feel it.”
“I do,” she murmured and he felt a flicker of hope rise up inside him.
“Just think about marrying me, Sadie,” he said softly, lifting his head to look down at her.
She swayed a little, opened her eyes, met his and stiffened. “That was so not fair,” she muttered.
“Fair?” he countered. “You’re the one holding all the cards here, Sadie. I’m just playing the hand you dealt me.”
“Oh, stop with the poor-country-boy act,” she told him, pushing out of his embrace to glare at him. “You knew exactly what you were doing. You were trying to seduce me into marriage and it’s not going to work.”
“Why the hell not?”
Sadie smoothed her hair, lifted her chin and said, “Good sex isn’t enough to build a marriage on.”
“It was great sex and it’s a lot better than bad sex.”
“I am not getting married.”
“You surely are.”
“You can’t force me.”
She had him there. He couldn’t force her to marry him. But that wasn’t saying that he wouldn’t do his damnedest to convince her.
Gritting his teeth, Rick took a breath. “You know how you said earlier that Brad was a hardhead? Well, honey, you could give lessons.”
“You’ve been back home one day, Rick. You told me yourself you’re only here for a month.”
True, he did have only thirty days’ leave. But if he decided to get out of the Corps, he could be back in Royal in no time. To stay.
“I’ll retire,” he blurted the words, surprising even himself.
“Rick, you love being a marine. You told me so yourself not two hours ago.” She stared up at him. “What about your duty to country?”
“I have a duty to my kids, too,” he argued.
“God, what am I going to do with you?”
“Easily enough answered,” he told her. “Marry me.”
“Well,” a voice said from the hallway, “it’s about damn time.”
Rick turned to face the man standing in the open doorway of the living room. Brad Price looked grim and his gaze was narrowed and fixed on Rick.
“Brad,” Sadie said with a tired sigh, “what’re you doing here?”
He came into the room, never taking his eyes off of Rick as he spoke to his sister. “I came to talk to you. Felt bad about our argument at the club.”
“Now’s not a good time,” Sadie said quickly.
“Yeah, I can see that.” He walked up to Rick, ignoring Sadie completely. “So you’ve seen the girls?”
“I have,” Rick said, stepping forward and sweeping Sadie to one side of him, keeping his body between her and her brother. This was between him and Sadie and he wasn’t about to let Brad push his way into the mix.
“You know,” the other man said, “I agreed with Sadie when she decided not to tell you about the girls when you were overseas….”
“Big of you to agree with her to keep my kids from me.”
“Brad,” she said.
“She did it for you,” Brad reminded him.
“Everybody’s so thoughtful,” Rick said, features hard and tight. “Doing me favors I never asked for. Hiding my children for my own good.”
Brad took a step forward. “You ungrateful—”
Rick took a step closer. “You expect me to thank you?”
“Stop it,” Sadie warned.
“What she did is between Sadie and me,” Rick told the man staring him down. “Just like this conversation is. You don’t get a vote.”
“I’m her brother.”
“Which is why I’m still being polite.”
Brad’s gaze narrowed, but Rick wasn’t intimidated. He’d been through firefights, walked down dark streets in enemy territory. He’d had friends die in his arms and been convinced that he wouldn’t live to see another sunrise. Nothing Brad Price could show him was going to throw Rick.
“I want to know what you’re going to do about my sister and her daughters.”
“Brad, honest to God, if you don’t get out of here …”
“I’m not going anywhere until he tells me he’s going to marry you.”
“Not that it’s any of your business, but I’ve already asked her. Twice. You walked in on the second time.”
Brad nodded. “Good. When’s the wedding?”
“Ask your sister.”
Brad looked at her. “Well?”
Sadie stood to one side, arms crossed over her chest, the toe of her shoe tapping frantically against the wooden floor. “There’s not going to be a wedding.”
“Are you kidding me?” Brad looked at his sister as if he couldn’t believe what he was hearing, and Rick was glad to see that someone else was as frustrated with her as he was. “He’s finally home and wants to do the right thing by you and his kids and you tell him no? What are you thinking?”
She narrowed her eyes on him. “I’m thinking, Bradford Price, that this is a private argument and none of your business.”
“None of my business?” he shouted. “You’re my sister, how is this not my business?”
“Don’t shout at her,” Rick said, his own voice loud enough to command attention.
“Who the hell do you think you are?” Brad demanded, crowding in on Rick.
“I’m the man who’s going to marry your sister and you’ll watch how you talk to her from here on out.”
“Is that right?”
“Damn straight,” Rick told him, bristling for a fight. He hadn’t come here looking for trouble, but he wouldn’t walk away from it, either.
“I don’t need you to defend me,” Sadie said, turning on Rick with the same vehemence she’d shown to her brother only a moment ago.
“What you need is somebody to talk some sense into you,” Brad snapped.
“Amen to that,” Rick acknowledged, hating to agree with Brad on anything.
Miss prim-and-proper Sadie Price reached up, and tugged at her own hair in sheer frustration. Letting her hands fall to her sides again a moment later, she shot a glare first at her brother then at Rick. “I’ve had enough. I’m done talking. That’s it. Both of you get out.”
Rick dug in his heels. “He can go. I’m not finished.”
“Yes, you are.”
“Why should I go?” Brad demanded. “This is my house, too.”
“Not anymore. Go away,” Sadie repeated. “Both of you.”
“Sadie, you’re not being reasonable,” Rick said stubbornly. “We’re not finished talking.”
“Thank God one of you is making sense,” Brad muttered.
“I’m with Sadie on this one, Price,” Rick said tightly. “Butt out.”
“Both of you butt out,” Sadie snapped.
“I swear the women in this town are ruining