Signed and Sealed

by Stretke, B. A.

  “I’ve learned that it’s easier to just let her rant. If you engage her, the rant goes on a lot longer. I usually wait until she runs out of air and then I give her my opinion.”

  “Does she listen to you?”

  Will laughed out loud. “Never!” Elijah watched him as he seemed to relax. He was finally sharing with him, and he was doing it with ease.

  “Did you know anything about her scheme here with Martin before I called you?” He needed one more verification. Will’s laughter and ease vanished in an instant. Eli instantly regretted his words. “No, like I told you during our first conversation, I hadn’t spoken to my sister in nearly two years. I had no idea what she was doing with her life and had no interest in finding out.” His words were short and clipped.

  “Has she always been a burden to you?” Elijah felt he might as well get as much information as he could so he continued questioning.

  “Not a burden, just an embarrassing disappointment.” Will leaned against the wall with one shoulder and he, too, crossed his arms. If Eli wanted answers, he would give them, although he doubted Eli believed anything he said. “Martin isn’t the first man she has tried to blackmail.”

  This riveted Elijah’s attention, and he stiffened as he walked toward him. “What happened?” He wasn’t yelling but the look on his face certainly was. He caught Will’s eyes and held them fast with his own steel blues.

  Will wished he’d kept his mouth shut. Damn, now he would have to relay the entire distasteful story.

  Will looked at him, and Eli recognized his discomfort immediately. He hadn’t meant to share that information, and now it was too late. He looked as if he’d been… caught. His distrust, which he’d gotten in check as far as Will was concerned, was now on the loose. His behavior, the discomfort and lack of eye contact, indicated to him that he had some part in this previous attempt at blackmail.

  “Katrina was eighteen, almost ready to graduate.” Will winced with the pain of the memory and kept his eyes away from Elijah’s. “She… went after one of my father’s business partners. Unfortunately, he was married and had a family.”

  Elijah’s expression showed nothing as he continued to study him as he spoke.

  “He was an adult and should have conducted himself as a man with a wife and children. It wasn’t all her, but… it was mostly her.” Will’s defense of his sister fell flat even to his own ears. “They got involved, and then Katrina made some threats. He was a wealthy man, and as you know, Katrina wants a rich husband more than anything else in this world. She told him he had to leave his family and marry her. If he didn’t, she would tell his wife anyway. Either way he was going to lose his family.”

  Still no comment from Elijah, his stony silence more unnerving than his questions.

  “He came to speak with me. He asked me to talk to her, convince her to release him.” Will sighed deeply and searched the floor for somewhere to rest his eyes. He couldn’t look Elijah in the eye and finish this story. “It sounded ridiculous to me. He was in a lose/lose situation. No matter what he did he was going to forfeit his family. I told him to force her hand. Refuse her and walk away and deal with the fallout. It couldn’t be any worse than what she was demanding of him. I thought I was pretty smart back then.” He forced a grim smile of self-disgust, but did not look at him.

  Elijah finally spoke. “What did he do?”

  “He did exactly what I advised him to do, but it didn’t turn out as planned. He lost his family as soon as his wife was told of the affair. She left town with their kids and most of his assets.” Will moved away from the wall, suddenly needing some space and some air. He walked a few feet away from him. “Katrina told his wife everything; she even had pictures. I didn’t think she would. She had nothing to gain by it.”

  “She did it out of spite.” Elijah relaxed as he approached Will. He looked less accusatory and more sympathetic. He cocked his head to the side and eyed him curiously. “Do you blame yourself for his disaster?”

  “Completely.”

  “It was his own doing. Any man who has an affair is risking his marriage. He knew what he was doing, he just didn’t want to have to pay the price.” Elijah’s tone took on a bitter finality. “Your advice was sound, and I would have told him the same thing. Besides, whether he took your advice or not was his own decision. Believe me, if you were at fault in this, I would tell you. You have nothing to blame yourself for. He is a philanderer, and she is a cold-hearted bitch, and their lives are of their own making. You were just someone trying to help in a helpless situation.”

  Will thought about his words for several minutes before speaking. Eli made sense, but still he felt responsible. “I never spoke to Katrina on his behalf. I didn’t try to persuade her otherwise.” His voice was soft and ashamed.

  “Have you ever been able to persuade Katrina to do anything she doesn’t want to do?”

  “No, but I didn’t even try.”

  “It would have been a waste of time.” He was not going to allow Will to carry this around any longer, believing that it was his fault. “Katrina would have laughed at you and at him. It would have made no difference, and you knew it.” He walked over to stand directly in front of Will. “You know your sister better than I do. Think about it and stop blaming yourself. Besides, a man with a family that would take up with an eighteen-year-old girl is not worth your pity. I say his wife is lucky to be rid of him.”

  Now that was a perspective he hadn’t considered. He was a creep, and Katrina wasn’t the first woman he’d had an affair with. Elijah was right. Will smiled one of the biggest smiles Eli had ever seen. “You’re right,” he said out loud with relief. “I’ve been taking responsibility for the life he ruined.” Will shook his head in disbelief. Why didn’t I see this sooner?

