by Tinnean
“It’s okay,” Will assured her, “I’ve lived with Katrina a lot of years. I know what she’s capable of doing. Don’t be afraid of offending me. There isn’t much that I’ve heard when it comes to Katrina that I haven’t already said myself.” Kathy smiled, relieved that she hadn’t offended him.
“Well, to get to the point, after he heard about you and heard that you were coming here… well, his mood changed considerably.” She offered Will a small lemonade, which he accepted. “It was like night and day,” she exclaimed. “We were all very interested in meeting you.” “How did his mood change?” Will asked. He wondered if Eli was perhaps happy that he would have another of the Drake clan to torment.
“You were the hot topic that day,” Kathy stated with enthusiasm. “Elijah informed everyone that you would be arriving sometime within the week. He also demanded that you be treated with courtesy and respect unless you proved yourself unworthy of it.”
Katrina must have told him. He had let Katrina know that he would be arriving within the week, though he hadn’t told her any specific date or time.
“Have you seen the piano in the sitting room?” Kathy asked with a sly grin.
“Yes, it’s beautiful,” he responded. “I’ve wanted to try it out, but I’m afraid to ask. It probably belonged to his mother,” Will commented.
“That piano arrived two days before you did. He bought it for you. Katrina told him you were a piano teacher, and he wanted to make you as comfortable as possible.” She laughed at the expression on Will’s face.
“You’re not serious?” Will stated after the shock.
“I’m serious.”
“He never said anything about it.”
“He wouldn’t, but you can ask him if you don’t believe me,” Kathy urged him. “His behavior, when it comes to you, William Drake, is a side of Elijah that we’ve never seen.”
“I think it’s a trap,” Will blurted after finishing his lemonade in one gulp. This caught Kathy by surprise.
“A trap? Why?” It was Kathy’s turn to ask the questions.
“It all feels like a set-up to me,” he began. “I just don’t trust him. Why did he trade Katrina for me? What does he want? I’ve had these questions going through my mind ever since I arrived, and the only answer I can come up with is that it’s some sort of twisted game he’s playing.”
“Everyone thinks that he is truly interested in you. His behavior since your arrival has bewildered us all. Elijah has never shown the slightest real affection for anyone. I’m not saying he isn’t popular; he’s a man, after all. He will use a man, but he has never allowed one to stay at the ranch. I find it hard to accept that what I’ve seen in him lately is just part of a joke or a game.” She could see that although Will was quietly listening to her, he was obviously not buying it. “If he wanted to hurt you, he would. He wouldn’t drag it out for a month. Why would he want to hurt you, anyway? You had nothing to do with what your sister tried to do. Did you?”
“No, and that’s what I keep telling him, but he still seems to think that I am the mastermind behind this gold-digging operation. Katrina told him that it was all my idea, and he believes her.”
“He believes you.” Kathy stated this emphatically.
That declaration truly startled him. “What did he say to you, exactly?”
“It isn’t what he has said; it is how he is behaving.” Kathy was struggling with her words. “If you don’t know Elijah, you wouldn’t understand. He is handling you so differently. He was hateful to your sister. Her life here was hell. If he thought you were part of the scheme, he would be treating you the same.”
“Still, I don’t accept that he feels anything more than contempt and disgust where I’m concerned.”
Kathy shook her head.
“So his sexuality is common knowledge, then?” Will asked. He’d been curious since the beginning that no one found it odd that the ranch master was gay.
“Oh, absolutely. Personally, I don’t care, you can’t help who you love, but I think everyone else is just too afraid of him to question anything he says or does. He is a brutally honest person, he doesn’t hide himself for anyone,” Kathy stated matter-of-factly.
Will was glad that he’d found Kathy. Her company was a pleasure. Even though he’d known her for only a few short minutes, he was comfortable discussing his thoughts and concerns with her. It was a relief to open up to someone.
