Kings of California

“There is…something,” Teresa said with a sniff.

Gina nearly groaned.

“You don’t know Adam well enough to think there’s something wrong with him,” Sal told his wife.

“Ah,” Teresa argued. “But you know him well enough to barter your daughter’s future with him?”

And the argument was off and running. Gina only half listened. In her family, yelling was as much a part of life as the constant hugs and laughter. Italians, her mother liked to say, lived life to the fullest. Of course, Gina’s father liked to say that his wife lived life to the loudest, but basically, it was the same thing.

She and her brothers had grown up with laughter, shouts, hugs, more shouts and the knowledge that they were all loved unconditionally.

Today, though…she could have cheerfully strangled the father she loved so much. Gina’s gaze shifted around the room, picking out the framed family photos sprinkled across every flat surface. There were dozens of her brothers and their families. There were old, sepia prints of grandparents and great-grandparents, too. There were photos of children in Italy, cousins she’d never met. And there were pictures of Gina. With her first horse. As the winning pitcher on her high school softball team. Getting ready for her prom. Her graduation. And in all of the pictures of Gina, she was alone. There was no husband. No kids.

Just good ol’ Aunt Gina.

Old maid.

The Torino clan was big on family. And she was no exception to that rule.

Gina had always wanted a family of her own. Had always expected that she would be a mother, once the time was right. But in the last couple of years, as she’d watched her brothers’ families grow while she remained alone and single, she’d begun to accept that maybe her life wouldn’t turn out the way she’d always hoped.

And on that depressing thought, she stopped walking crazily around the room, closed down her racing brain and focused her gaze on the slant of sunlight beaming in through the wide front windows and the dust motes dancing in the still air. The scent of her mother’s sauce spilled from the kitchen and wrapped itself around Gina like a warm hug.

Sal scowled at his wife, shot his daughter a cautious look and said, “Besides, all of this is wasted effort. You’re angry for nothing, Gina. Adam turned me down.”

“He did?”

“Of course he did,” Teresa said, reaching out to give her husband another smack.

“Hey!” Sal complained.

“Adam King is not a man to be trifled with this way,” Teresa said, lifting one hand to wag a warning finger. “There is a darkness there….”

Sal rolled his eyes and even Gina had to stifle a snort. Any man who didn’t like pasta wasn’t to be trusted in Teresa Torino’s world.

“There’s nothing wrong with Adam,” Sal argued. “He’s a good businessman. He’s steady. He’s wealthy so we don’t need to worry about a man marrying Gina for her money—”

“Oh,” Gina snapped, feeling the insult jab its way home, “thanks very much for that!”

“And,” Sal continued before either his wife or his daughter could interrupt again, “he needs a wife.”

“He had a wife,” Teresa pointed out.

“She’s dead,” Sal argued.

“So you sign me up as a pinch hitter?” Gina demanded.

“It’s not good to be alone,” her father said.

“God.” Gina slumped onto the arm of the closest sofa and stared at her father. “Did you and Mom rehearse that little ditty? Maybe we should put it to music!”

“There’s no reason to be smart,” Teresa said.

“No reason?” Gina slid her gaze to her mother in astonishment. Typical. A minute ago, Teresa had been furious with her husband. But the moment she felt he was the underdog, she jumped onto his side of the debate.

“Mom, I know Papa meant well, but this is…is…” She stopped and shook her head. “I don’t even have a word for what this is. Beyond the usual. You know…humiliating. Embarrassing. Demeaning.”

Teresa blew out a breath. “So dramatic.”

Gina just goggled at her. How did a person argue with parents like this? And why was she still living on this ranch?

Oh, she wanted to scream. How mortifying was this? She was so pitiful, so unwanted that her father had to try to buy her a husband?

Her head was pounding and her chest felt tight. Vaguely she heard her mother’s whispered mutterings as she continued her tirade. But Gina couldn’t even think about her parents at the moment.

What must Adam have thought? Oh, God, she didn’t want to know. Way better to just push that little question right out of her mind. How would she ever face him again? How would she be able to keep that dinner date with him tomorrow night?

And with that thought, everything inside her stopped.

He’d turned her father down.

