Yours For The Taking Part 23

Ben pulled into the garage at Gramps' and kissed Gina awake. He loved watching her mind start to work, from the uncensored smile that crossed her face and the light shining in her eyes when she first came awake to the cool control she slipped on like a mask. He bet he was the only person who saw the transformation. He was one sick puppy. He was the only man he knew who spent most of the night just watching his wife sleep. "We're back to civilization."

Gina wiped her face with her hands and yawned. "Great."

"What's the matter? I thought you'd be happy to be back to your cell phone, computer, and TV."

"Nothing's the matter. I was just thinking that since we're back, I should probably get home myself."

"You're leaving?"

"I need to get back to work too. I've never been away from the office for this long."

"We have plenty of time to talk about that later." Or avoid talking about it. He definitely wasn't ready to let her go yet, if ever. He got out of the car and opened the tailgate to unload it. He'd figure something out, even if it meant working from New York. It wasn't as if there was a shortage of room in the brownstone. If he remembered correctly, there was office s.p.a.ce on the lower level. The trick would be talking Gina into living together, not to mention staying married, and maybe having a kid or two. h.e.l.l, they already had a dog.

The door to the house opened and Kate came out followed by Joe. Jasmine practically jumped out of Gina's arms and ran for them.

Joe pulled Gina into a hug and winked at Ben. "How was the trip to the ranch?" Jasmine jumped on his leg. "And who is this little bit?"

Ben tossed a bag over his shoulder. "That's Jasmine, your new great-granddog. We found her on the logging road heading to the ranch."

Joe picked up Jasmine. "Aren't you a pretty little thing?" He put his arm around Gina. "Let's let Ben unload the car while you ladies come with me."

One look at Joe and Gina knew the old guy had something up his sleeve. She'd much rather unload the car than deal with Joe while she was still groggy from the trip. Gina was thankful Kate managed to hand her a cup of coffee before Joe led her out of the kitchen.

"So, how did you like the ranch?"

Gina followed him to his office, took a seat opposite his desk, and thought back to how hard it was to leave the cabin. "I liked it much more than I ever expected to, especially after the pipes thawed out. I don't think I've ever spent so much time relaxing in all my life."

"Good, good. That's what I was waiting to hear." Joe threw a manila envelope across the desk. "This is for you."

"What is it?"

"Your wedding present. I thought I should do something special for my new granddaughter."

He looked like a peac.o.c.k she'd seen strutting around the zoo. Every warning signal she had went off as he watched. "Maybe we should wait for Ben."

Joe waved his hand. "He'll be along any moment. Go ahead."

Gina unwound the string on the envelope before lifting the flap, almost afraid to open it. She couldn't figure out what Joe was up to, but it was something.

Ben walked in. "Gina, we need to talk."

Ben's tone of voice sent a shiver through her. Why would he be angry?

He crossed his arms and the muscle in his jaw twitched. Oh, the only time she'd seen that was when they were at Shorty's and he was p.i.s.sed about Hairy. He glared at her and then at the envelope. "What's that?"

Gina shrugged. "I'm not sure. Joe says it's a wedding present." She wanted to give it back; she had a bad feeling about this whole thing. Actually, it began when they'd left the cabin. Her chest tightened. She slid the doc.u.ment out of the envelope onto the desk. It looked official and she really didn't want to touch it. She just wanted to go back to the cabin and get away from everyone except Ben.

Ben unfolded the bundle of papers and paged through it. "It's the deed to the ranch." He looked from his grandfather to her and back again.

She didn't understand the weird vibes bouncing between the men. This is what Ben wanted, wasn't it? Joe would sign the ranch over to him, and then they could get a divorce, and go back to their regularly scheduled lives. This in theory sounded a whole lot better to her than in actuality. She'd been right. When they left the cabin, the real world would interfere and things would never be like they were at the ranch. "That's good, right? Isn't that what you always wanted?" She hated herself for being happy that he looked so upset. Maybe this wasn't the end. She wasn't sure what it might be, and she was afraid to even think that far ahead, but then the thought of never seeing Ben again certainly didn't sit well with her either. G.o.d, this was all so confusing. She was used to black and white, right or wrong, good or bad, but this emotional stuff was every shade of gray imaginable.

