To Love a Stranger (7 page)

“Should you be downstairs?” Zoey asked with concern. “Less than three weeks ago you lay near death.”

“I’m fine now,” Pierce answered as he poured himself a cup of coffee. “Thought I’d go outside today and look the place over.”

His words gave Zoey pause. “Why? You’re not going to try to tell me how to run my ranch, are you?”

“If I’m not mistaken,” Pierce said bluntly, “that piece of paper we both signed gave me control over both you and your land.”

“No one controls me,” Zoey said from between
clenched teeth. “You know as well as I that ours isn’t a real marriage.”

Pierce seated himself at the breakfast table and helped himself to a biscuit. He popped it into his mouth and chewed with relish. “These are good. Are there more?”

Zoey glared at him. “I suppose you’d like some eggs to go with them.”

“If it wouldn’t be too much trouble,” Pierce said complacently. He gave her an enigmatic grin. “It’s a wife’s duty to serve her husband.”

Chuckling to himself, Cully scraped back his chair and rose abruptly. “I reckon I’ll mosey on out to the corral, Miz Zoey. Go ahead and feed your husband. I’ll saddle your horse and meet you later.”

Zoey slammed a frying pan down on the stove. With ill humor she fried eggs and bacon, biting her tongue to keep from flinging angry words back at him.

“Where are you going this morning?” Pierce asked curiously.

“Cully and I are going to round up livestock that have wandered into the mountains. Most of our stock has been stolen or run off, but there are still some around.”

Pierce frowned. “Do you think that’s wise? Could be dangerous.”

“Who’s going to do it if I don’t? Samson Willoughby has made it all but impossible to hire decent ranch hands. If I can round up enough steers to sell to the army, we can get through the winter.”

“What’s the use if Willoughby forecloses?”

Zoey sent him a scathing glance. “What would
you have me do, sit here and do nothing?”

Pierce’s gaze slowly traveled the length of Zoey’s trim form. The britches she wore hugged her rounded hips and bottom indecently. The arousing sight made him squirm uncomfortably in his chair. The top buttons on her shirt were open, allowing a tantalizing view of creamy skin and hint of tempting breasts. Pierce was certain his fingers would meet if he tried to span her tiny waist with his hands.

“I’ll go with you,” Pierce said, digging into his breakfast. “You’ll have to loan me a horse.”

Zoey looked astounded. “You’re not well enough to ride. The section we’re going to is rough and mountainous with steep, treacherous trails. I’ll be glad to loan you a horse when you’re strong enough to sit one.”

It rankled Pierce that Zoey was correct in her assessment of his condition. He was growing stronger every day but was not yet ready to tackle a mountain trail. Getting himself wounded had been damn inconvenient. Look at the mess he was in because of it. Here he was, married against his will to a tempting vixen and allowed none of the benefits.

“What are you thinking?” Zoey asked when she noticed the odd look on Pierce’s face.

“I’m thinking you’re too damn pushy for a woman so desperate for a husband that she railroaded a stranger into marriage.”

Zoey’s chin rose fractionally. “I
was
desperate, as you well know.” She could see anger burning beneath the dark flush of his jaw. “Cully is waiting for me.” She picked up the lunch she had prepared
earlier. “We’ll return by sundown, hopefully with some of our missing livestock.”

“What am I supposed to do in the meantime?” Pierce asked, feeling useless for the first time in his life.

With an impatient motion, Zoey jammed on her hat. “Rest,” she threw over her shoulder as she walked out the door. “Ask again after you’ve regained your full strength.”

His gaze lingering on the twin mounds of her round bottom, Pierce watched her stride through the back door. His body reacted predictably and he cursed beneath his breath when he realized he wanted Zoey Fuller Delaney. Wanted her spread beneath him, naked. He wanted to be inside her. Before he left the Circle F he’d damn well have her on his own terms.

Later that day Pierce wandered outside, intending to have a look around. It had been so dark the night he’d arrived that he’d seen little of the ranch itself.

Pierce’s chest expanded as he breathed in fresh mountain air for the first time in three weeks, drinking in the sights and sounds of the Circle F. The first thing he noticed was that the weathered paddock fence begged for a coat of paint. Twenty feet beyond, a hip-roofed barn with peeling paint added to the sense of neglect. To the left, a sturdy log bunkhouse stood forlorn and deserted. He sniffed appreciatively of the mingled scent of horses, hay, dust, and manure. The familiar odors made him homesick for his own ranch, and he
couldn’t help wondering how his brothers were faring without him.

