Chapter Nine

“Why didn’t you tell me you and Cody were an item?”

Sidney forked some eggs into her mouth and winced. They were seated at the little table by the window in their room. “Mmm. What makes you think we’re an item?”

“Seriously? The heat between you?”

Sidney shrugged. “That’s all his, that heat. I could care less about him.”

“Why don’t I buy that?”

“Because you’re broke?”

An old joke. It didn’t go over well.

Sidney blew out a breath. “Okay we’ve been having a thing.”

“A thing?”

“Yeah. But it’s over now.”

“What happened?”

A cloud flittered over her expression. “Forget about me and Cody. Tell me about you and Logan.”

“There’s nothing to tell.” Nothing appropriate for sharing over breakfast, at any rate.

“Did you do it?”

Hanna blushed. “Really, Sidney. That’s private.”

“Oh, you did. You did do it. Was it good?” When Hanna didn’t respond, Sidney continued. “Because I am guessing it was good. A man that steamy? With those dark good looks, that wicked smile. I know he’d be great in bed. He’s an awesome kisser . . .”

“Stop talking about kissing him!”

All right, perhaps her tone was a trifle too sharp. Sidney’s attention snapped to her face. “You like him, don’t you?”

“Yes.”

“A lot?”

“I do. But it’s really stupid and pointless to think about it. I’m marrying Zack.”

Sidney stared at her. “No. Don’t tell me you’re still going through with it.”

Hanna gaped at her sister. Was that why she’d booked this ranch for the bachelorette party? In hopes that Hanna would have a steamy affair with a hunky stripper and be so blown away that she would toss Zack aside?

Hanna ignored the fact that such an inclination swirled through her belly.

It was a ridiculous thought.

She swallowed her bile and nodded. “Of course I’m going through with it. This changes nothing. And, by God, if you ever speak a word of this—”

Sidney sniffed. “As if. Who would I tell anyway? Dad?”

Hanna winced. A hot flush rose on her cheeks She opened her mouth but her response caught in her throat.

“Oh, for God’s sake, Hanna. Chillax. I’m not telling anyone you had a crazy fling with Logan.” She poked at her sausage. “Obviously it wasn’t that good.”

The derision in her tone irked Hanna, but she didn’t respond.

“If it had been, you’d be dancing on the clouds this morning, not wallowing in the doldrums.”

“I am not wallowing—”

“And you’d be rethinking this ill-advised marriage to a man who is so obviously not right for you.”

Hanna studied her sister. It was clear from her petulant demeanor that causing Hanna to rethink this marriage had been her plan all along. “Why do you dislike him so?”

“Aside from Tibby?”

“It’s hardly fair to judge a man based on his family.”

“Is it? Well, aside from her, there’s the fact that he’s far too reserved and dispassionate—”

“I’m reserved and dispassionate.”

Sidney snorted. “I’ve seen your paintings, Hanna. You are not dispassionate. Besides, your diffidence stems from your shyness. With him . . .”

“With him?”

She shook her head. “I don’t know. With him it feels like he’s hiding something.”

Hanna laughed. “What would he have to hide?”

“Yeah.” Sidney frowned. “Exactly. He’s been courting you, what? Six years?”

“Seven.”

“And in all that time, have you ever seen him lose his temper? Get angry?”

“N-no.” Never. The only time she’d seen even a flash of anger had been that night in high school. But he’d been drunk. She’d never seen him take so much as a sip of alcohol since.

“I know you haven’t dated a lot—”

Hanna snorted at that.

“But I have. And I’m here to tell you, you don’t really know a man until you’ve seen him angry.”

“You want me to make Zack angry?”

Sidney frowned. “That’s not what I’m saying, Hanna. It’s just . . . I don’t trust the guy. I feel like there’s something dark and nasty simmering under that urbane surface. And when I look at his sister, and how downright mean she can be—”

“We already agreed we wouldn’t judge him by his sister.”

“We didn’t agree. You just said it wasn’t fair to do so.

Hanna tightened her hold on her fork. This conversation was making her belly churn. Despite which, the point was moot. “It hardly matters. I’m marrying Zack. I have to.”

Sidney froze. Her gaze lanced Hanna like an icy spear. “What do you mean, you have to?”

