Marry in Haste... (3 page)

Mallory knew Reed was referring to Winston. She'd never suspected he'd try to kidnap her.

Reed must have been thinking about what had happened that morning, too, because he asked, “Did you manage to reach Dawson from the airport?”

“No. I still got his machine, and the Fortune offices are closed on Saturday.”

“Maybe he's at the Double Crown. He has an open invitation to visit anytime he wants. My uncle is like that with people he trusts. But I guess you know that.”

“You mean, because of Dawson?”

Reed nodded.

“He's mentioned going riding at the Double Crown.” Wishing she knew much more about her half brother, her voice was a bit wistful.

“Are you and Dawson close?” Reed asked.

“Not as close as I'd like. We have the same father. But Dad left Dawson's mother for mine and created so much bitterness that my mother did everything she could to dissuade contact between us. My dad, on the other hand, tried to bring Dawson and me together now and then. We'd go to Disneyland or have lunch. Dawson used to tell me if I needed him I could call him, so when he was in college, I did. But whenever my mother saw the bill, she had a fit.”

“What about more recently?”

For some reason it seemed natural to talk to Reed about her family. “My life was as hectic as Dawson's and it was hard to connect. Since I was still living with my mother and stepfather, I tried to keep peace. I should have moved out after college. But I was doing an apprenticeship, which Mother and George were totally against. They didn't like the idea of my working at all. So to calm the waters somewhat, I stayed with them.”

Reed glanced at her briefly. “What about your father?”

“He died when I was seventeen,” she said softly. She still missed him desperately. They'd been close and when he'd died, she'd felt cut adrift. Her mother's remarriage a year later hadn't helped.

Giving her a quick look, Reed didn't pursue the conversation any further. After another stretch of si
lence when the only sound was the hum of the engine, Reed picked up a phone from between their seats and quickly punched in a number. “I'm going to check to see if Dawson is at the Double Crown.”

When someone answered, Reed asked, “Rosita, it's Reed. Is Dawson there this weekend?” After a pause he said, “I see. Is Zane around? Maybe he can tell me.” Turning toward Mallory, Reed explained, “Dawson's not there. But Zane, Ryan's son, works with him at the Fortune offices. He should know what's going on.”

Anxiety tightened Mallory's chest. What if no one knew where Dawson was?

Reed asked his cousin about Dawson's whereabouts and then listened. Finally he responded, “Are you going to be there for a while? Either I'll call you back or I'll answer your questions after I land. Talk to you soon.” Putting the phone back on its holder, Reed readjusted his headset, then said matter-of-factly, “You have a problem.”

“Dawson?” she asked.

“He's away on business and Zane doesn't expect him back for two weeks. He flew to Europe to check on new investment possibilities. Zane has his itinerary, if you want to call him, but I get the impression that he has meetings scheduled daily for the time he's there. Even if he came back to help you get settled, he'd have to leave again. The way I see it, you have three options.”

“Why do I get the feeling I'm not going to like any of them?” she murmured.

He gave her a wry look. “You can go back to San Francisco and forget about this whole adventure.”

“That one's out,” she responded quickly.

“You could stay at Dawson's place and be a sitting duck if Winston comes calling again.”

“I'm not particularly fond of that one, either.”

“Or finally, we could pretend to have a real marriage and you could stay with me.”

With all that had happened, she didn't think anything Reed could say would shock her, but that came close. Besides the fact that “pretend” and “real” didn't seem to go together in the same sentence. “Explain ‘
pretend
to have a real marriage.'”

“We have a marriage certificate. All I have to do is tell Zane to spread the word and everyone will know we're married. I'm staying in a cabin on the Double Crown property. No one has to know what you and I do when we're alone.”

“And just what will you and I be doing?” she asked.

“Whatever we want.”

“What do
you
want? Why are you willing to do this?”

He answered without hesitating. “I feel responsible. I'm the one who got you drunk. I'm the one who suggested we get married. Obviously you didn't have all your wits about you or you'd remember it. I'm not in the habit of throwing women to the wolves. That's what I'd be doing if I let you stay alone somewhere else. Ryan has twenty-four hour patrol guards on the ranch because of security concerns in the past, and the cabin has reliable locks. You would be safe there.”

Just thinking about staying in a cabin with Reed—

“The cabin has a bedroom, and it has a living
room. You can take the bedroom, and I'll sleep on the fold-out sofa in the living room. You already know your virtue is safe with me if you want to keep it.”

“I
have
to keep it. I mean… If we want to get this marriage annulled, nothing can happen.”