“Well, whatever his intent, we’ll both know in a couple of weeks,” Kathy finished lightly. They talked on for a while longer before Will excused himself to return to the main house.
It was not yet 10:00 p.m., so Will walked slowly, again trying to figure out what Elijah might be planning. Kathy’s opinions were pleasant to consider, but Will was too much of a realist to take them seriously. He liked Kathy; she was someone who could become a good friend if Will were staying longer, which he wasn’t.
He was lost deep in his own thoughts when someone came up beside him. He didn’t speak, just fell into step with him.
“Nice night for a walk,” Eli commented eventually.
“Yes.”
Eli reached over casually and took his hand, holding it loosely. His touch was becoming familiar, but it always made Will tense and wary. They didn’t say anything more for some time. They walked and enjoyed the fresh night air. When they reached the front yard of the main house, Elijah hesitated, slowing down as if he wasn’t ready to go inside.
“Would you like to see the horses?” he asked, remembering Will’s delight in the horses at Adam’s ranch.
“Yes, I would.” Will visibly brightened. Eli smiled and slipped his arm around Will’s waist. A young man passed them on their way to the stable and tipped his hat to them.
“Good evening, Mr. Hunter… William,” he said.
“Good evening, Steven,” Elijah answered. The young man regarded them curiously for a moment before moving on.
“Does Steven work for you?” Will needed to talk, to say anything. The silence was too heavy.
“Yes, he’s an excellent horseman. I’m lucky to have him.”
Will thought again about what Kathy had told him and considered asking him about the piano.
“Mr. Hunter,” he began but was immediately cut off.
“Call me Eli,” he said and accompanied his statement with a firm squeeze on Will’s middle.
“Eli,” he corrected. “You have a beautiful piano in the sitting room, and I was wondering if I may be allowed to play it?”
“Yes, you may. I brought the thing here for you.” He was smiling at him when he added, “I told you that your stay would be as comfortable and as pleasant as I could make it. I was wondering when you were going to ask me about the piano.”
“I thought it was a family heirloom. I was afraid I might be overstepping my boundaries if I asked to touch it,” he explained. “Kathy Graham told me that it just arrived a few days ago, so I decided to ask.”
“Kathy Graham?” He looked puzzled for a minute. “You’ve been making friends, I see. She is a fine woman.” He glanced down at Will with a strange look of satisfaction. “You’re fitting in here very nicely, William.”
He opened the door to the stable and let Will enter first. He followed Will in and secured the door behind them. Horses lined both sides in their separate stalls.
“Wow!” Will burst out, unable to contain his amazement. These weren’t Mackinac Island workhorses, these were champions and they lived like it; the stable was immaculate.
Elijah was delighted with Will’s approval and put his arm back around him, guiding him down the walk, looking at each magnificent animal individually.
“Are these all Thoroughbreds?” Will asked as he stopped to admire another of the animals standing regally in his stall.
“Yes, they are.” Eli was impressed by the uninhibited excitement he saw in Will’s expression. He was proud of his horses.
“These are the most beautiful horses I have ever seen in my life,” he sa
id with sincere appreciation.
“Thank you,” Eli responded with the same sincere appreciation and hugged him a little closer. Will was a true enigma, cool and distant with regard to everything except horses. Horses made him smile and excited his interest. The look on his face was pure unabashed joy. He couldn’t get enough of it.
There was an old man in one of the stalls at the far end of the stable. He looked up when he heard them approach.
“Hi, Boss,” he said and then added, “Evening, sir,” when he saw Will.
“Good evening, Sam.” Elijah stopped at the stall. Sam regarded them in the same way Steven had. “How is she?”
“She’ll be fine by morning.” They were referring to the horse whose leg Sam was currently bandaging.
“Sam, this is William. He’s going to be staying with us for a while.” He introduced them, saying, “Will, this is Sam Arden, my foreman and good friend.”
“Pleased to meet you, William,” the old man stated.
