was still in shock. “Richard said you were honorable in your business dealings. That’s why I didn’t take the contract to a lawyer.” The mistake she’d made was glaringly obvious.
“I find no pleasure in this. Please don’t think that I do.” He walked around a tree, giving her a moment to adjust to the situation.
“If I break the contract, what will happen?” Connor calculated the worst. A lawsuit. Her name ruined. Her name was all she had. A man like Clay could see that her ruin was complete.
“Would you consider a compromise?”
“Do I have a choice?” she lifted her chin.
“Stay for one month.”
“One month?” Her smile was bitter. “And then what trick?”
“No trick. Stay one month and try with Renata. If you still want to leave, you can go.”
“Even if I’ve made progress with the child?” Connor’s anger still churned. “Won’t that be your next excuse for lying?”
“If you don’t want to stay, you won’t make any progress with Renata. All I’m asking is that you try it here.”
“You’re not asking anything.” She was so angry she was trembling. A soft wind laden with the smell of honeysuckle blew several loose curls against her cheek. She brushed them away. “You’re blackmailing me.”
“Ms. Tremaine, please try to see it from my point. Renata is precious to me. You’re here already. You’ve moved your horses here. They’ll be well fed and well cared for. You can spend plenty of time training them and looking for the stock you hope to acquire. Just spend a few hours a day with my children.”
He was ticking off every point she’d made when she was convincing herself to take the job. It was frightening. “I have no choice. I’ll stay a month. And I’ll give you my best in that time. But if I decide to leave at the end of thirty days, I’m going no matter what you do.”
“Stay the thirty days and the entire fifteen thousand is yours. And I won’t ask anything else.” He held out his hand. “You have my word.”
Connor looked at the outstretched palm. The man was as slippery as an oiled snake. She put her hand in his and shook. “I hope your handshake is more reliable than your word.” She started walking back to the house.
“Wait a minute. I should tell you the whole thing now.”
Connor’s anger was cooling. She’d agreed to stay for thirty days. And she’d agreed to do her best. In order to do so, she had to know the facts. “What am I dealing with?”
“It all started with my wife’s death,” Clay said. Anguish passed over his face, and he turned abruptly away. “It was horrible, especially for Renata. She worshipped her mother.”
“Death is never easy for a child. Especially a sudden one.” She hesitated, then decided to press on. “Willene said Mrs. Sumner wasn’t sick. How did she die?”
“Talla died in the barn.”
“I see.” Connor stood beneath a half-bare pecan tree watching Clay Sumner struggle for words. Renata’s fear was more understandable. “Did she take a fall, or did one of the horses catch her with a hoof?”
“It wasn’t a horse.” He grew suddenly very still. “My wife hanged herself. From the rafters of the barn.”
“My God,” Connor whispered, thinking back immediately to Renata’s face at the barn. “No wonder the child is so terrified.” She looked at the house, visible through the green leaves of the pecans. “When I drove in here, I sensed something sad.” She shifted so that she could see the weathervane on the barn. “It’s such a beautiful place.”
“I believe you can help Renata,” Clay said. “And Danny, too. He seems normal, but he’s like his sister’s shadow. He can’t grow up like that.” He walked to stand in front of her and put his hands on her shoulders. “I know it might not make any sense to you, but when Richard told me about you, I knew you were the one who could make a difference for Renata. I believe that still.”
Connor’s reaction was against all
“I find no pleasure in this. Please don’t think that I do.” He walked around a tree, giving her a moment to adjust to the situation.
“If I break the contract, what will happen?” Connor calculated the worst. A lawsuit. Her name ruined. Her name was all she had. A man like Clay could see that her ruin was complete.
“Would you consider a compromise?”
“Do I have a choice?” she lifted her chin.
“Stay for one month.”
“One month?” Her smile was bitter. “And then what trick?”
“No trick. Stay one month and try with Renata. If you still want to leave, you can go.”
“Even if I’ve made progress with the child?” Connor’s anger still churned. “Won’t that be your next excuse for lying?”
“If you don’t want to stay, you won’t make any progress with Renata. All I’m asking is that you try it here.”
“You’re not asking anything.” She was so angry she was trembling. A soft wind laden with the smell of honeysuckle blew several loose curls against her cheek. She brushed them away. “You’re blackmailing me.”
“Ms. Tremaine, please try to see it from my point. Renata is precious to me. You’re here already. You’ve moved your horses here. They’ll be well fed and well cared for. You can spend plenty of time training them and looking for the stock you hope to acquire. Just spend a few hours a day with my children.”
He was ticking off every point she’d made when she was convincing herself to take the job. It was frightening. “I have no choice. I’ll stay a month. And I’ll give you my best in that time. But if I decide to leave at the end of thirty days, I’m going no matter what you do.”
“Stay the thirty days and the entire fifteen thousand is yours. And I won’t ask anything else.” He held out his hand. “You have my word.”
Connor looked at the outstretched palm. The man was as slippery as an oiled snake. She put her hand in his and shook. “I hope your handshake is more reliable than your word.” She started walking back to the house.
“Wait a minute. I should tell you the whole thing now.”
Connor’s anger was cooling. She’d agreed to stay for thirty days. And she’d agreed to do her best. In order to do so, she had to know the facts. “What am I dealing with?”
“It all started with my wife’s death,” Clay said. Anguish passed over his face, and he turned abruptly away. “It was horrible, especially for Renata. She worshipped her mother.”
“Death is never easy for a child. Especially a sudden one.” She hesitated, then decided to press on. “Willene said Mrs. Sumner wasn’t sick. How did she die?”
“Talla died in the barn.”
“I see.” Connor stood beneath a half-bare pecan tree watching Clay Sumner struggle for words. Renata’s fear was more understandable. “Did she take a fall, or did one of the horses catch her with a hoof?”
“It wasn’t a horse.” He grew suddenly very still. “My wife hanged herself. From the rafters of the barn.”
“My God,” Connor whispered, thinking back immediately to Renata’s face at the barn. “No wonder the child is so terrified.” She looked at the house, visible through the green leaves of the pecans. “When I drove in here, I sensed something sad.” She shifted so that she could see the weathervane on the barn. “It’s such a beautiful place.”
“I believe you can help Renata,” Clay said. “And Danny, too. He seems normal, but he’s like his sister’s shadow. He can’t grow up like that.” He walked to stand in front of her and put his hands on her shoulders. “I know it might not make any sense to you, but when Richard told me about you, I knew you were the one who could make a difference for Renata. I believe that still.”
Connor’s reaction was against all
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