Signed and Sealed

by Stretke, B. A.

  “She’s staying with friends.” Will knew it wasn’t exactly true, but didn’t know what else to say without telling more than he should. Will again tried to avoid eye contact and began reading a pamphlet, but the questions persisted.

  “Who is she visiting? I know most of the folks in this area.”

  “She’s staying with the Hunters.” The silence fell hard. He could feel the speculation circulating through the plane like a tornado. Before, everyone had been talking amongst themselves; now, everyone was listening to them. The plane was so quiet you could hear a pin drop.

  “Elijah Hunter?” the man asked, considerably taken aback by his statement.

  “Yes, she’s staying with Elijah and Martin at their ranch.” Will again tried to end the conversation but the man was tenacious.

  “Do you know the Hunters?” he asked, his eyes searching Will’s face as if he wasn’t sure how to proceed.

  “No, I don’t know them at all.” His tone was a little sharp, but the man did not pick up on Will’s irritation.

  “Elijah Hunter is a hard individual to get close to. He’s a self-made man, you know,” the old gentleman began without prompting. “He built that small ranch into an estate that is the largest in the county and one of the largest in the state.” He pondered a moment before continuing. “Elijah is a formidable man and not someone to trifle with, I’ll tell you that. Ask anyone who has dealt with him and they will tell you he can be as hard as a rock and as tough as nails.” He sounded as if he spoke from experience. “Martin, his brother, isn’t so bad. Martin can be reasoned with, and he has an even temper. Elijah is cold and unpleasant, every day of the year.” He paused for a few minutes. “Your sister must be very special. Elijah doesn’t usually tolerate guests.”

  “Oh, she’s special, all right,” Will answered sarcastically.

  The man rambled on for quite some time, or so it seemed. He explained that Elijah was very suspicious and even antagonistic with most people, strangers in particular. He’d had a long, hard life and it had taken him many years to achieve his present financial level. Will continued to nod appropriately throughout this conversation, which made it appear as if he were actually listening. There wasn’t anything that the man was telling him that he was at all interested in. He couldn’t care less how Elijah built his fortune or what his opinion of others were based on, but he continued to listen and nod. All that was expected of him was to meet with Elijah, see if he could be of any help to Katrina, and then leave. Will had no intention of remaining at the Hunter Ranch any longer than absolutely necessary. Besides, it seemed like the entire situation would be best handled legally. Katrina didn’t have $500,000 left and probably had little prospects for more, so what could they really do? If they couldn’t prove the blackmail angle, then all they had was breach of contract.

  It seemed like days before the plane finally landed rather than the actual twenty minutes it took to arrive. Will was thankful to leave behind that prying old gentleman. The young man who sat directly behind them had also interjected a comment here and there throughout the course of the flight. He had informed Will that Elijah was thirty-four. He also told him that Elijah had taken custody of his brother at the age of eighteen; his brother was nine at the time. He didn’t elaborate as to the reason for this, which left Will wondering what had become of their parents. He didn’t care enough about it to ask.

  The airfield, to his relief, had a car-rental service. He chose a small, compact Ford Focus. Katrina had given him directions to the ranch, but Will wasn’t very good at finding his way in unfamiliar territory. As he drove on with nothing in sight except fields and fences, trepidation and slight nausea began to rise in his stomach. I shouldn’t be here, I shouldn’t be getting involved. What the fuck am I doing? His thoughts began to wander back to the initial phone call from Elijah and that follow-up call from Katrina.

  Her initial call was simply to brag, and her second was to ask for help. Elijah’s call was much more intriguing, and though it embarrassed Will to admit it, that was part of the reason—or maybe all of the reason—he had agreed to come. Will wanted to meet Elijah face to face. He wanted to see if he was as intimidating in person as he was on the telephone. Elijah had needed to blow up at someone, Will supposed, and it just happened to be him.

  But Will wasn’t about to be the fall guy for Katrina’s mistakes, and that was why he had hung up on Elijah. It probably irritated the hell out of him that Will had the audacity to end the call so unceremoniously. He obviously considered himself lord and master and wasn’t used to being cut off. That is most likely why he wants this showdown, demanding to see me in person. Will smiled to himself at the thought of Elijah’s ridiculous accusations. How dare he accuse me of concocting Katrina’s whole scheme, the nerve of some people. Will wondered how Elijah handled the news of Katrina’s pregnancy and how the contract came into play. He knew he should have asked Katrina more questions when she called that second time, but the statement that Elijah would only consider releasing Katrina if Will would come to the ranch and speak with him personally had been completely unexpected and bewildering. Trying to figure why Elijah would force him to the ranch was foremost in his mind. It was probably just a power play.

  Will’s thoughts continued to run in this general direction until suddenly, he heard a loud bang, and the car pulled hard to the left. “Damn!” he declared hotly. “Not a flat tire.” He pulled off the road as far as he could and got out to survey the damage. Flat tires were nothing new to him, and he was more than able to change it, but he would certainly get filthy in the process. He’d dressed carefully that morning in a white cotton shirt with the top button undone and dark blue slacks. His medium-length blond hair was styled to perfection. Would his look, so thoughtfully put together this morning, survive a tire change on a dusty road? Probably not, but his choices were limited, so he carefully removed his jacket and placed it in the backseat. That way, if he made a mess of his shirt, he could attempt to cover it up with a clean jacket.