"This says..." Ben opened the doc.u.ment to the last page, "that you, Gina Reyez-Walsh, are the sole owner of the ranch at Three Wh.o.r.es Bend."

"What?"

Ben glared at his grandfather and then turned that same look on her before he dropped the paper on the desk and walked out of the room.

Joe sat there looking smug. No doubt thinking he'd just won some battle of wills when in reality he may very well have driven the last nail in the coffin of her and Ben's relationship. "Oh that's really gonna help. Good going, Joe. From the look on Ben's face, that might just be an end of a marriage present."

Gina followed Ben out and slammed the door to Joe's office behind her. She ran down the hall after him. "Ben, wait."

Ben walked into the bedroom and spun around crowding her against the bed. "I guess you got everything you wanted, Gina. Congratulations. You planned this from the beginning, didn't you? Well, I gotta hand it to you, you really had me snowed."

She couldn't believe what she was hearing. She'd never expected Joe to pull this stunt no less planned it. How could she? "What are you talking about?"

"Give it up, Gina. I got the message loud and clear."

Ben held up his satellite phone and hit a few b.u.t.tons. A voice Gina recognized was on the speakerphone. "Gina, it's d.i.c.k. I did a t.i.tle search and traced the deed. I think we just struck gold. Give me a call. We need to talk about our next step."

Ben clicked off the phone. "How long did it take that private investigator you hired to figure out how much the ranch was worth?"

"What?"

"Oh yeah, it's worth a whole h.e.l.l of a lot considering the mining rights, but then that's no surprise to you, now is it? You lied to me, you played my grandfather, and now you've gotten everything you were after. "

Gina sat on the edge of the bed stunned.

Ben was so mad he shook. A vein popped out of his forehead and he looked like he was about to throw an embolism. "I told you I loved you, and you used me. You told me not to trust you. You said everyone had an agenda. I should have taken your advice." He tore his gaze away from her, almost as if he couldn't stand to look at her. He turned and jerked on a jacket before storming out of the room and slamming the door behind him. He left her sitting on the bed trying to figure out what the h.e.l.l had just happened. She didn't understand any of it. Why was her private investigator researching t.i.tles? Why had Joe signed the ranch over to her, and how could Ben think she would ever do anything so awful?

The sound of the door slamming reverberated through her head and the look on Ben's face filled with hate had her hugging herself. She should have known she couldn't trust him, but over the last weeks, she'd let her guard down. She almost believed all those pretty words he said. Almost. G.o.d, she was so stupid. Tears streamed down her face and a sob escaped her closed throat. She wallowed in it for a minute, before she remembered who she was. Gina pulled herself up off the bed, then wiped the tears from her face on the sleeve of Ben's flannel shirt before tossing it in the hamper and heading to the bathroom.

She shouldn't have been surprised; she'd known all along it would end. She just never imagined it would end like this. Gina took a deep breath, which ended in a hiccup, grabbed her bag, and rummaged through her makeup. She needed to go home. Everything made sense there. Looking at her blotchy face and swollen eyes, she slapped on makeup until she recognized herself again. Once her control was firmly in place, she picked up her phone and called d.i.c.k. "d.i.c.k Sommers, please. It's Gina Walsh."

"Hi, Gina, did you get my message?"

"No, well, not all of it. What's going on?"

"I think I found Rafael's trail. I tracked down the lawyer who worked the sale; his secretary was willing to share some information for a fee. I'm not sure if I've found the right baby, but the timing works. If we have the right kid, Rafael went to a family out of California. The name on the check was Hutchins. I haven't been able to trace them yet, but I found a piece of land purchased in Oregon in the name Michael R. Hutchins. I'm going to go and check it out."

"So that's why you were investigating t.i.tles?"

"Yeah, why else would I be sifting through all this c.r.a.p?"

"Thanks, d.i.c.k. From now on, use my cell phone number only. Okay?"

"Will do. I'll be in touch."

"Good. I'm going to head back to New York today." Gina ended the call and dragged her bags to the kitchen. Kate and Karma sat at the table with their heads together and stood as soon as she walked in.

Kate pulled Gina into a hug. "I'm sorry, sweetie. We weren't listening but Ben has a big mouth. We couldn't help but hear the whole thing."

