The Wedding Wager. Sara Orwig

his forehead and he looked refreshed, filled with energy, and eager—all dire implications. She smiled despite the inner turmoil that kept her stomach churning.

      “Good morning,” he said solemnly, studying her.

      “Come inside to talk, Jared.” She turned to lead the way. He closed the front door and caught up to walk with her to the family room. “Have a seat.”

      He nodded and they sat facing each other. The blanket of silence did nothing to soothe her raw nerves. She could tell little from his expression.

      “I’ve heard from my attorney. Have you heard from yours?”

      She shook her head. “Not yet, but mine doesn’t have the resources or staff yours do, so I’m not surprised. Jared, if you’ll drop all this, I’ll sell the ranch to you and you can forget the bonus one million,” she said and held her breath.

      He shook his head. “That wouldn’t begin to take the place of getting to know my son.”

      Disappointment swept her and she locked her fingers together, knowing he had bad news that she didn’t want to hear.

      She put her hands on her face as she tried to keep from making a sound, but she couldn’t prevent tears.

      “Megan, don’t,” Jared said gently, his arms going around her. He pulled her close against him while she sobbed, letting go. “Stop crying. Plan with me and let’s get an arrangement we can both live with,” he said in the same gentle tone.

      She knew, without waiting to hear from her lawyer, that she was going to have to do what Jared wanted.

      Unable now to control her emotions after the worry of the past twenty-four hours and a sleepless night of anxiety, she sobbed and his arm around her waist tightened. He tilted her chin up and pulled out a clean handkerchief to wipe her eyes. “Stop crying,” he ordered in the same quiet, gentle tone. He brushed her tears away.

      He tilted her chin up to look into her eyes. “Look, you’re off work anyway, and so am I. Ethan is with your relatives. Come fly with me to the Yucatán coast. I have a home there and we’ll get away from interruptions for a couple of days. We’re going to have to establish some kind of truce.”

      While she couldn’t imagine spending a couple of days with him, she had to work something out or he would do as he warned. She knew Jared well enough to know that any threat he made he would carry out, if he had to.

      On the other hand, they weren’t going to court. He wasn’t taking Ethan away. Or so he said. “I guess I don’t have any other choice,” she said.

      “That’s better. I can have a plane ready in an hour. How long will it take you to wind things up here to leave for two or three days?”

      “I’ve never been away from Ethan, except when he’s here with my relatives and I’m in Santa Fe.”

      “He’s with them now and he’ll be fine.”

      She nodded, becoming aware of standing in his arms. His look was heated, and under his deep focus she realized his concern was no longer about Ethan. Jared’s torrid gaze made her heart drum.

      She pushed against his chest and distanced herself. “All right, Jared,” she said. “I can probably leave in an hour.”

      “I’ll come pick you up. Do you have a pen? I’ll give you a phone number at my house where they can reach you.”

      “I’ll have my cell phone.”

      “Give me a pen. Your cell phone might fail. This way you’ll have two possibilities for contact.” She handed him a pen and watched him, looking at the familiar handwriting that she still could remember. When he handed a business card back to her, it had two numbers, his house and a cell phone. “Is your plane at the airport?”

      “No, at the ranch,” he answered.

      “Then I’ll drive to your place. It’ll be more convenient.”

      He crossed the room to her, to slip his arms around her waist. “Stop worrying, Megan. We’ll work something out and I’ll do my damnedest to win his love and to get to know him. I want what’s best for Ethan, too.”

      If he really wanted what was best for Ethan, he would stay out of Ethan’s life. But she knew she had to stop fighting Jared, because it was hopeless. The law was on his side. “I’ll work on it,” she whispered.

      “No, you stop worrying,” he ordered, but his voice was gentle and quiet. “I promise, I’ll try if you will to find a viable solution.”

      Unable to speak, afraid she would start crying again, she nodded. “I had better get ready.”

      “Okay, but I wish you could smile.” He knelt slightly to be on eye level, smiling at her, and teased a halfhearted smile from her. “That’s better. I’m going to try to get a real smile out of you while we’re together.”

      She didn’t want to go away with him. She wanted to tell him that she still thought he was ruthless and arrogant and had to have his way, but it was useless. She followed him outside, and the minute they parted she rushed back into the house to call Rolf.

      “Rolf, thanks so much. I’ll deal with Jared. He is willing to work something out.”

      She finally got off the phone to put her head into her hands and cry. She didn’t want any of this.

      In minutes, she called her aunt to tell her what had happened and that she was going with Jared for a few days. She choked back the tears when she talked to Ethan, but he never noticed. He’d gotten a new electronic game and when she told him she was going away, he accepted it with barely a pause in his chatter about the game.

      Knowing he was in good hands, she said good-bye and hurried to change and pack.

      She dressed in brown slacks, a matching sleeveless top and wore high-heeled sandals. Brushing her hair, she clipped it high on the back of her head.

      She was going away with Jared to one of his secluded homes. She could well imagine what he had in mind. Along with arranging custody plans was a plan for seduction.

      She didn’t want to return after several days with him, not only losing rights to her son, but in love with Jared—twice in her life.

      And Jared might be the sexiest, most charming man she’d ever known.

      She would have to keep up her guard. So far, she had failed miserably in all dealings with him.

      By a quarter past eleven, she was airborne, flying over Jared’s ranch and headed south. To avoid conversation with him, she gazed out the window, looking at his ranch spread below. She turned back to find him watching her. Dressed in chinos, a charcoal knit shirt and loafers, he looked commanding, as if satisfied with all facets of his world. And why wouldn’t he, she thought. He’d won the first part of their fight.

      “This is a hopeful start, Megan,” he said, leaning close to touch a wispy lock of hair that had come free from her tie.

      “You’re an incredible optimist,” she said.

      “If we work something out, then there’s no problem.”

      “I know you already have something in mind,” she said stiffly.

      He shrugged. “Not necessarily. Let’s let it go for today and get back on better footing with each other,” he suggested.

      “If we can,” she said, looking out the window while fighting the urge to scream that she hadn’t planned on a better relationship with him, but she knew she had to now. Getting concessions from him on the custody front could be impossible otherwise.

      “Of course, we can,” he said, taking her hand. “I’ve got three days with a beautiful woman, who I intend to get to know.”

      “You know me well enough,” she said, gazing into his dark eyes that hid his intentions and thoughts.

      “No,