She picked up her cell phone and then glanced over at Jason and smiled. That smile gave her the inner strength for the confrontation she knew was coming. The thought of her outwitting them by marrying—and someone from Denver—would definitely throw her parents into a tizzy. She could just imagine what they would try to do. But just as Jason had said, they could try but wouldn’t succeed. She and Jason were as married as married could get and there was nothing her parents could do about it.
Taking a deep breath she punched in their number and when the housekeeper answered she was put on hold, waiting for her father to pick up the line.
“Elizabeth. I hope you’re calling to say you’ve come to your senses and have purchased a one-way plane ticket back home.”
She frowned. He didn’t even take the time to ask how she was doing. Although she figured her parents had nothing to do with those two incidents this week, she decided to ask anyway. “Tell me something, Dad. Did you and Mom think using scare tactics to get me to return to Savannah would work?”
“What are you talking about?”
“Three days ago someone threw a rock through my living room window with a threatening note for me to leave town, and two days ago someone torched my house. Luckily I wasn’t there at the time.”
“Someone set Dad’s house on fire?”
She’d heard the shock in his voice and she heard something else, too. Empathy. This was the first time she’d heard him refer to Herman as “Dad.”
“Yes.”
“I didn’t have anything to do with that, Elizabeth. Your mother and I would never put you in danger like that. What kind of parents do you think we are?”
“Controlling. But I didn’t call to exchange words, Dad. I’m just calling for you and Mother to share my good news. I got married yesterday.”
“What!”
“That’s right. I got married to a wonderful man by the name of Jason Westmoreland.”
“Westmoreland?”
“Yes.”
“I went to schools with some Westmorelands. Their land was connected to ours.”
“Probably his parents. They’re deceased now.”
“Sorry to hear that, but I hope you know why he married you. He wants that land. But don’t worry about it, dear. It can easily be remedied once you file for an annulment.”
She shook her head. Her parents just didn’t get it. “Jason didn’t force me to marry him, Dad. I married him of my own free will.”
“Listen, Elizabeth, you haven’t been living out there even a full month. You don’t know this guy. I will not allow you to marry him.”
“Dad, I am already married to him and I plan to send your attorney a copy of our marriage license so the hold on my trust fund will be lifted.”
“You think you’re smart, Elizabeth. I know what you’re doing and I won’t allow it. You don’t love him and he can’t love you.”
“Sounds pretty much like the same setup you and Mom have got going. The same kind of marriage you wanted me to enter with Hugh. So what’s the problem? I don’t see where there is one and I refuse to discuss the matter with you any longer. Goodbye, Dad. Give Mom my best.” She then clicked off the phone.
“I take it the news of our marriage didn’t go over well with your father.”
She glanced over at Jason who was lying beside her and smiled faintly. “Did you really expect that it would?”
“No and it really doesn’t matter. They’ll just have to get over it.”
She snuggled closer to him. That was one of the things she liked about Jason. He was his own man. “What time do we have to check out of here?”
“By noon. And then we’ll be on our way to Jason’s Place.”
She had to restrain the happiness she felt upon knowing they would be going to his home where she would live for at least the next twelve months. “Are there any do’s and don’ts that I need to know about?”
He lifted a brow. “Do’s and don’ts?”
“Yes. My time at your home is limited. I don’t want to jeopardize my welcome.” She could have sworn she’d seen something flash in his eyes but couldn’t be certain.
“You’d never jeopardize your welcome and no, there are no do’s and don’ts that will apply to you, unless…”
Now it was her turn to raise a brow. “Unless what?”
“You take a notion to paint my bedroom pink or some thing.”
She couldn’t help bursting out in laughter. She calmed down enough to ask, “What about yellow? Will that do?”
“Not one of my favorite colors but I guess it will work.”
She smiled as she snuggled even closer to him. She was looking forward to living under the same roof with Jason.
“Bella?”
She glanced up. “Yes?”
“The last time we made love, I didn’t use a condom.”
She’d been aware of it but hadn’t expected him to talk about it. “Yes, I know.”
“It wasn’t intentional.”
“I know that, too,” she said softly. There was no reason he would want to get her pregnant. That would only throw a monkey wrench in their agreement.
They didn’t say anything for a long moment and then he asked, “Do you like children?”
She wondered why he was asking such a thing. Surely he had seen her interactions with Susan and Denver enough to know that she did. “Yes, I like children.”
“Do you think you’d want any of your own one day?”
Was he asking because he was worried that she would use that as a trap to stay with him beyond the one year? But he’d asked and she needed to be honest. “Yes, I’d love children, although I haven’t had the best of childhoods. Don’t get me wrong, my parents weren’t monsters or anything like that but they just weren’t affectionate…at least not like your family.”
She paused for a moment. “I love my parents, Jason, although I doubt my relationship with them will ever be what I’ve always wished for. They aren’t that kind of people. Displaying affection isn’t one of their strong points. If I become a mother I want to do just the opposite. There will never be a day my child will not know he or she is loved.” She hadn’t meant to say all of that and now she couldn’t help wondering if doing so would ruin things between them.
