by Tina Leonard
His surprised gaze jumped to her indignant one. So his little wife was a mind reader, as well. And obviously quite determined to thwart him at every chance. Staring at her jutting chin, Alex reconsidered his game plan.
They handed off babies a few silent minutes later, brushing hands as they did so. The contact sent Alex’s focus clean off his strategizing. Daphne’s exposed nipple shot the rest of his concentration.
“I just want you to give me a chance to be a good father and husband,” he stated, for get ting all about slick maneuvers.
“Okay.” The mulish set to her jaw eased a bit. “How are you going to do that?”
“I don’t know!” He gave her an impatient stare. “But I’m willing to learn.”
“Hmm.” She appeared to consider his words. “It’s not my intention to keep you away from your children. I’m sorry if I’ve given you that impression. I honestly assumed you would be more com fort able with the staff taking care of the babies.”
“I…may have thought that in the beginning,” he said slowly, sensing he was gaining an advantage but confused as to how to capitalize on it. “But I think it’s the only way to win your heart,” he finished honestly, not knowing if he’d just annihilated his position.
Daphne sat nursing for a moment, her eyes locked with Alex’s. “You were not a bad husband,” she finally said, her tone soft and reluctant. “You made me very happy.”
“Then what the hell happened?” The baby in his arms started at his tone, blinking at him. He wrapped its blanket around it more securely and met Daphne’s gaze again.
Daphne pursed her lips. She couldn’t tell him what had happened! If she admitted she’d heard his deathbed promise to his father to have male children, Alex would say that wasn’t important to him.
It was important to her, all the more so since Alexander had bought her father’s runty cattle at a highly elevated price. She’d seen the look on Alexander’s face yesterday when his son had bought the Suburban from Uncle Bob. In his mind, the used-car salesman had been out to make easy bucks off him, like Cos had made easy bucks off Alexander. No doubt he wondered how much more money he was going to have to give the Way family before he got a return on his in vestment.
“What happened,” she said slowly, “was that I just decided I couldn’t live with you anymore.”
“Well, I’m going to change your mind.” His voice was steady with promise and determination.
You don’t have to change my mind! She’d never wanted to be away from Alex before the babies had been born. It had been sheer torture to keep him at a distance when she’d really wanted him to hold her and reassure her in the night.
She had to disturb Alex’s serious intentions. There was more to their problem than could be fixed at this stage in the game. “Don’t worry about changing my mind. Change Miss Magoo’s T-shirt,” she instructed, “and put her down for her nap.”
He stared at the baby in his arms. “Change her T-shirt?”
“Yes. It has milk on it. Would you like to sleep in a wet shirt?” She forced her voice to be no-nonsense as she finished with Yoda’s feeding and began to work a burp out of her.
“No, I wouldn’t.” He looked at the baby doubt fully. “But I don’t want to change her shirt. Let me burp that one, and you change this one.”
“No. Yoda is hard to burp.”
The baby let out a noise that sounded like a bottle rocket had been set off.
“Good girl,” Daphne praised. “Now I’ll freshen up your diaper. The shirt, Alex, and then the diaper.”
She could see his reluctance as he laid his daughter on the bed.
“I’m afraid I’m going to pull one of her arms off, or a finger.” He gave the baby an uneasy look.
“Trust me, she won’t break. Just be gentle.”
She walked over to watch him care fully take off the tiny white shirt. The baby appeared more interested in yawning than her father’s trauma at undressing her. Alex swiftly changed the diaper, put a fresh T-shirt on and wrapped the baby in a pink blanket, sending Daphne an exultant smile.
“There!”
He looked so proud of himself she had to smile.
“Give me that one. I’m on a roll here! You know, this diaper-changing stuff is a piece of cake. If one approaches it from a business perspective, diapers are basically…well, paper and tape. I think I’m going to be pretty good at this.” His tone triumphant, he reached for the baby she held, determined to duplicate his victory. Bemused, she allowed him to take the baby from her.
The sound of another bottle rocket firing startled both of them. Spit-up ran down the front of Alex’s well-pressed, expensive shirt.
