Mail-order Bridegroom Part 7

"Why did you want to meet here?" she asked, taking the offensive."To annoy you."Her mouth tightened."You succeeded. Was that your only reason?""No. I could have had you drive to Houston and negotiate on my turf.But, considering our history. " He shrugged, relaxing against the doorjamb.He tucked his thumbs into his belt-loops, his jeans hugging his lean hips and clinging to the powerful muscles of his thighs and b.u.t.tocks.

She shouldn't stare, shouldn't remember the times he'd shed his jeans and

s.h.i.+rt, exposing his coppery skin to her gaze. But it proved next to impossible to resist the old memories.

He'd had a magnificent physique, something that clearly hadn't changed with

time. If anything, his shoulders had broadened, his features had sharpened,becoming more tautly defined. How she wished their circ.u.mstances weredifferent, that she didn't fear he'd use her attraction to achieve his goal.to gain his revenge.

Desperately, she forced her attention back to the issue at hand.

"Negotiating here is just as much to your advantage. Dredging up the old

memories, playing on my guilt, is supposed to give you added leverage, isthat it?""Yes. I play to win. You'd be wise to learn that now."She ground her teeth in frustration."And if I don't?"He smiled."You will. We've come full circle, you and I. We're back where we left off.

But nothing's the same as it was. You've changed.I've changed. " He added significantly,"And our situation has changed.""How has it changed?" she asked with sudden curiosity.

"How have you changed? What did you do after you left here?"He hesitated, and for a minute she thought he wouldn't answer. Then he said,"I finished my education, for a start. Then I worked twenty-four hours a day building my... fortune.""You succeeded, I a.s.sume?" she pressed."You could say that.""That's it? That's all you have to say--you got an education and made your fortune?"

He shrugged.

"That's it."

She stared at him suspiciously, wondering what he was concealing.

Because she didn't doubt for a minute that he hadn't told her everything.

What had he left out? And, more importantly, why?"Why so mysterious?" she demanded, voicing her concerns."What are you hiding?"He straightened."Still trying to call the shots, Leah? You better get past that, p.r.o.nto.""It's my ranch," she protested."Of course I'm still calling the shots."He shook his head."It may be your ranch, but I'm the one who'll be in charge. Are we clear on that?""No, we're not clear on that!" she a.s.serted vehemently. "In fact, we're notclear on anything. For one thing, I won't have our past thrown in my face day after day. I won't spend the rest of my life apologizing for whathappened.""I have no intention of bringing it up again. But I wanted to make it plain, so there's no doubt in your mind. I won't have you claiming later that I didn't warn you."

She eyed him warily.

"Warn me about what?"

"You've been managing this ranch for over seven years and you've almost run it into the ground. Now I'm supposed to come in and save it. And I will.

But you're going

to have to understand and accept that I'm in charge. What I say goes.

I won't have you questioning me in front of the hired help or second-guessing my decisions. You're going to have to trust me.

Implicitly. Without question. And that's going to start here and now. ""You've been gone a lot of years. It isn't reasonable--' He grabbed his s.h.i.+rtsleeve and ripped it with one brutal yank, the harsh sound of rendingcotton stemming her flow of words."You see that scar?" A long, ragged silver line streaked up his forearm.She swallowed, feeling the blood drain from her face."I see it.""I got it when the sheriff helped me through that window." He jerked his head toward the south wall.

"I have another on my inner thigh.

One of Lomax's deputies tried to make a point with his spur. He almost

succeeded. I broke my collarbone and a couple of ribs on the door here. "

He shoved at the casing and it wobbled.

"Still isn't square. Seems I did leave my mark, after all."She felt sick. How could her father and Sheriff Lomax have been so cruel?Had Hunter really been such a threat to them?

"Are you doing this for revenge?" she asked in a low voice.

"Trying to get control of the ranch because of how Dad treated you and because I wouldn't go away with you?"

"Believe what you want, but understand this..." He leaned closer, his words

cold and harsh.

"I got dragged off this land once. It won't happen again. If you can't

accept that, sell out. But if you many me, don't expect a partners.h.i.+p. Idon't work by committee.""Those are your conditions? What you say goes? That's it?"He inclined his head."That just about covers it."

"It doesn't come close to covering it," she protested.

"I have a few conditions of my own."

"I didn't doubt it for a minute."

She pulled the list she'd compiled from her pocket and, ignoring his quietlaugh, asked, "What about my employees? They've been with me for a long time. What sort of guarantee are you offering that changes won't be made?"

"I'm not making any guarantees. If they can pull their weight, they stay.It's as simple as that."

She stared in alarm. Pull their weight? Every last one of them pulled hisor her own weight. to the best of their ability. But that might not be goodenough to suit Hunter's high standards. Patrick had a bad leg and wasn't asfast or strong as another foreman might be.

And what about the Arroyas? Mateo and his wife Inez would have starved if she hadn't taken them in. Inez, as competent a housekeeper as she was, hadsix children to care for. Leah had always insisted that the children's needscome first, even at the expense of routine ch.o.r.es. Would Hunter feel the same way? And Mateo was a wonder with horses but, having lost his arm in acar accident, certain jobs were difficult for him--tasks she performed in hisstead.

"But--' " Are you already questioning my judgement? " he asked softly.

She stirred uneasily.

"No, not exactly. I'd just appreciate some sort of guarantee that thesepeople won't be fired." She saw his expression close over.

"I'm responsible for them," she forced herself to explain.

"They couldn't find work anywhere else. At least, not easily."

"I'm not an unfair or unreasonable man," he said in a clipped voice.

"They won't be terminated without due cause."

It was the best she'd get from him.

"And Grandmother Rose?"

A tiny flicker of anger burned in his eyes.

"Do you think I don't know how much Hampton Homestead means to her? Believe

me, I'm well aware of the extent she'd go to to keep the ranch."

Her fingers tightened on the list.

"You don't expect her to move?"

She could tell from his expression that she'd offended him, and she suspected

that it was a slight he wouldn't soon forgive.

"As much as the idea appeals, it isn't my intention to turn her from her

home,"

he said curtly.

"What's next on your list?"

Taking him at his word, she plunged on.

"I want a prenuptial agreement that states that in the event of a divorce I

get to keep the ranch."

"There won't be a divorce."

She lifted her chin.

"Then you won't object to the agreement, will you?"

He ran a hand across the back of his neck, clearly impatient with her

requests.

"We'll let our lawyers hammer out the finer details. I refuse to start our

marriage discussing an imaginary divorce."

She wouldn't get any more of a concession than that. "Agreed."

"Next?"

She took a deep breath. This final item would be the trickiest of all.