“I’ll ask when she wakes up. She is so independent that I wouldn’t count on her asking for anything.”
Gabby nodded in agreement. “How did she keep this from me all these years?”
“I was sort of wondering that myself. I have only been involved with her for a short time but I have seen a couple of attacks. Maybe she felt bad when you were with her and it didn’t show.”
“It certainly showed last night. David was interesting to watch after you came down and told us how to help her. He exploded off the chair and paced by the window.”
“Yeah, he and I talked for a while. He isn’t all that happy that we want a separate house.”
“Yes, I am not all that happy about that either. How can I take care of her?”
“I’ll tell you what I told him, she wants to live separately just in case on the really bad days she just can’t take it. Apparently she really isn’t herself on those days.”
“But we love her, we would understand.”
“She has told me some of the bad days and I don’t blame her for not being able to handle it. She said when she was single that she would be able to hide at home without “inflicting” herself on anyone else. Now she said I would probably be a target for the emotions that she will have.”
“Dalton, you will need our help and support?”
“Yes, and I can still have that from a separate house. We are moving a few feet away not a few states away.”
“I know. I feel like for so long it has been my responsibility to watch over her.”
Dalton got up from the table and kissed Gabby on the cheek “And now it is mine. I’m going to go check on her.”
Sarah was still asleep, so Dalton crawled in bed with her. He was just getting comfortable when her eyes opened and for a minute she seemed disoriented. “Dalton?”
“Yeah, are you okay?”
“Just lost for a minute.”
“You are at Stage West.”
“I know. I just guess I wasn’t expecting to wake up and find you crawling into the bed.”
“I’m sorry I woke you up.”
“I’m not. I want to spend as much time with you as possible before I have to go home today.” She stretched up to kiss him.
Dalton gathered her into her arms and kissed her very thoroughly. He rolled her over underneath him and kissed her until they were both breathing hard. “Now, that is a good morning kiss.” He commented with a smile. Sarah grinned, nodded and pulled him back down to her.
A few minutes later he raised his head and said “I love you my Sarah.”
“I’m so glad. I love you, Dalton.”
“Are you feeling okay today? Do you want some breakfast?”
“I feel fine. I’ll eat after I shower, okay?”
“Sure, I’ll just lay here and wait for you, if you don’t mind. I think I’ll just enjoy the view.”
“What view, the drapes are closed?”
Dalton was shaking his head “Sarah, Sarah, Sarah, I think I better show you the view I was talking about.” He reached for the bottom of her nightgown and slowly drew up and over her head and tossed it to the floor. Then he sat back on his heels and admired her body. “That’s the view I was talking about.”
“I like the way you admire that view, sweetheart. But I think you might be too far away to admire it fully. You had better come closer” she motioned with her hand.
Dalton slowly stretched out on top of her and he ran his hands up her legs and captured her hands to stretch them above her head. He body was in full contact with hers. “Is this close enough for you?” he asked with a smile.
She shook her head no. “A little closer.”
“Sweetheart, I can’t get much closer than this.”
She shifted her legs, opened and wrapped them around his waist, now he was settled against her. “That’s better.”
“Oh yes, that is better. But you know, with me lying on top of you, I can’t really enjoy the scenery… but” and he gathered her very gently and rolled over until he was on the bottom. Dalton urged her to sit up and lean back on his knees…”this way I and enjoy the scenery and experience it first-hand.”
Dalton could reach and touch a good portion of her in this position. He wrapped his hands around her thighs and started the slow process of working his way up to her body. He massaged the outside of her breasts until her nipples got hard. His fingers slowly and gently tugged on her nipples until he couldn’t wait to taste them. Dalton urged Sarah to lean forward over him so he could suck on her breasts. Sarah could not help but move on Dalton. “Easy babe, we are on dangerous ground here.” Dalton cautioned, but went back to suckling her. When he had satisfied his taste for her, he brought her mouth to his. “We had better stop before it is too late or we are interrupted. Now, go shower.”
Sarah left the bed. He enjoyed the backside view as well as the front. He waited a few minutes while he got himself under control then joined her when he heard the shower running. “My scenery moved so I decided to follow it” he said as he slid the shower door up an inch. “I can’t wait until we can shower together.” Dalton commented
“You could join me, I wouldn’t mind” she said with a wink
“Not a good idea babe. We are already on dangerous ground. You are mighty tempting.”
“I’m glad you like what you see.”
“Definitely!”
Sarah finished her shower and he wrapped a towel around her and drew her close. “Would you like to go on a picnic as we are checking out the site for the house?”
“I can’t ride.”
“Do you trust me?”
“Yes, but I still can’t ride.”
“Do you trust me?” Dalton asked again with emphasis
“Yes.”
“Good, I have it all taken care of. Now, finish getting dressed while I go ask Gabby to pack us a picnic.”
Sarah finished getting dressed and headed downstairs. She ran into Lindsay and the two went to the kitchen together.
“Dalton got a call from David in the barn. He will be back shortly.” Gabby stated serving them breakfast and then left to do other chores.
