He’d done that much better than she’d expected. She imagined Edgar trying to pretend he loved her under her brother’s intense scrutiny. The mental picture almost made her laugh. He’d never have pulled it off.
Luke pinned her with his gaze. “And you? How do you feel about him?”
Frances had anticipated her brother would ask this question, especially since there’d been no hint of romantic feelings between them. How could she convince him she loved Nick? But as she looked up at the tall Texan standing beside her, she realized she wouldn’t even have to lie. It might not be a romantic love, but she loved him with all her heart. He was her dearest friend. At the thought, she understood. If something were to go wrong, and they weren’t able to get an annulment after all, she and Nick would make a good life together. There was no other man she could say that about.
“I love him too. I’ve only recently come to understand how much.”
A flash of surprise crossed Nick’s face followed by that intense expression he’d worn after their kiss on the porch. Her whole body went warm, and she wished they were alone so she could kiss him again. This time without gloves. She had a sudden urge to find out what it would feel like to touch the scruff he always got by the end of the day.
Luke coughed, pulling her back from her thoughts. When she found it difficult to meet his gaze, he heaved out a deep breath.
“I guess we’d best sit down and discuss this.”
Nick gave her hand a soft squeeze, and they sat in the two chairs facing her brother’s desk. They’d done it. She was finally going to be in control of her future, her inheritance. They wouldn’t be able to keep her from knowing things because they thought she was too young.
7
“If you don’t mind, Frances,” Luke said, when they’d finished their discussion about the wedding, “I’d like to have a word with Nick. Alone.”
“We’re a partnership now,” she said, bristling. “What he knows—”
“This is man-talk. If Nick chooses to tell you about it afterward, it’s fine, but he needs to be free to speak honestly to me without you here trying to influence him.” When she started shaking her head, Luke held up a hand. “Don’t argue with me, Frances. You still need me to sign for this, so you’d best do what I ask, or you can wait two more years until you’re twenty-one.”
She gave one of her typical sniffs. Nick wondered if he could convince her to stop those. The gesture reminded him too much of Judith’s early days in Lilac City. Yes, that would likely be a good way to broach the subject. Frances and her future sister-in-law were actually very similar in personality, though both women would die rather than admit it.
“All right then.” Frances rose with a surprising gracefulness, usually manifested by her two older sisters. It reminded him she’d attended finishing school. She must have done better than she cared to admit. “Ihave a wedding to plan.”
“There’s no need to be in a hurry,” Luke said.
“But Iamin a hurry. Since I don’t have to worry about people coming from out of state, we want to be married right away.” She spun around and strode toward the door.
“What’s the rush?” Luke asked, his brows creased as he watched her leave the room.
“You know Frances. Once she makes up her mind, she’s not one to sit back and twiddle her thumbs.”
“I need to know your plans before I’ll sign for her to marry you.” Luke was watching Nick now, his face creased with worry not evident when she’d been in the room.
“I do have plans, sir. After visiting home and a talk with my father, I’d thought to speak to you about it independent of marrying your sister.” Nick rubbed his jaw.
“Were you going to ask me to court her?”
“No. To be honest, I wasn’t thinking she was anywhere near ready for that yet, though I meant what I said about being in love with her. You know my Pa owns a ranch in Texas.” Nick leaned forward, resting his elbows on his knees. “Well, a few years back they discovered oil on the land. With all them automobiles, the need to provide fuel for them is making the oil industry boom. Pa always figured I’d settle in Texas. I did too, but I wanted to get out to see a bit more of the country first.”
“So, of course, you ended up in Lilac City, Wyoming,” Luke said with a dry tone, now leaning back in his chair.
“I traveled the country for a year before I settled here. I was interested in learning more about the dude ranch business, and I’d heard good things about your place.” At Luke’s dubious expression, Nick shook his head. “I ain’t trying to bamboozle you. It’s the honest truth, sir.”
He wished it were all the honest truth. His stomach turned a little queasy. Luke was bound to wonder, once he eventually found out the marriage was never meant to be real, what Nick’s intent had been with the business proposition. Well, he’d just have to do everything in his power to win Frances’s heart before it was necessary.
“You mentioned wanting to talk to me about something before you got yourself engaged to my sister.”
“Yes, sir. I was telling you about the oil on my Pa’s land. Even though they’d discovered it on the property didn’t mean he had to quit ranching. It’s a sight to see, believe me, a herd of cattle grazing with them drilling rigs in the distance.” Nick straightened, forcing his nervous stomach to calm, and met his future brother-in-law’s gaze. “I told my pa I wasn’t planning to come back to Texas, that I was going to settle here in Lilac City. When he saw how determined I was, he offered to give me my inheritance in cash instead of in land. I accepted.”
“Are you telling me this because you’re planning to set up a competing dude ranch?” Luke asked, his expression and tone neutral on the surface, but Nick had gotten to know the man well. Luke might not like the idea, but he’d never stand in the way of a man who wanted to improve his situation.
“That’s what my pa thought I meant to do too, but it’s not. I’ve never wanted to be the boss, but I’ve always wanted to own something. Before I went back to Texas for my sister’s wedding, I’d thought to see if I could buy part ownership of the Lucky L Ranch.” When Luke’s eyes went wide, Nick jumped to his feet and started pacing. “Like I said, I don’t want to be in charge. I’m not even proposing an equal share, but I’d love to be your partner.” He paused in front of the desk. “I’ve done my best to prove to you I’m a hard worker and a man you can rely on. For my part, I can’t think of a better man to be in business with. You’ve mentioned before that you want to increase your holdings, both in land and in herd size but not having the money for it. With an influx of cash from me, you could do that.”
Luke sat in silence for a while. Nick’s body wanted to move, but he didn’t dare. His gut told him he had to stand tall and not show he was shaking in his boots. Would Luke be offended at the partnership idea? Would he say no to the marriage?
