“You’re scared as hell and I am, too, but Juliana, it’s a fortune. My folks will ultimately benefit, your boys, your mother and grandmother will benefit. You and I will bene- fit. The law business has ups and downs. I can use the se- curity this money will bring. And I’ll do my best by your boys.” His voice softened as his gaze held hers. “Juliana, what’s your answer?”
With her hand held in the warmth and strength of his, she felt some of her fear dissipate. He sounded strong and sure and she knew life was filled with risk no matter what deci- sion she made. She narrowed her eyes, remembering that first day in Willard Mason’s office. “I don’t think we’ll al- ways get along.”
“Damn right there,” he answered quietly. “I’m sure we won’t, but that doesn’t mean things will be impossible.”
She took a deep breath and gazed into his brown eyes, unable to say the words.
“The risk is small,” he said.
She felt a flash of annoyance and removed her hand from his. She was risking her heart as well as her nephews’ emotions. They could be devastated by the end of the year, if they grew to love this man. She could imagine Caleb Dun- can’s pragmatic legal mind and his orderly bachelor life, undisturbed by rambunctious boys and an aged grand- mother. She had had one heartbreak; she did not want an- other. He wasn’t risking anything, while he was asking them to risk what was most important.
She leaned forward across the table, catching his shirt in her fist. “You’re so sure of yourself, Counselor. You may be running some kind of risk here yourself!” she snapped, annoyed with his self-assurance.
Startled, Cal stared at her, seeing the anger and warring expressions cross her face. It was a good thing she wasn’t a trial attorney, he decided. She’d give herself away. What she was feeling showed plainly in her expression. Right now, her eyes were dancing with fire, while only minutes ago she had looked frightened speechless.
“I won’t hurt you,” he said, still feeling sure of himself, unable to see how either of them could lose. “And like I said, I’ll try to avoid doing anything to cause hurt to the boys.” He didn’t see that he ran any great risk. He wasn’t going to fall in love with this woman or let her nephews grow too attached to him. Yet, even as he reassured himself of his immunity, he gazed into her blue eyes and felt his body re- sponding to her. She was feisty, not afraid to stand her ground. She was attractive, too damned attractive. His shirt was still knotted in her fist and he realized she could be in- tensely passionate. That sent his temperature soaring.
She released his shirt and sat back, glaring at him while he smoothed his shirtfront. She took a deep breath and her dress pulled tautly over full breasts. His gaze lowered, and he realized how he was looking at her and yanked his atten- tion back to her face to discover more sparks dancing in her blue eyes. Why did those sparks tempt him and make him want to lean across the table and place his mouth on hers?
“I want to sit the boys down and tell them that we are marrying only because of Elnora’s will and that the mar- riage might not last. I want them to know that you will go out of their lives someday.”
He nodded, thinking that sounded reasonable. And he knew she was thinking about accepting his proposal. It was what he wanted, what he expected. She would have to be the biggest kind of fool to pass up such a fortune when she had so little to risk—and this was the woman who had fended off a man at gunpoint for her money. In spite of the doubts she’d expressed, he was sure of her answer. As he stared at her, she gazed back solemnly.
Another twinge of guilt struck him because she was forthright and honest and said she valued trust. His con- science warred with him to level with her now—but there was too much at stake. He wasn’t going to run the risk, so he clamped his jaw closed and kept his past to himself while he waited.
They continued to stare at each other and he felt his nerves grow taut. He wanted to urge her to a decision, but he had long ago learned to hold his silence.
“Yes, Cal, I will marry you,” she announced in a sol- emn, clear voice, and his heart thudded violently.
Four
Juliana clutched her fingers together in her lap and almost took back the words as swiftly as she’d said them. Her pulse raced and she felt nervous and uncertain. The steely-eyed gaze he was giving her didn’t help.
Cal sat without moving, his heart pounding in his chest. Marriage. It was what he had suggested, what he thought he wanted, the answer he’d expected, so why did the prospect seem so terrifying? Because his legal mind knew he could get entangled for life.
“Then it’s settled,” he stated grimly.
“Don’t sound so overjoyed,” she snapped with a twinge of embarrassment and annoyance.
He rubbed his jaw and gave her a long look. “I didn’t mean anything personal. It’s only that I’m not accustomed to being with a whole family, and as soon as we repeat our vows, I’ll be the stepfather of three boys.”
“I know how you feel.”
There was another long pause while he tried to adjust to the prospect of marriage. She was staring at him as if he had sprouted two heads. He knew he should reassure her, but the words wouldn’t come. He felt as if chains had just clamped around his neck. He thought about the money and some of his panic lifted. And he knew they might as well get the process started.
