She looked from me to Wyatt and back to me. “You two have the same goal in mind. Stop Stark. To do that, Wyatt needs to have complete control of the farm, which means he needs a wife. You’ve been talking about moving out of your folks’ home. Plus, you’d be involved first-hand in the fight. Mayor Valentine could hardly reprimand you for taking sides on the issue if it personally involved you and your husband.”
I nearly choked, sneaking a glance at Wyatt. His head whipped around to look at me. I couldn’t tell what he was thinking, except he didn’t appear to be as horrified by the idea as I was.
“Stop joking, Trina. This is serious.” God, if she only knew how serious her suggestion was. Granted, I’d wanted to marry him at one time. I couldn’t deny that even today, I was attracted to him. But I had a secret that I still kept from him. I didn’t feel bad about not telling him before, after all, I couldn’t find him. But now, my conscience told me I had to tell him. At the same time, what if Stark won, and Wyatt tossed in the towel again, leaving Salvation and me behind like he did ten years ago?
She shrugged. “Back when this crazy deed transfer rule was made, I’m sure the Jones marriages were all set up like this. Marriage used to be a business deal, after all.”
“This isn’t 1880 anymore,” I huffed out. “The idea is ridiculous.”
He quirked an eyebrow at me. “Ridiculous?”
Oh God, is he offended? “You know what I mean.”
He shook his head. “No. Enlighten me.”
7
Wyatt
There was a moment when I thought, “Yes, that’s what I want.” I knew it was a wacky idea, but my heart rolled in my chest at the idea of finally having what Sinclair and I had once planned.
She thought the idea was ridiculous. It was, and yet, I couldn’t help but feel slighted by her response. At one time she loved me. She’d planned to be with me. So, what was wrong with me now? Except of course that I’d disappeared for ten years.
She rolled her eyes. “How is a marriage to me going to change anything?”
“Like I said, he needs a wife to secure the property to him. And with you married to him, you’re now tied to the property. You can take a personal, active role. The mayor might fuss, but no one in town would blame you for fighting for your man’s heritage and legacy.”
I bit my lip to keep from laughing at the over-the-top explanation. Then again, I supposed the land was my heritage.
Sinclair stared at the both of us like we’d gone nuts. “What if your father comes back?”
“Once you’re married, you can file to be recognized as the proper owner.” Trina talked like getting married was no big deal. It was a big deal. One that I was willing to make.
“Won’t his father have the ability to appeal?” Sinclair asked.
“Sure, but will he? Everyone knows the farm was starting to fail with all of Frank’s drinking and carousing.” Trina looked up at me. “No offense, Wyatt.”
“No offense taken.”
“Plus, he’d have to come back to town to live on the property and work the land. I heard he went with Cassie to California.”
“Cassie?” I asked.
“Cassie Landry,” Sinclair said. “She worked with Ryder at the Salvation Station.”
I stared at her. “She’s our age. My father ran off with a woman my age?” Jesus, he was a pervert too.
Sinclair gave me a sympathetic smile.
“Cassie has dreams of being a big star. Chances are neither of them want to come back,” Trina said.
“Considering the effort Stark is putting forth to get the property, it makes sense he’d hunt your dad down,” Trina said.
“And my dad is just the type of asshole to sell the property out from under my mother.” Fucker.
“Even so, your claim is weak if it exists at all until you are married,” Trina said.
“It could work,” I said with a glance at Sinclair.