Page 6 of River Legacy (Powder River #5)

E nraged, Claude marched up to his room, showered and changed, before sending his suit out to be cleaned compliments of his boss.

He wanted to kill that cowboy, but it was nothing like what he would do to Victoria Forester if she was ever his bride.

Which was probably never going to happen after the things he’d said in anger.

He tried not to think about that. Wen couldn’t possibly be on board with this cowboy.

Anything either of them told her father about his behavior Claude would deny.

When they got back to Dallas, he would get Victoria alone.

Maybe they could make a deal. A short marriage in name only and a cash reward at the end to keep her father from marrying her off to someone worse.

What angered him the most was that this weekend wasn’t supposed to go this way. He already had Wen’s blessing. Surely, he could make his boss see that Victoria needed a strong hand and a whole lot of discipline.

But first he had to get her away from that arrogant cowboy who’d talked to him as if Claude was an errand boy. Tell Wen thanks for the dinner invitation and the room keys, but I’m going to pass. I’m sure he’ll understand . Had the cowboy really expected him to run to his boss with a message ?

Maybe more unbelievable was that Ryder Stafford was even considering blowing off Wen’s dinner invitation. No one did that. Wen would go ballistic when Stafford didn’t show, let alone if Victoria didn’t either.

So let her amuse herself with the cowboy, he thought. She’d be back. Especially after tonight. Wen demanded punctuality and abhorred people who made him wait even a minute.

Claude smiled to himself. No way was he passing on the cowboy’s message. He could wait to see how Wen liked it when his daughter and her so-called fiancé didn’t show up at precisely six o’clock for dinner.

Yes, tonight just might finally make his boss see what needed to be done about his precious Victoria.

Wen had been threatening to cut off her allowance if she didn’t do what he wanted.

This would be the last straw. Then they’d see how long it would take Victoria to come around to reason without her daddy’s money.

No way could she live on any money she made at that nonprofit organization where she taught underprivileged kids art classes.

Claude laughed, suddenly feeling much better about his chances at getting what he wanted.

The more the thought about it, the more assured he was that Victoria Forester wasn’t engaged to that saddle tramp.

This was just another of her stunts. When he met Wen for dinner, he would pretend he knew nothing about Victoria and her fake fiancé.

He could see it now. He and Wen would be seated downstairs in the restaurant before six.

They’d have a drink. When six rolled around, no Victoria, no cowboy.

Wen would wonder where his daughter and her fiancé were.

Claude would play dumb. He’d seen his boss fire employees who were five minutes late to a meeting.

It would get later. Victoria or Ryder wouldn’t show up.

Nor would they send an explanation, expecting Claude to deliver Ryder’s message—something he would deny having heard.

And if that wasn’t the end of the cowboy and Victoria wasn’t brought into line, then Claude would do whatever was required to help things along.

Seeing the time, he smiled and went down to the restaurant ten minutes early.

Wen was always punctual. Which was why Claude was always at least ten minutes early.

He was sitting at the bar when his boss walked in.

He saw him look around for Victoria and Ryder before letting the waiter show them to a table reserved for four.

Wen ordered a drink. Claude brought his from the bar.

He’d already warned himself to go easy on the booze.

He had to play this just right, reminding himself that he was perfect son-in-law material and needed to act like it.

Wen looked toward the entrance of the hotel.

No sign of his dinner guests. Claude made a point of looking at his expensive watch but said nothing, careful to keep his expression neutral.

When five minutes had gone by, Wen called his daughter and left a message that they were waiting.

A few more drinks and an appetizer later, Wen called her hotel room.

Still no answer. Then he tried Ryder’s room and was told that the cowboy hadn’t checked in.

Claude had pocketed the packet of keys Ryder had left.

“Let’s go ahead and order,” his boss said tightly and picked up his menu. “She knows how I feel about being forced to wait on anyone. She’s probably doing this to get back at me.”

“She should know better, but I’m really surprised her fiancé is late too,” Claude said from behind his menu. “I would think he would go out of his way to make a good impression on you.”