“Pleased to meet you too, sir,” Will responded as they shook hands. Sam looked at Will, rather baffled, and then finally verbalized his confusion.
“I thought I heard you were the brother to that other one?”
“He is,” Elijah answered for him. He pulled Will even closer and glanced down into his face. “But they appear to be very different people.”
“I’m glad to hear that, Boss.” Sam laughed and Elijah joined him.
Will missed the joke. He was having difficulty concentrating on anything other than the arm around his waist, pressing him close to Eli. All of Will’s attention was on the feel of Eli’s hand gripping his midsection, and the warmth and scent of his body. They said their good-byes to Sam and continued on their walk to the end of the stable. As they walked, Elijah’s grip did not lessen. Will was thinking that it would be impossible for Eli to hold him any closer and still be able to walk, but he seemed to have no difficulty doing both. He assumed it was a control thing rather than any desire to hold him close. Eli didn’t want him wandering off.
They left the stable and continued in the direction of the main house. Before they reached the front walk, Elijah stopped and, taking a deep breath, asked him almost timidly, “How about a walk in my garden?” He checked his watch. “It’s still early.”
“Your garden?”
“Yes, it’s just off of my study, and it is quite beautiful, if I say so myself.” He smiled down at Will and directed him around the side of the house between thick shrubs and onto a flagstone walkway. The shrubs, the trees, and the flowers were gorgeous. Will hadn’t even noticed this enchanting place. There was a stone bench at its center on which they sat.
Eli put his arm around Will and drew him close. “I’d like to discuss a proposition with you,” he began, not sure of how to proceed, but determined to do so. He had to know if Will was a gold digger like his sister or if he was really the person he presented himself to be. Seeing Will with John Gerard this afternoon had sent him into a near jealous rage. It was something he had little experience with. He sighed deeply. He had never before felt jealousy over a man. Never had he cared enough about any man to be jealous of other people getting too close. Katrina had told him that Will had no one significant in his life at this time. She said Will had recently ended a two-year involvement with a man, but according to Katrina, there had never been any real depth to their relationship. He had been turning this idea over in his mind all through dinner and decided that it was the best approach to clearing the air and finding out what Will’s priorities were. Hopefully he would find out what kind of man Will was.
“Your sister owes me $500,000 or a marriage.” The emphasis was on marriage.
“Yes, I know,” Will said hesitantly, not sure of where he was heading.
“You’re a smart guy, Will. You and I both know that Katrina has no intention of either paying the $500,000 or returning.”
Will was about to try and rebut that statement, although he believed it to be true, but Eli cut him off and continued with his present course of conversation.
“After the thirty-first, I will pursue her legally for breach of contract.” He turned to Will in order to look at him squarely. “Don’t doubt it.” It was a command, not a suggestion.
“I don’t doubt it,” he responded crisply.
“I will do everything in my power to make her pay, in one way or another.”
Will continued to stare at him, still wondering where this conversation was going. So far he had only stated the obvious. He cared about Katrina and always hoped she would behave appropriately, but in his heart, he had already accepted that Katrina’s return or payment was unlikely.
“I have virtually unlimited resources at my disposal,” Eli continued. “I doubt you or Katrina will survive financially if you choose to oppose me.” Why was Eli threatening him? What did he want that he needed to drive home once more how helpless they were? If he chose to, he could destroy them both, Will already knew that much. His home and his financial well-being were both in his hands.
“The contract that Katrina signed states that there must be a marriage or a payoff.” He turned to Will, fully pinning him with his gaze. “I would accept you in place of Katrina.” Eli held his hand as he continued to explain. Will, paralyzed with confusion, stared back and listened. “Marry me, and I will tear up the contract. I will release Katrina.” Of all the things Will thought he might say, this was not among them.
