by Andre, Bella
“Thanks for coming,” Conner told his grandfather. “I know it’s very soon after the surgery, and I know you’re busy.”
His grandfather sat, a little more gingerly than usual, in the Chippendale chair by the window. “Never too busy to come to my grandson’s wedding. I’m looking forward to meeting the bride.”
“I appreciate that,” Conner said, but he wasn’t sure he wanted the kind of familiar closeness that Delaney and his mother already seemed to share. Forcing himself to turn and greet his uncles, he smiled. Stephen and Dwight were lounging on the leather couch, their coats unbuttoned, while Jonathan’s huge bulk filled an upholstered chair almost the size of a love seat. “Stephen, Jonathan, Dwight. Good of you to come.”
“We wouldn’t have missed it for the world,” Stephen said.
Conner tipped his head to acknowledge Stephen’s mocking smile. “I knew I could rely on that.”
“So what’s going on? What’s this all about?” Dwight asked, cutting to the chase by tossing the offer Conner had faxed to the Napa house onto the coffee table.
“Exactly what it looks like,” Conner said.
Jonathan gave up his more comfortable position to lean forward. In the three months since Conner had seen him, he’d lost some hair and gained even more weight. “What it looks like is an offer. But I don’t understand why you’ve signed it as buyer.”
“What’s confusing about that? I want to purchase the ranch.”
Dwight rubbed his jaw and narrowed his eyes. “Problem is, Con, you don’t have any money.”
“That’s why I’m asking for terms. I’ve seen the appraisal. You padded the price by nearly two-hundred thousand dollars to allow room to negotiate if an offer came in and, in this market, it’s going to take a few concessions to get that kind of asking price. Carrying the loan is the concession I need.”
“Sounds as though you’ve actually learned something about real estate since you’ve been here,” Stephen said. “But I’m afraid you don’t have much of a track record in business. Three months on this place doesn’t make you a rancher. And even if we carry the paper, you don’t have the money to keep the ranch functioning.”
“I’ll manage,” Conner said. “How?”
“That’s up to me.”
“And in five years?”
“Just like it says in the offer, I’ll obtain my own financing and cash you out.”
Jonathan rested his beefy elbows on his knees. “You’re not going to be able to obtain financing unless you’re working in the black, Conner. No bank’s going to lend you money on a losing venture.”
“I realize that. The Running Y will be in the black by then.”
“And what guarantee do we have? Your word?” Jonathan looked at his brothers and chuckled.
Conner’s grandfather didn’t laugh with them. He seemed to be listening, taking it all in.
“If we sold the ranch to you, we’d just end up having to repossess it when you can’t make a go of it,” Dwight said. “And repossessions can take a long time and get messy. I really don’t want to be involved in all that.’
“I understand,” Conner said. “Why don’t we get around that by including an agreement along with the purchase contract that says I’ll simply sign the place over to you if I don’t meet my deadline.” He propped his hands on his hips, hoping he looked a lot more confident than he felt. “Because it won’t come to that. I’m going to make the deadline.”
Stephen laughed and began tapping his toe. “I’m afraid chances are much better that you won’t,” he said. “You’re going to need a lot of money to run this place and—”
“I agree,” Dwight cut in. “Essentially, you’re asking us not to sell at all. You’re asking us to give you a guaranteed five years before we liquidate, that’s all.”
“I’m sorry, Con. There’s no way to make it work.” Jonathan made a great show of checking his watch. “Now we’d better get moving. Wouldn’t want to make you late for your own wedding.”
Conner glanced at his watch and cringed at the passing minutes, but he wasn’t about to let his uncles best him quite so easily. “I’m willing to guarantee payment in full after five years against my inheritance, provided I’m still getting one,” he said, looking to his grandfather for confirmation. His grandfather nodded. “You came here and tried to make a go of this place like I asked. It was our decision to sell and had nothing to do with you. I don’t see any reason you wouldn’t have an equal share with your uncles and your mother.”
