The Ransomes: Matt, Nick and Katherine. Sara Orwig

“Had we met under other circumstances, we both could probably enjoy the next few hours. Neither of us will take decisive action tonight, so relax.”

      “That’s a tall order,” she remarked.

      “It’s simple.” He stood and came around the table to take her hand. “We’ll get away from our problems. Let’s dance.”

      “I can’t dance,” she said.

      He shook his head. “You’ve got two feet and you can move, so you can dance. I’ll show you,” he said, ignoring her protest and leading her inside to the dance floor. Her heart drummed as she looked at couples moving so easily together.

      “I really can’t dance. I never did get around to learning and most of my life has been spent studying and working and trying to survive.”

      “That’s going to change,” he said, pulling her into his arms. “Just move with me,” he said, holding her lightly. Their proximity was volatile, and every nerve in her body quivered with awareness. As his thighs brushed hers, her desire flamed. His hand held hers against his chest.

      She stepped lightly on his toe and almost stumbled, but his arm tightened around her and he held her. “Sorry. I told you—” she said.

      “Don’t worry. You’re a feather and it doesn’t matter,” he said, interrupting her. “I’m holding you so you’re not going to fall,” he added in a husky voice.

      In minutes it became easier to follow his lead. Even so, when the music stopped she stepped back. “End of first lesson. Let’s sit the next one out.”

      “Fine,” he said, taking her arm to lead her back to their table.

      When they were seated, over glasses of water and tossed green salads, she paused to study him. “You know a lot about me, but I know very little about you. Jeff was a party boy—he seldom mentioned his family or background.”

      “He probably talked about himself and his wild exploits. My kid brother and I weren’t much alike. At least, I’ve always hoped we weren’t because Jeff was damned irresponsible. What do you want to know about me?”

      “Start with telling me about your family,” she asked, curious about him because whenever she had approached the subject of family with Jeff Ransome, he had talked about himself.

      “There’s my dad who has heart trouble and isn’t in good health, but he still wants to be in charge and that’s why I have my own house. The big house is down the road a ways.”

      “The big house!” she exclaimed. “I can’t imagine one much larger than yours.”

      “Oh, yes. Bigger, fancier. All it needs is a moat around it and we’d have a castle. I’ll take you to see it and meet Dad soon.”

      “So where do the other family members live? Tell me about Nick and Katherine.”

      “We’re all close in age. I’m thirty-two, Nick is thirty-one and Katherine is twenty-eight. Business is Nick’s first love. He’s CEO of Ransome Energy and under Nick’s control the family oil business has tripled in size, gone public and continues to grow. Nick thrives on making deals.”

      “Is he married?”

      “No. Nick isn’t the marrying kind. He’s almost as wild as Jeff was, but not quite. Nick is reliable—there’s the big difference.”

      “What about your sister?”

      “Katherine has a home in Dallas and one here on the ranch. Nick has his own ranch near ours. She’s single and she’s a graphic artist, but she specializes in murals. At the moment she’s painting one for a museum in Chicago. She’s quite good.”

      “So how long were you married?”

      To her surprise his eyes clouded over. “Two years. Margo preferred a career to marriage. Her family is wealthy, so she didn’t need the money from the career, but she wanted everything else that went with it.”

      “What does she do now?”

      “She’s a news anchor in L.A. now. I suppose in the beginning, I could have gone with her if I’d been willing to leave the ranch and leave Texas, but I have my own agenda and didn’t like the idea of tagging along wherever her career led her. Her career is first in her life.”

      “So you still love her?”

      “No, I’m over Margo, but that was a bad time when we divorced. It wasn’t what I’d planned.”

      “And what happened to your mother? Is she no longer living?”

      “I don’t know,” he answered with a cold tone. “When we were little kids, she walked out on us. There was another man and she married him, but it didn’t last a year.” Matt’s brows arched. “You haven’t heard any of this before?”

      “No,” she said. “Jeff really did focus solely on himself. In spite of that, he was charming and entertaining and drew friends like a picnic drawing ants, but then you know about him. So tell me about your mother. You didn’t finish.”

      “My dad raised us. We’ve had no contact with her which is the way she obviously wanted it.”

      “That’s dreadful. Do you even know where she lives?”

      “No,” he said, a shuttered look coming to his expression. “None of us want any contact now that we’re grown and she certainly hasn’t wanted any since she disappeared out of our lives.”

      “Sorry.”

      He shrugged. “That’s the way I’ve grown up. I don’t think about it any longer.”

      “So you’re the cowboy in the family who loves the ranch.”

      “Yes. I get away occasionally. I like to ski and to escape from the ranch. Occasionally, I go to the tropics. We own three ranches, this one, one in Wyoming and one along the California coast and we’re buying one we’ve leased in Argentina.”

      “As in South America?”

      “Right. It’s the best ranch of all. It’s the one I prefer.”

      “And Jeff helped you here?”

      “Jeff worked with me when he wasn’t off gallivanting around the world. He couldn’t possibly have settled and worked in an office like Nick is doing. You’ll meet my family soon.”

      “And they approve of your offer to me?”

      “Sure. Everyone is interested. A new Ransome in the family would be damn good.”

      “Seems to me, among the three of you, one of you could produce a grandchild.”

      “There’s already a grandchild on the way.” His gaze swept over her. “Have you felt all right?”

      She nodded. “Fine. Not even any morning sickness.”

      “You definitely are pregnant.”

      “That’s a statement and not a question, isn’t it? I’m sure you checked that one out and you know who my doctor is.”

      “Sorry about checking up on you, but I had to be certain.”

      The waiter brought their lobster dinners. After the first bite, she looked up to find him waiting and watching her.

      “It’s delicious. You want me to like eating lobster. You want me to cultivate a taste for exotic food.”

      “I don’t know that lobster is exotic. Every grocery store carries them, but I’m glad you like it,” Matt answered.

      “It’s another sales pitch,” she said, touching her diamond pendant and knowing that he was doing all in his power to get her to accept his offer and forget her proposal.

      “Ma’am, I’m a plain ole cowboy,” he drawled, and she had to laugh.