Faron’s voice was harsh when he responded, “Are we? Or are we just fooling ourselves, playing games until a buyer comes along and snatches all this out from under us?”
“That’s not fair, Cowboy,” Belinda retorted in a heated voice. “If anybody’s playing games here, it’s you. What is it you want from me?”
Maddy’s voice filtered up the stairs. “Faron? Belinda? Are you up there? There’s someone here to see you.”
“We’ll talk about this tonight,” Faron said. He didn’t give Belinda a chance to argue, just grabbed her hand and headed down the stairs.
When they arrived downstairs they found a man slightly older than Faron waiting for them. He had chestnut brown hair and cold blue eyes. He was about Faron’s height, but heavier in build, with a bigger chest and shoulders. He was wearing faded jeans and a ragged shirt and his boots hadn’t seen polish in a month of Sundays.
“Hello,” he said, extending his hand to Faron. “I’m Carter Prescott. Your brother. I’m here to take this place off your hands.”
CHAPTER TEN
"I SHOULD HAVE KNOWN THAT Wayne Prescott had more than one bastard son,” Faron said bitterly.
“I’m not a bastard,” Carter said in a frosty voice. “Wayne Prescott was married to my mother.”
Both Faron and Belinda turned to Madelyn for confirmation. She nodded slowly. “It’s true. Wayne was married once, a long time ago. The marriage ended in divorce, but as far as I know there were no children.”
Carter smiled cynically. “I was conceived after the divorce papers had been filed and born shortly before the divorce was final. There was no love lost between my mother and Wayne Prescott. She didn’t see any reason to let him know he had a son.”
“Why have you waited until now to come forward?” Faron asked.
“I wouldn’t have said anything even now, except I want this place and I thought I’d have a better chance of getting it as a Prescott.”
Faron forked all ten fingers through his hair. “Damn. I’m not sure what the legalities are—whether you’re entitled to a portion of King’s Castle under the will or not.”
“I don’t give a damn about any inheritance I might be entitled to.”
Faron frowned. “Then why are you here?”
“I want to buy King’s Castle.”
Faron looked skeptically at the man standing in front of him. Carter Prescott didn’t look like someone who had the kind of money it was going to take to buy a ranch the size of King’s Castle. “Do you have that kind of cash?”
Carter’s lips curled into a wry smile. “In the divorce, my mother took Wayne Prescott for half of everything he owned. Over the years I’ve made a few investments.” He shrugged apologetically. “I’m rich as sin.”
Faron turned stunned eyes on Belinda.
“I’m willing to pay you what the place is worth,” Carter said. “Money is no object. Name your price. I’m just looking for some roots, and I think I might find them here.”
Faron couldn’t argue with that sentiment. He had felt it himself. But this was his place. Carter Prescott would have to find his roots somewhere else!
“I think Belinda and I need to have a discussion in private. Would you mind giving us some time alone?” Faron said.
“Sure.” Carter turned to Madelyn and took off his hat to introduce himself. “If I’m not mistaken, you’re my grandmother.”
“I am,” Madelyn said. There was a distinct chill in her voice that surprised Faron. “I never liked your mother,” Madelyn said to Carter.
Carter smiled ruefully. “Not many people did, ma’am.”
That defrosted a little of Madelyn’s ice, but she couldn’t embrace this new-found grandson when she believed he was determined to ruin the happiness of the other.
“I could use a cup of coffee,” Carter said.
“Come with me.” Madelyn turned and marched toward the kitchen without looking back.
Carter settled his Stetson on his head and followed resolutely after her.
Of all the forms the villain in Belinda’s fairy tale had taken, it was never that of a handsome young man. “I can’t believe this is happening,” she said.
“It’s happening,” Faron said. “Let’s go into the study where we can sit down and talk.”
Belinda was too nervous to sit down. Once Faron was settled in the swivel chair in front of the desk, she jumped up and began pacing.
“With the money from the sale of King’s Castle, you and Maddy will both have the security you wanted,” Faron began.
