The Cowboy Lassos a Bride(26)

       
           



       

She sat back, surprised by his change of heart, and for one moment she  wanted to leap across the table and hug him. But then she took in all of  his words and began to shake her head slowly. She appreciated what he  was saying, but it didn't go far enough. "You don't get it. I already  have a plan and there isn't anything I can change about it. First I'll  go to Montana State, then I'll go to Colorado, and then I'll come back  and join Bella's practice."

"Wait. Hold up there. Colorado? Why the hell would you go there?"

She almost pitied the handsome cowboy. This was exactly what she'd  feared-he could make adjustments to his life-view, but only small ones.  "Jake," she said, her voice softening. "You realize I can't do a  veterinary degree at Montana State, right? I'm just doing my preliminary  classes there. The nearest veterinary program is in Colorado. I'll be  there for four years."

"Four years?" Jake couldn't breathe, his chest had gone so tight. He  leaned across the table. "You can't go away for four years."

"That's what it takes to be a vet."

He sat back, stunned. All his dreams went up in smoke. Hannah wasn't  going to yoke up with him-two partners working side by side toward the  same vision. She was so committed to her own dreams she'd leave him high  and dry for four entire years. And what about their child?

"You can't leave if you're pregnant."

"Watch me."

"Are you serious?" He stared at her in disbelief. How could she sit  there so calmly and tear his heart out of his chest? "That's my kid,  too."

"If there is one." She looked exasperated. "I didn't ask to be  pregnant-not right now. I've told you the truth since day one. I have  plans. I know what I want from life."

"Guess it's not me." He fished in his pocket and pulled out a small  velvet box. Thumped it on the table. "I asked you here to give you this.  I wanted to make our engagement official." He opened it and held it out  to her. The classic diamond ring inside it glittered in the low light  of the restaurant.

Sarah-Jane, who'd just approached to place a basket of rolls on the table, veered quickly away.

"Put that back in your pocket," Hannah hissed at him. "You're such a  hypocrite. Two minutes ago you said you supported my desire to be a  veterinarian, but the second you find out it will take some personal  sacrifice you change your mind. At the same time you want me to commit  to you and your life plan? I don't think so."

"I didn't know being a vet would mean you had to move away for four years. That's a pretty big deal," Jake protested.

"Exactly my point. We can't be together, Jake. We're totally incompatible."

"That's bullshit. We're compatible every night."

Hannah rolled her eyes. "Sex isn't everything."

"It's a hell of a lot, though." He took her hand again. "Every night you  can't get enough of me and every day you're so angry you look like you  want to spit. Why does it have to be like that?"

"Why?" Tears of frustration pricked her eyelids. Why did it have to be  like that? Because of Holt. Because of the Mathesons' archaic beliefs.  "Because none of this is real!"

"What?" Jake scowled. "What are you talking about?"

"This …  situation." Hannah waved a hand. "You and me together. We didn't  meet and date the normal way-your father forced us together!"

The color drained out of Jake's face. "What do you mean by that?"

Damn-if she blew her cover, she'd lose everything she'd worked for.  Gladys would lose her home. But she couldn't stop now that she'd  started. She was too angry with Holt. Too angry with herself.

"For one thing, I'm talking about the way your father has been forcing  me to cook and clean like some household slave-that's not normal, Jake!"

"Wait …  what?"

"He threatened to kill Gladys if I didn't do it. You think I like doing  all the housework for you after a full day at the clinic? I have news  for you. I hate cleaning. I hate shopping, and I hate, hate, hate  laundry."

"My father threatened to-"

"To kill Gladys. To eat her, actually. Because that's the only way he  could get me to do for you what your mother does for him-to be the kind  of stay-at-home wife you want me to be."

"I just told you I'm okay with you having a career-"                       
       
           



       

"And that's only half of it." She talked right over him.

"What do you mean?" Jake looked wary.

"He used the same threat to make me sleep with you." She stood up.  "There. I've said it. I'm done here. I'm done with all of this. You can  tell your father to shove his threats. I'll move Gladys by the end of  the week." She turned to go.

Jake gripped her wrist. "Sit down. Now."

The steel in his voice stopped her cold. She'd never seen Jake so angry.  For the first time since she'd known him she felt a tendril of fear  curl through her gut. His grip was so tight she couldn't budge. If she  tried to pull away from him now, she'd make a scene in the crowded  restaurant. As it was, several heads had turned their way.

Hannah sat.

"Let me get this straight." Jake felt disembodied from his own voice.  Surely this couldn't be him in this restaurant, hearing these words from  Hannah. He couldn't be the one shaking with anger as he thought about  what Holt had done. "My father told you he'd kill Gladys and eat her if  you didn't sleep with me?" He shouldn't have been surprised that Holt  would play Hannah the same way he'd played him, but he was.

She nodded.

"Just like that. Straight out-no hinting?"

"He said it clear as day."

"He told you to sleep with me," Jake repeated, unable to believe it.

Hannah squirmed. "He said I had to spend fourteen nights with you. In the same bed. What we did there was up to us."

"And you did it. You went along with it." Jake ran his free hand through  his hair. The other he kept locked around Hannah's wrist. "Did you hate  every minute of it?" His voice was rough.

"Of course not! You don't understand-"

"You're damned right I don't understand. Was that really your only option? Prostitute yourself to save your animal? Really?"

His cruel words stung her and she blinked against the tears that filled her eyes. "Jake-"

He leaned across the table toward her. "You know, I couldn't figure out  why day after day you cleaned my house and cooked for me. It didn't make  sense, because it so obviously bothered you. You felt those chores were  beneath you but you did them anyway. I thought … " He scraped a hand over  his face. "Well, you know what I thought and you set me straight. But I  never-never-guessed that you would sleep with me because my father  forced you to." His jaw tightened. "You don't give a damn about me, do  you? That was my father's hand again. Forcing you to live with me.  Forcing you to make my house a home. Forcing you to fuck-"

She slapped him. "Don't you dare. Don't you dare say one more word."

The restaurant went quiet, but Hannah only had eyes for him. She was just as furious as he was.

"It's true, isn't it?" The slap stung, but he didn't care.

"No, it's not. Holt pushed me into moving in with you, but I was interested long before that."

"Why should I believe you?"

"Because of how it felt when you fucked me."

She had pitched her voice low but she still heard a startled gasp from  the nearby diners. She didn't care. They were finally getting to the  heart of the matter, and she wanted to put all her cards on the table.  Everything she had said was true; Holt had pushed them together in an  unnatural way, but despite all of it she wanted Jake desperately.

Jake sat back. Watched her through eyes that were hard and cold. "I  don't know what to say to you. I can't believe my father. I know he  wants me to get married, but to do this … ?"

"Believe me, I feel exactly like you do. His behavior is so far out of  bounds it's unbelievable. I'd be the last one to defend him, but I think  I know why he did it. Do you realize what a lonely life your father has  had?" She hoped she could bridge the chasm that had opened up between  them. She was losing him. Had lost him, maybe. He thought she'd only  been with him because she'd been forced, and that wasn't true-it had  never been true. A proud man like Jake wouldn't care about nuances,  though. If he thought she'd lied to him, he'd turn his back on her.

He scowled. "Lonely? How do you figure that? He's got four kids."

"Now he does. But he was an only child growing up. Sounds to me like he  might have had it hard. He wants to be surrounded by family. He wants  you all to marry and have children. It's important to him."