“Our marriage of convenience ended at six o’clock this morning.”

Gabe continued. “A limo will be by for you in two hours. You’ve got your tickets? Everything?”

Stefanie smiled. “You don’t have to worry about me anymore. I took care of myself before we met, and can do so again.”

Gabe sobered. “I realize that. But after a year of being your husband, I find I’m still in the habit.” He paused. “Then I guess this is goodbye. Thank you for everything, Stefanie. I’ll never forget you.”

After giving her a kiss on her petal-smooth cheek, Gabe left the study, aware of a haunting sense of loss. That was something he hadn’t expected….

To have and to hold…

Their marriage was meant to last—and they have the gold rings to prove it!

To love and to cherish…

But what happens when their promise to love, honor and cherish is put to the test?

From this day forward…

Emotions run high as husbands and wives discover how precious—and fragile—their wedding vows are…. Will true love keep them together—forever?

Marriages meant to last!

Look out in September for

The Marriage Test (#3669)

by Barbara McMahon

Husband for a Year
Rebecca Winters

MILLS & BOON

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CONTENTS

CHAPTER ONE

CHAPTER TWO

CHAPTER THREE

CHAPTER FOUR

CHAPTER FIVE

CHAPTER SIX

CHAPTER SEVEN

CHAPTER EIGHT

CHAPTER NINE

CHAPTER TEN

CHAPTER ONE

GABE stared at the serenely beautiful woman seated across the desk from him. For as long as he’d known her, people had commented that she was a new version of the legendary blond princess, Grace Kelly. He agreed there was a superficial likeness in looks and style.

Women envied her and always would.

Men envied him for having exclusive rights to her company. One day the whole world would admire her.

“Stefanie? As you’re well aware, our marriage of convenience ended at six o’clock this morning. There must have been times when you thought March 28 would never come around.”

She crossed one long, elegant leg over the other in a totally feminine gesture. “Let’s agree that both of us have been anxious for this day to arrive.”

He nodded. “Our annulment means you can go back to being Stefanie Dawson, this state’s most attractive and sought-after young socialite. Now that you’re free to get on with the rest of your life, men, young and old, will line up to win your heart. Some very lucky man is going to succeed.”

Her china-blue eyes smiled. “You think?”

His lips twitched. “I know. You’ll probably meet him before the year is out. Maybe even on your trip around the world. Are you packed and ready to go?”

“Yes.”

“A limo will be by for you in two hours. You’ve got your tickets? Everything?”

She smiled. “You don’t have to worry about me anymore. I took care of myself before we met, and shall do so again.”

He sobered. “I realize that. But after a year of being your husband, I find I’m still in the habit.”

“Once out of sight, out of mind.” Her glib response was oddly disturbing.

Shifting his weight he said, “For the record, you’ve fulfilled your end of the bargain far beyond my expectations. Your reward is in this envelope, but no financial compensation could ever be enough to express the depth of my gratitude for your sacrifice. I’ll always be indebted to you. If you want, we can go over the settlement now.”

“I don’t. When you give your word, I’ve learned you keep it.”

There was fire in her remark. Fire he hadn’t expected.

“Then I guess this is goodbye.” Pushing the leather chair away from the desk, he got to his feet and walked around to her. The enticing floral fragrance he associated with her filled his nostrils.

“Thank you for everything, Stefanie. You’re a remarkable woman who deserves all that life has to offer. There’s no one like you. I’ll never forget.”

After giving her a kiss on her petal-smooth cheek, he left the study, aware of a haunting sense of loss. That, too, was something he hadn’t expected…

Stefanie waited until she heard the front door close before running over to the window. The driver put Gabe’s suitcase in the trunk, but she kept her eyes on the tall, dark-haired male who was taking her heart with him. Exquisite pain smote her when he levered himself in the back seat without once turning his head for a final look of farewell.

A year ago today Gabe’s father, the powerful Senator Hershal Wainwright of Rhode Island, had gotten what he wanted—a new daughter-in-law—the one he’d handpicked to be Gabe’s wife. Two months after their marriage, the senator had gotten something else he wanted—reelection to a fifth term in the U.S. Senate.

Today, Gabriel Wainwright, the senator’s fourth and youngest son, the handsome, hands-down public favorite of all the Wainwright sons, the one with the most promise, brilliance, charisma and charm, the one whom people, including the senator, insisted would end up in the White House one day, got what he wanted—freedom from a temporary marriage which had served its purpose—freedom to leave the past behind and live according to the dictates of his own conscience.

Both men had gotten exactly what they wanted. Now it was Stefanie’s turn…

Her first order of business was to cancel the limo Gabe had requested for her. With that accomplished, she spent the rest of the day finalizing certain secret plans of her own.

At seven that evening, dressed in a champagne silk suit designed by her favorite French couturier Fabrice, she entered the Newport Yacht Club where her father was commodore.

Turning heads with every graceful step, she found the headwaiter. After asking him to hold dinner until she gave the signal, she breezed through to the private dining room where she’d invited her parents and Gabe’s to help celebrate their first wedding anniversary. As usual, the four of them were deep in conversation over political matters.

Since Senator Wainwright’s reelection, he’d been pushing for Stefanie’s father, who sat on the Federal Reserve Board, to consider accepting the appointment as Secretary of the Treasury, if it was offered. The former secretary had recently died, leaving a vacancy in the cabinet.

“Good evening, everyone.” She made her round of the table, accepting and giving compliments and kisses. Gabe’s father proffered an extra hug. He’d never made a secret of his feelings where she was concerned. Unfortunately, when he heard what she had to say, it would probably be his last demonstration of affection toward her.

After Stefanie reached her place, she remained standing.

“Before dinner is served, I have an important announcement to make.”

“Oh, darling!” her mother cried for happiness. By now both sets of parents were beaming. “Don’t you want to wait for your husband to finish parking the car before you give us your exciting news?”

If it weren’t so vital, Stefanie would never purposely hurt either family like this. They were so certain she was going to tell them a new little Wainwright was on the way.

“He’s not coming, Mother.”

Something in her tone sounded serious enough to erase their smiles. The festive air in the room evaporated.

