Rancher's Proposition

by Anne Marie Winston

  The footsteps started again, walking out of the kitchen, and the killer paused right outside the closet door….

  Her eyes flew open. Darkness. She knew immediately where she was, and she relaxed her rigid body, forcing herself to breathe slowly and deeply. Cal’s arm tightened, drawing her to him, though she didn’t think he was awake.

  She cuddled closer, but her mind was racing. She hadn’t killed Wayne!

  Now the gold-plated question was; who had?

  Seven

  Lyn slipped out of the bed at dawn and tiptoed from the room.

  Opening one eye, Cal watched her go, studying the long, elegant line of her back and the smooth globes of her bottom. She wasn’t sneaking off, he knew, but going about her normal morning routine. When he got downstairs, there’d be fresh coffee and something hot ready to eat.

  And this morning there would be a kiss, he thought with immense satisfaction.

  He stretched, throwing back the covers and padding naked to the bathroom. She’d barely gotten out of the room yesterday before he realized what an ass he’d been. Still, it rankled that she might have given herself to him out of duty, so he’d dressed and taken the truck to town while he thought about the whole crazy thing.

  He was attracted to Lyn. Amen, brother!

  And she was attracted to him. He wasn’t that stupid. She might have some dumb notion in her head about paying him back for his kindness, but she’d never have gone to bed with him if she didn’t like his touch.

  He splashed water over his face and reached for a towel, snatching at another of the worrisome thoughts running around in his head.

  They hadn’t used any protection. Unless she was on the pill, which he seriously doubted, they’d taken a big chance that could have consequences. You took more than one. He grinned at himself in the mirror. Then the grin faded.

  He couldn’t see the ending to this whole turn of events, and it worried him. He’d been wanting her for what seemed like forever. The problem was what happened when the sex stopped? He liked Lyn and would hate to see them part without salvaging their friendship, but he knew how women generally thought. He didn’t know many men who still had friendships with the women in their affairs.

  At the same time, he couldn’t imagine life on the ranch without Lyn. She hadn’t even been there a whole year and yet she’d left her stamp everywhere. There was hardly a thing she hadn’t helped with, hardly a chore she wasn’t willing to tackle. Fact was, she was a better rancher than he was half the time.

  Yeah, but you can’t expect her to devote the rest of her life to your ranch. Someday she’s going to want a family of her own, instead of taking care of someone else’s.

  He didn’t like that thought. Not at all. In fact, the idea of Lyn with someone else made him feel like kicking something. He paced the perimeter of the room with agitated strides, his brows drawn together.

  It was only natural, he assured himself, since she’d slept with him, that he’d feel a little possessive.

  So what are you going to do about it?

  He shrugged on his shirt and started tucking it into his jeans. And suddenly, the answer was as clear as well water, right there staring him in the eye. He would marry her.

  Marry her! It was a great idea. Practical as anything he’d ever done. He wanted a woman who liked the prairie, not a soft helpless flower like his mother had been. Lyn had been raised here. She knew all about the good and bad that came with ranching; she wouldn’t just up and leave her husband and babies because she couldn’t handle the hard work and the isolation.

  And it neatly solved the other problem that had been gnawing at his mind since he woke. If Lyn was pregnant, marrying her would take care of that problem. Oh, he supposed he could wait and see if marriage was a necessity, but reality was that she was the kind of woman he’d been thinking of starting to look for. The fact that the sex was practically heart-stopping didn’t really enter into it, he decided, although it certainly was a great bonus.

  No question about it, she’d make a great wife. He nodded, feeling an inexplicable relief. Then, as he buckled his belt and reached for his boots, he began to ponder the next thought. Now, how did he convince Lyn? Her only experience with the institution of marriage had been less than ideal. She might not want to shackle herself to a man again.

  He went down to breakfast full of purpose, determined to make her comfortable and happy so that she’d see how good their marriage could be. He’d take it slow and easy so she could get used to the idea of them as a couple. When he walked into the kitchen, she was pouring coffee into his mug at the table. She practically had him timed down to the second, a fact he appreciated.