Wen put down his menu with a sigh. “You don’t like Ryder, do you?”

He felt the atmosphere change and warned himself to be careful. “I wouldn’t say that.”

“You think my daughter has made a bad choice.”

Claude couldn’t believe how quickly this had gone wrong. “I... I wouldn’t presume to—”

“Ryder Stafford and his family own one of the largest ranches in eastern Montana. I’ve been trying to buy it for some time now, but he’s refused to even consider selling.” Wen picked up his drink and took a sip. “Earlier he told me that he would start shooting anyone I sent with another offer.”

“I had no idea—”

“Exactly,” his boss said as he motioned the waiter over to take their orders. “You had no idea.” Wen turned to the waiter. “I want the biggest beef steak you have. So rare it still moos. I’m celebrating tonight.”

Claude glanced at his menu, his heart pounding. What was going on? This wasn’t going the way he’d thought it would at all. He started to order a steak, but quickly changed his mind. He knew how his boss felt about anyone who ordered a steak well-done—the only way Claude could eat it.

He hurriedly ordered baked chicken and another drink. “Make it a double. It seems we’re celebrating tonight.” He waited until their drinks came before he had to ask. “I’m trying to understand why you’re happy about this.”

“About my daughter threatening to marry into a family that owns a ranch I want? What’s not to understand?”

Claude frowned. “You really think they’re engaged?”

Wen laughed and shook his head. “I should get so lucky.”

“T ell me about the ranch,” Victoria said after he’d pulled through the first fast-food drive-through he’d spotted on the way out of Billings. Two burgers, two orders of fries, two chocolate milkshakes and two apple pies later, they were headed east to the Stafford Ranch.

“Remember, you were going to call your father,” Ryder reminded her as she finished her meal, stuffing the packaging into the bag the food had come in.

“Daddy will be at dinner. With Claude. That alone would have put him in a bad mood—not to mention you and me not showing up. And I don’t have my phone.” She mugged a sad face.

“You never planned to call him, did you?” he said with a groan.

She smiled and added, “I suppose it wouldn’t hurt to email him. Later. After he’s eaten his dinner and had a few drinks, the pain of spending time with Claude might mean he’ll be numbed some by then.”

Ryder had to laugh. She was enjoying this.

He couldn’t blame her. He was glad he hadn’t had to sit through a dinner with her father and Claude, and maybe a little happy that he’d saved Victoria from the same fate.

Not that she couldn’t have held her own.

But he hated the thought that her father and Claude would have tried to gang up on her.

He couldn’t imagine her marrying Claude under any circumstances, but who knew what her father would do to get what he wanted?

Look how relentless he’d been about purchasing the Stafford Ranch.

Victoria Forester was way too much like her father and far from being Ryder’s type, but he still wouldn’t have wanted to make her spend an insufferable weekend with either her father or Claude, never mind both.

Though, he had to question what the hell he was doing taking her home with him—not to mention what her father might do when he realized where she’d gone.

She was probably expecting this weekend to be like going to a dude ranch, though he doubted she’d ever even been to one.

He hoped to make her time on the ranch as unlike anything she’d ever experienced, he thought, smiling to himself.

He pulled out his phone and handed it to her. “Text your father. I don’t want him thinking I kidnapped you.”

“ Kidnapped . I like the sound of that.” She grinned until she saw his expression. “I’ll tell him I’m having a lovely weekend with my fiancé at his ranch.” She glanced at him, attempting to look innocent. He was way beyond believing that.

She thought for a moment, then said, “How about Talked Ryder into taking me to his ranch for the weekend to avoid Claude. BTW we aren’t engaged. I’d never laid eyes on him before earlier at the airport. Stop trying to set me up. I’m not ready for marriage. Your loving daughter .’’

“Sounds good to me,” he said.

She laughed. “If I sent that, he’d know I’d been kidnapped.” She tapped the keys for moment, then hit Send before handing back his phone. He worried about what she’d sent. Maybe, if she made her father angry enough, he’d send a chopper for her sooner rather than later.