A muscle jumped in Stephen’s jaw, and Conner knew his grandfather had just hit a tender spot. His uncles didn’t like the fact that as a grandchild, and an adopted one at that, he was on an equal footing with them.
“If you’ll sell me the ranch, I’ll walk away from my inheritance entirely,” Conner said, facing his uncles. “If I can’t pay you off in five years as promised, I’ll be written out of the will. I’ll make my own way, you’ll sell the ranch to someone else, and that will be the end of it.”
Stephen and his brothers had gambled on his failure when they sent him to Dundee. Now Conner was calling their bet and raising the stakes by several million. If Conner won, he’d have his portion of the Armstrong estate along with the ranch. And he would’ve done something for his grandfather they couldn’t do. If he lost, he’d have nothing. Stephen seemed to grasp the “nothing” part of that concept more quickly than his brothers. “You really want to take that kind of risk, Con?” Conner nodded.
“Fine. I agree.”
Dwight’s gaze narrowed at Conner for a second, but then he agreed, too. “Sure, I’m willing to give you enough rope to hang yourself.”
It was Jonathan’s turn. Conner held his breath as he looked to the man who’d most often tortured him as a child. He seemed a little more hesitant than the others. “Jonathan?” Conner prompted. “You’re so certain I won’t make good. Are you willing to put your money where your mouth is?”
Malice entered his eyes, the old malice Conner recognized so well, but the challenge worked. “Why not? You’ll never do it.”
Conner turned and waited for his grandfather’s response, but, as usual, Clive took his time. “All four of you want to do this?” he eventually asked. “Because after we leave this room, there’ll be no going back.”
“Yeah...it’s just a matter of time. We’ll get it back, anyway,” Stephen said, and the uncles exchanged nods and glances to confirm it.
“Conner? Are you sure?”
“I’m sure,” he said, even though he wasn’t. Everything he stood to gain depended solely on him. But strangely enough, he liked it that way. He felt freer than he’d ever felt in his life—free to succeed or fail on his own, to prove his worth, to have some worth.
The old man rubbed his chin, and Conner thought he detected a smile. But when Clive spoke, his voice remained matter-of-fact. “Hand me that offer so I can sign it.”
Conner handed him the offer Jonathan had tossed onto the coffee table, and watched, his heart in his throat, as his grandfather scribbled his name on the acceptance line.
“I’ll have the rest of the agreement drawn up right away,” Stephen said.
Conner nodded, and his uncles left to find their families so they could head into town to the chapel. But his grandfather lagged behind. He circled the room, gazing at the wooden paneling, western prints and worn but sturdy furnishings.
“You miss the ranch, don’t you?” Conner asked.
His grandfather’s lips curved into a nostalgic smile. “It reminds me of your grandma. Besides, the harder you have to fight for something, the more it means to you. You’ll find that out over the next five years, Con.”
“I think I’m beginning to understand already.” Conner put his hands in his pockets and leaned against the doorway, finally catching on to something he hadn’t grasped until that moment. “I was right. Sending me here was a setup, wasn’t it? Only, not for the reasons I thought. This is what you wanted for me.”
The old man
smiled, his eyes twinkling.
“How’d you know I’d rise to the occasion?” Conner asked.
“I didn’t. I took a chance on something I love—someone I love. You and your mother have always been special to me.” He moved toward the exit and clapped a hand on Conner’s shoulder. “Now, let’s get out of here before your uncles figure out they just bet against the wrong man.”
A warmth filled Conner, a warmth that started from somewhere deep inside him. So much of his future remained uncertain. He wasn’t sure his uncles had bet against the wrong man. But he knew he was back on the right path. At last.
Shoving off from the wall, he buttoned his shirt and fastened his tie as he said, “You knew Stephen and the others would agree, didn’t you.”
“I wasn’t too worried about it.” He winked. “I still had ultimate control of this ranch, and I would’ve sold it to you with or without their approval. But this is better. They won’t have anyone to blame but themselves, and maybe they’ll realize what fools they’ve been. At least, I hope they will.” He sighed heavily. “It’s hard to believe I could have three sons who think so differently from the way I do.”
