Christmas at Blue Moon Ranch. Lynnette Kent

back a chair on the other corner. “Have a seat.”

      Willa understood, from the way Daniel pressed his lips together, how much he disliked that accommodation to his disability. But he said, “Thanks,” and lowered himself into the chair without much trouble. Now they sat facing each other, with the attorney at the head of the table between them.

      Juan rubbed his hands together. “So, we’re here to close on the sale of a thousand acres of ranch land. Willa, you’re the seller, of course, and Daniel is the buyer. We’ve got a fair amount of paperwork to go through, but nothing too complicated. This first page—”

      Willa put up a hand. “Just a minute.” Her reservations had seized control, and now she looked Daniel Trent straight in the eye. “I know I should have asked this before, but better late than never. Just what are you planning to do with this land, if you buy it?”

      Daniel Trent didn’t avoid her gaze. The lift of his eyebrow remarked on her use of if.

      The attorney cleared his throat. “Willa, you shouldn’t—”

      She glanced at Juan. “I think I have a right to know if he’s got something planned that’s going to affect my operation, my business. Like a trailer park or a factory or an oil refinery.”

      “But—”

      “It’s okay,” Daniel said. “I don’t mind answering the question.” The smile had returned to his eyes. “I’m planning to use the land just as you have. I want to raise cattle and a few horses. I’m planning to be a rancher.” That devastating grin came into play. “I thought I’d call it New Moon Ranch.”

      Willa didn’t smile back. “Do you have a ranching background?”

      He shook his head. “Not much. I’ve spent the past twelve years in the Army.”

      “Do you have any experience with cattle? Horses?” Could he handle the rustlers who’d been preying on her herd?

      “Growing up in Ohio, I had a pony. As a teenager, I spent summers working on a dude ranch in Wyoming. But I haven’t done any riding recently. The U.S. cavalry,” he said with a smile, “got phased out a while back.”

      So she wouldn’t be able to depend on his help in stopping the cattle thieves preying on her herd. Willa dropped back against her chair. “How do you expect to be able to run a ranch? With just a few months of experience and…and—”

      “And a bum leg,” he finished for her.

      “Well, yes. How in the world are you going to make this work?”

      “I think Major Trent’s plans are his own business, Willa.” Juan’s plump face had turned a deep red and his eyes had gotten very wide, with all the whites showing. “We’re just here to complete the sale.”

      “I figured I could hire good hands to help me out,” Daniel explained. “And I’m not too proud to ask my neighbors for advice, maybe a little assistance now and then.”

      “Ranching is a full-time job.” Boy, did she know that. “Running a ranch, even a small one, requires stamina and strength, coordination and physical competence.” Which was why she was always exhausted at the end of each and every day. “The economics are against you, too. Running such a small herd—one, two hundred head—you’ll barely break even most years. The price of corn is going up and water’s been scarce. Do you know how to handle those problems? Why do you want to take on a complicated enterprise that’s pretty much guaranteed to fail?”

      “Willa…” Juan groaned.

      Daniel Trent straightened up in his chair, and suddenly she could see the military training behind his easy-going facade. “I may not be a hundred percent physically, but I expect to make a profit on the New Moon.”

      “I’m sure you will,” Juan started. “And I’m sure—”

      “I’m not.” Willa flattened her hands on the table. “And I don’t think I can complete the sale under these conditions.”

      The attorney choked. Trent narrowed his eyes. “You’re backing out on the deal?”

      “This land is my children’s heritage. I have a duty to see that it’s cared for properly.”

      “I can do that.”

      “How do I know? How do you know?”

      Juan got to his feet. “Willa, can I talk to you privately for a moment? Excuse us, Daniel.” He walked to the door and opened it, waited for Willa to go through and then followed her out into the narrow hallway. With the door shut again, he faced her, his hands propped on his hips.

      “What in the world do you think you’re doing?”

      Willa winced as she heard the attorney’s urgent question.

      He rushed on before she could answer. “You’re throwing away this sale is what you’re doing. Why?”

      “I can’t sell the land, Juan. Especially not to someone who knows next to nothing about ranching, or cattle.” She rubbed her eyes with her fingers. “I might as well poison the water and set fire to the grass.”

      “Do I have to remind you of how much you’ll be making off this sale? Daniel Trent didn’t argue with the price, didn’t try to talk you down. He paid top dollar and all he wants to do is run a few head of beef and some horses. It’s not that big a deal.”

      “That land is the Mercado legacy. I want to know it’s taken care of.” I wanted some help! She bit her lip to keep the words unsaid.

      “So let me remind you about the taxes you owe on that land. About the outstanding bills at the feed store and the veterinarian, the payroll you’re behind on. Remember the mortgage Jamie took out on the ranch, and the fact that you have kids who’ll be wanting to go to college in just a few years. You need this cash, Willa. As your attorney, I’m recommending you march in there, keep your mouth shut and sign those papers.”

      She stared at him in the dim light of the hall, hating the truth, unable to decide. They both jumped when the door to the conference room opened.

      Daniel Trent stood silhouetted by the fluorescent light behind him, his shoulders slanted slightly, his hip cocked to the side by that stiff leg. “If you two want to come back, I think I have a solution to this dilemma.”

      BY THE TIME THEY’D FINISHED, Daniel’s leg felt like a fallen tree with a host of termites chewing on it from the inside out. The extra paperwork he’d suggested had extended the meeting by almost an hour, which meant he was two hours past the time for his usual dose of pain meds. He only took over-the-counter stuff these days, but the drugs still made a difference.

      As a distraction, he let himself gaze at Willa Mercado while she finished reading the agreement he’d proposed. She might have a heart of stone, but he found her incredibly sexy—her thick black hair, tamed into a shiny braid hanging down her back, her smooth olive skin, her wide, long-lashed dark eyes. Thin and graceful, she reminded him of a gazelle, all legs and arms, with the potential for great speed and endurance. Her mouth fascinated him, and he couldn’t seem to look away from the sensual promise of those wide, full lips.

      A promise likely to remain unfilled, he told himself. She’d agreed to let him live on the portion of the Blue Moon he’d wanted to buy, but she wasn’t happy about it. At his suggestion, she’d put him on probation. After three months, if she didn’t think he’d demonstrated an aptitude for ranching life, the sale contract would be void and he’d be out on his ear while she kept his deposit as rent.

      Willa finished reading and, without a word, picked up a nearby pen to sign the last sheet. She passed the page to Juan, who gave it to Daniel for his signature. After three copies had been completed, the lawyer rubbed his hands together in satisfaction.

      “That’s great. I think this is an excellent solution.” Stacking the papers together, he practically beamed. “Daniel, you’ll have a chance