex made her feel like she could trust him implicitly. "Let's go upstairs," she whispered against his lips, her face flame red.

He pulled back looking deep into her eyes. "Are you sure?" He didn't want her to do anything she didn't want to do, but there was nothing in the world he wanted more at that moment.

She nodded, her tongue flicking out to lick her bottom lip.

He kissed her quickly again before turning to wrench his door open. He needed to get her upstairs before she changed her mind!

He hurried around the truck, opening her door, and grabbing her hand. He made it almost to the front door when he heard a male voice call, "Hey, boss!"

He closed his eyes for a minute as he prayed the voice was a figment of his imagination, but he heard the call again. He turned, almost snarling. "What?"

His foreman, Jerry, took a step back. "Sorry to bother you, but it looks like part of the herd got out of the north fence. We're about to ride out after them."

Scott took a couple of deep breaths, forcing his raging hormones under control. "I'll get my horse."

"Already saddled for you." Jerry nodded his head at the fence to indicate the horse tied there.

Scott turned to Savannah. "Wait right here. Don't move!"

She laughed. "Go take care of your bison. I'll be home when you get here." She stood on tiptoe and kissed him.

Scott wanted to scream, but he half-ran toward his horse. If the bison were on the move, he was needed. Half the men would stay behind and fix the fence, while the other half rode after the missing bison. He just hoped sitting on a saddle in his present condition wouldn't keep him from being able to father children in the future.

Savannah wandered into the house, frustrated but not nearly as bad as what she'd seen in his eyes. She went into the kitchen and pulled out the crock pot, fixing some Swiss steak for supper. It was strange to use bison meat for everything she cooked, but she agreed with him that the flavor was better.

She had no idea when he'd be home, so she decided she'd just make some instant rice to go with the steak, and she could microwave some broccoli when he got in. She headed to his office to do some research on the teacher certification process in Montana.

*****

It was after five before they got the bison rounded up and back into the pasture. Scott was ready to scream. He was hungry, but he wasn't sure if he was more in need of food or his wife.

He found her in his office, engrossed in whatever she was reading on the computer. He watched her for a minute, wanting to grab her and drag her upstairs with him, but he couldn't eat or make love smelling like he did. A shower had to be the first order of business.

"I'm going to shower," he finally said. "How long before dinner is ready?"

Savannah looked up, a smile touching her lips. "About fifteen minutes. Get your shower, and by the time you're ready to eat, the food will be waiting."

She bookmarked the page she'd found and hurried into the kitchen to finish supper.

Scott was no less cranky when he sat down for his evening meal. She poured him a glass of iced tea and herself a glass of water. He fixed his plate without a word.

"Did you guys find the missing bison?" she asked, wondering if he was angry with her for some reason. He seemed more than a little testy.

He nodded as he took his first bite of the steak, savoring the flavor before washing it down with a big gulp of tea. "Yeah. They're all back in the pasture and the fence is fixed." He ran his hand along the back of his neck. "You get much done?"

She nodded. "I did some research on getting certified to teach in Montana, and I searched for jobs. How far away is Beltman?"

He shrugged. "Twenty minute drive or so."

"They're looking for a high school English teacher. There's an online application, so I'm going to fill it out."

"Fine." He took another bite of his meat. "It's not too far."

"Are you upset with me?" she asked, wondering why his answers were so short.

He shook his head. "No, I'm just frustrated in general. Frustrated that the stupid buffalo got out, and even more frustrated that just as I was about to make love to my bride, I had to run off." He sighed. "It's not you. I promise."

She reached across the table and took his hand in hers. "There's always tonight." She could relieve at least some of his frustration.

He looked into her eyes. "I wasn't sure if that was a heat of the moment offer or not."

"Not. I rarely do anything in the heat of the moment." She smiled. "I moved all my things into your room while you were out finding your bison, too. Did I mention I did that?"

"Now I'm feeling a bit more optimistic about the future!" He grinned.

She laughed. "Well, I'm a little nervous about the immediate future, but I'm sure I can handle it."

He brought the hand he still held to his lips. "You'll like it. If not the first time, you'll like it the second."

They finished their meal, and she did the dishes quickly before joining him on the back porch. She curled up beside him on the swing as she'd done the other nights since her arrival.

His arm went around her automatically. He found that since he knew it was going to happen that night, he wasn't in the huge hurry he was earlier. He'd take it slowly, and they'd both enjoy it more.

"What did you find out about getting certified to teach in Montana?" he asked.

"It's not going to be a problem. Under the Montana Teacher Reciprocity program, I can get a standard teaching certificate just by proving I have a bachelor's degree and an out-of-state teaching certificate. Should be extremely easy. I called the number on the website I found to set the ball in motion."

"Will you keep teaching after we have children?"

"I don't know. I don't know anything about our financial situation or whether I'll need to. I probably want to stay home with the children if it's at all possible."

"It's possible." He didn't want to go into a lot of financial details just then, but bison was in high demand with few enough ranchers that it wouldn't be a problem. "Do you want children right away? Or do you want to wait a while?"

She shrugged. "I thought I'd want to wait a while, but I've heard a couple of stories lately about women not being able to have children. I think I want to start trying right away." She didn't think she could bear it if she had trouble conceiving, and she was already twenty-eight.

He pressed a kiss to her forehead. "That sounds good to me." If he hadn't been sure about their marriage lasting, he'd want to wait, but neither of them were the type to run off just because something wasn't perfect.

She stood up. "I need to call my mother really quick. I haven't talked to her today, and she's still certain you're going to end up murdering me in my sleep."

He sighed. "Did you tell her we haven't...?"

"Absolutely not. That's no one's business but ours." She stroked his shoulder as she passed him on her way into the house. "I'm going to take a quick bath and get ready for bed. Mornings come too early."

She didn't like getting up at five in the morning. Even though she was still on East Coast time which made it more like seven, it still felt too early to her. She rushed into the house and up the stairs. She wanted to bathe and shave before she got into bed with Scott for the first time. She hoped he would appreciate her efforts.

She chose a white spaghetti strap satin nightgown to wear and took it into the bathroom with her, not knowing how quickly he'd follow her, but knowing he wouldn't have a great deal of patience. He'd already waited a lot longer than she should have asked.

She hurried as she shaved her legs and washed her hair. Once she was out of the tub, she blow dried her hair so it would hang in soft waves over her shoulders. She pulled the nightgown over her head, looking in the mirror and blushing. Her nipples showed clearly through the fabric. No man had seen her in anything so revealing. "He's my husband," she reminded herself, trying not to feel so nervous.

When she opened the door to the connecting bedroom, he was lying on his side on the bed his head propped up on one fist, watching for her. He'd obviously removed his clothes because his arms and chest were bare above the covers. She was thankful that he'd covered his bottom half, because she wasn't certain she wouldn't have run away.

She wanted to run for the bed and dive under the covers so he wouldn't see her, but instead she calmly walked to the bed, and climbed under the quilt.

He smiled, his hand reaching under her hair and pulling her to him. Their mouths met, his lips toying with hers. His hand moved over her shoulders, bare to his touch. "You're so soft," he said against her lips.

Her hands went to his chest, and she ran her fingers over the hard sinewy muscles. "You're not."

He laughed. "I sure hope not. My men would laugh me off the ranch."

"We wouldn't want that." She hoped he would keep her laughing throughout the experience. She felt like an awkward teenager on her first date.

His hand stroked down to cup her breast, his thumb toying with her nipple through the satin fabric of her nightgown. "I'm glad you decided not to wait anymore."

She bit her lip, looking into his eyes. "I think I am. I'm not sure yet. I do know that if I'd kept waiting, I'd have just gotten more and more nervous, though."

He smiled, pressing his lips to her forehead. "There's no need to be nervous. Just lay back and enjoy. Tell me if I do anything you don't like."

She smiled ruefully. "I think if you're touching me, I like it."

"Good. I'll never stop touching you then."

His hand roamed over her, touching her everywhere. She felt as if everywhere he touched she could feel her skin burning through her nightgown. "After so many years of stopping men from touching me, it feels strange to allow someone to touch me like this."

"Just keep telling yourself that I'm your husband, and I'm supposed to touch you this way." His hand stroked around her back and over the curve of her bottom, causing her to gasp with surprise. "You're allowed to touch me as well, you know." He winked at her, making her blush even more.

"I might. Eventually." She liked touching him, but she wasn't sure which areas he was okay with her touching, so she thought she should stick to his chest.

He pulled her closer until she was flat up against his body, her breasts squashed against his chest. "I'm not going to do anything you don't want me to do," he whispered.

"What if I get nervous and run from the room screaming?" she asked, half seriously.

"Don't. You don't want to make me think you hate me, do you?"

She shook her head. "No, but I am nervous. It just seems so strange to let you touch me this way."

"Would you feel better if we just laid here and talked and kissed for a little while?"

She nodded slowly. "But I don't want to ask you to wait when you've already waited so—"

He kissed her softly, stopping her words. "You're not asking me to do anything I don't want to do." His cupped her face in his hands and kissed her softly, concentrating on showing all his feelings through lips.

Savannah put her hands on his shoulders, kissing him back. She was comfortable kissing him. They had that to build on.

When he broke the kiss, he looked into her eyes. "Talk to me. Tell me about your class last year."

She swallowed hard. It was a strange conversation to be having in bed on what was, for all intents and purposes, her wedding night. "Most of my classes are small. I taught all the honors classes and one creative writing class. There's only one honors class per grade level, because it's such a small school."

He was listening, his thumb stroking her lips. "How many students do you consider a small class?"

She shrugged, completely distracted by his touch. How was she supposed to think when he was touching her so intimately? "Not more than seventeen."

"So you do a lot of sentence diagramming and read Shakespeare aloud?"

She laughed softly. "I hate diagramming sentences, so I don't make my students do it unless there's a need."

"How do you know if there's a need?" He was surprised to hear an English teacher say she hated diagramming sentences. He was certain his English teachers had diagrammed sentences using their toy blocks instead of building things out of them when they were toddlers.

"I read what they write in papers. If their grammar is off, we'll do a quick unit to help them. If that's not enough we diagram, but that's never happened. Usually my students can hear if something sounds wrong with a sentence and a two week grammar unit is all they need." She stroked his calf with her foot. "I find that I get the brightest students, so it's easier to teach them than it would be otherwise."

Scott moved his feet between hers, trying to slowly bring more and more of their bodies into close contact. It was strange having to woo his wife this way, but she was worth it to him. Lachele had found a woman that he'd have chosen for himself if he'd had the time or inclination. He had no complaints. "So you just read a lot of Shakespeare?"

"Not at all. We don't read Shakespeare at all in my junior classes, because they're American Literature. I do a bit of Shakespeare in the other grades, though. Usually only two plays per year, because Shakespeare gets more than a little tedious for most high school students." Her hand moved around to his back, and she stroked it, finding a tiny mole beneath his shoulder blade. She wondered if he knew it was there but didn't ask, not wanting to make him self-conscious about it.

"Do you like Shakespeare," he asked, because he'd always wondered if English teachers liked the books they shoved down kids' throats.

She shrugged. "Some of it. I liked Taming of the Shrew a lot, but we never taught that. I like A Comedy of Errors...another book we never get to teach." She leaned forward and kissed his shoulder. "I'm not a fan of Romeo and Juliet or Hamlet."

"Why didn't you teach the ones you liked?" His hands roamed in circles over her back, the circles gradually getting bigger so he was encompassing more of her with them.

"I didn't have that option. I was given a list of books to teach, so I taught them."

"Do you think your class would have been better if you could have chosen the books?"

"Oh, no doubt. My students would have liked it a great deal more as well." She scooted closer to him and buried her face in his neck, inhaling his scent.

He moved his hands down to her bottom, pulling her hips against his. He wanted her to be ready for him but didn't want to ask. He didn't want her to think he was rushing her.

Savannah was surprised to feel him pressing against her. She gently bit his neck in response, wondering what he would do.

Scott let out a low laugh. "You didn't get enough food at dinner?" he asked as he rolled her to her back, looming over her.

She grinned, her hand going back to his shoulder. She trailed it down his arm, liking the feel of his taut muscles. "You're strong."

He nodded. "I do hard, physical work every day. I couldn't run a ranch of this size if I wasn't." He moved his leg over the top of hers, keeping them in close physical contact in as many places as possible.

"I like how you feel," she told him truthfully. She'd expected to be more nervous when they were finally in bed together, but it didn't feel wrong.

"I'm glad." His hand swept up her side, and he cupped her breast in his hand. "I like how you feel too."

His thumb toyed with her nipple while he lowered his head to kiss her again, catching her cries with his lips.

Savannah was surprised by the feelings rushing through her. She felt as if his hand on her breast was causing little bursts of energy to shoot through her body, right to her core. She spread her legs a little, not surprised when his knee moved into the opening.

His hand left her breast, traveling down her body to catch the hem of her nightgown, lifting it up above her knee. He stroked up her thigh and moved his hand to her center, stroking her softly while checking her readiness for him.

She pressed against his hand, wanting more than just his fingers there. Her hands roamed down his back to his bottom, stroking her nails over it. "I like this!" she said with surprise.

He chuckled. "That's because we have a good God." He plucked at her nightgown wanting it off, but too afraid the moment would be lost. He gently nipped her collar bone, his teeth scraping her bare skin. "I need you, Savannah."

Her eyes were wide as she looked deeply into his, and finally she nodded. "Make love to me."

Scott needed no further invitation. He settled himself between her thighs, and guided himself to her. "I promise, if it hurts, I'll make it up to you later."

She nodded, catching his head and pulling it down for a kiss. Somehow, him looking at her while he made love to her seemed even more intimate to her than him joining their bodies together.

The pain was brief, and not as intense as she had expected. She didn't find a great deal of pleasure in the act that night, but she certainly didn't find it painful either.

Scott gathered her against him. "It'll be better next time. I promise."

Savannah kissed his cheek. "It wasn't bad this time. Just strange." She couldn't let him think she hated what they'd done together, because nothing could be further from the truth.

He raised an eyebrow looking at her face. "Strange how?" Was she saying he'd done something wrong?

"Well, it's different than anything I've ever done, and that makes it strange in my book."

He chuckled, stroking her back. "Hopefully next time it will go from 'strange' to 'awesome, let me worship you for making me feel that way.'"

It was her turn to chuckle at that. "Good luck with that." She wasn't certain if it was her job to feed his ego or keep it reined it. She didn't want to deal with a big-headed man, though, so she decided not to feed it.

