Signed and Sealed

by Stretke, B. A.

  The older man was Adam Gerard, and the others were two of his ranch hands. They all shook Will’s hand and stated how pleased they were to meet him. Shocked was more the word, but they tried not to let it show. He didn’t seem like Elijah’s type, they were all thinking, whatever type that was. He seemed to be sweet and shy, definitely not someone they would normally link with Elijah Hunter. He was handsome but not gorgeous. Elijah could probably have any man or woman he wanted. He was cross and difficult and unpleasant, but he was the richest man in the area, and he was considered handsome in a rough, dark sort of way. What did he see in this guy that caused him to hold him so tightly and watch him so closely? They’d seen him with men a few times during social gatherings, which he rarely attended now, but he never seemed very comfortable or satisfied. He would usually pass them off and then promptly disappear. They doubted he would ever pass this one off. Eli held on tightly, as if he thought Will was going to try and run away.

  Will spoke with Mr. Gerard, who was the first to step forward and shake his hand. “You have a nice place here.”

  “Nothing compared to the Hunter ranch, but I like it,” he answered with a smile. “Are you enjoying your stay here in our neck of the woods?” he asked politely.

  Will wished he could tell him the truth; he hated every minute he was trapped here and was being held prisoner because of the actions of a sister who wouldn’t be long for this world once he got his hands on her, but instead he answered, “Yes, very much. This is a lovely area. I’ve never seen so many… mountains in my life.” Mr. Gerard seemed like a nice man. He was gruff and weathered, but very polite and accommodating, a true gentleman.

  Will noticed several horses in an adjacent yard and asked Mr. Gerard if he could go take a look while Elijah continued with his business.

  “You go right on ahead, that is, if Elijah has no objections.” He added the last part when he noticed the intensity with which Elijah was watching him.

  Elijah was actually reluctant to release Will, but in the end, let him go. “I’ll meet you when I’m finished here,” he said and watched him closely as he walked away. Is he truly the shy, polite boy he presents himself to be? This was the thought that pervaded his mind as he watched Will. He believed it to be true, but he’d met some very cunning men in the past who had presented themselves as harmless in the beginning. He couldn’t equate Will with those men, though. If he was pretending, he was by far the most talented actor Eli had ever met. He saw a few of the men in the yard watching Will as he walked over to the corral. Suddenly and quite unexpectedly, Eli was hit with an intense jealousy. He wanted to make them stop looking. With effort, he pulled himself back to the business at hand and shifted his gaze back to Adam and the stock.

  Adam saw very clearly that Elijah cared for this boy. It was surprising to see someone like Elijah so smitten. He wondered when Will would become a permanent part of the Hunter ranch, although he didn’t comment on any of his observations or thoughts. Elijah wasn’t the sort of man who discussed such things and would have been sorely affronted if Adam had tried.

  Will watched as the two horses were led around the yard. They seemed especially graceful and even noble in their movements.

  “Hello,” came a vaguely familiar voice from behind him. He turned to see the young man from the plane.

  “Hello,” he responded and smiled.

  The young man introduced himself as John Gerard. He came up to stand beside Will at the fence. After a moment, he shot Will a speculative glance and asked, “You’re staying with Elijah Hunter?”

  “Yes, but just for a couple of weeks,” he answered without looking at him.

  “The Hunters never have visitors,” he stated and then added in a lurid tone, “except for your sister Katrina, of course, but she was allowed to stay because she was sleeping with Martin.” His voice was low and his meaning was clear. “I never thought I’d see the day that Elijah Hunter was taken in by a handsome face. Many have tried, mind you, but you are the first to succeed.” He turned to regard Will fully, his leering expression sickening him. “You must be treating Elijah… very well. Maybe you’d be willing to share some of this with a farm boy like me,” John said with a wink, while grabbing Will’s ass.

  Will stared back at him until John shifted his gaze, suddenly embarrassed by his own words and actions.

  “You hardly know me well enough, Mr. Gerard, to be commenting on my character,” he answered coldly. “I’m a guest at the Hunter ranch and nothing more. Sorry to disappoint you. If you ever touch me again, I’ll rip your balls off.” Will’s candor caught him off-guard, and John attempted to apologize. Unfortunately, at that moment Elijah appeared at Will’s side.

  “Hello, John.” His voice echoed the harsh look on his face.

  “Hello… Elijah,” John said while backing away. Elijah took Will’s hand, holding him securely. He then subjected John to a dark and menacing stare. Elijah hadn’t heard what had been said, but he didn’t like the familiar way in which John was behaving with Will. He’d never trusted John and made certain that his business was always with Adam, exclusively. Adam was a decent man, but his son was not. Elijah had never tolerated disrespect directed at himself or anyone associated with him.

