the space indicated.
“The third?” Letty chortled in disbelief. “There couldn’t have been a first, and a second. You have to be an original.”
“Ah, madam, there are many sides to Eugene of which you are not yet aware. But never fear, you will be.”
“That’s what I’m afraid of,” Letty said. “Let me show you to the door, Judge. Do we keep those papers, or do you need to file them somewhere?”
“Each of the agreeing parties keeps one, and I have one for my files.”
Letty ushered the judge from the study. Eugene assisted by carrying his briefcase.
The study was suddenly empty and quiet.
Rusty took a shaky breath and wondered what she had done.
Cade turned back toward the fire to cover his own confusing thoughts. He’d forced her into agreeing that the marriage would be real, if there were children. And he didn’t know if he could ever fit into Rusty Wilder’s world. He didn’t know that he wanted to. What he wanted was the woman. What in hell had he done?
“Cade? Why did you go to see the doctor? Are you sick?”
“Doctor?” He let out a deep breath. “Not the doctor, Rusty, the veterinarian,” he answered absently. “I went into Coyote Wells to look over a map of the area and stopped by the vet on the way back.”
“Why? I have all the maps you need in the office.”
“Not the maps dealing with water tables and drilling rights.”
“That’s a waste of time,” Rusty said. “Every rancher in the valley has spent a fortune drilling. Why’d you stop by Will Fleming’s?”
“I thought it would be good to get acquainted if I’m going to live here. We talked about bulls and tranquilizer guns. I’m a pretty fair shot, and if there’s a way to control your bull with tranquilizers, I thought I might be able to help out. I also found out—”
If Rusty had stopped to think, she would have realized that what he said made sense. But she couldn’t. All she heard was that he had taken it upon himself to go to town and meddle in the business of running Silverwild without talking it over with her, before she had a chance to explain Cade’s presence.
“I suppose you told Will that you were here as—to—to be my private stud? That must have given him a big laugh. You couldn’t have picked a more perfect person to share our plans with. You see, Will Fleming was your biggest rival. If I’d belonged to his church, we probably would have married long ago. As it is, he almost had your job. Maybe I should have chosen him.”
She hadn’t meant to say that. She didn’t even think of Cade in those crude terms. As soon as the words left her mouth, she knew she’d made a mistake. Cade McCall would never be anybody’s stud. He was a man, a proud man, who’d given up his plans for his own life to make a better home for his child. He was exactly the kind of man she’d choose as a father for her child. And what was she giving him? A cruel, mean-minded shrew.
“Cade—” she began.
“Forget it, Mrs. Wilder,” Cade said coldly. “Youdidn’t choose him. You picked me, and I have a contract that I intend to hold you to. Either way, I figure I can’t lose. I’ll be married to the wealthiest woman in the state, and I’ll have an unlimited supply of sex.” He picked up his contract and folded it carefully. “I’d better take good care of this. It’s worth a lot of money.”
He strode out of the room without a backward glance.
Rusty watched in stunned disbelief. A log in the fireplace broke and set off a shower of sparks.
What had she done?
Six
The night was silent. Not a quiver of movement broke the quiet; not a shiver of wind brushed against the window. To Rusty it was as if the valley had pulled the mountain on top of itself to hide. She paced the floor restlessly.
Not since Ben’s death had she felt so lost and out of control. Her careful plans had vanished in a blaze of fire. From the moment she’d met Cade McCall in the airport, she’d been caught on an emotional
“The third?” Letty chortled in disbelief. “There couldn’t have been a first, and a second. You have to be an original.”
“Ah, madam, there are many sides to Eugene of which you are not yet aware. But never fear, you will be.”
“That’s what I’m afraid of,” Letty said. “Let me show you to the door, Judge. Do we keep those papers, or do you need to file them somewhere?”
“Each of the agreeing parties keeps one, and I have one for my files.”
Letty ushered the judge from the study. Eugene assisted by carrying his briefcase.
The study was suddenly empty and quiet.
Rusty took a shaky breath and wondered what she had done.
Cade turned back toward the fire to cover his own confusing thoughts. He’d forced her into agreeing that the marriage would be real, if there were children. And he didn’t know if he could ever fit into Rusty Wilder’s world. He didn’t know that he wanted to. What he wanted was the woman. What in hell had he done?
“Cade? Why did you go to see the doctor? Are you sick?”
“Doctor?” He let out a deep breath. “Not the doctor, Rusty, the veterinarian,” he answered absently. “I went into Coyote Wells to look over a map of the area and stopped by the vet on the way back.”
“Why? I have all the maps you need in the office.”
“Not the maps dealing with water tables and drilling rights.”
“That’s a waste of time,” Rusty said. “Every rancher in the valley has spent a fortune drilling. Why’d you stop by Will Fleming’s?”
“I thought it would be good to get acquainted if I’m going to live here. We talked about bulls and tranquilizer guns. I’m a pretty fair shot, and if there’s a way to control your bull with tranquilizers, I thought I might be able to help out. I also found out—”
If Rusty had stopped to think, she would have realized that what he said made sense. But she couldn’t. All she heard was that he had taken it upon himself to go to town and meddle in the business of running Silverwild without talking it over with her, before she had a chance to explain Cade’s presence.
“I suppose you told Will that you were here as—to—to be my private stud? That must have given him a big laugh. You couldn’t have picked a more perfect person to share our plans with. You see, Will Fleming was your biggest rival. If I’d belonged to his church, we probably would have married long ago. As it is, he almost had your job. Maybe I should have chosen him.”
She hadn’t meant to say that. She didn’t even think of Cade in those crude terms. As soon as the words left her mouth, she knew she’d made a mistake. Cade McCall would never be anybody’s stud. He was a man, a proud man, who’d given up his plans for his own life to make a better home for his child. He was exactly the kind of man she’d choose as a father for her child. And what was she giving him? A cruel, mean-minded shrew.
“Cade—” she began.
“Forget it, Mrs. Wilder,” Cade said coldly. “Youdidn’t choose him. You picked me, and I have a contract that I intend to hold you to. Either way, I figure I can’t lose. I’ll be married to the wealthiest woman in the state, and I’ll have an unlimited supply of sex.” He picked up his contract and folded it carefully. “I’d better take good care of this. It’s worth a lot of money.”
He strode out of the room without a backward glance.
Rusty watched in stunned disbelief. A log in the fireplace broke and set off a shower of sparks.
What had she done?
Six
The night was silent. Not a quiver of movement broke the quiet; not a shiver of wind brushed against the window. To Rusty it was as if the valley had pulled the mountain on top of itself to hide. She paced the floor restlessly.
Not since Ben’s death had she felt so lost and out of control. Her careful plans had vanished in a blaze of fire. From the moment she’d met Cade McCall in the airport, she’d been caught on an emotional
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