AIDEN HAD DONE his best to hide his despair from Brian. He’d woken up suffering the sort of anguish he hadn’t experienced since the day Leah had learned about the bet he’d made with Brian and walked out of his life. Actually, this was worse, because then he’d had a hope of winning her back someday. Now, he had the prize within his grasp—mere inches from his fingertips—and knew there was no way he could ever reach it.
His head was back in his hands, and his heart was lodged in the soles of his feet. He could think of no way to change his father’s mind. He was sure his desire to marry a Grayhawk would not be the least encouragement for Angus to forgo his revenge. In fact, it might make him even more determined.
“Why are you sitting there with that hangdog look?”
Aiden raised his head at the sound of his father’s voice and glowered at him from his seat at the breakfast bar. “You’re the reason I look like this.”
His father looked both startled and offended. “Me? What did I do?”
“It’s what you’re planning to do.”
“I’m planning to have an English muffin with honey and butter and a cup of coffee. I fail to see how—”
Aiden rose like an avenging fury, his bar stool loudly scraping the floor, to confront his father. “You’ve got King Grayhawk in a vise from which he can’t escape. Is it really necessary to crush him?”
Angus froze at the door to the refrigerator. “Are you suggesting I let him go?”
“Why not? What would you lose? How would it hurt you?”
Angus cocked his head and eyed his son. He closed the refrigerator without retrieving his English muffin.
Aiden had studied his father’s business tactics all his life. Angus always searched for the hidden meaning in what his adversary said. What did the man want? What was his ultimate aim? For perhaps the first time, Aiden found himself on the dangerous end of his father’s scrutiny.
“What’s in it for you if I let him go free?” Angus asked.
Aiden balled his hands into fists below the bar so his father wouldn’t see them trembling. “Not much. Just my future happiness.”
Angus snorted. “Got to be a woman involved when you start talking ‘happiness.’ Since it’s King you’re trying to save, that makes it a Grayhawk woman. Which one?”
“Leah.”
“Ah. King has a soft spot for that one. Never understood it, when there’s not a drop of Grayhawk blood running through her veins.”
He left Aiden standing with his heart in his throat—it had shot up there from the soles of his feet—and headed back to the refrigerator. Angus took out the package of muffins, removed the plastic catch and took one out, replaced the catch and threw the rest of the muffins back in the fridge before closing the door.
He took his muffin with him to the counter, grabbed a serrated knife from a block standing on the counter, cut the muffin in half, and dropped it in the toaster. He opened the cupboard above the toaster and took out a small plastic bear filled with honey. He took the lid off the butter dish sitting next to the toaster and found a knife in the silverware drawer with which to spread the butter once the muffin came up.
Aiden watched every step of the ritual his father followed every morning, waiting impatiently to hear whether his announcement had changed anything. Or nothing.
His father twirled the butter knife as he said, “I have to ask myself what I would get if I let King escape his just deserts.”
Aiden recognized this ploy. He’d seen his father use it a hundred times. He gave the expected response. “What do you want?”
The muffin popped up, and his father left him in suspense while he buttered the muffin and drizzled honey into all the tiny holes that were distinctive to English muffins. When he set down the bear, he turned to Aiden and grinned. Broadly. Then he chuckled. And waggled his brows. And laughed with glee.
“I take it you’ve figured out something that will turn King’s hair even whiter than it is.”
“I have,” Angus said. “In fact, this may be an even better—infinitely more satisfying—revenge than the one I had planned.”
“I’m afraid to ask what you have in mind.”
“I don’t have to ruin King financially. I can take something else—something I suspect is infinitely more precious—from him.”
“What is that?” Aiden asked.
“Leah.”
“What does Leah have to do with your revenge?”
“You’ll be bringing her here to live, correct?”
“That’s my plan.” He wasn’t sure how easy it would be to get Leah to go along with it.
“Do the math. I get a daughter. He loses one.”
“Is that it? That’s your substitute for squashing King like a spider under your boot?” Aiden was unable to believe his father was giving up so much and gaining so little.
“There is one more thing.”
Aiden held his breath, afraid to ask. This would be the kicker, the intolerable term to which he would have to agree to make the deal. “What is that?”
“I want a promise from you that when your first son is born, you’ll name him Angus Ryan Flynn. After me.” His father took a bite of his English muffin and made a satisfied sound in his throat.
Aiden eyed Angus askance. That was it? That was the intolerable term? “I’ll have to talk to Leah before I can promise something like that.”
“You do that.”
Aiden didn’t point out that they might have only girls. No sense creating problems where they didn’t exist. He was so excited, so happy, he wanted to grab Angus and dance around the room. He didn’t because he was also suspicious of his father’s capitulation. It had been far too easy to get him to back off.
“Dad…”
“What is it now?”
“Why are you doing this? Really?”
Angus threw the rest of his muffin on the counter and grabbed a dish towel to wipe the inevitable honey and butter off his hands. “Can’t I love my eldest son?” he said gruffly. “Can’t I want him to be happy?”
Aiden felt tears threaten and blinked them back.
“Besides.” His father’s grin reappeared. “I’m going to get a great deal of satisfaction from knowing King’s favorite daughter is living in my home. Not to mention the fact that he’ll have a grandson named Angus.”
Aiden allowed himself to believe in the miracle. Leah was his. He might have to earn her love again, but once they were living together as husband and wife, anything was possible.
“Well? Is everything all right now?” Angus asked. “Are you happy?”
Aiden threw back his head and laughed. Then he grabbed his father and danced him in a circle. He let go of him suddenly, and Angus whirled away behind the breakfast bar.
“I have to go!” Aiden said. “I have someone to see.”
His father calmly picked up his unfinished muffin and said, “You do that.”
Aiden snatched his coat on the way out the door and ran to his pickup—the one with the plow. He had his cellphone out and had called Leah before he even cranked the engine.
“Angus agreed to forgo his vengeance, Leah! He’s going to make whatever arrangements are necessary for King’s loan to be renewed.”
“How did you get him to do it?”
“I’ll tell you all about it. Meet me at the stock tank.”
“Now?”
“Right now. Oh, baby, I can hardly believe it myself. You’re finally mine and—”
She interrupted to say, “I’ll see you there,” and hung up.
Aiden refused to let her lukewarm response dim his joy. Apparently, although she’d asked for the impossible, she hadn’t expected him to succeed. He was going to hold her to their bargain. She would be coming to live at the Lucky 7, and they would start their life together as husband and wife within the next few days.
He would work out that little detail about naming their firstborn son Angus if and when the situation ever arose.