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  Strength and determination surged through Rhianna. She was ready to put this entire incident behind her. She needed to move on with her life. And she’d do whatever she must to protect her daughter and herself.

  The senator and Tyler left, and a minute later, Duncan entered her room. He seemed a bit bewildered by the baby things, but strode straight to her side and placed a vase of white roses on her nightstand. Rhianna didn’t say a word. She just sat holding her daughter, protected by Rafe’s presence, and waited to hear whatever Duncan had to say.

  When Duncan turned to Rafe first, somehow she wasn’t surprised. Another man might have said something about the baby or congratulated her on the birth.

  Duncan always took care of business first. “Could we have some privacy?”

  Rafe folded his arms across his chest. “I’m afraid that’s not possible right now.”

  Duncan hadn’t reached the pinnacle of success in his career without the ability to read men. Clearly Rafe didn’t intend to budge from her room. Accepting he had no control over the situation, Duncan simply made the best of the opportunity he’d been given. “I see.” With that he turned his back on Rafe and spoke softly to Rhianna. “I’m sorry we quarreled.”

  “We didn’t just have a little spat, Duncan. You called me a thief in front of my family and friends.”

  “I was upset. That night you wouldn’t look at me, you only had eyes for Rafe.”

  Had she been that obvious? Had Duncan lashed out at her because he’d been hurt? But she’d already turned down his marriage proposal at that point. Suddenly she recalled the senator’s opinion about how men like Duncan didn’t take no for an answer. Maybe he’d thought she’d been playing a game. Maybe he’d become unglued by not getting what he wanted. Had he really not understood she’d been serious about her refusal?

  Duncan suddenly dropped to one knee beside her bed. He dug into his pocket and pulled out a jewelry box from Biddle and Baines. He opened the box and the same obscenely large diamond he’d offered her before winked at her. “Marry me, Rhianna. I love you.”

  “I’m sorry, Duncan.” Rhianna looked down at Allison. “I have a daughter now.”

  “I’ll adopt her. We’ll find her a nanny. Send her to the best boarding schools. She needn’t interfere with our lives.”

  “That’s not good enough for my daughter,” Rafe interrupted softly, but with an edge of steel beneath his words.

  “I’m offering more than you are,” Duncan said, his voice surprisingly reasonable. “I’ll marry her. Make the baby legitimate. Give her my name.”

  “She already has a name,” Rafe murmured, “Allison Joanne Sutton.”

  “Sutton?” Rhianna couldn’t contain her gasp of surprise. Rafe had taken care of the birth certificate while she’d been checked over by the doctor in the hospital. Rafe had known she’d planned to name the baby Allison Joanne McCloud—so mother and daughter would have the same last name. At Rafe’s arrogance, her anger blossomed. “How dare you go against my wishes?”

  “She’s my daughter,” Rafe said simply, as if daring her to contest that fact.

  “But—”

  “It doesn’t matter,” Duncan interrupted. “Its name can be changed.”

  It? Duncan was calling her beautiful little girl it? And Rafe, damn him, had made everything more complicated by going against her wishes and naming himself as father on Allison’s birth certificate.

  Men! Right now Rhianna wanted to scream at both of them. She’d like nothing better that to knock their two stubborn heads together.

  But before she could say a word, Duncan stood and faced Rafe. “Judge Stuart told me you mortgaged the ranch. You could lose everything your family’s worked for.”

  Rafe’s eyes narrowed to two slits of masculine determination. “We’ll make the payments.”

  “Maybe. But why struggle? If Rhianna agrees to marry me, then I’ll pay off your debt. We’ll call it a dowry.”

  Rafe cocked his chin at a stubborn angle. “No. Suttons pay their own debts.”

  Duncan ignored Rafe and stood over Rhianna. “Do you want the Suttons to lose this place because of you? Marry me, Rhianna, and the nightmare will go away.”

  Rhianna didn’t like Duncan’s veiled threats. She didn’t like his bullying words delivered in a tone so soft he reminded her of a rattlesnake about to strike. This icy side of Duncan was one she hadn’t seen before. He came bearing gifts of diamond rings and flowers, promising to wipe away her debt to the Suttons, but an icy chill stole over her heart. Duncan didn’t love her. He just didn’t like to lose. She wondered if he was capable of love.

