Page 5 of The Rancher's Rejected Bride
"He's vacationing in Tahoe—-"
"I know that's where he's supposed to be," Joe said almost apologetically, "but I've already checked, and your housekeeper told me she hasn't heard a peep from him."
Fuck.
"I'll personally work on this, Nick, but I'm no miracle worker, so in the meantime..." Joe cleared his throat. "You saw that first condition, didn't you? It shouldn't be hard—-" Nicholas started cursing up a storm, and the lawyer's words came into a halt.
What in the world was wrong with Nick? Joe had seen photos of the girl, and while she was no headturner, she wasn't all that bad either. She had a nice smile, and an even nicer figure. How bad could it be?
Chapter Three
FAINT FOOTSTEPS HADBee turning away from the corral, and she unconsciously straightened when she saw Nicholas striding towards her. She tested a smile at him, and while he didn't smile back, he at least didn't snap her head off and look at her like she was insane.
Which was how he had been looking at her, she thought ruefully,ever since meeting her at the bus stop.
Nicholas didn't know what to make of himself as he came to stand next to the girl—-
Tabitha,he reminded himself.
He might still have a hard time thinking of her as his wife, but he could at least stop thinking of her as just his son's friend.
His son, Nicholas thought, whose age was likely to be closer to Tabitha's than his.
"I hope you don't mind me coming here." Tabitha's words drew him out of his thoughts, and he saw her gesture to the heifer peacefully sleeping in the corner, a padded bed cushioning her hefty frame. "I thought it would be nice to finally see Petula in person."
Nicholas didn't bother hiding his surprise. "You know her?"
"Danny told me she's the best birthday gift you've ever given him."
"As it should be," he said evenly. "A sportscar would've cost me less money than his sudden decision to turn one of my finest stocks into a damn house pet."
Nicholas' disgruntled tone made him seem a lot more human, and it had her relaxing enough to speak more freely in his presence. "I think it's cute that you spoil him so," she confessed. "I'd do, too, if I had a son like him."
"But you can't. Can you?"
"Oh no." A concerned look crossed Tabitha's heart-shaped face. "Danny told me this was inevitable."
Nicholas' lips tightened. He was beginning to hate the way she kept mentioning his son's name, and damn if he knew why that was.
Bee's concern grew at the way Nicholas' features had hardened in the past ten seconds. "I truly don't mind about the age gap," she told him earnestly. "Danny said you'd eventually bring it up because you were that kind of man. But honestly, it's not an issue, and I don't care if others think I'm too young for you—-"
"Aren't you?" he asked flatly. At twenty-three, Tabitha was one whole decade younger than him...but just five years older than Daniel. "You seem more suitable to be my son's girlfriend—-" The expression of genuine revolt that crossed her face immediately put a stop to his words.
"Don't ever make a joke of that kind again, please?" Bee pleaded with a shudder. "I've never thought of him as anything else but my stepson," she said feelingly, "and vice versa."
"I see." He saw Tabitha bite her lip and wondered if there was something else she wanted to say but couldn't. "Tabitha?"
"Everyone calls me 'Bee'—-" She saw his lip curl and had to quickly swallow back a giggle.
"Tabitha is a lovely name," Nicholas said firmly. "So I'd rather use that if you don't mind."
"I definitely don't," she assured him.
Thinking it was a good time as any to bite the bullet, he said slowly, "I can be rather...high-handed at times, but it doesn't mean you would ever need to watch your words with me. I'll always endeavor to listen to what you have to say. I'm...your husband, after all." He saw her eyes widen in surprise, and color stained Nicholas' bronzed cheeks. "You don't think of me that way?" he challenged.
Of course I do, Bee wanted to say. But the thing was, hearing Nicholas actually say those words out loud had shocked her so much it completely robbed her of the ability to speak.
Tabitha's continued silence was making Nicholas feel strange, and the prospect of her possibly having second thoughts about their so-called marriage was irritating the hell out of him.
