“I appreciate all the trouble you went to in order to ensure my survival.”“Purely selfish, I assure you.”“Because you need me to oversee your household?”“Because I need you to marry. Men tend to frown at the notion of marrying someone who isn’t breathing.”

“Cordelia!" She staggered to a stop and slowly turned as her father's voice reverberated around the room."You just accused your brothers of trying to commit murder.""No, Father. From this day forward, Cameron is the only brother I have. If you allow these two to remain in your home after what I have just told you, then I also have no father.""You're as high-spirited and stubborn as your mother. I warned Leigh that he needed to keep a tight rein on you, but he wouldn't listen.""Dallas isn't one to follow in other men's footsteps. Giving him permission to marry me was the finest gift you could have ever given me.”

“I was proud of you today, handling William Long the way you did." Her fingers stilled. "What did you think of him the first time you met him?" she asked quietly. "That he was the kind of man you should have married." "And now you don't think that anymore?" "Now, it doesn't matter. You're married to me." "I was the night you met him." Jake's eyes met and held hers in the moonlight. "No, you weren't. Not really." His arm tightened around her. "But you are now.”

“I told you to stay off that goddamn horse, but you wouldn’t listen! And I paid the price for your stubbornness. For forty-three days I traveled through hell, wanting that woman like I’ve never wanted anything in my life. For forty-three days, I drew your goddamn brand in the dirt to remind myself that she belonged to you, that she deserved the best of men. Think what you want of me, but never for one goddamn minute think less of her because you forced her into my company.”-Houston to Dallas”

“She angled her chin proudly. “Very well. If you insist.I’ve come to invite you to my wedding.”He shook his head sadly. “That I cannot do, mylove.”“But it shall be the talk of London. I want you there.Desperately.”He gazed out to the sea. “I never thought you to becruel, Tess. I can deny you nothing. But please don’task this of me.”“But if you’re not there, my dear, dear Leo, thenhowever shall I marry you?She watched as the shock of her words rippledover his beloved features.“Me? But you always said no when I asked for yourhand.”“I was a foolish woman. Lynnford was the love of myyouth. And as we have talked these many weeks aswe’ve not been able to talk in years, so wediscovered that neither of us is the person that eachof us fell in love with. We were holding onto someonewho no longer exists.” She took a tentative steptoward him. “You love me as I am now. And I shall loveyou always. Marry me, Leo. For God’s sake, marryme.”

“Because I would very much like to kiss you, Miss Darling, and unlike you, I’m not in the habit of taking what rightfully belongs to someone else.”

“Stay."The strangled word, spoken in anguish, tore at her heart, ripped through her resolve. She swiped at the tears raining over her cheeks and slowly turned, forcing the painful truth past her lips. "I can't stay. I can no longer give you what you want. I can't give you a son." Dallas stepped off the veranda and extended a bouquet of wildflowers toward her. "Then stay and give me what I need." Her heart lurched at the abundance of flowers wilting within his smothering grasp. She shook her head vigorously. "You don't need me. There are a dozen eligible women in Leighton who would happily give you a son and within the month there will be at least a dozen more—" "I'll never love any of them as much as I love you. I know that as surely as I know the sun will come up in the morning." Her breath caught, her trembling increased, words lodged in her throat. He loved her? She watched as he swallowed."I know I'm not an easy man. I don't expect you to ever love me, but if you'll tolerate me, I give you my word that I'll do whatever it takes to make you happy—"Quickly stepping forward, she pressed her shaking fingers against his warm lips. "My God, don't you know that I love you? Why do you think I'm leaving? I'm leaving because I do love you—so much. Dallas, I want you to have your dream, I want you to have your son."Closing his eyes, he laid his roughened hand over hers where it quivered against his lips and pressed a kiss against the heart of her palm."I can't promise that I won't have days when I'll look toward the horizon and feel the aching emptiness that comes from knowing we'll never have a child to pass our legacy on to…"Opening his eyes, he captured her gaze. "But I know the emptiness you'll leave behind will eat away at me every minute of every day."-Dallas and Dee”