Oh dear. She hadn’t meant to put it that way. Hanna’s pulse thrummed. “Nothing. Eat your toast.”

Sidney’s glare darkened. “I don’t want my toast. Tell me what you meant.”

“I’ll eat it then.” She snatched the cold toast from her sister’s plate and made a great show of buttering it and slathering it with jam and taking a big bite. “Mmm.”

“Hanna . . .”

“Good toast.” A lie. It was cold and the butter was hard and it tasted like dust in her mouth.

“Hanna. Tell me.”

“There’s nothing to tell.”

“Liar.”

“It’s . . . private.”

Sidney’s eyes narrowed even more. “What?”

A shiver skittered up Hanna’s spine. She knew that tone. When Sidney used that tone, when her chin tipped at just that angle, there was no escaping her attention, no diverting the topic to the delights of cold bread products that were as hard as an anvil.

Hanna set down the toast and wiped her fingers on a napkin, blowing out a sigh. “Dad is losing the ranch.”

Sidney blanched. Her hand shook. “Wh-what?”

Hanna shrugged. “A couple bad investments, combined with Mom’s doctor bills . . . he missed a couple mortgage payments. Bottom line is the bank is going to foreclose. They would have done so a month ago, except . . .”

“Except you agreed to marry the president.”

“And chairman of the board. He’s . . . he’s been making the payments.”

“Oh. My. God.” Sidney stared at her, mouth agape. “I had no idea. No clue.” She raked her fingers through her hair. And then she stilled. “So why did Dad tell you and not me?”

Surely Hanna didn’t imagine the pain in her sister’s voice.

“Dad didn’t tell me. Zack did.” She set her hand on Sidney’s. “In strictest confidence. No doubt he’d get in terrible trouble for sharing privileged financial information. So don’t tell anyone. And for God’s sake, don’t let on to Dad that you know. He would be horrified.”

“So wait. You’re marrying Zack . . . to save the ranch?”

“Yes.”

Surely, there was no need for such maniacal laughter. “What’s so funny?” Hanna tried not to snap, but it was difficult.

Sidney dashed a tear from her eye. Hanna doubted it came from her hilarity. “It’s just so . . . cliché. You know. Rancher’s daughter forced into marriage with Snidely Whiplash . . .”

“He’s hardly Snidely Whiplash.”

“He’s only missing the moustache.”

“Sidney, stop it. Zack is doing us a favor. Without him, we would have been out on our keisters a long time ago. I know that hardly matters to you since you’ve moved out—”

“Which by the way, you should have done years ago—”

Hanna frowned at her. “They need me. Dad needs me.”

“Dad is a grown-up. And so are you. It’s time you took the reins of your own life and quit living for someone else.”

“I do not!”

“You do. And the house is just a house. It’s not worth you marrying a man you don’t love—”

“I like him—”

“Mortgaging your future to save the ranch. You know Dad would say the same thing.”

“Dad must never know.”

“Would it be so terrible if Dad lost the stupid ranch?”

“You always hated that ranch.”

“I did.”

“But Mom loved it.”

Sidney fell into silence and sawed at her sausage. After a long while, she murmured, “Mom doesn’t even know where she is anymore.” She put out a lip. “Hell, she doesn’t even know I’m her daughter anymore.”

“I know, Sidney. But the doctors say continuity is important.”

“The doctors are idiots.”

There was no response to that, so Hanna pressed her lips together.

After a moment Sidney added, “Dad would hate you doing this for him.”

“I’m not doing it for him. I’m doing it for Mom.”

“She would hate it. Deny it if you will. But the Mom we used to know? She would have torn into you like nobody’s business, making a decision like this.” Sidney leaned in. “She never liked Zack either. Ever since that night you came home from a date with him in tears and your blouse ripped.” Hanna opened her mouth to reply, to say what she always said—that was a long time ago—but Sidney was on a roll. “She would hate that you are giving up your freedom, marrying a jerk, sacrificing everything for her. It’s stupid. Just stupid. But it had to be something like that, didn’t it? For you to agree to marry him. I knew something was hinky—”

“‘Hinky’?”

