Free The Rancher's Marriage Pact by Kristi Gold Page B

sadly he would never be her soul mate, though he could be her financial savior.
    â€œHow nice that he carries the moniker of your father’s favorite football team. That should earn him a few points.”
    They shared in a laugh before Paris decided to end the conversation. “Thanks for listening, Mom. I’ll take all your advice to heart.”
    â€œYou’re welcome, dear. And don’t forget to follow that heart. If it feels right, do it. It’s high time to leave the past behind and look forward to a brighter future.”
    â€œYou know, Mom, you’re right. Love you bunches and tell Dad I love him, too.”
    â€œWe love you, dear. And don’t wait so long to call, okay?”
    â€œI won’t.” And that next call could be a bombshell that might blow up in her face.
    After Paris hung up, she mulled over her mother’s words and clung to one thing in particular—leaving the past behind and looking forward to a brighter future.
    Maybe she should choose a different direction, journey down a new path, even an unorthodox one. Maybe marriage to Dallas Calloway could provide all of that, and more. Maybe his offer would be the best way to start over.
    Too much to consider, and far too little time.
    * * *
    Right then, Dallas only wanted enough time to enjoy his lunch alone. But the two women hovering at the dinette where he now sat had no intention of giving him some peace. Maybe if he ignored them, they’d go away. And pigs would probably sprout wings first.
    Jenny propped one hand on her hip and stared at him. “Well?”
    He swallowed the last bite of the barbecue sandwich before he responded. “Well what?”
    â€œWhere is Paris?”
    â€œShe went home.”
    Maria flipped her braid over one shoulder and folded her arms. “Are you gonna ask her out again, mijo ?”
    â€œNope.”
    Jenny sighed. “Sugar, you really should have given her another chance. A lot of women get drunk on a first date.”
    He saw an opportunity to rattle their chains and jumped on it. “I decided I didn’t need to ask her for a second date.”
    Jen looked crestfallen. “Why not?”
    â€œBecause I asked her to marry me. I figured we’d pretty much moved past the dating game at that point.”
    That effectively shut them up for the time being, but he suspected not for long.
    â€œYou really did it?” Jenny asked, confirming his suspicions.
    â€œYeah, I did.”
    â€œDon’t just sit there, mijo ,” Maria said. “Give us all the down and dirty details.”
    Jenny took on that same old wistful, romantic look. “Did you get down on one knee? Did you give her a ring?”
    That beat all he’d ever heard. “No, I didn’t get down on one knee. I approached it as a business proposition, which it is. And when would I have found time to buy a ring?”
    â€œYou have your mother’s ring, Dallas. It’s in the safe.”
    Maria didn’t have to remind him of that. He’d thought about it often, even though he’d never really looked inside the blue velvet box. Giving it to Paris under the circumstances would be as false as the marriage. Ironically, that trinket had been reserved for true love, according to his dad. “A ring is the least of my concerns.”
    Jenny’s face fell like it had weights attached to it. “She said no?”
    He pushed back from the table and came to his feet. “She said she’d think about it.”
    â€œThen it’s not a lost cause?” Maria asked.
    â€œOkay, you two, don’t get your hopes up.” Exactly what Paris had said to him before she’d left. “My guess is she’s going to think it over and then refuse the offer.”
    â€œYou should have knelt before her,” Jenny said. “Women like that.”
    â€œAnd given her the damn ring,” Maria added. “I’m not sappy like Blondie here, but I do