“Oh, dear!” Daphne started to reach for the baby but instantly stopped herself. Alex had said he wanted to be a father to his children. Some times it was a messy, stinky job. “You’ll have to bathe her now.”
“Bathe her! I need a bath.” He glared at the baby, who began wailing, and then at Daphne, who felt like joining the little one. But she pointed at the infant bathtub. Ignoring his pleading expression, she sat down to feed a quiet Alex Junior a bottle.
“I can do that,” Alex offered too quickly.
“No, thanks.” Daphne shook her head at him. “Don’t be scared of one tiny baby and a bit of water.”
“It’s not water, it’s throw-up!”
“I meant, put a bit of water in the bathtub and be brave about it.”
“What if I hurt her?”
“You won’t. As you have pointed out, you always knew how to wash me very well. It’s one of your talents.”
With that, she left the room, carrying Alex Junior in her arms.
She had to. It was too easy to want to get into the shower with Alex after the babies were snug in their cribs and allow him to hold her. It was a temptation she couldn’t allow herself to endure.
But she stayed in the hall listening to Alex murmur to his daughter in the same gentle voice he’d always used with her, and her heart filled to bursting with un happiness that they couldn’t go back to the way they’d been before.
AT THE FORMAL dinner table that night, Alex, Danita, Daphne and Alexander ate quietly. Though the after noon had finished much more lei surely than it had begun, despite the round of feeding, changing and bathing the babies required, Alex felt he’d made headway. He was tired but proud. Daphne appeared to have softened somewhat toward him. He would gladly endure ten years of the same routine he’d suffered this after noon if it meant his wife would want him. He knew that, Her cu lean as raising children might be, even more than that was required to win his wife’s heart again.
“Mr. Banning,” Sinclair said in his most formal butler tone, “Mr. Way is here to see his daughter and wife. And grand children,” Sinclair added, in a pompous after thought.
The quiet, worn-out atmosphere in the room instantly charged. Daphne’s gaze darted to his. At the head of the table Alexander sat straight, braced as if enemies were approaching his strong hold.
“Howdy, neighbors and family members,” Cos said too cheerfully as he seated himself at the table without being asked. “I see I dropped in at a good time.”
He hadn’t bothered to kiss his daughter or wife, Alex noticed with a frown. Without waiting to be served, Cos reached to take a bowl from the side board behind him as Sinclair hurriedly placed a plate and silver in front of him. Obviously, with Danita gone, he’d missed home-cooked meals.
Daphne rose and walked around the table to her father, then gave him a brief hug. “Hello, Father.”
“Hello, honey,” he said, glancing up from the generous helping of meat Sinclair was ladling onto his plate. “Where’re my grandbabies, sugar?”
He emphasized “my” too much, Alex realized. Suddenly, he knew that Cos felt left out. He was as un com fort able as everyone else at the table and trying desperately to fit in. For Daphne’s sake, Alex reminded himself to be courteous.
“Napping,” Daphne answered.
“When they wake up, we
’ll make sure you get an introduction,” Alex said. The grateful look Daphne sent him was worth the effort.
“Need to tell your daughter to come up with decent names for those babies, Cos!” Alexander thundered from the head of the table.
“Decent?” Cos puffed up. “I’m sure any names my daughter has chosen are just fine!”
The ongoing feud was about to flare. Alex started to try to douse it, but Daphne’s voice stopped him.
“Actually, I haven’t named them yet. I mean, Alex and I haven’t,” she said guiltily.
“Why not?” Cos stared at his daughter.
“We…haven’t discussed it yet.” She sent Alex a shamed glance. He reached to cover her hand with his own.
“What in blazes have you been doing, girlie?”
“We, ah—” Daphne faltered.
“We’ve been getting settled in.” Alex squeezed her hand.
“They’ll name ’em when they’re ready, Cos,” Danita interrupted. “Eat your potatoes and mind your own business.” She leaned over and gave him a dry peck on the cheek to take the sting out of her words, so Cos dug into his food like he hadn’t seen any in days.
