by Roni Adams
“I never said that.”
He glanced at her, sick at himself for the hope that flared to life in his chest. “So you’re not?”
She glared back then faced front again. “I didn’t say that either.”
He nodded. “So back to square one. What are you wanting from me? A thank you? Okay, thanks for getting it off with me—it certainly made a boring livestock show a bit more entertaining.”
“You’re disgusting.”
“I’m disgusting?” He laughed harshly. “You’re tearing up the sheets with me when you’re all but engaged to my brother!”
“You make it sound like I was thinking about it while we were—”
“No, that’s one thing I won’t say. You knew exactly who you were with if the way you screamed my name was any indication.” He snapped his fingers and then pointed at her. “Speaking of which, you better watch that. It wouldn’t be very cool if you called out my name while you and Cord were doing the wild thing.” His voice rose and he clenched his fist against the steering wheel.
She was not going to get a rise out of him. She got what she wanted this weekend, and he’d be damned if he’d ever let her know that it crushed him to discover the real reason behind her sudden desire for him.
“If you weren’t driving, I’d smack you so hard right now.”
She wanted to hit him? How the hell did she think he felt? “Why? Because you can’t handle the truth?” He jerked the truck to the side of the highway and slammed it into park. Sliding his arm along the back of the seat, he half turned to face her. “Well, here’s another little truth you better think about, Miss Experience.” She glared but, to her credit, didn’t shrink away so he went for the bullseye. “We didn’t use protection.”
Her face blanched. Yep, as usual, Sara dove in head first without even thinking about the consequences of what she was doing. “That’s right, Miss Woman-of-the-World. Your little redheaded friend didn’t remind you about that did she? So, now you have a really big dilemma.” He leaned over until his face was bare inches from hers. He slid has hand across her flat belly ignoring how much he wanted her, even now. “You might be carrying my baby.”
She smacked his hand away.
“I’ll be watching you like a hawk. If I even so much as suspect you’re pregnant, I will make sure everyone knows who did it.” His breath heated her face as he glared. “Everyone.” He leaned back slowly. “Just in case you’re thinking maybe you could somehow get around this and pretend it’s Cord’s.”
“I would never...”
Buck shook his head, not even caring what she was going to say. “That’s right you won’t, because I don’t think even my noble big brother would step in and marry you while you’ve got my child growing inside you.”
“I’m not marrying you,” she retorted.
He laughed and moved back behind the steering wheel. “I don’t recall asking.”
Sara’s face went even redder and she stared straight ahead. He knew her mind was whirling. He’d bet she was ready to pee her pants right now. Good. Damn, she was so naïve at times. What if he’d been someone else? Her predicament could be even worse.
He’d thought about the repercussions as soon as they started fooling around and could have used a condom, but he didn’t bother. A condom was when you needed to protect yourself from disease or an unwanted pregnancy. He had no worries about the first, and the second was something he’d dreamed about for a long time. Having a baby with Sara, marrying her on their family’s land and living together happily-ever-after wasn’t exactly something he wanted to avoid.
Yeah, he’d been a fool. Even worse, he figured she thought the same thing at the time and that’s why she never brought the subject of protection up either. He should have realized she’d just plow head first into the moment with no plan in sight.
When he heard the distinct sound of a sniffle, he swung his head around but she kept hers turned toward the side window. Guilt clutched his heart for about thirty seconds. No, she brought all this on herself.
What the heck was he going to do about her? His chest hurt and his head pounded from way too much booze and lack of sleep. He pulled the truck back onto the highway and ignored her. Everything they’d ever had...gone, ruined. A lifetime of friendship completely destroyed. Her words from a few weeks back haunted him and, for once, he had to agree with her. Sex did muck up friendship.
Even if she went home and decided not to marry Cord, he didn’t know if he could get past the fact that she’d used him to make up her mind. She hadn’t slept with him because she wanted him or wanted to deepen the friendship they already had. No, she’d done it to get some experience and find out what sex was all about. How could he ever get past that?
