THE RANCH - CHAPTER 2

By the time Luke arrived home, it was late and his friend Keenan was already there helping himself to a sandwich and a beer. Grabbing a beer for himself he sat down across from him. ‘Sorry that I didn’t get back in time to help with the chores but things took longer than I expected.’

‘So how did it go? Did you get the extension?’ Keenan asked, taking a swig of his beer.

Luke started squirming in his seat, not wanting to have this conversation but saw no way out of it. ‘Not exactly.’

‘Well, what then?’

‘I couldn’t get the extension but Mr Martino made me an offer I couldn’t refuse,’ seeing that Keenan was waiting for an explanation he continued on.

‘If I marry his daughter he will void the loan and give me back the title to my property. I’ll be debt free.’

Keenan sat, mouth open and was lost for words.

‘Aren’t you going to say anything?’ Luke asked as he got up and grabbed them both another cold beer from the fridge. He would soon regret that question when Keenan let him have it with both barrels.

‘Have you lost every bit of common sense that you had? Who in their right mind agrees to marry a stranger? Marriage is a lifetime commitment, not one to be taken lightly. You don’t love this woman who you’ve never met and what about Jerry? This is going to break her heart. She expects to come back here and pick up where things left off with you. You both made a promise to each other.’ He was livid, he was friends with both Luke and Jerry, he didn’t want to see her get hurt and what Luke was about to do was wrong in so many different ways.

‘I thought it was insane too at first. But once Mr Martino explained things it all started making sense. I only have to stay married to his daughter for one year and after that, I will divorce her. I really didn’t have much of a choice Keenan. If I didn’t agree with it I would have lost this ranch, the one my folks left to me. There’s no way I could lose the place my father built from scratch. He’s counting on me to make a go of it. I can’t let them down.’

‘You still haven’t said anything about Jerry,’ Keenan snapped.

‘Jerry’s gone for two years and by the time she gets back I’ll be a free man and my so - called wife will be long gone. The marriage will be in name only, we won’t be sharing a bed or any of the other things that married couples share.’

‘Jerry won’t agree with you doing this.’

‘I’m not going to tell her,’ Luke answered.

‘You don’t think she’s going to find out?’ Keenan barked, still fuming.

‘Jerry doesn’t keep in touch with anyone from around here, just you. You have to promise me that you won’t say anything to her.’

Keenan shook his head. ‘I won’t, but I think you should tell her. So tell me, what is this other woman like?’

‘She’s beautiful, dark hair, brown eyes, and a great body. She’s quite glamorous and I’m afraid spoiled as hell. I think she’s more of a city gal, not sure how she will take to living on a ranch. Her name is Dorothy.’

‘I don’t like this Luke, it doesn’t feel right somehow. Why would a father offer his daughter’s hand in marriage in exchange for a business deal? And why would she agree to it?’

‘I don’t know. I asked Mr Martino those two questions but he told me it was none of my business. To be honest I don’t care what their reasons are as long as I get to keep my place. I will tell Jerry when she returns and it has to be done in person, not over the phone.’

‘When are you getting married?’

‘This Friday.’

Keenan had a mouth full of beer and it spewed all over when he spit it out after hearing how soon the wedding was taking place. ‘Shit man, are you serious?’

‘Yes. I have to show up at his place in a suit and it will be a quick ceremony.’

‘What! No Honeymoon?’ Keenan asked sarcastically.

‘Very funny man. We’ll be coming back here right after so I’ll need you to take care of things while I’m gone. I need to get the spare bedroom ready for my guest. You Don’t have to tell anyone about this. No one needs to know we’re married, as far as people are concerned she’s a friend who’s staying with me for a while.’

‘What about your folks Luke?’

‘They live in Mpumalanga and will never know about this.’

‘I can’t help thinking you’ve made a deal with the Devil. I really don’t see this ending well Luke, someone is going to get hurt. I hope you know what you’re doing.’

The next few days flew by quickly, Luke had his suit pressed and after putting it on jumped into his dusty and beat up ISUZU van and headed to the city. Mr Martino was taking care of everything, all he had to do was turn up and say I DO.

He arrived at Martino’s Mansion and was escorted into the main family room where Dorothy and her father were waiting. He wasn’t sure what to expect her to be wearing, he figured it would be a white dress of some sort. Instead, she was wearing a long purple dress with a slit up the side that reached her upper thigh. He had to admit she looked smoking hot. It appeared she and her father were having an argument but they stopped when he approached them.

‘Mr Rogers you’re on time, good,’ Silvio said and turned to look at his daughter. ‘I’ll give you two a couple of minutes alone and then we’ll get this show on the road.’

Dorothy looked him up and down. ‘At least you cleaned up. I expected to see you in dirty ripped clothes, not in a black and white suit.’

