by Delilah Hunt
He was on the verge of informing Hart that he was perfectly capable of handling the matter on his own, with or without the help of the association, when he thought better of it. He couldn’t afford to lose another head of cattle, with fall around the corner heralding the auction season. More important, he had Danika to think about. He had to make certain she was financially secure, so there’d never be a cause for her to consider walking out on him. If Austin Hart was willing to help, he’d be a fool to refuse the offer.
Worth the Price
“Here goes nothing,” Danika whispered to herself. She sucked in a jittery breath and rapped on the door. It hadn’t felt right to use the key in her possession. This place was no longer home.
She waited for the door to open and gave a fleeting glance to her stomach. Her heartbeat raced with excitement. No matter the outcome of her discussion with her father, there was nothing he could say that would diminish the joy and love literally blooming within her.
The patter of approaching footsteps led her to take a suck in another breath. She straightened her shoulders as the door was cracked ajar.
“Danika,” her father called out. He looked as if he had expected her visit.
“Can I come inside?”
His hand, frailer than usual, loosened on the doorframe. “What kind of a question is that? This is your home, isn’t it?”
“You kicked me out,” she reminded him flatly.
“I didn’t kick you out. Furthermore, I didn’t expect you’d actually go through with that sham of a marriage to Sharpe.”
She glided past the entryway and deposited her handbag on the polished side table. “You call it sham, I call it love. Those are two very different entities.”
Her father chuckled in derision. “Funny you should say that. When Sharpe came to plead his case, he didn’t mention anything about love.”
Grappling to save face, she spoke in a conversational tone. “Brandon’s a private person. I’m sure he had his reasons for whatever he said or didn’t choose to say to you.”
“Hmm-mm.” He sounded unconvinced. “Did you and Sharpe make another deal? Is that why you’re still so insistent on defending the man who put us in this situation?”
“I didn’t come here to talk about Brandon. I’m sure you’d love to hear what a depraved monster he is. Sorry to burst your bubble, Dad, he’s nothing at all like that.”
His eyes slanted with suspicion as he stretched his arms wide across the back of the plush leather sofa. “What then? Did you come here to dole out some spending money since Sharpe already saw fit to humiliate me by paying off my creditors.”
“Humiliate you? Would you rather be homeless on the streets because you had to use your last penny to pay off the bills? Brandon helped us. Why can’t you understand that?”
Her father remained unmoved, not even bothering to bat an eyelid. “You were willing, weren’t you? Obliging enough to run to him, your white knight, and offer yourself up as the grand prize.”
“If that’s your way of asking if your only daughter is happy and content in her marriage, then I can assure you the answer is yes.”
His arms finally lowered from the arrogant pose. “Don’t spin this into me not caring about you, Dani.”
“If you care about me, why do you insist on this feud with Brandon?”
“Feud.” He looked away and snorted. “You’ve been reading too many history books. I want to see Sharpe ruined, plain and simple. I want him to know what it feels like to lose everything.”
“I came here to talk about us, Daddy and all you can wrap your mind around is your hatred for Brandon. Enough already. I am sick of it. You know nothing about my husband and what he has been through. All you think about is yourself. Did you ever think about Brandon’s own reasons for ‘weasling’ the land from under your nose as you always complain? Do you think you’re the only one who had to work hard for everything he’s ever received? Get over it, Dad. I feel like a broken record now. This needs to stop. This is about you and me. I want things to go back the way they use to be. No, I didn’t come to ask you to be best friends with Brandon, but…” Her voice cracked. “If there’s any part of you that cares about me and loves me like you always said you did, then you’ll accept my decision that I want to be Brandon’s wife and also your daughter.”
He became silent. Danika feared he would tell her to leave once more. Scrubbing a hand below his chin, he leaned forward and gazed at her like a man who had lost his way. “You remind me too much of your mother. Every time I look at you, all I can see is Sherice.”
She joined him on the sofa. “Mama was a lot prettier than me.”
His lips widened for a brief moment. “She was beautiful wasn’t she? I still can’t believe she let me take her out in my old beat-up Plymouth Savoy all those years ago, when I worked up the nerve to ask her out.”
“I know you loved her a lot, Dad. So did I. She wouldn’t want it to be like this between the two people she loved the most. You know it too.”
“Yeah and she wouldn’t have wanted to see me become a pauper in my old age either,” he grumbled.
“Are we back to that again?”
Her father turned to her, his features devoid of the last vestiges of anger. “Let an old man have his last gripe, Dani.” He reached for her hand, lightly scratching the back of her thumb as he had done so many times in her childhood. “I don’t like Sharpe, but you do have a point. I overreacted when I told you to leave. Maybe if I hadn’t done so, you never would have gone through with the marriage. The only thing I accomplished was to shoot myself in the foot and push you two closer.”
“Does that mean you’re willing to put all this behind us and accept my marriage to Brandon?”
“I’m not making any promises and don’t expect me to call him son anytime soon, but I suppose it won’t kill me to keep Sharpe out of our conversations.”