****
Sara walked through the front door and dropped her suitcase in the foyer. The house was eerily quiet. She headed to the kitchen, but Flo wasn’t there. The washing machine chugged in the mud room, so someone had been there recently. She glanced up as Susan walked in.
“Hey, I didn’t know you were back.” Her sister set a plate and cup on the counter.
“Just got back. Where is everyone?”
Sara opened the refrigerator and reached for a diet cola, then pulled her hand back—caffeine—even she knew you should lay off the caffeine if you were pregnant. Her stomach heaved and her throat clenched. She clung to the refrigerator door as panic washed over her again. What if Buck is right? Swallowing down the bile in her throat, she grabbed a bottle of water as if that had been her intent all along. She drank half of it before shutting the door.
Susan stared at her. “What’s wrong?”
“Nothing, just tired. It was a long week.” Sara shrugged and finished the water. “I’m going to take a shower and unpack.”
“You do look like hell.” Her younger sister eyed her speculatively. “By the way, Diane heard back from the lawyer in New York. I’m afraid everything is just as Jackson explained it. Daddy made sure there were no loopholes. You either marry Cord or lose the ranch.”
Sara sank to the kitchen chair. Her entire body began to shake. Somehow, deep inside, she really hoped the other lawyers would find something, anything to help her out of this nightmare. She swallowed hard and dropped her head into her hands as tears filled her eyes. Her chest hurt as if she had major heartburn.
Susan’s arms suddenly wrapped around her, drawing Sara’s head down against her sister’s chest. “We talked with him for hours, honey. That Will is tighter than a hangman’s knot.”
Sara allowed herself the luxury of Susan’s comfort. Tears filled her eyes and she bit hard on her bottom lip but her shoulders jerked with a choked back sob. In less than twenty four hours, she’d loved and lost her best friend, and any hope for the Will being straightened out.
She gave a small push and Susan let her go. Sara swiped at the tears on her face and wiped her hands on her jeans. Susan squeezed her shoulder once more before slipping into a chair across from her. With her sister’s eyes watching her intently, she drew several deep breaths.
“When did you get back? I didn’t hear the truck.” Diane walked in the room carrying laundry.
Sara frowned at the basket. “Where’s Flo?”
Diane kept going into the laundry room. “She’s gone up to Brownsville for a few weeks. Her sister broke her hip and her niece is due with twins any day.”
Her brow lifted. “Who’s been doing the cooking?”
Susan threw a hand up. “Not me. I told her to call someone, but she wanted to do it.”
Diane returned to the kitchen. “It’s no big deal. Flo keeps everything stocked and most of the guys have been good about fending for themselves.”
Her sister took down a plate of brownies from the cupboard and set them on the table. Sara eyed them, but her appetite was gone, even her sister’s ooey-gooey caramel delights didn’t tempt her.
“We were talking about the Will, and what the lawyer said,” Susan offered.
“I thought for sure
there was something he could find, but he said the same thing Jake did. Texas laws are notorious for this type of thing.”
Diane’s hand came down to cover her own and Sara glanced down at them. What a contrast to her own. Diane’s nails were long enough to be polished, but not the long talons like Charli and Susan had. Her sister’s skin was creamy white and looked as soft as the nose of a horse, whereas her own skin was a deep golden brown from years working outside. Her nails were chipped, and small white scars covered her hands from various cuts and scrapes acquired over time.
“You know, from the time you were in high school you knew you were going to work as a designer,” she began quietly. “You studied and worked hard and just went for it. It was in your blood because of Mom, and now look at you.” She glanced up and met her older sister’s gaze. “You have a fantastic career, a great life in New York City and you know exactly who you are.” She swallowed and turned to Susan. “The hottest talent on the big screen today and fastest rising star in the industry,” she quoted from the latest People magazine article about her younger sister. “You’ve been acting and singing since you were born—it’s who you are.”
