by Roni Adams
If she decided not to marry Cord, it would be her decision and hers alone and not be influenced by Buck. Or even a baby.
The ranch yard was quiet. She parked her truck in her usual spot and headed through the back door. Cord walked into the kitchen just as she did.
“We were starting to wonder if you joined Tyler and ran away.”
Sara tucked her hands in her back pockets and tipped her head. “Have you heard anything more?”
Cord shook his head. “No, but Jackson’s got a few leads.”
He opened the refrigerator and pulled out a bottle of his favorite beer, and offered her one.
She shook her head. “I was over at Cole’s. He bought that stallion he’s been wanting.”
He opened his beer and took a long swallow. “How’s he look?”
Sara leaned her hips against the counter and crossed her arms over her chest. “Perfect. Exactly what Cole said he was, this enormous stallion with the disposition of a kitten—not to mention his bloodline is phenomenal.” Cord nodded and took another drink from his beer. When he didn’t say anything further, she pushed away from the counter. “I’ve gotta take care of some business.”
“I was hoping we could talk.”
Sara frowned. All the way back home, all she wanted to do was find Buck and lay all her cards on the table. Have it out with him once and for all. She had to know the truth, had to know if he’d set her up to be in this position. She glanced over. Cord obviously had something on his mind. She couldn’t very well brush him off after the day she knew he’d probably had. He carried a lot of weight on his shoulders and would take Tyler’s disappearance as his own fault. She knew him well enough to know he’d spent the time thinking back over the past several months, wondering if he should have done something different. So she nodded, even though it was the last thing she wanted to do.
Cord led her to the den. Once inside the room, though, rather than taking his usual seat behind the desk, he moved to sit on the small leather sofa. “Come here,” he said, patting the cushion next to him.
She hesitated, then studied him. What did other women see when they looked at Cord? She’d heard folks compare him to the country singer, George Strait. She supposed it could be true. The oldest Weston was as at home on horseback as he was seated in meetings with a bunch of men in suits. He had a way of putting folks at ease and you knew you could lay all your troubles on his shoulders and he’d somehow make it right or at least stand by you if he couldn’t. That trait alone was most likely what made him old beyond his barely 30 years. Her father knew exactly what he was doing when he tried to pick her husband—even if she resented him for it.
She wet her lips and sat down, turning halfway towards him. He set his beer on the side table then twisted toward her. When he reached out and brushed a strand of hair away from her face, she was so startled at the odd action, she jerked back. He continued to watch her steadily then dropped his hand to her shoulder and slid it along her back in a caress.
What the hell was he up to? Cord had never touched her like this. She slid back away from him. “W-what did you want to talk about?”
He moved closer. Their thighs touched and his hand fell to her knee. She stared down at his fingers and frowned. What had gotten into him?
“I think that even though this business has happened with Tyler, we shouldn’t back-burner our own plans any longer.”
Sara’s jaw dropped open and she shook her head.
Cord put his finger on her lips. “Don’t say anything. I think part of the problem is that we’ve talked this over way too much.”
“We’ve barely discussed it.” She tried to push his hand away from her mouth but he captured it and linked their fingers together. Then he brought them to his lips.
She could barely breathe. This was not good. “Listen, Cord...”
His eyes grew darker. He lifted their joined hands to his shoulder and leaned in closer. Her eyes grew wide. He wasn’t going to kiss her, was he?
Oh my God he is!
Sara twisted her head and his lips brushed her cheek. She sprang off the couch.
Cord stared back at her. “Sara, I’m willing to take this slow, but I think if we push past this initial awkwardness, everything will be okay.”
Sara’s eyes widened. Thoughts flashed through her mind along with images she just did not even want to think about
He stood and slowly moved towards her. “Obviously, at first it’s going to seem strange to both of us. We need to get past that part.”
Sara backed up, but the fireplace was behind her. She raised her hands as he drew closer. “Listen Cord, I really think we should discuss this a bit more.”
Cord cupped her cheek in his palm and caressed her skin. “You have to trust me on this. I know what I’m doing.”
He pressed his lips to her cheek. His mouth slid along her skin to the spot beneath her ear as his other hand settled at her waist.
Bile rose in her throat. This was just too incredibly weird. Worse than weird, this was insane, nuts and absolutely revolting.
She shifted hoping he’d move away, but Cord trailed his finger down her neck to tease the collar of her T-shirt.
“Cord, come on, this isn’t a good idea.” She put both her hands up against his solid chest wall.
“Once we’re married, we’ll have to be a lot closer than this. If we just dive in and go for it, we can get past the awkwardness...I promise, you won’t regret it.”
One hand slid under her long hair to the nape of her neck. Goosebumps prickled her skin, and not the good kind. Sara couldn’t breathe. Cord moved a step closer until his body was flush against hers.
Fear of Cord didn’t paralyze her, it was her own reaction. She had none. If Buck held her like this, she’d be all over him. With Cord, she felt absolutely nothing. Well, she did feel something but it certainly wasn’t arousal—more like that time she got on a Tilt-o-Whirl ride and wanted to hurl.
