Marriage at Any Price

by Lauren Canan

  * * *

  When Ally got home the next day, Seth was waiting for her on the tiny front porch of her small cabin. It hadn’t been hard to find; in fact, Ben Rucker had told him where she lived and provided directions. Seth had also confirmed since yesterday that the ranch Kathy had shown him used to belong to Ally’s family. He’d been right about that.

  She looked exhausted, surprised and anything but happy to see him. Admittedly not a reaction he was accustomed to.

  She pulled up next to the convertible and hopped out of her old truck. “Did you get lost?” she asked as she approached where he sat. “’Cause I can tell you this isn’t where you want to be.”

  “It’s exactly where I want to be,” he said. “I wanted to talk to you.”

  “Talk? Talk about what?”

  “I think I found a place I want. I would like you to go with me tomorrow and look at it.” She sighed and resolutely shook her head, so he jumped in before she could say no. “Look, I know we got off to a bad start. But I really do need your expertise. I’ve ridden horses off and on most of my life. But I’ve never had a ranch. I don’t know the first thing about stocking a barn for the winter, so I can’t know if there is adequate space. I know nothing about the equipment required. You said you grew up in this environment. I’m asking you to help me decide if this is the place I want to invest in.”

  “Why don’t you ask your relatives?”

  “They’re out of town.”

  “What about Ben?”

  “Rucker? I have a feeling he knows about as much as I do with regards to ranching. No. I assure you, I need you. Frankly, you’re the only one who fits the bill.” An understatement.

  She was quiet a long time. Then, “Where is this place?”

  “West of town. I can’t remember the road names, but I’m sure I can take us there.”

  In the dim glow from the lamppost next to the driveway, he saw her lower her head. Was she thinking about her former home? Should he have just told her his plan here and now? He’d given it serious thought last night and decided that she might be more tempted to say yes if she were at her home when he hit her up with the idea. He could now see that might be taking unfair advantage. He drew in a breath, intending to explain, when she raised her head and looked at him.

  “I guess I can do it. I have to work three horses in the morning, but I can skip the ones scheduled in the afternoon. How about one o’clock?”

  “One o’clock is perfect. I’ll pick you up here tomorrow?”

  “In that?” She nodded toward the pricey sports car. “I wish you had a truck.”

  “Maybe I’ll get one after I find a ranch.”

  “You’d better hurry. That’s a rental unless I miss my guess. You’ll tear out the undercarriage driving these rocky roads, not to mention the damage they will cause to the body and the paint job. You’ll end up buying a trashed car.” She stepped up onto the porch. “It’s a shame. Nice car.” She shook her head. “Okay, I guess I’ll see you tomorrow.”

  “I’ll be here. Thanks for doing this, Ally.”

  “No problem,” she said as she walked to the front door.

  “Good night.”

  She turned and looked at him as she opened the front door but didn’t answer. Instead she disappeared inside the small house.

  Seth followed the winding road from the Triple Bar Ranch with his spirits high, something he hadn’t felt in a long time. Part of it was hope that this crazy idea would somehow come to pass. But another big factor was that he would get to spend some time with Ally Kincaid. He liked everything about her: the way she moved, the silky shoulder-length hair that swirled about the fine features of her face. He could get lost in the brilliance of her sparkling green eyes, the sensuous full mouth.

  Best of all was her personality, even if she had given him a lot of grief. She knew who she was. She wasn’t coy. She didn’t try to cover her true nature with any kind of facade. Whether she liked him or not, that persnickety nature made him want to see more.

  He caught the direction of where his mind was going and brought it to a stop. Even if she agreed to this crazy plan, it would be a marriage in name only. There would be no getting close to her, no hope of becoming more to her than a man who shared the same house. Unless...

  He arrived at the hotel and fell onto the bed. There were some things he needed to do the next morning before he picked her up. Get a key to the house from Kathy, for one. Look at trucks, for another. Ally was right about the car and the gravel roads.

  He stood up and pulled off his shirt and pants before heading for the shower. Tomorrow would be a turning point for the research center. His mother had died of leukemia, and he was as determined as he’d ever been about anything to help fund the center. He would still get it built—no doubts there—but the inheritance would speed up the process tenfold. He hoped a miracle happened and Ally said yes.

  He knew he was putting a lot of trust in his gut reaction to her, but his gut had never let him down yet. He’d met more than a few self-serving society types who were willing to go so far as fake a pregnancy in order to marry a multimillionaire. He’d been played by the best and so far had kept his bachelor standing intact.

  But it was hard to regard Ally as a money-grubber when she’d made it clear she didn’t like him at all. Or any of his family. Ironically, that thought was comforting.

  Three

  Ally was sitting on the small front porch of her cabin when Seth Masters drove up the next afternoon. It was another beautiful day, and he had the top down on the car. She climbed in, fastened her seat belt and they were off.

  She leaned back and looked at the sky, eventually putting her hands above her head, feeling the wind whip through her fingers like a child on her first outing on a merry-go-round. Even though she still didn’t trust this man, riding in a car like this on such a perfect day made her feel free.

