Barbara Dunlop - His Convenient Virgin Bride

“He was out of line,” he told Royce.

Royce gave a thoughtful nod. “I know how that goes.”

Alec wasn’t sure what Royce was getting at. Was he annoyed because Alec had gone after one of their stable clients?

“What did he do?” asked Royce.

He touched her cheek? He touched her hair? Both of those things sounded lame when they were out of context. “None of your business,” said Alec.

“Then, tell me something.” Royce turned away to watch the Ryder crew, prepping the trailer, widening his stance, stuffing his hands into the front pockets of his blue jeans.

Alec followed his line of vision to where Stephanie was coiling a lead rope. Wesley was packing up the ramps in preparation to leave.

“About my sister.” Royce continued, tone thoughtful. “Would you shoot any guy who touched her?”

“In a heartbeat,” said Alec.

Royce clicked his cheek. “That’s how it starts.”

It wasn’t exactly a trick question. “Name one guy who wouldn’t?”

Royce turned back to Alec. “So, I take it you’re going with Plan A.”

“Plan A?”

“The one where you make her fall in love with you.”

“I’m not going with Plan A.” Plan A was fraught with peril.

Then again, he wasn’t going with Plan B, either-the one where he disappeared from her life for months at a time.

He hadn’t come up with any plan that seemed workable under the circumstance.

“I’m going to say goodbye,” he told Royce. Then he left him behind, crossing the small chunk of parking lot that brought him to Stephanie.

“We’re about ready to take off,” she informed him as he approached, smiling openly, her face scrubbed fresh, her auburn hair flowing in the wind.

“Are you sure you wouldn’t rather fly?”

She cocked her head. “Didn’t we already have this debate?”

“I wasn’t happy with the outcome.”

“I’m staying with Blanchard’s Run. I’m going to protect your investment.”

But his investment wasn’t the most valuable thing involved in this package. “You hired his personal groom to take care of him.”

“I’m driving to Montana, Alec.” Her expression sobered, and her clear blue eyes reflected the gathering clouds. “What about you?”

“Back to Chicago.”

She nodded, and her smile came back. It looked a little forced to him, but he couldn’t be sure.

“For a week,” he elaborated, watching her closely. “Then I’m coming to Montana.”

She sobered then swallowed.

“My report will be ready.”

“Oh. Right.” She gave a little laugh. “Of course.”

He wanted to say more. He wanted to tell her he was coming for her, not for the damn report. He wanted to tell her they would work this out, that he was falling fast and hard for her, and he was having trouble picturing his life without her.

But it was too soon. And he couldn’t risk hurting her. He had no idea how she felt. And half a dozen people were watching them.

He should have asked her last night. But, the truth was, he was afraid of her answer. She’d told Wesley it was a marriage of convenience. And it was. And it might never be anything else.

“See you in Montana?” he asked.

She nodded. See you in Montana.

Stephanie wished she’d had at least five minutes alone with Alec before the meeting convened around the dining room table at the main ranch house. She’s been on the road for days, arriving home last night with Blanchard’s Run. Her cell phone conversations with Alec had been sporadic and brief during the long stretches of isolated highway. And there’d been little privacy for evening conversations, since she was sharing motel rooms with the female groom.

She missed him. And she was beginning to doubt her memories. She’d tried to cling to the intimacy they’d shared in Kentucky, but as the days rolled by, she began to fear she’d imagined it.

She’d wanted to talk to him alone before the meeting, but his plane had been late. It was raining hard. And her truck got stuck in the mud on the way down the hill from her place in a pocket where there was no cell signal.

She was the last to arrive. She was wet through to her underwear. Her hair was stringy, and mud caked her boots. Her shower had been a waste of time, and the makeup she’d applied after lunch was long gone. So much for hoping Alec might find her attractive.

“There you are,” said Royce as she kicked off her boots in the front hallway.

“Got stuck on Moss Hill,” she explained, swiping her hands over her riotous hair, hoping against hope she didn’t have mascara running down her cheeks.

“Just got here myself,” McQuestin put in, in an obvious attempt to make her feel better.

Stephanie’s gaze skipped around the long, rectangular table, Jared, Melissa, Royce, Amber, McQuestin, ah, finally, Alec at one end. The last time she’d seen him here was their wedding. And she couldn’t quite contain her smile. He looked so good, immaculate suit, fresh shave, trimmed hair.

He smiled back and gave her a nod, but something about him seemed reserved.

She quickly schooled her features, taking an empty chair halfway down one side.

“Are we ready?” asked Jared where he was positioned at the other end of the table.

There were several nods.

“Then let me start by thanking Alec for his hard work. We know this won’t be easy. And we understand we’re not going to like everything you have to recommend. But I’d like to say on behalf of my family, that we’ll take a serious look at all of your suggestions.”

Alec nodded his head in acknowledgment. “I appreciate that, Jared.” He shuffled a stack of papers in front of him. “Perhaps I’ll start with the ranch.” He looked to McQuestin. “The cattle operation has lost money for several years in a row.”

McQuestin screwed up his weathered face, narrowing his eyes.

“However,” Alec continued. “Beef prices are on the rise. While land values are at a low. So selling doesn’t make sense-”

“’Course it doesn’t,” said McQuestin.

“With some streamlining to management,” Alec continued, “the ranch ought to be able to break even.”

“Streamlining?” McQuestin challenged.

“You’ve stopped paying the blackmail, for starters,” said Alec. “And best practices have come a long way in the past thirty years. I’d suggest hiring an agricultural studies grad and-”

“An academic?” McQuestin spat.

“McQuestin,” Jared warned. “We said we’d listen.”