He wasn’t willing to marry her for the land he wanted so badly. So why, then, had he stepped outside and asked her to dinner? Was this a pity date? Poor little Gina will never get married, why not toss her a bowl of soup and a nice night out?

No.

Adam wasn’t the doing-good-deeds kind of guy. She didn’t agree with her mother about the darkness in him, but he also wasn’t the kind of guy who went out of his way for people.

So what did all of this mean?

Her headache erupted into migraine territory.

“So what?” Sal asked. “How long am I going to be in trouble?”

Gina glared at her father.

“Long time, I guess,” he muttered.

“You want me to call and talk to Adam? Explain?” Teresa asked.

“Good God, no!” Gina hopped up off the arm of the couch. “What am I? In third grade?”

“Only to help,” her mother soothed. “To tell him that your papa is crazy.”

“I’m not crazy,” Sal argued.

“Matter of debate,” Gina said wryly and her father had the grace to flush.

“I meant no harm,” Sal told her.

Gina’s heart melted a little. No matter how furious he made her, she’d loved him too long to stay mad forever. “I know that, Papa. But please stay out of my love life.”

“Yes, yes,” he said.

When her parents started arguing again, Gina left them to it. She was just too tired to hold up her end of the battle. Walking across the ranch yard, she went straight to her own small house and stepped inside. It was quiet. Empty. She didn’t even have a pet. Since she spent so much time with her horses, it seemed silly to have another animal around.

She stopped just inside the living room. Her gaze swept quickly around the familiar space but it was as if she were seeing it with new eyes.

Here, too, just like up at the main house, there were framed photos. Pictures of her nieces and nephews. Laughing kids with gap-toothed smiles. Snapshots of days spent at amusement parks, on the Gypsy horses, eating at her kitchen table. There were drawings taped to the wall, too, each signed by the young artist.

And there were toys. Some scattered across her coffee table, others in a chest she kept under her front window. Baby dolls and fire trucks. GameBoys and coloring books.

In a blink, Gina knew that this was the pattern of her life. As it was. As it would always be. She would forever be the favorite aunt. The children she loved would never be her own. And she would no doubt end up an old woman, alone, with a houseful of cats.

Tears stung the backs of her eyes as she imagined it, the years spilling out in front of her so clearly, it made her head spin. Her house wasn’t a home. It was a place where she slept. It was a place that children visited and never stayed. It was a place that would forever be haunted by the ghosts of the children she might have had.

Unless she did something outrageous.

Something no one would expect.

Least of all Adam King.

Four

A dinner date with Adam King—especially this one—required nothing less than a new dress.

Turning in front of her mirror, Gina took a long, critical look and decided she looked pretty good. The black dress hit just above her knee and the full skirt swirled out when she turned. The bodice dipped low enough to give a peek at what was hidden beneath the silky fabric, and the sleeveless straps over her shoulders were narrow, delicate.

Her hair hung in a cascade of curls down her back and her new high-heeled sandals gave her an extra three inches of height.

“Okay,” she said, smiling at the woman in the glass. “I can do this. Everything’s gonna be great. I am sooooo ready.”

Her reflection was not convinced. Frowning a little, Gina jolted at the knock on her front door. “Oh, yeah. You’re ready.”

Shaking her head, she snapped up her black clutch bag and headed for the front of the little house. When she opened the door, though, she found not Adam, but her brother Tony standing on the porch.

Hands on his hips, he said, “I just talked to Mom and thought I’d better come see you.”

“No time,” she said, looking past him at the driveway to the road.

“Why not?”

“I have a date.” She waved one hand at him in a “shooing” motion. “Me. Going out. Thanks for stopping by. Bye now.”

He paid no attention to that at all, just stalked past her into the house. Gina sighed at the dust his boots left on the floor, then she turned and said, “What’re you doing here?”

“Mom told me what Pop did.”

“Fabulous.” Had her mom called Peter and Nicky, too, to bring them up to speed on the pitiful wasteland that was Gina’s love life? Was she going to take out an ad in the Birkfield paper, too?

“I just want to say, Pop was out of line. You don’t need him to find you a man.”

“Thanks for the vote of confidence,” she said and waved at the still open front door, trying to get her brother out of there before Adam showed up.