  He had the car jacked and was in the process of attempting to loosen the nuts when he heard a car approaching from behind. It was a large, black car with tinted windows. There was more than enough room for them to have passed him on the right, but instead they pulled up behind his vehicle and stopped. Will stood up, brushed the dust off of his pants, and ran his fingers through his hair, which was now sticking to his face in sweaty tendrils. A very tall, dark man exited the vehicle. Although Will always considered himself rather tall, this man made him feel small as he looked up at him. His clothing was dark—black pants, gray shirt, black jacket, and black boots. His face was partially hidden by a black hat, like a cowboy hat, but not exactly. He removed the hat, laying it on the roof of Will’s car, and ran his right hand through his short black hair. Will could now see radiant blue eyes that stared down at him with humor and… was that a little superiority or condescension he saw there? The man suddenly smiled at Will, and he found himself drawn into the man’s gaze, and before he could stop himself, he smiled back.

  “May I help you?” the man asked. His voice was deep and quiet. Will was surprised and a little appalled at his own reaction to his presence. Why was he feeling so breathless and why was his heart racing? If only the man had ignored him and just kept going, were Will’s thoughts as he struggled to respond.

  “No, I can handle this, thank you,” he stated, breathless yet firm, but it was as if the man hadn’t even heard him. He casually took the tools from his hands, pinning Will with his gaze as he did so. It was a challenge that he did not question or resist. Something told him it would be useless. Will continued to back up as the man moved toward him until he was gradually and completely edged out of the way.

  Without another word, the man began changing the flat tire. The lug nut which Will had been struggling with for some time came off with ease under his pressure. He completed the job in silence, but as he finished tightening the last lug nut and began lowering the jack, he asked, “Where are you go
ing?” The silence had been intense from the moment he began working. Will had been staring at him, watching him work quickly and easily with minimum effort, and his sudden question startled him. He stared at Will, and he was no longer smiling.

  “The Hunter ranch.” He considered telling the man to mind his own business, but something told him that would not be a good idea. Just stay cordial and get this over with, he told himself. “My sister is there,” he added without any forethought.

  The man didn’t seem surprised, unlike the people on the plane. He simply nodded and put the tools back into Will’s trunk.

  “You’re going in the wrong direction,” he stated casually. Although he said very little, his eyes never seemed to leave Will as he studied him. The scrutiny made Will very uncomfortable, although he tried unsuccessfully to hide it. Will took a tentative step toward him while pulling the slip of paper from his pocket that had Katrina’s directions scrawled on it. He showed it to him. “I’m trying to follow this map, but I can’t seem to understand it. Maybe you could help me?” he asked, hopeful that the man would correct any problems in it. Will wasn’t ready for the flash of awareness that shot through him when the man reached out and brushed the hair back from his face. The gesture was friendly, but the touch of the man’s fingers on his face lingered for a very long time. A slight smile touched his lips at Will’s reaction and quickly, without comment, he took the paper from him and corrected it.

  “Follow this and you’ll get there.” The man handed it back to him. Will was careful not to touch him as he took the map. He had no idea what was happening, but Will did know that he’d never been so acutely aware of someone in his entire life. He took the note from the man’s muscular hands; they were strong, capable. Will’s eyes also took in the fit of his shirt across his chest. He had to force himself to look the man in the eyes and stop taking inventory. It startled him to see the intensity with which the man regarded him.

  “Thank you, sir,” he said sincerely, “for the map and the tire change.” As he watched the man walk back to his car, Will’s inventory continued. His jeans fit in all the right places. The man was in very good shape and walked with an extremely confident swagger. Will wondered lustfully, for a moment, what he would look like without his well-fitting clothing.

  “You’re welcome,” he answered without turning around. His response pulled Will from his disturbing thoughts and he blushed. Thankfully the man didn’t see it. He got into his car and pulled away, passing Will and continuing out of sight.

  That was intense, he thought as he, too, got into his car and drove away in the same direction. “I wonder who he is?” he said out loud after realizing he hadn’t introduced himself. Will hadn’t found himself that attracted to someone in a long time. No, I’ve never been that attracted to anyone, he corrected himself. Even his one and only boyfriend of two and a half years hadn’t brought out these sensations. George had been a kind and loving man, but there had been nothing really between them. After those years of trying to build a feeling other than friendship with him, Will finally broke it off. To his dismay, George hadn’t seemed all that upset about it and within two weeks had found himself a boy toy.

  This man was something completely different. Will doubted that the stranger would walk away so graciously from a breakup. The man struck him as someone used to getting exactly what he wanted. But then again, he considered, who in their right mind would dump him? He was compelling and handsome, his eyes so blue….

