Danger, Sweetheart Part 24

Natalie couldn't accept it. Shannah was just being nice. Granted, she didn't exactly have a strong rep for that behavior, but it was the only explanation that worked. "Dammit! I knew he felt too warm when we were hugging in the barn."

Ruth cleared her throat. "Oh? Is 'hugging' a euphemism for-"

"Hugging is hugging, ma'am. Cripes."

Shannah was staring down at him with an expression Natalie had never seen, thought no one could ever see, on her face: helpless and hopeless. "If you're to blame, Natalie, then I am, too. I put him out here and I knew he'd be in over his head. You at least showed him what to do. I just abandoned him there."

"Not true. I know you kept calling him, offering to come to the farm, or asking him to come have supper with you at the B and B. He's the one who didn't want to-" Spend time with you, but that wasn't at all tactful, so she swallowed the rest.

"But when it all came out-when you were having lunch at the bed-and-breakfast the day Ruth came-"

"I remember." She did. A day of infamy, to be sure, and one she never wanted to relive.

"Why didn't he just ask me for his money back?"

Natalie stared at Shannah for a long moment, and Ruth leveled her with a look. "What an insanely stupid question."

"Oh." She seemed to hear herself, and her mouth twisted into a wry smile. "Well, yes. I suppose it is."

"He gets a double dose of pride," Ruth added. "Tarbell-Banaan pride."

"Banaan-Tarbell pride." Fl.u.s.tered, she started to pace, and Natalie realized with utter amazement that Shannah Banaan was wringing her hands like a helpless heroine out of a fairy tale waiting for the men to swoop in and save her. "D'you know what Roger told me?"

"Roger's a soon-to-be-retired pig farmer," Natalie explained. "Blake stole his last pig. Um, liberated the White Rose of York is what I meant."

Ruth remained unruffled. "All right. I want to hear the rest of Shannah's story, but then we're going to come back to the pig thing, dear."

"Yeah, I don't blame you. Half the town thinks he's crus.h.i.+ng on your daughter-in-law."

"Really? Any truth to that rumor?"

"I think so. And I'm pretty sure she likes him back. She tolerates him way more than she tolerates anyone else. I think if she wasn't hanging with him, she'd be a lot less pleasant. I mean, coming back here to try to fix her family's mess before the judgment of the whole town is her worst nightmare. Roger makes it bearable, I think."

"Why, he sounds lovely."

"Ladies." Shannah saw she had their attention and continued but didn't look as irked as Natalie would have antic.i.p.ated. "Roger told me my father came to town and he and Blake almost got into a fight! That was how he met his grandfather."

"That pompous a.s.s," Ruth said dismissively. Natalie felt her eyebrows arch, and Shannah swung around to stare at her mother-in-law. "What? He is."

"Yes. But how did you know? You haven't been in town long enough to hear much gossip about him."

Ruth said nothing, just stepped to the dresser and began arranging Blake's medication bottles.

"Mrs. Tarbell?"

No response. Natalie started to get nervous. What was she missing? And would the women come to blows? Was she expected to referee? Maybe I'll take that nap. Is there a way to retroactively nap so I miss the entire conversation leading to the brawl?

Shannah tried again. "Ruth?"

The nuclear option turned back around and beheld her daughter-in-law with an expression of fond annoyance. "I called him, of course."

"You- What? When? Before you came to town?"

"Years ago. When the boys were teenagers. When I got to meet you for the first time. And you were very polite, though you didn't want me there, and the boys were lovely, and so protective of you. Even when I explained who I was they wouldn't take that at face value. They watched how I behaved for a long time before relaxing their guard. Before letting themselves think of me as family. I thought- I thought if your family knew how hard you had worked and what a good mother you were, and how wonderful the boys were, they would regret cutting ties. They would want to be in all your lives. I thought they would help you."

Shannah smiled, a bitter grimace that made her look like she'd been chewing lemon rind. "They weren't interested, though, were they? Not until you told them your son had left their grandsons millions of dollars. I always wondered how they found out. I knew I didn't tell them."

"I told them a few other things, too," Ruth muttered. "At length. And I might have called back twice, because he kept interrupting my train of thought by hanging up on me."

A strangled sound from Shannah, which Natalie suspected might be a gulped laugh.

