Out of all three, the last one was the youngest, so she would be able to have the children Jared wanted.He was just worried that she looked so small.She might have a problem with the birthing since Jared was so large.
Since Jared was a very old-fashioned, traditional man who demanded his wife be submissive to him, Daniel thought a woman with some spunk might keep Jared on his toes.He couldn’t see any spirit in this woman.Although he knew it was hard to tell from a photo.
It came down to the two younger women.
“I think I can guess which one you chose,” Daniel said and pointed at the young, sweet-looking woman.
****
Jared picked up herpicture.He wished he had a better photo of her, but it didn’t really matter.He needed a wife, and this was the only way he could get one.He was tired of using his fist to relieve his larger-than-average libido.He couldn’t remember the last time he was balls-deep in a soft woman.
“Yeah.This one,” he said as he pointed to the older woman, “is way too old.I want to have a baby planted in my wife within a month.This one,” he pointed to the prude, “I was afraid I’d have to drag to bed every night, so she could lie underneath me like a cold board.”He tapped the picture he was holding on the desk.“This was my only option.”
Daniel tilted his head again to see the picture under his boss’s fingers.“She doesn’t seem so bad.”
Jared stood and put the pictures back in the file.“It doesn’t matter.Frankly, I really don’t want an attractive woman.I’m afraid she’ll distract me from my work, and I won’t have that.I can always have the light off if she doesn’t appeal to me, so I don’t have to see her face.I just need a child from her.I want an heir.Someone to leave this ranch to.I don’t want to be the last Rafferty to live and work on this ranch.”
Daniel’s eyes widened.“Jesus, Jared.That sounded really cold.You might scare the poor thing away before you give her a chance.”
Jared grunted.“Daniel, we’re not going to date.Within the week she gets here, we’ll be married.I don’t need to get to know her.If she stays out of my way during the day and spreads her legs at night, we’ll get along just fine.”
Daniel rolled his eyes as he followed Jared out the back door again.“You’re going to run her off before you even get to know her.”
Jared stopped and turned to his foreman.“Listen, I’m doing this for two reasons.”Jared held up one finger and then two.“One, I want children, and two, I want a warm body to enjoy every night.I’m not going to fall in love or want to spend a lot of time with her.She’ll be here for a purpose.I will not have her disrupting this ranch or taking up a bunch of my time.”
Daniel frowned.“Where the hell did you get the idea that a woman would put up with that?Your parents were in love for fifty years.You saw how good a relationship could be.Why would you want to make it so cold and empty?”
“Remember Todd?”
“What about him?”Daniel asked after he nodded.
“How long did it take him to lose his ranch after he married Carrie?”
Shock chased across Daniel’s face.“What are you talking about?You’re blaming his wife for the loss of his ranch?”
“He was head-over-heels in love with her from the beginning.He was always with her, and his ranch paid the price.To make it worse, he told me she didn’t like living on the ranch, so he sold it, and they moved to her hometown in the South.”
Daniel shook his head.“I don’t think you see the whole picture.If I remember, we all had a bad year.Maybe he just couldn’t come back from it?”
Jared shook his head.“The downfall of his ranch points to his love for his wife.”
“I think that’s bullshit.”
Jared shrugged and then turned and started walking.“I don’t care.This ranch is the most important thing to me, and a woman won’t change that.”
Daniel grunted.“What time are you going to pick her up at the bus station tomorrow morning?”
Jared frowned over at Daniel as they walked.“I’m not.You’re going to pick her up.I’ve got that buyer coming in the morning, and I can’t miss him.”
“Why does it have to be me?”Daniel scowled.
Jared shrugged.“Because you’re easygoing and will hopefully put her at ease.She sounded terrified on the phone when I talked to her, so I can’t imagine what she’s going to do when she sees me.”
“Let’s hope she doesn’t faint from fear,” Daniel half-joked, because there really was a possibility of her turning and running at the first glance at her future husband.
Jared grunted.“Shut the fuck up.Just be at the bus station around nine.”
Daniel rolled his eyes.“You got it, Boss,” he said and walked off in the opposite direction.