“And honestly. I thought for sure, once you experienced life, you’d see what a disaster it would be to marry Zack, to tie yourself to that cold, heartless, arrogant—”

“You forgot to add hinky.”

“—stick of a man for the rest of your life.”

Hanna stilled. “Wait. What did you mean, once I experienced life? I’ve experienced life—”

“Pfft.”

“I’ve experienced plenty.”

Sidney quirked a brow. “Well, now you have. But apparently a night with Logan wasn’t enough to do the trick.”

Hanna winced. “Please don’t phrase it that way.” Regardless of how fabulous last night had been, she couldn’t escape the bald fact that she’d given herself to a stripper.

Sidney balled up her napkin. “So you’re still determined to marry the cretin.”

“I am.” Bile tickled her throat as the words rose. “I need to fix this.”

“It’s not your responsibility to fix everything.”

“It’s my responsibility to try.”

There was no need for her sister to glower so. Hanna attempted to ignore it.

“So this whole weekend was for nothing?” Sidney threw up her hands. “Cody and I thought for sure once you . . .”

She trailed off. Silence loomed between them. Sidney peeped up at Hanna, a blush rising on her cheeks.

Hanna’s heart hammered. Her mouth went dry. “Cody and you? You planned this with him? This wasn’t just some crazy, rebellious whim?”

Sidney set her chin. “It was a crazy, rebellious whim. But not the way you’re implying. I just wanted you to see . . .”

“See what?”

“How good it could be.”

Something nasty slithered in her belly. “Did you tell Cody to have that man seduce me?” God. She knew what she and Logan had shared hadn’t been real, that it was only a job to him. That was bad enough. But to think she’d been set up, that he’d been ordered to pretend he wanted her . . . She shuddered. “Did you?”

Sidney batted her lashes. “Not exactly.”

“What, exactly?”

“You aren’t going to like it.”

Good gracious. Did she like any of this?

“Tell me.”

“His name is Logan Landry. He’s a friend of Cody’s. They’ve been friends since grade school.”

Hanna frowned. “But . . . Cody went to school in Snake Gully.”

Sidney nodded. “So did Logan. In fact, you all went to high school together. I was a couple years behind. Lucky me. I got Tibby.”

Hanna gaped at her sister. Her heart thrummed. Her mind spun. “I don’t remember him from high school.” But then, she didn’t remember a lot about high school. Whitewash and all.

“You might remember him if you saw his yearbook picture. According to Cody he was kind of a dork back then. He’s . . . developed.”

“I’ll say.”

Sidney missed her murmur. She continued unabated. “Anyway, apparently Logan had a crush on you back then.”

“Wait. He had a crush on me?” Why her heart trilled at that was a mystery.

“Cody and I, well, we both hate that you’re marrying Zack. Me because I love you and him because he really hates Zack. Anyway . . . We thought, if we got you and Logan together . . .” She shrugged.

“And Logan? Was he part of your planning?” Something cold fisted Hanna’s heart at the thought that he’d used her to work off some decades-old lust.

“He didn’t know you’d be here.” Sidney grinned wickedly. “In fact, he thought he was coming here to work as a ranch hand.”

Hanna’s pulse missed a beat. “He’s a ranch hand?” Not a stripper? She wasn’t sure why that knowledge made her go hot, then cold again. Surely that was relief scudding through her to know that he didn’t regularly make love to women for money. Or it could have been a hint of anger; he’d known who she was and kept it a secret. All night. Or it could have been chagrin over both.

She wanted to replay their time together in her head and sift through it all, but couldn’t. Not now. Not with her sister babbling away.

Sidney shrugged. “I don’t know what he does. All I know is he left Snake Gully after some big brouhaha. He and his mom moved to Dallas, but he and Cody stayed friends. Apparently he lost a bet. That’s why he’s here.”

“A bet?” Hanna said through stiff lips.

This just got better and better.

“Anyway . . .” Sidney peeped up through thick lashes. “He’s hot and gorgeous and a really great kisser. Are you interested in him?”

Hanna stared at her sister. Try as she might, she couldn’t answer. Her mind was awhirl. Her heart was heavy and the scorch of embarrassment singed her soul.