  “Morning.” He walked across the room toward her.

  “Good morning.” Her cheeks grew pink as she turned away to set the coffeepot on its burner. He reached her before she could turn around again, sliding his hands around her waist and pulling her against him.

  He bent his head and set his lips to the baby-soft skin just beneath her ear. “It’s a very good morning,” he said against her skin, aligning his body with hers.

  She reached her hands behind her, stroking lightly up and down the backs of his thighs. “Uh-huh.”

  He raised one hand to her chin and tilted her face up and sideways so he could kiss her. She opened her mouth for him immediately and he took the offered treasure, stroking the inside of her mouth with his tongue, pulling her more tightly against him until she was clutching the backs of his thighs and they were both breathing hard.

  He tore his mouth from hers. “How did I do without this kind of greeting before?”

  She laughed, setting her hands over his and unfastening his grip on her. “I don’t know. Do you want eggs or pancakes?”

  He took her hand when she would have moved away. “Either. Both. Marry me, Lyn.”

  She stopped in mid-motion. Ever so slowly, she turned to face him and her eyes were huge pools of emerald in an incredulous face. “What did you say?”

  He shrugged, watching her carefully, trying to gauge her reaction. Inside, he was cursing himself. Why had he blurted that out? Hadn’t he just decided to go slowly? “I asked you to marry me.”

  She tugged her hand from his and hugged her arms around her body in a gesture that shouted defensiveness at him. “Cal, you don’t marry someone because you’ve just had great sex with them.”

  He cursed himself for being impulsive. He kept his voice low, soothing. “I know. It’s not that.” Then he grinned. “Well, not just that,” he said honestly. “Although that doesn’t hurt.” He moved to her again and placed his hands on her upper arms, lightly stroking up and down. “Don’t give me an answer now. Let me explain what I’ve been thinking. Okay?”

  She stared at him for a moment, her eyes shadowed and strangely vulnerable. A panicky fist began to squeeze his chest. What if she said no? At last, she nodded hesitantly. “All right. I’ll listen.” He dropped his hands and she stepped away. Then she turned back. “So which is it, eggs or pancakes?”

  Over his bacon and eggs a few minutes later, he outlined for her all his reasons that a marriage between them made sense. They already knew they were compatible, both in bed and out. He wanted a woman who knew her way around a ranch, who loved the land. He needed a hard worker. His family knew and liked her….

  “And there’s one other thing.”

  Her eyebrows rose in enquiry.

  “You might be pregnant. I didn’t use protection. Any time.”

  She was blushing again, but she didn’t refute his words. “I might be.” She looked at him instead of twirling her spoon in her coffee as she’d been doing while he spoke, and her green eyes were direct. “You don’t have to feel responsible for me, Cal, if that’s what brought this on. I appreciate everything you’ve done for me but I can take care of myself now.”

  The panic that had begun to loosen its grip as he spoke rose so quickly it nearly choked him. “I don’t feel responsible for you. Doesn’t the fact that I’ve as
ked you to marry me without even knowing if I got you pregnant tell you that? Lyn, I’d like very much for you to be my wife. I’d like to make a life with you, work this ranch and have children with you, have wild sweaty sex with you.” He leered suggestively, trying to lighten the atmosphere. “Would you like me to tell you more about that last one?”

  She responded with a small, distracted smile as she rose. “I need to think about this, Cal. May I have a few days to consider?” Her face softened and she reached out and ran a single finger down the crease his dimple made in his cheek. “It’s—it’s a big step for me.”

  He understood. Marriage hadn’t been a picnic for her the first time; her wariness was understandable. He turned his head and caught her finger in his mouth, swirling his tongue around the sensitive digit until her eyes clouded with pleasure, then he released it and pulled her into his lap. “I’m not like your ex-husband, baby. I respect your opinions and I hope you know I’d never mistreat you—”

  “I know that, you silly man.” Her husky voice was sweet. “It’s just that… I need some time.”

