Page 153 of The Best Thing He Never Wanted

She was onto him now. She wasn’t leaving washing unattended while that goat was anywhere in the vicinity.

The smaller covers were dry, so she gathered them up and carried them upstairs. The larger one could stay outside a little longer. At least putting these back would give her something useful to do. Upstairs, she stepped onto the balcony with the covers bundled in her arms—and stopped when she saw a white SUV coming up the lane. It was ridiculous, but that old familiar fizz immediately rippled through her chest. It still happened whenever she thought about Blane, and she rather enjoyed it, but she absolutely could not start reacting that way to every white SUV she saw.

She smiled at herself as it came closer, and then the smile slowly slipped away. It was a white Vitara. Not just a white Vitara, either. As it came farther up the lane, she could see the dust on it, the dents and dings. Her heart gave one enormous thump as the vehicle slowed near the house. She stared as it rolled to a stop at the gate. It couldn’t be. And yet when the driver’s door opened, there he was.

“Blane!” His name was out before she knew she’d called it.

He looked up toward the balcony, and that gorgeous smile broke across his face as he raised a hand. “Bea!”

She was moving before he’d finished saying her name. She dropped the cushion covers onto the bench and hurried inside, clinging to the banister with one hand all the way down the stairs because her legs had apparently decided they were no longer entirely trustworthy. By the time she reached the bottom of the stairs, he was already there. She stopped dead and stared, taking in the sheer size of him, his dear, familiar, rugged face. All of him.

“Hey, darlin’.”

That word did the same thing to her it had done the very first time he said it to her in the hotel bar in London what felt like a lifetime ago; it went straight down her spine and out through the soles of her feet, leaving her insides fluttering.

“Hello, darling.”

Oh, that smile! He let his gaze travel over her and she held still, the heat shimmering in her veins even though that look was appraisal, not appreciation.

“You okay?”

She nodded, and then she couldn’t hold back any longer—she flung herself at him, his arms closing around her as she buried her face in his chest.

“What on earth are you doing here?” Tears filled her eyes as the familiar rumble of his chuckle passed from his chest into her.

She tipped her head back to look at him. “Are you laughing at me, you terrible man?”

His gorgeous gray eyes seemed to shine as he nodded. “Yeah, I’m laughing. What the hell else am I supposed to do when you’re talking into my shirt and I can’t make out a word you’re saying?”

She slapped his arm. “All right, so you may have a point.” She knew she was grinning like a fool and didn’t care in the least. “I was asking what on earth you’re doing here.”

He rolled his lips together as though he was trying not to laugh again. “Oh, I dunno. It’s Sunday, I didn’t have anything else to do, and I figured I might as well…”

She slapped his arm again. “Blane!”

“What?”

“You didn’t need to come all this way.” Her smile wobbled. “But oh my goodness, I’m so glad you did.”

She wrapped her arms around him again and held on tight, loving the feel of his big, strong arms around her. More tears pricked behind her eyes when he rested his chin on top of her head.

“I was worried about you.”

She looked up into his eyes. “I’m sorry. I didn’t mean to worry you.”

“You didn’t, darlin’.” A shadow crossed his face. “Whoever was out in your yard last night worried me.” His arms tightened around her.

“But Blane, you can’t just fly halfway across the world because there’s a man wandering around my courtyard in the middle of the night.”

His eyebrows drew together, and for the first time his smile faded. “Yeah. I didn’t know how you’d feel about me showing up. But I couldn’t not come, Bea.”

“Well, you should know how I feel—I’m so very glad you did. But I can’t simply drag you away from your life because…” She shook her head. “Because all of this is going on in mine.”

He pressed a kiss to her forehead. “You didn’t drag me away. Have you seen the size of me? You’d have a tough time dragging me anywhere.” His mouth quirked. “I came because I wanted to be here, darlin’. But if you tell me to, I’ll turn right around and—”

She slapped his arm again. “Don’t you dare even say such a thing.”

He laughed.