She’d had all day to practice this speech, but there’d been no audience to listen to it. Now she was the focus of four pairs of eyes all regarding her with varying degrees of anxiety.

Forgive me, Gabe. What I’m about to do wasn’t part of your plan, but I love you too much to let you walk out of my life without a fight.

“As all of you know, seventeen months ago Gabe asked me out to dinner. When I came home, I was wearing his engagement ring. Five months later we were married. But I’ve never told any of you the details of that evening. Now it’s time to reveal them.”

“You sound so serious,” her mother wailed.

Stefanie swallowed hard, trying to tamp down the pain. “Please—just hear me out. All of you.”

Her father nodded. “We’re listening, sweetheart.”

“Thank you. After dinner was served, Gabe asked me a question. He said, ‘Is it true what Father says, that you hope to end up in the White House as First Lady one day?’”

She stared at Gabe’s father. “Your son’s question caught me off guard because I knew I’d never said such a thing to you or anyone else.”

The senator cleared his throat. “That was wishful thinking on the part of an old man who happens to love you very much, Stefanie,” he muttered.

His confession would have pleased her if it hadn’t done so much damage. “I had no idea. The thing is, I was so in love with Gabe, so overjoyed to be out with him, I teasingly blurted back, ‘Isn’t it every woman’s dream?’”

“Look, my dear—” the senator started to say, but she preempted him.

“Please allow me to continue. Gabe studied me thoughtfully, then said, ‘In that case I have a proposition for you.’ At that point I was confused because I thought he’d been leading up to a marriage proposal. But I couldn’t have been further from the truth.

“In a businesslike tone he confessed that he’d reached the place in his life where it was necessary to marry the right woman for a temporary period. His use of the word ‘temporary’ dashed my dreams.”

Their collective gasps resounded in the private dining room.

“While I sat there reeling in pain, he explained that this woman would have to be a high-profile person who, as his wife, could legitimately fill in for him in public from time to time while he was away undertaking certain activities he didn’t want anyone to know about.”

“What activities?” The senator had gotten his wild-eyed look.

“Let me finish.” She paused to catch her breath.

“G-Gabe said that, at a time when his father was making another bid for the senate and deserved to run a worry-free campaign, he knew marriage to me would fulfill his parents’ dream.”

“Surely they were his dreams, too!” his mother cried.

Stefanie loved her mother-in-law for that outburst, but she shook her head. “No. Then he spelled out the terms. He said that if I agreed to marry him, our marriage would last for one year, a-and be in name only. On March 28, it would be legally annulled.”

“That son of mine must have had some kind of breakdown!”

“Not Gabe,” she whispered sadly. “For my cooperation, I would receive a generous financial settlement that would make me independently wealthy in my own right, and I would walk away as pure as the day I had entered the marriage. Furthermore I would be free to marry a man whose whole desire was to take me to the White House with him.”

While they sat there in frozen shock, she decided she’d better go on while she still could.

“As you know, today is March 28. Gabe’s been living for it.” Her voice shook. “Early this morning he left the house to embark on his new life, whatever that is. He won’t be coming back.”

The senator glowered at her. “If this is his idea of a joke, we’re not amused.”

“Neither am I,” she whispered in agony.

Gabe’s father’s eyes showed confusion, a rare sight. “What do you mean, not coming back? He has a law firm to run! Among other things, I’m throwing some new projects his way that will be vital to his future political career!”

She shook her head. “You haven’t been listening to me. For the past few months he’s been turning over his cases to other colleagues in the firm so he could leave without problem. When the time is right, he’ll contact you, but I presume that won’t be for a while.”

“Nonsense!”

Stefanie ignored the senator’s angry exclamation.

“In order not to embarrass either family, he prepared his office and house staff by telling them that because we’ve been in the spotlight so much since our marriage, he and I are going on a trip around the world which could last six months.”

Again the four people in the room stared at her in stunned disbelief.

“He explained about the trip in letters he sent to you,” she continued. “You’ll receive them in the mail tomorrow.” She cleared her throat. “If I had carried out his plans to the letter, I would be in Paris right now enjoying the first stop of my long holiday. But as you can see, I chose not to go because—”

“Enough!” Now it was her father who shoved himself away from the table and jumped to his feet. As he threw down his napkin, it caused his wineglass to topple. “A marriage in name only—I’ve never heard such rubbish in all my life! How dare Gabe do this to you! How dare he!”

She’d never seen him so angry. “Dad—please sit down. I’m not through.”

“What’s wrong with our son?” Gabe’s mother sounded on the verge of hysteria as she cried to her husband, pulling on his arm.

Stefanie’s mother shook her head in despair. “I can’t believe this has happened. I simply can’t believe it! Stefanie—aside from his despicable actions, whatever possessed you to say yes to such a cold-blooded proposition? Heavens, darling, you could have married any man you wanted!”

A tight band constricted Stefanie’s breathing. “I didn’t want any man, Mom. I wanted Gabe. When I was an adolescent, I developed a painful crush that never went away. After ten years of loving him, I would have married him for any reason,” her voice throbbed.

“Fool that I am, I’d convinced myself that once we lived together, he would tear up that wretched contract and make our marriage real. But I learned that you can’t force someone to fall in love with you. Since we’d made a contract, I didn’t dare try to dissuade him from his plans.”

“What plans?” The senator’s rage was starting to escalate out of control.

“I have no idea,” she answered honestly. “He’ll have to be the one to reveal them—when he’s ready.”

A ruddy color stained his cheeks. “Where is my son?”

“I don’t know yet, but I’m working on it.”

“You mean he’s really gone?” Gabe’s father still couldn’t comprehend it. For that matter, neither could Stefanie.

“Yes. But I—I hired a P.I. to follow him.”

“Thank God you had that much sense!” came the senator’s furious outburst.

Her father shook his head. “The idea of his marrying you to provide a smokescreen for secret activities is preposterous! What kind of a man would use a woman like that? Especially when she’s my precious daughter!”

Before everything exploded in her face, Stefanie needed to get this over with. “Don’t blame Gabe. I’m the one who said yes to his proposition. Think for a minute—

“He could have been selfish and disappeared right in the middle of the reelection campaign. It would have caused you untold grief and pain. But he didn’t do that. Instead he planned everything to ensure his actions would prevent any scandal.