She couldn’t do this. No matter what Cord thought, she couldn’t do this.
Hands trapped between them, Cord lowered his head towards her lips. Her heart raced. His lips, strong and firm, met hers—and like an electric bolt, she sprang away, ducking under his arm and across the room.
His face held a hint of annoyance. “Sara, I’m really trying my hardest to make this as easy on you as I can, but you have to meet me halfway, or at least some of the way. Come on, honey, work with me on this.”
She swallowed hard and eyed him from her place across the room. “Have you been drinking?”
His eyes narrowed. “No, I haven’t been drinking. We agreed to get married, and I’m trying to show you how things can be.”
“I never said that I’d marry you.”
“It’s what your father wanted. And it’s the only way for you to keep the land. Am I really that repulsive that the thought of being with me is that bad?”
He was across the room in a flash. Prepared for him to grab her and force her to kiss him, she was shocked by how gently he pulled her into his arms. All of a sudden, he reminded her of Cole’s stallion.
Cord was a strong man, both physically and mentally, but he was as gentle as a lamb when he dealt with her. He stood several inches shorter than Buck, leaving her eye to eye with him.
He looped his arms around her waist and looked at her with soft brown eyes. “Sara, I’m ready for a wife and a family and I don’t want to get any older. It’s no secret I’ve wanted to settle down for a long time now. I know the way I love you isn’t the type of love women want when they get married, but then, you’re not most women. We both want the same thing in life. I promise I’ll make you happy.”
Buck’s face flashed across her mind and heart. That’ all it took. She closed her eyes. There wasn’t any way she could marry Cord—she loved Buck.
“No,” she whispered.
Cord’s lips touched hers.
She shook her head and repeated, “No, Cord.”
When she felt him move back, she ope
ned her eyes.
“What’s wrong?”
“I can’t do this.”
“Why not, Sara? Am I repulsive? Ugly? Do I smell bad?”
She shook her head and swallowed, hard then covered her face with her hands. “I can’t kiss you, I can’t marry you. I love Buck.”
Silence filled the room and she dropped her hands, wary at the anger she knew would be on his face.
The wide grin was unexpected to say the least.
“It’s about time,” he said, his eyes filled with amusement.
She narrowed hers and frowned. “Excuse me?
Cord tipped his head and raised one eyebrow. “Do you honestly think for even half-a-second that I would consider a marriage between us when I know damn well you and my brother belong together?”
Sara’s jaw dropped and she gasped. “You know about us?”
He nodded. “Sara, I would do anything for your father. Anything. Marry you, yes, take care of you and your sisters, yes. But the one thing I can’t do for him is crush my own brother. Buck loves you...and you love him.”
She frowned. “What am I missing here? You don’t want to marry me?”
Cord shook his head. “You don’t want to marry me either and you know it. I figured if I pushed a bit and acted as if it was a done deal, one of the two of you would wake up and realize you couldn’t go through with it.”
Sara was confused. “But you said we were going to Houston to ‘get to know one another’ and all that? You didn’t fake your accident...did you?”
Cord laughed. “I’m not quite that invested, no. I was hoping the idea would put a bit of a scare into you. I figured I’d come up with some reason either not to go to Houston or hope that Buck would demand to go too.” He rested his hand against his ribs as if remembering they still hurt. “Not that I enjoyed it, but the accident couldn’t have worked out better. I thought for sure if you two were away together, you’d work things out and come back happy...and together.”
Sara shook her head. “Nothing would have happened if Charli hadn’t—” She stopped when Cord’s grin broadened. “You called Charli!”
He shrugged. “Actually, she called me when you told her about the accident, wanted to know if she should come up here and...” He cleared his throat. “Well, never mind that, but yep, we had a little discussion. You played right into her hands and, in turn, she pushed you right into my brother’s. We thought for sure that’s all it would take. Instead, you two come back like a couple three-year-olds waiting to tear each other limb from limb.”
Sara let a breath out slowly. “So, this whole thing here, just now, was an act?” She laughed nervously. “You really had me going there for a minute. I thought I was going to have to put you in a head lock or something.”
Cord chuckled. “I decided it was time for some strong arm measures. I needed to make you see how ludicrous this whole idea was. Now the question is, what are you going to do about Buck?”
She jerked her head back. “I don’t know. He’s furious with me. He really believes what happened between us was just my way of sowing some wild oats or some bullshit.”
“I’m going to let you two sort that out, but I wouldn’t wait too long. If there’s anyone more bullheaded than you, it’s him.”
She tipped her head and slammed her hands on her hips. “But what about the Will? And the ranch? Jackson said it’s ironclad, if you aren’t willing to marry me, I lose control, right?”
