Sara Orwig - The Wedding Wager - Dakota Daddy

As soon as she reached the line of trees, she vanished from view. Watching, he could remember meeting her at the river—and their steamy kisses. Since their split, he rarely thought of her without bitter feelings surfacing.

Unwanted memories enveloped him. He had known her all his life. Even as their dads battled over water, he’d paid no attention to her because she had been six years younger—the skinny little kid on the neighboring ranch. The first time he’d ever noticed her was when he was getting his master’s degree and she’d entered his same university in Chicago.

Too clearly he could recall that initial encounter. Her black hair had cascaded in a cloud over her shoulders and her startling turquoise eyes sped his pulse. She filled out a white cotton blouse that tucked into the narrow waistband of a tan skirt. When she’d smiled broadly at him and said hello, he’d thought he was looking at a stranger. If a beautiful woman greeted him, however, he had no intention of not responding.

“You don’t know me, do you, Jared?”

Surprised, he’d stared at her and frowned, trying to recollect. “Did you go to UT?” he asked, referring to the University of Texas, where he’d gotten his undergraduate degree.

She laughed and stuck her tongue out at him and he sucked in his breath. All her pink tongue had done was make him think about kissing her. He was getting turned on and he didn’t have a clue how he knew her.

“Jared, for heaven’s sake!” she said. He shook his head, touching a lock of her soft hair.

“Okay, I give. I can’t believe I don’t remember a gorgeous woman. Where have we known each other?”

“I’m Megan Sorenson,” she’d said, laughing at him. He stared in astonishment, seeing it now in the turquoise eyes. But that was all. Gone was the skinny little kid, replaced by a luscious, curvaceous woman.

“You grew up,” he said, and that sparked a fresh burst of laughter.

“I didn’t know you’re going to school here,” she said. “I thought I’d heard you’d graduated.”

“MBA,” he said slowly. “Have dinner with me tonight.”

She tilted her head to study him. “You know how our dads fight. You and I should keep a distance.”

“C’mon, Megan. Their fight isn’t our fight. I’ve never in my life had anything against you.”

“Oh, liar, liar!” she accused with amusement again dancing in her eyes. “You thought I was a pest. You wouldn’t even say hello if you saw me.”

He felt his face flush. “I’ll make it up to you. I promise to give you my full, undivided attention,” he said, and saw a flicker in her eyes. The moment between them sizzled and his heart raced.

“Dinner it is,” she said breathlessly.

“About seven,” he’d replied. And from that moment on, he’d thought he was in love. He’d hoped to marry her. They’d talked about it and planned on it, and then that summer after her freshman year, when Megan had gone to Sioux Falls to stay with her aunt and uncle, Olga and Thomas Sorenson, her dad sent one of his hands to summon Jared.

The old man had run him off by threatening harm to Jared’s dad. He’d always wondered how much Megan had known about what her father was doing. For over a year he’d hurt, pain turning to anger that had grown when she wouldn’t answer his letters. It pleased him enormously to buy her ranch. This payback was long overdue, and again he wished he’d offered to buy the ranch when Edlund Sorenson had still been alive, just to watch the old man’s face.

Most obstacles weren’t insurmountable, he’d discovered. Not with the wealth he had accumulated. He didn’t expect this one to be, either.

He heard her horse before he rode into a clearing at the river’s edge, and then he saw her. His insides clenched. Longing, hot and intense, rocked him. He rarely spent time on regrets but briefly, the thought that he never should have left her tore at him. Surprised, he shook aside his uncharacteristic reaction as she whirled around.

Color drained from her face. Her eyes widened until they were enormous and she swayed, making him wonder if she were about to faint. “Jared!” she exclaimed, as if he were an apparition.

“Megan, I didn’t intend to startle you.” He dismounted, dropping to the ground.

She drew herself up. As abruptly as she had looked on the verge of fainting, she pulled herself together.

Jared’s heartbeat quickened at the sight of her. “You’re more beautiful than ever,” he said, and cursed himself with his next breath. Anger flashed in her turquoise eyes, those crystal-clear blue-green eyes that were astonishing when he first looked at her.

“Why are you trespassing?” she asked, her composure obvious. He’d surely imagined her terrified reaction to the first sight of him. “This isn’t your ranch, nor will it be. You get off my land.”

“Whoa, give me a chance,” he replied in amusement, reassessing changes in her. “Seven years was a long time ago.”

“Not long enough. Your people were told this ranch is no longer on the market. I’m not selling. You’ll never own this land.” While thunder rumbled overhead, she withdrew a cell phone. “I don’t know how you got one of my horses, but leave it where you found it and go. You’re trespassing, and if you don’t get off this ranch, I’m calling the sheriff.”

“Don’t be so emotional,” Jared said, wishing he could unfasten her thick braid. “At least listen. You have nothing to lose.”

Thunder boomed again, and she glanced skyward.

“I think, unless you don’t mind getting soaked, you’ll have to ride back to the barn with me,” he added.

Without saying a word, she glared at him and then turned to mount her horse. Observing her tight jeans that pulled across an enticing bottom, Jared swung into the saddle as well, and waited for her to lead the way through the trees.

As the first large drops hit leaves overhead, they rode into the clearing. A jagged bolt of lightning flashed, and Jared knew they should get out of the open field and back to shelter.

He urged the bay he’d chosen, Jester, hoping she could keep up. Drops were coming faster by the time the barn loomed in sight.

As they galloped into the barn, the heavens opened. Jared dismounted, dropping to the ground while both horses shook their heads, sending drops flying.

To the accompaniment of the steady hiss of rain, they unsaddled and rubbed down the horses. Once the animals were in stalls, Megan strode to the open door and watched the rain.

“Probably a summer shower. It’ll move on,” Jared said, standing close enough to catch the scent of an exotic perfume, not the rose perfume she once wore. “Why don’t you listen to my proposition? I know you don’t intend to retire to the ranch.”

“You don’t know that,” she said, glancing up at him with hostility simmering.

“So you are?” he probed, and saw another flash of anger, knowing he had been correct.

“I am not selling my ranch to you,” she said slowly and clearly. He looked at her mouth, remembering their kisses. She’d been eighteen years old then. What would it be like to kiss her now? “Why do you even want it? There are other ranches.”

“I have a bet with my cousins, Chase and Matt, to see which one of us can increase his net worth the most during the coming year.”

“My ranch is to help you win a bet?” she asked, glowering at him.

“That shouldn’t make any difference to you.”

“One more thing that you want for your own purposes,” she said in a clipped tone.

“Whoever buys the place will purchase it for his own purposes,” Jared said.

“I don’t see how acquiring my ranch can put you over the top,” she observed.

“That alone won’t. It’ll be one of several projects,” he answered easily.