Saving Savannah (Haven, Texas 3)
“Ah, Savannah. You’re going to tie yourself up in knots of worry. Max is going to be fine.”
“How do you know? You’re worried too, I can sense it. You didn’t want him to go.”
“Not because I’m worried about him. Well, all right, I’m a little worried. But Max can take care of himself. He was in Delta Forces for years. He’s deadly, and he’s smart. Trust me, he’ll be fine.”
He met her gaze as he spoke and she knew he meant what he said, that he wasn’t just telling her what he thought she wanted to hear.
Turning, he walked into the kitchen. She followed him. “Have you had lunch?”
“Lunch?” Was it really lunchtime? She looked up at the clock in surprise. Wow, where had those last few hours gone?
“I’m going to take that as a no,” Logan said dryly as he washed his hands then moved to the fridge. “Sandwiches okay?”
“You sit,” she told him, feeling ashamed of herself. She’d spent all morning on the computer while he’d been working. She should have at least made him something to eat. “I’ll make something.”
He just shook his head and started making ham, cheese, and pickle sandwiches. Logan style, which meant over-sized and heavy on the meat. He placed them down on the kitchen island then sat and took a healthy bite. She picked one half up then put it down, feeling decidedly unenthusiastic about eating.
“Logan, I want to help. This ranch is too much work for one person. Is there something I can do?”
“I thought we’d settled this. Where did this new interest in ranching come from?”
She stared down at the mess she’d made of part of her sandwich and wiped her hands on her napkin. “You guys work so hard to keep this place afloat, I feel like I should do my part to help out.”
He opened his mouth then closed it again. “Savannah, you don’t have to do your part.”
“Of course I do. I don’t want to be that person that does all the taking with no giving.”
“Like your mother?” he guessed.
She looked away.
“Savannah, hear me on this. You do not have to work on the ranch or do the housework or bring in money to contribute to this relationship, understand me? You are our wife, we love you through good and bad. We take care of you, no matter what.”
“I want to do the same for you.”
“You do, woman,” he told her almost impatiently. “Jesus, how can you not see everything you do for us? You brought laughter to us when we’d forgotten how. You’re the reason we come home each night and leave with a smile on our faces in the morning. Hell, without you, Max would probably be a workaholic, and I’d have become a grumpy old hermit a long time ago.”
“You are a grumpy old hermit,” she told him.
He snorted. “Maybe so. But I’m your grumpy old hermit. Enough of this nonsense about needing to give something to us. You give something to us every day.”
“Even now?”
He pushed his stool back and crooked a finger at her. She moved slowly over to him, and he drew her between his legs. Pulling her close, he kissed the top of her head.
“Of course, now. We don’t just love you because of what you do for us, Savannah. We love you for you.” He sighed. “Christ, you know I’m no good at this mushy stuff. Did you deliberately wait until Max was gone to bring this up? Are you trying to torture me?”
She laughed quietly. “No. I’m not that evil.”
He ran his hand up and down her back. “I don’t want you looking up all that crap on the computer anymore.”
“I’m just trying to figure out where he is.” And if he was all right.
“And you’ll tie yourself up in knots trying to do that. We won’t know where he is. You have to trust he’ll take care of himself.”
“I’m scared.”
“I know, darlin’. I know.”