  She wouldn’t accept his proposal. And yet he’d said the Suttons might not be able to repay the loan. Her refusal could cost Rafe’s family all they held dear, their legacy.

  Duncan took her hand, and she felt nothing. “I’ll give you a month, Rhianna. One month to become my bride.”

  She didn’t answer. Couldn’t say a word. Her throat clogged over the huge lump of anger there.

  Rafe stepped between Duncan and Rhianna. He snapped the jewelry box shut and stuffed it into Duncan’s front pocket. “I believe you’ve overstayed your welcome. But would you mind telling me where the jewelry box came from?”

  “I ordered another to replace the one I crushed.”

  Duncan walked out the door, speaking over his shoulder. “Come to me soon, Rhianna.”

  Duncan had given her a lot to think about. His words lingered in her mind for weeks after he was gone.

  TWO WEEKS LATER, Rhianna felt back to her old self, if not her old shape. Her shirts were still a bit too tight across the bust and her tummy not quite as tight as before. Yet she didn’t mind. How could she when she had a wonderful baby for her efforts?

  In just two weeks, Allison had learned to turn her head at the sound of Rhianna’s or Rafe’s voice. She could hold up her head and look curiously at the world. And her blue eyes had started to darken to Sutton gray.

  Rhianna enjoyed taking her on strolls around the house and barn, carrying the baby in a pack, snuggled against her chest. Although she felt safe on Sutton land, Rhianna never traveled farther than shouting distance, keeping Allison’s safety in mind.

  Duncan may not have been threatening Rhianna during his visit, but she didn’t trust him. He’d gone out of his way to pry into her business. And his offer to pay off the Sutton debt if she married him was like some kind of deal made in the Dark Ages. Rhianna wasn’t property for men to bargain over.

  To Rafe’s credit, he’d never mentioned Duncan’s offer again. But she knew he worried over his family’s ability to repay the loan. Tyler and Rafe had been speaking quietly once, but she’d overheard their plans. Something about an early roundup, cattle prices and selling an art collection.

  She hated the position she’d put the Suttons in. Felt guilty that they could lose this wonderful ranch due to her troubles.

  Not one of the Suttons had pried into her and Rafe’s private affairs. No one had made her feel uncomfortable because she and Rafe weren’t married. They’d simply included her because she was the mother of Rafe’s child. Their generosity astounded her. Their courage made her want to do everything possible to help. But what could she do?

  Rhianna cuddled Allison and walked toward the barn. Several voices pulled her from her deep thoughts.

  She looked up as she entered the stable, breathed in the scent of fresh manure, feed and hay. At home she always had to let her eyes adjust to a dimly lit interior. But this stable had high windows to let in sunshine, and she spotted Rafe talking to a man and woman.

  As she strolled with the baby down the wide center isle, Rhianna paused and patted several of Rafe’s animals, which stuck out curious noses as she passed. Rafe had quite a collection. She admired a pretty sorrel, the mare’s freshly groomed coat a rich mahogany red. A spectacular gray with a white blaze on his forehead nickered softly in greeting. She scratched behind his ears but kept walking toward Rafe.

  Allison perked
up at the sound of her father’s voice. Rafe swore she smiled when she saw him, and Rhianna teased him that it was simply gas.

  As Rhianna moved closer, she recognized Janet and Hal Stone. Janet wore designer jeans and a scarlet riding jacket that matched her alligator boots. Hal was dressed more simply in a black studded shirt with silver fringe, and black jeans.

  Janet smiled brightly as Rhianna approached with Allison. “Ohh, look at the little darling. May I hold the baby?”

  Rhianna eyed Janet’s jacket doubtfully. “She just ate. She might spit up….”

  “So what?” Janet cooed and reached for Allison. “I adore babies.”

  Hal rolled his eyes at the roof. Rafe simply grinned with pride and said, “I’m looking for a pony for her.”

  Rhianna shook her head. “She can’t even sit up yet.”

  “But she likes horses.” Rafe pointed his thumb into the stall. “See how she watches that pinto?”

