The Pirate & The Adventurer & The Cowboy

some common sense and I will admit I'm extremely cautious around you. I definitely do not intend to get involved with you again, Rafe."

    He turned the glass in his hands. "What I had in mind was a little vacation for you."

    That alarmed her. "A
vacation
? I don't need or want a vacation."

    "At the ranch," he continued, just as if she hadn't spoken.

    "Your ranch in Arizona?"

    "You never had a chance to see it. You'll like it, Maggie."

    "No, absolutely not. I don't want to go to any ranch. I hate ranches. If I wanted to go on a vacation, I'd choose a luxury resort on a South Sea island, not a ranch."

    "You'll like this one." Rafe swallowed the last of the Scotch. "It's just outside of Tucson. I grew up there. Inherited it when Dad died."

    "No."

    "You don't have to worry," Rafe said gently. "You won't be alone with me. My mother will be there."

    "I thought she lived in Scottsdale."

    "She does. But she's paying me a visit. My sister, Julie, is going to drop in on us, too. She lives in Tucson, you know. I thought you'd feel more comfortable about going down there if you knew you weren't going to be completely alone with me."

    "Look, I don't care who's going to be down there. Rafe, stop stalking me like this. I mean it."

    "There'll be someone else there, too, honey."

    "I just told you, I don't care who's there. In case you didn't realize it, knowing your mother will be around is not much of an incentive for me to go to Tucson. She undoubtedly hates my guts. She thinks the sun rises and sets on you. She made her opinion of me clear that one time I met her last year and I'm sure she thinks even less of me after what happened between us. I'm sure she blames me for your losing Spencer Homes to Moorcroft. I wouldn't be surprised if your sister feels exactly the same."

    "Now, Maggie, love, you've got to allow for the fact that people change. My mother is looking forward to seeing you again."

    "I don't believe that for a minute and even if it's true, I'm not particularly anxious to see her."

    "You'd better get used to the idea of seeing her," Rafe said. "She's going to marry your father."

    "She's
what
?" Margaret felt as if the world had just fallen away beneath her feet. She clutched at her brandy glass.

    "You heard me."

    "I don't believe you. You're lying. My father would have said something."

    "He hasn't said anything because I asked him not to. I wanted to handle this my own way. He's the other person who will be at the ranch while you're there, by the way."

    "Oh, my God." She felt physically sick as she put the untouched brandy down on the table.

    "Are you all right?" Rafe frowned in concern.

    "No."

    "It's not as bad as all that. They make a great couple, as a matter of fact."

    "When… where… how did they meet?"

    "I introduced them about four months ago."

    "For God's sake, why?"

    "Because I had a hunch they'd hit it off. Your father wasn't too keen on the idea at first, I'll admit. He was more inclined to string me up from the nearest tree. Seems he was under the impression I was the bad guy in that mess last year. When I straightened him out on a few details, including the fact that I still wanted to marry you, he settled down and saw the light of sweet reason. Then he met Mom and fell like a ton of bricks."

    Margaret stared at Rafe in bewildered horror. "I don't understand any of this. What's behind it? You never do anything unless the bottom line is worth it.
What is going on here
?"

    He smiled his thin smile. "If you want to find out you'll have to take a couple of weeks off and come down to the ranch." He reached inside the jacket he'd slung over the back of the chair and removed an airline ticket folder. "I've made the reservations for you. You're scheduled on the eight o'clock flight to Tucson next Monday."

    "You're out of your mind if you think you can just walk in here and take control of my life like this. I'm not going anywhere."

    "Suit yourself, but I think you'll want to find out what's happening and the only way to do it is to come down to Arizona."

    "If my father is crazy enough to get involved with your mother, that's his affair. I'll give him my opinion when he asks for it, but until then, I'm staying out of it."

    "It isn't just their relationship that's at stake," Rafe said calmly.

    Margaret dug her fuchsia-colored nails into the white leather upholstery. "I knew it," she bit out. "With you there's always a business reason. Tell me the rest, damn you."

    "Well, it's