She couldn’t see Logan again. Hell, she couldn’t bear to face him again. It was humiliating enough that she’d told him her deepest, darkest secrets, thinking he was a lover-for-hire. But to find out he actually knew who she was? That he’d had a crush on her in high school and still played along with her games?

Oh God. Memory swamped her. His hand on her ass. The feel of his cock working inside her. His moans. Her groans. A different kind of heat rose.

Heat scorched her cheeks. She buried her face in her hands.

Yes, this was her last desperate gasp of freedom. But she couldn’t see him again. Not now that she knew the truth about him. She’d hole up in her room for the rest of the weekend. Hole up here and hide. And maybe finish that bottle of tequila. Surely that would help her forget this ignominy.

“Well, are you?” Sidney asked, picking up the toast and taking a big bite. “Are you interested in him?”

“Hmm?”

“Because if you’re not . . .” She grinned. “I may make a play for him myself . . .”

***

“What the hell was that all about?” Cody snarled, following Logan from the bunkhouse out to the barn.

“What was what about?”

“You. Kissing my . . . kissing Sidney. For God’s sake, Logan. That was not why I brought you here.”

“Right.” Logan stopped and Cody, who wasn’t paying attention, plowed into him. “You brought me here to work on your ranch for the weekend. Your stripper ranch.”

“It’s not a stripper ranch—”

“It kind of is.”

“That’s only to bring in extra revenue.” Cody slashed his hand through the air. “Besides, that is all beside the point. Why did you kiss Sidney?”

“She’s cute?” She was cute. Not Logan’s type by far. He preferred steamy redheads with emerald eyes and a warble in her voice when she came.

He’d kissed Sidney simply to throw Tibby off the scent. That it had annoyed Cody was an added bonus. And it was too tempting to needle Cody. After what he’d pulled on Logan this weekend, he deserved it.

And, indeed, it was amusing watching him sputter. “B-but she’s . . . not why I brought you here.”

“Why exactly did you bring me here, Cody?”

Cody wrinkled his brow and glared at him. “You know why.”

Right. Hanna. “You knew she was the bride-to-be. You knew she was getting married.” A cold, angry wind blew through him. His muscles bunched.

“Of course I knew.”

“And why the fuck didn’t you didn’t tell me?”

Cody flushed. “Sidney thought—”

“Sidney? What’s she got to do with this?”

“Can’t you figure that out?” Cody crossed his arms. “She’s scared to death.”

“Why?”

“Her sister is planning to marry Zack Pucey. Can you think of a better reason to panic? She hoped that, well, she hoped if Hanna met some other man—”

“Me?”

“She didn’t care who it was. Sidney just hoped Hanna might meet someone and change her mind about marrying Zack.”

“That’s ridiculous.”

“I was the one who thought of you.”

“Yeah. Thanks for that.”

“It worked . . . didn’t it? The two of you were out all night. Did you—”

“That is none of your fucking business.”

“Are you going to see her again tonight?”

Was he. And then some. Tonight. All night, if he had anything to say about it. He’d had a taste of her, and it wasn’t enough. By far. “Again, none of your business.”

“Well, if you can convince her to dump Pucey, I’d consider our bet paid in full.”

“Our bet is already paid in full. I came to your stupid party.” Although, he had to admit, the prospect of convincing Hanna to dump Zack had its merits. He understood her reasons for agreeing to marry the prick, but he didn’t agree with them. No woman in this day and age should have to marry a man because of money.

Hanna deserved to make a momentous decision like marriage by following her heart, not because she was railroaded into it.

He wished he could just offer her the money she needed, but he couldn’t. What they had was so new and so untried, he didn’t dare make such an offer out of the blue. Besides, she had no idea who he really was. She thought he was a stripper, a man who pleased women for a living. He itched to tell her the truth about him—all of it.

If she got to know him a little better, she might be open to a suggestion . . .

An idea bubbled in his brain.

Maybe there was a way.

“Why are you smiling like that?”

Logan forced a glower and pinned it on Cody.

“I know that look, Logan. What are you thinking?”

Logan snorted. “None of your beeswax,” he muttered.

Cody stared at him for a long moment, with his arms crossed over his chest. “Well, whatever you do,” he grumbled, “stay away from Sidney.”