Cord nodded. “I can’t change that, Sara. I’ve researched it until I’m blue in the face. The best I can offer you is my promise.” He held out his hand. “I’m giving you my word here and now that I will never make a major decision about this business that you object to. I’m not talking about the piddly, day to day stuff—I’m talking major business decisions.”
Sara reached out and shook his hand then hugged him. “I trust you, you know that.”
Cord’s arms wrapped around her and he hugged her tight.
She closed her eyes and accepted his brotherly embrace. This felt right, this was how it was supposed to be.
“You and Buck are a team, you always have been, and you always will be. That’s the important thing.” He pulled back to look at her. “Go find him. Tell him he means more to you than this ranch.”
She nodded and Cord dropped his arms and headed behind the desk. But Sara had one more concern. “Cord?”
He sat down. “What?”
“Remember right after we found out what was in the Will, when you said all that about Daddy and the future, and what happens if one of us were to marry an outsider?”
He dragged his hand through his hair. “I meant what I said, but there’s legal ways to ensure that doesn’t happen. I’m going to have Jackson draw up some papers, for all of our futures. We need to make sure if something happens to one of us the ranch is secure.” He grimaced. “Not that there’s anyone even remotely in my sights right now, but I won’t marry without a prenup. No one is going to take one piece of this dirt away from us. I promise.”
Content, Sara nodded and turned to leave.
“Sara?”
She paused at the door and looked back. The serious tone of her name matched his face.
“Your father died in my arms. I pounded on his chest and did CPR long after I knew there was no point. I loved him, and I couldn’t save him. Before he died I promised him I would take care of you and your sisters, and I will.” He stood and moved across the room to stand in front of her. “If it wasn’t for the situation between you and Buck, I would have married you no matter what. It was what your father wanted. I just don’t want you to think for one minute I’m using that as an excuse to get out of a promise I made to him.”
Sara’s eyes filled with tears. She knew Cord had tried to save her father; he’d been the only one with him when he died. What she hadn’t realized until today was the incredible guilt Cord held at not being able to revive him.
She squeezed his hands and nodded. “Dad knew what he was doing when he left you in charge.” She smiled and a tear dripped down her cheek. “I’ve been acting like a brat over this and I’m sorry. I have no doubt that the decisions you make will be for the best for all of us, and for the future of the ranch. I won’t give you a hard time.”
Cord grinned. “Yes, you will.”
She dropped his hands and laughed. “Well, I’ll try not to over the little things, how’s that?”
He nodded. “Deal.”
Chapter Sixteen
Buck didn’t dare blink. His heart raced and his skin went clammy as he stared straight up into the meanest yellow eyes he’d ever seen. Pure evil was behind them and the scent of blood filled the air. The wicked, nasty smell of his captor’s hot breath hovered over him and his mind raced though every scenario he could think of to get out of this. Already those powerful horns had gouged into his shoulder and he knew that was only the start of the torture this beast was capable of dishing out.
Satan, all thirty five hundred pounds of nasty bull, loomed over him. Buck knew any minute he was going to be gored clean through or tossed into the air and thrown against the wall of the barn behind him. Neither appealed to him, but he decided that the throwing thing would probably be the least painful—unless Satan charged again and gored him just to finish him off. He’d watched a lot of bull riders in his life get tossed around like a rag doll by an enraged bull. He had a whole new respect for the rodeo clowns who rescued those idiot cowboys. Man, could he ever use one of them to distract this beast right about now.
Over and over he cursed his own stupidity for not seeing this coming. Once again, Satan had worked the wires loose on his fenced in pen and pushed it open to wander into the yard. With his mind anywhere but on what he was doing these days, Buck never saw the monster until it was too late. He’d run into the corral, knowing Satan would follow, his plan being to reach the barn and shut the door, slip out the back and around to the corral and block Satan in—he hadn’t counted on tripping over his own two feet and
going down, or the bull charging.
Luckily, the first time the bull had missed him, but now he was practically underneath the massive body and the beast seemed to enjoy watching his prey squirm.
Satan shifted and Buck’s breath caught. Up until right now, he hadn’t said too much to Sara about this monster, but if he lived through this, she could pitch whatever fit she wanted to but Satan was as good as on a truck as far away from the Double B as he could get him.
“Yaw! Hey! Over here!”
No! Although his only hope right now was for someone to distract this beast, the last person he wanted doing that was Sara. His heart sank at her continued shouts, yet he couldn’t even yell to her, unsure how Satan would react if he started making loud noises.
Satan turned his head towards her voice and Buck took the opportunity to scramble backwards. The bull whipped his head back around, pawed the ground and lowered his massive horns.
A rock bounced off the bull’s back, landing at Buck’s side. Yellow eyes turned.
“Go on! Yah!” Sara yelled. “Buck, are you okay? Are you hurt?”
He shook his head, careful not to speak or draw attention to himself again. How the hell was he going to get them out of this?
“Get back, Sara,” he said, low and slowly, hoping not to startle his captor.
“I’m going to distract him. Can you get up and get to the barn?” she yelled.
