Worth The Price (Hart's Fall, Montana) (2 page)

A pitiful smile tugged at her lips. “Somehow, I figured you’d have that particular reaction.”

His eyes went from confused to befuddled as he leaned forward, one elbow resting on the armrest. “C’mon
Cailín,
what am I missing?”

Her chin snapped up at the unfamiliar term. The slight inflection, the softening of his voice sent her senses reeling. Danika forced herself to calm down and not read too much into it. She was here for business and nothing else. Brandon’s reputation among his workers was of being one of the fairest ranchers around. This and her own burgeoning feelings about him strengthened her conviction that he was the one who could help her. “I’m sure it would be easier for you if we packed up and left. It’s not that easy, Brandon. Hart’s Fall is where I grew up. My father has roots here also. This place has meaning to both of us. My mother was buried here.”

She glanced at him. He was stone silent. He had settled back in the chair, his eyes shrewd as if he was sitting through the calm before the storm. “Out with it.”

Danika drew up her shoulders, looked him square in the eyes and said point blank, “I came to ask you for a loan.”

He shot up out of his chair faster than she had ever seen anyone move. “You expect me to help fund your father’s company?”

“No. Nothing like that.” She arched her neck to meet his incredulous stare. “Can you please sit down? You’re making this twice as hard and embarrassing.”

“What exactly is this loan for if not to fund your father’s failing company?” He grudgingly hunkered down in his chair.

“The loan isn’t for him. It’s for me. Like I said, Dad is acting as if none of this is really happening. I’m the one who has to be levelheaded. I can’t sit back and pretend. There’s not enough money to spread around to all the creditors. As much as I love my job as a social worker, I don’t envision a pay raise in the near future and the stupid banks refuse to give me a loan.”

“They sound smart to me,” he muttered. “Still. You weren’t the one who got Prescott into this mess. Why should you have to go out of your way to fix it for him?”

“I’m not trying to
fix
anything. He’s my father. I have to help him.” She shrugged. “I mean, if you love someone you’re supposed to help them out right?”

Brandon remained silent for a spell. “How much money are we discussing for this
personal
loan?”

“Twenty thousand. It would be enough to cover the outstanding debt. We can write up a contract if you wish. But I swear it. I will pay you back.”

“Why me, Danika? Surely you couldn’t think I’d be so quick to lend a helping hand to the person who’s done nothing but go out of his way to throw stones at me.”

She twisted her hands on her lap. Of course he’d want a good reason. It wasn’t like they were friends. Heck he probably despised the blood running through her veins. All because of a stupid disagreement with her father. “You’re honorable. I- I-I know I can trust you with this.”

“Ye don’t say,” he replied, in a mocking tone. “And how did you come by that conclusion?”

She gritted her teeth. She wanted to call him out on speaking to her like a child, but held her tongue. “I heard them talking‌—‌your workers.”

“Were you sneaking about again?” He glared at her.

“No!” She cut her eyes at him. Honestly, did he have to bring up their first encounter all the time? The man had absolutely no finesse. “I was merely minding my own business. There were a bunch of them outside talking, not just your men too. Some of them were grumbling, but then I heard a couple of them from your ranch, mention that they had no complaints. They-they said you were the fairest boss they’d ever had and that you always paid them on time.”

He went silent again. Danika watched his brows furrow as his gaze lowered to her hands clasped on her lap. He glanced up, caught her watching him and the scowl came back into place. “How do plan on paying me back?” he asked suddenly, startling her. “You just confessed to not making enough money.”

“I thought about a part-time job after I put in my hours at the Family Services Center. There has to be some sort of payment plan we could agree on that would fit in with my salary. I won’t lie though, it might take more than a year for me to pay back the loan.”

He grunted, giving her a look of disinterest. “It’ll take you too long to pay me back. With interest added, I’m not sure if you’ll be able to make the payments at all.”

Her lips parted to mouth the word ‘oh’ in silence.

“You had to have considered it at some point.”

“I uh… I hadn’t thought of interest to be honest.”

“I know.” He relaxed in the chair, a chilling aura of confidence swirling in his eyes. “Explain to me again how you’ll manage to reimburse me such a large sum of money.”