God, she was such a snob he thought. ‘And I expected to see you in something more conservative,’ he snapped back.

‘I hope your father told you about our arrangement.’

‘What arrangement?’

‘This fake marriage is in name only, there will be nothing else between us. Is that clear?’

She moved in close, her finger ran down his chest. She looked up at him, a smile curled up on the corner of her mouth. ‘If you say so, cowboy.’ Removing her hand she walked away, swaying her hips provocatively.

He was handed a glass of champagne which he downed in one gulp, making a face. He hated the taste of it and swore he’d never drink another one. He looked around the room, there were only a handful of people here, and most of them were the help. Silvio came back with some papers and handed them to him, along with a pen.

‘Sign these and we’ll start the wedding.’

Luke read them over first, everything seemed to be in order. Glancing over at Dorothy who was flirting with one of the guests as if she didn’t have a care in the world. Maybe Keenan was right, he was making a deal with the Devil, more so two of them. Signing the papers he put his copies in his breast pocket.

They stood before the minister who was given instructions to just skip to the I DO’s. There was no need for vows or all the other words normally spoken. Dorothy looked away when he placed the gold wedding band on her finger, he refused to wear one himself. When they were pronounced man and wife and were told he could kiss the bride he kissed her cheek instead.

Drinks were served and he asked for a beer instead of the champagne. ‘Are you not drinking,’ Luke asked her when she turned it down.

‘I don’t drink,’ she said as she walked away from him when her father waved her over to where he was standing.

‘Are you all packed and ready to leave?’ Her father asked.

‘Yes. Why must I go live with him?’

‘Because you are his wife now, make it work.’

‘That might not be easy since he has told me there will be nothing between us.’

‘Oh my dear, I’m sure you’ll have no trouble getting him into bed. I suggest you do it soon.’

‘What if I don’t want to sleep with him?’

He grabbed her arm and shook her. ‘I don’t give a fuck if you want to or not, just do it or the plan will not work. You need to get him to fuck you right away.’

Tears sprang to her eyes. ‘You’re a cruel and evil man, I hate you. If my mother were alive she would never let you do this to me.’

His anger exploded and he slapped her. ‘Do not mention your mother to me again. For the next few months behave yourself or else.’

‘Or else what?’ she hissed at him as she touched her cheek which was red from the slap.

‘You know,’ he said, letting go of her just as Luke walked over.

Luke looked around for Dorothy, it was time for them to leave. He spotted her standing with her father and again it appeared as though they were fighting. He walked over and saw that her cheek was red, and wondered if someone had hit her. Now he may not care for Dorothy but he didn’t believe in hitting a woman, no matter the reason.

‘We have to head out now, are you ready?’

‘She’s ready.’ Her father answered for her. ‘I’ll have the help take her luggage to your vehicle.’

Dorothy was quiet as they walked out, till they got to his vehicle. To her horror it was a van, she was expecting a car as she was wearing a dress and high heels. ‘You expect me to ride in that?’ she pointed to his van.

‘Wearing this?’ she asked, indicating her outfit.

‘What were you expecting? A limousine. It’s all I own, now get in.’ He opened the door and watched as she struggled to pull her dress up and climbs in.

Starting the engine he pulled out of the driveway. ‘It’s a three - hour drive from here so I think we should try and get to know each other a little.’

‘I have no desire to get to know you,’ she said with bitterness in her voice.

‘Fine,’ he said, giving up on trying to be sociable. ‘I do want to make one thing clear. As far as everyone knows we are just friends and you’re staying with me for a while. No one needs to know that we’re married.’ He glanced over at her ring finger.

‘You can take off the ring.’

Her eyes filled with anger when she looked at him and removing the ring tossed it into her purse.

‘Did your father hit you?’ He wasn’t going to mention it but it was gnawing on his mind. ‘Did he force you into marrying me and why?’

‘What if he did hit me?’

‘Christ Dorothy, a man should never hit a woman, especially his own daughter. Why did he hit you?’

‘Father doesn’t like it when I talk back to him.’

‘Well, it isn’t right for him to do that. So why did he want to marry you off so quickly?’

She rubbed her temple, feeling a headache coming on. ‘He had his reasons and if he didn’t tell you himself I sure as hell am not going to.’ Her eyes narrowed when she looked at him with hatred. ‘Why do you care anyway? You’re getting something out of it. You and my father are alike, both using me to get what you want.’

Luke stared straight ahead and swallowed the lump that slowly crept into his throat after hearing what she had just said. She was right, he agreed to marry her in order to keep his ranch, so yes in a Sense he was using her. It was obvious she wasn’t going to answer any more of his questions so he stopped talking….