The tears welled up again. “I thought I was the same way. All my life, I knew what my future held, what I’d be doing. I knew I was going to have to run this side of the partnership some day, that I’d be the one everyone came to for answers. I worked hard to learn everything I could. I paid attention whenever Dad talked about something I wasn’t familiar with. I read every magazine article, and anything else I could find about ranching.” She swallowed hard as it became harder to breathe. “Now, I don’t know what I am. I don’t know where I fit in. How can everything you thought about, worked towards and dreamed your life to be change with a few words on a piece of paper?” Her voice rasped out, barely a whisper now. “I don’t know what I’m supposed to do with the rest of my life.”
She wanted to say more. Wanted to spill everything about the kiss with Buck after the poker game, the talk with Charli, her mixed up emotions about Cord, what happened with Buck yesterday, and the mess she might really be in now, but couldn’t get anything past the thickness in her throat.
She saw in her sisters’ faces that they had no idea what to say. At least they understood why she felt like she did about their ranch, or at least she thought they did.
Diane squeezed her shoulder. “This was supposed to be your legacy and now everything’s changed. It’s a huge thing. Add to that this crazy stipulation Daddy tossed in and it’s a wonder you haven’t lost your mind.”
“I hoped that getting away and hanging out with Buck would have helped, but you seem worse than when you left.” Susan added softly.
She brushed back her hair and grasped the opening given. “Actually, going away changed everything again and not in a good way.”
Susan leaned forward. “You aren’t still considering marrying Cord are you?”
“Where is he?” Sara glanced past her sister to the hallway. If she was going to talk to them about Buck and Cord, she needed to know the older Weston wasn’t within earshot.
“He’s in the den. He’s supposed to rest but you can’t tell that man anything,” Diane answered.
Her heart pounded. She lifted the bottle of water to her mouth and drank, then slowly set it down. Drawing a deep breath, she straightened her spine. “I need to tell you guys something.”
“Hey, how was Houston?” Teddy pushed the back door open and stomped inside.
Sara flopped back in her chair as Teddy reached between the women to grab two brownies before moving to the refrigerator.
Susan rolled her eyes and tossed her hair as she pushed to her feet. “I gotta get back to town. I won’t be home until late, but if you want to talk tomorrow, I’ll be around all day.”
There was an apology in her gaze to Sara but she didn’t offer any other explanation, simply turned on her heel and walked out. “Where’s she going?” she asked.
Teddy sneered. “She’s hanging out with that moron Brad down at the playhouse.”
“Why does that bother you so much?” Diane asked.
He shrugged, drank his milk in one long swallow and set his glass in the sink. “I heard you had a great meeting with the guys from that ranch in Melbourne.”
Sara nodded, glad to have something to discuss that didn’t deal with her emotions. “Yeah, they’ve got some techniques that sounded pretty amazing.”
“Hey, I’m in if you and Buck are going to Australia.”
At the mention of Buck’s name, Sara’s face flamed and nausea drifted through her stomach. The room was way too warm.
Diane touched her hand. “Do you feel okay? You’re really white.”
She nodded and pushed her chair back. “We had a really long week.” She tried for a light laugh but cringed at how forced it sounded. “You know how the Stock Show is, a party every night, go all day. Did I tell you? We ran in to Charli Boyd.”
Teddy whistled. “How is that gal? Crazy as ever? I need to give her a call and see what’s new.”
Sara headed towards the back door. “Yeah, you should have seen her on Toby Keith’s tour bus. I think she’s dating his drummer now. I’m...uh...going out to the barn. Maybe take Travis out for a run.”
She vaguely heard Diane and Teddy laugh and Charli’s name mentioned again as she made her escape.
Grateful to get out of the house before Cord tracked her down, she saddled Travis and gave him what she rarely did, her unspoken permission to go as fast as he wanted...wherever he wanted.