Gina couldn't remember ever getting a hug like that from a woman. At first it was nice but she wasn't letting Gina go.

"Ben's a man. That Y chromosome makes them act like a.s.ses sometimes. He'll come around."

Gina shook her head and she blinked a few times, trying to hold back tears. It was one thing to cry when you didn't have makeup on. Crying with makeup was a disaster. She stepped away from Kate. "I just need to go home."

Karma pushed her mom out of the way and hugged Gina. G.o.d, all this sympathy was difficult to take.

"Tell us what you want to do, and we'll help you."

Gina patted Karma and stepped away. The two of them were definitely cut from the same cloth. She hugged her arms around herself trying to hold it together. "I just need to leave and I need to take Jasmine with me. Do busses accept dogs?" Great, now she was a single mother. She'd have to remember to feed and water Jasmine all on her own, not to mention walk her.

Karma shook her head. "I'm sure Grandpa Joe would fly you back in one of the corporate jets."

Gina backed away. "I don't want anything from him. I never have and I certainly don't want to fly. I just need to get a bus. There is a bus station in town, right?"

Kate poured her a cup of coffee. "I think we can do better than that. Buck is on his way over before taking a load back east. You're not afraid of trucks, are you, Gina?"

"No, I'm good with trucks, cars, trains, and buses."

Karma smiled. "Uncle Buck is perfect. He might even teach you to drive."

"Who is Buck?"

Karma flipped her hair over her shoulder and grabbed the phone. "He's sweet on Mom. You'll love him and I'm sure if Mom asked him real nice, he'd be happy to take you back to New York."

Within an hour, a mountain of a man with red hair, mustache, and a beard walked in and poured himself coffee. He looked at Gina and smiled as a big gap peeked out between his front teeth. "So you're the package I get to deliver to Brooklyn, huh?"

"I could really use a lift, if you wouldn't mind. I'd be happy to pay you. Oh, and I have a puppy too." She held up Jasmine to show him.

"Put your money away. I should be paying you. It's not often I get to do a favor for Kate. She's an independent one, my Katie is. Besides, you and that little pup will be good company. Are you packed to leave?"

"Yeah, I never unpacked."

"Good, I'll grab your gear and as soon as you ladies say your good-byes, we'll hit the road."

Gina nodded and looked at Karma and Kate. "Thanks for all your help."

Kate shushed her. "Gina, I was so worried about Ben getting hurt. I never thought he'd hurt you. I was wrong. I'm sorry. I don't know what got into him. I thought I'd raised him better than that." She rubbed Gina's arm. "You and Ben will work things out once he realizes what an a.s.s he's been. You can't really hold it against him though. Look at his grandfather. The apple doesn't fall far from the tree. He's a good man. Just remember that when he comes crawling back to you."

Gina's arms were crossed and they were the only things keeping her from falling apart, which was just too embarra.s.sing to even contemplate. "Kate, you can't tell him where I've gone. Please just give me some time."

Karma nodded. "Mom's right. He'll come around but after what he said to you, he deserves to stew in his own juices. Our lips are sealed." Karma held up her hand to stall Gina's escape. She ran out of the room and returned with the deed to the ranch. "Whatever happens, this is yours." She stuffed the papers in Gina's bag. "You'll have plenty of time on the drive back to plan your next move. I wrote down both our numbers. Keep in touch. If you need anything just ask, and remember I'm happy to give you ideas on ways to torture Ben. It's a hobby of mine." She pulled Gina into yet another hug. "I'm just glad I finally have another girl in the family. With you and Jasmine, we're almost even with the boys."

Gina didn't know what to say to that. She just shut her mouth and let Karma hug her. She really liked Karma and Kate. She was going to miss them. "Thanks for everything."

Buck came back into the kitchen. "Come on, little lady. We've got a timetable to meet." Buck pulled Kate into a hug. "I'll see you when I return." He kissed her cheek and gave her a smack on the a.s.s.

"Buck!"

Gina and Karma exchanged glances. Karma moved over and whispered, "Mom's the queen of playing hard to get. Me, I've never been really good at that."

"I am, or at least, I was. Bye, Karma, thanks for everything." Gina survived one more set of hugs before following Buck out to the pickup. She put Jasmine in and he helped her up into the cab. "My rig is at my place. Do you need anything before we leave town?"