  “Oh Jesus, get a hold of yourself,” he stated aloud, exasperated with the direction of his thoughts as he shifted the front of his pants uncomfortably. He probably has a wife and a whole herd of children back at the ranch. He again forced himself to shake off whatever it was that had possessed him and focus on the problem at hand. He needed to concentrate his thoughts on Katrina and the Hunters. Elijah, in particular. What is expected of me? Why does he want me here? What’s in it for Katrina? He kept his thoughts under strict control, and it wasn’t long before he came upon the ranch in question. He was met with an enormous, iron entrance gate that arched over the roadway. Will couldn’t see anything of the ranch beyond it, but he knew it was the right place once he saw, written in heavy black letters on the gateway, the name “HUNTER.”

  No one was around, and the gate was open, so he decided to proceed. Will drove several miles onto the property before he came to yet another, less formidable gate. Behind it he could see a large, sprawling group of buildings of varying sizes. He was shocked by the immense size of the ranch, which seemed to stretch as far as the eye could see. A huge main house, barns, outbuildings, and smaller homes covered probably several acres or more. The sight of it brought on an apprehension that caused him to stop and stare for a while. There were no neighbors within sight and therefore no visible means of escape. A man in jeans and a work shirt standing near the gate came over to speak with him. Will rolled down the window, and the man leaned into it in order to speak to him. He smelled of grass and fresh air.

  “Go right on in, sir. They’re expecting you.” He registered Will’s surprise, so he added, “It’s okay, go ahead.” He smiled warmly and waved him onward.

  “They’re expecting me?” he questioned out loud to himself. How can that be? No one knows that I was planning to arrive today. Katrina didn’t even know. He thought that perhaps the ranch hand at the gate had gotten him confused with someone else until he saw the large, black car parked in the shade near the main house. So that’s why they’re expecting me, he thought knowingly, Mr. Tire Change must have come directly here to tell them that I was on my way. So much for the element of surprise—they were ready and waiting.

  He pulled the car up toward the end of the drive and stopped. The same anxiety that had gripped him earlier came on again. He sat in the car and took several deep breaths before he was able to gather his nerves and head toward the house. Will slowly approached the massive pair of oak doors, which were on the other side of the endless stone porch. Before he could knock, the doors swung open and an older woman, probably mid-sixties, was there to greet him. She was short and stocky, but had a pleasant face and a friendly smile.

  “Good afternoon, sir. Come right in.” She led him into what looked to be a small living room. “Wait here while I get Mr. Hunter for you.” She smiled at Will and then quickly left the room.

  “Thank you,” Will mumbled to her retreating back. This is too weird. She didn’t even ask what I was here for. She just knew. He scanned the room for somewhere to sit and saw a plain straight-back chair by the large window on the east side of the room. He sat down and waited. “This doesn’t feel good,” he mumbled under his breath. After awhile, his eyes wandered to the large window, and he noticed that it gave a full view of the horse yard. A beautiful, black horse was currently being led about by a young man. Will was so engrossed in watching the large, graceful animal that he didn’t hear the man entering the room until he was standing directly over him.

  “I just purchased him for breeding. Magnificent, isn’t he?”

  The suddenness of his words, spoken so close, made Will jump to his feet and swing around abruptly. He was surprised and embarrassed to see the same dark man who had changed his tire standing there, towering over him. He acknowledged Will’s shock and smiled, but it wasn’t a particularly friendly smile. He demonstrated a reserve and distrust that hadn’t existed out on the road. He’d obviously sized him up and found him wanting, Will considered as he watched the man reach out his hand. “Elijah Hunter,” he introduced himself. “I’m very pleased to meet you, William.”

  Will tried to gather his thoughts, but they refused to come together and form a sentence. He simply stood there for several seconds, staring at him and holding his hand. Finally, he snapped out of it and, very much embarrassed, released his hand. Elijah looked mildly amused.

  “Where is… Katrina?” Will asked. He’d come so far with purpose and intent, and here he was, reduced to a quivering idiot. Why does he make me feel so inadequate? Why c
an’t I put it… him… away like every other unmanageable or unpleasant feeling? Will quickly averted his eyes when Elijah tilted his head in a puzzled manner. He was studying him again, like he had before. He was continually weighing and measuring. Will didn’t like it, but there was nothing he could do about it at present.

  “She’s not here,” Elijah said softly and then asked, “would you like to sit down?” He led Will over to a large sofa with a gentle hand on his arm. Will was so caught up in his nearness and touch that he almost missed the “she’s not here” statement.

  “Where did she go?” Will asked, perplexed by his casual manner. “I thought there was a big problem. I thought I was supposed to come here to help her. I thought you were holding her to a contract that she signed, some sort of marriage contract.” He moved away from Elijah on the sofa when he realized Elijah’s proximity wasn’t doing anything for his thought processes.

  “Didn’t she tell you?” he said with what looked to be a hateful grin. Will didn’t appreciate whatever game he was playing. His back stiffened, as did his features.

  “Tell me what?” Will wasn’t amused. He turned to regard him with the most derisive stare he could produce, although it seemed to have little or no effect on him.

  Elijah stood and walked over to a small bar. He poured Will a brandy and brought it to him.