Belinda looked at him with stricken eyes. That wasn’t what she wanted to hear from Faron. She wanted to hear that he loved her and wanted to marry her and that together they would spend their lives making King’s Castle what it once was.
But she couldn’t force him to stay if he wanted to go. And with Hawk’s Way calling to him, how could she ever have hoped he might want to stay?
“I suppose it makes sense to accept Carter’s offer,” she said tentatively.
“Is that what you really want to do?” Faron asked.
“I’m willing to go along with whatever you want to do,” Belinda countered, her eyes lowered to hide the grief she felt at the loss that was to come. “So I guess we sell.”
Faron’s tone was grim. “If that’s what you want to do, then that’s what we’ll do.” He kept his eyes lowered to the hands fisted in his lap.
Neither one of them realized they were sacrificing what they most wanted in deference to the needs and wants of the other.
“Do you want to tell him our decision now?” Faron asked.
“Not yet!” Belinda didn’t know why she felt so frantic, only that she did. “Let’s wait until after the pageant tonight.”
“Postponing the inevitable isn’t going to change it,” Faron warned.
“I know. Please, Faron. Just wait until after the pageant.” She could keep her fairy tale alive for a few more hours. It wasn’t over yet, and she didn’t plan to give up her dream until she absolutely had to.
Faron didn’t know what else to say. “We’d better finish getting that tree up. You’ve got to be at the church early tonight to set up for the Christmas pageant.”
When Faron and Belinda entered the kitchen, Madelyn and Carter were engaged in a rousing argument.
“What’s going on here?” Faron asked.
“I was just trying to talk Carter into attending the Christmas pageant tonight. Without much success, I might add.”
“Oh, please come,” Belinda said. “It’s so moving.”
“That’s what I’m afraid of,” Carter muttered. “I don’t care much for that sort of thing.”
“But it’s Christmas,” Belinda said. “Everyone loves Christmas.”
Faron took one look at Carter’s face and realized his stepbrother was the exception. “You don’t have to come if you’d rather not.”
Madelyn wasn’t about to let Carter off that easily. “I’d appreciate the chance to show off both my grandsons. Surely you won’t deny me that.”
“All right, Maddy,” Carter said. But it was plain his heart wasn’t in it.
“The children have worked so hard. I know you’ll enjoy it,” Belinda said. “They do a wonderful job.”
The more Belinda said about children, the more rigid Carter’s face got, until she realized she was only making it worse by going on and on. She didn’t know what Carter Prescott had against children and Christmas, but it was clear his opinions were long-standing. Nothing she said was going to change them.
In the awkward silence that ensued Carter said, “By the way, did you make a decision about selling King’s Castle?”
Belinda and Faron exchanged an uneasy glance.
“We want to think about it a little while longer,” Faron said.
“Goodness. This is no time to be worrying about business,” Madelyn interjected. “Look at the time. If we don’t get busy, we’ll be late getting to the pageant.”
Belinda was so exci
ted, she and Faron left early for church. Carter promised to follow later with Madelyn. It had begun snowing, and while Belinda was glad for the hope of a white Christmas, she was worried that the threat of a bad storm might keep some families away from the pageant. She was proved wrong when she arrived at the church and saw the pews were already beginning to fill.
She rushed around setting robes in place on shoulders, making sure the shepherds had their staffs and the angels had their halos. At the last moment there was some confusion about whether it was all right to use a female doll to represent the baby Jesus. Belinda did some fast talking and got the youngster playing Joseph to agree to the deception.
Belinda watched the program from the sidelines, nestled in the curve of Faron’s arm. “The children are so precious,” she whispered. Unspoken was the wish for some of her own.
Belinda watched Faron watching the children and saw his eyes soften with tenderness as a six-year-old Mary nestled a baby doll Jesus in her arms. She watched them light with laughter as an eight-year-old shepherd scattered live sheep down the aisle of the church. And watched them glow with what she would have sworn was love as he turned to her and squeezed her hand while they sang “Silent Night.”