Conner chuckled. “Maybe blood isn’t everything.”
“Isn’t that the truth? And yet, I can’t give up on them, either.” His grandfather shook his head, then took hold of Conner’s hand and gazed down at the ring his mother had given him. “You get this from Vivian?”
Conner nodded, and his grandfather smiled. “Used to be mine,” he said. “Back when I wore such things. Your grandma bought it for me.”
“Would you like it back?” Conner asked.
“No, I’d rather you kept it,” he said. “She loved you as much as I always have.”
CONNER’S SENSE OF RIGHTNESS lasted for a whole fifteen minutes or so, then fell apart as soon as he arrived at the church. Already filled to overflowing, the small New England-style chapel held many faces he recognized, and many he did not. Ralph Lawson hovered near the door at the back, looking a bit lost without Millie, who was probably in some antechamber with Rebecca and Delaney and his mother. The old folks he’d met at the Lawson house a few weeks ago—Ruby, Lula and Vern—occupied the second row on the right, along with a few other seniors, all dressed to the nines and wearing corsages or boutonnieres. And Katie, the young woman he’d seen at the salon the day he’d realized Delaney lived in Dundee, smiled widely when he caught her eye, then nudged the woman sitting next to her.
On the left sat his grandfather and uncles, along with Grady, Ben and Isaiah from the ranch, and Josh and Mike Hill. Dottie had returned from Salt Lake just in time for the wedding. Carrying a stack of photographs of the new baby, which she showed to anyone willing to look, she clucked over his brothers’ children, who took up the bench beside her. Only Roy wasn’t in the congregation. Conner had made Roy stand up with him. And a sidelong glance told him his foreman wasn’t particularly happy about it.
“How much longer before we get this show on the road?” he growled, stretching his neck and yanking on his tie.
Conner swallowed a chuckle. “Should be any minute now.”
“And to think I was betting you’d leave town inside of three months,” Roy replied. “Good thing I didn’t put any money on it.”
“You said yourself this ranch is the perfect place to raise a child,” Conner reminded him. “I’m taking your advice.”
“I wouldn’t have said it if I’d known it would land me in a damn monkey suit.”
The Reverend Parker, a man Conner had just met, was standing on Conner’s other side.
He gave Roy a reproachful look, and Roy quickly apologized. “Sorry for the language, Rev.”
“All the more reason to attend services,” he responded. Roy stretched his neck again and looked longingly at the door, mumbling something about changing his ways.
“That’s probably the right of it, Rev.”
“Then, we’ll see you on Sunday, will we not?”
“I’ll be here,” Roy said. He sent Conner an accusing glare, and Conner couldn’t help laughing.
“That goes for you, too, Mr. Armstrong,” the reverend said, and Conner felt the full weight of the man’s will pushing him toward God. But he didn’t have time to respond or even feel guilty about his fifteen-year lapse in church attendance. The organ burst into a crescendo behind him, Rebecca hurried forward to take her place on the opposite side of the altar, and Millie and his mother found their seats. Delaney finally appeared at the back of the chapel, pale and almost ethereal in a simple white dress with long sleeves, a straight narrow skirt and no train.
She looked beautiful as she gazed up the aisle. Dignified. Sophisticated. Yet fragile. She nearly stole Conner’s breath as their eyes met, but he couldn’t help wondering if she was as terrified as he was.
Clasping his hands behind his back, he put an encouraging smile on his face and told himself that everything was going to be fine. So what if marrying and starting a family was completely contrary to anything he’d imagined himself doing in the next five years? So what if he’d just gambled his entire inheritance on a losing ranch? He loved that ranch. And...and he hoped he could grow to love this woman. From the crowded pews, it certainly looked as though he’d be in good company if he did. Even the mayor had come for her wedding. Conner had heard his grandfather greet Mayor Wells earlier.