"Are you doubting my ability to show you how awesome making love can be?"

"I'm doubting any man's ability to make me worship him. Sorry."

"By this time next week, you'll be my sex slave." He waggled his brows at her.

She shook her head with a laugh. "You do like to dream big."

He sighed. "Someday you'll have faith in me."

She felt her eyes drifting closed. "Someday you'll earn my faith. Not sure sex is the way to do it, though."

He kissed her forehead and pulled her closer, for now content to have her sleep in his arms.
Chapter Five

After breakfast the following morning, Savannah asked, "Do you mind if I practice driving around the ranch while you're out? I'd like to get as skilled as I can as quickly as possible. I would hate to have to ask you to drive me to job interviews." It would be as bad as her mother taking the subway with her to her first job as a bistro in a coffee shop. Oh wait, that had already happened.

Scott frowned. "I don't mind if you practice, but I'll probably take you to at least the first few job interviews, regardless. I don't want to worry about you getting lost."

She looked at him with a frown. "Your truck has GPS."

He shrugged. "I would just feel safer if I took you."

She didn't say anything, but she noted that his keys were left on the counter when he left for the day. She wasn't certain why he was worried about her driving off by herself, but there was obviously something going on there, and she would need to speak with him about it.

She spent a couple of hours applying for jobs online. There were two in small towns in the area and two in Billings. She had a feeling that Scott wouldn't want her working in Billings.

She glanced at the clock when she was finished with her applications and went out to the truck. She would have no problem getting lunch ready on time, as she just planned on making burgers and the meat was already thawed. She climbed into the huge truck, happy that she didn't have to adjust the seat because she'd been the last one to drive it.

She practiced stopping and starting, parking and turning. She was in the truck for over an hour before she went in to start lunch.

When Scott walked into the house for lunch, he could smell lunch cooking, and his bad mood melted away. He was worried that by working outside the home, Savannah wouldn't do the things around the house that he felt needed to be done. They didn't need the money anyway.

"Lunch smells good," he told her as he wandered into the kitchen, kissing her cheek.

"I didn't have a lot of time," she told him, "so I just made burgers and chips. I hope that's all right."

He nodded. "It sounds good to me. We're going to need to make a run into King for groceries soon, aren't we?" In his mind if the pantry and freezer were both full of groceries, then the meals would be better. He loved having a wife who was cooking three meals a day. It made him feel like he was loved, whether she said the words or not.

"We really are. I enjoy cooking, so it's nice to be able to do it during the summer this way."

"What do you mean? You won't be cooking at all during the school year?" That couldn't be what she meant, could it?

"Of course I don't mean that!" She gave him a strange look. "I will still cook all the time on the weekends, but I'll probably put a lot more meals in the crock pot before leaving for work. I'll make simpler meals on nights that I'm working." She loved experimenting with new recipes, and a crock pot was the best way to do it.

"Is working more important to you than our marriage?" he asked, knowing he was being slightly belligerent but not caring at all. His mother had cared enough about him and his father that she stayed home and kept house, making certain every meal was done before his father came in from a hard day of work. Why couldn't his wife do the same?

She was hurt that he'd even ask that. "No, it's not more important, but it is important. I enjoy what I do."

"We don't need the money. Can't you enjoy keeping house and cooking meals?"

Savannah counted to ten before responding. "I didn't go to school for four years to stay home. After children, yes, I will embrace staying home and raising babies. Before? Why would I waste my time?"

"Cooking for me is a waste of time?"

She shook her head. "You weren't starving to death when we married, Scott. You kept yourself fed. Why do I need to be the one to cook meals for you now that we're married? Why can't you go on doing what you did before?"

"Because you're my wife, and it's your job to do it!" Why didn't she just know that? Wives cooked for their husbands!

"My mother always worked, and in our house, my dad was the cook before he died. He was a better cook than my mother, so it was his chore. Why can't we just do what makes sense for us at any given time? Why do we have to plan on me not working so that I can cook meals that you don't need me to cook anyway?" Were all men this illogical?

"You're supposed to do it out of a desire to take care of me. Don't you have that desire?" What kind of woman had Lachele told him to marry? Why couldn't she see that one of the most basic things a woman did for her husband was cook for him and clean for him?

"So what you're saying is if I work, I'll still be responsible for all the cooking and all the housework? Is that it?" Surely, he was joking. She kept waiting for him to tell her that he didn't mean it, but it just wasn't happening.

"Of course you will! I don't have time for it! I have a ranch to run!"

"Who did your cleaning before we were married? This house has been cleaned many times since your mother died. I know what a filthy house looks like, and this house was not filthy when I arrived." Why was he being so difficult about this? Did he honestly think she should just throw the years she'd worked for her teaching degree down the drain?

"I had a housekeeper, but I let her go before I went to New York to marry you. Why would I need a housekeeper and a wife?"

"Did it never occur to you that your wife, who you knew was from New York, was a career woman? Did that thought not enter your pea brain?"

He stood up, bracing his hands on the table. "Pea brain? Are you calling me stupid?"

Savannah had enough. She couldn't remember ever being so angry in her life. What was wrong with him that he'd think she should give up her entire life for him? It wasn't enough that she'd pulled up roots and moved half way across the country for him? "If the pod fits," she yelled, "wear it!" She threw the rest of her burger at his head, pleased when ketchup and mustard clung to his face. "And the dishes? Hell will freeze over before I do them."

She walked out of the dining room and up the stairs, determined to take a nice hot shower to wash all of her anger away.

Scott stood at the table for a moment, not believing she'd actually thrown something at him and then just calmly walked off as if nothing had happened. What was wrong with her?

He started to follow her up the stairs, but he knew it was the wrong thing to do in anger. Instead, he went into the kitchen, washed his face, and left to go back to work.

By the end of the day, everyone knew he was having marital trouble. The men were shying away from him as if he were a wounded grizzly bear.

Finally his foreman, Jesse Fields, rode up beside him. "Wanna tell me what your problem is, boss?"

"What makes you think there's a problem?" Scott snapped back, his blue eyes lit with the fire of anger.

"Well, I don't know. Maybe it's the way you're yelling at everyone, whether they do something wrong or not. Maybe it's the way you just told Kyle that his mama needs to buy him some clothes that don't hurt your eyes. Or it could be the way you keep glaring toward the house. Why don't you just pick one?"

Scott threw one hand up in the air, the other firmly on the reins of his gelding. "I'm a newlywed. We're learning to live together."

"I see that. Maybe you should knock off an hour or two early, and go home and take your little filly to bed. You'd both feel better for it in the end."

"I can't touch her when I'm this angry! I'd break her right in half!"

Jesse laughed. "You'd never hurt a woman in anger. I've seen you cuss your horse up one side and down the other, but you've never hurt him in any way. Not even when he threw you into that freshly thawed stream last winter."

"I would never hurt an animal!"

"You'd never hurt a woman either, Scott. Go home and talk to your wife. Work it out between you."

Scott shook his head. "She won't listen to reason! Do you realize she thinks she should work? She doesn't need to work! I need her at home."

Jesse raised an eyebrow. "What kind of work does she do?"

"She's an English teacher. No one needs to be able to diagram a stupid sentence to work on a ranch. It's time for her to forget all her holier than thou ways and stay home."

"Why do you really want her to stay home? It's not like you need her to cook for you. You can eat in the bunkhouse with us, which is what you used to do. What's the problem?"

Scott shrugged. "My mother always stayed home. She had a meal on the table as soon as my dad walked in the door at the end of the day. When I got off the bus from school, she had a cookie waiting for me. And hot chocolate. Who's going to make hot chocolate for the kids?"

Jesse shook his head. "Kids? Aren't you getting a little ahead of yourself? Did she say she wants to work after you two have kids? Not that you'll ever have kids if you're already fighting after less than a week of marriage."

"She said she'd stay home after the kids were born, but why can't she stay home now? My mother never worked!"

"Yes, she did."

Scott's head whipped around, and he looked at Jesse with pure astonishment. The man had been with his family for decades, so he knew if anyone knew the details of his parents' early marriage, it was him. "She didn't."

"When your parents first married, she worked at the diner in town. She said she couldn't stand to have idle hands, and there just wasn't enough to keep her busy on the ranch. Once you came along, she stopped working and devoted her whole life to you. But before you were born? She worked at least thirty hours per week. Sometimes more. It drove your dad crazy."

"And it should have! A woman's place is in the home taking care of her family." Scott's mind was reeling. His mother couldn't have worked.

"It is. If that's where she wants to be. Your attitude is pretty archaic. Talk to your wife and see what she really wants. Maybe there's a reason she wants to keep working that you two haven't discussed yet."

"Like what?"

"Maybe she thinks she can really make a difference teaching. Maybe she has another year to pay on her students loans, or credit cards, or something that she doesn't want you to accept the burden for. Maybe she wants to send money to her white-haired grandmother in Seattle who collects cats. I don't know why. Ask her." Jesse nodded his head toward the house. "Go now and ask her. If you keep yelling at the men the way you have been, you won't have any cowboys left."

Scott sighed. "I guess I have been a bit rude to them today."

"Just a bit," Jesse lied.

"I'll go talk to her." Scott was honestly relieved to have a reason to go back to the house. He wanted to talk to her, to tell her he was sorry for being a jerk. He wanted to hear her reasons. He wondered if he could get her to talk to him after the way he'd acted.

*****

Savannah was still steaming when she got out of the shower. There was no way she was going to be able to stay married to that man without killing someone. Why had Dr. Simpson matched her up with a man like Scott? Had she lost her mind?

Glancing at the clock, she realized that even though it was only half past three in Montana, it was after five in New York. She pulled out her phone and decided to put her questions to the only woman who could answer them.

She called Dr. Simpon's cell phone number, tapping her foot impatiently while she waited for her to answer.

"Dr. Lachele Simpson here."

"What were you thinking? The man is insane! He doesn't want me to work. He thinks I need to cook every meal he eats. He let his housekeeper go before we even married, not knowing if I wanted to work or not. This is never going to work!" Savannah felt like she was being unreasonable, but she was more than a little freaked out. How was she supposed to live under these conditions?

"Ahh, Savannah. I've been expecting your call."

"Was this some kind of joke? Did you deliberately set me up with the man I'd be the least compatible with on the entire planet?" Savannah wanted to fly back to New York and strangle the woman. She couldn't remember ever in her life being quite so angry with another human being.

Dr. Simpson's calm, sweet voice came over the line. "Savannah, I want you to sit down and tell me exactly what happened. You two are going to be great together if you can get past this initial hump. Trust me. The first year of any relationship is the hardest, and you two are just getting to know each other after marriage."

"You were the one who said we had to meet at the altar!"

"I know. If I hadn't, you two would have dated a few times, realized there was a very strong attraction, and then you would have discussed you working after marriage, and you'd have called it quits. You're perfect for each other. You just have to work through his possessiveness and your reluctance to be cosseted."

"How?"

Dr. Simpson sighed. "I can't do it for you, Savannah. You're going to have to sit down with your husband and talk to him about your feelings, and you're going to have to listen to his feelings. If you two don't talk, you won't be able to work anything out."

"But..."

"But nothing! You wanted to marry a man who would be right for you. A man who wouldn't try to force you into bed with him the second you met. He didn't, did he?"

Savannah blushed, thinking about the night she'd just had with her husband. "No he was very patient in that regard, but..."

"No buts! My butt is big enough for all three of us."

Savannah stood for a moment blinking as her mind registered what the doctor had said. Finally, she burst out laughing. "I can't believe you just said that!"

"Are you calmer now?"

Savannah shook her head, still chuckling. "Much, thank you."

"Then listen to me. You married Scott for better or for worse. The next few months will most likely be the hardest of your marriage. You have the same core beliefs, which is important, but you both have your own personal beliefs, mainly based on how and where you were raised. The two of you need to sit down somewhere and calmly discuss those beliefs. Better yet, you need to make love, and then discuss them. You need to be nice and relaxed for this, because it might take a few hours."

Savannah blushed. "I don't know..."

"Listen to me! For you two, I would say set a timer. You talk for ten minutes, and he doesn't get to interrupt, and then he talks for ten, and you don't get to interrupt. The next time you each talk for five. After that, if you're still not seeing eye to eye, drag him back to bed and start all over again. Even if you don't work out the issues, you'll both be satisfied sexually, and that's almost as good as working through your problems."

"How have the other couples you've matched through Matchrimony done?"

"Others? Didn't I tell you that you two were the first, dear?"

"Wait the first? No, you didn't tell me that!"

"Oops, gotta run! Our new puppy, Margarita, is trying to eat another of the potted plants. She needs to be watched every minute! Have fun!"

Savannah looked down at the phone in her hand. She'd been hung up on. She shook her head. Maybe the good doctor's methods had something to say for them. They couldn't be worse than what she had in mind, and if they didn't work? Well, she could always fall back on plan B and break a vase over his head later if she needed to.

*****

Scott rubbed down his horse, even though he was in a hurry to talk to Savannah. Listening to Jesse had helped him realize he needed to make some changes in how he was speaking to his wife. She may not be doing exactly what he wanted her to do, but nowhere in the marriage vows had it said that a wife would stay home and care for the house and cook while the man worked.

As he was walking toward the house, he saw some dandelions poking up their heads in an unused pasture. He didn't want to take the time to run to the store to get flowers, so they would do. She would understand what he meant by the gesture surely.

When he walked into the house, he searched for her, not seeing her right away. The burger she'd thrown at him was still on the floor where it had landed, and he frowned. Wasn't she over her mad enough to pick up the mess she'd made yet?

He decided that since he was going to take the high road this time, he should pick up the mess and throw it away. He dug through the refrigerator and found a bottle of root beer, pouring it into a glass. He put the dandelions into the bottle with a little water and smiled at his creation. He would have made a good florist.

He picked up the burger from the floor and wiped up the last of the ketchup from the hardwood floor. Going into the kitchen, he saw that she hadn't touched the lunch dishes, but because he'd upset her, he put them into the dishwasher and started it himself.

He went up the stairs, looking for her. Finding her in the bedroom, sitting on the bed with the phone beside her, he walked over and sat beside her. He put his arm around her, half-expecting her to flinch away from him. "I'm sorry I was such an ass."

Savannah looked into his eyes. "Do you really think you were?" She wouldn't repeat the word he'd used, because she didn't like it, but it did fit his behavior well.