When the pageant was over and all the children had been divested of their costumes and bundled into coats, Belinda and Faron looked for Carter and Madelyn. All they found was Maddy.
“Carter left,” Madelyn said. “He said he would meet us back at the house.”
“But why?” Belinda asked.
“I think it was too hard for him to stay any longer,” Madelyn said mysteriously. Belinda never could get any more of an explanation from Madelyn all the way home. At last Belinda realized there must be a lot of people like herself and Carter who had pasts they would rather forget. She felt a little guilty for forcing Carter into a situation where he had been forced to confront demons he might rather have left resting in their dens.
When they got back to The Castle, they found Carter settled in front of the fireplace with a brandy. There was no sign either in his face or his greeting that suggested a reason for why he had left the church.
“If you’re comfortable, Carter, I think we’ll just leave you here for a while. Belinda and I need to talk privately with Maddy,” Faron said.
“I’ll be fine,” Carter said. “Don’t worry about me.”
As Faron and Belinda ushered Madelyn into the study, she demanded to know what was going on. Faron refused to say anything until Madelyn was seated in the swivel chair in front of the rolltop desk.
“Why all this hush-hush secretive business?” Madelyn demanded.
“Belinda and I wanted you to hear that we’ve decided to sell King’s Castle before I inform Carter about the deal.”
“What!” Madelyn rose with a vigor that denied her age and her ailing heart.
It was apparent from her ruddy complexion and the outrage in her voice that even though Faron and Belinda were willing to be so foolish as to give up their dreams, Madelyn was not.
“I absolutely refuse to leave this house!” she said. It was more of a shriek, actually.
Faron and Belinda stared at the agitated woman who stood across from them, her hands twisting a lace handkerchief. Madelyn was having trouble catching her breath.
“Please sit down, Maddy.” Faron was seriously concerned that she might make herself sick. He tried to get her back into the swivel chair.
Madelyn eluded him and marched around to stand beside the desk with her back to the wall. “Don’t coddle me! I won’t sit down until I hear from your own lips, Belinda, that you would even consider something as horrendous as selling this house out from under me!”
“But Madelyn, I thought you understood that was why Faron and I were making all these improvements,” Belinda said.
“Well, I didn’t understand!” Madelyn said in an imperious voice. She turned her irate gaze on Faron. “As for you, young man, I’m gravely disappointed in you.”
Faron felt the heat on his cheekbones and wasn’t sure whether he was feeling shame, embarrassment or anger. Actually, it was a combination of all three. “What is it you’re most disappointed by, Maddy? The fact that I would court your son’s wife in front of your nose? Or the fact that I’m willing to make Belinda happy at your expense?”
“You young idiot! Don’t you see that selling King’s Castle isn’t going to make anyone happy? Least of all Belinda!”
“You’re wrong. Belinda told me months ago that she wants to live in town. She just got through telling me she wants to sell this place.”
“Foolish man! Belinda was willing to move into town to take care of me. She would never leave King’s Castle if you decided to stay here with her. Ask her!”
Faron leapt up from his chair and turned to face Belinda. “Is that true, Belinda? Would you stay at King’s Castle if I stayed here with you?”
“Since that isn’t going to happen—”
Faron grabbed Belinda by the shoulders and shook her. “Answer the damned question!”
“Yes! I’d never leave this place if you were here with me. But Faron, that isn’t possible, don’t you see?”
“Why not?”
“Do you mean to say you’d be willing to leave Hawk’s Way? That you’d be willing to spend the rest of your life in Wyoming?”
“I’d move to hell and set up housekeeping if you were there with me. I love you, Princess.”
Belinda stood stunned. “Why didn’t you ever tell me so?”
Faron shrugged sheepishly. “I didn’t want to scare you away. What I want, Princess, what I’ve wanted for what seems a very long time, is to marry you and work this ranch and raise children here with you.”
