When she arrived, he was nowhere in sight. Maritza answered the doorbell.

“You are here for Jenny, sí? She will be back soon, I think.”

“Actually I’d like to speak with Mr. Adams if he’s available,” she said.

“He’s in his office. Come, I will show you.”

She led Janet down the hall and pointed to a heavily carved door. “In there. You would like me to tell him you are here?”

“No, I’ll knock. Thanks, Maritza.”

She stood outside the door for several minutes summoning up her courage before finally rapping softly. “Harlan?”

“Janet, is that you? Come on in,” he called out so eagerly that she was immediately consumed by another bout of guilt.

He was on his feet and halfway across the room by the time she had the door open. His expression made her heart skitter wildly. There was so much hope there. So much love.

“I wasn’t expecting to see you today. You’ve been making yourself scarce.”

“I had some thinking to do.” She looked into eyes so blue they reminded her of the summer sky. “Thank you for letting me do it in peace.”

He looked as if he wanted to reach for her, but he shoved his hands into his pockets instead. “Reach any conclusions?”

“Just one, thanks to Jessie, Kelly and Melissa. I have to tell you the truth about something.”

His eyebrows rose. “Sounds serious.”

She nodded.

“Then come on over here and sit.” He gestured to a big leather chair in front of the fireplace, then settled into the one beside it.

Janet liked the arrangement. She didn’t have to look directly into his eyes while she talked. She began slowly, telling him about the summer she had spent with Lone Wolf. Then she repeated all of the stories he had told her about their ancestors being forced out of Texas.

“I resolved then that I wanted to make it right. I came here wanting to get that land back. If I could have found a legal way to do it—which I couldn’t, by the way—I would have taken White Pines from you,” she summarized.

There, it was all out in the open. She glanced over at him to gauge his reaction. To her astonishment, he smiled.

“I know,” he admitted without batting an eye. “I’ve known for some time now.”

“You’ve known,” she repeated blankly, then wondered why she was so surprised. Of course he would have put all the pieces together. He hadn’t become a successful rancher without knowing how to read people. What she couldn’t seem to absorb was the fact that he had taken the discovery so well. Where was the ranting and raving she’d anticipated with such dread?

“And you still wanted to marry me?” she asked, bemused.

“How could I blame you for thinking of Lone Wolf and wanting to make amends for what happened to his father?”