“Nothing
has
to happen,” Reed told her gruffly. “When Dawson gets back, you can decide what you're going to do next.”

“You're not going to tell anybody the truth?”

“We got married, Mallory. That
is
the truth.” His jaw became set.

As if she were reliving it, she remembered Winston's grip on her arm. She remembered his arms locking her against him, and him practically carrying her to his car. Unless she learned self-defense in a very short amount of time, all that could easily happen again. In contrast to the panicked feeling she experienced whenever she thought about Winston, she could also remember the safe feeling waking up snuggled against Reed.

The devil or the deep blue sea, she thought wryly. She guessed she'd take the plunge into the deep blue sea. “All right. We'll pretend we're married until Dawson gets back. But I'm not your responsibility, Reed. I want you to know that. I don't want to be anybody's responsibility but my own anymore.”

He studied her for a prolonged moment and then picked up the phone again.

When they landed, everyone at the Double Crown would know that they were married.

 

Winston Bentley IV was an intelligent man who knew he'd been stalled for the moment. He'd made
himself rich by always staying one step ahead of his opponent. This situation was no different. He boarded a flight to San Francisco. Once settled in first class, he phoned the man who always got him the information he needed, when he needed it.

“I want everything you can get me on Reed Fortune,” he snapped. “He's from Australia, connected to the Fortunes in Texas. I want to know why he's here, how long he's going to be here, and exactly where he's staying. Give me everything he's done in the past six months. No, make it a year. I expect to hear something from you by the time I land.”

Not comfortable with competition in any form, Winston usually decimated it. Reed Fortune was no different than rival developers who got in his way or property owners who wouldn't sell. The right information, money, as well as selective arm-twisting worked wonders.

After landing in San Francisco, Winston hailed a taxi and headed toward George Pennington Smythe's address. When his cell phone rang, he took it out of his pocket and listened carefully. In a few minutes he had the information he needed. Tucking the phone back into his suitcoat, a small smile crossed his lips. This wasn't going to be too difficult. Mallory Prescott was used to luxury. The Fortunes might have money, but Reed Fortune seldom acted as if he did. Apparently, he worked hard training horses and running a ranch with his family. But the important tidbit his source had discovered was an engagement announcement that had appeared in a Sydney newspaper. It had claimed that while Reed Fortune and Stephanie Mil
ton hadn't yet set a date, they were planning to marry sometime in the new year.

Winston deduced that nothing fit. Mallory Prescott was
not
used to ranch life. She also wasn't an impulsive woman. She wouldn't decide to marry a man in a day's time. Winston knew everyone she'd seen and met because he'd had her investigated and had kept close tabs on her since they'd become engaged. She hadn't known Reed Fortune before yesterday. He was sure of it.

When Winston rang the doorbell of George Pennington Smythe's mansion, a maid let him inside. A few minutes later George met him in the parlor. “Have you found Mallory?”

Winston smiled reassuringly. “I certainly did. Where's Gloria? She needs to hear this.”

“She's on the phone, still canceling arrangements and trying to explain to everyone why the wedding didn't take place. I'm so embarrassed about this, Winston. Mallory is usually so reliable, so steady.”

Mallory's mother Gloria came rushing in before Winston could comment. “Oh, Winston. Did you find her? Is she all right? That note with her engagement ring didn't tell me anything except that she was going away to think. I don't know why she has to think when she's about to marry you.”

Winston studied Gloria Pennington Smythe. Blond, brown eyes, ivory complexion, she was very attractive for a woman her age, which had to be around forty-five. But she looked thirty-five if a day. He'd had affairs with women ten years older than himself before, and they'd been quite satisfactory. He might have made a move on Gloria if he hadn't met Mallory
and realized as an investment banker with good contacts, George could be a valuable in-law to have. They'd already pulled off a few successful deals together, legitimate by-the-book deals. George didn't know his future son-in-law operated any other way.

Winston had set his sights on Mallory and had been quite successful about it until she'd run away. “I found her, Gloria, but there's a problem.”

“What kind of problem?” George asked.

“I think the stress of working and of planning the wedding have made her unbalanced. I think she's afraid she'll disappoint me in some way. Instead of asking me for more time, she's done something foolish.”

“What has she done?” Gloria asked, looking as if she were near tears.

“She married a stranger last night.”

“You aren't serious!” both her parents said at once.

“I'm very serious. And not just any stranger. His name is Reed Fortune, nephew of Ryan Fortune of Texas.”

“The family that's always in the news?” Gloria asked.