“Because, if you want a guy, I can find one for you.”

“No.”

Tony shrugged. “I’m just saying…Mike over at the bank? Great guy. Good job…”

“Did you learn nothing from Papa?”

“Pop’s mistake was going for Adam. Adam’s a bad bet,” Tony said. “He’s a good guy, but he’s shut down emotionally.”

“Huh?” Gina shook her head. “You’ve been reading Vickie’s magazines again, haven’t you?”

He grinned and the Torino golden eyes twinkled at her. “Gotta keep up. Don’t want the wife thinking I’m just a dumb ranch hand.”

“Uh-huh. How about you go home and tell her that?”

“What’s the rush?” Then he seemed to notice her for the first time. He gave a long, slow whistle. “Wow. You look…did you say you have a date?”

Insulted, she demanded, “Why do you sound so surprised?”

“You never go out.”

“Not true.” Okay, semitrue. She wasn’t a shy little wallflower virgin, but she wasn’t exactly party central, either. And why couldn’t she have had sisters instead of three well-meaning, but interfering older brothers?

“Who’s this date with?”

“None of your business. Gee, look at the time.”

“Why don’t you want to tell me who this guy—”

“Hi, Tony.”

They both turned at the sound of the deep voice. Adam stood on her porch, the wash of lamplight spilling out of the house to welcome him. He wore a well-tailored black suit with a dark red tie and he looked as at home in the elegantly cut suit as he did in his jeans and boots. As he looked from her to Tony and back again, his dark eyes shone with interest and what Gina suspected was humor.

So how long had he been standing there?

“Adam,” Tony said with a nod, stepping out in front of his sister to hold out one hand.

Adam shook his hand, then shifted his gaze to Gina. The power of his stare was enough to make her head go light and her heart jitter in her chest.

“You look lovely,” he said.

“Thanks. Um, Tony was just leaving.”

“No, I wasn’t.”

“Well, we are,” Adam countered and held out one hand to Gina.

The look on Tony’s face was priceless. Gina smiled as she slipped past her brother to join Adam on the porch. Then she threw Tony a look over her shoulder. “Lock up when you leave, okay?”

The restaurant was amazing. Sitting atop a cliff overlooking the ocean, one entire wall of Serenity was glass, providing a breathtaking view of moonlight, waves crashing against the rocks below. Overhead lighting in the sprawling building was deliberately faint, as if each wall and ceiling sconce had been chosen to define the darkness rather than defeat it.

The musical clink of crystal and the whisper of muted conversations were flavored with soft jazz piping from the three piece band. Completing the atmosphere, each round table boasted a single votive candle and the effect of dozens of flickering flames was nearly magical.

All in all, it had been a perfect evening. Adam was considerate, charming and never even hinted at the deal her father had broached to him. And while Gina was enjoying herself, she’d been dealing with a twist of nerves in her stomach since the hostess had first seated them. Now that dinner was over and they were sipping a last cup of coffee before leaving, time was up.

She either faced Adam with her own deal—or came to her senses and forgot the whole thing. Gina stared out the glass wall beside their table and watched as waves rolled ceaselessly into shore, slamming into the rocks, sending white spray into the air.

“What’re you thinking?”

“What?” She turned her head to find Adam watching her with a bemused smile on his face. “I’m sorry. Mind wandering.”

“To where, exactly?”

Here it was, she told herself, fingers curling around the fragile handle of her coffee cup. Speak now or forever hold your peace. Funny that was the phrase that sprang to mind.

“Adam,” she said before she could talk herself out of it, “I know what my father said to you.”

His features tightened. “Excuse me?”

Now it was her turn to give him a small smile. Shaking her head, she said, “Forget it. Papa confessed all.”

He shifted on his chair, scowled a little and picked up his coffee cup. “Did he also mention that I turned him down?”

“Yeah, he did.” Gina swiveled in her seat, turning her back on the wide vista of ocean and cliffs to face him. “And by the way, thanks.”

“No problem.” Sitting back in his chair, Adam watched her. Waiting.

“But,” she said, “I had to wonder about you asking me out to dinner. I mean, if you weren’t interested in buying a bride, why the invitation?”