“Don’t you see? No matter how hurt all of you are, no matter how this may look to you, Gabe’s the most honorable man I’ve ever known in my life.”

“Honorable?” her father blurted. “He took advantage of your vulnerability and broke your heart!”

“But he doesn’t know that, Dad.”

“What do you mean?”

“I—I never told him how I felt, not when I realized he wasn’t in love with me. Behind closed doors we lived totally separate lives. He believed I was happy with our arrangement.”

Her mother shook her head. “How could he be so blind?”

“Because I never disabused him of the assumption he made about my wanting a husband who would end up in the Oval Office! Mom—he has no idea he’s the only man I’ll ever love. That’s why I’m not taking the world tour he planned for me.

“As soon as I find out his destination, then I’ll act on that knowledge and go after him with a proposition of my own!”

The senator shot out of his chair. He stopped pacing the floor long enough to blurt, “This is your fault, Stefanie. You should have told me the truth about your marriage months ago so I could have prevented this tragedy from happening. Whatever you have to do, I want him home by the end of the week where he belongs!”

“You don’t want him back as much as I do,” she said, standing her ground. “But it’s not going to be easy. Gabe’s no longer my husband. When he said goodbye this morning, he meant it to be forever. He trusted me…

“What I’m about to do could backfire in ways I don’t even want to contemplate. In fact the thought of facing him terrifies me. But it’s a risk I have to take—” She struggled for breath. “B-because life isn’t worth living without him.”

The senator stood there with his jaw clenched. For the first time since she’d known him, he was powerless to do anything.

But he wouldn’t stay helpless for long. As she knew only too well, his tentacles reached many places. When he wanted something, he was virtually unstoppable. More than ever she understood why Gabe would have reached a total impasse with his father a long time ago. A shiver ran down her spine.

“I’m going to need everyone’s help,” she continued. “For the time being you’ll have to pretend to go along with Gabe’s and my story about our trip. Will you do that for us?”

Her father’s eyes had grown bleak. “If you’re determined about this, it doesn’t look like we have any other choice.”

“Thank you, Dad. I promise to stay in touch with all of you. Now if you’ll excuse me—”

“No, Stefanie!” Her mother knocked over her chair getting up from the table. “You can’t leave yet, darling!”

“I have to go, Mom. The limo is waiting. I told the P.I. to phone me at nine. I want to be home when the call comes through. It may take several days, even longer, before I know exactly where Gabe went. Then I can make my plans. In the meantime, I’m counting on you to pretend everything’s fine. That’s what Gabe wanted.”

The senator pinned her with a withering gaze, the kind he used for intimidating people he didn’t like. He didn’t like her anymore. In placing her loyalty to Gabe above his father, she’d dropped from favor.

It was very sad because there were qualities about him she’d grown to love by virtue of his being her father-in-law. He’d also done a great deal of humanitarian good in the world.

“I’m expecting you to bring my son to his senses, Stefanie.” Though he didn’t add the words “or else,” his warning was unmistakable.

Gabe’s father was afraid. So was she…

Blowing everyone a kiss, she hurried through the club and out the front doors to the limo which was waiting for her.

“Drive me to the Oyster Inn, please. I’m meeting friends there. They’ll take me home later.”

“Very good, Mrs. Wainwright.”

As soon as they reached the popular restaurant in downtown Newport, the chauffeur helped her out, then drove off. Left to her own devices, Stefanie walked to the end of the street and rounded the corner.

Earlier in the day she’d paid cash for a used car, which sat parked at the curb. Her new cell phone was packed in one of the suitcases she’d stashed in the trunk. After retrieving it, plus a wig with short black curls styled like a Gypsy’s, she climbed in behind the wheel of the small blue compact.

With her shoulder-length hair worn up, she could easily slip on the wig. Once it was in place she started the engine, anxious to put as many miles between her and Newport as possible.

The senator might still be at the club with his wife and her parents, but she had no doubts he’d already excused himself long enough to order a surveillance team to set up a watch outside the fabulous Nantucket shingle house Gabe had given her for a wedding present.

Before long there would be a tap on her home phone. Gabe’s father would have her every move scrutinized until she led him to his son.

While she’d been married to Gabe, she’d learned a lot about the senator that hadn’t been apparent when she’d first gone to work for his reelection campaign two years earlier.

Senator Wainwright was a dynasty builder. His sons were his possessions. His word, law. Though he adored his children, he would consider it unconscionable for one of them to defect from the family. Especially Gabe, whom he privately favored.

What his youngest son had done today was tantamount to high treason. Unthinkable. Unforgivable. She’d seen it in his father’s eyes. He would stop at nothing to bring Gabe back to the fold, even if it meant spying on Stefanie in her own home.

But she had the element of surprise on her side. By the time he realized she’d outsmarted him, she would be over state lines and impossible to trace.

The call she’d been waiting for came at 9:00 p.m. exactly. Her heart hammered as she clicked on and said hello.

“Ms. Dawson?”

“Yes, Wes! What news do you have for me?”

“Your ex-husband flew to Providence by shuttle, then left the airport in a half-ton pickup truck with Montana license plates.”

Montana?

She’d thought he might have been planning to fly overseas in a private jet. “W-was there someone with him?” Please don’t tell me it was a woman.

“Not at first.”

Oh, no.

“But before he left the city, he stopped off at a very fancy military academy to pick up a boy and a woman.”

She let out a gasp of surprise. “Did you get a good look at them?”

“Yes. I’d say the boy is fourteen or fifteen years old, fairly tall for his age. On the lean side, dark-haired. The brunette woman looked anywhere from her mid-thirties to mid-forties. Attractive.”

Dear God— Could the boy be Gabe’s son? Was that the great secret he’d been keeping from everyone? If so, was the woman his mother? Was Gabe taking them away? Did he love her?

Stefanie was in so much pain, she could hardly breathe.

“Ms. Dawson?”

“Y-yes?”