He nodded. "I talked to Jesse, my foreman. He told me that I was wrong about a few things."

"Oh?" She wanted to hear what he had to say, but she really wasn't certain if she was ready to forgive him quite yet. "What were you wrong about?"

"My mother worked until I was born. She worked at the diner in town. She quit when I was born, but she didn't always take care of my dad like I thought she did." He shrugged. "I guess I shouldn't have made those assumptions."

Savannah sighed. "This is about more than what your mother did and didn't do. You can't expect me to be your mother all over again. I'm your wife. My life was different than yours and our feelings about certain things formed separately. I always had a working mother, and I never felt like I was neglected. Your mother never worked, and you didn't feel neglected. I may decide I want to work after the children are born, just because I love what I do so much. Would that be so wrong?"

He shook his head slowly. "I guess not. I just feel like it's my job to take care of you and any children that come along. We don't need you to work, because I make plenty of money to support a family."

"It's not about money. It's about me being an adult and able to think on my own. It's about me being able to choose whether or not I want to work. I do want to work, at least until the children start coming and maybe after. But when I work, I want to have a housekeeper in place so that I can come home, and cook a meal, but not have to worry about doing the deep cleaning. I think you should have waited until we talked before you let your housekeeper go." She took a deep breath. "I should have a say in any decisions made about our household or our new family, because I'm your wife. I shouldn't be the final answer, but I should at least have the right to voice an opinion."

He sighed. "You're right. I need to at least hear what you have to say. You're a thinking, intelligent human being. I shouldn't have discounted that before even meeting you."

She hadn't realized until he said those words that she was holding herself rigidly, and only then did she allow herself to collapse against him. "I don't want to be angry with you. I hate fighting."

"I do too. So this is what I think we should do, but I'll make no final decisions until you've voiced your opinion. Can you see me learning here?"

She nodded slowly, a bit worried about what he might say next. "Go on."

"I want to be given a chance to court my wife. To woo you. I still want bed privileges, of course, because I'm a man, and we're married, but I want to take you out on dates and act like we're not yet married. I want to make my wife fall in love with me for my charm and devotion to her. Not just because she wants to be my sex slave."

Savannah laughed softly. "Get the idea of me being your sex slave right out of your head. Never happening. I do like the idea of courting, though. I think we could both use that."

"Courting with bed privileges." He stroked her cheek with the backs of his fingers. "Don't forget the bed privileges."

"How could I forget the bed privileges." She looked around her. "Well, look at that. I think we're on a bed now."

He laughed and pushed her back onto the bed, looming over her. "I sure hope that was an invitation, because I'm taking it as one." His mouth pressed to hers and his hands stroked her body through her clothes. "Last chance to rescind your offer."

Her arms came around him. "You promised I'd love it the second time, remember?"

He nodded. "Sex slave position will remain open..."

Chapter Six

Savannah got a call for an interview less than a week later. She was driving every time they left the ranch, which wasn't terribly often, but often enough that she was learning not to be nervous about driving. She drove to the interview, chauffeuring Scott.

The interview was for a combination English and history teacher in Pinkston, a small town near them. While she wasn't certified in history, she was only a few hours shy, and when she'd talked to the principal on the phone, he'd indicated it wouldn't be a problem.

She parked the truck in the lot behind the small school. Turning to Scott she asked, "Are all schools here so small?" This was a public school, and it was as small as her private school back in New York.

"Not all, but a lot of them are. Pinkston was King's biggest rival. I remember playing their team every single year when I was in high school." Savannah looked at Pinkston High School and didn't see how it could be much of a rival, but what did she know? "I'm not sure how long I'll be."

He shrugged. "I have my phone. I'll probably talk to Jake and see if he's been able to tear himself away from the Manhattan Library yet."

"Maybe he decided to stay," she said with a grin. "I'll be back soon!"

She rushed to the building and hurried inside, wobbling a bit on her heels. It was the first time she'd worn anything but sandals or sneakers since she'd arrived in Montana, and she was a bit out of practice already.

She found the office just inside the front door, and she walked in. "I'm here to see Principal Moore." The office smelled a bit stale, which was typical for a school office during the summer. She'd always noticed strange smells during the summer from the lack of use. Of course, more often than not, schools didn't smell exactly fresh during the school year either.

"Yes, of course. He's expecting you." The secretary didn't ask for her name which surprised Savannah, but she didn't say anything. Instead she stood at the counter, watching as the secretary wandered off to find him.

The man who greeted her was in his mid-forties with dark hair. He wore jeans and a tee shirt. "Forgive my attire," he said glancing at Savannah's business clothes. "I'm only here for this interview today, and then it's back to summer vacation with my wife and kids."

Savannah couldn't help but smile at him. "I hope your vacation is lovely." She held her hand out to him. "I'm Savannah Blyton." As soon as the words were out of her mouth, she blushed. "Forgive me. Savannah Ward. I'll do my best to remember my name before the school year starts." She felt like an idiot, but she knew he would understand. She'd been Blyton for twenty-eight years, and Ward for less than two weeks.

The principal laughed. "Jeff Moore. How long have you been married?"

"About a week and a half," she answered as she followed him into his office, taking a seat in the chair across from his desk.

"Tell me a bit about yourself." He leaned back in his chair, obviously comfortable.

"I was born and raised in New York City. I lived there until I married, so I'm a very new resident of Montana." She was pleased with the laid back structure of the interview, feeling at ease.

Mr. Moore leaned forward with a smile. "What do you think of our state? Do you think you'll like living here?" He seemed to genuinely care about her answer.

"Oh, I already do. I love the slower pace. I've seen more sunsets from our back porch than I saw in my entire life living in New York. Here I don't have to go to Central Park to see beauty. It's everywhere around me." She smiled. "I can't imagine going back to New York now."

He smiled and nodded. "That's how I feel about it here. Have you known your husband long?"

She knew he was trying to make idle chit chat, but she didn't like the question. It was much too personal considering the way they'd met. "Not long at all. We knew the instant our eyes met that we'd marry." There. It was the truth but revealed absolutely nothing.

"I felt that way when I met my wife. Of course, that was in college." He picked up a note pad. "Now I see you taught honors English and creative writing in New York. Tell me about your most difficult classroom experience and how you handled it."

As Savannah answered question after question, she became confident that the job would be hers. "Now, does it bother you that we're only looking for someone for the first semester while Mrs. Hoover is out on maternity leave?"

Savannah hadn't been prepared for that question, but with the way she and Scott had fought about her teaching, she knew he wouldn't mind, and it would give her time to acclimate. She could always substitute for the second semester, and that could work better for them. She'd done some subbing right out of college and knew the ins and outs of it better than most.

After she had thanked him for the interview, she went to the truck. Scott was still talking on his cell phone.

When she got in, he said, "Looks like she's done. I'll talk to you later."

"Did he make it home from New York?" she asked. She wondered how much she'd be seeing of her new husband's best friend.

"He flew in last night. Said he wants to move to Manhattan so he can be a homeless man who lives in the library. Why would anyone want to be homeless in New York?" Scott sounded utterly baffled.

"No idea," she said. "He's your friend." And a man. She was beginning to think more and more that she'd never understand the workings of a man's mind.

"So do you want to have lunch out before we head home? Or did you start something?" As far as Scott could tell, the woman cooked every meal in the crock pot. She didn't seem to know how to use the oven, stove or microwave. He thought about offering to sell them but didn't think she'd appreciate his sarcasm. He was certain he'd make her mad unintentionally, so he should keep sarcasm to a minimum.

"We can do lunch out." The meal she'd put in the crock pot that morning wouldn't be ready until supper time. She'd planned on eating out.

"Do you want to go to the diner in King? Or there's a little restaurant here in Pinkston. Food's not as good, because they don't serve bison, but whatever."

"I'd be happy with either one," she said quickly. She really didn't care as long as she didn't have to eat her own cooking for a change.

"Let's just go to the one here then. It'll be good for you to practice driving in a new area." He knew she was about ready for her drivers' test. She was an extremely quick learner and was already driving as well as anyone he knew. He didn't know if it was due to age or what, but she was picking it up fast. Almost as fast as she liked to drive.

As soon as they walked into the restaurant a waitress came to seat them. "Well if it isn't Scott Ward!" She was tiny with dark hair and brown eyes. She couldn't have been over five feet.

Savannah looked at Scott. Would they never be able to go anywhere without running into one of his former girlfriends? He'd certainly made it sound like he'd dated very little, but it didn't seem that way when they were out and about.

Scott grinned, hugging the girl. "Ashley, this is my wife, Savannah. Savannah, this is Ashley. She used to date Jake back when we were in high school."

Savannah smiled. "It's nice to meet you. Were you in their class at King High as well?"

Ashley shook her head adamantly. "No way. I went to Pinkston. I wasn't supposed to date Jake, because we were rivals, but I did anyway." She picked up two menus. "Booth okay?"

"Yeah, booth is great," Scott responded, following the petite brunette through the restaurant.

Once they were seated she pulled out her notepad. "What do you want to drink?"

"Just water for me," Savannah told her.

"I'll have root beer." Scott smiled at the waitress. "I can't wait to tell Jake I saw you here."

She smiled. "Don't tell my husband, but I still have a soft spot for Jake. Tell him to come see me." She winked at Scott, and it was all Savannah could do not to roll her eyes.

Scott laughed. "That's why you dumped him for Bob, right?"

Ashley laughed. "Exactly."

She hurried off to get their drink orders while Scott focused on the menu. "They have good fried chicken here." He refused to eat beef. He didn't like it nearly as well, so if he went somewhere that didn't serve bison, he usually ate chicken.

Savannah looked over the menu. "How's the baked potato soup?"

He shrugged. "I'm not much of a soup eater, but I've heard it's good."

Soup was one of Savannah's favorite things. "I guess we won't be eating a lot of soup this winter then!"

"I can handle it occasionally, but not more than once a week." Did she like soup that much? How could anyone like soup that much?

Ashley brought their drinks back. "Do you know what you want?" She pulled her notepad out of the pocket of her apron.

"Is the baked potato soup good?" Savannah asked.

"Oh, it's really good. One of my favorite things on the menu."

Scott made a face. "Is soup a girl thing?"

Savannah ignored his question. "I'll have the soup and a BLT please."

"You still serving breakfast?" he asked.

"I can make anything on the menu happen for you. What are you thinking about?"

"I want a ham and cheese omelet. Heavy on the cheese." He handed his menu back.

"I'll make it happen. White or wheat toast?"

"White." He waited until she walked off before turning his attention back to Savannah. "How'd the interview go?"

"I think it went really well. I didn't realize I was only applying for one semester, though. The current teacher is out on maternity leave." She was sure he'd like the idea, but she wasn't certain about whether it was what she wanted.

"Well, then you can see how you feel about teaching while you're married. We can decide how it works for us. I think a one semester trial is brilliant."

"What if I decide I want to keep teaching? How would you feel then?"

He shrugged. "I really don't know. As much as I don't like the idea of you working, I do want you to be happy. Let's try this out."

"I could always sub for the second semester. Because they're short term assignments, you might like it better." They had to be able to come up with something that would please both of them.

He nodded. "Take this if you get it, and it's what you want to do. I'm fine with you subbing, but we'll have to make sure you have a vehicle with GPS." A thought occurred to him for the first time. "We're going to need to get you something to drive once you have your license. I need my truck close to home, because I often have to run to pick something up that we didn't know we needed." He took her hand in his. "Any dream cars?"

She laughed and shook her head. "I'd never been behind the wheel of a car before last week. How could I have a dream car?" She'd take anything with wheels at that point, but she didn't want to tell him that. There was no telling what he'd come up with for her.

"I had a dream car when I was five. How could you not have a dream car?"

Not for the first time, Savannah wondered at the wisdom of putting the two of them together. She enjoyed being with Scott for the most part, but they were total opposites in so many ways. "Well, then you can pick out your dream car for me."

He shook his head. "My dream car is a Camaro. With your propensity to drive too fast, we'd go broke with speeding tickets. I think a min-van would be better for you. Or maybe an SUV."

She shrugged, not certain she knew a mini-van from a Camaro. Cars had never interested her in any way. "Okay. Whatever you think is best."

"With a mini-van you won't need to get a new car when we start having children."

She wondered, not for the first time, if he'd even wanted a wife. He seemed more interested in a housekeeper who would also bear his children and take care of them, while cooking every meal. "Sounds fine."

Scott frowned. He was working hard to try to find ways to court her, but she was resistant. She had said nothing about the bouquet of dandelions he'd worked so hard to arrange for their table. Maybe a gift was in order? He hadn't gotten her a real gift yet.

"Do you want to stop at the jewelry store on the way home? You could pick out an engagement ring."

She shook her head. "I don't need an engagement ring. Besides, that's something a man picks out and gives to the woman he wants to marry before he proposes. Not after they're married." Didn't he understand picking out her own ring wouldn't be romantic at all? If he brought one home and just gave it to her, that would be a great deal more romantic.

He frowned. "Well, I want to do something special while we're courting. I thought a nice gift would be good."

"A gift is something you pick out. Not something you have me choose." She knew she was being critical, but he needed to show some initiative for these things.

He frowned. "I'm not so good at this courting thing." Couldn't she see he was doing everything he could to make her happy?

"I'm sorry. I'm not making things easy for you, am I? Why don't I plan a date for this evening?" She could serve dinner by candlelight, and have some music ready on her iPod. She'd set up the speakers and they could dance in the living room. She loved the idea of dancing barefoot with her husband in that huge living room. Maybe she needed to teach him how to do romantic things.

He tilted his head to one side. "If I let you plan it, do I still get courting points for playing along?"

She laughed, the sound filling the restaurant. "Are we keeping score?"

He shrugged. "Not really, but I did say I'd court you, and I want you to be happy."

"If I plan our 'date' it'll be something I want to do with you. Playing along would make me very happy."

He nodded. "Then I can do that."

The waitress set their food in front of them, seeming to want to linger for a moment. "So when did you get married? I heard something about it, but no real details." She sighed. "News just doesn't travel between here and King as fast as I'd like."

Savannah smiled at Ashley. "We got married ten days ago. I still feel like we're on our honeymoon."

Ashley smiled. "Your accent tells me you're not from around here."

"New York City, born and raised."

"Really? Have you ever been to a Broadway show? It's always been my dream to go to a Broadway show."

Savannah nodded. "My mom and I went at least every other month."