His mouth flattened into a thin line. “One has nothing to do with the other.”

“I don’t know,” Gina said softly, running the tip of her index finger around the outside rim of the cup. “See, I’ve had some time to think about all of this…”

“Gina.”

“I think that when Papa first—” she paused as if looking for the right word before continuing “—proposed, if you’ll pardon the pun, his little deal, your first reaction was no. Of course not.”

“Exactly,” Adam agreed.

“And then…” She smiled when he frowned. “You started thinking. You came outside. You saw Mom and I and you told yourself that maybe it wasn’t such a bad idea after all.”

Adam straightened in his chair, then leaned over the table, peering directly into her eyes with a hard stare. “I did not bring you here so that I could propose to you.”

Gina actually laughed at that. “Oh, you wouldn’t have done that. Not right away, anyway. You brought me here on a date.” She stopped and grinned, looking around the restaurant in approval. “And it’s been lovely, by the way. Anyway, after tonight, there would have been other dates. And after a couple of months, you would have proposed.”

He stared at her for a long, silent minute and Gina knew that she was right. For whatever reason, Adam had reconsidered her father’s offer. Which was good. In a way. Of course, she didn’t like the idea that he’d been seriously willing to marry her for his own gain. Actually it made her heart hurt to think about that too long. After all, she’d been in love with Adam King since she was fourteen years old. But at least it made her own plan seem more reasonable.

“Okay, that’s enough.” He lifted one hand in a silent signal to their server, requesting their check. “I’m sorry you feel this way, but since you do, there’s no point in continuing this. I’ll take you home.”

“Not ready to leave yet,” she said, leaning back into her own chair to watch him. “I know you, Adam. And right now, you’re a little embarrassed and a lot on the defensive.”

“Gina, what I am is sorry that you misunderstood.”

“But I didn’t,” she said. “In fact, I completely understand.”

“Understand what?” His tone was clipped, impatient.

“Look, I know how much getting the King holdings back together means to you,” Gina said and felt a tug of satisfaction when his eyes flashed at the thought. “I know that you would do just about anything to ensure that happens.”

“Believe what you will,” Adam said, then paused as the waiter delivered their bill in a sleek, black leather folder. Once the waiter was gone, he continued, “But there are limits to what I’m willing to do. Lines I won’t cross.”

“Well, if that’s true, it’s a shame.”

He blinked at her. “I beg your pardon?”

“Adam, I know you want the land. I know you don’t want to be married. And I know you don’t like being manipulated any more than I do.”

He nodded. “Go on.”

“See, I’ve had a little time to think about this and I’m pretty sure I’ve come up with a solution that’ll work for both of us.”

Still scowling, he folded his arms across his chest. “Now, this I’ve got to hear.”

She smiled and realized that the flutter of nerves that had been irritating her all night were suddenly gone. Because she’d finally brought everything into the light? Because she knew that what she was doing was the right thing? Or was it the wine they’d had with dinner?

Didn’t matter now, she thought. She was in way too deep to quit at this point.

“Well,” she said, letting the words tumble from her mouth in a rush, “the thing is, I’m willing to discuss my father’s offer to you.”

Adam was stunned. He couldn’t believe she was saying any of this. First off, that she knew about Sal’s offer was bad enough. The fact that she’d guessed Adam had reconsidered the deal was disquieting. Did she really know him as well as she seemed to? And why in the hell would a woman like Gina be willing to consider such an insulting bargain?

In the candlelight, Gina’s eyes seemed to shine with the deep, rich glow of antique gold. Her skin was soft and smooth and lightly tanned. He’d hardly been able to look away from her all night. His gaze caught in the tumble of thick, dark curls that hung down her back in waves so silky they invited a man’s hands to delve into them. Her black dress hugged every curve—and she had good ones—and her long, tanned legs looked amazing in high-heeled sandals that should have been impossible to walk in.

All night, she’d tormented him, simply by being Gina. How had he not noticed years ago just how beguiling she was? Had he really been blind enough to dismiss his little neighbor because he’d once known her as a pigtailed child? Well, she was all grown-up now and surprisingly enough, was damn calm and accepting about the bargain her father had offered.