But Alec was smiling. “Unless you’d like to enroll in college yourself.”

McQuestin’s bushy brows went up, while everyone else tittered with laughter.

“The details are in my report.” Alec flipped a page. “On to the real estate division. As I’m sure you’re all aware, it’s had the highest profitability for the past few years. But that’s about to be challenged. Rental rates are on a downward trend in Chicago, and vacancies are expected to rise.”

Stephanie glanced at Jared, but his expression gave away nothing.

“You have a couple of choices there,” said Alec. “Ride it out, or sell off either or both of the Maple Street and industrial properties. I’d absolutely recommend keeping everything you’ve got in the downtown core. When the market recovers, that will go up first.”

Jared nodded, but didn’t venture an opinion.

“Windy City Bizz magazine,” said Alec. “Sell that puppy just as fast as you can.”

Royce sat up straight. “No. That’s Amber’s-”

“No, Royce.” Amber put her hand on his shoulder. “You should sell it.”

“There’s no saving print publications,” said Alec. “Particularly periodicals.”

Stephanie drew a sigh, gauging Amber’s expression. She looked sad, but not hugely upset. Stephanie, on the other hand, was getting more uncomfortable by the minute.

Ryder International had been a strong and growing company for as long as she could remember. Jared was an amazing entrepreneur, and Royce seemed to excel at acquisitions. She couldn’t quite believe they were in this much trouble.

“What about the jet?” asked Royce, tension evident around his mouth.

“You’re going to need it,” said Alec. “I know it feels like an indulgence, but you’ve got interests in half a dozen states. You need to be mobile.”

Amber gave Royce’s arm a squeeze.

“On the legal issues with your father’s will.” Alec’s gaze flicked to Stephanie for a split second. “I’d recommend vesting Stephanie with nonvoting shares.”

Stephanie was sure she couldn’t have heard right.

“She doesn’t have time to pay attention to the corporate issues-”

“Wait a minute,” Stephanie blurted out. She glanced from Jared to Royce, and then to Alec. “You don’t want me to vote?”

“I don’t want you to have to vote. There are a myriad of things that you-”

“How is that different?” What was the matter with him? How could he have blindsided her like that?

He directed his next words to Jared. “You and Royce should have an equal partnership. Frame up a dispute resolution process if necessary, but don’t make Stephanie the swing vote.”

“Wait a minute,” Stephanie shouted.

Jared shot her a look. “We’ll give it some thought.”

“How can you-”

“Stephanie,” Jared warned. “We can discuss it later.”

She compressed her lips then turned her cold glare from Jared to Alec. “It’s a stupid idea.”

“Steph,” Royce put in kindly. “You can convince us of that later.”

“Fine,” she huffed. Her brothers would never go for it anyway. She might only be a half sister, but they loved her. They wouldn’t strip away her power for no reason. What was wrong with Alec? What could have changed between the time he bought her Blanchard’s Run and now?

“High tech is the future,” said Alec. “I wouldn’t recommend selling, but you might want to look at some international licensing deals. You can maximize your sales without growing the division to an unwieldy size.”

Nobody answered to that.

“On sports and culture.” Alec flipped a page in front of him. “I’d suggest standing pat.”

Stephanie blew out a sigh. It wasn’t relief. It was, well, okay, it was relief.

“Except for the jumping stable.”

She stilled, feeling all gazes land on her.

“It’s a cash drain, and there’s no end in sight.” He looked up, taking Stephanie in along with everyone else, pausing no longer, no shorter on her stunned expression than on any of the others. “You need to sell off the entire operation. The sooner the better.”

Stephanie found her voice. “Wait just a-”

“May I please finish?” he cut in.

“No, you may not finish. You’ve just recommended selling something that I spent half my life-”

“Stephanie-”

“-building!” She came to her feet.

“I don’t expect you to-”

“How could you do this?”

“Will you have a little faith?”

“No. I will not.” She rapped her knuckles down on the polished tabletop. “Is there any part of my life you’re not planning to destroy?”

Alec’s lips compressed, eyes darkening to pinpoints.

Stephanie turned on Jared. “Since I have no voting privileges, I guess you two can do whatever you want. But I’m not going to sit around and listen to this guy pick over our family like a vulture.”

“Stephanie,” Royce tried.

“No!” She turned on her second brother, backing up, scraping her chair legs against the wood floor as she pushed it out of the way. Then she pivoted on her stocking feet and stalked for the door, grabbing her muddy boots on the way out.

“Excuse me,” Alec’s voice intoned to the group behind her as she slammed the door.

She quickly stuffed her foot into the first boot. Then hopped in place on the porch as she struggled with the other.

The door opened and Alec stepped out. “What the hell is the matter with you?”

“With me? With me?” She rammed her foot down to the sole, straightening and flipping her hair over her shoulder. “You’re the one out to destroy my life.”

He folded his arms over his chest. “You are rushing to preposterous conclusions.”

She leaned in. “Tell me one thing, Alec. Why did you buy me Blanchard’s Run?”

“Why do you think I bought you Blanchard’s Run?”

She gave the only plausible answer she’d come up with. “Because you felt guilty.”

“It was not guilt.”

“Why then?” she rattled on. “So I’d sleep with you?”

He sputtered out a cold laugh. “Yeah, right.”

She forced a note of contempt into her voice. “Well, congratulations, Alec. It worked. I slept with you because you bought me a horse.”

“No, you didn’t.”

“Oh, yes, I did.” She glared straight at him, and his eyes flickered with uncertainty.

“What?” she asked sarcastically. “Did you think I’d fallen for your good looks, wit and charm? Think again, Alec. I wanted the horse. You got me the horse. I figured I owed you. And since we’d done it once already-”