"Wow. I would love to go to New York just once." Ashley sighed. "Hey, if you ever want to go back without Scott, let me know. It would be a really fun place to go for a girl trip!"

Savannah shrugged. "I'll think about it. Of course, I don't see traveling without my husband in my immediate future. Married for ten days?"

Ashley laughed. "I can take a hint. Just don't smooch at the table. This place is family friendly!" She wandered off with her tray.

"Is there anyone you don't know around here?" Savannah wasn't sure if she should be amused or exasperated by running into women he knew every time she turned around.

He shrugged. "Not a lot. I've lived here my whole life. Didn't you run into people you knew in New York all the time?"

"Not at all. I mean, occasionally, but with a city that size, everyone does not know everyone else."

"How sad."

"Sad?" She'd never thought of it as sad. Sometimes it was nice to be lost in a room full of strangers. She didn't have to worry about anything, because they were all strangers she'd never see again anyway.

"I think so. How do you have a sense of community when everyone doesn't know everyone else?" He just couldn't imagine constantly being surrounded by strangers.

"Have you ever gone to a big church?" she asked.

He nodded, not sure why she'd asked that. "I did in college."

"Then you know that the sense of community in a big church is how you plug into small groups. Like you hook up with a home group or a Sunday school class." She waited for his nod. "It's the same in New York. I was part of a teaching community at my school. I knew all the parents of all my students. I was part of my church. I was part of a group of people who lived in the same building, and we'd all end up at the same laundry mat. Things like that."

"It can't be the same."

"I haven't been here long enough to know that for sure, but no, I don't think it is the same. But neither way is right or wrong. Just different." She took a bite of her soup and smiled. "Do you want to try this?" She wanted to turn him into a soup lover, so she could make soup whenever she wanted.

He shook his head adamantly. "No thank you!"

*****

For supper that night, Savannah arranged the table just how she wanted it, and put candles in the middle. She'd shut off the lights so they could eat by candlelight. She had put candles all over the living room, so they could dance in the dim lights. She loved the idea of eating, and then dancing, and then maybe going out and sitting on the porch for a bit, but she wasn't going to try to plan anything perfectly. If she did, Scott would just find some way to change things, and she didn't want to get frustrated with him.

When Scott walked into the dining room after showering that night, he immediately flipped the lights on. "I like to be able to see what I'm eating."

Savannah walked to him and kissed him, instead of shouting at him like she wanted to do. "Take a good look at it then, because we're about to turn the lights back off. Part of the date I've arranged includes eating by candlelight."

He shrugged, looking at the meal. "What is it?" he asked.

"It's a shepherd's pie. Don't worry, I made it with bison meat. I won't taint you by forcing you to eat beef." If there was one thing she'd learned quickly about Scott, it was that he refused to eat anything beef. He would avoid red meat altogether if he had to.

He shrugged and turned the light back off. He'd never eaten a shepherd's pie, but it looked good, so he wouldn't complain. If she wanted to eat in the dark, he wasn't going to try to stop her. He wasn't sure why it was romantic to not be able to see your food, though.

Throughout the meal, Scott felt like he should whisper because the lights were off, but at least the food was good. He had three servings before he was done. "I like shepherd's pie."

"I'm glad." She got up to put the dishes in the sink and run water over them so the food wouldn't get caked on. "I'll meet you in the living room."

Scott stood to go into the living room, wondering what the next phase of their 'date' would be. He looked around the living room with a frown. She'd pushed all the furniture against the walls and her iPod was on top of the coffee table. All the lights in there were off too. What did she have against electricity?

Savannah walked into the room and watched Scott stare around him in astonishment. Her husband had to be the most clueless man to ever walk the face of the earth. She hurried around with the lighter in her hand and lit each of the candles until the room was filled with the soft romantic glow of candlelight.

When she was finished, she set the lighter down and started the music on her iPod, smiling as the strains of one of her favorite love songs filled the room. She walked to Scott and smiled. "Dance with me?"

His eyes widened and he stared at her with shock. "Dance? I've never...I don't know how to dance."

"I'm not looking for fancy footsteps. Just slow dance with me." She took one step closer and put her left hand on his shoulder while she took his with her right. "It's just swaying to the music."

Scott had never felt quite so big or so clumsy. He was afraid he'd break her toes by stepping on them. Why was she barefoot? Didn't she know she needed steel toed boots for this? "I can't be held responsible for broken toes," he blurted.

She laughed softly, her head on his shoulder. "You're not going to break my toes. Just dance with me."

He held her close, but his mind was formulating a plan. If he never lifted his feet, he couldn't step on her, so he'd just sway back and forth. She'd never notice. Would she?

Savannah chose to ignore the fact that Scott never really moved. She just enjoyed being held by him as they swayed to the music. After the third song, she stood on tiptoe to kiss him, showing her appreciation for his cooperation during the date night she'd planned.

As soon as she kissed him, Scott knew what to do. He opened his mouth and kissed her back, his hands going down to cup her bottom, stroking her through her shorts. He picked her up, helping her wrap her legs around his waist, and stumbled back the three feet to the couch, his hands stroking her everywhere. This was something he could understand.

Savannah moaned softly into his mouth. She'd known if she could get him to dance with her at all it would end this way. The man didn't have a romantic bone in his body, no matter how much she wished things were different. It just wasn't in him.

Chapter Seven

Scott sat atop his horse watching his men as they rebuilt the fence the bison had knocked down, carefully stringing some electric wire. The bison were proving stubborn about staying on his land, so they needed electric fences to keep them in.

Jesse rode up beside him. "Things seem to be going better with that new wife of yours."

Scott shrugged. "Sometimes I think so, and sometimes I don't. I agreed to woo her...you know, act like we're courting but still keep bed privileges, 'cuz I'm not giving up bed privileges." He cleared his throat realizing he really shouldn't have said that. "Anyway, I can't seem to do anything right in her eyes. I took her flowers, and she never even said 'thank you!'"

"Really?" Jesse asked skeptically. He'd known Scott his whole life. "What kind of flowers?"

"Well, they were dandelions, but I arranged them really nicely!"

"You took her dandelions? What did you arrange them in? A beer bottle?"

"No! It was a root beer bottle. No alcohol involved." He wasn't that stupid when it came to women.

"Scott? You need to learn how to court a woman. You need to order her some flowers and have them delivered while you're out on the range."

"How do I know what kind to get?" Scott had never ordered flowers for a woman. How was he supposed to know how to do it?

"Call them and tell them you need an apology bouquet. They'll put something together for you."

Scott sighed. "What else can I do?"

"Why don't you buy her a nice gift? Something you think she'll really use. Frivolous is nice, and the flowers cover that, but sometimes women like to receive stuff they can use too."

Scott's eyes lit up. "I know exactly what to get her! Thanks for the advice, Jesse!"

Jesse opened his mouth to ask what the gift was but obviously thought better of it. "Just treat her kindly. Take her dancing."

"We danced in the living room last night. She shut off all the lights, lit candles, and shoved the furniture against the walls. I was afraid to lift my feet for fear I'd stomp on her!"

Jesse shook his head. "Boy, you need to go home and get on that computer of yours, and look up books on how to court a woman. You are clueless, and we can't spend the whole workday with me coaching you on what to say to your wife. Our bull bison are better at courting the cows than you are at courting your wife. You'd think you'd know what to do by now."

"How could I? I've never had a wife before!"

"There's a reason for that, boy. I promise." He sighed. "Only way you'd ever get a woman to agree to marry you is if she didn't talk to you first."

Scott made a face. He wanted to argue, but he knew the other man was right.

*****

Two days later, after she'd finished the lunch dishes, Savannah settled down in Scott's office to see if any new teaching jobs had been posted for the area. The problem was the area was so small that there really weren't many jobs of any kind unless you wanted to ranch.

There was a knock at the front door, and she jumped to her feet. It was the first visitor they'd had since she arrived. Who could be there? It was too late in the day for Jehovah's Witnesses, but much too early for Mormons. She didn't know of anyone else who would just stop by during the day.

When she got to the door, she was surprised to see a delivery truck with a flower bouquet on the side, and a young man holding a bouquet of flowers. "Are you Mrs. Ward?" he asked.

She nodded. "Yes, I am." She was confused. Her husband didn't know how to send flowers the real way. Who could they be from?

She took them and thanked him. "Give me just a moment, and I'll get a tip for you."

"No, that's all right, ma'am. The tip was paid already."

"Oh, well thank you." She took them in and shut the door, setting the vase full of beautiful roses on the counter. She took the card and closed her eyes, shaking her head after she read it. Her husband did not have the makings of a poet. "Violets are blue; Roses are red; Hope this works To get you into my bed -- Scott."

She couldn't help but laugh. The man was so clueless it was almost funny.

*****

When Scott got home, he noticed the flowers on the counter. He walked into the kitchen and hugged Savannah from behind. "You got my flowers."

"Yes, they're beautiful. Thank you." She turned and kissed him sweetly. "Did you write the poem yourself?"

He nodded. "I could give Shakespeare a run for his money, couldn't I?" He winked at her, a grin covering his face.

"Sure," she said uncertainly. "May I give a bit of advice, though?"

"I guess."

"Don't quit your day job."

He made a face. "I tried."

"You did, and I really appreciate it. The flowers are lovely." She picked up the bowl of mashed potatoes she'd just finished mixing. "If you'll carry these to the table, I'll get the rest."

He carried the bowl to the table before running back to wash his hands and face. His mother may not have taught him to be a ladies' man, but she had made sure that he knew to always wash his hands and face before a meal.

After dinner, they were sitting together on the back porch watching the sunset. It was Savannah's favorite time of day. "I got a call from Principal Moore today."

"You did?" He didn't want her to get the job, but he did. That job was only for one semester, and he didn't want her to make a full year's commitment. He hated feeling so conflicted.

"I did. He offered me the job for the fall semester. The pay was a little higher than I expected, probably because he realizes that not many would want to commit for just half the school year."

"Did you accept it?" He held his breath as he waited for her answer. He didn't know if he wanted the answer to be yes or no.

"Yes, I did. I thought it was a good compromise for us." She turned to him fully, sitting sideways on the swing. "I'll need to go in for an orientation next week."

He nodded. "That's fine. What day?" He'd have to drive her, so he needed to rearrange his schedule.

"Thursday. If I can, it would be nice to have my license by then. That way you won't have to always drive me." She watched his face as she suggested driving herself, hoping he'd be agreeable.

"We'll go Monday for your road test. You're ready." He was reluctant to give her the freedom the license would bring, but he had no idea why.

She smiled, her face lighting up. "I was hoping you'd say that."

"We'll go car shopping then too." He cupped her cheek in one hand, kissing her softly. "Congratulations on the job." However mixed his feelings were about the subject, she'd worked hard for her degree, and she'd interviewed well. She deserved to be congratulated.

She knew how hard it must be for him to say that to her. "Thank you. I'll still do my best to have dinner ready every night." She sucked in a breath, trying to find the best way to ask the question that was on her mind. "How would you feel if we brought back the housekeeper you used before we married? Just for the school year? It would be one less thing for me to worry about."

He frowned, hating the idea. His mother had done everything around the house for as long as he could remember. He had to keep telling himself that she wasn't his mother, though. She'd been raised differently. Finally he nodded. "I think we'll need to."

Savannah moved into his arms, hugging him tightly. "Thank you." She could tell it was against his nature to agree, but she was glad when he did.

He kissed the top of her head. "You're welcome."

After they'd gone back inside, he remembered the gift he'd planned to give her. Flipping off the light switch, he said, "I have a surprise for you. I'll bring it upstairs."

She nodded and smiled. Someone must be giving him husband lessons. Two gifts in one day? Who was this man?

She went into the bedroom and changed into a light nightgown. It was green with spaghetti straps and the hem came to mid-thigh. Perfect for wearing in the summer. She slipped into bed, pulling the covers up under her arms. Even after almost two weeks of marriage, she was shy with him. It was hard to let go of the taboos that were still in her mind about men seeing her body.

Scott walked into the room with a big grin on his face, carrying a box wrapped in Christmas paper. She could see the paper had been dusty, but he'd wiped it off with his hand.

He put the gift on the bed in front of her, and her first thought was that she'd have to wash all the bedding the next day. It was due, though, so she bit her tongue. She carefully tore the paper off the box, wondering who the gift had really been for.

When she opened it, she found something she'd wanted, but seeing it made her angry. It was a beautiful new KitchenAid mixer. It had everything for making gourmet meals from scratch. Remembering their fight, all she could think was that he was trying to force her to cook for him. She couldn't say that to him, though. It was an expensive gift.

"Thank you," she said softly, not wanting to seem ungrateful. "Who was the gift originally for?"

"My mother. She died right before Christmas, and I'd already wrapped it." He watched her face for the excitement he expected and was disappointed when it seemed to make her sad.

"I'll use it." She pushed the wrapping to the floor and set the gift beside it. She didn't know what else to say. He'd acted like he had a special gift for her, but it was covered in dust and meant for his dead mother? Really?

She slipped under the covers and closed her eyes. How could she possibly voice her regrets? She fought to keep the tears inside, hoping that someday he'd understand how to make her feel good.

Scott couldn't figure out what her problem was. He'd given her a nice gift. It was something his mother had specifically asked for, and he knew she liked to cook. What had he done wrong now?

*****

Savannah was cold to him the following morning, and Scott was still uncertain what he'd done wrong. Finally, halfway through his eggs and bacon, he just asked. "What did I do wrong?" He'd never know how to do things right if she didn't tell him what he'd done wrong.

She sighed. "You didn't do anything wrong. You just kind of hurt my feelings." It was the simplest way to put it. She hoped he wouldn't press her on it, because she was certain she'd make him mad.

"How? I really don't understand. I was trying to make you happy by giving you a nice gift. It was something my mother had specifically asked for, so I know it was a good gift."

"It was a good gift, if it had been given differently." She struggled to find the words to explain something that she really felt like he should already know. "When you told me you had something for me, I got excited. I thought you had found something just for me that was special. What you had was a Christmas gift you had purchased for your mother, before you knew I existed, and you were recycling it." She shook her head. "If you had told me something like, 'I got my mom a gift right before she died, and I think you might be able to use it,' it would have been different. Even if you'd wrapped it in new paper, I probably wouldn't have known the difference. But we had a fight about me cooking very recently, and you gave me a cooking appliance that wasn't really intended for me in the first place and still had dust on it. How is that supposed to make me feel?"

