"I'm
not sure I know what are you getting at, Natalie."
"What
if they weren't after you at all, Dad, but someone close to you like Cade,
Elizabeth, Caroline or one of the other girls?"
"If
they were after Cade, wouldn't they just hurt you at your house?"
Elizabeth asked.
"Probably
so we can rule out Cade. You made an enemy in Ari, Elizabeth, when you made a
fool of him at the airport, true?"
"Possibly,
but I don't think he would go to these lengths to get back at me. Besides, he's
not around here. Trust
me,
he would stick out like a
sore thumb."
"Maybe
he's using someone on the ranch?"
"This
is all pretty farfetched, don't you think?" Marcus said, adding his
opinion.
"Without
someone physically poisoning the water supply, I can't see how the nitrates
would get in there."
"I'll
have to think about this. Surely there is another explanation," Mitchell
said, moving toward the door as they heard the housekeeper say dinner was
ready.
Dinner
turned into a laughing, telling stories affair for all. She and Cade tried out
doing each other with tales of their childhood, telling stories of things they
got into trouble for. Marcus and Natalie smiled through the teasing.
"But
remember the night you snuck out the window after the parental unit had fallen
asleep to go to Jenny Bain's party?" Elizabeth asked.
"You
weren't supposed to tell."
"Come
on, Cade. How old are you now? I don't think Dad is going to punish you now for
it although Natalie might."
"I
might at that. Jenny Bain still tries to come onto him every chance she gets
when we go to town. She doesn't care if I'm standing right there either."
"Jealous,
baby?"
Cade asked, wrapping his arm around his
wife.
"Nope.
I've got your ring on my finger and your babies in our home. I've got you by
the balls mister. Funny thing is? You don't want to get away."
Cade
burst out laughing.
"No way.
I love you,
wife."
"I
love you too Cade.
My big, handsome husband."
"Oh
my God!
Mushy, mushy."
Elizabeth giggled, sitting back in her chair.
"Oh
like
you're
one to talk there little sister. I saw you
two at Jack's the other day. You didn't even notice me.
All
the
finger licking going on."
"What?"
Embarrassment flushed her cheeks red with heat.
"I
like the way her fingers taste," Marcus said, pulling her hand closer and
taking one of her fingers in his mouth.
A
low hiss escaped her lips as she clenched her thighs together only to be
reminded of her all day trip on horseback when her legs screamed in agony.
"Oh shit."
"What?"
"My
legs."
"I'll
rub them and make them feel better. I did promise."
"All
right you two. Knock it off," Cade said.
She
groaned as she stood. "I need to run up to take a shower before I fall
asleep at the table. I'll see you all in a bit."
"Sure,
darlin'.
Take your time." Marcus winked.
* * * *
"Are
you serious about Elizabeth, Marcus?" Natalie asked the moment the
bathroom door closed down the hall.
"What
do you mean by serious?"
"I
mean like seeing her more serious? She is leaving in a couple of weeks."
"I
know this, Nat. We've discussed it, but what is between us is just that,
between us."
"Spill
buddy."
"Nope."
"Do
you love her?"
"I
can't say one way or another, Nat, but I care about her and I like the way
things are going between us. Can we talk about something else, please? This isn't
open for discussion."
"What
is your take on the water situation, Marcus?" Mitchell questioned.
"I'm
with Natalie. I think there is foul play involved here although I don't have a
clue from where. The levels they found in the water suggest a large contamination."
"See?"
Natalie sat back in her chair with a smug look on her face.
"Fecal
matter might do this, but no one found large amounts of it in the water supply.
Do you have any new hands on your place, Mitchell?
Someone
who might be suspicious?"
"Nope.
I trust all the men on my place."
"Enough
money might persuade someone to jump sides though," Natalie said.
"It's
true, Dad. I could see a couple of your guys doing something like this for
enough money. Not that you don't pay them well."
"I
guess you're right, Cade. I could see it as well. There are a few who've been
kind of jumpy lately. Jackson seems to have some extra cash these days. He
drove home in a brand new larger pickup truck the other day and I don't think I
pay him enough to afford one. A couple of the hands said he was flashing some
cash at the bar this past weekend, too."
"Sounds
suspicious to me," Cade said. "You'd better have the law talk to
him."
"I
don't want to jump to conclusions though. He's been a good man on this place
for many years. He kind of got screwed when his wife left him a few years ago.
I know their divorce hurt him financially pretty badly."
"He'd
be kind of desperate for money then wouldn't he?" Marcus asked.
"Possibly.
I hate to think he'd turn his back on me though after I've kept him on the
place for so many years." Mitchell scratched his chin. "But, I'll
talk to the sheriff tomorrow so he can question him."
The
ringing of a phone caught their attention. Marcus noticed a cell phone on the
floor. "It must be Elizabeth's. She must have dropped it before she went
upstairs." He laid it on the table. "Should we answer?"
Natalie
grabbed the phone and flipped open the lid. "Hello?" Her eyes
widened. "No. This is her sister-in-law. She's in the shower. Can I take a
message?" Her face turned beat red. "I'll tell her." She snapped
the phone shut and growled, "That was her ex-asshole boyfriend."
