"There are times, Hunter Pryde, when I think I hate you," she declared vehemently. With that, she grabbed a fistful of skirt, lifted her nightgown to her knees and lit off across the pastureland.

She didn't get far.

In two swift strides he overtook her, and swept her clean off her feet.

"Hate me all you want, wife. It won't change a d.a.m.ned thing.

The sooner you realize that, the better off you'll be. "

She shrieked in fury, lashing out at him, hampered by yards of damp cotton.

Her hair, seeming to have acquired a life of its own, further hindered herefforts, wrapping around her arms and torso in a tangle of unruly silvercurls. She stopped struggling, battering him with words instead. "You don't fool me. You may have married me because it was the only way to get yourhands on the ranch, but that doesn't mean you've won. I'll never give in."

"Won't you?" A hint of sardonic amus.e.m.e.nt touched his aquiline features."We'll see."She had to convince him. She had to convince herself. "You won't win.Hunter. I won't let you! ""So much pa.s.sion. So much energy," he murmured, his arms tightening around her.

"And all of it wasted out here. Why don't we take it inside where we can put it to good use?"

She stiffened, quick to catch his meaning, quicker still to voice her

objections."You promised. You promised to wait until I was ready.And I'm not ready. ""No?" His mouth twisted, and a cynical gleam sparked in his jet-black eyes."Listen up, wife. It wouldn't take much for me to break that promise. And when I do, count on it, you won't complain for long."

Without another word he carried her inside. In the front hallway he dumped her on to her feet, forcing her to cling to him while she regained her balance. His biceps were like rock beneath her hands, the breadth of his chest and shoulders an impenetrable wall between her and escape.

"Hunter, let me go," she whispered, the words an aching plea. She didn't dare look him in the eye, didn't dare see the pa.s.sion that she knew markedhis strong, determined features. If she did, she'd never make it up thosesteps alone.

"Not a chance." Then he further destroyed her equilibrium with a singlehard, fiery kiss. At last he released her, and she stared at him with wide,anguished eyes. She didn't want him touching her, kissing her, forcing herback to life. She didn't want to feel, to experience anew the pain lovinghim would bring.

But she suspected that he didn't care what she wanted, or how much he hurther. He had his own agenda. And she was low on his list of priorities--aminor detail he'd address when he found it convenient.

He snagged the bodice of her nightgown with his finger and tugged her close.

"I warned you last night. I won't wait forever. I catch you running aroundlike this ever again and I won't be responsible for my actions. You hear me?"

She wrenched the gown from his grasp, but all she got for her trouble was aripped shoulder seam. She gritted her teeth.

"Don't worry," she muttered, clutching the drooping neckline with one handand lifting the trailing hem with the other.

"I'm throwing this one out as soon as I get upstairs."

His mouth curved at the corners, and he plucked a crushed flower petal from her tangled hair.

"Feel free to trash any others while you're at it. They won't be of much use to you... not for long." Before she could give vent to her outrage, he instructed, "Hurry up and get dressed. I'm going to inspect the ranch this morning. I leave in five minutes--with you... or without you."

Lean didn't lose any time changing. Throwing on jeans and a T-shirt, she stuffed her feet into boots. Securing her hair into one long braid, she grabbed a hat from her bedpost and raced downstairs. At some point she'd have to move her things into the bedroom she now shared with Hunter. But there would be plenty of opportunity for that. Weeks. Months. She bit down on her lip. Years.

She found Hunter in the barn, saddling the horses. He pa.s.sed her a paper sack.

"Here. Thought you might be hungry-' " Thanks. I am. " Peeking inside, she found a half-dozen of Inez's cinnamon and apple m.u.f.fins.

"I don't suppose you thought to bring coffee."

"Thermos is in my saddlebag. Help yourself." He tightened the cinch on his buckskin and glanced at her.

"I moved that Appaloosa mare with the pulled tendon to another stall.

There's a leak at that end of the barn. Looks like we'll need a new roof."

She bit into a m.u.f.fin.

"I'll have Patrick and a couple of the men patch it," she said, taking a quick gulp of coffee.

