The Kincaid Bride

by Jackie Merritt

  Melanie ate in silence, as the others were doing, and worried about her grandfather. This thing with Dad’s other sons is getting him down. Maybe Collin is right. Maybe Granddad should forget he ever found out about them. Look at him tonight. He seems to be aging before my eyes. Why should he take on Dad’s responsibilities when Dad himself apparently never made a move toward those six kids?

  “Did you take Melanie to Alice’s house when you were in Elk Springs today?” Garrett asked Collin.

  “No, sir,” Collin replied. “I never even thought of it, to be honest. Did you, Melanie?”

  “I’m sorry, Granddad, but no, I’m afraid Aunt Alice never entered my mind. I do intend to see her while I’m here, of course.”

  Collin grinned. “Mel was too excited about rafting the Elk River to think of anything else.”

  Eli stared at Collin, feeling as though someone had just stabbed him in the heart with a red-hot poker. “You…you’re not taking her rafting, are you?” he stammered.

  Melanie turned her head to see Eli’s face and was startled by the ashen color of his skin. “Is there some reason he shouldn’t take me rafting?” she inquired, genuinely curious about Eli’s peculiar reaction.

  “It…it’s dangerous,” Eli mumbled without looking at her.

  “It can be,” Collin agreed, “but Sean knows that river like the back of his hand.”

  Eli was aghast. “Sean Acton? You’re taking Melanie on the river in Acton’s little raft?”

  Melanie frowned. Eli was acting like a concerned husband and he didn’t have the right. “Don’t argue with Collin about this,” she said in an undertone, hoping Eli was the only one at the table who heard her. “It was all my idea. I’m going rafting, and that’s the end of it.”

  “Like hell it is,” Eli muttered.

  Melanie was outraged. How dare he try to tell her what she could or could not do? In fact, she was suddenly so angry that she got up, excused herself and left the dining room. At first, she went outside and stood on the front porch, hands on the rail, breathing deeply to calm herself, and looked out across the lawn and the fields beyond. The anger that had flared so quickly in the dining room gradually diminished, but the question of Eli’s gall remained. Why on earth would he object to her going rafting, and how did he even have the nerve to object?

  She mulled the questions over for a while, and could not accept the only conclusion that made any sense—he was taking his role of husband seriously! Why else would he warn her that rafting was dangerous and then act all protective and macho about it?

  “Well, we’ll just see about that,” she fumed to herself. When she and Collin had finally gotten back to the ranch, it had been too late for her to shower and change into a dress before dinner as she’d been doing every day. Since her mood wasn’t the best at the moment—she couldn’t possibly be good company for anyone—she decided to go up to her room and shower now.

  Because she wanted it out of the way before Eli showed his face in “their” bedroom, she showered and shampooed quickly. Wearing a white terry robe and running a comb through her damp curls, she walked into the bedroom to get some clean pajamas from the bureau. She stopped cold when she saw Eli getting up from a chair, but then she ignored him and began looking through her lingerie in the bureau drawer. There were no clean pajamas left, she’d worn them all and hadn’t done any laundry. But there were several slinky, silky nightgowns, and pursing her lips in frustration, she slammed the drawer shut and turned around to face Eli.

  “You’re up here this early for a reason, which I’m sure you’re dying to lay on me,” she said coldly. “But if it’s about my rafting trip, just keep it to yourself.”

  “It is about rafting, and I can’t keep it to myself. Melanie, at this time of year the river is treacherous. Taking the rapids in one of the Lesters’ large commercial rafts would be bad enough, but doing it in Acton’s toy raft is pure idiocy. Please don’t do it.”

  “And your advice is based on what? Are you an expert on white-water rafting?”

  “No, I’m not, but I’ve lived here for four years, and there have been some fatal accidents on that river during that time alone. Ask anyone, they’ll tell you the same thing. I’m surprised that Collin would let you, his only sister, take such a risk.”

  “Collin’s not a coward, and neither am I.”

  Eli became very still. “Meaning that I am?”