“Okay. I was just checking to make sure you were still on the line. Stan and I have tailed them to Erie, Pennsylvania, where they’ve pulled into a motel parking lot. I’m assuming they’ll stay here for the night.”

Gabe was in Erie? That meant he’d been driving nonstop since he’d picked up his passengers. It was one thing to fear that he might have been seeing another women throughout their marriage. But the knowledge that he was actually with her at a motel right now almost destroyed Stefanie.

“Stan is going to relieve me so I can get some sleep in the back of the van. You’ve got his cell phone number. Call him whenever you want an update.”

“Thank you. I—I will,” she murmured, her voice shaking with fear that Gabe had been in love with the woman all these years. Someone his family wouldn’t have liked?

If that was the case, then it was no wonder he’d never broken the terms of that wretched contract he’d made with Stefanie. He’d had no desire to make love to her when the mother of his son was out there waiting for him to be free.

Stefanie stifled her moan, not knowing what to think. “Please—don’t lose sight of him,” she begged. “Right now I’m in my car following you.”

“We’ve never lost a target yet.”

“Whatever you do, don’t let him see you! You have to understand he doesn’t want to be found.”

“I’m aware of that. At this point you’re going to have to trust us to get the job done. We always do.”

She bit her lip. “I pray you’re right. I’ll make it worth your while.”

“You already have. I promise he won’t get away from us.”

“Then I guess I can’t ask for more than that.” Stefanie clicked off, terrified something could still go wrong and she’d never see Gabe again.

Another hour and her eyelids started to droop. At the next sign for lodgings she pulled off the freeway and drove to a Cozy Inn for the night. Once settled, she climbed into bed and made another phone call. Gabe was still at the same motel. With her…

After thanking Stan for the information, she buried her face in the pillow. It was wet by the time she fell into oblivion.

“This is going to be so cool, Gabe.”

“You think?”

Gabe smiled as he eyed the fifteen-year-old seated in the cab of his truck. Every time he’d visited with Clay Talbot in the past, the troubled boy Gabe had influenced the court to send to the tightly enforced military academy rather than a state correctional facility, he had grown on him a little more.

“Yeah. I can’t believe we’re almost there.”

“You realize this is only an experiment.”

“I know.”

“You’ve been released to my custody. If you don’t obey the rules, my hands will be tied and the court will send you back to the academy.”

“I hated that place. It might as well have been a prison.”

“Take my word for it, the academy doesn’t come close to the real thing.”

After a long silence, “I swear I’m not going to get into trouble again.”

“I hope not, Clay. It would disappoint me and break your mom’s heart. But more importantly, you would be letting yourself down.”

The boy nodded his dark head.

At least there’d been some side benefits to this trip. For one thing, Clay and his mom had been able to share some precious time together before he’d dropped her off at the airport in Chicago for the flight back to Providence.

Being an alcoholic, it was as far as she could travel without wanting a drink. Gabe had made it clear there would be no alcohol during the trip. He’d challenged her to handle it long enough to connect with the son she hadn’t seen in months. Though she’d been unable to make it all the way to Montana, Clay seemed okay with it.

As for Gabe, he’d had an opportunity to get inside Clay’s head. Enough time to establish a tentative rapport with the teen who’d been born of affluent parents who didn’t know the first thing about child rearing.

Unfortunately the death of Clay’s father to cancer two years earlier had turned his world upside down. Unable to deal with his own pain, let alone that of his grieving alcoholic mother, he’d gotten into trouble with other kids from wealthy Providence homes who could afford drugs and were indiscriminately vandalizing their exclusive neighborhoods for the fun of it.

In desperation, Clay’s mother had finally retained Gabe to defend her son in court. But sending the boy to military school had only been a stopgap. Now that Gabe was free to live his destiny, hopefully Clay would receive the emotional and psychological help he desperately needed.

As they continued driving through old snow, a familiar road sign showed up on the right.

Welcome To Marion, Montana. You’re In God’s Country Now.

Gabe had passed it dozens of times over the last year. It meant their long drive across the U.S. was about to come to an end.

Before this trip he’d always flown to Glacier Park International Airport where his foreman, Mack Whittaker, waited to take him back to the ranch in the station wagon.

Not this time.

It didn’t take a prophet to know that all hell had broken loose now that both families had received the letters Gabe had posted. Even though he’d told his parents he had gone abroad, there was still a chance his father would try and find him. Gabe had chosen to come by truck in order not to leave a trail.

In a couple of months he would write another set of letters explaining that he and Stefanie had gone their separate ways.

Thankfully she’d flown to Paris a few hours after he’d left the house and was enjoying herself with good friends as planned.

Now that she’d been given her freedom, she was entitled to be with any man she chose. To Gabe’s chagrin, he found he loathed the idea. Her image, her husky voice, had refused to leave his mind or senses.

He supposed she would haunt him for a long time to come. You didn’t live for a year in the same house with a wife like Stefanie and hope to walk away from her totally unaffected.

On the other hand, he hadn’t realized how deeply she’d gotten beneath his skin. The drive through a lot of rain and some snow flurries would have been torture if he’d had to be alone with his thoughts.

He figured it would probably take hearing that Stefanie was going to marry someone else’s favorite son headed for the White House to douse the sparks Gabe had determined not to acknowledge, let alone allow to catch fire.

His face formed a grimace before he gunned the accelerator. Twenty minutes later he glimpsed something in the twilight that broke his torturous train of thought.

Larch Tree Boys’ Ranch.

When Gabe saw the newly erected sign at the gate, he let out a satisfied sigh and slowed down. Mack must have pulled some strings to make sure it had been put up in time to coincide with Gabe’s arrival.

A special welcome home present.

The best one he could have received to chase away feelings that were better left to die.

When he and the Realtor from Kalispell had flown over this property eighteen months ago, everything about the ranch had felt right to him. Seventy-five thousand acres of lush green meadows dotted with cattle and statuesque pines.

In the early-morning sunlight he’d glimpsed a ribbon of blue teeming with trout as it danced against a dense green forest backdrop. A couple of rustic log cabins nestled here and there in a fertile valley surrounded by snow-capped mountains completed a picture that spoke straight to Gabe’s restless soul.

