Sense left her, as well as words and any semblance of response. She could only hold the door open and gaze in silence at his beloved face. Worry etched deep lines in his brow, and black circles under his eyes spoke of sleepless nights.
A flash of relief passed over his features before a scowl darkened them. “Bloody hell, Alice, you ran? And all the way to San Francisco. Did you really think I wouldn’t follow?” Without waiting for an invitation, he pushed past her to stalk into the room.
Numb, she allowed the door to close. Still sense wouldn’t come, nor words, and every damn bit of her seemed locked. Every bit except her heart. That felt too big, grown too large for her chest, and all she could think wasRupert is here.
He washere. Did it mean…? Had he come…for her?
He, however, seemed to notice none of this. He paced the room, agitation in every line of his body, removing his silk hat to run his fingers through his pomaded hair.
Coming to a halt, he pointed his hat at her. “I’ll have you know I had the devil’s own time finding you. Do you know how hard it is to find a woman in a town the size of San Francisco?”
Coloured with Wales, his words seemed harsh, but she heard the worry and the relief in the strength of his accent. Slowly, bits and pieces of her started to work, and the realization that he had come, that he’d come forher, burst through her.
“There are too many blasted hotels in this city. And the damn horse cars seem determined to run one down for merely crossing the blasted street.” He stared at the hat in his hands, as if surprised to see it. Flinging it to one side, he recommenced his pacing. “I’ll have you know, the porters in this city will do anything for a dollar. Probably sell their mothers, should I have asked. You’re damned lucky I only sought your location, and that they are so base as to accept restitution for their immorality.”
Halting mid-stride, he turned, and the scowl he wore was fierce. “Actually, you’re damned lucky they do have the morals of the questionable. Without them, it would have been a nightmare trying to find you, and all because you wouldn’t bloody let me explain. It would have taken two minutes of calm from you, but instead you went off half-cocked and-and... Damn it!” Striding forward, he captured her face in his hands and kissed her.
The passion in him broke her stupor. Wrapping her arms around him, she kissed him and kissed him and kissed him. Gladness and joy blazed, lighting all the places in her that had been dark and lonely without him, and she could only hold him tighter, as if he might slip away if she didn’t.Oh God, Rupert, you’re here. You’re here.
Finally, they broke. Eyes closed, he rested his forehead against hers. “I thought I’d never find you.” Pulling back, he scowled. “Never again, do you hear me? If you want to kill me, kindly stay in the immediate vicinity to do so. Don’t run away.” Breath shuddered through him. “I don’t think I could take more days like the last five.”
“I’m sorry. It was an idiot move.” Stroking his cheek, she gazed at his face. She couldn’t believe he was here. Her heart had grown so full she thought it might encompass the whole of her. “I’m so glad you found me. I’m so glad you came.” Placing gentle kisses on his closed eyes, she rested her forehead again against his. “I was coming back.”
He tensed beneath her hands. “Were you?”
Exhaling, she shut her eyes. “Yes. I should never have left. I-I acted like an idiot, going off half-cocked. I have no excuse. I should never have left. I’m sorry.”
Silence stretched between them. She felt him regarding her, his gaze as heavy as lead. Damn, she was better than this. She was brave and bold, and she would be brave and bold now. Swallowing, she raised her gaze to his.
Expression solemn, his dark eyes searched hers. “I should have told you why I was in Ironwood. You were right when you said it didn’t matter my intentions. If I’d told you before you discovered it, we could have avoided all of this.”
Folding the material of his lapel between nerveless fingers, she asked the question that had plagued her so long. “Why didn’t you tell me sooner?”
His arms dropped from her, and he stepped away. He shoved a hand through his hair. “My employment contract contains a confidentiality clause. I was bound to silence, and you’ve no notion how much I regretted adhering to that bloody contract.” He lifted his gaze to hers, and she drew in her breath at the frustration and pain in his eyes. “What use is my employment if it drove awayyou?”
“But it didn’t drive me away.” Capturing his hands, she willed him to believe her. “I was coming back, and we would have fixed this whole business ten minutes after I found you.”
A smile tugged at his mouth. “Oh, really?”
“Of course.” Ignoring his broad smile at her words, she raised a brow. “Once I decide something, it happens. You should know that better than anyone.”
“Should I, indeed? And why is that, Mrs Reynolds?”
“Because I decided I wanted to have you, and now I do.” Uncertainty struck her. “I do have you, don’t I?”
“Don’t be daft, woman. Of course you do.”
Sheer happiness at his words made her grin, a genuine, true, happy grin. “How did you know I was in San Francisco, anyway?”
“Where else would you have been?” Tucking a curl behind her ear, he smiled ruefully. “You needed to order new costumes, and you probably wanted to drool over that chandelier you’ve been lusting after.”
Unable to believe what his words implied, she said, “So you just…knew?”
“I knowyou.”
Heart full, she stared at him. Goddamn, he did, didn’t he? Heknewher. How had she ever gotten so lucky?
“Full disclosure, though.” His fingers brushed her hair. “Garrett blurted it out mere seconds after I’d already determined where you were in my head. Don’t let anyone tell you any different, all right?”