“You can’t be serious? Is it even legal in Montana?” Will was speechless beyond the telling of it. His tongue felt suddenly dry and swollen, and all his muscles were frozen. He tensed and pulled back as far as was possible within the confines of Eli’s grip.
“I want you. Montana recognizes out-of-state same-sex marriages. I can have us flown to Massachusetts within the week.” His voice was deep and husky. He continued to hold Will’s hand, keeping him from jumping and running away. “I’ve wanted you from the moment I saw you.” He smiled ruefully. Will’s ears began to ring. “You want me too. I see it in your eyes, and I feel it in your kiss.”
“What sort of game is this?” he demanded when at last he found his voice.
“Marry me,” Eli stated softly. “I’m rich, I’m powerful, and you can have it all.” His last words were spoken against Will’s ear as he pulled him into his arms and held him even though Will’s body remained stiff and rigid to his touch.
“Why are you doing this?” He tried to jerk himself away from Eli, but he held him securely.
“Marry me, and I will release Katrina from the contract. Marry me, and I will give you anything and everything. Name it and it’s yours.” He was sounding strange. It was almost as if he were daring Will to accept.
“No,” Will said in a near frightened voice. “I… I appreciate the offer… but… no. As you have stated, I am a smart guy, and as such, I know your ability and willingness to go to any length to exact revenge.” He struggled to remain calm.
Eli continued to hold him fast while he spoke. Will’s breath fanned his throat with every word, sending a thrill down his spine. He was going to drive him crazy. He wanted Will, but he didn’t trust him. The fact that he turned him down went in his favor. He really wasn’t a fortune hunter; Eli could see that clearly now. He knew it before the test of the bank card and the marriage proposal, but still he had to do it. He had to be sure.
“I don’t know what you’re planning, but I’m quite certain love has nothing to do with it; revenge and satisfaction, perhaps, but definitely not love.” He paused, and Eli squeezed him close to his chest, drinking in the scent and feel of him. “I will never put myself in a position where you could hurt me so badly. So if that is your intent, you might as well try a different tactic, because your pretense of love and desire is not going to work.”
Will frantically tried to get away. He jumped from the bench so quickly that he stumbled and would have fallen if Elijah hadn’t caught him. Will hurriedly regained his balance and pulled away.
“It’s o
kay,” Eli said in a soothing voice. “Think about my offer before you reject it.”
Will turned, and without a word, ran from the garden. He didn’t stop running until he reached his bedroom.
Around 1:00 a.m., as he lay there still awake, he heard Elijah come down the hall and go into his bedroom. With thoughts of Elijah on his mind, he began to ponder his outrageous offer. His proposal was startling, to say the least. As Will continued to think, he started to feel the emotions that he had forbidden himself to feel ever since that first kiss. He was absolutely right, Will did want him, but not just in a physical sense. He had too much self-respect to settle for that. The piece on the side never came out the winner in a relationship based on sex. He wished Eli really did care for him. He wished, but Eli didn’t; only a child would believe a fairytale story like that. It came to him then, the realization that Elijah never said that he loved him, he only asked him to marry him. He said he could give him money and power, the two things that Katrina would go to any length to obtain, but Will didn’t want either, and Eli definitely didn’t want him. Will managed to fall into a fitful sleep around 3:00 a.m.
WILL WAS awakened just before 6:00 a.m. by a light knock at his door. He sat up and pulled the blankets around him before answering. “Come in.”
Elijah entered and approached him. He was dressed in jeans, a white, cotton shirt, and a canvas jacket that appeared to have seen many days. He stared at Will for quite a while, taking in his hair, his face, and the protective way Will was holding the comforter to his neck. This made him smile.
“Good morning,” he said and walked closer to his side of the large bed. “Sleep well? No bad dreams, I hope?” He is mocking me, of course. Will cringed at the memory of that evening and lowered his eyes.
“No, I slept quite well, considering.” He sat up straighter and allowed the comforter to relax a bit, but found it a little difficult to look at him directly.