He looked down at his hands, feeling badly. "I had no idea it would upset you. Really."

"I know, and that makes me feel like I'm doing something wrong for getting upset about it, but truly? I feel like you aren't trying to get to know me at all. Like you're pigeonholing me with every other woman you've ever met. What do you really know about me? You know I'm your wife, but what do you know about Savannah? I existed before we met, you know." She knew she was pushing too far with her words, but she couldn't seem to stop herself. He had to understand how he was making her feel.

Scott felt a burst of anger. He'd tried hard to get to know her, and felt like he was doing better every day. Why would she criticize him like that? "Is there something wrong? Are you feeling PMS coming on? 'Cuz I can clear out now if I need to!"

"PMS? Really? No, I'm not feeling PMS unless PMS stands for prepubescent male stupidity!" She got up and started clearing the table, smashing things together harder than she should have. She took his plate and scraped what was left into the trash can.

"Hey! I wasn't done eating that!"

"You are now!"

She put his plate into the dishwasher and turned on the garbage disposal. There was nothing in there; she just wanted to drown out the sound of his voice for a moment. When she finally stopped it, she turned, and he was gone. It was a good thing, because she wasn't certain she could have refrained from throwing something. What a way to start a marriage!

After she'd finished the breakfast dishes, she picked up her cell phone. It was much too early to be calling Dr. Simpson, but maybe she wouldn't have any patients with her yet.

"This is Dr. Lachele Simpson."

"Please tell me you make house calls!"

The laughter from the other end of the line made Savannah consider homicide. For all she knew, the good doctor had already hired a body guard.

"Oh, Savannah. You're doing so much better than you were the last time you called. I can tell just by the tone of your voice. Last time you were really ready to leave him. This time, you're just exasperated with him. What did he say? Men say some of the most asinine things, don't they?" The doctor's voice was calm and soothing, and it just made Savannah angrier.

"He asked me if I had PMS when I was explaining very politely why it's not okay to give your wife a gift you bought for your dead mother! It still had dust on it!"

Dr. Simpson burst out laughing, and it didn't sound like she'd ever stop. "Oh my word! He didn't!"

"He did! I thought you screened him!"

The laughter stopped. "I will fly out this weekend if you really think you need me, but I think you two can make this work without my intervention. Just remember, you both have the same goal in mind. You want to make the marriage work. You both want children. Everything he does is just what I like to call 'dumb man syndrome.' Once he learns how you want him to treat you, things will get better."

"I hope so! I'm trying...really I am."

"I know you are." Dr. Simpson sighed. "Let me know by Thursday if you need me to fly out for the weekend, and I will."

"Thank you. I think I just needed to say something to someone. I don't have any girlfriends out here yet. I don't dare call my mother, because she's waiting for a call to come identify my body..." Savannah let her voice trail off, knowing she sounded overly dramatic, but her mother really was certain Scott was going to kill her at any moment.

The laughter came rolling over the phone line. "Go take a shower. Or a long hot bath. Have you considered investing in a hot tub? Water is so calming..."

"That's a good idea. Maybe I'll tell Scott I won't kill him if he'll just get me something to calm my nerves. You know, like a hot tub, a week alone on an island in the South Pacific, or even valium would work! I'd take valium!"

"You have a good day. Keep your sense of humor about the things he does. Imagine what it would have been like for a fly on the wall watching him give you that gift."

Savannah sighed. "Don't remind me of the gift." She put soap into the dishwasher and closed it. "Thanks for talking to me, Dr. Simpson. I feel much better."

Savannah did the laundry while dancing to music on her iPod. She was determined to not only stay content in her marriage but to not let her husband drive her crazy. He really was a good man, and she enjoyed being with him...most of the time.

*****

Scott waited until the men were out of earshot before he talked to Jesse. "I can't figure out what I did wrong! I did what you said and gave her a nice gift."

"What did you give her?"

"A really nice electric mixer!" Scott said, throwing up one hand while he kept hold of his gelding's reins with the other. "Why wouldn't she be happy with that?"

Jesse made a face. "Didn't you tell me you two had a fight just last week about how she thought she should be able to go to work, and you said she should stay home and cook?"

Scott nodded. "Yeah. So?"

"So why would you get her a kitchen appliance after having that fight? Have you lost your ever loving mind?"

Scott frowned, recognizing the wisdom in the older man's words. "Well, I didn't think of that. I just wanted to give her something nice, and I had that gift all wrapped in the closet already."

Jesse stopped his horse. "Why did you already have the gift wrapped in the closet?"

"I got it for my mom for Christmas right before she died. There was no reason to waste it." He knew Jesse was a frugal man, so he'd understand.

Jesse closed his eyes, pinching the top of his nose as if to ward off a headache. "Please tell me it wasn't wrapped in Christmas paper."

"Well..."

"Did you tell her it was for your dead mother?" Jesse's voice was a near yell by that point.

"I couldn't lie to her," Scott felt more stupid by the moment. Savannah had tried to explain the problem very calmly, and she'd made no sense to him. Jesse, on the other hand, was coming through loud and clear. "I probably shouldn't have asked her if she was getting PMS when she got mad at me about it either, huh?"

"Okay, boy, did you buy that book I suggested?"

Scott shook his head. "Not yet."

"Here's what I think you should do. First, call that doctor lady that set you two up. Did she realize how hopeless you were?" Jesse asked.

Scott frowned. "I don't mean to be hopeless. I really thought she'd like it."

Jesse shook his head. "I worry about you sometimes, but then I remember your dad was just as clueless when he first married. Your mom left him for a month once."

"She didn't!" He'd always thought of his parents as the happiest couple alive.

"She got sick and tired of your dad's cluelessness." Jesse shrugged. "That doesn't matter now, though. Here's what I think you need to do. Call that doctor lady and ask for advice. Ask her what she thinks you should get Savannah as a gift. Whatever she says, you do it. Exactly. And then you buy her flowers and chocolate. Like a whole vat of chocolate. But find out first if she likes milk chocolate or dark chocolate. Nuts or no nuts. Those things are important to women."

"So you want me to call Lachele Simpson to find out what kind of gift to get my wife, and then find out if she prefers dark or milk chocolate? And if she likes her chocolate with nuts or without? And then buy her flowers and chocolates and whatever gift Lachele wants me to get her?" It sounded like a lot to him, but he'd do it. He didn't want to lose his wife, even for a month. Sometimes he wished she understood him better, but he was falling in love with her, and didn't want to be away from her.

"Yes. And then you need to pray as hard as you can pray, because most women would have not only left you by now, they'd have come after you with a frying pan first." Jesse kicked his horse to get him moving again. "And whatever you do? Don't buy her exercise equipment, a vacuum cleaner, or answer the question, 'Do I look fat in this?' This is important. Are you listening to me?"

Scott nodded, taking mental notes. "I promise. I won't ever do any of that. I'm not stupid."

"You're not exactly proving that with your actions lately."

Scott sighed dramatically. "I guess I'm not. I'll make the call and see what I can do."

*****

Savannah took a long hot bath just before Scott came home for dinner. Dr. Simpson told her it was calming, and she knew that the calmer she was when Scott got home, the better their evening would be. She was determined not to throw anything at him and to pretend he had done nothing wrong.

She was putting supper on the table when he walked in. Instead of giving him the cold shoulder, which was what she really wanted to do, she walked to him and kissed him. "Did you have a good day?"

He was surprised at her show of affection, but not one to pass up an opportunity, he dipped her over his arm and kissed her passionately. "Day was good, except I kept worrying about my beautiful wife. I miss you when I'm not with you."

She looked at him with surprise. It was the first time he'd indicated any feelings for her other than passion. She liked it. "I'm glad you're home," she said simply, and she found she meant it. She wanted to make him happy, and she knew he wanted to make her happy. He just had no clue how to go about it.

After dinner, while they sat on the back porch as they did most nights, he asked, "Do you like chocolate?"

If she was surprised by the question, she didn't give any indication. "Yes, I'm alive, therefore I like chocolate." What woman didn't like chocolate? And if he was going to get her chocolate to make up for being clueless? She'd take it.

"Dark or milk?" he asked without missing a beat.

"Milk, of course. Dark is too bitter in my opinion."

"Nuts or no nuts?"

"Why would anyone ruin good chocolate by putting nuts in it? Now, if you want to add caramel, I'm all over that." She looked up at him from where her cheek rested on his shoulder. "Why do you ask?"

"I was thinking about getting you a vat of chocolate to swim around in to make up for my stupidity."

She laughed. "You're not stupid. You're just—we'll call it relationally challenged."

He stroked her back. "That sounds much nicer than stupid. I accept!"

She smiled. "Is this your way of apologizing?"

"Nope. It's just declaring my intent to apologize for being relationally challenged."

"Oh?"

"That's all I'm telling you for now." He kissed her forehead. "Want to go take your driver's test in the morning? I think you're ready."

"I'd like that a lot." She hated having to wait for him to do every little thing. Grocery shopping alone sounded like pure bliss at that point.

"And after we'll go car shopping."

She had looked up sports cars online, intending to make him a little crazy. "Does this mean you're going to buy me a Jaguar or a Porsche? I'd take either one."

He shook his head. "How about we get your license, and then we test drive a couple of cars? I'd like to see you in an SUV or a mini-van. Both would be great when the kids come."

Secretly she agreed with his assessment of the best car for her, but she wanted to try to push his buttons. "But the Jaguar has such sleek lines. Think of how fast I could go with a Jaguar!"

"Absolutely not. I've seen what you can do in my pick-up. A sports car is not in your future, dear wife."

She pouted. "May I at least test drive one? See how fast it can go?"

"No! Absolutely not!" He looked at her with alarm. "You don't want to lose your license the day you get it!"

"Do I get to at least have some say in the color of my car?"

He thought about that for a minute. "Anything but red. I think red would inspire you to go faster."

"Well that's silly, but since I don't particularly like red, I don't care." She was very excited at the prospect of taking her driving test. "Do you really think I'm ready to get my license?"

He nodded. "I know you've practiced around the ranch every day. When we've driven on the roads you've had no problems. Yeah, I think you're going to do great." He leaned down and kissed her softly. "After you pass, we'll pick out a car. I'll even take you out to lunch."

"I get to eat someone's cooking other than my own? That sounds so awesome!"

Scott sighed. "Married for less than a month and already you're complaining about cooking. What are you going to be like in a year?"

Savannah grinned. "I'll be cooking every night just like I do now, but I might be complaining about it a bit more." She stood up and took his hand, pulling him up from the swing. "Seriously, I like to cook, and I enjoy cooking for you. I just like a break on occasion." She pulled him back into the house through the kitchen and toward the stairs.

"Where are we going?" he asked.

"Bed."

He grinned. "I was hoping you'd say that."
Chapter Eight

After Savannah passed her test the following day, they stopped to eat lunch before going car shopping. For once the person seating them didn't immediately start talking to Scott as if they'd known him all his life.

Once they were seated, Savannah leaned forward, a perplexed look on her face. "Is everything all right?"

Scott frowned. "What do you mean?"

"You didn't know the girl who seated us! I thought you knew everyone in the entire state of Montana."

He chuckled. "I guess I missed that girl. She must be new to the area."

Savannah kicked him under the table.

"Ouch! What was that for?"

"You could have said something like, 'I've seen her around, but never really noticed her, because I was saving my heart for you.'"

"Like you would believe a line like that. You're an intelligent woman. You know a girl like her wouldn't have looked twice at a clod like me." He wound his fingers through hers as he looked over his menu.

"You really can be a clod, Scott Ward. I'm starting to like you anyway."

"When I'm only being a clod and not an ass you mean?" He grinned, trying to make light of all his mistakes. He knew he was a mess, but he was glad she was seeing past his errors.

"That's exactly what I mean." She looked over her menu, trying to decide what she wanted to eat. "What's good here?"

He shrugged. "I like just about everything. This is my favorite place to bring—" He stopped talking suddenly, looking like he was involved with his menu. "I really like the fried chicken. Some of the best I've ever had."

She narrowed her eyes at him. "You were about to say this is your favorite place to bring a date, weren't you?"

He sighed and nodded. "Yes, but you weren't supposed to catch on."

"What's the longest relationship you've ever been in?" she asked suddenly. She couldn't imagine any woman putting up with him for longer than a month or two.

"Three months. She was nominated for sainthood after that long."

"She needed to be," Savannah mumbled under her breath.

Scott laughed, thankful she was at least laughing about his ineptness. "I don't mean to be so stupid about women, you know. From what my foreman tells me, my dad was just as bad until my mom trained him."

"Did she use a whip or a shock collar?" Savannah asked without missing a beat.

Scott grinned, bringing her hands to his lips to kiss. "I think she just used love. It seemed to work."

"I'm getting a dog training book," she mumbled under her breath. "Couldn't hurt. Might help."

"You want a puppy to go with it?" he asked. "I love puppies."

She shook her head at him. "Not yet. I think we need a little more time to annoy each other first."

He shrugged. "Sounds good to me."

*****

Three hours later, Savannah pulled up in front of the house in her new SUV. She was thrilled with the vehicle. It had everything she could want from a navigation system to heated seats. She'd known Scott wasn't a poor man, but she'd been surprised when he'd paid for the vehicle with a check. Obviously she didn't need to work at all, but she liked the idea of continuing to teach, at least for a while.

She got out of the SUV just as he pulled up behind her. "Do you have any idea how fast you were driving?" he asked as he got out of his truck. Her speed was starting to scare him, but she always had perfect control of the vehicle.

She shrugged. "Speed limit?"

"You were doing eighty-five in a seventy!"

"Is that too fast?" she gave him an innocent look, refusing to back down from his angry stare.

"Much too fast. Your speed scares me. You're a good driver, but you're going to get in trouble when the snow comes. You're still going to think you can drive ninety miles per hour, and you're going to end up in a ditch somewhere."

She stepped forward and put her palm flat on his chest, her eyes wide as they looked up at him. "And you'll come and get me out, right?"

He groaned. "Yes, I'll come get you out, but I'd really rather you didn't end up in a ditch to begin with!"

She shrugged. "Me too, but if it happens, it happens." She walked toward the house. "What do you want for dinner?" she called back as she walked.

He shook his head. She had to be the most exasperating, beautiful, hard headed, sexy woman he'd ever met. Sometimes he wanted to fly to New York and hug Lachele Simpson thanking her for the wonderful match, and sometimes he wanted to fly out there and wring her neck. "Food!" he answered, heading for the stable. He'd wasted too much of his work day playing with his wife already.

