Brazen (12 page)

Michael handed Nick the tumbler of bourbon he'd just
poured him as they settled in the study late that evening.

"So you are serious about this." Nick couldn't believe
what Michael had just revealed to him.

"Yes."

"You're really going to marry Casey Turner," Nick repeated.

"That's right." Michael took a deep drink of his liquor.

"What about Karen?"

Michael frowned as conflicting images of Casey and
the beautiful, sophisticated Karen played in his mind.
"What about her?"

"I thought you were serious about her, and I think she
thought so, too."

"I'm sure Karen won't have any trouble finding someone to replace me." Michael had enjoyed her company.
There had been a few times when he'd considered a
deeper relationship with the debutante, but not anymore.

"This should prove to be very interesting," Nick said
with a smile. He lifted his glass in a toast. "Here's to you
and your future bride."

"Will you stay and be my best man?"

"I'd be honored. I wouldn't miss this wedding for the
world."

Nick was tempted to ask his cousin if he thought Casey
would wear her pants to their wedding, but he didn't. He
actually found he was impressed by Michael's determination to do whatever was necessary to help his family.

Considering how Michael had reacted when he'd seen
Casey in town when they'd first arrived in Hard Luck, Nick
knew their relationship was going to be tumultuous and
challenging.

He silently wished his cousin luck.

He had a feeling Michael was going to need it where
Casey was concerned.

Jack didn't sleep all night. Restless and troubled, he lay
awake for long hours alternately anticipating and dreading the day to come. Soon he would know what the future
held for Casey and the Bar T.

In the solitary darkness, Jack silently offered up a
prayer that his health wouldn't fail him until he'd seen
that everything had been taken care of. When the eastern
sky finally began to brighten with the coming dawn, he
gave up trying to rest and got up. He knew it was going
to be a long day as he waited for word from the Donovans.

It was late morning when Jack saw the rider coming in
and recognized him as David Martinez, one of the men
from the Circle D.He went outside to meet him.

"Morning," Jack greeted him.

"Mr. Donovan sent me over with this." The ranch hand held out an envelope to him without dismounting. "I'm
supposed to wait for your answer."

"All right." Jack quickly opened the letter and read it.

Jack,

Michael and I would like to meet with you this af=ternoon.

He has agreed to your terms.

Be here at one o'clock.

Frank

Jack looked up at David and nodded. "Tell your boss we'll be there."

"I'll let him know."

When he'd gone, Jack went to find Casey.

Casey never openly admitted to any weakness, but the
sight of the Circle D ranch house sent a chill through her
and left her wanting to run in the opposite direction.

She controlled the desire with an effort.

She had to be strong.

She couldn't run away.

The Bar T's very existence depended upon her.

"Are you sure Michael has agreed to go through with
the marriage?" Casey asked her father as she sat next to
him on the driver's bench of the buckboard.

"Frank Donovan wouldn't have arranged this meeting
with us if he hadn't," Jack answered, casting her a sidelong glance.

Casey was dressed in her usual work clothes pants,
shirt and boots. He'd wanted her to put on a dress, but
she'd refused. She'd told him Michael was just going to have to accept her for who she was. She had no intention
of changing her ways to please him.

"Isn't there any other way we can save the ranch?"
Casey already knew the answer, but she had to ask.

"No."

Casey drew a deep breath and unconsciously squared
her shoulders as her father slowed the buckboard before
the Donovan house.

"They're here," Elizabeth said as she looked out the parlor
window and saw Jack and Cassandra Turner pulling up
out front.

"Good," Frank said.

He was in the parlor for the first time since he'd been
shot. Though it had been humiliating, he had allowed
Michael and Nick to carry him downstairs. Frank hated
being dependent on others, but he knew he was going to
have to come to accept it. He knew, too, that just because
his legs had stopped working didn't mean his brain had
stopped. Mentally, he was as sharp as ever; he would have
to be to deal with Jack Turner.

"Are you ready for this, Michael?" Elizabeth looked at
her son. He was standing stiffly across the room from her.

"I have to be. I don't have a choice."

There was a hint of bitterness in his tone, but Elizabeth
knew there was no helping it.

"Where's Nick?" she asked.

"He went down to the stable. He said he'd stay away
until we were finished."

"All right." She smiled slightly. "Then let's greet our
guests, shall we?"

Ever the lady, Elizabeth went to welcome her future
daughter-in-law and her father. The thought amazed her,
for in all her wildest imaginings about whom Michael
might marry, she'd never, ever considered it would be
Cassandra Turner.

"Good afternoon. Come on in," Elizabeth said as she
opened the door and held it wide for them to enter.

"Thanks." Jack ushered the reluctant Casey inside.

"Hello, Cassandra," Elizabeth said, smiling cordially.

"Mrs. Donovan," Casey returned. It felt funny to be
called by her real name. Her mother had been the only
one who'd ever called her Cassandra.

Elizabeth discreetly looked Cassandra over as she
moved past her. She tried not to be judgmental as she
studied her pants and work shirt and scuffed boots.
Though Elizabeth thought the girl looked entirely too
mannish, she could see the potential in her. With the right
touch, Cassandra could be lovely, and Elizabeth made
up her mind to be the one who offered her that "right
touch." She knew Cassandra had had no feminine influence in her life for quite a few years now, and she decided
it was time. Quietly and happily resolved to transform
Cassandra into the woman she was certain she could be,
Elizabeth closed the door behind them.

"Frank and Michael are waiting for us in the parlor,"
she directed, guiding them down the hall.

Casey was as ready as she would ever be to face Mi chael. She lifted her head and proudly followed her father
and Mrs. Donovan into the parlor.