“That's the one.”

“What are we going to do?” George wanted to know. “I suppose I could drive down there and get her….”

Winston shook his head. “I think that would be a mistake right now. We don't want to do anything that might make her act even more foolishly and do something like bolt back to Australia with this man.”

“Australia!” Gloria gasped.

“Apparently he's from the Australian branch of the Fortune family.” Winston paused for a moment. “I don't think she wanted to marry him. She did it to get out of marrying me. Soon enough she'll discover it was a mistake. You've raised your daughter well, Gloria, with certain advantages. She'll miss those.”

“But the Fortunes are rich,” George exclaimed.

“The Fortunes might be, but Reed Fortune is another matter. Right now he's living in a cabin on the property of the Double Crown. Can you imagine Mallory cooped up in two or three rooms with a man she doesn't really know?”

He smiled, thinking about it. “We just have to give her a little bit of time to come to her senses, and I think with a little persuasion that will happen. Gloria, I think she'll need an understanding ear. In a couple of hours she'll be there and wonder what she's gotten herself into. If you give her a call, you can tell her how much we all care about her. It will set her thinking in the right direction.”

Gloria smiled at Winston. “Mallory doesn't know how lucky she is to have you, how fortunate she is to have a man who understands her.”

Winston understood Mallory, all right. He understood that he wanted her for his wife, and she would become his wife no matter what he had to do. But before he pulled out all the stops, he'd give her a little time to let her realize how foolish she'd been and how much better off she would be with him.

All it would take was time. He had plenty of that, unlike Reed Fortune who would be going back to Australia eventually.

Soon, if Winston had anything to say about it.

W
hen Reed brought the jet in for a landing on the Double Crown's airstrip, the touchdown was smooth and faultless. He and Mallory disembarked from the aircraft and descended the steps. Hot Texas air swept against Mallory's face, and she shed her sweater. As she draped it over her arm, a tall, solidly built man wearing a white Stetson approached them from the metal hangar. He looked to be in his fifties, with dark brown hair, dark eyes and deeply tanned skin.

He approached Reed and Mallory with a smile and extended his hand to Reed. “Congratulations, boy. Zane told us the good news. A little unexpected, especially since you just—”

Reed took hold of the older man's hand and hooked his arm around Mallory's shoulders. “Let me introduce you to my wife. Mallory, this is my uncle, Ryan Fortune. Ryan, this is Dawson's sister. Small world, isn't it?”

“Zane mentioned that. Fate just happened to bring you two to the Golden Spur at the same time. Just like it brought me and Lily back together again.” Ryan looked down at Mallory. “My wife's out shopping or she'd be here to welcome you herself. Do you want to come up to the house or would you rather get settled in?”

Mallory was all too aware of Reed's arm around her, its weight and its heat. He was hard and strong. She just had to remember she was doing this only until Dawson returned. “I'd love to, Mr. Fortune, but—”

“Please call me Ryan. We don't stand on formality here. I understand if you need to rest before meeting the rest of the family,” Ryan said with a smile. Then he clapped Reed on the shoulder. “Something's missing here, boy.”

Mallory had no idea what Ryan Fortune was referring to and she looked up at Reed, but he seemed just as perplexed as she was.

“You two aren't wearing wedding rings.”

Looking chagrined, Reed responded, “We're going to take care of that in the next few hours. We did everything so suddenly, the rings got lost in the shuffle.”

With a knowing look, Ryan laughed. “I'd imagine so. Some short honeymoon you had.”

Mallory could feel herself blushing and knew it wasn't the Texas heat.

“C'mon.” Ryan motioned toward his Cherokee. “Hank will load up your luggage in the back and I'll give you a ride to your cabin. I had Rosita stock the refrigerator and cupboards for you. I hope that's all right.”

Reed guided Mallory toward the Jeep. “You didn't have to do that, sir.”

“My pleasure. Just consider it a preliminary wedding present. Mallory, you can do anything you want to the cabin. Make it feel like home. I guess it will
be the only one you'll have until the two of you go back to Australia.”

Australia.

Yes, she knew Reed had come from Australia, but she had no idea when he was going back. It didn't matter. As soon as Dawson returned, she could make some real plans and this episode with Reed would be just a memory.

Mallory and Reed rode in the back as Ryan gave Mallory a brief tour of his estate. When he pointed to the ranch house he shared with Lily, Mallory saw that it was huge. It was an adobe structure with sand-colored walls surrounded by a sandstone wall. He told Mallory the arched entryway and wrought-iron gate led into an inner courtyard. As the generations of families grew, they had added another wing. The house was about half a mile from the barn and outbuildings.