Savannah was chuckling to herself as she walked into the house. He made her crazy at times, but he was a good man at heart. How could she complain?

*****

Savannah was exhausted as she drove home after her orientation with the Pinkston School District. She liked the teachers she'd work with, but it felt strange to be at a new school. She'd be teaching world history two periods per day and English four periods. The only PE teacher taught history two periods per day as well, and that covered all of the history needed by the school.

She was surprised to learn there was only one class per grade in both history and English. There was no separation into honors classes at all. She'd teach all four levels of English, which didn't bother her. She had been given the list of books to be taught, and the kind teacher she was taking the place of, Mrs. Childers, had even provided her usual lesson plans for the semester.

Mrs. Childers had been there to meet her that morning, and the two had some time to talk. The other woman was hugely pregnant.

"When are you due?" Savannah had asked.

"September fifteenth."

Savannah had eyed the other woman's stomach skeptically. "You're only seven months along? There's no way!"

Mrs. Childers had laughed, placing her hand on the beach ball that doubled as her abdomen. "Twins. They run in my family, and I've been blessed with them."

Savannah had grinned. "Are you healthy?"

"Oh yes. I wanted the whole semester off because I'll be nursing, and I want to bond with my babies. I also thought it would be easier for the students not to have to switch teachers mid-way through the semester." She shrugged, leaning forward and whispering, "Plus, I could really use a little time off after teaching for ten years."

"I can handle it. I've been teaching for five years."

"I hear you married Scott Ward. He's a good man."

Savannah nodded. "A bit clueless, but good." Was there anyone in the area who didn't know she'd married Scott?

"I've heard that as well. He's thought of very highly in this area. Tends to do a lot for people and the community as a whole. You married a good man."

"Thank you for saying that. I think so, but it's always good to hear." Savannah had been pleased with the conversation, wondering what Scott had done for the community that he hadn't told her about. If he wasn't bragging about the things he did, then he was a better man than she'd realized.

They were slowly getting to know one another, uncovering hidden nuances every day. He still made her crazy, but she was growing more and more used to his Neanderthal ways.

She pulled up in front of the house, noting there was a truck there that she didn't recognize. Did Scott have friends over? She wandered into the house and found him in the kitchen. He looked at her with surprise. "I didn't expect you yet!"

She looked at the clock. "It's after four."

"I guess I was thinking a full workday, so you wouldn't be here 'til five-thirty or so."

She shrugged. "For a teacher a full workday is eight to three." She walked up behind him and hugged him, resting her chin on his shoulder. "What are you cooking?"

"The only thing I know how to cook. Bison steaks and baked potatoes." He hated cooking, and had to think about every little thing he did. He needed to get her out of the kitchen so she'd stop distracting him.

"Thank you for going to so much work for me. I was planning on cooking when I got home."

"Tonight's on me." He put the foil wrapped potatoes in the oven and then turned to her, hugging her close. "It was strange not having you here today. Even though I'm usually out on the range, I like knowing that you're in the house waiting for me."

She smiled. He was saying sweeter things every day now. Who would have thought he could have figured out something that nice to say even two weeks before? It was so much better than complaining that she had been off working when he didn't want her to. "What's the truck out front?" she asked.

"It's a surprise." He pointed to the stairs. "Why don't you go straight upstairs and get changed into something more comfortable. Dinner will be ready in an hour."

"I can finish dinner," she offered, hating the idea of keeping him from what he needed to do.

"No. You go on. I was planning on having everything ready when you got home. Since I didn't, you have to wait upstairs."

"Everything?"

"No questions." He put his hand in the middle of her back and steered her toward the stairs. "I'll call you when you can come down."

Savannah didn't need to be told twice. She was tired, and a nap sounded wonderful. She went up the stairs and changed into shorts and a tee shirt before climbing into bed. She was asleep within moments.

*****

Scott took longer than he'd expected to finish dinner. He'd never actually made a salad before, and he wasn't sure how small to make the pieces of lettuce, so he watched a YouTube video to figure it out. One video led to another and it was thirty minutes later before he headed back to the kitchen to finish making the meal.

When he was finished, he looked around the dining room one last time. It was ready. He just hoped Savannah appreciated all the work he'd gone through to make the evening special for her. He wanted her to understand that she was special to him, even though he was terrible at showing it.

He went up the stairs and found her in bed sound asleep. He'd expected her to be reading or something, as that seemed to be her recreational activity of choice. He sat beside her on the bed, shaking her awake. "Savannah. Wake up."

Savannah woke up slowly, surprised to see at Scott looming over her. "Is it morning already?"

He chuckled. "It's supper time. I just finished cooking. Are you hungry?"

She nodded, sitting up slowly. "I am. They brought in pizza for all the teachers today, but that was a long time ago." She glanced at the clock on the nightstand before swinging her feet to the floor. "Thank you for taking care of dinner tonight. The first couple of days back to work are always exhausting."

He frowned, not liking the idea of anything making her so tired, but he bit his tongue. He wasn't going to tell her she couldn't work when he knew it meant so much to her. He may be slow at learning these things, but he did learn.

Savannah followed him down the stairs, surprised at what she saw. He'd set candles on the table and lit them. "Candles? You like to see what you eat."

"And you like to eat by candlelight because it's more romantic." He pulled her chair out for her. He brought her a plate from the kitchen with a steak and a baked potato on it. "Medium well, just like you like it."

She smiled, pleased that he'd remembered. "It looks delicious," she said as she cut open her baked potato and added butter and cheese. She was surprised to see a salad there as well, but he'd obviously gone all out.

While they ate, he asked about her day. "Are you going to get to teach any of the Shakespeare plays you like?"

She shook her head. "No, it'll be the same plays I usually teach. I do get to teach Cyrano de Bergerac to my sophomore class though, and that's a favorite of mine."

"Isn't that the guy with the big nose?" he asked.

Savannah sighed. That's what everyone asked when she mentioned the play. "It's so much more than that. There was a good version done in the early nineties with Gerard Depardieu. It was in French, so you have to read subtitles, but it's worth it."

He shrugged. "Are there any English versions?"

"Just one, but it's an old black and white, and not very good. The Depardieu version is so much better!" She knew he'd never agree to see a movie with subtitles, but she wasn't afraid to talk about how good she thought it was. She would talk about Cyrano de Bergerac all day if she could find someone willing to listen.

"Are you teaching anything else you're excited about?"

She smiled, taking his change in subject without offense. "I'm teaching world history, first half to one grade and second half to another. Should be interesting."

"Have you taught history before?"

She shook her head. "No, but I took almost enough hours to be certified in it. I've always loved history."

He didn't say anything to that, because to him, history was just a bunch of stories about dead people. He loved science, though, and had excelled in every science class he'd ever taken, particularly biology. The knowledge had prepared him well for ranching. He had majored in management.

"So you'll be teaching just the first semester?" He needed to make sure that hadn't changed. He wanted her home.

"Yes, I'm going to take over for Mrs. Childers. She's due to have twins on September fifteenth, so she decided to take the entire semester off."

"Bethany Childers?" he asked.

"Why? Did you date her too?"

He laughed. "Nope. Not her. I dated her younger sister, though."

"Of course you did." She rolled her eyes. It seemed as if he'd dated every woman in the entire state sometimes.

After dinner, he told her to stay put, and then he cleared the table, putting the dishes in the sink and running water over them. He came back from the kitchen with a box of chocolate.

She smiled as she looked at it. They were all milk chocolate covered caramels. "You really listened to me." She jumped up and threw her arms around him. "Thank you!"

He grinned, hugging her back. He took her hand and led her toward the back door, opening it wide. When she stepped out onto the porch, she stopped, staring in astonishment. There was a brand new hot tub sitting on the porch on the opposite side from the porch swing.

"A hot tub?"

"I talked to Lachele Simpson, and she told me that water is calming for women, so if I was going to continue to act like a dumb man, I should at least get you a hot tub so you could de-stress." He shrugged.

Savannah put her hand over her mouth, trying to hold in the laughter that wanted to bubble up. "Thank you for listening to her!" She shook her head. "Are you trying to get points for being sweet?"

"I'm trying to get back the points I lost for giving you a present I bought for my dead mother and then accusing you of having PMS. I've done some dumb things with women, but I really need a dumb man award for messing that up so badly."

She did laugh then, unable to hold it in any longer. She threw her arms around him and hugged him. "Thank you! I accept."

"You accept what? The hot tub?"

"Your apology. I know I'm going to be getting a lot of them over the years, and they don't always have to be this grand." She didn't want him to think that he needed to spend thousands of dollars on her every time he made her mad.

"So the chocolates would have been enough? Jesse said I needed a big gesture for being that stupid." Scott shrugged. "Just so you forgive me, I'm happy."

She smiled and nodded. "How could I not?" She waved her hand toward the hot tub. "This is a big apology." And one she really wanted to get into.

He walked to the other side of the hot tub and picked up something hidden from her.

She smiled. Flowers. "Petunias. I love petunias." She took them from him, burying her face in the bouquet. "Thank you again." She shook her head at him.

"What? Why are you shaking your head?"

"I'm forgiving you, but lavish gifts won't always fix what's wrong between us."

"I know. I just wanted you to see that I really was sorry." He waggled his brows at her. "Wanna do some naked hot tubbing?"

She sighed. "Now I see why you apologized."

"Nah. I got that even when you were mad."

She laughed, the sound making his heart beat faster. "You are a mess, Scott Ward."

He shrugged. "That's what you like about me!"

"I'm not so sure about that." She quickly stripped and got into the hot tub, surprising him. "You didn't think I'd do it, did you?" She hadn't been sure she'd be able to do it either.

He shook his head. "Not at all. I'm not complaining though!" He followed suit, removing everything and stepping into the tub beside her. He'd thought to bring towels out and have them beside the tub, and he was thankful for his foresight then.

She sighed as she sank deeper into the water. "This is nice. I think I'll really like it in the winter."

He put his arm around her shoulders and smiled. "I finally did something right, didn't I?"

She laughed softly. "You sure did. How many people did you get advice from?"

"You don't think I could have thought of this all on my own?" He put a hand over his heart. "I'm offended! You've wounded me to the quick!"

"I know you talked to Dr. Simpson and Jesse. Who else?"

He shrugged. "Just Jake. He told me I should do it all today while you were gone, and I should cook dinner. The chocolates and flowers were Jesse's idea. The hot tub was Lachele."

She looked at him. "What was your idea?"

He pulled her onto his lap. "I'm not much of an idea man, but I did come up with the idea of luring you into the hot tub naked all on my own."

She laughed softly. "Somehow, that doesn't surprise me at all."

"See? I do have some good ideas."

She kissed him. "This is the best idea you've ever had. I'm really impressed."

"Contrary to popular belief, I'm not just a pretty face."

Savannah could do nothing but laugh in response. The man was crazy. Was it any wonder she was falling in love with him?
Chapter Nine

The last two weeks in August were teacher in-service days. Savannah was required to be at the school every day, and she worked on decorating her classroom and planning her lessons. She would go mostly by what Mrs. Childers had left for her, but there were a few modifications she'd make as she went along. She couldn't follow another teacher's lesson plans exactly.

It was Wednesday of the first week of in-service when she started feeling sick. She threw up twice before breakfast, but after some dry toast she felt better. Since she would have little contact with others, she didn't worry about being contagious and just pushed through, going to work anyway.

When the same thing happened both Thursday and Friday mornings, she stopped at a pharmacy on the way home from work for a pregnancy test. She was late, but since her cycle had never been terribly regular, she hadn't been concerned. It wasn't until the vomiting started that she worried something was wrong. Or maybe right. It really depended on how she looked at it.

She wasn't certain she was ready to be pregnant. She and Scott had just figured out how to live together without making each other crazy. They were doing much better than she'd dreamed they would be doing at this point. He still did stupid man things on a regular basis, but knowing that he cared, and that he was trying, made a big difference in her mind.

She put the test in her purse before heading into the house, not wanting him to see it if he was home for some reason. Usually he was still out on the range when she got home, but he'd surprised her a couple of times, and she didn't want him to get his hopes up until she knew for certain.

She went straight upstairs and into the bathroom, sitting on the window seat in there to read the instructions for the test. It said it could be taken at any time of day, with first thing in the morning being most accurate. She decided to give it a try anyway, and hope it came out right. If it was negative and her symptoms persisted, she could always take another.

Five minutes later, she stood staring at the test, her heart filled with hope and dread at the same time. She was pregnant. She'd wanted her husband to love her before that happened. She wanted the baby with everything inside her, but seeing the second line on the test filled her with sadness.

She went into the bedroom and cried, wishing she could feel more positive about her future.

After a few minutes, she pulled herself together. Walking into the bathroom, she looked at the test one more time. Taking a deep breath, she made the decision to do something she never thought she would. She would wait to tell Scott. She needed to know he cared for her before she told him. She would never feel secure otherwise. How could she?

*****

Scott could sense a change in Savannah that evening, and he couldn't figure out why. When he asked her about it, she just shook her head and looked teary. He didn't know how to deal with a woman's tears, so he backed off.

"How would you like to take a weekend trip to New York?" he finally asked, hoping it was just a touch of homesickness that was bothering her. "We could get tickets for Wicked."

She smiled, happy that he remembered how she felt about the musical. "That sounds nice. Can you take the time off?"

"Will it make you happy?" he asked.

She nodded. "I'd be happy to see my mom and go see a play. I want to show you New York." The idea of showing him her city excited her. She wanted to show him Broadway and Central Park.

"Then I will make the time." He hugged her close. They were on the porch swing watching the sunset. It was her favorite way to end the day. They got into the hot tub after the sun went down most nights, but for some reason, she wanted to watch the sun go down from the swing.

They planned their trip for Labor Day weekend, knowing that they would have a bit of extra time. School started the Tuesday following Labor Day, so they'd need to be back in town by Monday evening, but they would have two full days in New York with no problem.

Savannah made the arrangements for the show, and she called her mother to let her know they were coming.

Mrs. Blyton seemed reluctant to agree to spend much time with her and Scott. "I'm not sure I'll have time that weekend."

"What's going on, Mom? Don't you want to see us?" Savannah wasn't upset, but she was very surprised. Her mother had always put her first in her life, and although she'd gone overboard, this was overboard in the opposite direction.