Delaney slipped her hand into the crook of Ralph’s arm, and he led her up the aisle to the accompaniment of “The Wedding March.” Here comes the bride...here comes the bride...
With each step, Conner felt his tie growing tighter.
What do you think you’re doing? You’re not cut out for this. You’ll never make her a good husband, never be able to give her and the baby what they need....
Blood isn’t everything...
I took a chance on something I love—someone I love.... When life hands you lemons, make lemonade....
And if the ranch isn’t profitable in five years? What then?
Then she’d know she shouldn’t have bet her future on him.
Conner closed his eyes, took a deep breath and felt Roy nudge him.
“If you back out now, I’ll kill ya,” he murmured. “I’m not standing here making a spectacle of myself for nothing.” A fleeting glance at Parker revealed that the good reverend was too caught up in the music and the bride’s advance to have overheard, but Conner smiled at the memory of first meeting Roy. Who would’ve thought they’d ever become friends? And who would’ve thought he’d end up marrying the virgin who’d come to his room that night at the Bellemont?
He briefly recalled the fact that he’d once considered Idaho synonymous with the outer reaches of hell, and his smile widened. If it was hell, he’d just told Satan to turn up the heat.
THE KISS CONNER HAD GIVEN HER at the altar had been light and sweet, but mostly respectful. Delaney had stood in front of all her friends and acquaintances, just about everyone she knew, and imagined they recognized the lack of passion in his kiss as easily as she did. Had he been trying to make some sort of announcement—that he was only marrying her because of the baby?
She was making a terrible mistake, she thought miserably. And yet, whenever she looked up and found Conner watching her, or brushed against him as they cut the cake or posed for a photograph, or heard the deep rumble of his voice, she felt a tingle in her stomach and even a surge of excitement at the thought that, for whatever reason, he belonged to her. Certainly, that was something worth building on....
Rebecca glanced up from her plate and frowned. “What’s wrong? This is your wedding luncheon. Aunt Millie and Uncle Ralph have gone to a lot of work to get the yard ready. You’re supposed to be having fun.”
“It’s diffi to have fun when my face hurts from this fake smile, my conscience hurts from all the lies and my pride hurts from the fact that Conner doesn’t even want me.”
Rebecca shook her head. “You’re taking life too seriously. Can I have your cake?”
Delaney sh
oved her untouched piece of cake over to Rebecca. “And marriage is supposed to be a game?”
“Just relax and celebrate. Hey, Conner’s mom is watching you. She looks concerned.”
Delaney boosted her smile a few notches and nodded at Vivian. “What’s to celebrate? I’m marrying a man who doesn’t love me,” she muttered to Rebecca, double checking to be sure her new husband wasn’t within earshot. When she saw him several feet away near the rented arbor, deep in conversation with his grandfather, she relaxed. Aunt Millie’s small backyard was still crowded, but the wedding luncheon was technically over and the guests were wrapped up in their own conversations. She could hear Aunt Millie gushing to Ruby and some of the neighbors about how she’d waited for this day her entire life, and Delaney felt as though she’d betrayed her. If this was the kind of wedding Aunt Millie had wanted it to be, Delaney and Conner would’ve left long ago. They would’ve rushed off before anyone else, eager to start their honeymoon.
But Conner had a ranch to run and had mentioned that he was eager to take care of some business while his grandfather and uncles were in town.
“You’re going to have a father for your baby. That’s something to celebrate,” Rebecca said, polishing off the cake.
Allowing her baby to grow up with his or her father counted for a great deal. But somehow, it couldn’t cover everything. Was it too much to ask that he care a little about her, too?
“I just...I don’t know,” Delaney said. “I feel like I’ve let everyone down, including myself.”
“Conner...”
Delaney heard Vivian’s voice, saw her move toward her son and watched their heads bend together for a few moments. Then Conner looked over at her, and Delaney quickly lowered her eyes.
“Oh my gosh. His mother’s having to tell him to take me away,” she said. “She’s feeling sorry for me.”