Mail-order Bridegroom Part 18

"I just did."

He yanked on his line.

"One of these times, you're going to set the hook in your finger instead ofthe cricket. It's going to hurt. It's going to bleed. And I'm going tohave to cut the d.a.m.ned thing out."

"If that fine day ever arrives, you can say

"I told you so" Until then, I'd rather not see what I'm murdering. " She cupped her chin in her hand and rested her elbow on a bent knee.

"Are we going to fight over fis.h.i.+ng, or are we going to fight over the real

problem?"

He turned his head and studied her. More than a hint of anger lingered inthe depths of his eyes."Do you even know what that is?""Sure," she said with a shrug."You hit Orrie.""You're d.a.m.ned right, I hit him. All things considered, he got off easy."

Hunter slowly reeled in his line.

"But that's not the issue."

She knew it wasn't, though he'd never get her to admit it.

"Mateo loves working with the horses," she said instead. "Did you have to

make him give it up? And why fire Lenny? He's a good worker and a wonderful man."

Hunter cast his line again, his mouth tightening.

"Nor is that the issue."

"It is so," she disagreed, her frustration flaring out of control.

"It's why we're arguing."

"No, it's not. It's why you're annoyed, but it's not why we're arguing," he corrected harshly.

"You're annoyed because I didn't consult with you before making changes and

we're arguing because I won't explain my decision."

He'd hit the nail on the head, and she focused her attention on that particular aspect of the discussion.

"Why did you do it? Why did you fire Orrie and Lenny and change Mateo'sjob?" He remained stubbornly silent and she wanted to scream in exasperation."You're not going to tell me, are you?"

"No, I'm not."

"Because it's not the is sueT she demanded, tossing her pole to the gra.s.s and scrambling to her feet.

"It's my ranch,

too. I have a right to know. You promised to give everyone a fair chance. You promised!"

Setting his rod on the blanket, he reached out and swept her feet from under her, catching her before she hit the ground.

"That's the issue," he practically snarled.

"I made a promise to you--which I kept. And you made a promise to me--whichyou didn't keep."She fought his hold, with no success. His strength was too great."Idon't know what you're talking about," she insisted.He pushed her back on to the blanket and knelt above her, planting his hands on either side of her head."Who's in charge of this ranch?""That's not the point.""It's precisely the point. Answer me. Who's in charge of this ranch?"It galled her to say it."You are," she forced herself to admit. She pushed against his chest, struggling to sit up. To her relief, he rocked back on to his heels,

allowing her to wriggle out from beneath him.

"So you do remember our conversation at the line-shack," he said in satisfaction.

She wrapped her arms around her waist.

"Very funny. How could I forget?" It wasn't one of her more pleasantrecollections. Every last, painful detail had been burned into her memory."And do you also remember the promises we exchanged?""Of course.""So do I." He ticked them off on his fingers."I promised to give your employees a fair chance. I promised to give your grandmother a home. And I promised to sign a prenuptial agreement. Is that everything?"

She glanced at him uneasily."Yes.""You promised one thing. What was it?"She knew where he was headed with this and she didn't like it."Iseem to remember there being more than one," she temporized."Fine," he said evenly."Name any that you remember."Time to face the music. She should be grateful that he wasn't rending her limb from limb. She looked him straight in the eye and said,"Ipromised you'd be in charge of the ranch. ""Which means?"She sighed."That what you say goes. That I'm not to question you in front of the employees or second-guess your decisions. You don't work by committee," sherepeated his demands by rote."And did you do that? Did you keep your promise?"

Reluctantly she shook her head."No." Nor had she kept her agreement to make their marriage a fullyfunctioning one. She should be grateful that he hadn't pointed that out aswell.

"That's why I'm angry. One of these days you'll trust me to do what's rightfor you and for the ranch. You'll trust me without question.""You mean blindly."

"Okay. That's what I mean."She bit down on her lip. How could she do what he asked when it might all bepart of an elaborate game of revenge, an attempt to even the score for oldwrongs?

"I don't think I can do that. Hunter. You're asking me to risk everything."

"Yes. I am."

"It's too much," she whispered, staring down at the blanket, running the wool fringe through her fingers. "I can't give it to you. Not yet."

A long minute ticked by before he inclined his head."All right. I'll answer your questions--this time."She glanced up in surprise."You'll tell me why you fired Orrie and Lenny? Why you made Mateo give up the horses?"

"Yes. This once I'll explain myself. Next time you either trust me or you

don't; I don't care which. But don't expect me to defend my actions again.You understand?" At her nod, he said,"I put Mateo in charge of the haying operation. It meant an increase in wages--something he and his family need. Plus he knows more about mechanics than he does about horses."

"But ... he knows everything about horses." "He knows more about repairing our equipment. As for Lenny... He wasn'thappy working on a ranch. But employment meant more to him than his dislikeof ranching, which says a lot about the man's character, so I recommended himfor a job as a security-guard at your G.o.dfather's bank. Lenny jumped at theopportunity."

She could hardly take it in.

"And Orrie?"

He frowned.

"Orrie was a thief," he told her reluctantly.