With the wind hitting her face, she lowered her head to the side of his neck and just hung on. Images of Buck and their night together ran through her head like a movie. She forced them out, and did her best to empty her mind. A run like this always cleared her head—somehow today, though, she doubted it was going to work.
****
“How’d the week go?”
Buck slouched in the overstuffed leather chair and watched Cord struggle to find a comfortable position behind the desk. He winced as his brother’s face broke out in a sweat. “Shouldn’t you be in bed or something?”
Cord glared. “Don’t start. Diane’s been fussing at me all week.”
Buck shrugged. “Maybe ‘cause you need to be in bed.”
His older brother took a long, deep breath and sat perfectly still. “They don’t even tape up the damn things anymore. Hurts like hell.”
“What about the pain pills? You taking those?”
Cord shook his head. “Just when I go to bed.” He pulled a folder towards him. “Teddy says you two ran into Charli Boyd. How was that demo you went to with her father?”
Thinking of that day reminded Buck of what came after—Sara coming back from the pool, the sexy bikini she’d worn and...later. The mention of Charli only served to remind him of her part in the hell he was in now.
He tapped a finger to his thigh. How long before he could get away from this inquisition. It was damn nice of Sara to disappear and leave him to face Cord’s million questions alone.
“Did you get a chance to talk to her this week?”
He frowned, not really listening. “Who? Charli? What did I need to ask Charli about?”
Cord leaned back in his chair and cussed. “Sara...and the Will,” he choked out.
Buck fisted a hand against his leg. “It came up a time or two.”
His brother nodded. “Hell, a marriage between me and Sara’s not the ideal situation for any of us, but I’m sure once some time goes by, we’ll all get used to it and be fine..”
Buck glanced up at his brother. Was he really this cold—anything for the business and all that? “What about you? What are you getting out of all this?”
“Getting out of what?”
“The marriage.”
Cord stared back at him steadily. “I get a wife without having to wonder if the woman I married is after me for the family’s money.”
“Wouldn’t Sara be doing exactly that?”
&nb
sp; Cord shook his head. “No, Sara should have been given her half and you know it.”
“So, you’re handling this completely as a business transaction? Cold, calculating, no love involved?”
“Some of us can’t afford to take a chance on falling in love.”
Ain’t that the truth. Buck purposely kept his face blank. There was no point in Cord knowing that he could be right.
He studied his brother. Maybe he should be more like Cord, think about relationships in a strictly business sense. Still, he couldn’t help but wonder what his big brother would think if he knew what he and Sara had been doing in Houston.
“I’ve got stuff to do.” He stood, ignoring the way his brother frowned at the action. “You’ll have to get the rest of the updates from Sara.”
“Where is she?”
Buck snorted, slapped his hat on his head. “Hell, she’s your fiancé, you track her down.”
He flung open the door and stormed out. He couldn’t stand being in the same room with Cord another minute.
Outside, he spied Sara coming out of the barn, her head was down. She didn’t see him. His heart squeezed at the same time his temper flared at her betrayal. Purposely, he headed in the opposite direction, determined to avoid her as long as he needed until his opposing emotions were in check.
Chapter Twelve
For three days, Sara successfully managed to avoid Buck. She’d even kept herself so busy that Cord couldn’t catch her. But her luck had just run out. As she emerged from the living room to head up to her room, Cord came out of the den.
“There you are. I’ve been trying to catch up with you for days,” he said.
Sara glanced at her watch and pivoted to the front door. “I know but I have this appointment, I can’t be late. Let’s try to talk later tonight.”
Cord scratched his head. “I won’t be around tonight, Cattleman’s Association meeting,” he explained. “Can’t we talk now? Ten minutes? I just want to get some info from the show.”
Sara pretended to consider it. She chewed her lip and began to shake her head. “Okay, but you only got five minutes, I gotta get to this...thing.”