"I've always admired you, Shannah. You're hard, but only because you had to be. And you love your boys. That would have been enough for me, but the twins are a part of you, my dear; you and my son made them; they are the best part of the two of you. Did you really think I didn't love you, too?"

Shannah shook her head. A lone tear tracked down her cheek and she rubbed it away with a savage gesture.

Ruth just tsked. "Like I said: hard. Oh, Shannah. There's not much I wouldn't do for you, silly girl."

Oh my G.o.d someone called Shannah Tarbell a silly girl and wasn't knifed! What is happening in this weird wonderful town?

Somehow the women were hugging, and Natalie brushed her hands over her eyes to make sure she wasn't leaking, because they felt suspiciously moist. There was movement on the bed and she looked down to see Blake blinking up at them.

"My fever's back," he said, observing the embracing women, then caught her hand and kissed the knuckles. "I don't mind."

"Shut up," she said with all the warmth she would have put into G.o.d, I adore you and would love for you to have my children. "Rest."

"Captain, my captain," he mumbled, then dozed off. He didn't let go of her hand. Natalie didn't mind.

Thirty-seven.

She woke with a start to find Shannah easing her out of the chair and into bed beside Blake. "Hmm? Is he okay? What? Are there m.u.f.fins? What?"

"Hush, you'll sleep easier on the bed. We've given up trying to make you go to your room. Or to take a shower," Shannah added in a mutter.

"You caught on quicker than my parents did." Natalie yawned. Then stiffened. "Margaret of Anjou and the White Rose of York! I've got to-"

"Shush." A less-than-gentle shove and Natalie sprawled beside Blake, who slumbered on, oblivious. "I know about the piglet ... are you talking about that strange grumpy pony? She refuses to be moved. Sit up a little, hon, and look out the window."

Natalie did as she was bid and wondered if Blake's delirium was catching. It was light again, but not for long, and she could see the pony was alternately cropping gra.s.s and staring up at the attic window. Stalker. Stalker pony!

"What the h.e.l.l has gotten into that thing?" Natalie wondered aloud. "If it was any other animal, any other animal including a black mamba or a wolverine or a scorpion, I would a.s.sume she'd gotten fond of Blake. But she's not any other animal."

"I'm afraid that's the only explanation, unless your pony is in it for some elaborate long con and this is how she's going to lull Blake so as to eventually kick him to death."

"See, that makes sense. But I need to make sure they're-"

"You need to stay with my grandson." Ruth spoke for the first time and Natalie started. More proof of exhaustion; the attic wasn't so big she wouldn't notice the nuclear option. "You've made that plain. But don't worry about the ch.o.r.es. That strange man with all the freckles said he would take care of them, and he has been."

"That's actually weirder than Blake's delirium."

"I think my grandson nearly committing vehicular manslaughter on the man made an impression. I've never seen such a hard worker."

Natalie started to laugh and, for a moment, was afraid she wouldn't be able to stop.

"So go back to sleep." Shannah's firm hand was on Natalie's shoulder, pus.h.i.+ng her back down on the bed. "Heartbreak is in good hands." That couldn't be true, Natalie decided, but was too exhausted to question it. "Blake is better. Dr. Wen said he should get up tomorrow. Time for you to rest, my dear."

My dear? This can't be real life. I think we've all got Blake's fever. I've never seen Shannah smile so much. And I think I heard Roger downstairs last night wooing her-G.o.d, I hope he didn't take his piglet back. And the nuclear option is pretty great. I'm not sure Blake had any idea he had such a wonderful family.

"Just for a little while," Natalie temporized, then ruined it by yawning.

The moment the door to the attic closed, Blake muttered, "Alone at last."

She jumped, startled, and tried to sit up, but he threw an arm across her waist and held her beside him with gentle strength.

"No, no. Not when I've at last gotten you in my bed. I had to fake an infection and a fever-"

"And two days of delirious bulls.h.i.+t, and almost running Gary down like a gopher, and inadvertently helping your mom and grandma bond."

"See the lengths I'll go to in order to have you?"

"Idiot. You're not fooling me. You didn't plan s.h.i.+t." She curled into his side and felt herself relax for the first time in two days. "I'm so glad you're better."

"Mmmm."

He's better, yeah, and that's a good thing, a wonderful thing, but it's time to make good on my promise.

"Uh ... Blake."

"No."

