Page 19 of The Rancher

“I heard that one of Ray’s horses had been doped. I wanted to confirm that with you.”

She crossed her arms over her chest, unmindful of the mess on them. “You’ll have to talk to Ray about anything that has to do with his horses. I’m just here to keep them healthy…and safe.”

Marissa pursed her lips and narrowed her eyes. “We don’t have to be enemies. As a matter of fact, you could come to work for me. I’ll pay you twice what Ray is.”

Lyris pretended to be contemplating the proposal. “While your offer is generous, I have to decline. I’m perfectly happy here.”

“You mean you’re happy with Ray,” she sneered. “It won’t do you any good. He’ll never marry again. He’ll find a reason not to go through with it, just like he did with me.”

“Weren’t you cheating with his best friend? I can’t think of any man who would marry you after that.”

She waved her hand with obvious annoyance. “It was a dalliance, nothing more. Ray could have forgiven me for my tiny indiscretion.”

“Cheating isn’t a tiny indiscretion.” Lyris saw red. Tiny indiscretion! Nothing was tiny about it. She would know. Kevin cheated on her with Sarah before he ever broke it off.I guess he had to see if they were compatible before he married her. If he said no, then I’m sure his father had someone else waiting in the wings.

Why am I even thinking about Kevin? That was years ago and has no relevance to today.

Hearing gravel crunching under the tires of an approaching vehicle, Lyris turned away from Marissa. The Corvette that approached belonged to Ray. She would never forget that car or the role it played in what had been the best night of her life.

Ray stopped next to Marissa’s silver Jaguar. When he stepped out of the car, he wasn’t smiling. He glared at Marissa. “What are you doing here?”

“Why Ray, darling, you can’t still be mad over my tiny lapse in judgement, can you?”

“I don’t call cheating with my best friend a lapse in judgement. I call it a betrayal.” He waved her off. “It doesn’t matter. I want you off my property.”

Marissa’s eyes narrowed. “This is also my property, or did you forget the shares you gave me as an engagement present? You never took them back. I own approximately one percent of Whispering Wind Ranch.”

“I was never worried about those shares,” he waved his hand away. “And I’m not now. You can’t do anything with them. Nobody wants to buy fifty shares of the ranch except me. What do you want for them?”

“Oh, I don’t need you to buy them. I already have a buyer. Someone I’m sure you will like.” She dropped her chin and looked at Ray through her eyelashes with a smile that couldn’t be considered anything but evil.

He narrowed his eyes and crossed his arms over his chest. “Who do you have willing to buy those shares?”

“Why David Gardner, of course. You’re right about one thing; you and he are the only ones who want those shares.”

Ray’s hands fisted at his sides. “Why would he want those shares? He can’t do a thing with them. They aren’t even enough for him to have a vote on anything.”

Marissa shrugged. “I didn’t ask. He told me he’d give me one-hundred thousand for them. I told him I have to see if you would offer me more. If you will, I’ll sell them to you right now.”

“You’re a mercenary, Marissa. I’m glad I found out your true nature before I married you.”

“Yes, well that was too bad for me. I had plans for you, for us.” She shrugged, “But they will never come to fruition now. So, what is your offer?”

Ray thought for a moment, then with his eyes narrowed, he relaxed his hands. “I’ll give you one-hundred-and-fifty-thousand dollars. What’s your answer?”

She grinned. “Sold. I know David won’t go higher than he already has, you know that, too.”

Ray nodded. “I do. I’ll have my attorney contact your attorney later today and get the paperwork done. I’ll expect you at the office prepared to sign over those shares. Do you want cash or a cashier’s check?”

She cocked a brow and looked at him hard. “A check will do.”

“Until nine o’clock tomorrow morning.”

“Until then.” Marissa held out her hand.

Maybe this would be the last that Lyris would have to endure the presence of Marissa Holloway. She couldn’t stand the woman but was it jealousy or something more, she couldn’t say.

Ray didn’t oblige her.