Danika threw her arms around him. A start was better than nothing. She kissed his cheek. “It’s all for the best, Daddy. It really is. You’ll see that Brandon isn’t the monster you’ve made him out to be.”
He grunted. Still she kept on smiling. It was going to be a long road to getting those two to be civil to each other, but at least there was hope.
Brandon watched the back of Austin’s truck disappear around the bend that curved into the main road. He was surprised the well-liked rancher had taken the time to come out to the Bar S. What came even more as a surprise was that he genuinely liked Hart. The rancher was nothing like he had assumed—conceited, expecting everything to be handed to him based on his last name, family history and looks. He had even shared some of the methods he applied to prevent the spread of noxious weeds in his pasture. In return, Brandon had given him tips on the best type of feed to mix for the heifers before breeding season. When Hart offered a belated congratulation on his marriage, Brandon knew he had made the right choice in accepting his offer of help and now friendship.
As he was nearing the doorway of the house, he spotted Danika’s silver sedan pulling up into the driveway. The air in his throat constricted. Would he be able to look her in the eyes and act normal?
She exited the car, her face beaming, almost glowing with happiness. He forced himself to relax and remember he had no solid proof Frank Prescott was behind the theft of his cattle.
“Was that Austin’s pickup I just saw turning onto the main road?” she asked, glancing backward.
“Yeah. He wanted to see the corral we’re constructing.” Hart had shown interest when he’d mentioned it, so that wasn’t a lie.
Her eyes lit up. “You guys have gotten so far on it. It looks incredible. The best looking corral I’ve ever seen.”
He grinned. “Well, we’ll see if it holds up when it’s roundup time. If we have it finished by November.”
“You know all you have to do is give the word and I’ll cut back on my time at the shelter if you need another hand to have it completed by then.”
“I know you don
’t mind helping around the ranch. What I’m more interested in knowing right now is what or who put that big smile on your face.”
She sealed her lips. “It’s a secret. I’m not telling you until later tonight.”
“What’s happening tonight?”
“Secret,” she sang out, twirling to the door.
Brandon watched her as she entered the house. He wasn’t prepared to go inside just yet. Worse, he was uncertain if he wanted to hear what this secret of hers was. If that glow on her face was anything to go by, he was sure it meant she and Prescott had reconciled. It would be a test of his strength to feign happiness for her.
“Jesus, what am I thinking?” He chided himself. He wasn’t thinking straight. It was like he’d told Hart, his suspicion of Prescott stealing his cattle was simply that, a suspicion without a shred of evidence. Propelling his traitorous thoughts to the back of his mind, he wandered over to the corral. Clint was already there, hammering steel riggings into a pole while two ranch hands nearby were dodging the hind legs of a bull that was dodging the branding iron.
“Found out anything new from Hart’s visit?”
“Nothing.” Brandon grabbed an iron frame and jammed it into the dirt.
The foreman whistled low. “Nothing, eh? I’m not buying that, boss.”
“I feel like I’m walking a fine line that’s slipping from under me. What if Prescott did sneak off with my bulls—what then?” He pressed his back to the bars. “For nine years I did everything from cleaning offices in downtown Billings to raking up muck on any ranch willing to take on a new hire. I hardly spent a dime on myself, because I knew what I wanted. What every person does. I wanted something for myself. The ranch. And then Danika. So what do I do? I paid off her da’s bills, believing that was the only way I could get her to look at me like a man who’s worth something. And now I’m standing here like a damn jackass wondering if that bastard is going to cause me to lose even more money.” Brandon pointed to the house and laughed without mirth. “Danika’s inside there all pleased with herself. She’s grinning from ear to ear no doubt because she and Prescott are speaking again. What am I supposed to do? Let it slide if I find out for sure he’s the one behind all of this? Or do I risk losing my wife over it?”
“That gal loves you, Bran. If her pa is up to no good, you actually think she’d side with him?” Clint shook his head to answer his own question. “That don’t sound much like your missus.”
“He’s her father,” Brandon said. “She loves him. Not me.”
Worth the Price
Danika hummed to herself while tucking a strand of hair behind her ear. Butterflies waltzed in her stomach. She fastened her arms around Brandon’s waist as Acer galloped with lightning speed. Without revealing her secret, she had managed to convince him to return with her to the colorful meadow, where they’d recited their vows.
The snowcapped peaks of the Rockies tinged with a golden halo from the setting sun came into view. Her breath quickened.
“It’s as beautiful as ever isn’t it, Brandon?”
“It is.” He dismounted then helped her to the ground.
She planted her feet in the grass and took hold of his hand. He’d been quiet, almost pensive on the ride over, barely uttering more than two words. She’d consoled herself with the knowledge that he was pre-occupied with all of the upcoming work on the ranch.
After spreading a blanket on the grass, she sat down and patted the spot next to her. A flash of hesitation flickered in his eyes.
“Are you upset about something?”
He blinked as if caught unaware then lowered onto the blanket beside her. He issued her a wan smile. “I’m not upset. I have a lot on my mind.” He dropped a kiss to her cheek. “I don’t want to ruin whatever it is that gave you such a bright smile today.”
