Hanchart Land (2 page)

When she'd married Shane and moved to Hanchart property, she'd continued to groom and exercise the horses. Since then, all her spare time had been devoted to caring for her equine friends. It hurt to say good-bye knowing she'd never see them again.

"Maybe Luke will find someone else to race the wind with you," she told Mariando.  A deep baritone, threaded with familiar, underlying anger, responded. "I've told you that you can keep the job, the house, and I'll pay you a decent wage to care for the horses."

Susan whirled to find Luke within touching distance, leaning against a wooden support beam near the stalls. His arms were crossed over his chest, and his probing, silvery eyes were once again leveled at her. His tone was low and steady, but there was no doubting he was still very angry.

Caught up in her own misery, she hadn't heard him enter the building. She swiftly pulled her emotions under control. Dignity was about all she had left.

    "You startled me.'"

It had been a long time since they'd been alone with him and this close. His six-foot frame seemed much taller than her own five-foot-two in such close proximity. With his broad chest and solidly muscled body, he radiated raw power and masculinity.

Dressed in worn jeans and a thin cotton shirt, he was male magnetism at its most devastating. Even though she considered herself immune to most men, her pulse always seemed to go into overdrive when he was near.

He didn't bother to apologize for startling her. He was a man totally at ease with his actions, the most self-assured man she'd ever known. He continued to level his steady gaze on her, causing all the little hairs on her body to tingle.

Susan was suddenly conscious of her own worn jeans and faded T-shirt, the dark circles under her eyes and less-than-flattering ponytail. None of it was especially different today, but his scrutiny was different. It made her more aware of her shortcomings.

Ever since the day she'd married Shane, Luke had kept his distance, both physically and emotionally. He hadn't said or done anything to change the status between them, yet a subtle change in the intensity of his regard made her more aware of him today.

Mentally chastising herself for such silly reactions, she drew in a deep breath of air to steady her riotous nerves and returned his bold regard.

“I sincerely appreciate the offer, but I still have to refuse."

He'd offered her a paying position with the brood mares when she'd first mentioned her plans to move to Houston. She'd refused because Shane had never been a husband in her heart. She didn't want favors from his family because she legally bore his name.

Now that the conditions of Shane's will presented more problems, it was even more tempting to accept Luke's offer. They both knew she'd hate living and working in the city, yet some deep, inexplicable reluctance to be indebted to him kept her from taking the easy route and accepting.

Luke had accused her of being too stubborn and hardheaded, but she wasn't the only one. He apparently had no intention of accepting her decision. When he remained silent and brooding, she turned from him to stroke Mariando's head again.

"I was just saying my good-byes," she explained, knowing he wouldn't ridicule her sentiment the way Shane had done so often. Luke was a breeder and horseman. He understood.

"Were you going to say good-bye to anyone else?" he asked. Before she could respond, he shot another question at her. "How will you get by?"

Susan's pride had suffered some debilitating blows over the last four years, but she still had enough spirit to lift her chin and steadily return his gaze. "The job in Houston pays well, and I'll be renting a room from a friend. I'll be fine."

His eyes probed more deeply. "You'll go back to school?"

She flinched at that. It seemed a lifetime ago she'd gone off to college with youthful optimism and dreams of becoming a veterinarian. She'd had two carefree years of study before the loss of her parents had brought an abrupt end to college life.

She'd quit school, gotten a job and attempted to help Butch, her only sibling, through his last year of high school. Then he'd died, too. College was just another sore subject between her and Luke. John, the family patriarch, had offered to pay for her schooling, but she wouldn't feel right about accepting such a generous offer.

"School doesn't fit into my plans," she said. It hadn't since the death of her youthful, carefree existence.

“Granddad’s willing to set up a trust fund for your schooling. I'll pay Shane's debts and you can get on with your life. If it'll help salve your pride, you can sign a contract to come back here and work to repay the trust."