They passed another ranch-style house, a miniature of the larger one. Ryan explained his son Dallas and wife Maggie lived there. As they rode past fences and gently rolling land, Ryan also pointed out where his sister-in-law Mary Ellen and her husband Sam lived. They were away on vacation but would be home for the Double Crown's summer barbecue next weekend. After another mile or so, they passed Ruben and Rosita Perez's ranch-style home, and he explained that Rosita was his housekeeper. Her husband Ruben helped with the horses, or grounds, or wherever he was needed. Their son Cruz now had his own cabin and horse-breeding business at a ranch near his parents' home.

When Mallory thought about a cabin, she thought of logs and rough-hewn beams and plank flooring.
But here a cabin took on a different description. They pulled up in front of an adobe with a red-tiled slanted roof. A curving stone walkway led to the door, which had a wooden screen on the outside. The lawn area was small, and a variety of shrubs and blooming plants created an engaging effect. She recognized crepe myrtle, daylilies and a rosebush climbing an arbor along the side of the adobe.

“This is charming,” she said.

Both men got out of the car. Ryan helped Reed with the luggage but at the door, tipped his hat to Mallory. “I'll leave you two alone for now, but if you want company, come on up to the house.”

Reed unlocked the door and let Mallory precede him over the threshold. Inside, she did find plank hardwood flooring, but the walls were plaster and a fan revolved in the living room's high ceiling. Considering the 90-degree temperature outside, the inside of the adobe was fairly comfortable as a breeze blew in the high, transom-like windows. There was a kitchen to the right, just large enough for the oven, refrigerator, sink and a few cabinets. To the left, Mallory noticed an archway and could see the corner of a bed covered by a tan spread. The fold-out sofa Reed had mentioned was forest green and looked new, as did the pine coffee table, end tables and small dining table flanked by two straight-backed chairs. Only the high-backed wooden rocker by the small fireplace looked as if it might have seen generations of use. A beautiful lamp with a bronze, bucking bronc base sat near the sofa.

Reed hung his hat on a rack by the door. “Lily had ordered new furniture for the place before I arrived.
She told me she'd send a decorator in to spruce it up a little, but I said it wasn't necessary.”

“Did someone live here before you?” Mallory asked.

“Clint Lockhart lived here for years when he worked on the Double Crown until he was sent to prison. It's hard to believe during all that time he hated the Fortunes. Especially since Ryan was his brother-in-law. Both of his sisters married Fortune men.”

“Why did he hate them so much?” Mallory asked, stepping deeper into the room, automatically thinking about what she could do to the place to liven it up.

“He believed Ryan's father, Kingston Fortune, stole his father's land. Ryan says the truth was, Clint's father would have gone bankrupt if Kingston hadn't bought him out. Anyway, after Clint went to prison, Ryan had all the old furniture taken out.”

The room wasn't very big and with Reed only about two feet away, she realized that if they weren't careful, they would be bumping into each other. Remembering how perfectly their bodies had fit together while they'd danced, she walked toward the small bedroom, trying to put that detail out of her mind.

Next to a closet there was a small dresser and a washstand with a mirror. Reed brought her suitcase and cosmetics case into the room and set them on the double bed.

“Are you sure about me taking the bedroom?” she asked.

His eyes seemed to turn a crystalline blue as his gaze held hers. “I'm sure. I'll only bother you when I have to get in and out of the drawers or the closet.
Or to shower,” he said, nodding to the small bathroom.

Its door was half closed and, unbidden, she pictured Reed in the shower…naked— Swallowing hard, she laid her purse on the coffee table and draped her sweater over the arm of the rocker.

When the phone rang, Reed crossed to the kitchen in three long strides and took the receiver from the wall. Arching his brow, he held it out to Mallory. “It's your mother. Bentley's a fast worker.”

Apparently Winston had gone straight home to San Francisco and to her parents. “Mother?”

“Mallory, darling. Are you all right?”

“Mother, I'm fine. I don't know what Winston told you, but he tried to kidnap me.”

“Oh, darling. He was right. Working and getting ready for the wedding have just been too much for you.”

“Mother, he tried to force me into his car—”

“Honey, Winston can be forceful at times, I know. He only wants what's best for you, just as your stepfather and I do. I can't believe you married some stranger. George says we can get it annulled, and I'm sure we can. If you just come home, we'll straighten this all out.”

“Mother, he not only tried to kidnap me. I heard him talking to someone on the phone before I left. You and George don't understand how he does business. He's dangerous.”