"Do you remember Joseph Fordman from church?" her mother asked softly.

Savannah grinned. Joseph Fordman was the man she'd been hoping her mother would agree to date if she was out of the picture. "Of course, I do. He's the sweetest man I know."

"We've been seeing each other, and we have plans for that weekend. He wants to take me to a show, and we're going to do some sightseeing right here in New York. It's amazing the things he's shown me in the past two months. I've lived here my whole life and never seen them."

"I'm so happy to hear that. I've wanted you two to get together for so long."

Mrs. Blyton was silent for a moment. "I couldn't have a relationship with a man until I knew you were happily married. You are happy aren't you?"

"Yes, I am. It was hard at first, because he's—well he's a man, and he doesn't understand women at all. But he's getting better."

"I'm just glad he hasn't killed you in your sleep!"

Savannah laughed. She'd been waiting for her mother to say that to her. "If he was going to do that, I think he'd have done it long ago."

"Probably. Okay, well, we'll do dinner before your show on Saturday, but that's the only time we can work you in. You don't mind if I bring Joe, do you?" Mrs. Blyton sounded almost nervous at the idea of taking him to a family dinner.

"Not at all. I'll be happy to see him again." Savannah couldn't have been happier for her mother. "You should marry him. He's been in love with you for years."

"We're talking about it," Mrs. Blyton admitted.

"That's wonderful! I love the idea."

"I can tell. Okay, well, he's on his way, and I need to get changed for our date. I'll see you next week."

"Bye, Mom. Tell my new daddy 'hi' for me."

Mrs. Blyton laughed as she disconnected the call.

Savannah went looking for Scott, dying to tell him her news. She found him in his office, frowning at his computer. "What's wrong?" she asked, worried about his frown.

"Just having some trouble negotiating a good price for a bull I want to bring in for breeding." He grabbed her around the waist and pulled her down onto his lap. "A kiss from my wife will fix everything."

Savannah stared at him in mock dismay. "I can't kiss a man just so he'll sell you the bull you want! I'm a married woman!"

Scott laughed, pulling her down for a kiss. "You can kiss your husband and make everything better that way, though."

She smiled, happy to be with him. She was thrilled at the changes their marriage had gone through in the two months they'd been together. "I just got off the phone with my mom."

"Oh, good. Did you make plans to see her in New York?"

"She can only work us in for dinner on Saturday night. She has plans for the rest of the weekend." Savannah's eyes danced with excitement.

"Who does she have plans with?" he asked. He'd gotten the impression her mother had no real social life, so he was surprised to hear she didn't have time to see Savannah while she was in town.

"Joseph Fordman."

Scott shrugged, needing more information. "Who is Joseph Fordman?"

Savannah grinned, grabbing Scott's shoulders in her excitement. "Do you remember me telling you that there was a nice man at church who I thought my mom should date? Because he'd been in love with her for years?"

"Yeah...is that him?"

She nodded. "Yes, it is! They spend every possible moment together, and they've been talking about marriage!" She was all but bouncing up and down.

"That's wonderful! I guess you don't mind the idea of him as a step-father?"

"I wanted her to marry him fifteen years ago," she told him. "He's been in love with her for that long."

"I guess he thought she was worth waiting for." He nuzzled her neck. "Like her daughter."

"You didn't wait fifteen years for me, and don't even pretend you did." She shook her head at him.

He shrugged. "I did wait for you, because no one else was quite right."

"No one else was willing to put up with your nonsense, you mean?"

"That too. But think about this, I didn't think anyone else was worth stopping my nonsense for. I've only ever bought a hot tub for one woman, and she's sitting on my lap right now." He nuzzled her neck affectionately.

Savannah laughed at that. "Well, I hope that's the case. You can't just run around buying hot tubs for every woman you treat badly on a date. Why, half the women in Montana would have hot tubs in their yards if you'd done that."

He glared at her. "I wasn't that bad on dates."

She simply raised an eyebrow and looked at him.

"Okay, maybe I was that bad on dates, but I didn't care that I was that bad on dates until I met you. And I've gotten better. Admit it."

"You're a million times better than you were." She brushed her lips against his. "I'd have run for the hills otherwise."

He grimaced. "I'm glad you stuck it out. Lachele did a good job with us, didn't she?"

"I hate to admit it, but she did. You know, we should see her while we're there. Maybe have dinner with her and Sam. He was so sweet about giving me away."

"I'd like that. We'll have to meet up with them."

*****

By the time they left for New York the following Friday, Savannah had a loose itinerary in mind. She knew the things she wanted to show him, and she was excited to have the opportunity. The only hard thing would be hiding her morning sickness from him, but he probably wouldn't notice if she threw up on his feet. The man wasn't known for his attentiveness.

During the flight she kept thinking that she needed to tell him about the baby, but she just couldn't bring herself to do it. She needed to be more sure of him first. Hopefully this weekend would draw them closer together. They'd never had three days off in a row where neither of them had to work before.

"I want to take you to Central Park tomorrow, and I thought we could have a picnic. Okay?" she asked. She thought Central Park was one of the most romantic places in the world, and she wanted to share it with him.

He nodded. "Whatever you want to do. I'm just along for the ride. You're the one who knows the city." He didn't want to sound uncaring, but he really did want to leave it up to her.

"I talked to Mom and we're going to have dinner at an Italian place in Little Italy tomorrow. We'll have an early meal because the show starts at seven-thirty. Of course, that's going to feel like five-thirty to us." She found it strange that she'd adjusted to the new time zone so easily. Eastern Standard had always felt like the right time to her.

He nodded. "It was weird when I flew in last time, but I wasn't even there for twenty-four hours." He stifled a yawn. It had been a long hard day, and they had hours to go before they'd be able to climb in bed.

"We won't have a lot longer this time, but at least we can do a few things." She knew they wouldn't be making a lot of trips to New York in the near future with a baby on the way. She didn't think she'd want to fly a lot with a small child either, so this could be their only chance for a long while.

She'd made reservations at The Plaza Hotel, because most of the things she wanted to do were right there in Manhattan. She'd never had the opportunity to stay there before, but it had always been a dream of hers. When he hadn't balked at the cost, she'd booked it.

Once they were in the cab on the way to the hotel, she felt energized. She'd gotten a bit of a nap on the plane, and it helped her. She'd been exhausted for the past couple of weeks and had felt incapable of ever having any energy again. She knew it was a combination of the baby sapping her energy and the new job, but between the two, it was all she could do to get out of bed in the morning.

She leaned forward as far as the seatbelt would allow, looking at everything around her as if she'd never seen New York before. She pointed out things that would be of interest as they passed, talking softly to Scott in the back seat.

"The Plaza Hotel, where we're staying, has an incredible amount of history if you're interested in that. We'll be close to everything we want to see. We're within walking distance of Central Park, Broadway, Rockefeller Center, Times Square and even the Empire State Building." She hugged his arm to her, getting more excited by the moment. "Are you hungry? We should probably get something to eat tonight."

"We can't just do room service?" Scott asked. He knew he sounded cranky, but he hadn't been able to nap on the plane. He was tired. He needed sleep more than he needed food or anything else.

"Oh, sure. If you're tired we can do that." Savannah was disappointed. She knew she wouldn't be able to eat much for breakfast, so having a nice dinner that night was appealing. No matter though. They could eat in their room, and she would just deal with her morning sickness the following morning. She wished she'd had the forethought to pack some crackers.

"I'd like that, if you don't mind." He studied her face, worried that he'd offended her. He needed to remember not to be so blunt all the time. If she really wanted to go out, he'd do it. He just wouldn't be very happy about it.

After they'd checked into the hotel, he sat down in the room to peruse the room service menu. "Are you sure you're okay with eating in the room? I don't want to disappoint you."

She smiled. "We have all weekend. We can eat here. It's really not a problem."

Scott smiled at her. "Thank you for understanding. I don't know what I did to deserve you, but I thank God for you every day."

How could she be angry with him? He still slipped up, but at least he was learning the right things to say when he did. He was shaping up to be a better husband than she'd dreamed he could be.

*****

Saturday morning was difficult for Savannah. It was the first time they'd been in such close quarters in the morning. Usually Scott milked the cows while she emptied her stomach, but that day he was just in the other room, listening to her.

When she came out of the bathroom, his face was concerned. "Are you all right? Do we need to cancel our plans and stay in?" He wasn't sure if he should touch her to make her feel better or run far away so he wouldn't catch whatever she had.

She shook her head. "I'll be fine. I think something we ate last night must not have agreed with my stomach." It was kind of true. The food was disagreeing with her now, but it was only because she was having morning sickness.

"Do you want breakfast? I can order room service."

Savannah couldn't help but be impressed with the way Scott was doing everything he could to make her feel better. "I think some tea and some dry toast would help a lot."

He hurried to the phone and ordered himself a huge breakfast and requested toast and tea for her.

She lay still on the bed while she waited for her stomach to settle. When the food arrived, the smell of his bacon sent her back into the bathroom with another bout of nausea. She wasn't sure how much longer she could hide her pregnancy without him getting overly worried.

When she came out of the bathroom, he had the table set with her toast and her tea on one side and his meal on the other. He was hovering beside the table, obviously concerned. "Savannah, do we need to find a doctor? I mean, I know it's a holiday weekend, but surely someone would be open."

"I'll be fine." She sat down at the table and slowly ate her toast, her stomach rolling a couple of times but thankfully not fighting her too much.

After they'd had breakfast, she was feeling fine again. "I was thinking we could go to Central Park for a picnic today. Would you like that?" She had seen the carriage rides a million times, and never taken one. To her it was something romantic you did with your significant other, so she'd never been willing to do it with her mother or a friend.

"If you're sure you can handle it. I'm worried about you."

"I'll be fine. Let's stop at a deli on the way, and we'll get some sandwiches and some potato salad." Now that her stomach had calmed down, she was ravenous.

He shrugged, not sure why she was so intent on having a picnic when she was clearly sick, but he'd learned not to question the things she did that made no sense to him.

Once they got to the park, she sat down in the grass, wishing she'd had the foresight to bring a blanket. He looked around him in wonder. "You'd never know you were in the middle of a huge city."

"I think that's my favorite thing about Central Park. It's just like this hidden little paradise in the middle of a concrete jungle. I love it here. Mom and I rode the subway here every Sunday afternoon after church. We'd pack a lunch and just sit and soak up nature. Central Park and Broadway are the two things I miss most about the city."

He watched her skeptically as she took a huge bite of a sandwich and then ate chips as well as pickles. Obviously she was feeling better. "I'm glad you're not sick anymore."

Savannah almost blurted out about the baby then, but she wanted to wait at least a little longer. She would never be able to trust his feelings if he didn't say anything until after she told him she was expecting. "Me too. I wouldn't want to ruin our time here."

After lunch, they threw away their trash and walked along the sidewalk. "How would you feel about a carriage ride?" she asked.

He nodded. "We can do that." As soon as they were in the carriage, he slipped his arm around her. "You know what? I have an old sleigh in the stable that my grandfather built. When it snows, I'll hitch up a couple of the horses, and we'll go for a sleigh ride. If you enjoy this, you'll love that."

She smiled. "That sounds very romantic."

He kissed the top of her head. "I want to do things that make you happy. You're the most important person in the world to me."

She looked at him, waiting for him to follow that with a declaration of love, and her heart fell when it didn't happen. She hoped it happened soon, because she couldn't hide her pregnancy for long.

*****

They took a cab to Little Italy to eat at one of the restaurants there. It had been a favorite of hers growing up, and she'd always chosen to eat there on her birthday. Her mother was waiting out front with a tall, dark haired man she recognized immediately. "Mr. Fordman!" She ran to him hugging him tightly. "You finally talked her into going out with you!"

He laughed. "I've been trying for years, but I finally wore her down." His gaze was on her mother, who blushed.

"I'm so glad. Make her happy, would you?" Savannah desperately wanted to see her mother happy. It was one of the reasons she'd married Scott.

"I'll do my best." He winked at her mother over her head.

Savannah turned and hugged her mother tightly. "I'm still alive, see?"

Mrs. Blyton nodded. "I see. You look well. You've got some color in your cheeks. I think Montana agrees with you." She looked at Scott over Savannah's head. "Thanks for not killing her."

Scott shook her head sadly. "Why do you think I'm an evil beast? I love your daughter."

Savannah's heart skipped a beat, but he'd said it so casually, he couldn't have meant it. Surely he was just trying to get her mother to feel better. Even Scott wouldn't tell her he loved her for the first time by telling her mother. Would he?

After they were seated, Savannah looked to her left at Mr. Fordman. "How did you finally talk her into dating you? I need every detail."

Her mother blushed, which intrigued Savannah even more. What could he have done to make her mother look that way?

"Well, I may have told her that if she was bent on being a spinster, she needed to start collecting cats. I offered to go to the animal shelter with her and find five or six for her to adopt."

Savannah laughed. "You didn't!"

"And when she got offended, I kissed her."

Savannah's eyes grew wide, and she looked back and forth between them. "Well, it worked! I'm thrilled. Now, when will I hear wedding bells?"

Through the meal, Scott was aware of Mrs. Blyton's watchful gaze. She seemed to be waiting for him to jump up and do something stupid at any moment. While they were waiting on dessert, he excused himself to go to the bathroom, just to get away from her stare.

He stood up too quickly, not noticing a waiter hovering behind him with a pitcher of tea. He bumped into the waiter and watched, as if in slow motion, as the waiter poured the entire pitcher down the front of his mother-in-law's shirt.

He was mortified. Looking at Savannah, he saw her face, and rushed off for the bathroom. He knew she had to be angry with him. Why couldn't he do anything right around her? He loved her so much, and he acted like a big clumsy oaf.
Chapter Ten

By the time Scott returned to the table, the mess had been cleaned up, and Mrs. Blyton had been dried as well as possible. Scott looked at her. "I'm so sorry. I didn't know the waiter was behind me."

Mrs. Blyton smiled at him. "I know that, Scott. Don't worry about it. Accidents happen."

"But I know you had plans for after dinner. Let me buy you a new shirt so you have something to wear."

She shook her head. "My apartment isn't far. I'll go home and change. It's really not a problem."

Scott couldn't meet Savannah's eyes. He was certain she'd be furious with him.

When they were in the cab on the way to the play, he stared out the opposite window.

Savannah finally had enough. She took his hand in hers and pressed her lips to his shoulder. "Stop worrying about it. It could have happened to anyone."

