Read Online Mail-order bridegroom by Day Leclaire - Free Book Online
Authors: Day Leclaire
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her with hard black eyes. 'Because he put you at risk.'
Alarmed, she took a step back. 'What are you talking about?'
'I'm talking about the ad.'
'But I placed the ad, not Conrad.'
'He knew about it, and not only did he not try and stop it he encouraged you to go ahead with it while in his capacity as your banker.' His face might have been carved from granite. 'You still don't have a clue as to how dangerous that was, do you?'
'We were very selective,' she defended.
'You were a fool,' he stated succinctly. 'You might as well have painted a bullseye on your backside, stuck your pinfeathers in the air and proclaimed it open hunting season. Count yourself lucky that you and that old harridan of a grandmother weren't murdered in your beds.'
'So you had Conrad fired.'
'I wanted to!' he bit out. 'Believe me, more than anything I wanted to have him fired for planting such a criminal suggestion in your head. Considering he's an old family friend, I let him off easy. I agreed to an early retirement.'
A sudden thought struck her. 'If you're that powerful—powerful enough to force Conrad's retirement—what do you need with this ranch?' She spoke urgently. 'It has to be small potatoes to you. Why are you doing this, Hunter?'
A grim smile touched his mouth and he yanked the brim of his stetson low over his brow. 'That, my sweet bride-to-be, is one question I have no intention of answering.'
And with that he rode off into the approaching storm, the dark, angry clouds sweeping across the sky ahead of him, full of flash and fury. A portent of things to come? Leah wondered uneasily. Or a promise?
CHAPTER FOUR
With only five days to prepare for her wedding, Leah realized that the simplest solution would be to hold the ceremony at the ranch. She also decided to make it an evening affair and keep it small, inviting only her closest friends and employees.
Her reasons were twofold. She didn't think she could handle a day-long celebration—the mere thought of celebrating a marriage that was in all actuality a business deal struck her as vulgar. And by holding an evening ceremony they'd entertain the guests for dinner and it would be over quickly. No fuss, no muss.
Her grandmother didn't offer a single word of argument in regard to Leah's wedding-plans. On only one matter did she remain adamant. She insisted that Leah invite Conrad Michaels. 'He's a close friend and should give you away. If that makes Hunter uncomfortable, that's his tough luck.'
'I don't think it's Hunter who will feel uncomfortable,' Leah observed wryly. 'Let me call Conrad and see what he wants to do. If he chooses to decline, I won't pressure him.'
As it turned out, Conrad sounded quite anxious to attend. Td appreciate the opportunity to improve my relationship with Hunter,' he confessed. 'I deserved every harsh word he dished out, and then some.'
'Harsh word?' she repeated in alarm. 'What did he say?'
After a long, awkward silence, Conrad admitted, 'Oh, this and that. Let's just describe the conversation as
62
strained and forget I ever mentioned it. He did make several valid points, though—particularly about your ad.'
So Hunter had taken Conrad to task about that. She'd wondered. 'What points?' she questioned.
'I never should have encouraged you to advertise for a husband,' came the prompt reply. 'Looking back, I realize it was foolish in the extreme. It didn't occur to me until Hunter suggested the possibility, but a crazy person could have responded and we wouldn't have known until too late. I never would have forgiven myself if anything had happened to you.'
Unfortunately, something had happened. Hunter had answered the ad. To her disgust, she seemed to be the only one to appreciate the irony of that fact. 'It's all worked out for the best,' she lied through her teeth. 'So don't worry about it.' Securing Conrad's agreement to give her away, she ended the conversation and hung up.
The next two days passed in a whirl of confusion. Leah spent her
Alarmed, she took a step back. 'What are you talking about?'
'I'm talking about the ad.'
'But I placed the ad, not Conrad.'
'He knew about it, and not only did he not try and stop it he encouraged you to go ahead with it while in his capacity as your banker.' His face might have been carved from granite. 'You still don't have a clue as to how dangerous that was, do you?'
'We were very selective,' she defended.
'You were a fool,' he stated succinctly. 'You might as well have painted a bullseye on your backside, stuck your pinfeathers in the air and proclaimed it open hunting season. Count yourself lucky that you and that old harridan of a grandmother weren't murdered in your beds.'
'So you had Conrad fired.'
'I wanted to!' he bit out. 'Believe me, more than anything I wanted to have him fired for planting such a criminal suggestion in your head. Considering he's an old family friend, I let him off easy. I agreed to an early retirement.'
A sudden thought struck her. 'If you're that powerful—powerful enough to force Conrad's retirement—what do you need with this ranch?' She spoke urgently. 'It has to be small potatoes to you. Why are you doing this, Hunter?'
A grim smile touched his mouth and he yanked the brim of his stetson low over his brow. 'That, my sweet bride-to-be, is one question I have no intention of answering.'
And with that he rode off into the approaching storm, the dark, angry clouds sweeping across the sky ahead of him, full of flash and fury. A portent of things to come? Leah wondered uneasily. Or a promise?
CHAPTER FOUR
With only five days to prepare for her wedding, Leah realized that the simplest solution would be to hold the ceremony at the ranch. She also decided to make it an evening affair and keep it small, inviting only her closest friends and employees.
Her reasons were twofold. She didn't think she could handle a day-long celebration—the mere thought of celebrating a marriage that was in all actuality a business deal struck her as vulgar. And by holding an evening ceremony they'd entertain the guests for dinner and it would be over quickly. No fuss, no muss.
Her grandmother didn't offer a single word of argument in regard to Leah's wedding-plans. On only one matter did she remain adamant. She insisted that Leah invite Conrad Michaels. 'He's a close friend and should give you away. If that makes Hunter uncomfortable, that's his tough luck.'
'I don't think it's Hunter who will feel uncomfortable,' Leah observed wryly. 'Let me call Conrad and see what he wants to do. If he chooses to decline, I won't pressure him.'
As it turned out, Conrad sounded quite anxious to attend. Td appreciate the opportunity to improve my relationship with Hunter,' he confessed. 'I deserved every harsh word he dished out, and then some.'
'Harsh word?' she repeated in alarm. 'What did he say?'
After a long, awkward silence, Conrad admitted, 'Oh, this and that. Let's just describe the conversation as
62
strained and forget I ever mentioned it. He did make several valid points, though—particularly about your ad.'
So Hunter had taken Conrad to task about that. She'd wondered. 'What points?' she questioned.
'I never should have encouraged you to advertise for a husband,' came the prompt reply. 'Looking back, I realize it was foolish in the extreme. It didn't occur to me until Hunter suggested the possibility, but a crazy person could have responded and we wouldn't have known until too late. I never would have forgiven myself if anything had happened to you.'
Unfortunately, something had happened. Hunter had answered the ad. To her disgust, she seemed to be the only one to appreciate the irony of that fact. 'It's all worked out for the best,' she lied through her teeth. 'So don't worry about it.' Securing Conrad's agreement to give her away, she ended the conversation and hung up.
The next two days passed in a whirl of confusion. Leah spent her
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