  John finally found the words to excuse himself and hurried into the stable. He knew he’d barely escaped a severe thrashing. It wouldn’t have been the first time Elijah had dealt with someone in that manner. His short temper and his physical strength were well known.

  Once John was gone, Elijah turned to Will and attempted to sound casual when he asked about how he knew John Gerard, but his question came out with an edge to it. Will didn’t like his tone but answered him anyway.

  “I met Mr. Gerard on the plane from Billings. He sat behind me. There is no relationship between us other than that,” he explained, but Elijah’s expression remained severe. He knew that something had passed between them, something that had left Will agitated.

  “What did he say to you just now? You looked upset,” Eli said, pressing for answers

  “Nothing worth repeating,” he said with disgust. Will’s behavior left Elijah consumed with the need to know what John had said. He intended to deal with this in his own way. His business with the Gerards was over for today.

  “Shall we go, then?” he said in a much lighter tone, which elicited a quick smile from Will.

  “Yes,” he said and headed toward the car. Eli continued to hold his hand as he led Will back to the car. There was something between them, he was sure.

  Adam Gerard was more than a little concerned that his son’s behavior toward Mr. Drake would prove more damaging than just the loss of a sale today. Adam Gerard depended on Elijah Hunter for a good share of his yearly sales. The loss of Elijah Hunter as a client could prove devastating for him. Few people in this area could afford the caliber of animal that Elijah demanded.

  Adam gave Elijah a brief wave as he drove by him and continued out of the gate. Elijah did not return the pleasantry. The set of his features and the look in his eyes told Adam all he needed to know.

  Chapter Four

  Dinner that evening was simple, but delicious. Martin was there and presented a cheerful face, as always. Will was puzzled by the fact that Martin seemed indifferent with regard to this entire situation. He was under the impression that Martin did not want to marry Katrina and yet he was okay with his brother enforcing the marriage contract that would either force her to marry him or pay $500,000. What would he do if Katrina suddenly changed her mind and agreed to marry? he wondered.

  Elijah was noticeably quiet and withdrawn throughout the meal, although he did question Will about his refusal to accept his financial help. “Mrs. Coleman tells me you would not take the bank card that I had left for you?” he asked while they were having dessert. It was the first time he’d spoken since the meal began, although Will noticed that he kept him under close scrutiny, as always. What’s wrong? He wondered. What’s he looking at or what’s he trying to find?
/>   “I didn’t need it,” he said. “I do appreciate the offer, though,” he added politely.

  Eli didn’t say anything to that. He just looked at Will long and hard.

  After dinner, Elijah and Martin excused themselves to take care of some sort of mechanical problem in one of the stables. Will followed them as they left the room. At the front door, Elijah turned around and reached out suddenly, taking him by the shoulders and bringing him up snug against him. “I’ll see you before bed,” he said with that same expression that seemed to be trying to look through him. Martin witnessed the embrace but acted as if it were natural and expected. He wasn’t the least bit surprised. Will began anew to feel the trap and the set-up coming together around him.

  The desire to run came on him with considerable force. If only he could grab his bags and walk out that door, but then Eli would simply come after him. He’d made that very clear when he showed up at the mall. Mrs. Coleman told him that he’d even put his pilot on standby. He was prepared to fly to Michigan if need be. It wouldn’t be easy for Will to get away. He was tied to this man for a while; he was the collateral that had allowed Katrina to go home. If he left, Katrina’s contract and his agreement were both broken, and as Elijah stated earlier, he wouldn’t take that lightly. Will really didn’t care what Eli did to Katrina at this point, but he cared about his home. He wouldn’t allow Katrina to take everything from him again. He was stuck, and he had to see it through ’til the thirty-first, which at this point seemed years away.

  “So, what do you think?” Martin ventured as they were making their way to the large stable.

  “I really don’t know,” Elijah stated with slight frustration. “In the beginning, before he arrived, I thought he had to be as guilty as his sister. Now I just don’t know.”

  “You seem to be falling for him.” Martin smiled. “Is it real, or are you trying to get him to show his true colors?”

  Elijah threw his hands up and sighed deeply. “I thought I was playing with him, but it seems that he may be playing with me. The more I know of him, the more unsure I am about the entire situation. I can’t get involved with someone who would support a scheme like the one Katrina concocted.” He ran his hand roughly through his hair, frustrated at his inability to paint Will with the same brush as Katrina.

  “I’m finding it hard to believe he would be a part of anything underhanded or immoral. I just don’t know.”

  “How are you going to get at the truth?” Martin was impressed by his brother’s candor with regard to his weakness with William.

  “I have a plan.” He smiled but did not elaborate.

  Will decided to go outside to walk and think. He walked on in no particular direction, lost in his own thoughts until he heard someone call to him.

  “Hello there,” a woman called to him from the porch of a small home.

  “Hello,” Will responded.

