by Lori Foster
Ray asked her brother, “What took you so long? With as many stops as Eli insisted we make, I thought you’d get here before us.”
“I had a few errands of my own to attend to,” he explained.
The look on Matt’s face amused Eli. “Women?”
“Yeah. They’re so sad to see me go.” He grinned shamefully, and Eli couldn’t help but chuckle.
Jeremy asked suddenly, “What the hell’s going on?”
Eli narrowed his gaze on his brother. “Matt and Ray are going to be staying here awhile.”
“Why?”
“Because I’m going to marry her.”
This time it was Ray who interrupted. “That’s far from a done deal, Eli, and you know it.”
Eli sighed in vexation. Turning to Ray, he said, “You will marry me, Ray.”
She folded her arms over her chest. “I don’t think I feel particularly convinced your family wants me here. That was the purpose of this little visit, wasn’t it?”
Eli scowled, and without taking his eyes from Ray’s face, he said, “Granddad, do you want her here?”
“Damn right. I won’t have my great-grandchild anywhere else.”
Ray looked startled at the certainty of his response. She’d probably thought Jeremy’s disclosures would have changed things. She just didn’t know his grandmother.
“Gram?”
“Well, of course she’s welcome,” Lily muttered. Then she added, “And her brother, too.”
All eyes turned to Jeremy. His face was red with anger and he remained stubbornly silent.
Ray shoved past him. “Come on, Matt. I’ll help you carry your stuff in.”
“Does that mean you’ll stay?” Lily asked.
Ray threw a warning glare at Eli. “For a little while, anyway.”
Eli caught her, then deposited the dog in her arms. “Why don’t you go upstairs and get settled in? I already carried your stuff to your room. Jeremy and I’ll help Matt unload.”
Ray was ready to refuse, but Lily beat her to the punch. “Yes. That’s a wonderful idea. I’ll show you to your room.”
Ray leaned close to Eli, so that no one else would hear her. “You won’t always get your way, you know.”
He chucked her under her chin. “Honey, if I had my way, we’d be married already. I think you should appreciate my patience and stop pushing your luck.”
He corralled Matt and Jeremy and went out the door, whistling. No, things were far from settled. But he had Ray on his ranch and under his roof, and so far she hadn’t maimed anyone. Things were moving right along.
Ray stared at the empty closet and dresser with disgust. She hadn’t said anything to Lily, other than to thank her, but damn it, she didn’t want to sleep without Eli now that she had him back. She’d envisioned them sharing a room with all the perks. She should have realized that wouldn’t fly, not with grandparents around. Lily would faint if she knew what Ray had planned to do that night once she got Eli alone.
They had a lot to discuss, but both she and Eli managed to stay busy until dinner. She hadn’t been nauseous again, so she’d unpacked her few things, taken a long shower, then looked around.
The fresh air was wonderful and she enjoyed seeing the horses Eli owned. One young man who was working with the horses told her that they had over seventy acres of rolling countryside. The property was completely fenced and had two beautiful ponds with natural springs. The barns all had electricity and running water. Someday she’d like to explore it all, but for today, she just strolled around, staying in sight of the house.
Beyond the black walnut grove was a variety of fruit trees, including pears, peaches, and apples. Wildflowers grew in abundance and a continual breeze stirred the air. Everywhere around her, nature seduced. Ray had worked up quite an appetite by the time she sauntered back to the house.
Lily was in the kitchen when Ray went in to wash up. She was preparing dinner, but refused Ray’s help, insisting she should rest. Ray didn’t want to sit idle, but Eli, Matt, and Jeremy were still missing. She finally found Hank in the parlor, feet up on a coffee table, reading a newspaper.
Ray interrupted him without a qualm. “Do you race the horses?”
He laid the paper aside, and his scowl looked more like a smile of welcome. “Naw. That’s a whole ’nuther business. I mostly have horses because I like them and I’m good with them. I used to train them back in my day, gentling them to the saddle and riders. I have someone else to do that now with my bones so old. But I still get to baby them.” He winked. “Eli keeps them around to indulge an old man.”
“You?”
“See any other old men around?”