"Could we stop at a pet store? I need to buy Jasmine more food, a real leash and collar, and a couple of bowls."

"Okay. Buckle up, I know just the place."

Gina put on her seat belt and held Jasmine close as she waved to Kate and Karma.

Ben stopped at Humpin' Hannah's and was disappointed when he didn't see Karma behind the bar. She was always nice to him. He thought about who else he could go to. Trapper came to mind, but Trapper would have just told him how stupid he'd been to marry Gina in the first place. No, he was not the man Ben could turn to for support or advice on love, marriage, or Gina. Still, Karma's absence didn't stop him from pulling up a bar stool and ordering a shot and a beer. He was mad as h.e.l.l and still wanted to punch something, but the fading anger only made him hyperaware of the pain. Sharp and powerful. He's just been pummeled by a tag-team of the two most important people in his life-his wife and his grandfather.

He tossed his credit card on the bar and made sure he had plenty of cash for a cab knowing he'd have to be good and drunk before going back home. He wasn't looking forward to facing Gina but he would. His only question was whether he'd be able to look at himself in the mirror afterward.

Even now, knowing what Gina had planned and accomplished, he wanted her. Sure, he hated what she'd done, but G.o.d help him, he still loved her. He was more p.i.s.sed than he'd ever been, both at Gina and his grandfather, and G.o.d knew he was hurt, but he couldn't help but think she must be in some kind of trouble to do what she had done. He'd known all along she was hiding something. He'd known every d.a.m.n time she'd lied to him.

He rested his elbows on the bar and held his head in his hands. He couldn't help but think that after this whole thing was over, he'd be lucky to come out of it with a shred of self-respect. If she had wanted the d.a.m.n ranch, he'd have gladly given it to her. All she'd had to do was ask. He was as incapable of refusing her anything as she was of trusting him.

He tossed back another shot of tequila and followed it by a few gulps of beer. "Kevin. Line them up, will ya?"

The bartender looked up from polishing wine gla.s.ses. "Do you just want a bottle? I'll keep your beers full, but man, you gotta pour the shots. I've got side work to do."

"Sure, do me a favor. After I hit oblivion and before I pa.s.s out, call me a cab."

Kevin handed him the bottle. "That bad, huh?"

Ben poured a shot and tossed it back. "Oh yeah."

Ben kept drinking and people came and went, leaving him alone. When he stood to take a trip to the men's room and had to hold on to the bar while the room settled, he knew he was just about there. "Kevin." h.e.l.l, Ben wasn't even sure if Kevin was still working. It had been a while. "Bartender, call me a cab." Ben heard his speech slurring. Yup, he was just about ready to go home. Someone came up beside him and took his arm. "I'll get you home."

It took Ben a moment to focus. "Hey, Trap. What are you doin' here? I gotta take a leak."

Trapper had been drinking with Ben since before the two of them could shave, and he'd never seen him so drunk. d.a.m.n, he sure hoped Ben wouldn't puke in his car. Ben staggered to the men's room and Trap shook his head while he gave Kevin a big tip and signed Ben's tab. "Thanks for the call, Kev. I owe ya."

Kevin waved him off. "No problem. Just take care of him. He's in bad shape. Whatever it was really knocked him for a loop."

"It was a woman."

Kevin nodded. "It usually is."

Trapper didn't know which end was up. His mom had called saying that she and Karma were p.i.s.sed at Ben about a fight he'd had with Gina. All Trapper knew was Ben was in a tough spot. It wasn't as if Trapper hadn't been on the receiving end of their s.h.i.t enough times to know sometimes a guy just does something that p.i.s.ses them off. It's not as if he does it on purpose, or even that the reason they were p.i.s.sed made the least bit of sense to the logical male mind.

He loaded Ben in the Sequoia, rolled down the window hoping the fresh air would do him good, and headed back to the house. He sure hoped he wasn't the one stuck explaining this to Gina. If his mom and sister were p.i.s.sed, it stood to reason Gina would be too.

He pulled into the garage and dragged Ben out of the car. "You need to take a handful of aspirin and drink a couple of gallons of water, buddy. You'll still feel like death tomorrow, but you might avoid wishing you were dead."