  Melanie looked him in the eye. “How am I supposed to answer that when I know so little about you? You could be a terrible coward or the bravest man in Montana and I wouldn’t know it. I don’t understand why you’re so against river rafting when it’s such a popular sport, and yes, I’m sure there are accidents, but there’s danger in everything a person does. You’re risking your neck when you get out of bed in the morning, for Pete’s sake.”

  “Hardly the same thing,” Eli muttered darkly. She thought he was a coward and when it came to water she was probably right. But it stung all the same. He should tell her about Carson, but how could he talk to anyone about something that still hurt so much he could barely stand thinking about it?

  His thoughts changed abruptly. She was sexy in a shapeless robe that would look like a sack on most women. She was sexy with damp hair, bare feet and a shiny face completely devoid of makeup. What he’d like to do was untie the sash of that robe and make love to her until she swore he was the greatest man who’d ever lived. She wouldn’t call him a coward then, by God!

  He didn’t trust himself not to do it, so he turned and headed for the door.

  Melanie’s eyes widened, but she didn’t try to stop him from leaving. When he was gone, she shook her head in dismay because she truly did not understand him. For crying out loud, why would he care if she put herself in danger?

  That question led to one that weakened her knees. Did he care? Sinking to a chair, she thought of another perturbing question: Did she want him to care?

  In his office, Garrett was on the phone with Wayne. “Glad you called, Wayne, always glad to hear from you, but I’m having a heck of a time making a decision about buying the Whitehorn ranch. It’s because I can’t decide what’s best for Larry’s six sons. One minute I believe those young men should know the truth of their heritage, and the next I worry about the turbulence I might bring into their lives by even locating them, let alone introducing myself as their grandfather and then talking about Kincaid family history.”

  “It’s a tough one all right,” Wayne agreed. “But I told you I’d let you know if a serious buyer came on the scene, and a representative of Beale Corporation has already inspected the ranch twice. I think he’s getting ready to present an offer, Garrett.”

  “Beale Corporation! Thunderation, that outfit already owns millions of acres of ranch land all over the country! Wayne, it’d break my heart to see Kincaid land swallowed up by a heartless entity like Beale. They run their ranches like assembly lines.”

  “I know, Garrett, but if they present a good offer, what can I do?”

  “You can tell ’em it’s already sold to a fellow named Garrett Kincaid, Wayne.”

  “You’re serious, Garrett? What’ll you do with the place if you decide against contacting Larry’s sons?”

  “I’ll cross that bridge if and when I come to it. Wayne, Collin and I’ll be coming to Whitehorn tomorrow and we’ll be staying until the ranch deal is wrapped up nice and legal.”

  “Sounds like good news to me, Garrett. I’ll pass it along.”

  After Garrett hung up, he went to find Collin, who was outside talking to Eli.

  “Sean’s never had an accident on the river, Eli, and don’t forget that I’ll be in the raft with Melanie. Do you think I’d let anything happen to her?”

  Eli felt sick to his stomach. Do you think I’d let anything happen to Carson? He couldn’t remember actually saying those words to anyone, but he’d certainly been as positive as Collin was about keeping his sibling safe from harm. The arrogance of men was incredible. Nothing will go wron
g because I’ll be there!

  “Collin, neither you nor anyone else can predict—”

  “Evening, Eli,” Garrett said. “Collin, come and take a little walk with me. I have something to tell you.”

  “Sure, Granddad. See you later, Eli.”

  Eli watched them walking off together, then he strode around to the front of the house and sat on the porch. He couldn’t convince Melanie. He couldn’t convince Collin. They were going to get into that little raft with Sean and something terrible was sure to happen.

  Groaning, Eli put his head in his hands. If he lost Melanie…

  Slowly, he dropped his hands. How could he lose something he’d never had? Oh, he’d had her briefly. At Dove Lake, for instance, she’d been his completely for a short time. And the day that Garrett had walked in on them, she’d been loving, sexy, playful and hotter than Hades. She’d been all his for about thirty minutes that day, and if they hadn’t been interrupted, she might have belonged solely to him for hours and hours.

