slid the simple gold band on her finger, tears welled up in her eyes. He grinned as she slid an identical ring on his finger. After they were pronounced husband and wife, Lane kissed her with fervor and sealed the deal.
“Thanks again for coming to witness.” Alex kissed Tucker ’s cheek after she walked him to his jeep.
“Not a problem,” h e answered, opening the driver door. “Alex, are you sure you know what you’re doing?”
“No.” She chuckled when Tucker gave her a bland stare. “Lighten up, Tuck . Everything’s going to be fine.”
“You’ll call me if you need a… anything?” Divorce was the word he wanted to use. He knew it as well as her .
“I won’t.”
“Well,” he sighed and tipped his hat. “Best wishes, Mrs. Tanner.”
She watched Tucker back up , then drive out of the driveway before she turned around and made her way into the house.
“Alex.”
She jolted at Lane’s voice , then turned to face him at the base of the stairs. “Yes?”
“I made reservations in the city for dinner.” He studied her face while he rolled up one sleeve of his crisp, white shirt, then the other. “We’ll leave here at six if it suits you.”
“All right.” She started up the stairs again , but this time his hand stopped her. The touch was light enough on her arm , but she felt the authority in it. Her gaze slowly slid to his. He was watching her, his gaze unnerving.
“Something wrong?”
“No. I thought I might go over to Mr. Scott’s and help him chop some wood for the winter season. It won’t take but a couple of hours.”
His jaw tightened before he could stop it. A business arrangement, he choked bitterly on his own words. Why did he think it would be any different?
“Fine. Be ready by six.”
Alex didn’t move for a minute, simply stared after him in shock. There was steel in his voice and Alex wasn’t sure why or where it had come from. All she knew was when his eyes darkened, his jaw had tightened, he was angry with her.
What did I do? She thought almost frantically. What have I gotten myself into?
On hollow legs, Alex treaded up the stairs, changed out of her dress.
She had saddled Joy and headed to Mr. Scott’s place. She rounded the curve in the woods, then brought Joy to a run when she saw Sam’s truck at Mr. Scotts.
“Hey, stranger.” Sam took Joy’s reins and led her to the corral.
“Hey, yourself. Helping out Mr. Scott today?”
“My mother wanted me to bring him some bread.” Sam made a grab for Alex’s left hand. He stared blankly at the band on her ring finger. “What the hell is this?”
“Well, you’re an observant one, ” Alex muttered and yanked her hand away.
“It’s that Tanner guy , isn’t it?”
“So, what if it is?”
“You married him?”
“Yes, I did.” Alex tied her hair back and pulled a pair of gloves from her pocket. “It’s a business arrangement , Sam . I get some control over what happens to the ranch, and Faith,” s he added because it mattered to him, too. “And he needed a wife.”
“So he picked you?”
Her chin came up, her blue eyes glittered. “Is there something wrong with me, then?”
“Don’t put words in my mouth, Alex. You know there’s not a damn thing wrong with you. Does he know about what happened with your father?”
“No.”
“Faith?”
“It hasn’t come up.” But she w as ashamed to be keeping such a secret from the man she had just taken vows with. “I’ll explain everything to him tonight. Right now, I need to be getting wood chopped for Mr. Scott.”
“ I’d stay and help, but I’m on at the pub in twenty minutes. Call me if you need anything, Alex.”
“I will.”
Alex worked with zeal. She wondered what busine ss she and her husband—shudder— would be discussing that evening. Ranch business? Or would she finally tell him about being abused all her life? Or the fact that she had a daughter?
Her stomach knotted as it always did when she lied, but she pushed
“Thanks again for coming to witness.” Alex kissed Tucker ’s cheek after she walked him to his jeep.
“Not a problem,” h e answered, opening the driver door. “Alex, are you sure you know what you’re doing?”
“No.” She chuckled when Tucker gave her a bland stare. “Lighten up, Tuck . Everything’s going to be fine.”
“You’ll call me if you need a… anything?” Divorce was the word he wanted to use. He knew it as well as her .
“I won’t.”
“Well,” he sighed and tipped his hat. “Best wishes, Mrs. Tanner.”
She watched Tucker back up , then drive out of the driveway before she turned around and made her way into the house.
“Alex.”
She jolted at Lane’s voice , then turned to face him at the base of the stairs. “Yes?”
“I made reservations in the city for dinner.” He studied her face while he rolled up one sleeve of his crisp, white shirt, then the other. “We’ll leave here at six if it suits you.”
“All right.” She started up the stairs again , but this time his hand stopped her. The touch was light enough on her arm , but she felt the authority in it. Her gaze slowly slid to his. He was watching her, his gaze unnerving.
“Something wrong?”
“No. I thought I might go over to Mr. Scott’s and help him chop some wood for the winter season. It won’t take but a couple of hours.”
His jaw tightened before he could stop it. A business arrangement, he choked bitterly on his own words. Why did he think it would be any different?
“Fine. Be ready by six.”
Alex didn’t move for a minute, simply stared after him in shock. There was steel in his voice and Alex wasn’t sure why or where it had come from. All she knew was when his eyes darkened, his jaw had tightened, he was angry with her.
What did I do? She thought almost frantically. What have I gotten myself into?
On hollow legs, Alex treaded up the stairs, changed out of her dress.
She had saddled Joy and headed to Mr. Scott’s place. She rounded the curve in the woods, then brought Joy to a run when she saw Sam’s truck at Mr. Scotts.
“Hey, stranger.” Sam took Joy’s reins and led her to the corral.
“Hey, yourself. Helping out Mr. Scott today?”
“My mother wanted me to bring him some bread.” Sam made a grab for Alex’s left hand. He stared blankly at the band on her ring finger. “What the hell is this?”
“Well, you’re an observant one, ” Alex muttered and yanked her hand away.
“It’s that Tanner guy , isn’t it?”
“So, what if it is?”
“You married him?”
“Yes, I did.” Alex tied her hair back and pulled a pair of gloves from her pocket. “It’s a business arrangement , Sam . I get some control over what happens to the ranch, and Faith,” s he added because it mattered to him, too. “And he needed a wife.”
“So he picked you?”
Her chin came up, her blue eyes glittered. “Is there something wrong with me, then?”
“Don’t put words in my mouth, Alex. You know there’s not a damn thing wrong with you. Does he know about what happened with your father?”
“No.”
“Faith?”
“It hasn’t come up.” But she w as ashamed to be keeping such a secret from the man she had just taken vows with. “I’ll explain everything to him tonight. Right now, I need to be getting wood chopped for Mr. Scott.”
“ I’d stay and help, but I’m on at the pub in twenty minutes. Call me if you need anything, Alex.”
“I will.”
Alex worked with zeal. She wondered what busine ss she and her husband—shudder— would be discussing that evening. Ranch business? Or would she finally tell him about being abused all her life? Or the fact that she had a daughter?
Her stomach knotted as it always did when she lied, but she pushed
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