  He sighed. He knew it wasn’t unreasonable of her. But he wanted an answer today, dammit! He wanted to start making plans right now. “All right,” he said grudgingly. “You can take some time to think.”

  He had a cow in the corral that he needed to take out to pasture, and he spent the rest of the day riding fence with one of his men while the others rode the other ends of the property. He figured once he had the place in shape he’d probably be able to work it with just two cowboys and occasional help from Lyn, but it was so run-down right now that he needed the extra workers.

  Lyn had made a wonderful beef stew from the canned beef she’d put up a few months ago and after dinner, he dragged her up the stairs to bed. They indulged in the wild sweaty sex he’d mentioned that morning and then he cuddled her in his arms as they lay watching the television in his bedroom for the weather reports and stock prices.

  “If you’re pregnant, will you marry me?” He lightly stroked her belly with one big hand.

  Lyn heaved an exaggerated sigh. “You said you’d give me some time.”

  “I didn’t say I wouldn’t bug you about it, though.”

  She chuckled.

  “So, will you? If you’re pregnant?”

  She propped herself up on his chest, red curls floating over her shoulders and down around him, creating a curtain of intimacy. “I suppose I will, if it happens.”

  “Great!” He flipped her onto her back so fast she lay gasping beneath him. “Then all I have to do is get you pregnant.”

  “Cal! That’s playing dirty,” she complained. But her fingers were slipping between them, and he groaned when she found him, cupping him in her small hands, stroking the taut, growing flesh with sly fingers.

  “I’ll give you about two weeks to quit that,” he said. He let her push him onto his back and she increased her ministrations, kneeling beside him at first, then swinging one long, slim white leg astride him. He touched her then, too, and they pleasured each other for long, unhurried minutes until shivers of back-arching pleasure began to race down his spine. Quickly, he grabbed her by the hips and dragged her down onto him just in time, and as he exploded within her, his upward thrusts urged her into her own finish and she threw her head back, her glorious hair streaming down her back, shaking as her body squeezed him repeatedly with rhythmic inner contractions.

  When it was over, she fell forward to lie on his chest, limp and panting. He lifted a hand to stroke her hair.

  “Yes,” she whispered.

  “Hmm?” He was too content to think, even.

  “Yes, I’ll marry you. If you’re sure.”

  He ran both hands down her back and cupped the warm, smooth globes of her bottom. “Baby, I’ve never been more certain of anything in my life. We’re going to be good together.” Then he lifted his head and shot her a cocky grin. “And we’re going to have a good marriage, too.”

  He took her to Rapid City for a marriage license the very next day, and when the clerk told them there was an opening in the justice’s schedule, he took her by the hand. “Are you ready to do this?”

  Lyn’s eyes were as wide as they’d been when he’d first asked her to marry him yesterday. “I, ah, I guess so.”

  He shook his head at her. “Start practicing. The word is yes.” Then he glanced at the clean but practical working clothes they both were wearing. “Will it bother you if we don’t do this up the right way?”

  She shook her head, and her shoulders sagged. “Not at all. It would be a huge relief.”

  “All right.” He glanced at his watch. They had just enough time to get a ring if they didn’t fool around. “We’ll take the appointment,” he told the clerk.

  Fifteen minutes later, they walked into a jewelry store. Lyn lagged a step behind him, and he turned to cup her elbow. “Come on. I want you to see if there’s anything you like here.”

  “You don’t need to buy me a ring,” she protested.

  “I know. I want to buy you a ring.” He looped an arm around her waist. He knew she hadn’t grown up with much; now that she was his, he wanted to shower her with the best of everything.

  She wouldn’t make a decision about rings, though, and he finally asked the saleswoman to bring out several that he thought would look good on Lyn’s long, elegant fingers. They were all lovely, but nothing in particular appealed to him, and Lyn had on her most serious poker face. If she liked one ring better than the rest, she wasn’t about to tell him. The woman indicated another display. “I don’t know if you’ve considered estate jewelry, but we have some gorgeous things. May I show them to you?”