"No." He yanked the brim of his hat lower on his forehead.

"I said the barn needs a new roof."

She sighed, capping the Thermos and shoving it and the sack of m.u.f.fins back into his saddlebag.

"This is one of those marital tests, isn't it?"

"Come again?"

"You know. A test. You say we need a new roof. I say no we don't. You say, I'm the boss and we're getting a new roof. And I say, but we can't afford a roof. And you say, well, we're getting one anyway, even if we have to eat dirt for the next month to pay for it. And if I say anything further you start reminding me that before we married I promised this and I agreed to that, and that you're the boss and what you say goes. Does that about sum up what's happening here?"

He nodded, amus.e.m.e.nt lightening his expression.

"That about sums it up. Glad to see you catch on so fast." He tossed her a bright yellow slicker.

"Here. Take this. Forecast calls for rain."

"Hunter, we really can't afford a new roof." She rolled the slicker and tied it to the back of her saddle.

"If we could, I'd have stuck one on last spring, or the spring before that, or even the spring before that."

"We're getting a new roof." He mounted.

"Though if it eases your mind any you won't have to eat dirt for the next month to pay for it."

After a momentary hesitation she followed suit and climbed into the saddle.

"I won't?"

"Nope. Just for the next week." He clicked his tongue, urging his horse into an easy trot.

They spent the morning investigating the eastern portion of the Hampton spread and Leah began to see the ranch through Hunter's eyes.

And what she saw didn't please her. Signs of neglect were everywhere.

Fence-lines sagged. Line-shacks had fallen into disrepair. A few of the cattle showed evidence of screw-worm and the majority of the calves they came across hadn't been branded or vaccinated.

At the south-eastern tip of the range Hunter stopped by a small stream and dismounted.

"What the h.e.l.l have your men been doing. Lean?" he asked, disgust heavy in his voice.

"There's no excuse for the condition of this place."

"Money's been tight," she protested defensively.

"We don't have a large work crew."

"I've got news for you. You don't have a work crew, period. Leastwise they don't seem to be working worth a d.a.m.n."

"A lot of what we've seen isn't their fault, but mine," she claimed, evading his searching stare.

"I haven't had the time recently to stay on top of everything."

Hunter shook his head.

"Not good enough. Lean. Any foreman worth his salt would have caught most of these problems for you."

"You told me you wouldn't fire anyone until they'd had an opportunity to

prove themselves," she said, taking a different tack.

"I know things look bad, but give us a chance. Tell us what you want done and we'll do it."

He stripped off his gloves and tucked them in his belt. "What I want is for you to get off that horse and sit down and discuss the situation with me.One way or another we're going to come to a meeting of the minds, and I can'tthink of a better time or place than right here and now."

Still she resisted."If we sit under that pecan tree, we'll get ticks."He took off his hat and slapped me dust from the brim. "Did you last time?"So he did remember this spot. She'd wondered if his stopping here had been coincidental or deliberate. Now she knew. She closed her eyes.

How much longer would she have to pay? she wondered in despair. When would it be enough?

"I might have found a tick or two," she finally admitted.

"Then I'll look you over tonight," he offered.

"Just to be on the safe side."

"Thanks all the same," she said drily.

"But I'll pa.s.s."

He held out a hand.

"Let's go, Leah. I didn't bring you here to go skinny-dipping again. I

brought you here to talk. We'll save a return trip down memory lane for another visit."

Reluctantly, she dismounted.

"What do you want to discuss?"

"The repairs we need to make and your employees," he stated succinctly.

"I vote we start with the repairs," she said.

"Have you gotten the loan? Is that why you plan to replace the barn roof?""And fix up the line-shacks, and restoring fence-line and increase the sizeof the herd. Yes, the loan's taken care of, and we have enough money to putthe ranch back on its feet. But it isn't just lack of repairs thatcontribute to a ranch going downhill."

She sank to the gra.s.s with a grimace, shifting to one side so he could join her.

"Time to discuss the employees?"

"Time to discuss the employees. I made a point of meeting most of them before we married."

She gave him a direct look.