  So what was all this intimate introspection about? Was he falling in love with Melanie?

  It was such a startling idea that Eli jumped to his feet. He’d take a walk to cool down his libido before going to bed and he would stop thinking such crazy thoughts!

  Collin listened to his grandfather talking about buying the Whitehorn ranch without interrupting him, but finally he had to say something. “Then you’ve decided to contact those men?”

  “Those men are your half brothers, Collin.”

  “Those men probably don’t even know we exist.”

  “Possibly, but I know they exist, and so do you, Collin.”

  “The whole county probably knows it by now,” Collin mumbled.

  “Whom are you so angry with, Collin?” Garrett asked gently. “Me? Your dad?”

  “I…I wish we’d never had to open that safety-deposit box,” Collin blurted.

  Garrett surprised him by saying, “So do I, Collin, so do I. But we did open it, and what kind of person could ever forget what it contained?”

  “Dad was counting on your feeling that way,” Collin said with some rancor. “He turned his own back on six sons, but he knew you would immediately think of them as grandsons. He knew what family meant to you. He used your strong sense of responsibility to get you to do what he had neither the guts nor the money to do himself…find his illegitimate kids and make them a part of the Kincaid family.”

  “I’d hate to think Larry was that devious,” Garrett said sadly. He sighed.

  “He was worse,” Collin said, this time conveying the breadth of his anger and bitterness in every syllable.

  “Collin,” Garrett said quietly, “do you really feel I should do nothing?”

  Guilt assailed Collin. He loved his grandfather. Garrett had taken him in when he’d been a surly, know-it-all, unlikable teenager and made a man out of him. What if someone had said then, “Don’t put yourself out for that kid, Garrett. He’s not worth the effort.”

  “I’m not angry with you, Granddad, and no one has the right to judge any decision you make about those kids. But I can’t help being disgusted with Dad, and yes, I believe he was devious enough to put the mess he’d made of his life squarely on your shoulders.”

  “He didn’t know he was going to die, Collin. Maybe he had all sorts of plans for those boys.”

  “Like he had for Melanie? He never once sent her a birthday card, for God’s sake!”

  Garrett frowned. “Melanie, yes. She’s not been treated well by the Kincaid men, has she? Except for you, that is. You never forgot your sister, did you?”

  “No, I didn’t. Granddad, I know the Whitehorn deal is important and I know you want me there, but what about my promise to take Melanie rafting next Thursday?”

  “Hmm, you’re right. I really don’t want to disappoint her again, but I feel that you should go to Whitehorn with me.”

  “Maybe Eli would take her,” Collin suggested thoughtfully. “He might even feel better about her going rafting if he was with her.”

  Garrett looked pleased. “Eli is worried about her rafting the river? Well, well. Maybe something good will come of that marriage after all.”

  Eli quietly turned the knob and opened the door. The bedroom was dark, but a sliver of light coming from the bathroom permitted Eli to enter without crashing into something. It was a kindness he hadn’t expected, and he would have thanked Melanie if she’d been awake.

  Actually, her back was to the door and most of the room, so Eli could only guess about her being asleep or merely pretending to be. In either case, it was best to leave her be, so he tiptoed into the bathroom to brush his teeth, then snapped off the light and went to his side of the bed. After undressing down to his briefs, he cautiously slid down the covers and sat on the bed. Finally he lay on his side, turning his back to Melanie, and shut his eyes. He was tired and fell asleep within minutes.

  Melanie wanted to scream. How could anyone fall asleep that fast? Even when she didn’t have a dozen things to worry about, it took her a while to go to sleep. Good grief, the worries she’d acquired in Montana would probably keep her awake for the rest of her life!

  And while Eli had no vested interest in Larry Kincaid’s horde of illegitimate kids, one would certainly think that a forced marriage would be enough to disturb his slumber just a little. Maybe she should disturb his slumber, she thought resentfully. It certainly wouldn’t be hard to do. In fact, she could slide over and snuggle up to him with her eyes closed. Act as though she was dead to the world and totally unaware of anything she was doing.