Ray was starting to like Eli’s grandfather. “No, I sure don’t.”
He nodded. “We have grays, palominos, sorrels, and roans. I sell only to someone I know will be good to them, someone proven. Mostly we offer stud service. It’s lucrative, but our major income is from the shopping malls.”
Lily poked her head in the door. “Dinner is on the table. I hope you’re both hungry.”
Ray rose, and without thinking about it, offered Hank a hand. He kept her arm as he made his way into the dining room, but not because he needed it. If anything, he led the way.
Ray still wore jeans and a tee from her walk around the ranch, and she tried to pull back, but he didn’t seem to notice. “Um, Hank, shouldn’t I change?”
“What for?” He tugged her into the room. “It’s just family.”
Eli was already there. He’d made a small bed for Precious in the corner, and her little dog trotted over there and plopped down. He had good table manners, thank God.
“Precious loves the horses,” Eli told her as he held Ray’s seat out, then kissed her on top of the head. He, too, wore jeans, and to Ray, he looked more delicious than the food, though Matt probably would have disagreed, given how he sniffed the air. Jeremy appeared thoughtful and Lily was busy fluttering around.
Dinner wasn’t formal. She’d sort of expected elaborate place settings and fancy tableware. Instead, heaping bowls of food got passed around the table amid the conversation that never slowed.
“Do you ride?” Hank asked her.
“I haven’t been on a horse in years, but I think I could stay in the saddle.”
Eli smiled. “Is there anything you can’t do?”
She started to say, I can’t be June Cleaver, but she caught herself. She didn’t want to sound like she resented the baby, not when she already felt protective. “Plenty, but don’t expect me to list it all.”
Matt laughed. “Ray’s an overachiever. I’ve never seen her fail at anything. If she decides she wants to do it, she does.”
“Sounds like my Hank,” Lily interjected.
Ray was considering her odds of failing as a mother when Matt asked Eli, “When’re you two getting married?”
She went to kick Matt under the table, but accidentally got Jeremy instead. He jumped and grabbed for his shin. “What was that for?”
“What?” Ray tried to look innocent, but with Matt grinning, it wasn’t easy.
Lily shoved a plate of biscuits under Jeremy’s nose. Matt snatched one, then said, “Well?”
“My charms are starting to wear on her.” Eli blew Ray a kiss. “It should be any day now.”
His outrageousness had Matt laughing. “Good luck with that, because I gave a forwarding address and number to anyone I thought might need it.”
“That’s fine.”
Ray pointed her fork at Eli. “You might not think so when his girlfriends all start calling here.”
“I didn’t just give it to girls. I gave it to our cousins, and to our neighbors, in case anything happened to the house.”
Ray wondered what her brother was up to. She could see a mischievous smile in his eyes; she recognized that look and braced herself.
Matt patted his stomach, then complimented Lily on the fine meal. She beamed. It seemed Matt had won over the grandparents with very little effort.
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br /> “Oh, yeah. I almost forgot.” Matt glanced around the table before settling his gaze on Eli. “I gave this address to the agency, too. Now that Ray is working for them again—”
Eli’s fork hit the table with a clatter. Ray locked gazes with her brother, but he didn’t back down. Jeremy scooted his chair back, wisely getting out of the line of fire.
“Ray isn’t working for them anymore.”
“She isn’t?” Matt feigned a look of confusion. “Hey, I was as surprised as anyone when she started there again, but I got the impression—”
“She’s pregnant. She can’t be going into Central America.”
Jeremy shot upright in his seat. “She’s pregnant?”
Ray stabbed him with a look. “It happens to the best of us.”
His incredulity faded beneath consideration. “Pregnant.”
“You don’t have to keep saying it,” Ray snapped, now irritated with both young men.
“What if someone else needs her?” Matt asked Eli. “You gotta admit she knows her business. And from what she told me, you were no slacker yourself. Did you know that’s the first time she’s ever let anyone go in with her? Buddy used to hassle her something awful about staying behind, but Ray always claimed she worked best alone.”