Always before, his needs, aspirations and desires had been fragmented, eluding him like some flirtatious breeze he couldn’t follow. Then he’d seen the ranch and suddenly everything had crystallized for him.

It was here he would put down roots.

The ranch was the one special spot on earth that called to him, and heaven knew he and his family had seen and traveled more of mother earth than most people.

“This is it?” Clay cried out excitedly.

“Yes. We’re home.”

But with Stefanie no longer in the picture, the word had a hollow ring. That was a reality Gabe was going to have to live with.

Shifting gears, he drove the truck onto his private property. Though it was early spring, the place looked like winter had still gotten in a few final licks.

“How come you didn’t name the ranch after you?”

“The larch trees were here first, not the Wainwrights. Now I hope you’re hungry because I can promise that Marva will have her famous homemade chili waiting for us.”

“Is she your wife?”

Gabe took a deep breath before he said, “No. She’s the cook for the main ranch house.”

“Mom showed me a picture of Mrs. Wainwright from the newspaper. She’s really good looking!”

“I agree.” Gabe’s voice grated. If the truth be known, Stefanie was probably the most beautiful woman he’d ever seen in his life.

“Is she already at the ranch?”

His hands tightened on the steering wheel. “No.”

“When’s she going to come?”

“She’s not, Clay. Right now she’s on a trip around the world.”

The boy frowned. “Why?”

He rubbed the side of his unshaven jaw. “She needed time away on her own.”

Clay looked at him with a solemn expression. “Are you two getting a divorce?”

He’d been asked an honest question. To hedge it would only provoke more curiosity.

“We are divorced.”

“Didn’t she want to live on a ranch?”

“It was more a case of her wanting to live the life she loves on the East Coast.”

“Did she ever see your ranch?”

Perspiration formed on Gabe’s brow. “No.”

“But that’s crazy! She’d only have to get one look at this place, and she’d never want to go back!”

Gabe shook his head. To be young again. To see life in such a simplistic way. “It’s never going to happen.”

“That’s too bad.” The boy was still mourning his father’s death. Saying goodbye to Stefanie didn’t seem to be that much different for Gabe…

“As you’ve already been made painfully aware, life doesn’t always go the way we want. What do you say we both put the past behind us and move forward from here?”

The boy’s head was bowed. “That’s kind of hard to do, but I’ll try if you will.”

Once more Gabe’s heart went out to Clay. He patted his shoulder. “It’s a deal.”

CHAPTER TWO

STEFANIE spent a restless night in Kalispell, Montana. Though the woman riding with Gabe had been dropped off at O’Hare airport in Chicago, Stefanie’s dreams were still haunted by the reality of her existence and the possibility that Gabe was in love with her.

Heartsick, Stefanie drove on to the tiny hamlet of Marion where she’d been told to meet the P.I.s at the coffee shop of the Branding Iron motel.

The rustic little café bar appeared deserted, no doubt because a weather report forecasting a storm before evening had prompted tourists to run for cover while they could.

By now it was ten after three. After two hours of watching for Stan and Wes out of antler-trimmed windows, she was convinced something had gone wrong. To come this far only to lose Gabe’s trail was anathema to her.

When she finally spotted their rental van, she left the booth and ran to the entrance to meet them.

“You can relax,” Wes assured her as they walked back to her table. “The boys’ ranch where your ex-husband spent last night is his final destination.”

The waitress took orders for hot coffee.

Bewildered by the information, Stefanie asked, “How do you know that for certain?”

“I made a phone call, pretending to be a parent wanting information,” Stan explained. “According to the woman who answered, the combination ranch and accredited school for teenaged boys in trouble with the law is the brain child of a Mr. Wainwright, the owner and manager.”

What?

“To quote her words, ‘The structured environment of his working cattle ranch offers a viable alternative to the usual punitive reform school. The boys live, study and work on the ranch in family groups with trained counselors, teachers and surrogate parents. The result is a much higher rate of rehabilitated young men who will make positive contributions to society in the future.’”

Stefanie shook her head trying to assimilate everything Stan had just told her, but she couldn’t fathom it.

Gabe had turned his back on a political career, which could have taken him to the highest office in the land in order to live in this remote, savage wilderness surrounded by young criminals?

Throughout the endless drive across the country, she’d become convinced that Gabe’s passenger was his son, that he and the boy’s mother were going to end up here together.

Maybe that still held true. It was possible the woman he loved would be joining him later.

Stefanie felt her heart splinter.

Having learned this much, would it be unforgivable of her to show up at the ranch? While they’d been married, Gabe had had many months to tell her the truth, but she’d waited in vain for him to confide in her.

While she struggled with these questions, Wes placed a Montana map in front of her. “This is the way to the Larch Tree Boys’ Ranch, Ms. Dawson. I’ve highlighted the route in blue. Weather permitting, it’s a twenty-minute drive from here.”

“I’ll never be able to thank you enough for what you’ve done.” Stefanie handed them both a bonus check.

“We were glad to be of help.” Stan smiled.

“Good luck to you.”

“To you, too.”

“Thanks. Let us know if we can ever be of help again.”

“You know I will.”

The P.I.s had done their part to perfection. She’d been given the proof that Gabe wasn’t going anywhere. He wasn’t lost to her. But she’d been so focused on catching up to him, she hadn’t thought beyond this moment.

After the two men left the café for Kalispell, Stefanie searched her conscience. No matter how she analyzed it, there was no right way to approach Gabe. In his eyes she would be an unwelcome intruder, a tangible reminder of the life he’d repudiated.

Worse, there was the reality of the woman who’d driven partway across the country with Gabe and the boy who could be his son, thus complicating an already precarious situation.

What caused Stefanie to agonize was not knowing if Gabe was in love—whether it be with the boy’s mother, or whether he was involved with another woman altogether.

There was no one who could help her get those answers.

Unless she abandoned her hope of ever seeing Gabe again, the only thing left to do was carry out her original plan. At this point she had nothing else to lose.

If her worst nightmare came true and Gabe ended up despising her, at least she wouldn’t spend the rest of her life torturing herself with what ifs.