Belinda thought of the risk involved in committing herself to another man. What she discovered was that her love for Faron, and his love for her, took all the fear out of taking such a risk. Faron wanted only to make her happy, just as she wanted to please him.
“If that was a proposal,” she said at last, “I accept.”
Faron threw his arms around Belinda and hugged her so tightly she squeaked.
“Don’t squeeze the girl to death,” Madelyn chided.
Faron reached out and included Maddy in the hug. “You conniving old woman. I don’t know what you’re complaining about. You got exactly what you wanted.”
Madelyn grinned and chortled. “I suppose I did at that. Now. What are we going to do about that young man in the parlor?”
“We have to invite him to stay for Christmas,” Belinda said. “We can’t send him off alone.”
Madelyn’s eyes narrowed speculatively. “No, we can’t do that, can we?”
“You’re not matchmaking again, are you, Madelyn?” Belinda asked when she spied the look in her mother-in-law’s eyes.
“Who? Me, dear? What makes you think that? However, Carter did mention while we were having coffee in the kitchen that he owns a ski resort in Vermont. It’s located in a town not far from where Fiona runs her bed and breakfast. Two relatives should get to know each other, don’t you think?”
“Carter’s not related in the least to Fiona!” Belinda protested.
“No, they’re not related, are they?” Madelyn murmured. “How fortunate. But I do foresee a slight problem.”
Belinda knew she shouldn’t ask, but did anyway. “What problem?”
“Carter doesn’t like cats.”
“How did you find that out?” Faron asked, amazed at how much information Madelyn had pried from her newest grandson in the little time they’d had together. “About Carter and cats?”
“Oh, we were discussing conservation. Carter’s working to save the mountain lion, even though he doesn’t like cats. I don’t suppose Fiona would be willing to give up Tut…”
“Madelyn—”
Belinda’s warning was lost as Madelyn headed for the parlor. “I’ll just go get Carter and send him in here so you can give him the bad news.”
When she was gone Belinda looked up at Fa
ron and shook her head. “I don’t think there’s any help for it. I suppose I’ll have to call Fiona and warn her what’s coming.”
Faron grinned. “What, and spoil all Maddy’s fun? From what I know of your sister, Fiona can take care of herself.”
“At least it looks like our fairy tale is going to end happily ever after,” Belinda said as she gazed up at Faron with adoring eyes.
“What do you want for Christmas, Princess?”
“A baby.”
“You’ve got it. But I think I’ll go ahead and give you the gift I had planned.” Faron opened the top right hand desk drawer and reached into the back of it. He pulled out a small velvet box and opened it. “This is for you, Princess.”
Inside was a topaz surrounded by baguette diamonds.
“It’s the closest thing I could find to the daisies we picked that first day we spent together.” He took the ring from the box and placed it on her finger. “Now you’ll always be wearing flowers, Princess.”
Tears blurred Belinda’s vision. “It’s beautiful. Thanks, Cowboy.”
* * *
ALL THINGS CONSIDERED, CARTER PRESCOTT took the news that King’s Castle had been taken off the market pretty well. “You know I could go to court and challenge the will,” he pointed out. “I could tie up your assets so you’d have a hell of a time making ends meet.”
“You could,” Faron said, a muscle ticking in his jaw. “But I’d fight you every step of the way. And I have some considerable assets at my disposal.”
Carter measured Faron’s determination and apparently decided Faron meant what he said. Carter smiled wistfully. “I envy you, brother. Guess I’ll have to keep looking for those roots.”
“I wish you luck finding them,” Faron said. “You’ll always be welcome here. In fact, we’d be pleased to have you join us for Christmas.”
Carter shook his head. “I don’t think so. I don’t want to intrude. In fact, I’ll be leaving tonight.”
“So soon?” Belinda asked. “I know Madelyn would like to spend more time with you.”
Carter shook his head. “If I stay here much longer I might get to liking this place too much.” He reached out his hand to Faron. “Goodbye, Faron. It was a pleasure meeting you.”
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