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“KATE.” EVAN STOOD in the doorway, arms crossed. He did not look happy to see her—and even less happy to see Sally, standing right behind her. “What do you want?”
“We need to talk, Evan. Are you going to invite us in?”
He grunted, and opened the door wide. “We can talk in the drawing room. Is your cook going to be part of it?”
Sally looked over at her, and Kate shook her head. “She came to exchange recipes with your cook. It will only take a few minutes.” She nodded slightly, and Sally smiled, catching on quickly.
“I’ll be in earshot, Miss Kate. Just shout and I’ll be ready to go.”
She headed for the kitchen before Evan could object. Since Sally and his cook Emily had been trading recipes for months, it didn’t look suspicious.
Evan sighed. “We can talk in the drawing room.”
Kate followed him into the lavishly appointed room. “Please leave the door open.”
He shrugged, and did as she asked.
“What’s this about, Kate? You didn’t humiliate me enough at the picnic?”
“I could have gone to the sheriff.” It took most of her control to keep her voice even.
“For showing that I love you?”
“For assaulting me, Evan. If that’s how you show love, then I want nothing to do with it.”
His nostrils flared, and she knew his temper was up. “If you came just to insult me, we’re done.”
“I didn’t. I’d rather forget it happened.” He shrugged, crossing his arms. Kate gave up, and moved on to her real reason for coming here. “You know about the sabotage on my ranch—”
“I had nothing to do with it.”
“Well, someone from North Star did. We caught a man trying to set fire to my stable last night. That man is on his way to Sheriff Langley, with a full confession.”
Evan snapped—so quickly she didn’t see it coming.
“How dare you accuse me!” He grabbed her bruised arm and shoved her against the wall. She had never seen him this angry, which told her that her suspicions were dead on. “I would never—”
“Then why was he wearing this?”
She pulled the damning bandana out of her pocket, and held it in front of him. His face drained of color, and she knew she had him.
“If it was one of my men, he acted on his own.”
“You will pay to have my stable rebuilt.”
Evan stared at her like she just spoken German. “I told you I had nothing to do with it. Isn’t that enough?”
“He said you knew.” She braced herself and continued. “He also said he had nothing to do with what happened to my father. That you did.”
The fury that flashed Evan’s eyes scared her. He grabbed her arms and pulled her up until she stood on tiptoe. “Are you threatening me?”
“I want the truth—ˮ
“Here’s the truth.” He pinned her to the wall, and she fought him, terrified that it was about to be a replay of her last visit. “I didn’t mean to hurt your pa. It was supposed to scare him into selling—but he moved at the last second, and the bale hit him.”
“You son of a bitch!” She elbowed him—hard enough that it surprised him into letting her go.
She didn’t get far.
Evan grabbed her around the waist and hauled her back, his free hand covering her mouth before she could scream for Sally. He held on as she kicked at him.
“Stop fighting me, Kate, or I swear to God, Sally will pay for making that damn pie.” She stilled, because she believed him.
The man who held her was not the boy she once knew—a little selfish, often careless, but always looking out for his friends. The man he had become was one she didn’t want in her life.
“Good girl.” He whispered in her ear, his breath hot. “Now, this is what’s going to happen, Kate. You are not walking out of here, until you agree to marry me.”
Dread coiled through her, and she shook her head.
“I’m going to turn you around, and free your mouth so you can answer me. One shout, and you know what will happen. Nod if you understand.” She nodded, and he let her go long enough to turn her, then trapped her around the waist again. “Talk.”
“I told you I would never marry you, Evan. I still mean that.”
He leaned in, until his breath heated her lips. “You will marry me, we will join our ranches, or the next accident with your pa will be fatal.”
She stared at him in horror. “Why are you doing this?” she whispered.
“I want you, Kate. I’ve always wanted you. Now that I have the upper hand, I’m not letting you go.”
A loud crash in the other room had him dropping her, and he spun. “What the hell was that?”
Sally rushed into the drawing room and skidded to a halt when she spotted Kate. “Are you all right, Miss Kate? The housekeeper told me you’d already left, but I knew she was lying through her teeth.”
Evan raised his hand—and Kate knew exactly what he intended. She jumped between him and Sally, and took the blow meant for Sally across her already bruised left cheek.
“Shit—why did you have to do that?” He grabbed Kate and yanked her forward. “Tell her to sit down, before I make her sit.”
Kate swallowed, then looked at Sally. “Please sit down, Sally. Evan and I haven’t finished our conversation yet.”
“But, Miss Kate—”
“Please, Sally. Let me take care of this.”
Sally nodded, and sat on the edge of the flowered, overstuffed chair. Her cheeks were flushed, and Kate knew she was both angry and scared. Kate was willing to take any punishment, as long as he didn’t hurt Sally.
When she turned back to Evan, he was calm. But under that calm was a rage she’d never seen before. “Good,” he said. “Now, it’s time to talk about our wedding.”