world. Maybe even a bigger and better ranch. Then you wouldnât have to resort to this ruse.â
âIt wouldnât be the same,â he said. âTo risk sounding like Jenny, the D Bar C is equivalent to losing the plantation thatâs been in the family for generations.â
âWouldnât it still be in the family if Fort takes over? Have you even bothered to work out some agreement that wouldnât force you to go to such extremes?â
Anger flashed in his eyes. âFort doesnât talk to anyone but Worth. Heâd have the power to do anything he pleases, including selling it off piece by piece. I wouldnât put it past him to do that just for spite. He hates anything associated with the Calloways, including me. Especially me.â
A family feud of grand proportions. âBecause I grew up traveling the world, Iâve never experienced having a real home place. But I do understand why it would be difficult to give up a legacy.â
âAnd even harder to give up the memories.â
âOf your dad?â
âOf my mother. I have very few as it is.â
That revelation yanked hard on her heartstrings. At times her own mother could drive her insane with her penchant for being overprotective, yet Paris couldnât imagine not having her mom in her life. âHow old were you when she passed?â
âNot quite five years old, but I still recall the little things. If Iâm forced to leave here, Iâm afraid the memories might fade completely.â
Hearing the pain in his voice almost pushed Paris over the marriage edge. But she couldnât let emotions rule common sense. Sheâd done that too often as it was. âYouâve given me a lot to consider,â she said as she handed him the laptop.
âThen youâre not completely ruling it out?â
âNo, but I have to think about it long and hard. And youâd have to promise weâd find some way to go the annulment route.â
âBelieve me, my lawyer will find a loophole if thatâs how we want to end the marriage. And Iâd be willing to put all the terms in writing if that would make you feel better.â
Sheâd feel better if she had more time to weigh the verdict. âWhen do you want my answer?â
âIâm flying to Houston on Friday and I thought we could just do it there. Itâll be easier to blend in at that courthouse rather than do it around here. Word travels fast in small towns.â
âI donât know if I can make such a serious decision that soon.â
âThatâs all the time I have since my birthdayâs Saturday,â he said as he pushed off the desk. âWhen it comes right down to it, it makes sense to get it done the day before.â
If only she could be so sure. âIâm going to go home and think it over,â she told him as she stood. âBut if I were you, I wouldnât get my hopes up. Iâll call you as soon as Iâve made up my mind.â
After leaving him behind in the barn, Paris managed to return to Dallasâs house, gather her things and sneak out without being detected. She drove the ninety miles home in a haze, ticking off a mental list of pros and cons. She entered her barren apartment and thought about how sheâd hoped to settle in a loft downtown, with a view of the River Walk. Yet her budget had only allowed her to rent a one-bedroom in a cookie-cutter complex outside the magic of the city.
Her life had turned into an absolute mess, devoid of security and absent of even a shred of a sincere social life. She had a closet full of expensive shoes and nowhere to wear them, a large stack of unpaid bills, including one that if ignored could take away her freedom, and a solid sense of defeat. But she still had an optionâaccept Dallasâs proposal. What was the worst that could happen? Paris could think of one thingâshe might lose her heart to a man who