speak, she held up her hand. “Money of my own. To do whatever I want with. It will be put into an account that they can’t reach. It’s iron clad; I brought in a lawyer to advise me.”
“You didn’t have that before?” he asked, unable to quite believe what he was hearing.
Catherine shook her head. “No. My mother bought everything she thought I needed. I’ve never had a penny in my life. Not that I wasn’t told exactly what to do with, anyway. I was allowed to treat my friends to trips and shopping, but I wasn’t ever allowed to buy jeans or go anywhere but an island on vacation, or adopt a child.”
At his surprised look, she smiled. “I was 12 when I wanted to do that. I mean from those programs where you send money to them. They stay with their parents. Of course, now, I wouldn’t mind adopting for real...when I’ve found the man I really do want to marry.” She looked up at the gazebo ceiling and said, “So my plan is to marry the man, get my money, divorce him, and walk away. Free.”
“I see,” he said, leaning back and looking at her.
She bit her lip, then her thumbnail. “Well?” she finally demanded.
“Well, what?”
“What are you thinking?”
“I’m thinking that you were smart to bring in a lawyer,” he said honestly.
“And?”
“And what?”
“Go ahead and tell me that I’m a horrible woman for marrying someone just for money!” she said, standing up and beginning to pace. “You don’t know what my parents are like! I’d never get out any other way!”
“Probably not,” he agreed easily, watching her move with feline grace around the small gazebo.
“I wouldn’t!” she said, as if he’d argued with her. “They’d just control me and control me and control me forever! No one would look down on me for leaving if money wasn’t involved!”
“You’re absolutely right.”
“I hate money!”
He shrugged. “I’m not really on speaking terms with it myself.”
It suddenly occurred to her that Scott wasn’t disagreeing. She stopped pacing and stood looking at him. “It really doesn’t bother you that I’d marry someone I don’t even know for money?”
He looked up at her, his dark blue eyes meeting her wide green ones. “Darlin’,” he said. “What do you think all those guys showed up for today?”
She dropped back onto the porch swing in a swirl of skirts and wearing a stunned expression. “Why didn’t I think of that?” she asked.
“Because you’re used to people using you, probably.”
“What about you?” she asked quietly. “What did you want to use me for?”
That hit like a punch in the gut, but he knew that he had to be honest. “My parents farm is in trouble. More trouble than I can get it out of. I was hoping that you’d be able to help me out with that.”
Catherine looked at him seriously. “Do you mean that? You really just want to help your family?”
He nodded. “I really do.”
She smiled suddenly. “You know what? You’ve got an accent...not a strong one, but there’s a little bit of a drawl when you talk about home.”
Scott rubbed his hand over his jaw, feeling a little self conscious. His cowboy accent had gotten him teased mercilessly in the military. He’d thought that he’d finally eliminated it.
“I like it,” Catherine said quickly. “It’s...it’s pretty sexy.” Then, as if she had embarrassed herself, she stood up again. “Well, I guess I’d better say goodnight.” She brushed her hair back off of her slightly pink face and headed for the steps of the gazebo. It was only when her back was to him, that Scott realized how much he wanted her to stay.
Chapter Five:
Scott stood too and pulled her against him. He hadn’t really meant to, but she felt so right in his arms. She was tall enough for her head to rest on his heart. He wondered if she could hear it pummeling his ribs.
Of course he’d been with women before; he’d even had a few one night stands while he was on active
“You didn’t have that before?” he asked, unable to quite believe what he was hearing.
Catherine shook her head. “No. My mother bought everything she thought I needed. I’ve never had a penny in my life. Not that I wasn’t told exactly what to do with, anyway. I was allowed to treat my friends to trips and shopping, but I wasn’t ever allowed to buy jeans or go anywhere but an island on vacation, or adopt a child.”
At his surprised look, she smiled. “I was 12 when I wanted to do that. I mean from those programs where you send money to them. They stay with their parents. Of course, now, I wouldn’t mind adopting for real...when I’ve found the man I really do want to marry.” She looked up at the gazebo ceiling and said, “So my plan is to marry the man, get my money, divorce him, and walk away. Free.”
“I see,” he said, leaning back and looking at her.
She bit her lip, then her thumbnail. “Well?” she finally demanded.
“Well, what?”
“What are you thinking?”
“I’m thinking that you were smart to bring in a lawyer,” he said honestly.
“And?”
“And what?”
“Go ahead and tell me that I’m a horrible woman for marrying someone just for money!” she said, standing up and beginning to pace. “You don’t know what my parents are like! I’d never get out any other way!”
“Probably not,” he agreed easily, watching her move with feline grace around the small gazebo.
“I wouldn’t!” she said, as if he’d argued with her. “They’d just control me and control me and control me forever! No one would look down on me for leaving if money wasn’t involved!”
“You’re absolutely right.”
“I hate money!”
He shrugged. “I’m not really on speaking terms with it myself.”
It suddenly occurred to her that Scott wasn’t disagreeing. She stopped pacing and stood looking at him. “It really doesn’t bother you that I’d marry someone I don’t even know for money?”
He looked up at her, his dark blue eyes meeting her wide green ones. “Darlin’,” he said. “What do you think all those guys showed up for today?”
She dropped back onto the porch swing in a swirl of skirts and wearing a stunned expression. “Why didn’t I think of that?” she asked.
“Because you’re used to people using you, probably.”
“What about you?” she asked quietly. “What did you want to use me for?”
That hit like a punch in the gut, but he knew that he had to be honest. “My parents farm is in trouble. More trouble than I can get it out of. I was hoping that you’d be able to help me out with that.”
Catherine looked at him seriously. “Do you mean that? You really just want to help your family?”
He nodded. “I really do.”
She smiled suddenly. “You know what? You’ve got an accent...not a strong one, but there’s a little bit of a drawl when you talk about home.”
Scott rubbed his hand over his jaw, feeling a little self conscious. His cowboy accent had gotten him teased mercilessly in the military. He’d thought that he’d finally eliminated it.
“I like it,” Catherine said quickly. “It’s...it’s pretty sexy.” Then, as if she had embarrassed herself, she stood up again. “Well, I guess I’d better say goodnight.” She brushed her hair back off of her slightly pink face and headed for the steps of the gazebo. It was only when her back was to him, that Scott realized how much he wanted her to stay.
Chapter Five:
Scott stood too and pulled her against him. He hadn’t really meant to, but she felt so right in his arms. She was tall enough for her head to rest on his heart. He wondered if she could hear it pummeling his ribs.
Of course he’d been with women before; he’d even had a few one night stands while he was on active
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