Page 23 of Texas Glory
“The first two conditions—” she said quickly.
He removed his hand from the door, straightened, and looked at her. She licked her lips.
“The first two conditions that my father agreed to … what were they?”
“Didn’t he tell you?”
“He said you would share your water with him if I married you. Without the water, he would lose his cattle.”
“That was the first condition. I promised to pull my fence back the morning after we were married.”
“Was that your idea?” she asked.
“It was my offer.”
“And the second condition?”
“When you give me a son, I’ll deed a portion of my land over to your father.”
“Was that your idea as well?”
He hesitated. “No.”
Cordelia felt as though someone had just pulled her heart through her chest.
“Isn’t there a name for a woman who trades her favors for gain?” she asked.
“There’s also a name for a woman who takes a husband. You’re my wife, not my whore.”
“In this case, Mr. Leigh, it seems to be a fine line. May I have a few moments alone?”
He nodded and opened the door to their bedroom. “I’ll see my brother and his family off, and then I’ll come back.”
She slipped inside the room, closed the door, and pressed her back against it.
Her father knew the fears she harbored, knew what she had seen as a child. She had been standing in the doorway, terrified, when he’d finally rolled off her mother.
He had promised her that no man would ever touch her. He had traded his promise for a strip of land, knowing full well that what Dallas Leigh expected of his wife was what her father had sworn she would never have to give.
Dallas leaned against the veranda beam and watched as Houston tucked Maggie into the back of the wagon. Amelia had been kind enough to help him clean up his office. He wished she had the power to wipe away his doubts as easily as she had wiped away the kitten’s puddle.
Was a son such a terrible thing for a man to wish for?
“Have a safe journey home,” he said.
Houston looked up from his task. “We will.”
“If you need anything—”
“We’ll be fine,” Amelia said. “Get back to your wife.”
Walking into the house, Dallas closed the door behind him. After a day filled with guests, the house seemed unbearably empty. His footsteps echoed down the hallway. He began climbing the stairs.
His wife was waiting for him. His wife. He’d planned to dance with her, toast her happiness, and charm her.
Instead, she’d seen his temper flare up more than once, and he’d frightened her. Her scream had been one of pure terror.
He stopped outside the door to his room. A pale light slipped into the hallway. She was inside waiting on him.
