The Cowboy's Gamble: Destined For Love Series (6 page)

Sitting on the wooden bench just outside the barn, she read the brief correspondence Jake had scrawled on a scratch piece of paper. She read his words over and over, trying to understand why he’d risk the Golden M in a poker game, add an outrageous stipulation that would ruin her life and bind her to Seth O’Connor, when he knew there was every chance of losing to the last man in Montana she would have chosen for a husband.

But his letter provided no answers. Just verification that the deed and stipulation were indeed real and binding, and an apology for what he’d done, for failing her and letting his gambling addiction force him to resort to desperate measures, though he’d done his best to secure her future. He knew she’d be disappointed in him, angry even, and couldn’t bear to face her condemnation, so he’d decided it was best if he left. The note ended with the hope that she’d finally find happiness, and that he loved her and Kellie, and not to hate him too much for what he’d done.

There was nothing about him returning, and that tore her up the worst, because she couldn’t stand the thought of never seeing her father again.

The hot tears welling in her eyes finally spilled over her lashes. Tears because she would miss her father. Tears because she was so afraid of what her future would hold.

“Oh, Dad,” she whispered around the ache in her heart. She was upset, yes. But she could never, ever spurn him, despite the fact that he’d sold her soul to the devil himself. Together they could have figured a way out of this mess. Alone, she had no way of defending herself from someone as formidable as Seth. He wanted the Golden M, and he wanted the ranch bad enough to marry her for it.

Oh, what a doozy fate had delivered! If she wasn’t so devastated, she would have been laughing hysterically at the twist.

She heard the screen door to the house slam shut, and glanced up to see Kellie heading across the yard. She stopped and picked up Seth’s hat, paused briefly to consider the hole in the crown, then continued toward the barn, carrying Josie’s trophy piece with her.

Quickly, Josie wiped away the wetness on her cheeks and reached deep for some much needed fortitude to explain what changes lay ahead. She had to be strong, for Kellie, because she was all her daughter had.

She stopped in front of Josie, a frown creasing her delicately shaped brows. “He made you cry,” she accused.

Her daughter looked so fiercely protective, Josie couldn’t help but smile. “No, Mr. O’Connor didn’t make me cry.” She’d come close a few times, out of frustration and fury, but these tears had been for the man who’d raised her so lovingly. A man she feared they would never see again.

Kellie didn’t look convinced. “What did that O’Connor man want?”

Our land. Our house. Everything I’ve worked so hard to nurture over the years.

She patted the space beside her on the bench. “Sit down, sweetie. We need to talk.”

“I don’t want to sit.” The stubborn thrust of her chin didn’t do much to mask the more uncertain emotions Josie saw shining in her daughter’s eyes.

Not wanting to upset Kellie any more than she had to, she stood and forced a bright smile that felt as phony as it probably looked. “Okay,” she said easily. “Then how about we go for a walk?”

Taking Seth’s ruined hat from her, Josie set it on the empty bench. Without waiting for another refusal, she draped a comforting arm around Kellie’s shoulder and started walking along the white fence bordering the west pasture.

There was no easy way to broach the subject, so she just jumped right into the middle of it. “How do you feel about having a dad?”

“What do you mean?” Kellie asked skeptically.

Josie threaded her fingers through her daughter’s sun warmed hair. She loved this child so much, wanted so much more for her than she was about to give her—like a “dad” who would love her unconditionally. She didn’t know if Seth was capable of accepting her daughter without past resentments and rumors getting in the way.

“Well, you’ve asked me before why I don’t get married so you can have a dad,” Josie said, trying to sound optimistic and cheerful. “And I was just wondering if you still felt the same way.”

Kellie’s slim shoulders lifted in a reserved shrug. “Yeah, I guess I do.”

She closed her eyes for a few extra seconds, ignored the dread churning within her, and just let it out. “Well, Mr. O’Connor and I are going to get married.”