Alex wondered if he had. Now that he was taking an active hand in helping his wife, maybe Danita could go home. He brightened at that idea. Although he wouldn’t have said so before Cos’s unexpected entrance, perhaps his arrival was a good thing. He slid an assessing look at his wife. She had her long bronze hair up in a turquoise ribbon, which shone in the candlelight. A turquoise maternity outfit looked com fort able on her, clinging gently to her body. He’d get her some new clothes when she felt like shopping. She’d probably enjoy an outing at the mall. They could stroll the babies—
“Damn cows you sold me ain’t worth the hair on their skinny hides!” Alexander erupted.
“They are!” Cos dropped his fork, stung. A bit of gravy dribbled onto his shirt front. “You just gotta give ’em a chance!”
“Well, they eat like pigs. Maybe you sold me pigs in steers’ clothing.” Alexander peered the length of the table at Cos. “I think I got swindled. They look like you when they eat, like they’ve never seen food.”
Alex stared at Daphne over the flickering candles, seeing the hope in her eyes wane. Alexander glowered like a regal warrior king at his worth less subject. Cos stared back mutinously.
The feud was on.
Chapter Seven
“Quit yer crankin’, Alexander,” Cos instructed. “It must be true that the rich stay rich ‘cause they don’t let a penny out of their sight. If you’d feed those steers properly, they’d grow. Hope you’re feeding my daughter better. As a matter of fact, you’re looking pale yerself. Best stick yer head into yer own feed bag.” He picked up his fork and resumed eating, ignoring his host’s wrathful expression.
“I have fed those steers properly! They’re just rangy, bottom less skin bags.”
“Healthy. Make it through another drought, if we have another.” He glanced at Alexander. “Listen, you stingy old man, are you gonna eat or argue all night? I’m hungry.”
“I can see that.”
“Well, heck fire! You got the best of all I got here at Green Forks, Alexander. You got my cattle, you got my wife and you got my daughter. Heard you even been over to see my brother Bob to bleed him outta the best car he had on the lot. Bob cain’t feed his family on the profit he made on that Chevy.”
“I had nothing to do with that!” Alexander sent his son an inquiring look. “Alex paid for the car. Full price, inflated enough to send your brother to Tahiti for a week, I imagine.”
“Actually, I did negotiate a bit,” Alex interjected un comfort ably. “The car seemed a bit over priced.”
“Man, the apple don’t fall far from the tree, does it?” Cos said to no one in particular.
Alex met Daphne’s astonished gaze over the crystal candelabrum. Surely she didn’t believe the claptrap her father was peddling?
“My poor brother Bob,” Cos said around a mouthful of prime rib. “And him with eight children.”
“All boys,” Alexander intoned.
“Yep. Every one of ’em,” Cos agreed cheerfully.
Alexander bowed his head. “Well, at least I don’t have to feed them,” he murmured. Glancing up, he caught Alex’s stern gaze on him. Alex raised his eyebrows meaningfully at his father, hoping he’d get the point to give quarter. The contrast between the two men was stark. Cos had nothing. A wife, many children—grown men—and a piece of land that bordered on poverty. Alexander had no wife, one son and an enormous spread that could only be called palatial.
Cos was the richer man. Apparently, that fact nagged at Alexander like a broken spur.
Everyone waited tensely for the next barb to be shot from the patriarch’s bow.
“Of course,” Alexander said slowly, his gaze moving to his daughter-in-law’s pale face, “since part of your family is here, you should have brought your boys, Cos. I’m sure they’d enjoy seeing their new nieces.” He glanced at Alex, his expression slightly ashamed.
“Well, why didn’t you say so!” Cos leaped to his feet. “They’re all just hanging around waiting for an invite. I’ll give ’em a call.”
Alex grinned at his father’s grunt. He wondered if his father suspected just how easily he’d been maneuvered into feeding the entire Way family. Still, it wouldn’t hurt anything, and it might please Daphne. She sat watching him, her face still and slightly worried.