“I think you would make a wonderful mother.”
His words touched her. “Thank you for saying that.”
“You’re welcome, and I meant it.”
She drew in a deep breath, wondering how he could be certain of such a thing. She continued to stare at him for a long moment. He would be a gift to any woman and he had sacrificed himself to marry her—just because he’d wanted her land and Hercules. When she thought about it she found it pitiful that it had taken that to make him want to join his life to hers.
He lifted her hand and looked at the ring he’d placed there. She looked at it, too. It was beautiful. More than she’d expected and everyone had oohed and aahed over it.
“You’re wearing my ring,” he said softly.
The sound of his deep, husky voice made her tummy tingle and a heated sensation spread all through her. “Yes, I’m wearing your ring. It’s beautiful. Thank you.”
Then she lifted his hand. Saw the gold band brilliantly shining in the sunlight. “And you’re wearing mine.”
And then she found herself being kissed by him and she knew that no matter how their marriage might end up, right now it was off to a great beginning.
* * *
For the second time in two days Jason carried the woman he loved over the threshold. This time he walked into his house. “Welcome to Jason’s Place, sweetheart,” he said, placing her on her feet.
Bella glanced around. This was the first time she’d been inside Jason’s home. She’d seen it a few times from a distance and thought the two-story dwelling flanked by a number of flowering trees was simply beautiful. On the drive from town he’d given her a little history of his home. It had taken an entire year to build and he had built it h
imself, with help from all the other Westmorelands. And with all the pride she’d heard when he spoke of it, she knew he loved his home. She could see why. The design was magnificent. The decorating—which had been done by his cousin Gemma—was breathtaking and perfect for the single man he’d been.
Jason’s eyes never left Bella’s as he studied her reaction to being in his home. As far as he was concerned, she would be a permanent fixture. His heart would beat when hers did. His breath was released the same time hers was. He had shared something with her he had never done with any woman—the essence of himself. For the first time in his life he had made love to a woman without wearing a condom. It had felt wonderful being skin to skin, flesh to flesh with her—but only with her. The wife he adored and intended to keep forever.
He knew he had a job to do where she was concerned and it would be one that would give him the greatest of pleasure and satisfaction. Her pain was his pain, her happiness was his. Their lives were now entwined and all because of the proposal he’d offered and she’d taken.
Without thought he turned her in his arms and lowered his head to kiss her, needing the feel of his mouth on hers, her body pressed against his. The kiss was long, deep and the most satisfying experience he could imagine. But then, he’d had nothing but satisfying experiences with her. And he planned on having plenty more.
* * *
“Aren’t you going to work today?” Bella asked Jason the following day over breakfast. She was learning her way around his spacious kitchen and loved doing it. They had stayed inside yesterday after he’d brought her here. He had kept her mostly in the bedroom, saying their honeymoon was still ongoing. And she had been not one to argue considering the glow she figured had to be on her face. Jason was the most ardent and generous of lovers.
Her mother had called last night trying to convince her she’d made a mistake and that she and her father would be flying into Denver in a few days to talk some sense into her. Bella had told her mother she didn’t think coming to Denver was a good idea, but of course Melissa Bostwick wouldn’t listen.
When Bella had told Jason about the latest developments—namely her parents’ planned trip to Denver—he’d merely shrugged and told her not to worry about it. That was easy for him to say. He’d never met her parents.
“No, I’m not going to work today. I’m still on my honeymoon,” Jason said, breaking into her thoughts. “You tell me what you want to do today and we’ll do it.”
She turned away from the stove where she’d prepared something simple like French toast. “You want to spend more time with me?”
He chuckled. “Of course I do. You sound surprised.”
She was. She figured as much time as they’d spent in the bedroom he would have tired of her by now. She was about to open her mouth when his house phone rang. He smiled over at her. “Excuse me for a minute while I get that.”
Bella figured the caller was one of his relatives. She turned back to the stove to turn it off. She couldn’t help but smile at the thought that he wanted to spend more time with her.
A few moments later Jason hung up the phone. “That was Sheriff Harper.”
She turned back around to him. “Has he found out anything?”
“Yes, they’ve made some arrests.”
A lump formed in her throat. She crossed the floor to sit down at the table, thinking she didn’t want to be standing for this. “Who did it?”
He came to sit across from her. “Your uncle Kenneth’s twin grandsons.”
Bella’s hand flew to her chest. “But they’re only fourteen years old.”
“Yes, but the footprints outside your window and the fingerprints on the rock matched theirs. Not to mention that the kerosene can they used to start the fire at your ranch belonged to their parents.”
Bella didn’t say anything. She just continued to stare at him.
“Evidently they heard their grandfather’s grumblings about you and figured they were doing him a favor by scaring you away,” Jason said.
“What will happen to them?” she asked quietly.
