Read Online The Rancher's Marriage Pact by Kristi Gold - Free Book Online

regarded her again. “A few years ago, during the reading of my dad’s will, we discovered he had another family we didn’t know a damn thing about.”
    â€œYou mean Jenny?”
    â€œYeah, and the twins.”
    Both shocking and scandalous. “I didn’t realize your dad and Maria divorced.”
    â€œThey didn’t.”
    The cogs started spinning in her head as she added outrageous to the adjectives describing the situation. “You mean he was—”
    â€œA bigamist.”
    â€œHow did he get away with that?”
    â€œBy leaving the state to screw around on Maria. He bought a horse farm in Louisiana when Maria was pregnant with my half brother Houston. He met Jenny in New Orleans, married her and proceeded to get her pregnant not long after my other half brother Tyler was born. For over twenty years he lived the lie and no one was the wiser.”
    Paris felt as if she’d been thrust into a spaghetti Western soap opera. “I can’t imagine keeping a secret of that magnitude for weeks, much less decades.”
    â€œJ. D. Calloway was a conniving, cheating, lying son of a bitch,” he said, venom in his voice. “Pardon my French.”
    She couldn’t believe he would be concerned about cursing in light of what he’d just told her. “No worries. My father speaks the language fluently.”
    Her attempt at humor obviously fell flat when Dallas didn’t even crack a smile. “But that part of the sorry story isn’t even the worst of it.”
    Paris had a difficult time believing it could get much worse. Then again... “Please don’t tell me he had another wife.”
    â€œNot that we’re aware of, although I wouldn’t put it past him. But he did have it out for me.”
    â€œWhy is that?”
    â€œBecause he never could control me in life, so he decided to do it in death.”
    She definitely didn’t think she’d care for the late Calloway patriarch. “How exactly did he manage that?”
    â€œBy using ownership of the ranch. He knew my grandfather insisted the controlling interest of the D Bar C be passed down to his first-born grandson, and my dad was forced to adhere to that request. But then he added a condition that would allow me to continue to run this place only if I did his bidding.”
    She was almost afraid to ask. “Such as?”
    â€œI have to get married before my thirty-eighth birthday. If not, controlling interest reverts to my half brother Fort who doesn’t give a tinker’s damn about this place. He’s so ate up with anger he’d like to see all of us fail.”
    So now she knew why that milestone held so much importance with the mothers. And she suspected she knew the reason behind the spontaneous proposal. “Am I correct in assuming you want me to prevent that from happening by entering into a bogus marriage?”
    He scowled. “When you put it that way, it makes me sound like a jerk. But after I met you yesterday and learned about your current situation, I figured it would benefit us both.”
    â€œHow am I going to benefit from a lie?”
    â€œFinancially.”
    She’d begun to feel a bit like the prostitute Maria had believed her to be. “Marriage for money. Interesting. And out of the question.”
    â€œWill you at least hear me out?”
    â€œI wouldn’t miss it for the world. But first, I have to know one thing.”
    â€œGo ahead.”
    â€œHow could you put that much faith in this plan when you know so little about me?”
    He paused for a brief moment. “Your parents are Howard and Sheila Reynolds. You were born in San Diego thirty-two years ago on November second. You graduated from a prestigious college, worked for an equally prestigious firm in Nevada and you married Peter L. Smith in Vegas eight years ago. I didn’t find any record of your divorce though.”
    She was floored he’d gained