“I thought your anniversary was Valentine’s Day.”

“It is. Once we decided to get married, I wasn’t willing to wait six months. By summer she was pregnant with your brother.” He looked at Glen. “Why all these questions?”

“Just curious.”

“You going to ask Ellie to marry you?”

“I’ve been thinking about it.”

His father’s grin widened. “Did she tell you you’re in love with her yet?”

“Nope. I don’t think she realizes it herself.”

Phil stood and slapped him on the back. “Then start a new family tradition and tell her yourself, boy. It’s about time the men in this family took the initiative.”

Eight

Richard rolled out of bed and reached for his jeans. Savannah was making breakfast, and if his nose didn’t deceive him, it smelled like one of his favorites. French toast.

Yawning, he grabbed a shirt on his way out the door and bounded down the stairs and into the kitchen.

“Mornin’,” he said, yawning again. He glanced at the wall clock and was surprised to see it was after nine. A midmorning breakfast cooked specially for him meant his sister was planning on a little heart-to-heart. Damn.

“Morning,” Savannah returned in that gentle way of hers. At times it was all he could do not to leap behind her, waving his arms and screaming at the top of his lungs. He wondered if he’d get a reaction from her even then. Somehow he doubted it.

“Grady needs you to drive into town this morning.”

“No problem.” Actually Richard liked running errands. They suited his purpose. Every time Grady sent him into town, he managed to pick up an item or two for himself and put it on his brother’s tab without Grady’s knowing a thing about it.

Savannah delivered a plate to the table where Richard sat waiting. He dug into the meal after slathering his hot toast with plenty of butter and syrup. Savannah didn’t disappear, which meant the errand for Grady wasn’t the only thing on her mind.

“There’s been plenty of talk around town about you and Ellie,” she said, clutching the back of the chair opposite his.

The tension in her fingers told him she felt awkward addressing the subject. Lord, his sister was easy to read!

“That so?” He stuffed another forkful of French toast in his mouth.

“Ellie’s a real sweetheart.”

He shrugged.

Savannah pulled out the chair and sat down.

Damn it, he’d asked for that. Knowing his sister was fond of the other woman, he should have talked her up, fabricated a few things, let his sister think he’d fallen in love with Ellie. He hadn’t, but his interest in her was definitely high at the moment. A lot was riding on this, and if he managed to manipulate the situation to his liking, it meant staying in the community. After fixing his current problems of course. Yeah, he could see a future here. Become one of the leading lights in Promise. Turn this place around. And it all hinged on little Ellie Frasier.

“I don’t want you to hurt her, Richard.”

This was quite a statement from Savannah. “Hurt Ellie?” He tried to look shocked that she’d even suggest such a thing.

“Ellie’s...fragile just now.”

“I wouldn’t dream of doing anything to hurt Ellie.” He set his fork down as if to say the mere idea had robbed him of his appetite.

“Then your intentions are honorable?”

Leave it to Savannah to sound like she was living in the nineteenth century. She could’ve set up camp at Bitter End and fit right in.

“Of course my intentions are honorable. In fact, I intend to ask Ellie to be my wife.” Richard assumed this was what Savannah wanted to hear, but she didn’t react that way he’d expected. He’d hoped that when he mentioned words like “wife” and “marriage,” she’d go all feminine on him and start nattering about wedding plans.

“It’s a big step for me,” he added, thinking she’d be quick to praise his decision.

Savannah frowned. “I heard about this little lottery thing you’ve got going.”

“Oh, that.” He dismissed her concern with an airy gesture. Word traveled fast in small towns and he’d forgotten that.

“I don’t think placing bets on...on love, on whether Ellie’s going to marry you or Glen, is such a good idea.”

“It was a joke,” he said. What Savannah didn’t understand and what he couldn’t tell her was that the whole thing had gotten started when he’d had one too many beers. Naturally he’d taken a lot of ribbing about the fiasco at the dance.

The whole thing was Glen Patterson’s fault. In Richard’s opinion, the rancher owed him an apology. Ellie had been his date and Glen had been way out of line butting in at the dance.

“Joking with another person’s affections—”

“I’m not joking with Ellie,” Richard interrupted. “I love her, Savannah,” he said, doing his best to look and sound sincere. What he really loved about Ellie Frasier was the store and her inheritance. That Ellie wasn’t hard on the eyes was a bonus. Marriage wasn’t such a bad idea either. He could grow accustomed to bedded bliss, not to mention regular meals. Savannah had spoiled him, preparing elaborate dinners and baking his favorite goodies, although she tended to do less of that these days.

“It isn’t only Ellie I want to talk to you about.”

“You mean there’s more?” He tried not to sound perturbed, but really, this was getting ridiculous. He didn’t need his big sister prying into his private life, nor did he appreciate this need she had to lecture him. He’d been out of the schoolroom too many years to sit still for much more of this.

His sister pursed her lips in exactly the way their mother used to. “I got a phone call from Millie about an unpaid flower bill.”

“Millie?”

“You know Millie.” Her tone left no room for argument.

“Oh, that Millie.” He was walking a tightrope when it came to a number of charges he’d made in town during the past few months. He’d hoped to have moved on by now, but this romance with Ellie had fallen into his lap and he couldn’t let the opportunity just slip through his fingers. He’d also made contingency plans—no fool he. He’d found the perfect hiding place when and if he needed it. But he couldn’t leave Promise yet and perhaps not for some time. Keeping Grady and Savannah in the dark until he’d secured his future was proving to be something of a challenge.

“Millie said you owed her four hundred dollars. I realize your...check hasn’t arrived yet—” she didn’t meet his eyes “—but you have to make some kind of arrangement with Millie.”

He toyed with the idea of being shocked to hear it was that much money, but thought better of it. “Well, I have just a little money left.” He hoped that was vague enough so she wouldn’t question it. “In fact, I was in just yesterday and made a payment,” he said.

“I talked to Millie yesterday and she claimed she hadn’t seen you in weeks.” Savannah’s eyes had never been that cool before.

“I didn’t see Millie, just one of her employees.”

“I didn’t know Millie had anyone working for her.”

Savannah pinned him with her gaze.

“Summer help, I assume,” he murmured. “I’ve got the receipt up in my room if you want to see it.” He put the right amount of indignation into his voice to make sure she understood he found her lack of trust insulting.

“If you say you made a payment, then I don’t have any choice but to believe you.”

Richard shoved his chair away from the table. “I’m getting the distinct impression I’m no longer welcome around here.” He stopped short of reminding her he’d been born and raised in this very house, fearing that might be overkill, even with a softhearted woman like his sister.

“It isn’t that.”

“I’ve come home,” he said, tilting his chin at a proud angle. “It wasn’t easy to arrive on your doorstep with nothing. Now that I’m here, I’ve realized that I made a mistake ever leaving. Promise is my home. I’ve fallen in love and I want to make a new life for myself with friends and neighbors I grew up with. People I’ve known all my life. If you want to kick me out, then all you or Grady need to do is say the word and I’ll be gone.” He drew the line and dared her to cross it. Basically it was a gamble, but one he was willing to take. He’d been a gambler most of his life, after all—one who usually had an ace up his sleeve.