The Cowboy Wins a Bride (The Cowboys of Chance Creek) by Cora Seton Page A
Authors: Cora Seton
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me."
"Don't start that again."
"Why?" He couldn't keep the anger from his voice. "Because you're still in love with Daniel?" There. He’d said it aloud.
“I hate Daniel's guts.” Her eyes blazed.
“Then turn your back on him and walk away.”
She pursed her lips. “I can’t do that.”
“Why not?”
“You don’t know the whole story."
"Tell me."
For a long moment she stayed quiet and he was sure she wasn't going to tell him anything, but then she scanned the horizon and said, "He stole money from me, okay? A lot of money.”
Walter sidestepped and Ethan got him back under control. “You call the police?” Once more the urge to beat Ledstrom to a bloody pulp pulsed through his veins.
“No.” Claire touched her heels to Storm’s flanks and moved away.
“Why not? What the hell happened?” He urged Walter forward, galloped around her and blocked her way. She wouldn’t meet his eyes.
“I lent him the money, okay? Without signing anything. I thought he loved me. I thought he was going to ask me to marry him, so I just handed it over. He said he only needed it to secure a deal for a week or two until another property he owned finished up the escrow process. It was no big deal.”
Finally he understood and he reeled from the realization of how Claire must have felt. Robbed by the man you wanted to marry. He forced himself to swallow. She'd wanted to marry Daniel – not him. “Then he ran off with that other lady instead and took your money. How much?”
She shook her head. “It doesn’t matter.”
“Sure it does. Tell me.” He waited, calming his own racing mind and breathing easily, like he did when he wanted to soothe a horse. He knew his own mood could transfer to the animals. Maybe it would work on Claire, too. He had to know it all. Had to know what he was up against.
“Ninety thousand dollars.”
He whistled low and long. “Damn. No wonder you’re so angry.”
She stroked Storm’s neck, still not looking his way. “There wasn’t anything I could do. We didn’t sign a contract – I just gave it to him. There’s no way to get it back."
“I’m sorry.”
“Why should you be sorry? You’re the one who made it possible for Ethan to buy me out of the ranch. Now I have six times the money I lost. You’re right – I should just walk away.”
“But you want to get back at him.”
“It’s stupid, isn’t it?”
“Nah. That ninety thousand dollars is the money you made yourself, with your own hard work. Of course you want it back.”
“That’s why I can’t let this go – I have to get Carl Whitfield’s contract.”
Jamie looked her over. “If you win the contract, you think you can make peace with the rest of it?”
She finally turned his way. “You mean, forget about Daniel and what he did?”
“Yeah.”
She nodded slowly. “Yes. I think so. I think that would be revenge enough.”
“All right then.” He clicked his tongue at Walter and swung around to head on their way. “Do whatever it takes.”
CHAPTER TEN
What was Daniel doing right now? Claire wondered as she rode at the tail end of the line of women on their first short ride on the trails around the spread. Her thighs were sore from the unaccustomed exercise and she was sure she’d pay for jumping back into riding so suddenly after so many years away from horses. She couldn’t say she regretted it, though. Storm was a sweetheart and it was all she could do not to throw her arms around the mare’s neck and hug her again and again like a child who’d just received her first pony. Poor Storm; that wouldn’t become her at all and nor would it become an old hand like herself. So she held back, even though it was difficult.
Was Daniel going through her contact list, sucking up to the people she'd cultivated with hard work and great design skills? Was he completing the contracts in progress and stealing more of her money? Her hands tightened on the reins.
Focus,
"Don't start that again."
"Why?" He couldn't keep the anger from his voice. "Because you're still in love with Daniel?" There. He’d said it aloud.
“I hate Daniel's guts.” Her eyes blazed.
“Then turn your back on him and walk away.”
She pursed her lips. “I can’t do that.”
“Why not?”
“You don’t know the whole story."
"Tell me."
For a long moment she stayed quiet and he was sure she wasn't going to tell him anything, but then she scanned the horizon and said, "He stole money from me, okay? A lot of money.”
Walter sidestepped and Ethan got him back under control. “You call the police?” Once more the urge to beat Ledstrom to a bloody pulp pulsed through his veins.
“No.” Claire touched her heels to Storm’s flanks and moved away.
“Why not? What the hell happened?” He urged Walter forward, galloped around her and blocked her way. She wouldn’t meet his eyes.
“I lent him the money, okay? Without signing anything. I thought he loved me. I thought he was going to ask me to marry him, so I just handed it over. He said he only needed it to secure a deal for a week or two until another property he owned finished up the escrow process. It was no big deal.”
Finally he understood and he reeled from the realization of how Claire must have felt. Robbed by the man you wanted to marry. He forced himself to swallow. She'd wanted to marry Daniel – not him. “Then he ran off with that other lady instead and took your money. How much?”
She shook her head. “It doesn’t matter.”
“Sure it does. Tell me.” He waited, calming his own racing mind and breathing easily, like he did when he wanted to soothe a horse. He knew his own mood could transfer to the animals. Maybe it would work on Claire, too. He had to know it all. Had to know what he was up against.
“Ninety thousand dollars.”
He whistled low and long. “Damn. No wonder you’re so angry.”
She stroked Storm’s neck, still not looking his way. “There wasn’t anything I could do. We didn’t sign a contract – I just gave it to him. There’s no way to get it back."
“I’m sorry.”
“Why should you be sorry? You’re the one who made it possible for Ethan to buy me out of the ranch. Now I have six times the money I lost. You’re right – I should just walk away.”
“But you want to get back at him.”
“It’s stupid, isn’t it?”
“Nah. That ninety thousand dollars is the money you made yourself, with your own hard work. Of course you want it back.”
“That’s why I can’t let this go – I have to get Carl Whitfield’s contract.”
Jamie looked her over. “If you win the contract, you think you can make peace with the rest of it?”
She finally turned his way. “You mean, forget about Daniel and what he did?”
“Yeah.”
She nodded slowly. “Yes. I think so. I think that would be revenge enough.”
“All right then.” He clicked his tongue at Walter and swung around to head on their way. “Do whatever it takes.”
CHAPTER TEN
What was Daniel doing right now? Claire wondered as she rode at the tail end of the line of women on their first short ride on the trails around the spread. Her thighs were sore from the unaccustomed exercise and she was sure she’d pay for jumping back into riding so suddenly after so many years away from horses. She couldn’t say she regretted it, though. Storm was a sweetheart and it was all she could do not to throw her arms around the mare’s neck and hug her again and again like a child who’d just received her first pony. Poor Storm; that wouldn’t become her at all and nor would it become an old hand like herself. So she held back, even though it was difficult.
Was Daniel going through her contact list, sucking up to the people she'd cultivated with hard work and great design skills? Was he completing the contracts in progress and stealing more of her money? Her hands tightened on the reins.
Focus,
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