Pierce gazed for a moment toward the mountains where Zoey and Cully had gone earlier in the morning, then followed a path around to the rear of the house. Several yards from the back door a pipe dribbled water into a trough, dragged up from the well by a pump.

The ranch house was solidly constructed, Pierce thought, admiring the sawed wood and log two-story structure. Obviously Zoey’s father had taken great pride in his land, for he had built sturdy structures upon it. Taking into account the sparkling stream, meandering river, and lush grasslands, Pierce decided the Circle F possessed everything necessary to make it a prosperous spread. Unfortunately Zoey’s father had died before the ranch could realize its full potential, and Zoey was hard put to keep it in operation with Willoughby dead set on gaining possession of it.

Pierce glanced briefly at the corral and several paddocks, deciding to leave further inspection for another day. He returned to the front of the house. The sound of pounding hooves brought his gaze around to the road approaching the ranch. Shading his eyes against the glare of the setting sun, he saw a lone rider appear over a slight rise. Curious, Pierce leaned against the porch railing to wait.

By the time the rider passed through the gate, Pierce knew the Circle F was being honored by a visit from Samson Willoughby. He cursed beneath his breath, wondering what the bastard wanted now. Had he heard about Zoey’s marriage?

Willoughby reined in sharply at the front steps
and dismounted, glaring at Pierce with outright hostility. “Who are you?” he asked harshly.

“Who are you?” Pierce shot back, knowing full well what and who the banker was.

Willoughby drew himself up huffily. “I’m Samson Willoughby. Where is Zoey?”

“You mean Mrs. Delaney?”

Willoughby blanched. “Wha … what did you say?”

“I assume you were referring to my wife.”

“Your … your wife!” Willoughby sputtered. “What kind of game are you playing? Zoey has no husband.”

Pierce smiled without mirth. “She does now. We were married a week ago. I assume you knew she had a fiancé.”

“I knew, but … See here …” He searched for a name.

“Delaney, Pierce Delaney.”

“See here, Mr. Delaney, I’m sure you know who I am.”

“You’re the bas—er, banker who’s trying to steal my wife’s land.”

Willoughby shifted uncomfortably. “My bank holds the mortgage on this land.”

“So you say. As Zoey’s legal husband, I’ll attend to any problems pertaining to my wife’s land. If you’ve come to intimidate her, you’ll have to deal with me first. And I’m not as easily frightened as Zoey.”

Willoughby’s colorless eyes settled on Pierce, conveying his hatred and disbelief. “You’re lying. I don’t believe you and Zoey are married.”

“I don’t lie,” Pierce said softly. Had Willoughby
known Pierce better, he would have realized that the softness was a prelude to violence. “Neither does Zoey.”

“Zoey said many things, most of which I chose to ignore.”

“You should have listened to her. Zoey and I are indeed married. Reverend Tolly came to the house over a week ago and married us. Ask him if you don’t believe me.”

“I believe I
will
speak with the reverend. Unfortunately he’s out of town right now. Tell Zoey I was here, and that I’ll be back.”

“I’ll tell my
wife
that you were here, but if I were you, I’d think twice about returning any time soon.”

“Are you threatening me, Delaney?”

“Call it what you like, Willoughby. If Zoey says you’re lying about the mortgage, I believe her.”

“Look here, Delaney,” Willoughby sputtered. “I’m a respected businessman. Maybe you can talk to respectable citizens like that where you come from, but not here. By the way,” he asked curiously, “where
are
you from?”

“Wyoming,” Pierce lied. “How much will it take to pay off the mortgage?”

Willoughby gave Pierce a disparaging look, unimpressed by the ill-fitting, patched clothing he wore. “More than you can afford.”

Pierce snorted with disgust. He had no intention of paying off a mortgage that could be fraudulent. “I suggest you ride out while you still can, Willoughby.”

Willoughby’s expression turned sly. “Did you know your wife and I have been … close? You
didn’t think a hot little piece like Zoey would wait around for you to claim her, did you?”

Pierce fought to keep his clenched fists at his sides. “Whatever you’re implying doesn’t wash with me, Willoughby. If you utter one more word against my wife’s character, I’ll see you in hell. Understand?” His quiet words belied his raging temper.

