Page 76 of Colton First Responder (Coltons of Mustang Valley)

And next time? There had to be a next time. This simply could not be the end of his being in her life.

She hoped.

But she wasn’t certain. And she felt tears fill her eyes as they headed back to Grayson’s car.

Chapter 22

Grayson knew his home would never feel the same again.

Savannah and he had stopped for dinner last night after leaving the police station. Savannah had seemed quite happy that her food was warm and fresh for a change, and the restaurant was filled with people—although apparently no one who knew her. At least no one said hi, or pointed at her.

He’d driven them to the ranch after that in an SUV he’d rented temporarily while his car was being fixed.

Savannah and he had walked to his portion of the house and he’d shown her into a guest room.

But she hadn’t stayed there. No, they’d celebrated the recent happenings by spending the night in bed together, in the most enjoyable way possible.

He loved it. He loved her. And this simply couldn’t be the last night they spent together.

In the morning, they had gone out to a fast-food place for breakfast, and Grayson told Savannah he was taking her back to his office for now.

“I’ve got something I need to do at the ranch,” he said as they finished eating.

“I understand,” she said. “Are you going to check with your brothers and sisters and stepmom about how your father is doing?”

“That, too, maybe. But—well, like my siblings, as you know, that wing in the main house where we stayed last night is my own. You are welcome to stay in the guestroom there as long as you want.”

“Oh.” Her expression, as she looked down at her empty plate, appeared downcast. “You don’t need to do that. I’ll find another place very soon.”

“No,” he said firmly and fast, not wanting to even ask where she had in mind—and assuming she didn’t yet. “You won’t. And that doesn’t mean we won’t see each other. It simply means we’ll each have our own space, so we can decide how much time we will spend together.”

Like forever? That was the thought that rolled through his mind. Damn it, he had fallen for Savannah.

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Did he want to spend the rest of his life with her? Well, maybe. He certainly felt more for her than he had for any other woman. But she’d just gotten a divorce—was she ready to trust again?

Could he trust that she would stay with him forever if she seemed ready to make a commitment?

He walked her back to his office building and made sure his staff had started to arrive. He was amused at how Winchell demanded Savannah’s attention, which she gave without reservation, kneeling on the floor and hugging the smart and skilled search and rescue dog.

He had not been able to bring Savannah here before, not while she was a fugitive, so the people on his staff didn’t yet know her. After introducing Savannah to them, he told them her current status: unofficially exonerated from committing a murder.

Of course all of them, Norah in particular, became highly excited for Savannah and demanded to hear how that had happened.

“Go ahead and tell them,” Grayson said to her. “I’ve got to get on my way. See you all soon.”

He drove back to the ranch, half wishing he could have stayed to hear how they all discussed what had happened yesterday—and also get a sense for where Savannah’s mind was now, what she thought her future might contain. He would make sure she had a place to stay and anything else she needed, of course, whether or not it was at the ranch. But he had come to know her well enough to feel certain she would make plans for what came next, then implement them.

With his involvement? If so, how much?

He now hoped they would stay in each other’s lives, at least a little. Maybe a lot.

He soon drove back through the gate at the Rattlesnake Ridge Ranch and parked in an empty spot near the car he recognized as Asher’s. He assumed his other siblings weren’t around just then, which was fine.

In fact, his younger half brother was a good one to talk to about how things were going with the family. Asher was actually the ranch foreman.

Of course Asher might be in the stable or out on the grounds, but Grayson entered the main ranch house, planning to go up to his wing on the second floor. But hearing a noise from the kitchen, he figured he had better stop in and say hi to whoever was there, Asher or staff or someone else, rather than startling someone with his presence. He walked through the living room, with its luxurious, floor to ceiling walls and exposed beam ceiling of the open living room. He also passed the dining room, as always taking in how nice this place was, with its wooden floors and lots of trim and expensive decorations.

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