  But as they traveled farther west of Calico Springs, she grew tense. He couldn’t possibly be taking her where she thought he was taking her. Could he?

  When he turned the car into the long drive between the rows of white fences, she had her answer.

  He stopped the car in front of the house and killed the motor. Ally felt his eyes on her, but she sat frozen, staring at her childhood home. Seth exited the car and walked around and opened her door. She accepted his hand as she got out.

  “You knew, didn’t you?” she said after a long silence.

  “I guessed. I saw three ranches yesterday. This was the last one. I liked it a lot and ask who the sellers were. That pretty much gave me the answer.” He held up the key. “I thought you might like to see it again.”

  Ally turned to the house. Her heart was beating out of her chest, and elation battled overwhelming grief in her stomach. She came to a stop at the front steps, not sure if she should go any farther. As though sensing what she was feeling, Seth walked past her and unlocked the door then pushed it open. Stepping inside, she paused and looked around. Everything was as it had been, except several pieces of furniture were gone. Step by step, room by room, she made her way through the house, stopping on occasion to touch an object or the mantel of the fireplace that meant something special to her.

  “My mother used to always have a fire in the fireplace here in the kitchen when she cooked on a winter’s day. It made the room seem especially warm and cheery.”

  “It’s something not found in many kitchens today.”

  She turned to face him, her arms wrapped around her chest. “I can tell you unequivocally that this ranch has everything a person would need to be successful in any horse venture. Whether you’re looking to breed, train and raise or merely have a few horses to enjoy, you won’t go wrong. From the house to the barn to the foaling paddock to the land...it’s all here.” She swallowed back the tears and tried to talk through her throat that wanted to close. “Are you serious a
bout buying it?”

  “I am.”

  “I guess I’m a little confused. Being part of the Masters family, don’t you already own it?”

  “In a manner of speaking. It’s owned by the family conglomerate, Masters International, LLC. If I decide I want it as my own personal property, I contact my brothers, usually Cole because he handles all property management, and put in a request. He’ll pull it from the market and transfer the deed to my name. He’s done it for me one other time. Of course, if I do nothing, it can and probably will be sold to someone else outside the family.”

  She didn’t know if that idea made her happy or sad. It would still belong to a Masters, but maybe he was different. It was the best she could hope for. Seeing her home again drew the heartache into a large black mass inside her chest. The pain returned as sure and quick as the day she’d received the notice of foreclosure. But she refused to cry even though the tears filled her eyes. She wouldn’t let them fall. It was pointless. She didn’t want Seth Masters to think she was using a ruse or poor-little-me syndrome to get her house from him. If it was meant to be hers, she would find a way to get it back without relying on sympathy.

  “It really depends on you.”

  She frowned at the absurd comment. “What? How could you buying this ranch have anything to do with me?”

  He hesitated before walking over to lean against the kitchen cabinet then looked at her deeply.

  “First of all, you were right in suspecting I was kin to Wade, Cole and Chance. They are my half brothers.”

  “I knew there was a relation.” At least he was admitting it. Finally.

  “What you don’t know is about a month ago my brothers and I were notified of the probate of our father’s will.”

  “I still don’t see what any of that has to do with me.”

  “I have the plans ready to start building a research facility in California. The money I get from the estate could put me well ahead of the game. The center is badly needed. The research will primarily focus on finding a cure for leukemia.” He paused. “My problem is, according to Mr. Rucker, any of the heirs who aren’t married by the time the will is probated won’t receive an inheritance.”

  “So...let me get this straight. You need someone to pose as your wife long enough to obtain money.” She thought she saw him grimace.

  “Put that way, it sounds underhanded and conniving. But most of what I inherit will go to the center. You can see the plans if you have any doubt of that. Or I can put you in touch with my partners, who are doing their part to get this building up and running.” He paused, giving that time to soak in. “And it wouldn’t be just pretending to be my wife. It must be a legal marriage.”

  “Surely you know someone who would agree to marry you.”

  “No. Because of my schedule, there’s no time or place for a woman in my life on a permanent basis. I don’t know of anyone I would trust to say ‘I do’ then walk away a few months later, not expecting anything more than what was stipulated in our original agreement.”

  “But you think you can trust me?” she said, picking up on his idea. “You don’t even know me, Masters.”

  He shrugged. “Call it a gut feeling. When I realized this was your home, I felt it worthy of asking just how badly you want your ranch back. And if you’d be willing to marry me for a few months in order to get it. It would fulfill the terms of my inheritance, and you would have your ranch.”

  “It’s preposterous.”

  “It’s a crazy idea,” he agreed. Silence settled over them before he continued. “So, will you marry me, Ally Kincaid?”

  That took the breath from her lungs. The man really was crazy. Like she would ever marry a stranger. The very idea was ludicrous. Insane.

  “Of course,” he began, “it would be temporary. I figure about three months should do it. I’ll need to check with Mr. Rucker on that. But when it’s over, I head back to LA with some money to go toward my research center, and you have a clear deed to your ranch in your name. We both win.”