  Elijah took his hand and cupped Will’s cheek. The calloused pad of his thumb was rough against his skin. “You are a very honorable man, William Drake, although a little too softhearted, perhaps.”

  “I’ll try to toughen up,” he responded, not sure of his intention.

  “Don’t change; I love you just the way you are.” Eli bent and kissed him tenderly and then released him.

  Elijah was to be away for the rest of the evening; both he and Martin were to attend some sort of agricultural meeting in town. “I’ll see you before bed,” he promised before leaving. Will watched him leave and was once again second-guessing everything Eli had said and done.

  Will had dinner with Mrs. Coleman, and over the course of the meal, learned a lot about Elijah and Martin, and even a few things about Katrina.

  “Katrina turned this house upside down with her lies and manipulations. Poor Martin was so embarrassed. He couldn’t face Elijah for many days following that first bombshell,” she said. “I was so happy when Elijah took care of her and sent her packing.”

  “She’s coming back on the thirty-first,” Will informed her.

  “She won’t be back. Elijah will see to that,” Mrs. Coleman said with certainty.

  “What do you mean?”

  “She doesn’t want to come back, and Elijah doesn’t want her here,” Mrs. Coleman clarified.

  The impact of that sentence was immediate. Will leaned over and grabbed Mrs. Coleman’s hand. “Elijah told me that Katrina had to come back by the thirty-first. He said if she didn’t return then the collateral was forfeit.” The true depth of that statement hit Will; Elijah absolutely did not expect Katrina to return.

  “What is the collateral?” Mrs. Coleman asked, concerned.

  “I am,” Will whispered apprehensively. “Me and my property.”

  “Elijah does not want your property, William.” Mrs. Coleman smiled. “He likes you, very much.”

  “He doesn’t trust me, Mrs. Coleman. My stay here has been nothing but an unending series of tests. Every time he speaks to me he’s trying to trip me up in some way. He is convinced I am involved in Katrina’s plan. He’s even pretending to like me very much, as you say, in order to get me to show
my true colors. He believes I’m a fortune hunter, just like Katrina.” Will finished his coffee and sighed deeply. “Every day, every minute, I wait for him to bring the hammer down. I wait for him to decide I’m guilty and to go on his quest for personal destruction, as he promised earlier.”

  “Don’t worry, William, he isn’t going to do anything to you,” Mrs. Coleman reassured him. “He’s a good and decent man. He knows, as we all know, you had nothing to do with Katrina’s plan, and he will not make you pay for Katrina’s actions.” Mrs. Coleman smiled and felt confident that she had put Will’s mind at ease. They finished the rest of their meal in silence.

  Mrs. Coleman knew Elijah as well as anyone, but Will believed that in this case she was seeing what she wanted to see. It would not be a surprise to anyone if Elijah did turn on both him and Katrina with all of his money and power in order to exact retribution. So why does Mrs. Coleman insist that he has only the best motives in mind? She probably didn’t want to upset me any more than I obviously already was. It wouldn’t be good if Elijah came home only to find that his pigeon had gotten so scared he flew the coop. Mrs. Coleman is loyal to the Hunters, Elijah in particular. She would always support and defend anything he said or did.

  Chapter Six

  Life was getting way too confusing, as far as Will was concerned. All I need to do is hold it together until the thirty-first. Regardless of whether Katrina returns or not, he said stand by your word to me, and I will consider tearing up the contract. His thoughts were scrambling as he walked on in no particular direction, having left the dinner table after explaining to Mrs. Coleman that he needed some air. He needed to think, to sort out everything he was hearing and put it into some kind of order that made sense. Eli couldn’t possibly keep him here. The keeping-the-collateral statement he’d made earlier was again ringing in Will’s ears. There are laws against bartering in human flesh, aren’t there?

  It was nearly 9:00 p.m. when he decided to go see Kathy and perhaps get a cup of coffee and some conversation. He was happy to see Kathy on her porch swing enjoying the cool, clear night.

  “Hi,” Will said as he climbed the porch stairs to sit down beside her on the swing. “Any chance I may have a cup of that coffee you’re drinking?”

  “Absolutely.” Kathy smiled and poured him a cup. “Nice night,” she said.

  “Yes, it is,” Will said and took a long sip of the hot brew. “It would be even nicer if I was enjoying it from my own porch in Michigan.”

  “Things not going well?” Kathy asked, truly interested.

  “Depends on what you call well,” Will said, laughing nervously. “Elijah has been a perfect host, almost, apart from me not being allowed to leave and not being able to believe a word he says to me. Katrina has accused me of making things worse for her rather than better. She has no prospects as far as raising the necessary cash, and she probably has no intention of returning. With that said, I will be held responsible for everything that has gone wrong here, and I will be the one to pay the price. Mrs. Coleman says no, but she tends to wear blinders where Elijah is concerned.” He stopped to take a drink of his coffee and then added, “Oh yes, and I will no longer have a home to go to when I do leave here. Elijah Hunter will legally confiscate my property and my home.”