Kellie jerked away from her, her expression horrified. “But I don’t want
him
as a dad! He’s mean!”

Josie realized she had the choice of agreeing whole-heartedly with Kellie and tainting her daughter’s perception of Seth right from the get-go, or she could make this transition for Kellie as smooth as possible. She might not like Seth, but there was no reason for Kellie to fear or hate him so vehemently.

The dirt drive had given way to a grassy knoll with patches of wildflowers. Josie stopped before they strolled too far away from the house and reached for her daughter’s small hand, giving it a reassuring squeeze.

“Mr. O’Connor really isn’t so bad.” In fact, at one time he’d been charming and sweet, but that had all been a ploy. “When he came over today he was upset, and so was I. The Golden M is his now, and in order for us to stay here, I have to marry him.”

“Oh.” Josie’s explanation seemed to pacify her daughter and chase away the worry in her gaze. Kellie titled her head, regarding Josie speculatively. “Do you love him?” she asked quietly.

The unexpected question knocked Josie for a loop, considering she’d once given Seth her heart and a piece of her soul. Thank goodness the fence was right behind her, because she found she needed it for support. Once she’d gained her composure and calmed the erratic beating of her heart, she said very firmly, “No, I don’t love him.”

“But maybe someday you will?” Kellie asked expectantly.

Not likely
, but she found she couldn’t crush her daughter’s simple hope for a bright future. “Maybe.” It was a stretch, but “maybe” was as close to a promise as she was willing to offer.

“Okay.” Kellie seemed satisfied with that. And relieved. “If you have to marry him, and he’s going to be my new dad, I’ll try my best to like him.” She chewed on her bottom lip, and Josie could see the wheels in her mind clicking. And then the tentative query came. “Do you think he’ll like me? Maybe just a little?”

Josie’s chest tightened and she found it hurt to breath. How quick her daughter was to accept Seth! “What’s not to like? You’re beautiful, smart, and sweeter than sugar.” She lovingly ran her finger down the pert slope of Kellie’s nose, and made a silent vow if Seth so much as hurt her daughter by rejecting her, she’d make every day of his life a living hell.

Kellie laughed and spun around happily, arms spread wide. Her cascade of auburn spiral curls shimmered in the sunshine, and then she turned her lovely smile Josie’s way. “So, when are you guys getting married?”

Josie wished she could drum up even half the enthusiasm her daughter possessed. “Probably Friday.”

“Wow!” Bending down, she plucked a wildflower from a patch, then another, gathering a pretty yellow bouquet. “Can I be one of those girls who stands beside you and holds flowers?”

Josie managed a smile. “I’d love for you to be my maid of honor.”

Kellie’s eyes glowed with anticipation. “And will there be a big cake and a fancy dinner and dance afterward?”

Josie knew Kellie was remembering the wedding they’d attended last year for a friend of the family. It had been a lavish, traditional affair, with all the pomp and circumstance every young girl dreamed of. A beautiful white dress, a handsome groom who adored his bride, and vows that included loving and cherishing until death did they part.

Loving and cherishing wasn’t part of the agreement between her and Seth. Just a quickie marriage that would ensure she kept the ranch in the family. “It’s going to be a small, quiet ceremony,” she said in answer to her daughter’s question. “And there won’t be a reception afterward.”

Disappointment put a damper on Kellie’s excitement. And then an idea revitalized the sparkle in her eyes. “Maybe I could bake you and Mr. O’Connor a wedding cake!”

Josie suppressed a groan at the thought of explaining a young girl’s whimsy to Seth. “We’ll see.”

Crossing her arms over her chest and propping her backside on one of the fence’s rungs, Josie watched her daughter frolic in the meadow, picking flowers and pretending to be a bride. It was obvious that Kellie didn’t understand that she was marrying Seth because she
had
to, and not that she didn’t want to. But Josie was okay with that, because it eased her daughter’s fears to believe her mother was willingly marrying Mr. O’Connor.

