Page 72 of Texas Glory
She looked at Dallas. “I really should go see him soon.”
“I’ll make the arrangements.”
One of the surveyors approached. “We’re done.”
Dallas nodded and turned his attention to Cordelia. “Do you want to walk around the edge of the property before the ceremony begins?”
“The ceremony?” Boyd asked.
With obvious satisfaction, Dallas smiled at her brother. “The groundbreaking ceremony. Our announcement involves the hotel Dee plans to build in Leighton.”
Boyd visibly paled. “Hotel? You’re not announcing that she’s carrying your child?”
“Nope.”
Boyd’s eyes narrowed. “What’s the matter, Leigh? Aren’t you man enough to get her with child?”
Cameron shoved his oldest brother back. “That’s uncalled for, Boyd.”
Boyd held his shaking finger in front of Cameron’s nose. “Never do that again. Never.”
Cameron shook his head. “This is Dee’s moment. Don’t ruin it for her.”
“You knew she was building a hotel?”
Cameron’s gaze darted to Austin before returning to his brother. “Yeah, I knew.”
“I don’t give a damn about any hotel. All I care about is the land that bastard stole from us.” Boyd stormed away.
Cordelia looked at her two remaining brothers. They shifted from one foot to the other as though uncomfortable.
Duncan finally grinned. “I hear there’s gonna be dancing, free food, and free whiskey. I plan to stay.”
“Me, too,” Cameron said with less enthusiasm.
“We’re glad to hear that,” Dallas said. He turned to Cordelia. “A quick walk around the edge? People are getting anxious for us to begin.”
She was anxious for it to end. It always came back to the land, to her giving Dallas a son.
Yet, the man who wanted the son, the man who should be angry because she had not shared her bed with him, was the one standing beside her now, walking around the property that had cost her little more than a smile.
The day she had met him, she had deemed him to be a man of little patience. Yet in the past month, he had never badgered her for what was his by right. He had patiently listened to her plans for the hotel, offered advice, and given her the chance to reach for something that she wanted.
He had asked for nothing in exchange.
“What do you get out of all this?” she asked as they rounded the first corner and walked along the side that would be the back of the hotel.
He seemed surprised as he glanced over at her. “I like to see you smile. Building the hotel seemed to give you plenty of reasons to smile.”
“It’s that simple?” she asked.
“It’s that simple.”
They walked around the next corner. “It’s going to be big, isn’t it?” she asked as her gaze stretched from one taut rope to the other.
“Biggest building in town.”
They returned to where they had begun. Mr. Curtiss was standing at the corner, holding a shovel. Dallas and Mr. Curtiss stepped over the rope and walked to the center of the property.