  But what if she awakened a lion instead of a lamb? And what if she awoke her own passion, kept so tightly under control since that fateful Sunday?

  No, she dared not start anything with Eli, not even in fun. Maybe that was the hardest part of this farce of a marriage, smothering her natural tendency to tease and kid around and make people laugh. Granted, she hadn’t only been thinking of laughter when she’d teased Eli. He’d gotten under her skin from the very beginning, and he’d been so darned serious about everything that she hadn’t been able to resist the temptation of getting him to unbend.

  Yeah, that was really brilliant. Now you’re married to him.

  “Married,” she whispered as fresh shock waves slammed through her. It was a word she would never get used to, and why should she even try to get used to it when the whole awful thing was going to be nullified as soon as she returned to California and the law allowed?

  Although she was horribly restless and positive that she would never fall asleep, she was awakened hours later by eerie sounds. Her eyes opened wide and her heart began thudding. After taking a few seconds to get her bearings, she realized that it was Eli making those strange, frightening noises. When he began thrashing around, she knew he was suffering a bad dream.

  Without a second’s hesitation, she reached across the bed and shook his arm. “Eli…wake up! You’re having a nightmare.”

  He moved his head back and forth on the pillow and shouted, “No…no!”

  She tried again, moving closer and leaning over him. “Eli…wake up before you wake everyone in the house! Come on now, pull yourself out of that dream and open your eyes.”

  Getting so close to him had been a mistake, Melanie realized when his arms began flailing again. She ducked and dodged, but his right hand connected with the left side of her head. It wasn’t a love tap, and she fell back against the pillow and actually saw stars.

  “Ouch, you big jerk,” she moaned.

  Eli was suddenly awake and aware of Melanie lying next to him. The nightmare and the blow he’d struck were jumbled in his brain. He hoisted himself to an elbow to peer at her face.

  “Tell me I really didn’t hit you,” he said hoarsely. “Damn, Melanie, I’m really sorry.” Without preamble, he stretched over her to switch on the bedside lamp. Then he turned his attention back to her. She was holding her hand just to the left of her eye. “Let me see what I did.”

  She mo
ved her hand and watched him wince. “What?” she said, alarmed by his reaction.

  “I think you’re going to have a shiner tomorrow. Aw, hell.” Eli fell back against the bed. “How are you going to explain that to Garrett?” he groaned.

  “Is there anything wrong with the truth?” she asked.

  “I…I was dreaming, Melanie.” Dreaming about deep water with treacherous undercurrents, and a capsized canoe, and him swimming and diving like a crazy man to try to find his brother. He hadn’t had that horrifying nightmare for some time and supposed it had been triggered by Melanie’s determination to go rafting.

  “No kidding,” she drawled sarcastically. “What was all the thrashing around about? And the weird sounds you were making? You woke me up, you know.”

  “I…was swimming.”

  She blinked incredulously at him. “That’s all it was? A dream about swimming? Good Lord! What would you do to someone who tried to wake you up during a really awful dream?” She finally caught on to how intently he was looking her up and down, then remembered that she was wearing a nightgown instead of pajamas.

  The immediate heat she felt in the pit of her stomach was startling and discomfiting. She didn’t dare get carried away with Eli again. He wasn’t just any man. He was her husband, and she had to break that bond as soon as possible, not make it stronger with more intimacy between them.

  “Move to your own side of the bed,” she said, forcing frost into her voice. Quickly switching off the lamp so that everything was dark and her nightgown could no longer be a point of interest for Eli, she sat on the bed. “Did you move over?” she asked warily before lying down herself.

  “I’m over,” Eli said, and when she had settled down on her side of the bed, he said, “I have to ask you something. Why did you tease me into making love before?”

  “It…didn’t mean anything.”

  “Do you do that all the time?”

  Melanie sucked in a shocked breath. “No, I do not!”