"Yes, it could have, but the thing is, it always seems to happen to me. Why is that?" His voice was bitter and full of self-loathing.

Savannah didn't have an answer for him, so she stayed quiet for a moment. "This isn't like the other things that happened, you know. This was no big deal. My mother wasn't upset at all."

"How could she not be upset? She's already convinced I'm going to kill you at any moment. Of course, she's upset."

She smiled. "She doesn't think that anymore."

"Well, something good came out of the night then. Now she just thinks that I'll dump pitchers of ice tea all over you?"

"I'm glad I married you," she said softly. "If I could go back and do it all over again, I would."

"Please, don't say things you don't mean just to make me feel better. Somehow it just makes me feel worse." He'd really felt like he was improving, and becoming a better husband, and now he'd ruined everything again.

"Have I ever said anything just to make you feel better? Did I lie to you about how I felt about the mixer? Or about you accusing me of having PMS? Or any of the other silly things you'd done? No, I haven't, because I don't do that." She sighed. "I mean what I say. If I were to go back in time, and know exactly what would happen between us, I would marry you again, and I wouldn't hesitate."

He looked at her, his eyes filled with remorse. "Why?"

"Because you really are the right man for me. I don't know how she did it, but Dr. Simpson was exactly right. We belong together."

"You really believe that, don't you?" He paused while the taxi driver stopped to yell at a pedestrian who was jaywalking. He'd never seen anything like the taxi drivers there. "I think that's what I love most about you. Your ability to forgive. By all rights you should have left me within two weeks of our marriage."

She looked at him, studying his face carefully. "Do you really mean that? You love me?"

"How could you not know that?" He was baffled by her question. "Do you really think I'd have worked so hard to be a better husband if I didn't? That I'd have cared at all about how you felt about me?"

"I never really thought about it that way. I just...well, I know we didn't marry for love, so I was afraid I'd never have your love."

He hugged her as close as he could in the backseat of the cab. "How could you not have my love? You're practically perfect! I'm the one lacking...in every way!"

She shook her head at him. "You were lacking in one way, but you're so much better now. I wish you could see yourself through my eyes. You're a strong, confident man. You give of yourself to everyone around you. Do you have any idea how many people speak highly of you?"

He shrugged. "I just do what's right."

"You do! And that's something most people don't care about. I love you, Scott. I even love your ability to drive me crazy."

"You can't love me." He shook his head in disbelief. "Maybe in a few years, when I stop being so dumb about things..."

She put her finger over his lips to shush him. "I love you now." She drew his head down for a kiss, forgetting all about the driver in the front. The car stopped, and she jerked away from her husband. "We're at the theater."

He jumped out of the car and took her hand as she got out behind him. "Where do we go?" he asked.

She indicated the line they needed to stand in, and stood beside him, staring up into his face. "Thank you for bringing me to see my favorite musical. I hope you like it half as much as I do."

*****

Hours later when they got back to the hotel, Savannah was nervous. It was time for her to tell Scott about the baby, but she wasn't certain if he'd be angry that she hadn't told him sooner. Of course, she was still in the afterglow of his declaration of love, so she felt safer telling him then than she would later.

After he closed the door and locked it, she took his hand and led him to the small couch in their room. "I need to tell you something."

He raised an eyebrow. "Are you going to tell me you don't really love me, and you made it all up?"

She laughed. "Of course not."

"Nothing else will make me mad. I can see you're worried, but you don't need to be." He tilted her chin up with one forefinger, so he could look into her eyes. "Tell me what's wrong."

"Well, nothing is really wrong..." She took a deep breath, knowing she just needed to get it over with. There was no reason for her to be afraid to tell him. He loved her, and she loved him. They both wanted children. "You know how I got so sick this morning?"

He nodded. "Are you feeling bad again?"

She shook her head. "No, but I will be in the morning." At his blank look, she smiled. "I've been feeling sick every morning for over a week now."

"We need to get you to a doctor then. Why didn't you say anything? What if something is seriously wrong?"

She wanted to laugh. The man really was clueless about a lot of things, but it only made him more precious to her. "Nothing is seriously wrong." She took his hand and placed it over her flat stomach. "We're having a baby."

His eyes widened. "Are you sure?"

She shrugged. "As sure as I can be. All the symptoms are there. I took a test, and it was positive."

"When did you take a test?" He was truly surprised. She hadn't given any indication that anything was going on.

"A little over a week ago," she said honestly, waiting for him to get angry.

Instead, Scott was merely confused. "Why didn't you tell me sooner then? It's what we both wanted."

She shrugged. "I didn't want to tell you about the baby before I knew that you loved me. I was afraid you'd tell me you loved me, simply because I was pregnant, and then I'd never know how you really felt."

He frowned. "So if I hadn't told you I love you today, you'd have just told me you were eating a little too much for nine months?"

"No, I would have told you." She looked down at her hands, wishing she could explain better. "I needed to know that you loved me for me, though. Not for my ability to bear children."

"Of course, I love you for you! That baby means nothing to me at this point. Why would it? I've never met it. I have met you, and you mean everything to me." He shook his head. "I can't believe you didn't realize I loved you when I started trying so hard to do everything right. What kind of man would agree to court a woman he was already married to if he didn't love her? Did you ever think of that?"

"I guess I didn't. Most of the things you do don't make a whole lot of sense to me. How would I have guessed that?"

"Well, from now on, you won't have to guess it. I'll tell you every day for the rest of our lives."

She smiled. "Can we fly to New York every year to see Wicked?"

"I guess? It was good, but was it really that good?" He'd enjoyed the musical, and wouldn't mind seeing it again, but every year?

She nodded. "Yes, it was that good. Every year? An annual pilgrimage to New York?"

"If it would make you happy, we'd do it every month."

Savannah smiled, throwing herself into his arms. "I don't know how she could have done it, but Dr. Simpson was right. We are right for each other. We'll have to send her a birth announcement."

"We're having lunch with her and Sam tomorrow, remember?"

"Oh, that's right! I can't wait to talk to her about everything."

*****

The older couple was already seated when Scott and Savannah made it to the restaurant the following day. As soon as she spotted Dr. Simpson, Savannah started moving around the tables so she could hug her.

Dr. Simpson had her arms wide before she got there. "It's so good to see you!"

Savannah smiled, pulling back from the embrace. "Thank you so much for everything. Scott and I would never have made it through without your help."

"I'm glad to hear things are going better for you. He's a good man, like I said. He just has his...quirks."

Savannah laughed. "That's putting it kindly, and I appreciate that."

Scott had just caught up with his wife and was shaking Sam's hand. "Good to see you again, Sam."

Sam nodded. "You too." The two men took their seats looking at the women as if they wondered if they'd ever take theirs. "You're happy." It wasn't a question Sam was asking. He was announcing that the young couple was happy.

Scott nodded. "We are. Savannah has been very good for me."

"You've been good for her too. She's got a glow about her now she didn't have back in June before you married."

Scott studied Savannah and realized the other man was right. "Are you two ever going to sit down?" he asked.

Both women laughed. "I guess we should, shouldn't we?" Lachele asked. Once they were seated, she looked at Savannah. "So tell me everything. When are you due?"

Savannah looked at Lachele in shock. "How did you know?"

"You have a glow that I've only ever seen on the faces of pregnant women. There's a special beauty."

"Baby's should be here at the beginning of April," Savannah said with a smile. "I only told Scott last night."

Lachele looked at Scott. "Congratulations, Daddy."

Scott grinned, his eyes drifting to Savannah. "Thank you. I can't wait."

Sam laughed. "So that's the difference in her face. It's not that she's in love, which of course she is, but it's the baby. I understand now."

Savannah looked at Scott. "We have to see my mom one more time while we're here. We need to tell her about the baby in person. I don't think she'd forgive us otherwise."

"Do you think she's home? We could go by after lunch."

"I'll text her and see." Savannah quickly texted, ignoring the conversation around her for a moment. "She said we can come by in an hour or two."

Scott nodded. "We'll go straight to her place from lunch then."

Savannah looked at Lachele, telling her excitedly about her mother's new man friend.

"She just needed you to be settled, so she'd feel comfortable dating again. She should have done it years ago."

"She should have, but she didn't. I'm just glad Mr. Fordman waited for her. He probably shouldn't have." Savannah briefly explained about the number of years Mr. Fordman had waited. He's a good man, and he's perfect for my mother."

"It sounds like it." Lachele smiled at Sam. "Looks like my work here is done."

Savannah looked at Lachele. "Do you have any other matches in the works?"

Lachele grinned. "I always have matches in the works. I wouldn't be a matchmaker if I didn't."

*****

Savannah knocked on her mother's door, her hand in Scott's. "Are you going to tell her or should I?" she asked.

Scott shook his head. "With the way your mother feels about me? I'm not telling her!"

She laughed. "She doesn't hate you as much as you think she does."

When the door opened, her mother stood there with a smile. "Come in. I didn't think we were going to see each other again while you were here."

"I know." Savannah walked into the living room and took a seat on the familiar sofa. Her mother's apartment was tiny even by New York standards. "I just needed to tell you something, and I thought it was best if I said it in person."

Mrs. Blyton put her hands on her hips looking back and forth between Scott and Savannah. "You two aren't getting a divorce, are you? Now that I've decided to like Scott, I'll have to protest if that's what you want to tell me."

Savannah chuckled, shaking her head. "No, that's not it, but I'm sure Scott is pleased to hear that you like him now."

"Well, what do you want to tell me then? I only have twenty minutes before Joe arrives."

Savannah wasn't sure if she should be thrilled or offended with the way her mother was always ready to push her away now, so she could be with Joe. "You're going to be a grandmother."

Mrs. Blyton's face lit up. "Really? A baby? When?"

"April," Savannah answered with a grin. "It works out just perfectly that I'm only teaching the first semester."

"It does!" Mrs. Blyton looked at Scott. "I guess we'll need to find a way to get along now. I can't have the father of my grandchildren hating me."

Scott was taken aback. "I never hated you! I thought you hated me with your constant talk of me killing Savannah."

"Oh, that was just to warn you not to do it. If you thought if she died, I'd immediately point the finger at you, you'd be more protective of her."

Scott shook his head. "I will never understand how the female mind works."

"You don't have to." Mrs. Blyton hurried over to hug her daughter. "I'm thrilled for you. I really couldn't be happier." She turned to Scott, hugging him as well. "Just be good to my daughter and grandbabies. I won't ask anything more of you."

Savannah smiled as she watched her mother and Scott embrace. She wanted there to be peace between them. If not for her sake then for the baby's. "Will you come out and visit us when the baby's born?"

"Of course, I will." Mrs. Blyton smiled. "I'll have to bring Joe with me, though. We're getting married."

Savannah jumped to her feet, hugging her mother again. "Oh that's wonderful, Mama! Nothing would make me happier."

Scott watched mother and daughter together, pleased with his life. He'd gone to Lachele with a hole in his life that desperately needed to be filled. She'd done so with a vengeance. Even though Savannah would be working for a while, he wouldn't change a thing about her. She was the woman he needed, just as she was.
Epilogue

Sam wandered into Lachele's home office. "What are you working on?" he asked.

Lachele looked up from the scrapbook that was open in front of her. She'd pasted down pictures of Scott and Savannah separately and then a wedding picture. She had just finished adding the picture the couple had mailed them of their new baby, Kaeden.

"I'm updating my scrapbook with our first Matchrimony grandbaby. Isn't' he adorable?"

"Now, Lachele, you know you can't just adopt every baby that comes from a Matchrimony match as our grandbaby. Think of how many gifts you'd be buying at Christmas."

Lachele's eyes lit up at the thought. "I really don't see why I can't. You always tell me to do whatever makes me happy. Having dozens of grandbabies will make me happy."

Sam shook his head. "With as quickly as those two had a baby, there would be way too many. I'm going to have to put my foot down, Lachele."

Lachele threw her head back and laughed. "I don't know who you think you're married to, Sam Simpson, but you know that's not going to work on me. I'll collect all the grandbabies I want. Tyson isn't having babies fast enough to suit me."

"He and his wife could be popping out five kids a year, and it wouldn't be fast enough to suit you." Sam sighed, knowing he'd lost the battle. "We have any weddings coming up?"

"Oh, there are more in the works. You know there are always more in the works." She smiled contentedly. Matchrimony may have seemed silly at first, but her services were now in demand. Word had spread quickly about how good she was at taking random strangers and turning them into a happy couple. Who didn't want to be happy?

*****

Savannah laid Kaeden in his crib and slowly tiptoed out of his room. He was a good baby, already sleeping through the night at six weeks old. She had the baby monitor on, just in case, but they'd rarely used it at night. During the day was a different story, though.

Kaeden seemed to understand that his mama was his entirely from the time his daddy left in the morning until he got home in the afternoon. During those hours he was demanding and needy. Once his father stepped through the door at the end of the day, he was angelic again.

Scott was waiting in the hall. "Is he asleep?"

Savannah nodded. "He is. I don't know why he's so good when you're here and so needy when you're not."

"He knows his daddy needs his mama too. So he's sharing. He gets you during the day, and I get you all night long."

"That works for me." She held the remote for his monitor in her hand. "Let's go soak in the hot tub for a little while before we head to bed."

Scott led the way down the stairs. "Have you heard from Lachele?"

"She called today. She got Kaeden's picture in the mail, and she wanted to tell me that he's the first of her Matchrimony grandbabies." She grinned. "I love that crazy purple haired woman."

"What's not to love?"

"Has Jake decided yet if he's going to call her?"

Scott shrugged. "We only talked about it that once, but I think he's leaning toward it. He wants to make sure whomever he marries isn't just interested in him for his money, and he doesn't know how to do that any other way, except deceiving his bride. Deception isn't an option."

"Well, I hope he goes to see her soon, because he would make a good husband." She shucked off her clothes and climbed into the hot tub, sighing with pleasure as the water surrounded her. "I needed this."

"I'll call Jake tomorrow, and encourage him to get in touch with her. Would be a lot of fun to double date, don't you think?"

Savannah nodded. "As long as we can find a sitter I trust." So far she hadn't even bothered to look. He was her baby and her responsibility.

"Maybe we should have his new grandmother do it."

Savannah laughed. "I can just picture it. 'Hey, Lachele. I think you should fly to Montana this weekend to babysit.'"

Scott grinned. "She'd do it."

Savannah sighed happily. "She would. But we're still not going to ask."

"You never like my good ideas..."