“Haven’t told you yet that some ranchers from Chile are interested in those worth less hairy beasts you sold me,” Alexander said conversation ally before Cos could make the phone call.
The entire group looked at Alexander.
“Ranchers from Chile?” Cos repeated, sitting down.
Alex thought his father looked just a bit too smug.
Alexander picked up a crystal wine glass, taking his time, drawing out his announcement. “Apparently, they saw a couple of them at the stock show. They’d like to cross breed them.” He took a long drink of wine. “Be some good profit in that.”
Cos’s knife clattered to his plate. “The stock show was before your son married my daughter and got her pregnant!”
“All this talk of impregnation is turning my appetite.” Danita tried to interrupt.
Alexander didn’t reply. The hair on the back of Alex’s neck electrified. Daphne kicked him under the table and jerked her head at his father.
As if I could forcibly remove him from the middle of a battle, Alex thought in disgust.
“You bought those cattle from me knowing they were going to be worth a lotta money!” Cos protested. “You sneaky thief!”
“You wanted to sell me those starved creatures because they weren’t worth a dog’s bald ear on the auction block,” Alexander asserted. “Look like tooth picks holding up hair-brushes.”
“That’s what the Chileans want them for! They sees they’re hardy. You tricked me!”
“Now, Cos.” Alexander held up a hand, clearly delighted to have gotten the upper hand. “You were trying to cheat me, and I just cheated you better.”
Daphne jumped to her feet and threw her napkin onto the table. With an angry glare at every person present, she excused herself and left the room.
“YOUR FATHER is in corrigible!” Daphne yelled at Alex as soon as he breached the thresh old of her room. “He deliberately tries to keep my father in his place!”
Unfortunately, he had to agree with her.
“All this talk of who bested who is des pi cable! And your father loves it!” She curled her hands onto her hips.
“Honey, I think your dad was enjoying it a little until he realized he’d been out maneuvered.”
“Out maneuvered! That’s like comparing a toy soldier to a hydrogen bomb, Alex. One is harmless, the other is a weapon!”
From the rocking chair, Nelly gave a loud shush.
“Okay, okay,” he said to Daphne. “I’ll mention to my father that he needs to go a little easier on Cos.” He h
eld up his hands in surrender, then put a finger to his lips. The last thing he wanted was babies waking, but he had to calm his irate wife. Although there were some family loyalties involved, he did tend to agree with her. But Cos Way irritated the devil out of his father, and that was a fact nobody was going to change. Alexander lived to best the farmer, and that was the nature of their relationship. Couldn’t Daphne see how old and frail his father was? Didn’t she under stand the game Cos and Alexander had been playing for decades was relatively harmless—until her father always cried foul?
“Money, money, money! Why does everything have to come back to money?” Daphne stormed. Whirling on him, she gave him a narrow look. “And did you really hardball Uncle Bob on the price of the Chevy?”
“Well…” He scratched the back of his neck. He’d been buying a car, for heaven’s sake! Didn’t she expect some haggling? “Of course I negotiated for a better price, hon. There’s always some cushion built into—”
“That’s what’s wrong with you and your father, Alex! You’d pinch every penny in your pocket till it screamed before paying for a used Chevy for me, but you’d pay fifteen times as much for a chauffeured Rolls with bulletproof glass.”
“Shh.” Alex glanced at the sleeping babies. Nelly stared at both of them before glancing worriedly at her charges.
There was no way they could talk in here. Alex pulled his wife by the hand down the hall. They crept along a narrow hallway, past the formal area, and hurried outside. A gazebo on the front lawn beckoned Alex, and he dragged a reluctant Daphne toward it.
When they reached the white-painted building, he tugged Daphne inside and pulled her down beside him. “I’m sorry I cut into Uncle Bob’s profit. If it will make you feel any better, I haggled like hell on the price of the Rolls. I must have some of my old man in me.” Unable to wait any longer and not wanting to argue at all, he covered her lips with his and kissed her. She struggled half a second before she wound her hands into his hair and returned his kisses.
“This isn’t going to solve anything,” she murmured against his mouth as they both took a breath.