"Ari?"
Cade asked. "The bastard has the gall to call her?"
"Apparently.
He wanted me to tell her to call him so he could apologize and beg for her
forgiveness. There is no way in hell I'll tell her he even called."
"You
can't keep this from her, Natalie. It's not fair. She has to make her own
decisions on who she wants to be with. If she chooses him, we must abide by her
decision."
"You
can't be serious, Marcus? She doesn't want him, she wants you."
"I
hope this is true, but it's up to her."
"What's
up to her?" Elizabeth asked, walking back into the room, her hair mussed and
wet. She slid onto his lap as she looped her arms around his neck. Her warm
body heated his blood to boiling the moment her warm thigh touched his.
"Your
phone rang. You must have dropped it before you went upstairs."
"Oh.
Who called?"
He
looked at Natalie, Cade and then her father.
"Your
ex-boyfriend."
"Ari?"
"Yes,
darlin'."
"Who
talked to him?"
"Nat."
"What
did he say he wanted?"
"He
wanted you to call him so he could apologize for his behavior apparently."
"Seriously?"
she asked, sliding off his lap and back into the chair she'd occupied earlier.
"Wow."
He
didn't like the look on her face. Not one bit.
"You
aren't considering calling him are you, Elizabeth?" Natalie
asked,
her eyes wide with shock.
"Well…"
"No
you can't possibly! The man is an asshole. He cheated on you. You never loved
him. He just used you for a plaything while he fucked around with anything with
female parts. Come on, Elizabeth!"
"Enough
Nat.
It's her life," Cade answered. "She can
be with whomever she thinks is the right person for her, although I happen to
agree with you on the asshole part."
"Don't
you think everyone deserves the benefit of the doubt?"
"You
saw him kissing the woman coming down the escalator, right?"
"Yes."
"I
don't think there is a benefit of the doubt then."
"True."
She turned to him. "What do you think I should do, Marcus?"
"For
me to answer that would be selfish on my part. I know what I want you to do and
say, but I can't make the decision for you, Elizabeth. You have to decide on
your own." He climbed to his feet. "I'm going to head for home now.
You don't need me around to complicate matters."
"Don't
leave, Marcus. She needs you here," Natalie said.
"No,
she doesn't. She must make up her own mind." He leaned down, kissing her
cheek. "Remember how it felt to be in my arms and then remember how you
felt in his. Your choice," he whispered in her ear. "Thank you for
dinner, Mitchell.
Cade.
Nat.
I'll see you two around.
Maybe for dinner on Sunday if I'm
still invited."
"Of
course," Cade replied, standing as well. "I'll walk you out. I'd like
to ask you something."
"Sure."
He looked down at Elizabeth, noting the tears glistening in her eyes.
"Call me when you've decided."
When
he turned to glance at Elizabeth before he walked out, he almost laughed at the
shocked look in her eyes. She apparently thought he would go all Dom on her and
tell her she must be with him. Well, she didn't know him very well then because
having a sub who didn't want to be with you could be much worse than being in a
relationship with a woman who hated you. He'd done both.
"I
think you did the right thing in there, Marcus."
"Thanks,
Cade. I can't make her decision for her. She either wants to be with me or she
doesn't."
"She's
confused."
"I'm
sure. She thought she loved this other man. But what choice does she have?
She’s facing a relationship with him knowing he cheated on her or a
non-existent relationship with me."
Cade
put his hand on Marcus' shoulder. "Yours isn't non-existent, Marcus. I saw
the way you two were together."
"We
haven't known each other long enough to establish a relationship. We've spent
some time together, yes, but that doesn't make a relationship."
"Don't
let her think too long before you make another move. I'm afraid she'll decide
to give asshole another chance."
"If
she does, it's her choice, although I hope she doesn't. I care for her a great
deal."
"Have
you told her that?"
"No.
It has no place in what’s currently between us. She and I established we might
pursue something after she leaves on a long distance type basis. We haven't
discussed anything beyond those terms though."
"Going
back to him would cause the same issues. She's already committed to doing her
residency in Billings."
"I
know. It's closer to Red Rock than Los Angeles."
"True.
I believe what you two have is genuine. What she had with him was based on lies
and misconceptions. She wanted to be in love. The major flaw in her plan was he
wasn't in love with her. I believe the man cheated on her several times. She
just didn't catch him until the last time at the airport."
"I
hope she remembers how she felt to see him in a compromising situation. It
would help her decide."
"You
would be good for her, Marcus. I'm sure of it."
"I'm
counting on her coming to the same conclusion, Cade."
Chapter Eleven
Elizabeth
watched in surprise as Marcus glanced back before he walked out the door. Did
he care at all? It didn't appear to her like he did. "What the hell?”
"You
can't expect him to decide for you. And let me tell you one thing sister dear,
if you even seriously consider calling that asshole, I'll personally kick your
butt."
"I
will, too, Elizabeth. I can't believe your behavior with this," her father
chimed in.
"I'm
just shocked he called. I don't want anything to do with him. The man cheated
on me God only knows how many times. I wanted to see what Marcus would do. He
doesn't seem to want to commit to anything between us."