The Forbidden Texan. Sara Orwig
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in him as he had in her.
She decided to cut to the chase. “I can’t guess any reason why Thane Warner would write to me.”
“I won’t keep you in suspense. He wanted me to do some things for him that he wasn’t going to get to come home and do himself. Important things to him. Thane wanted to get rid of his grandfather’s ranch, which he had inherited. Thane said there are valuable things in the house, and he told me that you, Emily, would know the appraised value and where to get rid of what I don’t want. He told me about your store, Antiques, Art and Appraisals. I noticed some interesting items as I walked through.”
“I’ve grown up around antiques and being in this business, I have a chance to buy and sell them.”
“Thane was badly wounded and we were under fire,” Jake said, his voice changing, sounding harsher. “You don’t say no to a dying buddy’s request. And he was a friend of mine all my life. Without hesitation, I promised I’d do whatever he asked. He actually made three requests and he did ask the impossible. I’ll just do the best I can.”
She listened to Jake talk and knew he was hurting over the loss of his friend. And she could understand why he couldn’t have said no to whatever Thane had requested. She took another deep breath because she had a feeling something was coming that she would want to say no to and Jake Ralston had promised Thane he would get her to agree to do it. She hadn’t promised Thane anything, but Jake had already set her up for a guilty conscience if she declined. She wished she could end this appointment without hearing what Jake wanted.
“Thane wanted me to hire you, so I’m offering you a job.”
How could she possibly agree to that? She was a Kincaid. She couldn’t work for a Ralston. That would stir all kinds of trouble with her family, especially her brothers. She didn’t mind talking to Jake in her shop, but working closely with him, going through belongings out on a ranch, was a far more personal involvement with a Ralston.
“Jake, let me stop you right there. I have to say no. Our families are too divided. Feelings are bitter and run high. I can give you names of some really good appraisers who are trustworthy people with lots of experience in this business.”
He put both feet on the floor, his elbows on his knees, and leaned forward while she talked until he was almost touching her. She looked into his intent dark eyes that made her heart beat faster.
“Emily,” he said in a deep voice that had her attention riveted, “Thane made a supreme effort to stay alive long enough to tell me what he wanted me to do. The medics were astounded he lasted as long as he did. This project was vital to him and he died with my word that I would hire you. I’ll do whatever it takes to make that happen. If the only thing standing in the way is an old family feud that you and I are not very involved in, we can manage. I’m not asking you to become my friend, just my employee.”
She closed her eyes as he talked and wanted to shut him out of her life, to cover her ears and not hear what he was saying. She didn’t want to work for a Ralston out on a ranch. Jake was the best-looking man in the next twelve counties, and from what she had read and heard, he was a man who went through women in amazing numbers. A guy who liked pretty women, loved parties and had no intention of settling into family life. Definitely not her type. Granted, the women she had known who had gone out with him stayed friends, liked him and would be willing to go out with him again if they had the chance. But Emily didn’t want to be a trophy or a statistic. She didn’t want an affair and she definitely didn’t want a broken heart. If she got deeply involved with a man, she was old-fashioned enough that she wanted a wedding ring on her finger.
“Emily, let’s go through this before you flatly refuse,” he said in a throaty, coaxing voice that sent warmth through her, causing her refusal to fizzle.
“As I said, in the last moments of Thane’s life, he asked me to promise him three things—first, to clear out the possessions in his grandfather’s ranch house. For promising to do what Thane asked, he deeded that ranch to me as a gift. It is my house and my ranch now. The second promise was to hire you to appraise the contents of the house and help dispose of or keep what we find—and to live at the ranch with me for the duration of this job. The third promise, I’m afraid, is hopeless. It is to try to end the Ralston-Kincaid feud. You and I are talking to each other, making a deal with each other, so that’s a start. He did say try on that one.
“Let me briefly tell you about my military buddies. Thane was our captain and he was also our friend, fellow Texas rancher and businessman. Although you’re younger, you’ve grown up knowing the Warners and I imagine you know Noah Grant, or at least his sister, Stefanie.”
Emily nodded. “I’ve gone to school with Stefanie and I know the Grants.”
“Noah was asked to deliver a letter to the woman who turned out to be the mother of his son. Another Texan fit into our little group, Mike Moretti. Thane had asked Mike to work at the Tumbling T when Mike returned home. Not only had he done that, he ended up marrying Thane’s widow and taking over the ranch. The ranch that sat right in a stateside battlefield—directly between a family of Ralstons and a family of Kincaids.”
“I agree that ending the feud is absolutely impossible,” Emily replied. “Some of my family members have strong feelings. They wouldn’t even want to learn that I’m working for you. Thane was a very nice person, but this job is just not—”
Jake held up his hand, stopping her.
“Hear me out and let me give you the letter and an envelope Thane had for you. As I said, you can’t imagine the effort he made to tell me and two of his close friends what he wanted and to get each of us to promise to do certain things.”
“With great reluctance, I’ll listen,” she said, feeling caught between Thane’s last wishes and the plea from Jake on Thane’s behalf.
“Good,” Jake said, giving her another look that took her breath away. She hated his request and watched as he picked up his briefcase, opened it and removed a sealed envelope.
With misgivings, she reached out to take it and as her fingers brushed his hand, she had that instant awareness of contact. She looked up to meet his curious gaze and she felt an uncustomary flash of desire, as unwanted as the envelope in her hand. Why had she agreed to meet with Jake Ralston?
She opened the letter and looked up. “I might as well read this to you, too, because it has to be about my working for you.”
“Go ahead,” Jake said.
“Dear Emily,
I have asked my friend Jake Ralston to hire you to do the appraisal of my grandfather’s belongings and to live with and help Jake dispose and take care of those things. I know it is life changing to ask a Ralston and a Kincaid to work together, but it is temporary, a job with two honorable, trustworthy people working together to do what I am not going to be able to do myself. Please be kind and honor this request of mine. It’s time the Kincaids and the Ralstons bury the old battles. Your lives are before both of you and this is a small request, and it will not take a lot of your time. I hope if you agree, that this task will bless both of you and bring something good into your lives. Life is precious, so please don’t waste it on an old feud that really doesn’t matter. I’d give anything to have that chance. Thank you so very much for doing this. I thank you both. May your lives be filled with joy.
Thane.”
When she looked up to meet Jake’s gaze, he looked away, but she had seen how the letter had refreshed the pain of losing his friend. Silence stretched between them for a few moments until she spoke. “I suppose you better tell me what it is you want me to do.”
“I have a letter, too, with very specific instructions, which we can get into later. In the meantime,” he said, removing another envelope from his briefcase, “Thane instructed me to open this envelope, which is from him to you. It’s his gift to you for taking the job and he wanted me to know about it. In addition to what’s in this envelope, I’ll pay you the regular fee for your work. Let me know your fee and we’ll go from there.”