Lindsay asked Sarah how she was feeling.
“I’m fine today. It wasn’t as bad as it can get.”
“That wasn’t bad? It certainly looked bad.”
“No, that was mild. It can get really bad.”
“Dalton says that is why you want to live in a separate house.” Lindsay commented
“Yes, I might not treat you all very well so times if I am here. Dalton is going to bear the brunt of my emotions sometimes. I hate it, and I hope he can handle it.”
“He can.”
“I hope so.”
Lindsay placed her hand on Sarah’s to get her attention. “He helped when both of our parents got sick. He didn’t run from that. He will be able to handle this too.”
“It will crush me so bad if I do something to hurt him or one of you. He means everything to me.”
“Have you told him how scared you are about that?”
“Probably not in those words.”
“Do it. He will help you through it. My brother has a heart that can take anything. I have seen it, I know.”
“Thanks Lindsay. I am so glad to be able to talk to you again.”
“Me too.”
“I am going to walk to the barn. Do you want to go with me?”
“No, I have to run into town. I’ll see you later.”
Sarah was walking towards the barn when David appeared in the doorway. “Hi David, is Dalton down here?”
“No, he went to Nick’s for a minute, he’ll be right back. Can I talk to you?”
“Everything okay?” she asked very puzzled that he would want to talk to her.
David led her to his office and shut the door so they wouldn’t be disturbed. He paced behind his desk for a few minutes and then went around the front to lean on it.
/>
“I owe you a very big apology.” David stated “I upset you those times I called you and I hope I didn’t make you have an attack.”
“David, did I look upset last night?”
“No, you looked radiant.”
“And I had two attacks didn’t I? I can get these spells just because. Yes, it can be worse when I am tired or stressed. I think I understand your motives for those calls. You wanted me to come here. But I couldn’t, not physically because I can’t drive this far. But the other reason was because of Dalton.”
“What? He wanted you to come here.”
“Maybe, but he never asked me to come. You all did but he didn’t and as I told him; I was not setting any part of me on this ranch until I knew I wouldn’t be bothering him to be here.”
“Okay now that that is settled, here’s the next issue; why do you want to live in a separate house?”
“Dalton told you why. There are days I won’t be a nice person and when I lose it, I would rather not do it in front of my family. It is going to be hard enough when Dalton is around.”
“He can handle you.”
“He has almost convinced me of that. I just need a little time; this whole courtship went pretty fast.”
“Not fast enough for Dalton.”
“He did sort of propose on our first date, which I didn’t even know was a date at first.”
David burst out laughing “See what I mean.” David came to Sarah and helped her to stand. “I am glad you are marrying my brother, he is a good man and he will take care of you. We all will if you want us too, but you might be too independent for that.”
“I have been dealing with this illness for a long time by myself. It is going to quite a change to depend on someone else.”
“Dalton may try too hard to take care of you, we all will probably. But be patient with us. We love you.”
Sarah gave David a hug and said thank you for everything.
“Do you want to see your horse?” David asked as she released him
“I can’t ride, why do I need a horse?”
“Because it’s my ranch and I say you need a horse.”
“So says the king” Sarah muttered “Sure, show me a horse I can’t use.”
David led her to Star Dancer’s stall. The horse sensed their approach and stuck her head over the door. “Oh, David, she is so beautiful.”
“Just like her owner” Dalton said as he approached from the other end of the hall.
“Both of you are crazy, I don’t need a horse.”
Dalton stopped in front of her “Do you trust me?”
“What does that have to do with anything?”
“Do you trust me?”
“Yes, with my whole heart.” Sarah replied with a sweet smile.
“Good answer” replied Dalton as he kissed her. “Someday we will find a way for you to ride again. But for now, come with me and close your eyes.”
“Ah, Dalton, I can’t walk with my eyes closed. It is just like being in the dark and everything flips upside down.”
“Sorry, I forgot. Then just come with me.” Dalton took her by the hand and led her just outside the barn. He opened the back door and presented her with a four wheel all-terrain vehicle “This is our new way to get around the ranch.”
Sarah started to laugh, cry and hug him all at the same time. “I love you Dalton. This is wonderful.”
“I love you Sarah. Ready to go look at the spot for the house and then on to our picnic?”
Dalton helped her into the four wheeler and they headed for the house site. It was very close to the house but would still allow them privacy. Sarah thought the spot was perfect. He said he would find the plans and show them to her later in the week. Then he took off for their picnic site.
They arrived at the cabin and sat their picnic out by the creek. It was a warm Arizona day with a light blue sky. They talked about everyday stuff while they ate. After they cleaned up their picnic, Dalton sat up beside a tree and motioned Sarah to sit between his legs.
He whispered in her ear. “This is my dream come true.”
“I’m so glad to be here with you. I still feel like I am dreaming sometimes. The last week has been heavenly and I loved getting to spend so much time with you.
“I have loved our time together too. I want you to remember this week.”
“I will remember those things because it showed me again how amazing you are to me and how much I love you.”