"Thanks, but no thanks," she said as politely, but firmly as possible. At this point, college wasn't even a consideration. She couldn't imagine ever returning to an academic lifestyle.

When his eyes narrowed dangerously, she added, "John already took care of the funeral expenses. That was more than enough."

"There should have been a life insurance policy to insure your future. Granddad bought large policies for all of us."  There had been, but Shane had borrowed from it to finance his gambling. It didn't matter, because she wouldn't have taken a penny of his money except to pay his bills.

"I'm perfectly capable of taking care of myself," she told him. "Shane wasn't responsible for my welfare."

"He should have been."

It was another of the many ways Luke and his cousin had differed. Luke was proud, dependable and believed in old-fashioned values of a man taking full responsibility for the health and welfare of everyone in his family and employ.

Susan admired him for his belief, but she wouldn't allow him to shoulder what he believed was Shane's burden of responsibility. "It's stupid for you to leave if you're not going back to school. You can work here, I'll take care of the damn debts and you can live at Shane's place for the rest of your life if you want."

"I can't stand to live there a minute longer," she said, a shudder accompanying the words. His mouth tightened and his eyes grew even frostier. He hadn't considered the fact she might still be grieving so much that she couldn't bear to stay in the house they'd shared.

"Hell."  Hell was an apt description of her state of mind. She knew Luke was misconstruing her reluctance. She wanted to scream with denial, but she needed to keep her emotions tightly in check.

Shane had insisted on a loving-couple charade in public, so people assumed they were madly in love. She'd never corrected that misconception, and trying to do so now would only complicate matters.

"Are you planning to wait tables in Houston?"  Besides her work with the mares, for which she refused even a penny of compensation, Susan had taken an evening job as a waitress in a small local diner. She knew the Hancharts had considered it a slap in the face, a deliberate attempt to humiliate the family, but she hadn't meant it that way.      

"There's nothing wrong with waitress work," she grumbled. "I didn't find it demeaning in any way, and I was glad to have the work. I'm sorry if my job offended the hierarchy of the family, but there aren't many options in Monroe."

Luke couldn't argue with facts and didn't try. "So you will be doing waitress work?"

"No. I've accepted a job as a bank teller."  When his frown deepened, her stance and tone became defensive. "There's not a damned thing wrong with being a bank teller, either."

"Not if you like it," he snapped. "But you hate being shut indoors all day and you know it. You're a natural with the livestock. That's the sort of job you should be looking for."

"Well, there aren't a lot of high-paying jobs available for someone without a degree or specialized training. I was happy to get the bank job."

Mariando whinnied and nudged Susan for attention. She automatically lifted a hand to stroke the mare's jaw.  "I have an alternative," he declared, his expression stony and cold. "We could get married."

She turned and stared at him, her big blue eyes going wide with astonishment. She had to have heard him wrong.

"What?"  Luke's mouth tightened briefly. He couldn't tell if she was genuinely shocked or just playing innocent. She wouldn't be the first woman who'd tried to manipulate him into matrimony. She might be the first who had a chance at succeeding.

"I said marry me and stay on the ranch," he repeated, mobilizing himself with languid grace to diminish the few feet between them.

The words weren't any less enervating with repetition. It was hard to know if her sudden breathlessness was due to his shocking proposal or the equally disturbing nearness of his big body. He'd moved so close she had to tilt her head slightly to retain eye contact.

"You can't be serious, so how do you expect me to respond?" Susan wondered aloud.

His reply was terse. "I'm serious as hell. If you aren't going back to school, there's no reason not to remarry. I'll give you a cash settlement to pay off Shane's debts and the property stays in the family. You won't have to move to the city, and you can decide if, when and where you want to work."

Susan's eyes went wider. She'd known Luke would do almost anything to keep her from selling Hanchart land, but she'd never thought he'd resort to a marriage proposal.

Her gaze locked with his, curious and searching. She doubted if he had any tender feelings for her other than a familial responsibility. He might consider her a valuable livestock handler, but he certainly didn't love her.