  “Would you like to come and sit for a while?” the woman asked kindly.

  “Thank you.” Will accepted and walked toward the porch. The house was small, but well built and attractive.

  The woman introduced herself as Kathy Graham. She was a petite young woman with beautiful black hair and a big, welcoming smile. She explained that her husband Jim had worked for Elijah for the past five years. She told Will that all the married employees had their own homes on the ranch and the single men lived in the bunkhouses.

  Will was about to introduce himself when Kathy told him that she already knew who he was. “The Hunter ranch grapevine is one of the finest in the county.” She laughed, and Will joined her. “People here knew who you were even before you ever arrived,” she continued. “Word got around quick that Katrina’s brother was coming. Elijah seemed very satisfied by the fact that you agreed to come to the ranch,” she tried to explain. “It’s hard to describe. He had been in the blackest mood possible for any human to assume ever since your sister… attempted to….” She fell silent. Will recognized her discomfort.

  “It’s okay,” Will assured her, “I’ve lived with Katrina a lot of years. I know what she’s capable of doing. Don’t be afraid of offending me. There isn’t much that I’ve heard when it comes to Katrina that I haven’t already said myself.” Kathy smiled, relieved that she hadn’t offended him.

  “Well, to get to the point, after he heard about you and heard that you were coming here… well, his mood changed considerably.” She offered Will a small lemonade, which he accepted. “It was like night and day,” she exclaimed. “We were all very interested in meeting you.” “How did his mood change?” Will asked. He wondered if Eli was perhaps happy that he would have another of the Drake clan to torment.

  “You were the hot topic that day,” Kathy stated with enthusiasm. “Elijah informed everyone that you would be arriving sometime within the week. He also demanded that you be treated with courtesy and respect unless you proved yourself unworthy of it.”

  Katrina must have told him. He had let Katrina know that he would be arriving within the week, though he hadn’t told her any specific date or time.

  “Have you seen the piano in the sitting room?” Kathy asked with a sly grin.

  “Yes, it’s beautiful,” he responded. “I’ve wanted to try it out, but I’m afraid to ask. It probably belonged to his mother,” Will commented.

  “That piano arrived two days before you did. He bought it for you. Katrina told him you were a piano teacher, and he wanted to make you as comfortable as possible.” She laughed at the expression on Will’s face.

  “You’re not serious?” Will stated after the shock.

  “I’m serious.”

  “He never said anything about it.”

  “He wouldn’t, but you can ask him if you don’t believe me,” Kathy urged him. “His behavior, when it comes to you, William Drake, is a side of Elijah that we’ve never seen.”

  “I think it’s a trap,” Will blurted after finishing his lemonade in one gulp. This caught Kathy by surprise.

  “A trap? Why?” It was Kathy’s turn to ask the questions.

  “It all feels like a set-up to me,” he began. “I just don’t trust him. Why did he trade Katrina for me? What does he want? I’ve had these questions going through my mind ever since I arrived, and the only answer I can come up with is that it’s some sort of twisted game he’s playing.”

  “Everyone thinks that he is truly interested in you. His behavior since your arrival has bewildered us all. Elijah has never shown the slightest real affection for anyone. I’m not saying he isn’t popular; he’s a man, after all. He will use a man, but he has never allowed one to stay at the ranch. I find it hard to accept that what I’ve seen in him lately is just part of a joke or a game.” She could see that although Will was quietly listening to her, he was obviously not buying it. “If he wanted to hurt you, he would. He wouldn’t drag it out for a month. Why would he want to hurt you, anyway? You had nothing to do with what your sister tried to do. Did you?”

  “No, and that’s what I keep telling him, but he still seems to think that I am the mastermind behind this gold-digging operation. Katrina told him that it was all my idea, and he believes her.”

  “He believes you.” Kathy stated this emphatically.

  That declaration truly startled him. “What did he say to you, exactly?”

  “It isn’t what he has said; it is how he is behaving.” Kathy was struggling with her words. “If you don’t know Elijah, you wouldn’t understand. He is handling you so differently. He was hateful to your sister. Her life here was hell. If he thought you were part of the scheme, he would be treating you the same.”

  “Still, I don’t accept that he feels anything more than contempt and disgust where I’m concerned.”

  Kathy shook her head.

  “So his sexuality is common knowledge, then?” Will asked. He’d been curious since the beginning that no one found it odd that the ranch master was gay.

  “Oh, absolutely. Personally, I don’t care, you can’t help who you lov
e, but I think everyone else is just too afraid of him to question anything he says or does. He is a brutally honest person, he doesn’t hide himself for anyone,” Kathy stated matter-of-factly.

  Will was glad that he’d found Kathy. Her company was a pleasure. Even though he’d known her for only a few short minutes, he was comfortable discussing his thoughts and concerns with her. It was a relief to open up to someone.