Dalton was very moved by her words and kissed the top of her head and snuggled her closer to him. She did not object.
Eventually, they moved into the nearby cabin and spent some time loving each other. He was still lying with her but their idyllic time needed to come to an end.
“Dalton, I don’t want this week to end, but I need to be getting home.” She commented with regret
“I know, I’m stalling as long as possible.”
“We can’t. Otherwise when we get to my house you will have to rush back here and I will get a hurried goodbye.”
“And what kind of goodbye did you want?” he inquired around a laugh
“Long slow kisses that will tide me over until I see you again.” She replied seriously
“That will definitely be on the agenda, but no matter what, I won’t rush to get back here. I want to be where you are just as much as you want to be with me. I am better when I am with you.”
“That is a very nice thing to say.”
They returned to the ranch so that Sarah could say goodbye to the family. Dalton and Sarah left Stage West a short time later. Sarah called the Davises as they approached the estate CeCe answered “Hi Sarah”
“Hi CeCe. I am almost home. Are things okay with you and Greg, did you need anything?”
“No. Is Dalton with you?”
“Of course”
“Good both of you stop in the house and tell us what happened.”
“OK, we will be there shortly.” Sarah said with a goodbye. A few minutes later Sarah and Dalton arrived at the estate and parked by Sarah’s residence. They put her bags in the house and then went up to see Greg and CeCe.
“Greg? CeCe?”
“We are in the den.” answered CeCe. CeCe and Sarah exchanged hugs as they entered the den. “So tell us what happened?” CeCe asked anxiously “Was it a surprise?”
Dalton laughed and replied “Yes. It worked perfectly. I walked into the room like I was dejected and lost and then Sarah called. Everyone was surprised and thrilled.”
“So did you set a date yet?” asked CeCe “Or a place?”
“No, the date kind of depends on my job here and your schedules. I want you to be a bridesmaid, Ce. And the place is probably going to be the Chambers Hotel again. You’ll never guess who the owner happens to be.”
CeCe laughed. “Dalton owns the hotel?”
“Guilty as charged. I think we should be able to get it at a time of our choosing.”
“Well, I am free until the summer and so is Greg. And I would like to be a bridesmaid. Who is my escort down the aisle?”
“How about a good-looking cowboy?”
“Nick?”
Sarah nodded. “We can talk about this more tomorrow but have you thought about a replacement for me?”
Greg growled and glared at Dalton. “I knew when I called you to invite you to Hawaii that I was going to lose the best assistant ever.”
Dalton just smiled. “Well, I didn’t know it, but I sure hoped it.”
“Sarah, CeCe and I talked and we are going to offer it to both Tyler and Amy. And they can keep helping you with the foundation also. Will that work for you?”
“That would be wonderful. Which one is going to live in the house?”
“We will work with them to determine that.” CeCe answered. “I can’t wait until tomorrow when you tell them your news. The last I talked to Amy she was wondering about the flowers Dalton sent.”
“That would be my fault.” Sarah comment with a shy glance at Dalton. “I thought those flowers were a mistake and I said as much to Amy.”
“She called me up to tell me the florist made a mistake. Instead I asked her to dinner and now look what happened.” Dalton leaned over and kissed her cheek.
Dalton and Sarah left the main house a few minutes later and walked to Sarah’s. She invited Dalton in while she opened up some windows to freshen up the house. Dalton sat on the sofa and waited for Sarah to join him. He stretched out on the couch and urged her down onto his chest.
“When are you going to have some free time this week?” Dalton questioned as she lay with him.
“I’m not sure. I’ll know more tomorrow after we talk to Tyler and Amy. Can I call you then?”
“Yes, the sooner the better. I already miss you.”
“I know. This time together has been what I needed to begin to get over my fears.”
“Begin to get over your fears? That worries me. Can you explain that please?”
She sat up and turned to face him. “I still struggle with the question if I am doing the best thing for you.”
Dalton’s response was immediate and stern “We are not doing this again Sarah Dawson. We are settled on that.”
“As I was saying, I am scared to do the wrong thing and destroy us. I want you to be so happy with me because I am so happy being with you. You have captured my heart in such a short time period. My biggest fear is still though, is being with me the happiest Dalton can be? Even if I wasn’t sick I would still ask that question, am I the best for you?”
Dalton moved forward and cupped her face in his hands. “I am the happiest I have ever been in my life. Yes, you are the best for me. Why? Because your heart speaks to mine. Ever since I saw you again, my heart beats faster and more powerful whenever I see you. Yes, your looks help with that but it is more than that. It is an emotion I have never felt before. I need to be with you, I am whole.” He hugged her as the tears flowed down her face.
“You always say the right thing. I wish I could, I am better at writing than with talking.”
“Then write me a love letter.”
“I will. That is a great idea.”
“I need to get home but are we settled with this. No more fears?”
“They are getting less and less, that is all I can promise for now.”
“Okay for now.” He stood up from the couch and assisted her to her feet. He pulled her snuggly into his arms and lowered his head to hers. He teased her lips open as she wrapped her arms around his neck to deepen the kiss.