Determined as she’d never been in her life, she went into the rest room to make certain no blond strands had escaped her wig. Then she refreshed her makeup. It had been carefully chosen to camouflage her fair coloring and play up her black hair. With brown contact lenses, gold hoop earrings, a black turtleneck sweater and designer jeans, her own mother wouldn’t recognize her.

That was the whole point.

Gabe had led a double life for months. Except for the P.I.s who’d been paid well for their silence, not to mention their help, only the people involved with his ranch knew where he was. Stefanie had no intention of giving his secret away. In fact she’d done everything in her power to make sure no one would suspect she was the former Mrs. Gabriel Wainwright.

After taking a deep breath, she went out front to pay for her lunch. It wasn’t until she started for her car that she realized a wind had sprung up. Snow had been forecast.

With the ranch only twenty minutes away, she estimated that if she drove there immediately, she could make it without problem. Otherwise she might have to wait another day to see Gabe, depending on the severity of the storm.

When she’d come this far, it didn’t bear thinking about to be so close and still have to put off a reunion with him. She’d lived through five days and nights with the fear that something would go wrong and she’d never be able to find him. Now that she was within a few miles of his ranch, she couldn’t get there fast enough.

By the time the image of the motel had disappeared from her rearview mirror, the rain had turned to snow which was pelting the windshield. She turned on the wipers. Over the past few hours there’d been a noticeable drop in temperature. Twice she’d had to slow down because of black ice.

In this lonely wilderness, she found it hard to believe it was early April. Even more difficult to understand was Gabe’s decision to lose himself out here.

Anyone acquainted with the Wainwright sons knew they were expert swimmers and sailors. Certainly Gabe was one with the sea. Besides water sports, he loved offshore fishing. The rougher the swells and battering of salt spray, the better.

Stefanie was a water baby herself. Throughout their brief marriage she’d shared many of those activities with him, but always in the company of others.

For those reasons, she couldn’t imagine what had drawn him to this landlocked backcountry with no ocean in sight. No yachts or sailboats. No people.

The more she surveyed these hostile surroundings, the more incredulous she grew that this was a permanent move on his part.

“Oh, Gabe—what are you really doing out here?” she cried in anguish. “Why?”

At first she thought it was only the tears blurring her eyes that hampered her vision. But after she’d traveled the required distance and still couldn’t find the gate to the ranch, she realized she’d been overtaken by the blizzard.

Without being able to see one inch in front of her, there was no other choice but to pull to the side of the road and wait until the worst of the storm had passed over.

The next thing she knew, the car tipped forward and came to a standstill in a ditch. Though it wasn’t terribly deep, she would have been thrown against the windshield if she hadn’t been wearing a seat belt.

Everything went quiet. No sound of the engine, no heater. In this whiteout she’d completely lost her bearings.

Once her nerves calmed down and she got herself under some semblance of control, she forced herself to think rationally. If the storm kept up, and it probably would for some time to come, she might be stranded here for hours. Maybe all night. No one would know she’d gone off the road.

On the other hand, if she got out of the car and tried to find Gabe on foot, she could be hit by another car, or come down with hypothermia. The only thing that made sense was to call 911 and hope she was in range for someone to answer. Unfortunately her purse had been thrown to the floor.

Due to the odd angle of the car, she had a struggle undoing the seat belt. Eventually she worked it free, then clung to the steering wheel with one hand while she reached for her handbag with the other. After some difficulty she fished out her cell phone and punched the digits.

“Sheriff’s office,” a robust male voice answered.

Thank heaven.

“H-hello? I’m—” She hesitated, realizing she’d almost said Stefanie Wainwright. “T-this is Teri Jones. I’ve run off the road into a ditch near the gate to the Larch Tree Boys’ Ranch. At least that’s where I was headed after I left Marion.”

“Are you injured, ma’am?”

“No. Just anxious.”

“What kind of a car are you driving?”

“It’s a dark blue 1989 Honda Civic.”

“Stay put. In this kind of weather you never know what’s moving out there.” Stefanie shivered, wondering if the man was talking about wild animals, like a bear or something. “We’ll get help to you as fast as we can.”

She swallowed her fear. “Thank you so much.”

When Gabe’s cell phone rang, he’d been riding through fresh snow in the lower pasture, checking to make sure there was enough feed for the herd. No one from the ranch house would be bothering him during this blizzard unless it was important.

He reined in his horse, then pulled the phone from his jacket. Another gust of snow forced him to lower the tip of his Stetson as a shield so he could be heard.

“Gabe here.”

“Gabe? It’s Marva. A minute ago the sheriff’s office phoned the main house. Apparently a woman named Teri Jones, driving a blue Honda, is stranded on the road near the gate to the ranch, but it seems all police rescue vehicles are out on emergencies right now. Since they’re shorthanded, the dispatcher wondered if somebody around here could investigate. Whom shall I send?”

His horse pranced in place. Every available stockman and ranch hand, including Mack, were checking for strays in the other pastures, making sure there was plenty of feed. Gabe realized he was probably closest to the main road.

“I’ll see about it. Keep the coffee hot.”

“You bet.”

“Thanks, Marva.” He slipped the phone back in place. “Let’s go home.”

He hurried back to the barn where he asked one of the hands to take care of Caesar. Within minutes he’d climbed in the Explorer. Fortunately in that short amount of time the wind had died down and the worst of the blizzard seemed to have passed over.

One thing about the early spring storms. They didn’t last long. A strong sun had been making inroads on the snowdrifts built up over the winter. Large patches of green meadow were springing up everywhere. He’d even seen some yellow primroses at the higher elevations, pushing through the ice. The sight had been glorious.

Still, the sun was nowhere to be found right now. He imagined the stranded woman was wondering if help would ever arrive. It was past dinnertime. If she hadn’t planned for an emergency, she was probably hungry and frightened.

The seven-mile drive to the gate through the wet virgin snow presented little problem. But after reaching the main road, he didn’t see a sign of a car or any tire tracks. Deciding to take a right, he proceeded in that direction for a couple of miles. When nothing showed up, he turned around and headed back the other way.

A mile past the gate he spotted a snow-covered vehicle, which had gone into the ditch headfirst. He pulled up alongside and turned on his hazard light. Still keeping the engine running, he levered himself from the seat and walked over to the car.