Her entire frame slumped with defeat. “Now I just feel plain silly having told you all of that and coming all the way out here to ask for your assistance. You’re right, Brandon. Chances are I won’t be able to pay you back.” She stood, struck by another idea. “You wouldn’t happen to know anyone who’s hiring, do you? Or maybe you need an extra hand around the ranch?”

Brandon glowered, although his featured softened somewhat. “Sit down, Danika. Now who’s jumping to conclusions? I never said the loan was impossible.”

“You really think we can work out some type of payment plan?”

“I’ll give you the money. Have it transferred to wherever you’d like as long as you agree to repay me according to my terms.”

Danika frowned. He was too calm for her liking. She pressed her back into the cushion and tilted her head to the side. “
What,
may I be so bold as to ask, would those terms be?”

Brandon leveled his gaze to hers. “What do you think I mean? I can’t be the first man to show an interest in you,
Cailín
.”

The air in the room grew thin. It felt like someone had sucked all the oxygen from her blood. “You’re not. Only the first to be so...so…” God, she could barely think and she wanted so badly to tell him off.

“It doesn’t matter,” he said in an offhanded manner. “I am the first who can help you. That is the reason you came to me, correct? Or was I another stop on your way to beg some other man, since the banks are out of the question?”

“I don’t beg, Brandon. And I’m a hundred percent certain I made a horrible mistake today. I never should have come to you. Let’s just forget this conversation ever took place.”

Brandon anticipated her intent to leave the living room. He launched upright and snagged his palm around her wrist.

“Who else will you turn to?”

She wriggled in his grasp. His grip felt too tight, too strong, furious. “I don’t have anyone else, for your information. I don’t even know why I came to you in the first place, but one thing is for sure‌—‌I am
no
t going to whore myself to you, Brandon Sharpe. That will never happen. Now. Can you
please
let go of me?”

His grip loosened. The aura of confidence around him diminished the moment his hand fell to his side.
Good
. She really hated to see him like this, but he had it coming assuming she would be his whore.

“This has nothing to do with selling yourself to me. I never said that.”

She cocked a hand on her hip. “No? Because I could have sworn a minute ago you said something to that effect.”

“I know what I said. You don’t have to repeat it. I’m willing to give you the money, but I’ll change the terms.”

“To what?”

“I want you to marry me.”

Oh my God.
“Are you out of your mind?”

His jaw tautened. “I take it you’d rather do without the money.”

She had injured his pride. Drawing in a loud breath, she issued him a plaintive look. “Brandon, marriage isn’t something you throw out there like that at the drop of a hat. It’s a lifetime commitment. That’s how I view it. Also, are we forgetting the fact that you despise my father? I’m his daughter, so I assume by default you don’t have a great fondness for me either. Hmm, what else?” She tapped a finger to her chin. “Oh yeah. We barely know anything about each other. All you know about me is that I’m in a vulnerable position. I can’t marry you on those terms and I don’t see how you can be serious about something as important as making vows to each other.”

He straightened to his full six-feet-four-inch height and edged closer. Her head scarcely reached his wide shoulders. She considered backing up but thought better of it. “I’m going to ask you one last time. No games. You want that money? Marry me and it’s yours. Hand it over directly to your da, do whatever the hell you want with it. I don’t care.”

She searched his face. “Why are you saying this? It makes no sense why you’d be willing to enter into a permanent union with me, even if I’m to assume you’ll want your ‘husbandly rights’ in return. Tell me you’re not serious.”

“I’m waiting on your answer.”

Her mouth hung open. She blinked, then blinked again. He was actually serious! With an aching slowness, she slumped down into the sofa. “I don’t even know what to say.”

“A simple yes or no will do.”

