Taking quick action, he grabbed her around the waist and lifted her off the chair. He then slung her over his shoulder and carried her from the room.

“Let me go,” she cried, struggling in his arms. Failing to earn her release, she punched him on the back with pounding fists. She was a regular tiger, but fortunately light in weight.

He was tempted to dump her on one of the leather chairs in the parlor, but spotting his housekeeper’s young daughter, he changed his mind at the last minute. Instead, he hauled her all the way to his private office. There he lowered her to the floor.

Bristling like a wild hog, she pulled away from him. With an indignant toss of her head, she straightened her skirt and yanked on a sleeve. Without all the ruffles and lace of her wedding gown, she looked even smaller in stature than she’d appeared the night before. It wouldn’t take much of a norther to blow her away.

She continued to be a puzzle. A looker like her wouldn’t normally have any trouble roping in any man she wanted. What she lacked in physical size, she more than made up for in pluck and spirit. When she wasn’t glaring at him, her eyes shone with keen intelligence. When she wasn’t spewing angry words, her mouth looked soft and supple.

So why would such a woman choose something as risky as being a mail-order bride? Why, for that matter, had she even come to Texas?

Oh yes, the lady had secrets. Secrets that could very well work to his advantage. That is, if he played his cards right.

“You can relax, ma’am. I doubt that the mouse had murderous intent.”

She gave the baseboards a quick glance before turning to him with doubt-filled eyes.

“If you don’t mind, I need someone to drive me to the courthouse.”

Biding his time, he took his seat behind his desk and considered how best to earn her trust. Last night, he’d impetuously wanted to get their marriage annulled. This morning, a cooler head prevailed. Leaving the marriage intact would save the ranch and might even benefit the lady.

Now that she’d seen the ranch house and the kind of life he could provide, he hoped she would be more receptive to the idea than she might have been the day before. Or at least listen to what he had to say.

“About our marriage,” he began in a tentative voice.

She studied him with an odd combination of determination and uncertainty. “We don’t have a marriage.”

“Legally, we do.” Assured that he had her full attention, he continued, “It might be beneficial to us both to leave things as they stand. At least for the time bein’.”

An incredulous look crossed her face. “Surely you’re not suggesting that we stay…married?” She made it sound like he’d proposed robbing a bank.

He splayed his hands. He hadn’t wanted to go into detail, but she had the right to know what he was asking of her and why. For that reason, he gave her a short version of the ranch’s history. “Unfortunately,” he added through gritted teeth, “my father’s will stipulates that the first of his two…sons to marry inherits the ranch.”