  Kathy didn’t know what to say. She stared at Will wide-eyed and waited to make sure he was finished before commenting, “That sounds awful.” She poured Will another cup. “Are you sure about Elijah?”

  “Yes, he told me that first day. If I didn’t stay and Katrina didn’t return, then he would take my home. You see, I made the mistake of leaving my father’s name on the property. Elijah will be able to go after all of my late father’s holdings if Katrina breaks her contract. It’s a legal point regarding the way the will was written. Apparently it’s written in such a way that all of my father’s holdings go to Katrina. I was given the land and the home, but I was supposed to put it into my name only. I was sentimental at the time and left my father’s name on it, now it is in jeopardy and can be legally taken along with whatever else Katrina still owns of my father’s original estate.” Will laughed; the absurdity of it all striking him as funny. “I’ve had virtually no contact with Katrina for nearly two years, and yet the moment she’s in trouble, I end up in the middle of it. It’s not right.” He didn’t laugh this time.

  “Elijah is a fair man, Will,” Kathy said. “I agree with Mrs. Coleman—he would not hold you responsible for your sister’s actions.”

  “But he already has,” Will stressed. “I’m here because of Katrina. He is holding me in her place. He wants payment, one way or another. He wants his pound of flesh, mine or hers makes no difference.”

  “That’s not what he is doing.” Kathy gave a deep, exasperated sigh.

  “If you’re referring to his feigned interest in me, then let me assure you, it is all just an act. It is some sort of game he’s playing with me,” Will said with a heavy heart. “Elijah doesn’t want me. He isn’t in love with me. All he wants is someone to be punished. If he decides that I had anything even slightly to do with Katrina’s scheme here, then I will be the recipient of his wrath.”

  “I think you’re being paranoid,” Kathy said between sips. “Ask anyone on this ranch if Elijah has ever treated any other man the way he treats you. Elijah has never cared about anything except this ranch and his brother.” Will was shaking his head, but Kathy continued. “He’s not social and never wastes his time with visitors or small talk. Even on those rare occasions when Martin has someone over, Elijah has nothing to do with them. He doesn’t dine with them; he doesn’t even talk to them.” Kathy paused to sip her coffee.

  “What are you getting at?” Will asked, a little impatient.

  “Look at how he is with you. He tries to control his temper when you’re around. He apologized to you, something he never does, and he kissed you publicly.” Will blushed a bright scarlet. “Oh yes, that kiss in the main house that first night got around very quickly,” Kathy teased. “He watches you constantly and seems to hang on your every word. Elijah is bending over backward to gain your approval,” she stressed. “He’s sincere, Will. I’d stake my life on it.”

  “But it is my life that is on the block, and I don’t believe he feels anything of any depth for me. He admitted that he was testing me to see if I would behave as my sister had. He even proposed to me to see if I would jump at the chance to have a rich husband. It is all just an elaborate test.” Will agreed that it all looked and sounded good, but with romanticism aside, reality painted a very different picture. “Look at me, Kathy,” Will stated flatly. “What is there? What do you see that would drive a man like Elijah Hunter crazy with love for me?”

  Kathy paused, and before she could answer, Will jumped back in.

  “Nothing. I am completely and utterly average. I’m not putting myself down,” he assured her, “I’m just being realistic.”

  Kathy attempted to comment, but Will again cut her off.

  “He’s a single, handsome, millionaire ranch owner.” Will laughed, but not with humor. “His interest in me is for revenge only. Elijah is pretending to care in order to carry out whatever nasty plan he has contrived.”

  “Why would he do that?” Kathy pressed.

  “Like I said, it is plain and simple revenge.”

  Kathy contradicted him. “It’s not plain or simple. What would be the point of getting you to fall in love with him?”

  “I don’t know. What I do know is that his behavior is not legitimate.” Will drank the last of his coffee and stood up. “It’s getting late, I’d better head back. Thanks for listening to me, Kathy,” Will said as he left the porch and headed back up the main road.

  “Anytime.” Kathy stood and walked him to the roadway. “Don’t sell yourself short, Will. Your theories may not be correct. I’ve known Elijah for two years, and he isn’t the type of man to play such a hateful game. He may be testing you, but once he’s decided your merit then that will be an end to it. Y
ou had nothing to do with your sister’s plans, and he will see that. He probably already has,” Kathy said as Will set out back in the direction of the main house.

  It was nearly eleven o’clock when he made it back to the house, and he thought a solitary walk in Elijah’s garden would feel good before going to bed.

  Will soon found himself seated on the stone bench at the center of the garden. His mind wandered to Elijah, the proposal, Katrina, the contract, and then settled onto his own feelings.

  Kathy’s opinions were marvelous to think about, but he dared not take them seriously. How perfect it would be if Elijah did love me, like I am beginning to love him. Shocked by his own thoughts, he sat up straight and told himself sternly, I do not love Elijah Hunter! I desire him, sure, who wouldn’t, but I do not love him! I can’t love him. “Oh, Lord, I am so pathetic,” he said out loud with an exasperated sigh.

  “May I sit with you?” The voice and the presence came on him so suddenly that he visibly jumped as Martin came toward him.