Marry. Money. Dad. Her thoughts jumbled and toppled over one another. Me. Brandon’s wife. Brandon. Husband. Danika palmed her temple. She was losing it. She peeked at him. But God the man looked gruff. Unexpectedly her stomach did a somersault. She was truly lost. Giving a weak nod, Danika said, “All right. I’ll marry you.” His features betrayed nothing. In fact if his jaw hadn’t relaxed she wouldn’t have thought he cared one way or the other. “I want you to tell me however, just how long this marriage is supposed to last in your eyes. Will it be until you get tired of me? In with the new, out with old wife sort of thing. There’s very little in this for you, since love isn’t a factor in our agreement. If it’s a physical relationship you want, a woman who’s there to warm your bed at your convenience, you can get that from anyone else. There are so many women who—”

“Who what?” His very stance, arms folded, teeth gritted, dared her to continue. “I don’t need you to lie to me. Let’s not kid ourselves here. I’m not blind and if I were, those gasps alone would extinguish any misgivings I had about my appeal to the opposite sex if we want to be honest. As for how long, how about we take it one day at a time.”

“What will I tell my father? It’s going to come as a shock to him.”

“I can’t help you on that score. Just remind him that he’s not allowed within ten feet of my property unless he’s aching to find out what a cattle dog’s bite feels like.”

Danika gasped. “You expect me to cut off contact with my father after we get married?”

“I can’t stop you from seeing your da, but under no circumstances is he allowed on the Bar S. I assume part of this arrangement was so Prescott would have a roof over his head and not be slumming beneath a bridge near downtown Billings. I’m not a dictator, Danika. You can visit him wherever else you decide on, although we both know I don’t have a say in that now, do I?”

She continued to gawk at him then slowly shook her head in disbelief. “You just put it out there, don’t you? For a man who’s just asked me to be his wife, you’re not trying very hard to be charming. Not even a sweet nothing, Brandon?”

A flush of pink stained the top of his cheeks, visible above his beard. “You want me to say it in a sweeter tone that your father isn’t allowed over here?”

“That’s not necessary. You’ve made your point clear. But since we’re on the topic of you issuing dictates, I’d love to know here and now if you’re going to try to boss me around. That’s something I definitely won’t stand for.”

“You won’t have to worry about that with me. I don’t have any reason to bully women. Never have in m’entire life.”

There it was again. She canted her head. She didn’t fight the lazy smile that flitted about her lips. He saw her smile and his pinkened cheeks burned with a fire truck shade of red. He shifted his head and cleared his throat.

She clucked her tongue. “You’re blushing, Brandon. You really shouldn’t. I like your accent. Today is the first time, though, I’ve ever heard it so strong. Ireland, right?”

He nodded slowly. “I thought so.” Danika exclaimed, glad that at least he was no longer scowling. “It seems there’s a lot we have to get to know about each other then. If we’re going to be married I want you to get used to sharing things with me.”

A single firm nod was all he gave to indicate he had heard anything she had said. “Apart from Prescott, who else do you need to tell?”

Girlish laughter bubbled from her throat. “Who else‌—‌as in if there’s a man out there I need to inform and break his little ol’ heart?” She shook her head and laughed even harder. “Seriously, Brandon.
Now
you’re concerned if I have a boyfriend or not. I don’t know if I should be flattered or insulted by you.”

“Do you?”

“I’ll answer you if you answer me first. And please don’t jump down my throat again.”

His brows arched, so did hers, showing him she was dead serious. “All right,” Brandon relented on a long-suffering sigh.

“Are there any women I need to watch my back for? Yes, this
is
Hart’s Fall, middle of nowhere, Northwest. It’s quiet here and all, but I’m pretty much in the dark about your activities elsewhere, Irish.”

His eyes flickered for the briefest moment before a look of boredom took over his features.

“What I want to know is will I have to watch my back for any crazed-out chick coming after me, screaming that I stole her man?”

“There aren’t any women.”

“You promise?”

“I swear it.”

“Will it stay like that when we’re married? Even though it won’t be…”

“Even though it won’t be what? A real marriage? I assure you, it’ll be real enough.”

Her head shifted as she looked across the room for a fleeting moment. “ So…um, about your other question. No. I don’t have a boyfriend. There’s no one I’ll betray by marrying you. Also once we’re married, I want you to know I’ll be faithful to you. I’d like the same assurance from you that if you ever decide you’d rather be with someone else, or for whatever reason you no longer want to be with me, that I’ll have nothing but total honesty from you.”