Wedding His Takeover Target / Inheriting His Secret Christmas Baby. Emilie Rose

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СКАЧАТЬ old man’s folktales didn’t change the fact that Gavin intended to get the hell out of Dodge as soon as he’d fulfilled his part of the will. “Our plans will preserve the mine and its historical value. The bungalow will blend into the setting.”

      “I’m still not interested in selling.”

      “What can I do to change your mind? Would you like to see the blueprints?”

      “I don’t care about any blueprints.”

      Gavin clenched his teeth so hard he was lucky he didn’t crack a molar. He had to find a way to get through to the man, and at the moment his mind was blank. He pulled the written offer from his pocket and offered it to Caldwell. “Take a look at our price.”

      When the man made no move to take the envelope, Gavin laid the package on the coffee table. “Think it over. Thank you for your time.”

      He strode toward the entry.

      “What’d you think of my Sabrina?” Caldwell called after him.

      Gavin stopped and pivoted. “Excuse me?”

      “Liked her, didn’t you?”

      What was the old man up to? “Your granddaughter is quite attractive.”

      Caldwell nodded. “She’s easy on the eyes, that’s for sure. Like her grandma, my Colleen. Shut that door.”

      Unsure of where the conversation was headed, Gavin complied. The envelope remained unopened on the table where he’d left it.

      “How badly do you want that land?”

      That sounded like a loaded question. “I want to see the Jarrod property intact.”

      Caldwell scratched his chin. “A deed will earn you the deed.”

      What in the hell did that mean? The man seemed lucid, but Gavin wondered if he’d misjudged him. Gavin slowly crossed the rug. “I’m not following.”

      “Marry Sabrina and I’ll sell you the land.”

      Shock knocked Gavin like a wrecking ball to the chest. Was everybody marriage-crazy today? First Blake, now this. “Marry her?”

      “It could work.”

      Gavin shook his head. Caldwell had to be senile. But Gavin couldn’t afford to offend him. “I just met Sabrina, sir, and you weren’t in here long enough to notice she’s not exactly impressed with me.”

      Caldwell smiled, smirked, really. “She’s interested.”

      Gavin’s pulse spiked. “She told you that?”

      “Nope. I just know.”

      This conversation seemed surreal. What could be so wrong with the woman that her grandfather had to bribe someone to marry her? “Mr. Caldwell, you don’t know me well enough to wish me on your granddaughter.”

      “My Colleen was one of those mail-order brides. Didn’t set eyes on her until the week of our wedding. But we had chemistry from the minute we met at the train station. Same as you and Sabrina.”

      Gavin didn’t bother to deny the attraction. “I’m glad that worked for you, but frankly, I’m not interested in marriage. My career keeps me on the road. I move from site to site, usually only staying in one place for six months to a year. No woman wants to live like that.”

      He’d learned that the hard way.

      “The mountains still call you home. Court Sabrina. Marry her. And I’ll sell you that parcel for whatever you’ve written on that paper.”

      “You haven’t even looked at the offer.”

      “I told you. Money ain’t the issue, son.”

      Hell. Ask anything else of him and he’d be all over the deal. But marriage? “I’m sorry, Mr. Caldwell. I’m not your man.”

      “Sabrina’s all I have left. And you might have noticed, I’m not a spring chicken. I’m seventy-five, and my health ain’t what it used to be. But that’s between my doctor and me and now you. Sabrina doesn’t need to know. Once I’m gone there won’t be anyone around to look after her since my head-in-the-clouds son and his wife can’t be bothered. I want to see to Sabrina before I’m gone.”

      The genuine concern in the tired blue eyes yanked at something in Gavin’s chest. Sap. He’s playing you like a fiddle.

      “I’m not the man for the job,” he repeated.

      “I think you are. The fact that you turned me down despite the fact that Sabrina could inherit everything I have only reinforces my opinion. I ain’t talked to you more than ten minutes, Gavin Jarrod, but I can already tell you’re twice the man your daddy was. He used the land, stripping away whatever got in his way, without thought for anything more than the profit he could make. You, with the way you took care of one good-for-nothing hole in the ground, proved you’re smarter. You respect the land and nature.”

      True. “That’s a broad assumption, Mr. Caldwell.”

      “But a valid one. You’ll treat my girl with the same respect.”

      Gavin backed toward the door. “The answer’s still no.”

      “If you’re thinking you can wait ‘til I drop dead and buy the property from Sabrina, think again. If I die before she marries I’ve willed that plot to the National Parks Service.”

      Damn. The park system would condemn land to get road access to the mine. Jarrod Ridge would end up losing even more property and have to deal with tourists wandering off the path. Their secluded retreat atmosphere would be shattered.

      “If you agree I have one more stipulation. I don’t want our girl knowing anything about our little agreement. Ya hear? You’ll court her like a woman deserves to be courted. She won’t marry ya without loving ya. That much I know.”

      In Gavin’s opinion, making a woman fall for him under false pretenses was about as low as a man could get. How could he respect himself if he pulled that kind of crap? Refusal hovered on his tongue.

      “Son, if you want that five acres, this is the only way you’re gonna get it. That’s my deal. Take it or leave it.”

      Man, this was insane.

      A tap on the door preceded Sabrina returning with a laden tray. Gavin’s pulse thudded harder and faster.

       Marry her?

      There are worse things than being married to a beautiful woman.

      This had to be flat-out the craziest scheme he’d ever heard in his life. So why was he still standing here?

      If marriage was the only way to get the land back, to succeed where his father had failed and to keep his family from losing even more acreage, what choice did he have? For the good of his family and Jarrod Ridge, he had to accept the deal.

      But СКАЧАТЬ