Page 1 of Fool's Gold

Chapter One

"You’re going to do what?"

Sarah Maxwell gazed at her cousin's mutinous expression, willing her to understand. "Rafe's reputation has been in shreds since I left. I need, deep in my soul, to set things right. Please try to understand, Pipi. I must go back."

"Back into the lion's den." Pipi shook her head. "Listen to me, cousin. You'll be going on a fool's errand. You don't think the man will take you back with open arms after you deserted him on your wedding night six months ago, do you?"

"Rafe's housekeeper is going on a long-deserved vacation. I'm all set to fill in for her at the ranch."

"So, she's the one who's been feeding you all these gloom and doom stories about him." Pipi scowled. "It could be a setup, you know."

"No, Rafe's not that devious." Sarah added sadly, "He can't even tell a decent white lie. That's how I found out he doesn't love me. He only married me because of my family connections." The memory of finding the plans for his dude ranch and learning why made her crumble. If only he’d have asked, she’d have told him she’d walked away from her trust fund and her controlling grandfather long ago. She’d never believed in love at first sight, but she’d fallen fast and hard for the cowboy when he’d rescued her from a blizzard while she’d been shooting her Wolf Pack Zero story. She’d been so in the zone she hadn’t even noticed they were both about to get stranded in the snow. He’d beenout checking the perimeter of his ranch on his horse when he’d come to her rescue. He’d swept her up and saved her just like an old-time cowboy, and that had been that. A whirlwind courtship followed by a quick wedding.

Now, she had to be strong for both of them.

Pipi shook her head. "You, a housekeeper? I can't picture it."

Sarah shrugged. "How hard can it be? You mop a few floors and open a few cans. I should have enough spare time to finish the series of endangered species photos I was doing. It's the best work I've ever done, and my editor said it could lead to some prestigious work."

"That's just an excuse, Sarah, and you know it. You aren't responsible for ruining the cowboy any more than your mother was responsible for ruining your father. That was all our grumpy old grandfather's imagination. You can't fix the past by doing this."

"That's not why." Sarah noted Pipi's expression of disbelief and sighed. "Maybe that's part of it, but the plain truth is, I love the hardheaded, stubborn cowboy, and I won't see his life ruined."

"Somebody’s sure in an all-fired hurry, boss."

Rafe leaned forward in his rocker. His fatigue after a long dusty day on the range melted as he watched the silver Jeep Cherokee kick up a plume of dust in its wake. It sped toward them down the long driveway. "It's the wife."

"Wife." Zeke Taylor, his ranch foreman, made the word sound like a curse. "I can't believe she has the guts to show her face around here after hightailing it on your wedding night."

Rafe noted the sour expression on Zeke's wizened face, but ignored it. This wasn't up for debate. "I want you to spread the word. She's to be treated with respect."

"I don't get it. The woman runs roughshod over you, and you'll lay out the red carpet for her."

"Don't worry about it, Zeke." Rafe smiled, adding confidently, "I've got everything under control this time."

"What you plan to do, sweet talk her into sticking around?" Zeke scowled and spat on the ground.

Rafe shook his head, his jaw tightening. "No, it'll take more than sweet talk to bind a saddle-shy filly like Sarah to my side. Don't worry. I've got her figured out, and I'll have her tied to my side before she knows it."

Zeke slowly got up from the creaky rocker, slapping his battered Stetson against his leg. "I hope you know what you're doing, boy."

"So do I." Rafe watched Zeke stomp toward the bunk house.

He had to make this work. His future depended on it because he just plain didn’t see one without her.

The Jeep came to a halt amid a cloud of dust. The inevitability of the moment hit him hard. He never doubted Sarah would return one day, and when she did, he would be in control. But first, he planned to extract a little payback before they settled down to domestic bliss.

She got out of the Jeep, and he swallowed the lump in his throat. Dying embers of the sun caught the golden highlights in her long, red hair, turning it to molten fire. Her sigh carried to him on the cool evening breeze, and it did something to him. His heart was racing. He took a deep breath to calm down. Her scent of strawberries and butterscotch, with just a hint of somethinguniquely feminine, made him hungry. He could almost taste her. If he played his cards right, he would.

As she walked toward him, he was struck anew by the confident way she moved. It attracted him in the first place six months ago when she'd come to the area to shoot a series on the Grand Teton wildlife. It was a damned fool thing to do in the dead of winter, or maybe incredibly courageous, which she was. Dealing with her was going to be a challenge. And oh, how he loved challenges. The first moment they’d met, he'd known he had to have her, and he almost did. Until she ran off screaming on their wedding night. Six months later, he still wasn't sure what had spooked her, but he knew to put blinders on to treat a spooked filly. Instead, he put up a blinder via a small white lie. Sure, it was true there'd been unmerciful gossip, but he could take it. And yes, his expansion loan had been turned down, but there were ways to keep from selling up.

He figured her sense of honor would make her come back to right a wrong, and he intended to capitalize on her integrity. He studied her as he would any opponent. There was strength in the proud angle of her chin and a keen intelligence in her sparkling green eyes.

Rafe sat motionlessly in the shadows of the porch and watched her stride falter as she neared the steps. He almost felt her instinctive desire to turn tail and run as she gazed up at him. His fist tightened on the chair arm, awaiting her decision.

She took the first porch step, and Rafe leaned back, letting out an imperceptible sigh.

He tilted his head back, snagging her gaze as she drew near. "It's mighty nice of you to come a' calling, wife. To what do I owe the pleasure of your company?"

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