“Ms. Jones?” After knocking on the left rear window to announce his arrival, he climbed into the shallow culvert. With a gloved hand, he started removing snow from the driver’s window so he could see inside. Before he’d finished the job, the glass slid down.

“Thank you for coming!” she cried with undisguised relief.

For a brief moment his eyes glimpsed the profile of a stunning woman with short, glossy black curls. Combined with her husky voice, he was strongly reminded of someone else whose beauty had taken his breath the first time he’d ever laid eyes on her.

He thought he must be hallucinating until she turned to face him. The seductive floral scent that had enticed him on too many other occasions drifted past him.

Her makeup and earrings might be different, the brown lenses fake, but he’d know the bewitching lines of that exquisite face and mouth anywhere.

The blood pounded in his ears.

“Stefanie?”

“Yes,” came her terrified whisper. Beneath the makeup, her complexion had paled. “Please don’t be angry with me, Gabe. Please.” Her gently rounded chin quivered. “You have to hear me out! No one knows I’m here. Your secret is safe. I swear it!”

He was so shocked to see her, the meaning of her words didn’t register right away. All this time he’d imagined her in Paris, charming every damn male in sight.

His gaze followed the involuntary movement of her hand to her heart, drawing his attention to the gorgeous mold of her body. The black sweater proved faithful to her rounded curves.

“How in the hell did you find me?”

Even to his own ears he knew he sounded furious, but he felt out of control, unable to quell the myriad of conflicting emotions that were exploding inside him.

She moistened her luscious red mouth nervously. The color was one she’d never worn before. The sight of it on her lips was incredibly erotic. “I—I had you followed. But don’t worry!” she blurted. “They’ll never tell anyone.”

He fought not to erupt again, but it was almost impossible. “Who are they?” he demanded in a deceptively silky tone.

She swallowed hard, once again distracting him as his gaze studied the creamy column of her throat rising out of the material. No woman in the world had such flawless skin.

“A team of p-private detectives. I paid them well.”

“What’s this all about, Stefanie?” He fired the question before he noticed she’d been gripping the steering wheel to keep from falling sideways. When he realized how she was straining, he yanked the door open and pulled her out.

Obviously unprepared, she fell against him like a rag doll, leaving the imprint of her beautiful body against his, turning his legs leaden until his breathing constricted.

Though he knew it was insane, he found himself unwilling to break the contact. Without conscious thought he picked her up in his arms and carried her through the snow to the passenger side of the Explorer.

During their marriage he’d made certain they never experienced this kind of physical closeness, not even when they’d danced together at fund-raiser galas. Especially not then. Now he knew why.

For a year a fierce hunger had been burning inside him. A hunger he’d never dared feed, not when there couldn’t be a future for the two of them.

Not when she would never love a man for the only reason that mattered.

The discovery that the woman he thought he’d said goodbye to forever had secretly followed him to Montana had all the components of some fantastic dream. But it was a flesh-and-blood Stefanie he deposited on the seat before removing her arms from his neck.

Determined to get this over as soon as possible, he stowed her purse and suitcase in his car, then started down the road.

She darted him an anxious glance. “Where are we going? The ranch is the other way.”

“I’m taking you to Marion where there’s a garage. The sooner your car is repaired, the sooner you can be on your way.”

“No, Gabe!” Her body jerked toward him. “I—I mean, I need to talk to you. I had no idea the sheriff’s office would send you to help me. Naturally I’m very grateful it was you who came.” After a slight pause, “Now that you’re here, couldn’t we pull over to the side of the road for a minute?”

His hands tightened on the steering wheel. “It’s getting late. We’ll be lucky to catch the mechanic before he goes home for the night.”

“I don’t care about the car. This is more important.”

With a grimace he asked, “You’re not worried about where you’re going to sleep tonight?”

“I was hoping I could stay with you,” came the quiet response.

“That would be impossible.”

Her head was bowed. “Is that because your son’s mother wouldn’t understand why your ex-wife has suddenly appeared, hoping to prevail on your good nature instead of partying in Paris?”

Gabe braked sharply, forgetting the snow. His Explorer skidded at an angle, but he was able to correct it in time to bring the car to a stop.

“All right, Stefanie. We’re off the road. You’ve gotten your wish and have my undivided attention.”

“Don’t worry,” she said quietly. “Your private life is your business. Rest assured your secret is safe with me. When the P.I.s saw you pick up a woman and a teenage boy who bore a resemblance to you, it wasn’t hard to figure out th—”

“Get to the point!” he broke in, knocked sideways by her erroneous conclusions. “To say that I’m surprised to see you again would be the understatement of all time.”

She nodded. “I know, but there are compelling reasons—at least compelling to me—why I was driven to follow you. If you’ll just hear me out.”

He sucked in his breath. “I’m listening.”

“The truth is, I—I didn’t want to go around the world alone. I realized you planned that trip as a fabulous thank-you gift for me. When you first suggested it, I felt it would have been unconscionable of me to turn it down. I could tell you were trying hard to do something special and unique for me. But as the days grew closer to my departure, I started to panic.”

A groan escaped his throat. “Then why didn’t you say something?”

“B-because I’ve never really been on my own before and knew it would be good for me. When you think about it, I’ve only lived with my parents, and then w-with you. Other people seem to handle independence just fine. But deep down the thought of being free to travel for six months by myself started to sound worse than being locked up in a prison.”

“For the love of heaven, Stefanie—” He raked an unsteady hand through his hair. Her revelations were so unexpected, he wondered if there wasn’t some other reason she’d come.

“Two days before you left Newport I got so frightened, I knew I would never be able to set foot on that plane to Paris. But I also knew you were depending on me to do my part and disappear.”

“Not at the cost of your sanity,” he muttered fiercely.

“Gabe—I’m not trying to make you feel sorry for me. I’m just trying to explain that there was no way I would have let you down. S-so I came up with this plan to follow you, then beg you to let me stay wherever you were until the six months were up.”

He had to be dreaming. “Why did you give the sheriff’s office a fake name? For that matter, what are you doing in this disguise?”

