is that it?'
'Yes. I play to win. You'd be wise to learn that now.'
She ground her teeth in frustration. 'And if I don't?'
He smiled. 'You will. We've come full circle, you and I. We're back where we left off. But nothing's the same
as it was. You've changed. I've changed/ He added significantly, 'And our situation has changed/
'How has it changed?' she asked with sudden curiosity. 'How have you changed? What did you do after you left here?'
He hesitated, and for a minute she thought he wouldn't answer. Then he said, 'I finished my education, for a start. Then I worked twenty-four hours a day building my... fortune.'
'You succeeded, I assume?' she pressed.
'You could say that.'
'That's it? That's all you have to say—you got an education and made your fortune?'
He shrugged. 'That's it.'
She stared at him suspiciously, wondering what he was concealing. Because she didn't doubt for a minute that he hadn't told her everything. What had he left out? And, more importantly, whyl 'Why so mysterious?' she demanded, voicing her concerns. 'What are you hiding?'
He straightened. 'Still trying to call the shots, Leah? You better get past that, pronto.'
'It's my ranch,' she protested. 'Of course I'm still calling the shots.'
He shook his head. 'It may be your ranch, but I'm the one who'll be in charge. Are we clear on that?'
'No, we're not clear on that!' she asserted vehemently. 'In fact, we're not clear on anything. For one thing, I won't have our past thrown in my face day after day. I won't spend the rest of my life apologizing for what happened.'
'I have no intention of bringing it up again. But I wanted to make it plain, so there's no doubt in your mind. I won't have you claiming later that I didn't warn you.'
She eyed him warily. 'Warn me about what?'
'You've been managing this ranch for over seven years and you've almost run it into the ground. Now I'm supposed to come in and save it. And I will. But you're going to have to understand and accept that I'm in charge. What I say goes. I won't have you questioning me in front of the hired help or second-guessing my decisions. You're going to have to trust me. Implicitly. Without question. And that's going to start here and now.'
'You've been gone a lot of years. It isn't reasonable '
He grabbed his shirtsleeve and ripped it with one brutal yank, the harsh sound of rending cotton stemming her flow of words. 'You see that scar?' A long, ragged silver line streaked up his forearm.
She swallowed, feeling the blood drain from her face. 'I see it.'
'I got it when the sheriff helped me through that window.' He jerked his head toward the south wall. 'I have another on my inner thigh. One of Lomax's deputies tried to make a point with his spur. He almost succeeded. I broke my collarbone and a couple of ribs on the door here.' He shoved at the casing and it wobbled. 'Still isn't square. Seems I did leave my mark, after all.'
She felt sick. How could her father and Sheriff Lomax have been so cruel? Had Hunter really been such a threat to them? 'Are you doing this for revenge?' she asked in a low voice. 'Trying to get control of the ranch because of how Dad treated you and because I wouldn't go away with you?'
'Believe what you want, but understand this...' He leaned closer, hi» words cold and harsh. 'I got dragged off this land once. It won't happen again. If you can't
accept that, sell out. But if you marry me, don't expect a partnership. I don't work by committee.'
"Those are your conditions? What you say goes? That's it?'
He inclined his head. 'That just about covers it/
'It doesn't come close to covering it,' she protested. 'I have a few conditions of my own.'
'I didn't doubt it for a minute.'
She pulled the list she'd compiled from her pocket and, ignoring his quiet laugh, asked, 'What about my employees? They've been with me for a long time. What sort of guarantee are you offering that changes won't be made?'
'I'm not making any guarantees. If they can
'Yes. I play to win. You'd be wise to learn that now.'
She ground her teeth in frustration. 'And if I don't?'
He smiled. 'You will. We've come full circle, you and I. We're back where we left off. But nothing's the same
as it was. You've changed. I've changed/ He added significantly, 'And our situation has changed/
'How has it changed?' she asked with sudden curiosity. 'How have you changed? What did you do after you left here?'
He hesitated, and for a minute she thought he wouldn't answer. Then he said, 'I finished my education, for a start. Then I worked twenty-four hours a day building my... fortune.'
'You succeeded, I assume?' she pressed.
'You could say that.'
'That's it? That's all you have to say—you got an education and made your fortune?'
He shrugged. 'That's it.'
She stared at him suspiciously, wondering what he was concealing. Because she didn't doubt for a minute that he hadn't told her everything. What had he left out? And, more importantly, whyl 'Why so mysterious?' she demanded, voicing her concerns. 'What are you hiding?'
He straightened. 'Still trying to call the shots, Leah? You better get past that, pronto.'
'It's my ranch,' she protested. 'Of course I'm still calling the shots.'
He shook his head. 'It may be your ranch, but I'm the one who'll be in charge. Are we clear on that?'
'No, we're not clear on that!' she asserted vehemently. 'In fact, we're not clear on anything. For one thing, I won't have our past thrown in my face day after day. I won't spend the rest of my life apologizing for what happened.'
'I have no intention of bringing it up again. But I wanted to make it plain, so there's no doubt in your mind. I won't have you claiming later that I didn't warn you.'
She eyed him warily. 'Warn me about what?'
'You've been managing this ranch for over seven years and you've almost run it into the ground. Now I'm supposed to come in and save it. And I will. But you're going to have to understand and accept that I'm in charge. What I say goes. I won't have you questioning me in front of the hired help or second-guessing my decisions. You're going to have to trust me. Implicitly. Without question. And that's going to start here and now.'
'You've been gone a lot of years. It isn't reasonable '
He grabbed his shirtsleeve and ripped it with one brutal yank, the harsh sound of rending cotton stemming her flow of words. 'You see that scar?' A long, ragged silver line streaked up his forearm.
She swallowed, feeling the blood drain from her face. 'I see it.'
'I got it when the sheriff helped me through that window.' He jerked his head toward the south wall. 'I have another on my inner thigh. One of Lomax's deputies tried to make a point with his spur. He almost succeeded. I broke my collarbone and a couple of ribs on the door here.' He shoved at the casing and it wobbled. 'Still isn't square. Seems I did leave my mark, after all.'
She felt sick. How could her father and Sheriff Lomax have been so cruel? Had Hunter really been such a threat to them? 'Are you doing this for revenge?' she asked in a low voice. 'Trying to get control of the ranch because of how Dad treated you and because I wouldn't go away with you?'
'Believe what you want, but understand this...' He leaned closer, hi» words cold and harsh. 'I got dragged off this land once. It won't happen again. If you can't
accept that, sell out. But if you marry me, don't expect a partnership. I don't work by committee.'
"Those are your conditions? What you say goes? That's it?'
He inclined his head. 'That just about covers it/
'It doesn't come close to covering it,' she protested. 'I have a few conditions of my own.'
'I didn't doubt it for a minute.'
She pulled the list she'd compiled from her pocket and, ignoring his quiet laugh, asked, 'What about my employees? They've been with me for a long time. What sort of guarantee are you offering that changes won't be made?'
'I'm not making any guarantees. If they can
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