“Matt . . .” Ray warned, all but choking on her unease. These people had already made her feel welcome. They wanted her to marry Eli and be a part of their family. They probably pictured her driving some sky blue minivan and working the PTA. She didn’t want to disillusion them so soon.
As if unaware of her tension, Matt went on. “Ray is like a one-man—er, woman—combat unit. She can handle any weapon created but usually doesn’t need one. Not unless she’s way outnumbered. And she almost never gets hurt. But you know, she did have a few bruises this time. She was probably distracted because of Eli.”
Hank’s bushy eyebrows rose so high, they mingled with his grizzled hair. For once, he wasn’t scowling. “Then it’s true? You weren’t just a guide? You’re really a mercenary?”
“What she is,” Eli said, enunciating slowly, “is my future wife and the mother of my child. That’s all that matters.”
Ray pulled herself together. Tired or not, pregnant or not, she was still the same woman, and if that wasn’t good enough for all of them, then to hell with it.
She pushed back her chair and came slowly to her feet. As if waiting to be attacked, Jeremy also stood, and Matt and Eli soon followed. “I’m not ashamed of what I am, Eli—but it sounds like you are.”
Eli narrowed his eyes and took a step closer to Ray, towering over her, reminding her of his size in comparison to her own. Reminding her of his temper. She wouldn’t back down from him. But after a moment, his probing stare settled into a gentle smile.
Still holding her gaze, he said, “Granddad, Ray used to be in the service. She was part of a unique experimental team called the Adam and Eve program. Ray was the first Eve.”
An invisible fist tightened around her throat. How had he found out? That information was confidential—Buddy. He must have told Eli, probably thinking to help her out by explaining her odd habits.
Eli droned on about Ray’s part in the military, expounding on her efforts to rescue her partner from Central America. Memories squeezed in around her, making her vision blur, her legs tremble. She stood in stony silence, unable to speak, barely able to breathe.
Eli made her sound like a heroine, when she knew that couldn’t be further from the truth. She couldn’t look away from him, but she felt Hank and Lily beside her, hanging on his every word. Ray wanted to smirk, to give some sharp reply, but somehow she couldn’t work up enough sarcasm for even a measly huff.
Hank cleared his throat, finally freeing her from Eli’s stare. He gave her a brisk nod. “I’m a military man myself. I don’t recall hearing of any programs like that.”
“It was very hush-hush,” Matt interjected. “And it didn’t last that long because the teams became so loyal to each other and so independent of the government, it was felt they were a risk to keep in use. Ray’s the perfect example of how things went wrong. If the government had their say, her partner would still be rotting in Central America and they’d still be negotiating.”
Tears burned the backs of her eyes, forcing Ray to blink fast. Oh, she’d gotten Kevin out, but not in time.
Hank said brusquely, “You did the right thing. Can’t abandon a partner, now can you?”
Ray didn’t know what to say. She glanced at Matt and actually felt his love, his support. He whispered, “You’re a hero, sis. No reason to keep it a secret anymore. Not to your new family.”
A new family. Her throat tightened.
“Your family too, Matt.” Lily moved to stand next to Ray. She put her arm around her. “I can’t say as I understand all this. Women as mercenaries? It boggles the mind. But I agree with Hank. You did the right thing.”
Ray forced herself to look at Lily. To her own ears, her voice sounded cold and remote. “Most people consider me no more than a hired gun, doing the job I get paid to do.”
Hank didn’t care. “And why shouldn’t you get paid? No one works for free.”
“But she did.” Jeremy had grown solemn throughout the discussion. He studied her in much the same way Eli always did, scrutinizing her so closely she felt exposed. “Why didn’t you take the money Eli offered you?”
“I didn’t . . . didn’t stick to my plan. I broke my own rules.”
“But here I am.” Jeremy held both his hands out to his sides. “At home, having dinner with my family. I’d say you got the job done.”
Having Jeremy defend her felt too weird. “Why the turnaround?” she asked. “Afraid I might decide to get even for all those wisecracks you’ve made?”
Eli drew her into a hug, squeezing the bluster right out of her. “I told you my brother wasn’t a complete idiot, he just has moments of idiocy.”