Pierce didn’t need to raise his voice. His deceptive calm and threatening tone gave hint to his fury. So much so that Willoughby took a cautious step backward. “The only thing I understand is power and money,” Willoughby spouted. “Obviously you lack both of those commodities. I’ll leave, but if I find out you’re lying about your marriage to Zoey, you’d better be prepared to pay the consequences. I laid claim to Zoey long before her pa died, but the old man was stubborn. He didn’t think I was good enough for his daughter, but I showed him.” His smile turned nasty. “It’s dangerous to thwart Samson Willoughby.”

“Dangerous?” Pierce’s eyes narrowed. “How so?”

Willoughby smiled grimly. “Thwart me and find out,” he hissed as he mounted up and prepared to ride off. The arrival of Zoey and Cully delayed Willoughby’s departure. They were driving about thirty head of cows and steers ahead of them. It appeared as if their day had been successful.

Leaving the livestock to Cully, Zoey dismounted and walked briskly to join Pierce. Suddenly Pierce wished he had listened to her and spent the day resting.

He’d reached the end of his endurance, having
overestimated his strength on his first full day out of bed. His wound ached something fierce and his legs felt rubbery, but he wasn’t about to display weakness to a conniving bastard like Willoughby.

“What’s going on here?” Zoey asked, looking from Pierce to Willoughby.

“Banker Willoughby came calling, darling,” Pierce said, casually placing his arm around Zoey and pulling her against him. When he placed a chaste kiss on her cheek, Zoey went along with him.

She returned his kiss, and turned to Willoughby.

“Mr. Willoughby doesn’t believe we’re husband and wife,” Pierce explained.

Zoey smiled sweetly at Willoughby. “I told you I was engaged, but you chose not to believe me.”

“Your father never said a word about an engagement in the weeks before he died. I approached him several times about a match between us. Never once did he mention a fiancé.”

“It was none of your business,” Zoey declared. “Why are you here?”

“I thought we could discuss … arrangements, but I see I’m too late for what I had in mind. I had intended to bring the preacher back with me to perform our marriage ceremony, but the good reverend is out of town.”

“You’re too late. I’m already married.”

“So you say. I refuse to believe it until I speak personally with Reverend Tolly. He’s expected back in a few days. I’ll bide my time till then, but if you’re lying to me …” His implied threat hung in the air like pungent autumn smoke.

“Would you care to see our license?” Pierce
asked. “It won’t take a minute to get it.”

“I don’t want to see your damn license,” Willoughby spat, obviously rattled by this surprising turn of events. “You’ll be hearing from me.” Fuming in impotent rage, he mounted, dug his spurs into his horse’s flanks, and rode off.

“Good riddance,” Pierce said unevenly. He was beginning to give in to his exhaustion.

“Are you all right?” Zoey could feel his arm around her trembling.

“More than all right It felt good to tell that bastard where to go. But I fear we haven’t heard the last from him. Without proof showing otherwise, the mortgage he holds must be taken seriously. Come on, let’s go inside. I find myself in need of a chair.”

“You’ve overdone it!” Zoey charged. “I warned you about pushing yourself. You need more time to recuperate.” Placing her arm around his waist, she helped him inside to the nearest chair. “I’ll call Cully. He can help you up to bed.”

“No, I’ll be fine in a minute.” Pierce didn’t want help. He’d never regain his full strength if Zoey insisted on coddling him. “I’m not going back to bed. Unless,” he added, giving her a scorching look, “you’d like to join me,
wife
.”

Zoey stepped away from him as if burned. “Is that all you can think of?”

“You owe me a wedding night. You’ve managed to avoid me but my day will come.”

“There will be no wedding night,” Zoey said evenly.

“We’ll see, won’t we?”

“I’ve got to clean up and start supper.” She started to leave.

“Zoey.”

She paused but did not turn around to face him. “What?”

“I’m well acquainted with women’s wiles and machinations. And I always get my way.”

As she strode off, Pierce closed his eyes and rested his head against the backrest of the chair as his strength slowly returned. Another day or two and he’d be ready to mount a horse. It rankled to sit around the house like an invalid all day. This inactivity was killing him. Maybe he’d ride into town tomorrow and mail a letter to his brothers. They must be worried sick about him.