Page 28 of Texas Glory
“It’s beautiful,” she said quietly.
So are youhung on the tip of his tongue, but he couldn’t bring himself to say the words, not knowing how the morning would end.
Barely turning her face in his direction, she gave him a hesitant smile. “Thank you.”
He grimaced. “I didn’t make the sunrise. I just brought you to see it.”
She nodded slightly and averted her gaze. He would have taken back the gruffness in his voice if he could. He didn’t know why he always sounded angry when he spoke to her. Perhaps because the fulfillment of his final dream rested on her willingness to give it to him.
Reaching out, he grabbed Beauty’s reins and turned both horses away from the rising sun.
Cordelia stared at the river, the men lining its far bank, and the barbed-wire fence that stretched along the length of the stream. In the distance, beyond the fence, a cloud of dust rose toward the sky as cattle tromped toward the fence.
She recognized her brothers leading the herd, Boyd with his arm still in a white sling, Duncan and Cameron on either side of him. They brought their horses to a halt, and the cattle wandered to a stop behind them as the men flanking each side cut off the cows that wanted to keep moving.
She heard the babbling of the river and low bawling of the cattle. Her heart tightened in her chest as she realized why Dallas had brought her here: to see exactly what her family had traded her for.
She wished she were skilled enough with a horse that she could simply gallop away.
Beside her, Dallas removed his hat and draped his wrist over his saddle horn. “I’ve always considered myself easy on the eyes. I’ve got more land than I know what to do with and enough money that my family will never do without. I assumed any woman would be pleased to have me for a husband.
“Your family and I have been feuding over this strip of land every since the day you arrived. I want a son. I want the feuding to stop. Marrying you seemed a way to have both. Unfortunately, I failed to take your feelings on the matter into consideration.”
He shifted his gaze away from her. “See that man standing by the fence?”
She saw a tall, lean-boned man positioned next to the barbed wire, his horse tethered to a post. “Yes?”
“That’s Slim, my foreman. You ride down there, and he’ll cut the fence for you, let you go through so you can meet up with your brothers on the other side.”
“And you’ll still pull your fence back?”
He turned his dark unwavering gaze on her. “This land has soaked up my sweat and blood … and that of my brothers. I won’t give an inch of it away if I receive nothing in return.”
Her hopes plummeted. “And if I stay here?”
“Raise your hand and lower it. Then my men will pull the fence back. Today I’m giving you what your family and I failed to give you yesterday: a choice. Stay or go. It’s your decision.”
“But we’re already married.”
“It can be undone easy enough.”
“My father and brothers will be furious.’
He held her gaze. “I’m prepared to deal with that.”
“You broke Boyd’s arm before. What will you do this time? Kill him?”
His gaze never faltered. “If I have to.”
Her stomach lurched. She certainly couldn’t accuse Dallas Leigh of being dishonest. Her mouth grew as dry as the wind. “You’ve only given me the illusion of a choice.”
“Sometimes, that’s all life gives any of us.”
A few moments ago, she had marveled at the beauty of the sunrise, and now she was seeing the ugliness of men and their greed.
“Do you want to be married to a woman who hates you?” she asked, realizing with sickening dread that she could very well grow to hate this man.
He settled his hat on his head, throwing shadows over his face. “I don’t need your love, but I need your decision. My men have work they need to get to.”