Seth,
her husband.
The idea was difficult to get used to, considering she’d long ago given up trying to find a man worthy of that title. She’d dated a few times over the years, but the men she’d gone out with had heard about her “reputation” and expected more from her than a dinner companion and friendly conversation. Fending off groping hands had become a frustrating and depressing process—so much so that she’d decided it was easier to forego the rituals of dating.

As a result, though, her personal life was empty. Oh, she had Kellie to fill her days with smiles and laughter, but the long, lonely nights were the worst. Sometimes, she’d remember the way Seth’s hands felt on her body, the way he’d kissed her so eagerly, as if he couldn’t get enough of her. In the dark of night, those memories were enough to make her ache with a need so acute she’d toss and turn restlessly until dawn.

But it wasn’t just physical pleasure she wanted. She longed for love. She yearned to be cherished. Now, she was going to be some man’s possession. Seth would be her husband, and the sensual privileges that came with that title made heat curl in her stomach. She steeled herself against the pleasant sensation rippling through her veins. She refused to be Seth’s plaything again, wouldn’t let him use her body to slake his lust. She refused to allow him that intimacy and give him the power to break her heart again.

He’d be back in a few days to get her answer. She didn’t have a choice but to marry him if she wanted to keep the ranch, she knew and accepted that. But she had a stipulation of her own to add to their wedding deed, a solution that would benefit the both of them.

A marriage of convenience.

As promised, Seth came calling a few days later. At the break of dawn Wednesday morning, he rode up on his chestnut just as Mac and the other hands were heading out for the day. The six younger men on horseback abruptly stopped and watched Seth’s approach, looking like a pack of vigilant brothers out to defend their sister’s honor, should the need arise.

They all knew Seth O’Connor would be their new boss, and they didn’t seem to be taking the change graciously. First thing Monday morning she’d informed the men who worked for her about her upcoming nuptials, the circumstances surrounding the marriage, and reassured them it was nothing more than a business arrangement. She’d promised everyone that their jobs were secure, as long as they wanted to stay and work on the Golden M.

She appreciated her men’s concern and loyalty, but judging by the scowl on Seth’s face, he didn’t care for her over-protective ranch hands, or the fact that they were treating him like an unwelcome guest.

Seth reined his mare to a stop a few yards away from her, his gaze warm and territorial as it touched upon her—as if he was staking a personal claim for the benefit of her men. She cursed the involuntary fluttering in her stomach, the instant surge of heat that sped through her veins. Resolutely, she told herself it was nothing more than nerves for the discussion ahead, and had absolutely
nothing
to do with the fact that there was still a deep, underlying awareness between them.

Josie thought she was prepared to confront him again and have the upper hand in the matter, but she hadn’t anticipated him looking so good. Without a deep scowl on his face, Seth was an incredibly handsome man. No matter that she didn’t like him, her faithless feminine senses noted and appreciated how virile and sexy he was—he so effortlessly epitomized what a
real
cowboy should look like. His body was well-built and honed, his latent strength evident in the easy way he handled his spirited mare and moved fluidly in the saddle. His lazy confidence came from years of working a ranch and being one with the animal beneath him.

He hadn’t replaced the hat she now had in her possession, and his wind-blown hair gleamed in the early morning sun creeping over the horizon. Curiously, there was none of the disdain in his blue eyes that had burned so brightly on Sunday. Instead, his gaze was very male and intensely direct. She found his brazen, sensual regard far more threatening than his anger.

She
hated
him, she chanted, keeping that reminder foremost in her mind.

Ignoring their avid audience, Seth urged his horse closer and leaned forward in the saddle. His mouth tipped up in a beguiling smile just for her. “Hello, Josie.”

“Seth.” Folding her arms across her chest, she inclined her head and allowed for a bland smile. “I’d say that it’s nice to see you again, but we both know that would be a bald-faced lie.”