Sometimes he was so grim and cold she wondered if he hated her. The two of them had been an item for a brief time, and he'd been furious when she'd married Shane. He'd seemed detached and unforgiving ever since.

For the most part, he'd kept his distance, but she couldn't really blame him for that. Her marriage to his cousin had been a cruel affair, all around. The determined glint in his eyes made it clear this was no joking matter to him. 

"You're talking about a marriage of convenience? The property reverts back to the family through marriage, and I'm free to live and work here the rest of my life?" Despite a multitude of misgivings, the idea actually appealed until he expanded on it.

"I'm not offering a marriage in name only," he ground out, irritated by her small spurt of interest in a platonic relationship. "I want a family, and I don't plan on fathering any bastards. If we get married, it'll be a real marriage."

Susan continued to stare at him, dumbfounded. Her tired brain could hardly comprehend this latest offer. "We're not even romantically involved."

"I'm not looking for romance, and I doubt you are, either. I'm not talking about an equally beneficial partnership, a commitment for the future and eventually a family of our own."

Susan lowered her lashes so he wouldn't see how deeply those words touched her. Since losing her family, she'd been so alone and bereft. She felt as though her feet were rooted in constantly shifting sands. Every day was a battle with desolation.

She kept one hand on Mariando's mane and leaned against the stall door for support. His words had a dizzying effect. She hadn't told anyone about her fierce desire for children, for a family to love and care for, someone to love her. Luke seemed to have reached into her soul and touched on the one area that could gain him leverage.

His proposal made her wonder if he might have similar desires. Was he ever so lonely he thought he'd die? Did he ever yearn for a family? He'd lost his parents at an early age and the grandmother who'd raised him had passed away the year before her parents.

She'd thought her dreams of babies and a real family were doomed, yet he made her realize just how much they still meant to her. He was tempting her with a brass ring she desperately wanted, but had thought out of reach.

"You want children?" she managed to ask, lifting curious eyes to read his reaction to her question.  For just an instant the question caused his control to slip. She caught a rare glimpse of unguarded emotion. What she saw, the hunger and need, was nearly her undoing. A tremor shook her.

"I'd like a dozen," he assured her, tone curt. "But I'd settle for one or two."

Her eyes widened even further. There was nothing she'd like more than to have a big, boisterous, loving family. The sudden mental image of little boys with sand colored hair and devilish gray eyes made her heart thud in a painful rhythm.  She quickly regained control of her wayward imagination. She was nobody's fool, and she knew there was more to a family than just having lots of offspring. There had to be more to Luke's proposal.

“What makes you think we could possibly make it work?" she asked.

"You're not squeamish about pregnancy and birth. You've proven that with the horses. As far as I know, you're strong and healthy, intelligent, and attractive," he explained as though listing one of his mare's bloodlines.

"So I'll not only bring a dowry of property, but you think I'll make a good brood mare?" she asked in amazement, glancing down the row of horses in their stalls.  She didn't know whether to feel honored or insulted. "I hope you don't think I'll be just one of many," she grumbled in annoyance.

She couldn't have cared less about Shane's infidelities, but she instinctively recoiled at the thought of Luke with other women. She wasn't about to become a brood mare for a roving stallion.

Her breath shattered and her thoughts scattered when his lips curved in a mocking smile. It staggered her. Gone were thoughts of infidelity as she found herself wondering what it would be like to once again coax a real smile or laughter from this taciturn man.

"I swear I don't see myself as stud material," he assured her derisively. "If I wanted a harem, I'd have started it a long time ago. I think we both want the same things when it comes to a family."

"Like what?"

"Like commitment, loyalty, a solid foundation, and kids who'll love our way of life as much as we do."  Her breath caught painfully in her chest, making it tight and achy.  She couldn't help but agree with him. Those were the most important things she'd lost along with her family. If she ever regained them, she would cherish them always.

"You're really serious about marriage?"