  “She’ll watch anything that moves,” Rhianna argued, unwilling to admit that her daughter already seemed to have an affinity for horses.

  The two couples strolled past the stalls where Rafe kept his one-year-olds, the first horses that he’d bred to build the Suttons’ reputation. A sleek black foal with an intelligent light in his eyes and long shapely legs tossed his head.

  Hal stopped and rested one booted foot on the rail to watch the black frolic. “I like the looks of him. What do you think, Janet?”

  Rhianna looked from Rafe to Hal, puzzled. The men were talking as if Hal wanted to make a purchase. Yet she knew Rafe didn’t plan to sell any of his foals. Why wasn’t Rafe asking Hal and Janet who might have kidnapped and left her in their guest cabin? What was going on?

  “I think we need a baby like Allison,” Janet responded to her husband, without looking at the foal. She cooed in Allison’s ear, and the baby waved her hands at Janet’s blond hair, seemingly fascinated.

  “Come on, Janet. Look at the black. You’re a great judge of horseflesh.” Hal turned to Rafe with a grin. “Shame on you. You called Rhianna and the baby out here to distract my wife, didn’t you?”

  Rafe looked pleased. “Yeah. Allison’s my secret weapon. With her deep red hair, she’s bound to be a beauty like her mother.”

  Rhianna heated at Rafe’s compliment, but she couldn’t help wondering if he was trying to distract her from the business at hand. “Are you selling the black?”

  “If Hal wants to buy,” Rafe said, holding her eyes with a look that pleaded with her not to argue.

  All of a sudden Rafe’s reason for selling his precious foal hit her like a slap in the face. Selling the art and the cattle must mean that they hadn’t raised enough cash to pay back the loan. He needed the money!

  Accustomed to thinking of Rafe as rich, she hadn’t realized that due to the huge mortgage on the ranch, he might have to raise money to meet the mortgage. His having to sell the horse was her fault.

  She knew how much the stable meant to him. This magnificent black was the result of careful breeding and hours of work. Yet Rafe stood there nonchalantly, dickering over a price as if the sale meant nothing to him other than a business transaction.

  Rhianna’s throat clogged with tears. The reality suddenly sank in. The loan payments must be gigantic. From her window, she’d seen the extra hands come looking for work in anticipation of a giant roundup. Cattle and horses would be sold in hopes the land payments could be made. Because Rafe had paid the ransom, the entire Sutton family would have to turn hard-earned assets into cash.

  After Rafe completed the deal and the Stones had departed, Rhianna walked with Rafe back to the house. As if sensing her sadness, Rafe slung an arm over her shoulders. “It’s okay. I was going to sell the horse anyway. It just happened a year earlier than I’d planned.”

  “I’m sorry.”

  “It’s not your fault.”

  “But—”

  “We’re going to be just fine. Hal may come back and buy a filly or two.”

  Rhianna sighed at Rafe’s gallantry. “The Stones are profiting from our problems.”

  “That’s just business.”

  “Is it?” Rhianna wondered, feeling sick at heart. If Rafe had to sell his horses to make the payments, it was only fair that the McClouds help out. But at the idea of selling Sweetness, she barely held back tears.

  Still, she vowed to speak with her father soon.

  Chapter Eight

  Allison Joanne Sutton was six weeks old now, and the first monthly payment to Judge Stuart had been made with the proceeds from the sale of Rafe’s foal. Rafe had thought he would mind losing the foal more than he did, but his thoughts tended to dwell on his new daughter and the woman living with him, instead.

  Rhianna’s cheeks glowed with vitality, and her eyes sparkled with love every time she looked at their daughter. Before he could shut down the thought, Rafe found himself wishing Rhianna would look at him like that. He wondered if she’d ever relax from the exceedingly polite mode with which they treated each other recently—like courteous strangers instead of one-time lovers. He hadn’t yet dared to change the conversation from small talk to other matters, fearing they would argue, that Rhianna would take the baby and leave.

  Ever since Duncan Phillips had made his despicable offer, Rafe had known that he wouldn’t willingly let Rhianna go. But when she’d seemed content to stay with him, he’d simply enjoyed her presence, unwilling to rock the boat.