"A thief! I don't believe it. What did he steal?" An obstinate look

appeared in his eyes, a look she didn't doubt he'd find reflected in her own."Hunter?" she prompted, refusing to let it drop."He took your silver circlet."She stared in shock."From my wedding-gown? But that was in our...""Bedroom," he finished for her.The full implication gradually sank in. Without a word she turned away and reached for her pole. It felt as if she'd been stabbed in the back by afamily member. Her betrayal went so deep that she couldn't even find the words to express it. Slowly, she brought in the line, blinking hard. The cricket was long-gone and she didn't have the stomach to kill another. At some point during their conversation she'd lost her enthusiasm for fis.h.i.+ng.

As though sensing her distress. Hunter caught her braid and used it to reelher in. She didn't resist. Right now she needed all the comfort she couldget. He folded his arms around her and she snuggled into his embrace.

"You okay?" he asked."No," she replied, her voice m.u.f.fled against his s.h.i.+rt."See what happens when you trust people?""Yes, I see. But I'm not Orrie."She sighed."No, you're not. I'm sorry. Hunter. I should have trusted you to do the right thing for the ranch."

"Yes, you should have."

"And I shouldn't have questioned your judgement in front of the men."

"No, you shouldn't have. Apology accepted." Without warning he released

her, and stripped off his s.h.i.+rt and boots. Then, s.n.a.t.c.hing her high in hisarms, he walked into the lake, holding her above the water.She clung to him, laughing."Don't! Don't drop me.""Do you trust me?""Blindly?""Is there any other way?"She bit her lower lip."Okay. I trust you. Blindly.""Close your eyes.""They're closed."

"And take a deep breath.""Hunter, no!" she yelped. He tossed her into the air and she tumbled,shrieking, landing in the water with a huge splash. An instant later Hunterdived in beside her, kicking with her to the surface. She gasped for air.

"I thought you said I could trust you."

A slow grin drifted across his lean face and he caught her close.

"I.

never said what you could trust me to do. "

And therein lay the real crux of the matter.thought best--but would it be right for her?believe, she couldn't. Not yet. She knew he'd do what he As much as she wanted to

As they drifted toward sh.o.r.e her hair floated free of its braid, wrappingthem in a net of long silvery tendrils. He beached them in the gra.s.s andgazed down at her, his attention snared by the wet s.h.i.+rt clinging to herb.r.e.a.s.t.s. His palm settled on the taut, supple lines of her midriff, whereher s.h.i.+rt had parted company with her jeans. As though unable to resist helowered his head, and gently bit the rigid peak of her breast through the wetcotton.

Her breath stopped in her throat and her nails bit into his shoulders,marking him with tiny crescent scars of pa.s.sion.

"Hunter!"

His name escaped her as though ripped from her throat, filled with anundeniable urgency.

He responded instantly, releasing her breast and plundering her mouth,parting her lips in search of the sweet warmth within. She couldn't seem to get enough of him. Her hands swept down his back, stroking him, needing toabsorb him into her very pores, the seductive brush of cloth against skin a.n.a.lmost painful stimulation. His taste filled her mouth, his unique muskyscent her lungs. She felt him tug at the fastening of his jeans. And then he hesitated.

Slowly he lifted his head, his angled features stark with want, dark withintent. She knew that expression, knew how close to the edge he must be.She stared at him uncertainly, caught between completing the intimacy he soclearly craved and she so desperately needed, and retreating from an act that would enable him to wrest the final bit of control from her possession.And she waited, waited for him to give in to his desire, to strip away thewet clothes and make her his wife in fact as well as name. But instead he drew away, and she could only imagine the amount of willpower it must havetaken him.

He kissed her again, the caress hard and swift.

"Not here. Not like this. But soon," he warned in a determined voice."Very soon. When there are no more doubts in your mind... when there's nochance of turning back, we will finish this and you will be mine."

She didn't argue. How could she? He was right. Soon they would be lovers,and if she wasn't very, very careful she'd lose her heart as surely as shewas losing control of the ranch. And, when that happened, Hunter wouldfinally have his revenge.

The next few days pa.s.sed with a comfortable ease that gave Lean hope for thefuture. Hunter continued to work with Dreamseeker, though whether or nothe'd made any headway with the stallion was a topic of hot debate. Still,she didn't doubt who would eventually win their battle of wills.

To her relief, the employees seemed quite content working under Hunter'smanagement. Losing two wranglers left ample work for everyone, and shesuspected that the fear of being laid off had finally dissipated. Mateo was far happier than she'd ever seen him.

And dropping in on Lenny in his new position as security-guard proved thatHunter had been right about that change as well.

Returning from the bank late one cloudy afternoon, she was surprised todiscover Hunter Rototilling the ground around the porch. The powerful bladesbit into the dark soil, grinding up the crushed remains of Grandmother Rose's begonias."What are you doing?" she called. He didn't answer, merely lifted a hand ingreeting and resumed his work. Inez stood on the porch and Lean joined her.

"What's he doing?" she asked the housekeeper."Or perhaps I should ask why. Why is he plowing the garden under?""No se," Inez replied with a shrug."Abuela Rosa, she took one look, said a nasty word, and stomped off to the kitchen. I don't think she is happy that Senor Pryde has decided to ruin her garden."