“I didn’t want anything I did to give your secret away. I knew how important it was for you to stay hidden from the media. To make certain no one recognized me or could link us in any way, I decided to camouflage myself and have been wearing this outfit since I left Newport.”

She’d come up with a good one. She was sexy as hell.

“At first I thought maybe you’d made arrangements to leave the States for good. Then came the surprising news that you were driving across the country. I had no idea you owned a ranch and planned to live out here.”

“It’s hardly the yacht club scene.”

Her head jerked around. “I don’t care about that, Gabe!”

Wouldn’t it be amazing if her denial were true and she’d come after him because she couldn’t help herself. But it was only in his dreams he heard her say those kinds of things to him…

“I haven’t come here to cause you any trouble. I promise I haven’t! The last thing I would want to do is interfere with your life.”

“What am I supposed to say to that?” he let the sarcasm fly.

“I know my arrival has come as a horrible shock. But now that I’m here, maybe there’s a job I could do? One of the P.I.s phoned the ranch and found out you run a school for troubled boys.”

He let out an angry laugh. He couldn’t help it.

“I don’t know what it would be, of course,” she offered lamely.

“Believe me, Stefanie, neither do I.”

“The thing is, I would take on any task that would allow me to stay for six months and give me a roof over my head. With this disguise and my fake name, no one would ever need to know the truth of our relationship. I swear to you I would keep away from the people you love.”

Gabe sat there in stunned silence. Gone was the composed, serene blond beauty he’d kissed goodbye on the cheek five days ago. In her place was this emotional, highly charged, intense woman in black curls who was talking faster and faster, a trait he’d never seen come out in her before.

“While I was waiting for help to arrive, I thought of an idea. Couldn’t you tell your staff that I was driving to the ranch to apply for a position when my car got stuck? Of course, if that’s totally unacceptable to you, would you mind if I tried to get a job in the area?”

She kneaded her hands together, another visible sign of her anxiety. “At least I would have the assurance that someone I once knew lived close by. I wouldn’t feel so alone…”

The haunting tremor in her voice just now revealed a vulnerability Gabe would never have imagined was there. In the setting where she’d been raised, Stefanie had always appeared to be in charge. Confident. But that woman was no longer in evidence.

“Before you say no to everything, please be assured you have my word I won’t retaliate by going home or revealing your secrets. It’s just that I don’t know where to turn.”

A huge sigh escaped her lips.

“I realize everything’s my fault. I should have told you I didn’t want to go on that trip. But I was afraid to bother you when you were involved with your own plans. I’m so sorry, Gabe,” she whispered shakily. “A-are you very angry?”

His dark head reared. Hell, yes, he was angry. And frustrated. And tied up in so many knots he couldn’t think straight. Her last words to him before he’d left the house kept resounding in his head.

You don’t have to worry about me anymore. I took care of myself before we met, and shall do so again.

What was that all about? Which woman was the real Stefanie? Was it possible she’d come because she missed him? Or did she have some ulterior motive that would turn him inside out if he knew the answer?

Just then her stomach rumbled. Hadn’t she been eating?

The sound brought him back to a cognizance of their surroundings. It had grown darker outside. Colder.

His first instinct was to send her to an opposite corner of the world. But he’d already tried that and it hadn’t worked. She would have no choice if he decided to drive her to Marion and settle her in the Branding Iron for the night.

But when he considered she’d been on the road for the better part of a week, and had run into a ditch during the blizzard, he didn’t like the idea of her spending another night alone in a tiny, sparsely furnished motel room way off the beaten track.

The coffee shop served as a local hangout for the cowboys in the area. On any given night things got a little wild in the bar. One look at Stefanie and…

Gabe started the engine and turned the Explorer around. In the semidarkness he felt her questioning gaze as if she’d touched him.

“It’s late, Stafanie. You sound like you’re ready to drop.” He could tell she was exhausted. Even if nothing else added up, that much was true. “I’m taking you to the ranch.”

“Thank you, Gabe,” she murmured emotionally.

He didn’t want her thanks. He didn’t want her anywhere near him.

“You’d better reserve judgment. I’m afraid all the bedrooms in the main house are occupied by the school staff. But there’s a small, semiempty room next to Marva’s behind the kitchen that once served as a nursery.”

“Who’s Marva?”

“I hired her to be the cook, but she’s also in charge of the main house.”

“I see. Do you live in the main house?”

His jaw hardened. “Yes. Provided I can find a spare cot, you’ll stay by her tonight and share her bathroom. Tomorrow morning will be soon enough to figure out what to do with you.”

Her body shifted on the seat. “Please don’t go to a lot of trouble for me. I don’t take up much room and would be h-happy to sleep anywhere,” she stammered.

He knew she wasn’t being intentionally provocative, yet the word “anywhere” disturbed him. Under normal circumstances Gabe would offer her his king-size bed and take the couch downstairs in front of the fireplace. But the way he was feeling right now, he’d probably join her before morning without her permission.

To add to his guilt, she’d come begging to him like a homeless person in need of food and shelter. For all intents and purposes she was homeless, given the terms of their contract and his desire for both of them to remain out of touch with their old lives.

Six months.

He’d decreed it himself.

“Gabe?” She said his name hesitantly.

“What is it?”

He heard her pained little gasp before she said, “I know I’m a horrible inconvenience.”

You’ve got that right.

“How do you want me to address you when we’re not alone?”

After a year of marriage the question was so ludicrous, it went beyond the absurd.

“Like you would anyone else you’d just met.”

More silence ensued, then, “Are you going to keep my identity a secret from everyone?”

With that searching question he flashed her an oblique glance. “If you’re including Clay in your question, then yes. On the drive out from the East Coast, he mentioned that he’d seen a picture of you in the Newport paper. For the time being, it might be best if you stayed in disguise.”

The troubled boys in his charge had been sent to this ranch to get away from worldly distractions. They, along with the staff, would do better not knowing that Gabe’s beautiful socialite ex-wife was on the premises.

“Of course.” Her head lowered. “He must be thrilled to have you around all the time. A boy needs his dad.” Her voice shook.

“I agree. It’s a shame Clay’s father is dead.”

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