“Now, Mallory. Winston's business isn't any of your concern…or mine. I'm sure you misunderstood whatever you heard. And you're overreacting. If you would just come home…”

Mallory now realized Winston had shown all of them only what he'd wanted them to see for the past six months. Even now he'd convinced her parents that he wanted what was best for her, and he had them completely buffaloed. “I'm not coming home.”

“But you must. What will you do there? You can't stay with that man. Someone you don't even know.”

Apparently she hadn't known Winston, yet she'd planned to marry him! Instead of getting into an argument with her mother about her quick marriage, she ventured into territory that had never been safe. “Dawson is here, Mother.”

There was silence on the other end of the line. “You know how I feel about him and his mother,” Gloria finally responded.

“Yes, I know. But that's not fair to me and Dawson. Maybe we'll really get to know each other now that I'm here.”

After another pause Gloria Pennington Smythe asked, “Isn't there anything I can say that will put you on a plane back home to us?”

“No, Mother. I'm sorry, but I can't come home.”

“You just need a little time to see the foolishness of this. Your life is here. Your future is here.” When Mallory didn't react, Gloria sighed. “All right, darling. In a few days I'll call again to see how you are. Promise me you'll call me if you need me.”

That was the whole problem. She didn't want to need anyone. “I'll check in every once in a while to let you know I'm perfectly fine.” She loved her mother and she didn't want her to worry. It was just so frustrating sometimes talking to her.

“This man…Winston says he's a Fortune.”

“Mother, please try not to worry.”

“Darling, I've worried since the day you were born. Specifically about something like this. A man taking advantage of who you are, what you'll have someday. Your inheritance will make you a wealthy woman.”

Yes, and Winston knew that. “Mother, I can assure you Reed isn't interested in my money.” When she looked up at him, their eyes met and she could see the desire glowing there—the same desire that had glowed all last evening. Reed Fortune was interested in something else entirely.

After reassuring her mother another time or two, Mallory finally hung up.

“Is Bentley giving them the impression you're unbalanced?”

“That about sums it up. Mother won't listen to me. But then, she and George aren't very good at listening.” Mallory was suddenly very tired, and her headache had returned. With Reed standing close, her heart was beating much too fast.

He must have seen her fatigue because he said, “Why don't you get settled in, take a shower and rest. I have a few calls to make, and then I'll read for a while.”

“Does that mean you're going to stand guard over me? I don't need or want a baby-sitter, Reed.” Already she was much too aware of him in the confined space of the cabin. She had to admit to herself she wanted to feel his lips on hers again and that could only lead to trouble.

“If this charade is going to work,” she continued, “We've got to give each other some space. You said
there's a twenty-four hour patrol and there are reliable locks on the doors. If you have something else to do this afternoon, please go do it. I'll be fine here.”

He studied her for a few moments, apparently realizing she'd only agree to pretend to be married if she could keep her independence. “The number for the main house is programmed into the phone. Just press M1. Someone's always there. I need to check on the horses over at the barn. I won't be gone long.”

“A shower and a nap sound like a good idea. Take your time.” She gave him a tentative smile. With him out of the cabin, maybe she could relax.

A few minutes later she heard the low murmur of Reed's voice on the phone as she unpacked her robe and took it into the bathroom. After her shower, she found that Reed had left. Although she dressed in knit shorts and tank top, she couldn't resist the allure of the bed. She didn't know how long she'd been sleeping when she heard the door to the adobe open and she sat up.

Reed peeked into the bedroom with a smile. “I have something for you.”

Her stomach growled and she realized she hadn't eaten since sometime on the road yesterday. Maybe he'd brought food. Sliding her legs over the side of the bed, she sat on the edge. “What?” she asked.

He took a box from his pocket—a black velvet box—and when he opened it, she saw two gold wedding bands.

The shock of what she'd done hit her again. “Where did
they
come from?”

“I called the jeweler before I left, the one Ryan uses. He came out to the house and I picked these
out. What do you think? Will they suit our purposes?”

Suddenly the lack of control of her life, of what Winston had told her parents, of what her parents thought of the situation with Reed, of knowing she'd be living with this man in very close quarters, made her respond, “If you cared what I thought, you would have let me pick them out with you.”

“Pick them out?”

“I mean… You could have at least consulted me. Don't think you'll be making all the decisions while I'm here and I'll follow blindly along.”

Reed's face hardened. “I thought you were tired. I thought this was something I could deal with and we'd get it over with.”