"Listen, I don't think you'll remember, but you said a bunch of crazy stuff-"

"No."

"-and I promised I wouldn't hold you to any of it-"

"No."

"-and I wouldn't want you to think anything has to change between us."

"No."

"I mean, I hope you can forgive me for lying and tricking you, I'd like that to change, but as for the rest of it-"

"Nothing has changed."

"Oh." Don't cry. At least, not lying beside him like you are. Find an excuse and get the h.e.l.l out of here and then have your breakdown. Then find Gary's stash of cookie dough and gobble every bite. "Okay. Listen, my teeth feel like they've got little tiny sweaters on, so I'll just hit the bathroom and-" What? Never return to the attic? Return but accept that she loved him too late and would pay the price by never seeing him again? Pretend they were pals and wave and smile when he went back to his life? "So I'll just, um, go? I guess?"

"Nothing has changed," he said again, sounding so confident and calm she wanted to smack him, then kiss him, then burst into tears. And maybe smack him again. "You're in love with me. I'm quite certain I'm in love with you. I'm going to kiss every inch of you, and have your baby somehow." He turned to her and pressed a kiss to the corner of her mouth. When he spoke, his deep voice vibrated all through her. "I. Remember. Everything."

And just like that, she was crying again. But this time, the tears didn't scald. They seemed to sweep away doubt and fear. She hadn't known crying could do that. She thought her mom might have known.

"When did you know?"

It was twenty minutes later. He had insisted on walking to the bathroom under his own power and emerged after a few minutes with a clean, scrubbed face and minty breath. Natalie had done the same. What she really wanted was a shower, but she wasn't willing to leave him that long and wasn't yet prepared to share a shower with him.

Soon, though, she thought, and the certainty filled her like a warm glow. After we make love for the first time, then we'll take a long, hot shower together.

"Know what?" she said, stifling a yawn.

"That you..."-he paused, then continued almost shyly, "loved me."

"Well." She drummed her fingers on his chest, thinking. She loved resting her ear against his heart, hearing his baritone rumble through her. She hadn't known before Blake that she had a voice kink. "I don't know the exact day. Your mannerisms started changing, if that's the right word. Don't spit out a dictionary definition of 'mannerisms,'" she added in alarm as Blake's lips parted. She kept going so as not to give him a chance to interrupt her with an Oxford definition. "I almost didn't notice until it was too late. One day I realized you used to ask, 'Where do you keep the pitchforks?' 'Where do you keep the BENGAY.' Like that. But after a while it was 'we.' 'Where do we keep the BENGAY? What did Gary do with my pitchfork?'"

"We keep it in every medicine cabinet in every bathroom in the farmhouse," was his prompt reply, which earned him a bright smile, "and some in Main One. We're almost out. Again," which earned him a snicker. "So my constant need to smear terrible-smelling ointment all over my aching muscles endeared me to you, eh?"

"Irresistible. Naw, that's a lie; you were pretty cute before that, too. But I was able to tell myself it was strictly physical. It's okay to find a jerka.s.s physically attractive if you tell yourself it's only about his broad shoulders, his hair the color of late-summer wheat, his piercing blue eyes, blah-blah."

"Why were you at the B and B my first day here?"

She burst out laughing. "G.o.d, that's right; you saw me in a suit and everything. You looked so weird, high up in that d.a.m.n truck; you looked so out of place but kind of determined, too. I liked you right away."

"Until you found out I was Banaan sp.a.w.n."

"Well." She coughed. "We had to close the bank for a couple of days; they found asbestos."

"Studies have shown sometimes it's actually safer to leave the asbestos where it is, a.s.suming it's intact, of course, and-"

"Yes, Blake, I know, it was my bank and my asbestos, and I paid for a couple of expert opinions and did my own research, too, okay?"

"Sorry."

"Show-off," she said without heat. "Anyway, it worked out fine-that one thing worked out fine-but we were working out of the B and B for a couple of days. It's down to me and a couple of part-timers now, so it wasn't a perfect solution, but it was what we had."

"I liked you at first sight, too," he said, pulling her more firmly against him. "G.o.d, you feel good. Dammit, I have to insist Dr. Wen issue me a clean bill of health immediately."

"So we can perform coitus on each other?"

"Wow. Rake is right. That is terribly unromantic."

"Coitus me, Blake. Coitus me till I scream. Coitus me all over!"