“You won’t.” Danika cradled his head on her lap. She laced her fingers through his dark hair. “Now tell me, what are you thinking about?”
“You,” he replied, without missing a beat.
Her brows knitted. “I’m responsible for that frown on your face? Sweet Jesus, Brandon, I hope not.”
“You weren’t the cause of my bad mood. It’s ranch business. Nothing for you to worry about. Right now, you’re the only thing on my mind.”
After a while, Brandon raised his head from her lap and reclined on the blanket, arms folded behind his head. She placed her head on his shoulder. “You want to hear something silly?” He nodded.
“When I was a little girl, I would gaze up at the stars and think about my mother. You know how people always talk about heaven being this glorious place above us? Well I imagined it was up there too, way up in the sky, far away from here on earth. Every time I had a special occasion in my life or something interesting happened during the day, I’d go outside in the garden. Me, the sky…and her. My mother. It was my special way of being close to her.”
“Is this about your good news?”
Danika bit her lip with a nervous glee and faced him. “I know you probably thought it was strange that I asked you to come out here with me tonight. There’s a very good reason though.”
“Tell me.”
A sliver of dread crept up her spine. What if Brandon didn’t have the reaction she expected from him? Nonetheless, she palmed his hand and placed it beneath her dress onto the bare skin of her stomach.
“Danika?”
A lump settled in her throat at the question in his eyes. She gave a single nod. “I’m pregnant.” She waited, breath in her throat for a reaction from him.
“When did you find out?”
“Today. I suspected it for a while. I didn’t want to say anything to you until I was certain.”
To her relief, his large hand began to move gently across her belly. “I’m about six weeks along. The doctor says I’ll have to return in a few weeks to receive an ultrasound for the official due date. Are you upset? We’ve never spoken about children before.”
“All day long you had that beautiful smile on your face because you’re carrying my child. How could I be upset? Of all the things, I never expected that would be the reason for your happiness.”
“So… You’re pleased?”
He raised her dress high, exposing her entire stomach. “Pleased is not the right word.”
“I just knew you’d be happy.” A wide smile blanketed her features. “I’m also positive you’re going to be an excellent father.”
“You think so?”
“I do. You won’t be anything like your parents, Brandon.”
“No?” His eyes connected with hers.
“Nope. Because you’d would never abuse or abandon you child. Or hurt any child for that matter.”
“You have a lot of faith in me,” he said quietly, then positioned himself between her thighs.
Her legs splayed wider to accommodate him. “All the faith in the world,” she said in between an intake of breath.
Brandon thumbed her cheek. His eyes softened as he pressed his shaft against her sex. “Look at me. Do you want your man inside you?”
“More than anything else.”
He raised her leg and dropped a delicate kiss on her ankle. With tantalizing slowness his lips continued on their erotic journey upward, until finally Danika felt his warm breath whisper across her clitoris. He planted a soft kiss on the engorged bud.
A fevered moan escaped her lips. Her hips rocked and gyrated, seeking more. He didn’t keep her waiting. Lowering himself on top of her, he clasped his hand to hers and slid to the hilt within her tight sheath. Her lips parted of their own accord as a cry of pleasure split from the back of her throat. It never failed to amaze her, no matter how often they made love, each and every time felt more exquisite and sensuous than the last.
Holding himself rigid above her, Brandon pumped into her with a slow and steady pace. “Can I go harder?” He gave another thrust. “Don’t want to hurt you.”
“You won’t.” She rolled her hips, enticing him to go
deeper and harder.
He took her word and plunged deeper, pounding inside her. Her fingernails scratched along his back. Soon, her legs began to tremble, threatening to buckle with each unrelenting thrust, which flung her closer and closer to the edge. And then her world shattered in a million exhilarant pieces. Danika cried out her orgasm, thankful when his mouth lowered on hers, muffling the sound.
His head lifted then fell back on an anguished groan. “Don’t leave me. Please, don’t ever leave me.”
Tears burned at the back of her eyelids as he buried his face in her neck and filled her with hot, wet ejaculate.
Danika allowed a teardrop to fall below her lashes. Brandon needed her as much she needed him. “You’re my one and only, Brandon. You mean more to me than anything and anyone else.” It was the closest she could get to saying I love you without laying her heart on the line for disappointment.
His forehead fell to touch her own. “Don’t lie to me.”
“I’m not lying. Anything I say to you, I mean it. It’s from my heart. You’re my world and I don’t want to lose you either.”
“I didn’t think this night could get any better.”
She wasn’t sure for how long they sat there together under the stars after righting their clothes. Time felt as if it stood still for the two of them alone to bask in their good fortune. Their marriage and everything that came out of it, would come out of it in eight months time.
“Ready to head back?”
Danika nodded. She was looking forward to cuddling up in bed beside her husband. Moments later, Brandon retrieved Acer and mounted the horse. She extended her hand for his assistance. Their skin touched for a brief instant when all of a sudden his body grew tense.
“What’s wrong?”