  Cal shrugged. “Sure.”

  The moment she returned, he saw the ring he liked, a stunning diamond set in a delicate filigree band with sizable rubies at each side. He pointed at the ring. “Let’s see this one.”

  The moment she slipped on the ring, Lyn’s face filled with wonder. “It’s beautiful,” she said reverently. Cal agreed. It was perfect. “Matches your hair,” he murmured in her ear, smiling when she elbowed him. To the saleswoman, he said, “We’ll take it.” And when the woman suggested a simple ruby and diamond wedding band, he bought that, too, over Lyn’s stunned protests.

  The ring fit as if it had been made for her, and she wore it from the store. The wedding band he slipped into a pocket for the ceremony. Lyn hadn’t suggested he wear a wedding band, and he congratulated himself again on making a good decision when he’d made up his mind to marry her. Some women would be upset about a man who wouldn’t wear a ring, but Lyn understood without even discussing it that wedding rings and cowboys equaled missing fingers, often as not.

  He saw a flower shop on the way to the courthouse and he left Lyn in the car while he ran in and had them quickly make up a bouquet of white roses and stargazer lilies. Lyn got tears in her eyes when he tossed them into her lap as he climbed into the truck, and he felt compelled to kiss them away, and one thing led to another until they were nearly late for their appointment.

  Hand in hand they walked into the chamber where the justice awaited. The ceremony was brief and simple, but every word impressed itself into his mind. Lyn was somber and he wondered where her first wedding had been held. She had to be nervous about this. He squeezed her fingers and smiled at her reassuringly. The marriage was going to work well. How could it not?

  Before they left Rapid, they stopped by the police station. He wanted to know if they’d learned anything more about who had shot Wayne Galloway. Detective Amick came hustling out of an office toward them when he asked about the investigation, narrowed eyes darting from Lyn to Cal to Lyn again. “What can we do for you today?” he asked.

  “Just checking on how things are proceeding,” Cal told him.

  “Oh.” He motioned them into the office, closing the door as his partner, Detective Biddle, stood and offered them his hand. “To tell you the truth, we’ve had absolutely no luck connecting anyone else to this crime.”
Amick’s voice was flat and matter-of-fact. “We have a bullet but no weapon, no fingerprints or fibers and no witnesses.” He cocked an eyebrow at Lyn. “Unless you want to share something new with us?”

  Cal put a hand over Lyn’s when she automatically began to talk. “We didn’t come here so you could grill her, Detective.”

  “It’s all right, I don’t mind.” Lyn clasped both hands on the table. “Actually, I’ve had a few flashes of what might be memories from that night.”

  All three men stared at her.

  “Could you identify anyone?” asked Biddle, the older cop.

  “No,” she admitted. “But I know that this—” she touched the barely noticeable scar on her jaw “—was made by a pocketknife.” She laid both hands flat on the desk before her. “Wayne came to me for money. Apparently he’d gotten into gambling or drugs—he didn’t tell me what—but he had a big debt he couldn’t pay. I didn’t have any money and I wouldn’t have given it to him if I had. He came after me and cut me with his pocketknife. I managed to shove him away and he hit his head and fell. He must have been knocked out. I hid. Wayne was in the kitchen. Then someone else came in.”

  “Did you hear him speak?” Detective Biddle was sitting on the edge of his seat, scribbling on a notepad. “Get a look? Anything?”

  She shook her head. “I did hear him speak but I didn’t recognize the voice.”

  “And he’s the one who shot Galloway?” Amick asked skeptically. “Why didn’t he shoot you, too?”

  “How did you get out of the closet and get away?” Biddle demanded.

  Lyn spread her hands helplessly. “I don’t know. But it’s possible I’ll remember something else. If I do, I’ll call.”

  Back in the truck, Cal flexed his fingers on the steering wheel as the Black Hills receded behind them. “How long has it been since you started remembering?”

  She shrugged. “I don’t know. A couple of weeks.”

  “A couple of weeks,” he repeated grimly. “And you didn’t think it was important to tell me?”