  Around his family, Rhianna was open, but with him she chose her words more carefully. She’d reined in her spontaneous reactions, lassoed her temper and withdrawn her spirited nature.

  Despite her air of reserve, she seemed to have fully recovered from the ordeal of childbirth. Rafe wished he could say the same. Seeing his daughter’s birth had branded him in inexplicable ways. Ways he neither understood nor liked.

  Time and again, he found himself thinking of Rhianna, Allison and himself as a family unit. The bonding that had begun the night he and Rhianna had conceived Allison had strengthened with the time they’d spent together. Allison’s birth cemented that bond in every way but one. Rafe had yet to make the connection legal.

  As Rhianna walked beside him, the baby strapped to her chest, he warned himself that relationships weren’t static. They either dissolved or fused, and if he kept on the path he now walked, he could lose Rhianna and Allison. Right this moment, he should reach out, take both of his women into his arms and tell them how he felt. But he never seemed to have the words to describe the emotions roiling inside him. He kept thinking the churning would stop and he would develop a clear fix on things. But it never happened.

  He sensed Rhianna waiting for him to set his hat on straight. But making plans that included a family frightened Rafe on a level he couldn’t identify. In fact, he’d never really tried. He’d always known he would remain a bachelor. He wasn’t afraid of commitment, he’d just never contemplated having a family. While the thought of sharing his life with Rhianna and Allison gave him pleasure, he was happy with his life as it was.

  Although Rhianna seemed content right now, he knew without doubt she wouldn’t be for long. Once the danger was over, she’d leave with Allison, whether he liked it or not.

  And yet he couldn’t settle on a path that would take him forward. He couldn’t move past the here and now to get to there and then. And he didn’t know why. He just knew every time he thought about making any permanent plans with Rhianna, a coldness burned in his chest and his mouth turned so dry he couldn’t swallow.

  But some secrets he’d kept from Rhianna long enough. He just didn’t know how to start sharing them. He’d saddled the horses and asked the senator’s cook to pack them a picnic basket. Maybe once they rode out across the land, the constrictions between head and heart would ease.

  Rhianna seemed to sense he had a lot on his mind, giving him several thoughtful glances but not asking any questions. He cupped his hands to boost her up, and she swung into the saddle with effortless grace. Allison, thumb
in her mouth, looked around, secure in the pack Rhianna wore against her chest.

  “Stirrups okay?”

  Rhianna tested the length and nodded. “It’s good to be on a horse again.”

  Rafe removed a camera from his pocket and snapped a picture of mother and daughter. This winter during a slack time, he would pull out the photographs and try to make sketches. “I want to record Allison’s first horseback ride.”

  “Along with her first bath, her first smile—”

  “You said that smile was gas.”

  Rhianna tossed a lock of auburn hair over her shoulder, a brief smile on her lips. “I might have been wrong.”

  As they rode out of the barn into sunlight, Rhianna’s hair changed from dark auburn to a fiery red. She adjusted Allison’s hat to protect the baby’s eyes from the glare, but tipped up her own face to drink in the sunshine.

  “I haven’t been outside enough.”

  Rafe could let her talk about the glorious spring weather, a nice safe subject, or he could ease the conversation toward where he needed it to go. After they’d ridden a few miles through green pastures filled with grazing cattle, he still couldn’t think of a way to “ease” into the subject, yet feared blurting out his news would destroy any trust she’d started to feel.

  Rhianna glanced at him sideways. “Well?”

  “Well what?”

  “Something’s eating at you. You going to spit it out or let it poison you?”

  “Are you a mind reader?”

  “Stop procrastinating and get to the point,” she insisted. She braced her shoulders and tipped up her chin. “There’s been no sign of trouble for weeks. If you’re anxious to be rid of us, it’s probably safe for us to return to Denver. You want Allison and me to pack?”

  He shook his head, wondering how he could have left her feeling unwelcome. “I’m just afraid you will leave me after you hear what I need to tell you.”

  “You want us to stay?”

  “Of course.” He frowned, wondering where she’d gotten the idea he didn’t want her around. Maybe she hadn’t been the only one acting distant.