Do You Take This Enemy? Read Free Page B

Quinn was raw-boned, with thick black hair streaked with gray. He removed his glasses.
    â€œThat outfit represents the Brants.” Her father frowned. “Why would he call you?”
    â€œHe said he wanted to come out and talk to me about a business proposition. If I tell you, will you keep calm?”
    â€œWhy don’t you think I’ll keep calm?” her father demanded.
    â€œI have to tell you something you’re not going to like. I don’t want your blood pressure going up,” she said. His shirt hung on his frame because of the weight he had lost.It hurt to see her father ailing; he had always been robust, a strapping giant to her when she had been a child.
    â€œI’m going to have high blood pressure if you don’t go ahead and tell me.”
    â€œThe lawyer wasn’t the one who came out here. He was just a decoy, calling for someone else.” Quinn’s eyes narrowed and he waited. “Dad, it was Gabriel Brant,” she said.
    Her father’s ruddy face drained of color and he stood. “Gabriel Brant was on our land?”
    â€œYes, he was. Now sit down, or I won’t tell you another word. I don’t want your blood pressure jumping.”
    â€œDammit, Ashley, he knows better than to set foot on our place. That son of a bitch on our land!”
    â€œDad, just keep calm. You don’t want to have a stroke because of a Brant.”
    â€œI’m not going to have a stroke. What in blazes did he want? I know he wanted something and it must be a dilly.” Quinn told his daughter.
    â€œHe wants me to marry him.”
    The explosion she expected came; Quinn stormed around the room, swearing and waving his hands. She let him rant for a moment and then stepped in front of him.
    â€œNow listen to the rest. You know a Brant is not in love with a Ryder, much less a woman he’s never talked to before.”
    â€œHe wants the ranch. He wants this ranch, dammit!”
    â€œHe wants a paper marriage—a marriage in name only,” she explained. “He can run cattle on our ranch and expand a little because he knows we don’t use all our land.”
    â€œThe only way he can know that is if he’s been on our property. I will shoot that greedy son of a bitch if I catch him trespassing!”
    â€œHe could know that without getting on our property,” she said calmly, trying to stay calm herself to quiet her father. “Everyone in town knows you’ve had health problems.”
    â€œWhy in thunderation did he ever think you’d agree? Damn, he’s ruthless and greedy. There’s nothing we’d get out of it.” Quinn grumbled.
    â€œAccording to him there is. We’d get his help running this ranch and his money backing it.”
    Her father clenched his fists, his face growing more red. “Dammit. He just wants our land.”
    â€œBut his would be ours as much as ours would be his,” she argued.
    Quinn shot her a searching look. Shutting his mouth, he went to the mantel to prop his elbow on it, and she saw that he was actually thinking about Gabriel Brant’s proposition. Her spirits sank a little because she had had to think about it herself.
    â€œThere have to be a dozen other guys around here who would marry you and work with me on the ranch.”
    â€œNo one has called and asked me out,” she answered dryly. “At least going out with Gabriel Brant might be interesting.”
    â€œHow do you know that? You don’t know the guy at all.”
    â€œOf course, I do. I’ve been around him when we were growing up. I saw him at parties and football games. He was older, but he was always in the middle of things and sort of the life-of-the-party type,” she said. Back then she had thought he was incredibly sexy and handsome and wished he would notice her; wished that he was anything except a Brant.
    Quinn turned to study her. “You’re not actually considering this,