“Right now they’re in police custody. A judge will decide tomorrow if they will be released into the custody of their parents until a court date is set. If they are found guilty, and chances are they will be since the evidence against them is so strong, they will serve time in a detention center for youth for about one or two years, maybe longer depending on any prior arrests.”
Jason’s face hardened. “Personally, it wouldn’t bother me in the least if they locked them up and threw away the key. I’m sure Kenneth is fit to be tied, though. He thinks the world of those two.”
Bella shook her head sadly. “I feel so badly about this.”
A deep scowl covered Jason’s face. “Why do you feel badly? You’re the victim and they broke the law.”
She could tell by the sound of his voice that he was still upset. “But they’re just kids. I need to call Uncle Kenneth.”
“Why? As far as I’m concerned this is all his fault for spouting off at the mouth around them about you.”
A part of Bella knew what Jason said was true and could even accept he had a right to be angry, but still, the thought that she was responsible for the disruption of so many lives was getting to her. Had she made a mistake in moving to Denver after all?
“Don’t even think it, Bella.”
She glanced across the table at Jason. “What?”
“I know what’s going through your mind, sweetheart. I can see it all over your face and you want to blame yourself for what happened but it’s not your fault.”
“Isn’t it?”
“No. You can’t hold yourself responsible for the actions of others. What if you had been standing near the window the day that rock came flying through, or worse yet, what if you’d been home the day they set fire to the house? If I sound mad it’s because I still am. And I’m going to stay mad until justice is served.”
He paused a moment and then said, “I don’t want to talk about Kenneth or his grandsons any longer. Come on, let’s get dressed and go riding.”
* * *
When they returned from riding and Bella checked her cell phone, she had received a call from her parents saying that they had changed their minds and would not be coming to Denver after all. She couldn’t help wondering why, but she figured the best thing to do was count her blessings and be happy about their change in plans.
Jason was outside putting the horses away and she decided to take a shower and change into something relaxing. So far, other than the sheriff, no one else had called. She figured Jason’s family was treating them as honeymooners and giving them their privacy.
When her cell phone rang, she didn’t recognize the caller but figured it might be one of her parents calling from another number. “Yes?”
“This is all your fault, Bella.”
She froze upon hearing her uncle’s voice. He was angry. “My grandsons might be going to some youth detention center for a couple of years because of you.”
Bella drew in a deep breath and remembered the conversation she and Jason had had earlier that day. “You should not have talked badly about me in front of them.”
“Are you saying it’s my fault?”
“Yes, Uncle Kenneth, that’s exactly what I’m saying. You have no one else to blame but yourself.”
“Why you… How dare you speak to me that way. You think you’re something now that you’re married to a Westmoreland. Well, you’ll see what a mistake you made. All Jason Westmoreland wanted was your land and that horse. He doesn’t care anything about you. I told you I knew someone who wanted to buy your land.”
“And I’ve always told you my land isn’t for sale.”
“If you don’t think Westmoreland plans to weasel it from you then you’re crazy. Just mark my word. You mean nothing to him. All he wants is that land. He is nothing but a controller and a manipulator.”
Her uncle then hung up the phone on her.
Bella tried n
ot to let her uncle’s words get to her. No one knew the details of their marriage so her uncle had no idea that she was well aware that Jason wanted her land and horse. For what other reason would he have presented her with that proposal? She wasn’t the crazy person her uncle evidently assumed she was. She was operating with more than a full deck and was also well aware Jason didn’t love her.
She glanced up when Jason walked through the back door. He smiled when he saw her. “I thought you were going to take a shower.”
“I was, but I got a phone call.”
“Oh, from who?”
She knew now was not the time to tell him about her uncle’s call—especially after all he’d said earlier. So she decided to take that time to tell him about her parents’ decision.
“Dad and Mom called. They aren’t coming after all.”
“What changed their minds?” he asked, taking a seat on the sofa.
“Not sure. They didn’t say.”
He caught her wrist and pulled her down on the sofa beside him. “Well, I have a lot to say, none of it nice. But the main thing is they’ve decided not to come and I think it’s a good move on their part because I don’t want anyone to upset you.”
“No one will,” she said softly. “I’m fine.”
“And I want to make sure you stay that way,” he said and pulled her closer into his arms.
She was quiet as her head lay rested against his chest and could actually hear his heart pounding. She wondered if he could hear the pounding of her heart. She still found it strange how attracted they were to each other. Getting married hadn’t lessened that any.
She lifted her head to look up at him and saw the intense look that was there in his eyes. It was a look that was so intimate it sent a rush of heat sprinting all through her.
And when he began easing his mouth toward hers, all thoughts left her mind except for one, and that was how much he could make her feel loved even when he was pretending. The moment their lips touched she refused to believe her uncle Kenneth’s claim that he was controlling.
Instead she concentrated on how he was making her feel with the way his mouth was mating with hers. And she knew this kiss was just the beginning.
Brenda Jackson The Westmoreland Series Books 16-20 Page 67