  “I thought you wanted a ranch or a small farm for yourself.”

  He shrugged. “I do. But I can always find another one.”

  He made it sound so simple. She looked at Seth Masters for a long time. “How do I know I can trust you? How do I know if I agree you will give me my ranch when you get your money? How do I know if you’re a decent, honorable man? You could up and walk out and leave me with nothing. Hell, I would be worse off than I am now.”

  “Mr. Rucker,” he stated. “He can attest to who I am. And I can fly my legal staff in to prepare the document. Exactly like a prenuptial agreement, in writing and completely aboveboard. You won’t lose this time, Ally.”

  “What about you? What if we do this and it ends up that you don’t receive any money from the estate? I mean, do you know for sure you’ll get any funding?”

  “It’s a gamble. But I’m willing to risk it.”

  “That research center is really important to you, huh?” She frowned, only now realizing what Seth was willing to put on the line.

  “It’s become my life. It’s worth taking the risk.”

  She looked around the familiar room, the walls calling to her. “How soon would you want to do this?”

  “As soon as documents can be prepared. Kathy Chisum, the real estate agent, said they have already had quite a lot of interest. If we don’t make a decision—correction, if you don’t make a decision—pretty quick, the ranch might be sold to someone else and we both lose. The probate hearing is on the eleventh, which is eight days from now.”

  She thought about his offer. Without it, she knew realistically she had little to no chance she would ever come home again. Was thinking his plan might work merely a measure of desperation?

  “No,” she said finally. “Thanks for the offer, I guess. But no. I’ll have to pass.”

  For the longest time, there was silence in the room.

  “Then, if you’re ready, I guess we should head back.”

  Why did she feel as though the breath had been knocked from her lungs? As they made their way to the front door, the walls seemed to call to her. She remembered the last time she’d walked out of this house, fearing she would never see it again, leaving behind cherished childhood memories. Memories of her father. Her mother. Even her first horse. And now she had the chance to come home permanently and she’d turned it down.

  It still wasn’t too late. She could have it...if she believed in Seth Masters. If she trusted him. Something she had no reason to do. He is a Masters, she reminded herself. You’re making the right decision.

  Why, then, did it feel so wrong?

  He dropped her at her little house without mentioning it again. There was no attempt to convince her to go along with his plan, no telling her she was making a huge mistake, no pleading with her to change her mind or give it additional thought. He bade her good-night, thanked her for her time and disappeared back down the driveway through the trees.

  It occurred to her she didn’t know how to find him. But why would she want to find him? She wouldn’t let herself dwell on the answer to that question. She’d made the right decision. It was a scheme formulated by a member of the Masters family, and she was correct in turning it down flat. Was this what had happened to her father? Had Reginald Masters offered him something that meant so much to her dad that he’d gambled everything on an outcome that Mr. Masters knew would never happen? If so, in the end it had cost them everything. The ranch was taken, and her father died of a massive heart attack knowing he’d lost it all. She couldn’t go through it again. She couldn’t. Parting from the ranch a second time was more than she could deal with.

  Trust had to be earned. Seth Masters had done nothing to prove himself. If he was setting her up and if she went for it, it would only confirm she was as big a fool as her father. Masters would laugh all the way back to LA.
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  She dropped down on her small, well-worn sofa. It was either the cruelest thing she’d ever experienced or the chance of a lifetime. Either way, it was done. She had to let it go. But why would he do such a thing if he wasn’t serious? It was a very expensive joke. She couldn’t figure out the catch, but there had to be one.

  Grabbing her cell, she punched in Ben Rucker’s phone number.

  “Ben,” she said when he came on the phone. “This is Ally Kincaid. What can you tell me about Seth Masters?”

  All Ben would say was that Seth was an entrepreneur and sat on the boards of two large regional hospitals in Los Angeles. He couldn’t attest to the man’s nature, but he’d made a positive impression.

  What did that mean? Positive. So he was a good liar?

  By the end of the next day, Ally was exhausted. On the ranch, she’d made all sorts of stupid, thoughtless mistakes, and when you were working with twelve-hundred-pound horses, stupid mistakes could turn deadly in a heartbeat. But that was what happened when she didn’t get any sleep. The night before, she’d lain in bed, tossing and turning, picturing herself in her home, in her own barn. She remembered the silence of the evenings when a cooling summer breeze swept over the land. She remembered the sound of the horses eating their grain with an occasional low nicker, the smells of sweet alfalfa and leather. Those same sounds and smells were here, too, but they were somehow different. It just wasn’t the same. It never would be. She remembered the pride she’d known when a client or a buyer came to pick up their new future champion, one that she’d bred and trained.

  Once back in her cabin for the night, she forced herself to eat a sandwich. Then, stepping into the shower, she relaxed under the warm spray. She had to let it go. The whole idea of marrying a stranger was unconscionable. What if he was abusive? Or had any number of undesirable qualities?