Jeremy said, “Ha ha.”
Pointing his cane at his youngest grandson, Hank said, “You want her to stay, too, right?”
“Yeah.” Jeremy’s smile was slow and genuine and he looked more like Eli than ever. “I think she’ll keep Eli on his toes.”
“There you go,” Eli whispered. He tipped up her chin. “We all want you.”
Ray clenched her teeth. Blasted hormonal upheavals, she just knew she was going to start sobbing any second now.
Eli must have known it, too. “Come on. Let’s go for a ride. We’ll take the horses and I’ll show you the property.”
Precious jumped up, ready to follow.
“Do be careful,” Lily warned. “You have to remember she’s expecting.”
With her mood swings, no one was likely to forget. Ray looked at Matt. “You want to come with us?”Ray
“Not this time. I still have to unpack and get settled. Besides, I think I smell dessert.” While Lily rushed to get him a slice of pie, Matt turned to Hank—who’d been trying to sneak Precious a piece of food under the table. “Was that a collection of WWII memorabilia I saw in the front hall curio cabinet?”
Hank jumped with a guilty start, then gave up and lifted Precious to his lap. The little dog was in heaven.
With everyone else well occupied, Eli tugged Ray out the door to the back porch. The second they were out of sight, he pressed her to the wall and kissed her soundly. Ray could feel him grinning against her lips.
“Stop that, Eli.”
“Don’t be a sore loser, Ray.” He locked his arms behind her back, keeping her from pulling away. “Admit it. You expected my grandparents to denounce you on the spot. Instead, you got a huge dose of respect, which you deserve, by the way.”
Ray lowered her head, staring at Eli’s chest. “Everything with you and your family is unexpected. Especially Jeremy’s new attitude.”
“You’d pasted on that serene expression you wear when you want to hide your feelings.” He smoothed her hair behind her ear, a gesture she’d missed while she’d been away from him. “I
could tell you expected to get bombarded with criticism, and I know you’d have taken it on the chin, shoulders straight, head up just like a good soldier. Then when Granddad practically saluted you, you looked ready to expire.” He kissed her again, a loud, smacking kiss on her pursed lips. “Your excuses are disappearing one by one, sweetheart. Why don’t you give in gracefully now and agree to marry me?”
She really wanted to. Little by little Eli had made the whole marriage scenario seem pretty appealing. Still staring at his chest, she muttered, “There’s more to consider than just your family’s opinions.”
Eli bent to see her face. “Such as?”
Raising her brows, Ray said, “My opinion?”
“You’re crazy about me. That’s all that matters.”
She couldn’t help but smile, then admitted, “I am.” And before Eli could take too much joy in that, she added, “I’ll even concede that I could get along just fine if we always stayed on the ranch and only had to deal with the few people here. But what happens when you’re needed in Chicago or some other office? And how many offices do you head, anyway?”
Eli sighed, taking her hand. “You’re determined to find something to nitpick about, aren’t you?” He started down the porch steps, heading for the barn. “I have three offices that I visit throughout the year. I can cut back on a lot of my travel, but I’ll still have to visit occasionally.”
Ray followed along, noticing how fresh and pure the air smelled. She breathed deeply of the scents of summer flowers and newly mown hay. The sky seemed endless, and the most startling shade of blue she’d even seen. “It’s beautiful here. I don’t know why you’d ever leave.”
Eli urged her into a large barn, the interior cool and dimly lit. “You weren’t here, so there was no reason to stay.”
“I don’t want you to change your life for me, Eli.” The words were barely out of Ray’s mouth before he pinned her to the rough plank wall, his hands caging her there. His mouth touched her cheek, her chin, finally settling on her lips for a longer, gentler kiss, void of passion, but filled with tenderness.
“You still don’t get it, do you, Ray? I want my life to change. I want to have you here to come home to. I want a baby that looks like you. Or me. Hell, I don’t care if he looks like Jeremy as long as he’s mine. I want to take care of you. And,” he added when she started to object, “I want you to take care of me.” He kissed her again, this time with consuming need, his body leaning into her. “Marriage is sharing, Ray. With no one in charge.”