"Hello, Casey Jack," Frank said.

Mr. Donovan," Casey greeted him and then looked
around for Michael.

Her first sight of Michael standing by the mantel, his
dark-eyed gaze upon her, sent a startling jolt of awareness
through Casey. This man bore no resemblance to the
dandy she'd seen in town. The Eastern gent in his fancy
suit was gone, vanished as if he'd never existed, and in
his place was a man who appeared to be every bit the
successful rancher. Tall and broad-shouldered, dressed
in traditional Western gear, Michael had an aura of confidence and command about him. As much as Casey
hated to admit it, she supposed Michael was handsomin a rugged sort of way.

"Hello, Michael," Casey managed, struggling to keep
her tone nonchalant.

"Casey," he returned without emotion, looking her up
and down.

Casey had had men look her over before, and it had
never bothered her until now.

This time was different.

For the first time, she was aware of her state of dress,
and it troubled her. She gave a slight lift of her chin in
defiance of her own reaction. She told herself it didn't
matter what Michael thought of her. It only mattered that
he marry her.

"Please, have a seat," Elizabeth invited.

Jack and Casey sat down on the sofa, while Elizabeth
took a chair near her husband's.

Michael remained standing.

"I've spoken with Michael," Frank began, broaching the
subject straight on.

"And I take it he agreed to my deal, or we wouldn't be
here?" Jack finished. He looked to Michael for confirmation.

"That's right." Michael met his gaze straight on as he
answered in a voice completely devoid of emotion, "I'll
many Casey."

A powerful sense of relief filled Jack. "Good. You won't
be sorry."

"I hope not," Michael said. "But how does Casey feel
about this arrangement?"

"I'll do whatever I have to, to protect the Bar T," she
answered.

Michael thought she sounded as if she were offering
herself up as a sacrifice. Not that he'd expected anything
else from her. They had never gotten along, and there
was no reason for them to start now. He just wondered
how they were going to make a marriage work when neither of them wanted it.

"How soon can the wedding take place?" Jack asked.

"We'll need at least a month to plan everything," Elizabeth said firmly.

"A month? Why wait that long?" Jack wanted to get the
bank loan paid off as quickly as he could so that worry
would be behind him. "They can elope. They can go to
the justice of the peace right now tonight."

"No." Elizabeth was adamant. "If we're going to do this,
we're going to do it right. It's going to be a church wedding. We have to speak with Reverend Harris and make
arrangements."

"All right," Jack said, giving in. "One month it is."

"Good. That's settled." Frank was satisfied. "As soon as
they take their vows, I'll arrange for the payment to the
bank. Then we'll see about changing the title to the land
and"

"Wait," Jack interrupted. "There is one thing I insist on."

The Donovans looked at him warily.

"This wedding will unite the two ranches to the benefit
of us all, but I want it understood from the beginning that
Casey will retain title to the Bar T."

"What? You didn't say a word about that before," Frank
said, shocked. "Why?"

"I'll tell you why, Frank Donovan." Jack might have
made a deal with the man, but that didn't mean all those
years of distrust were suddenly forgotten. "What's to stop
your boy here from divorcing Casey just as soon as he
gets the title to the Bar T? I know you only agreed to do
this to get my land."

"We've made a deal," Frank told him. "I'm a man of my
word. What about you? Once I save your ass by paying
off your debts, what's to stop you and your daughter from
cutting off my water just like you say McQueen would?"

"I've never cut you off before, why would I start now?"
Jack demanded.

The two adversaries eyed each other skeptically.

"All right," Frank finally relented. "Let's shake on it."

For the first time, the two men shook hands in good
faith as Elizabeth, Michael and Casey watched.

Casey wasn't sure what to feel as she looked on. It seemed
as if her life had just been taken away from her. The only
thing she had to cling to was the knowledge that she was
saving the ranch and after her father, the Bar T was the
most important thing in her life.

Michael wondered how his life had come to this. Just a
short time before, he'd been in Philadelphia, getting
ready to travel to Europe.

And now

Now he was going to marry Casey Turner.

Casey Turner?

For a fleeting instant, he almost wished he and Nick
had sailed for Europe, but as quickly as the thought came,
he grew angry with himself.

His father needed him.

There was nothing more important than family.

He would do what he had to do to make sure the Circle
D continued to prosper.

"This will work out fine, you'll see." Elizabeth could sense
the uneasiness in the room, and she tried to reassure
everyone. She looked at Cassandra. "I guess the first thing
we have to decide is where you and Michael are going
to live after the wedding."

"Do we really have to live together?" Casey asked,
glancing nervously toward Michael.

"You're getting married," Elizabeth pointed out.

"But this is an arranged marriage," she argued. "I
thought I'd stay at home with my pa."

"And you'll need me here," Michael said to his mother,
not the least bit put off by Casey's suggestion that they
live apart.

"My marriage to your father was arranged," Elizabeth
offered, although she doubted the knowledge would be
much consolation to either of them.

"What?" Michael was startled by the news.

"Oh, yes. Your father and I barely knew each other
when we got married, but it's worked out fine, hasn't it,
Frank?" She smiled warmly at her husband.

"Yes, it has," Frank agreed.

"And, Michael, if we hadn't lived together after our marriage, how would you have gotten here?" she asked her
son, her eyes twinkling in good humor.

"Mother--" Michael was uncomfortable with the direction of the conversation.

Casey, too, was all but squirming over their discussion.
She hadn't come to grips yet with the knowledge that
she'd be living with Michael, let alone making love with
him. She shivered at the thought, then glanced his way
to see his scowling expression. It was obvious he was just
as put off by the idea as she was.