And somehow, that worried him more than anything else.

“Why would you want to do that?” he asked and watched as something not quite identifiable flashed in her eyes.

“I have my reasons,” she said, then smiled at him again.

Adam hissed in a breath. She really was beautiful—but it was more than that. It was something indefinable. Something that tugged at him. Prodded him. Why else would he have considered Sal’s proposition for more than an instant?

“What are these reasons?” he asked.

“Mine,” she said and didn’t offer any more.

This wasn’t going at all the way Adam had expected. What was it about the Torinos that could keep him off balance? First her father, now her. He was the one in charge of situations. On top of everything. He knew what the other guy was thinking, what his next move would be and exactly the right countermove to ensure that Adam King got exactly what he set out to get.

Having the tables turned on him wasn’t something he appreciated. And it was damned uncomfortable to have someone know him as well as Gina seemed to. At the moment, she was watching him with patient understanding glimmering in her eyes and it irritated him that she was so damned complacent while he felt off balance.

Clearly then, it was time to take charge again. Time to let her know that he wouldn’t be twisted around and made to feel as if he’d taken a wrong step. Time to let her know that this date was over.

“Gina…” He flipped open the check folder, tucked a credit card into the pocket, then closed the whole thing and set it on the edge of the table. Their waiter rushed by a moment later and took it away. “I don’t know what you’re getting at, but I won’t be maneuvered. By you…or your father.”

She laughed, damn it, and he was both annoyed and charmed. “I don’t see what’s so funny.”

“Of course you don’t,” she said and reached across the table to pat his hand as she would have an excitable kid. “But come on, Adam. We’ve known each other way too long for you to put on the big crabby attitude and expect me to either salute or slink away!”

He ground his back teeth together and hissed in a breath. “Fine. Say what you want to say, then I’ll take you home.”

She shook her head and smiled again. “Charming to the last.” Before he could say anything to that, she spoke up again, quickly. “Okay. To the point. I’ll marry you, Adam, so you can get the land. But I have a condition.”

“I can’t wait to hear it.”

“I want a child.”

Adam felt the slam of those words crush into his chest and he could have sworn he felt his heart actually stop. Her eyes were clear and steady. Her features calm. Her manner at ease. All the while, his insides were churning and it felt as though the air was on fire. Otherwise, why would his lungs be burning with every breath?

“You can’t be serious.”

“Completely,” she assured him and her face softened, her mouth curving gently. “I know what you went through with the loss of your son and—”

While he was reeling, the waiter brought their check back to be signed. Adam took it, glanced at it, added a hefty tip and signed his name. Taking his credit card and the receipt, he tucked them into his wallet and only when he was finished did he look up at Gina again.

“I don’t discuss my son. Ever.” His loss was just that. His loss. He’d survived. Put the past behind him and that was where he intended to keep it. Those memories, that pain had nothing to do with his life or his world today.

“Fine.”

“And I’m not interested in being a father again.”

“I don’t need your help in parenting my child, Adam,” she said and her voice went suddenly as chill as his own. “All I need from you is your sperm.”

“Why are you doing this?”

“Because I want to be a mother.” She leaned back in her chair, fiddled with the handle of her coffee cup and lowered her gaze to the tabletop. “My brothers’ kids are beautiful and I love them with all my heart. But I don’t want to spend the rest of my life being the favorite auntie. I want a child of my own. I don’t want to be married any more than you do—don’t worry about that. But I do want a baby. The way I see it—” she lifted her gaze to his “—this bargain satisfies both parties. You get your land. I get the baby I want.”

He was already shaking his head. Instinct, he supposed, when she spoke again.

“Think about this before you turn me down. I’ll marry you. Be your wife in every way. As soon as I’m pregnant, you get the land and we get a divorce. And I’ll sign whatever you want me to sign, exempting you from any responsibility toward me or my child.” Her gaze was steady on his as she added, “It’s a good deal, Adam. For both of us.”

She had him in a corner. He hadn’t expected her to know about her father’s proposition—let alone come up with one of her own. The tantalizing idea that he could, in a few short months, have the King family ranch whole and secure again was a tempting one.