Legend (Legend, Colorado 1)

He didn’t get angry at her reply, but instead gave her a smile that she was sure had melted many hearts. “Everything was done before I met you. But if I’d known what a lovely, kind person you are, then—”

“If you have tracked me since birth, then you must have learned a lot about me, so could you please stop treating me as though I’m stupid? What do you want me to do to help you get your precious money back?”

As he leaned back in his chair, his smile disappeared. “All right, business it is. I haven’t any idea what ol’ Ruth was talking about in her letter, and furthermore, I couldn’t care less. What happened a hundred years ago is of no interest to me.”

“I know. You just want the money.”

At that he raised an eyebrow at her. “Yes, of course, I’ve sold my soul to the devil and care only for money. You, however, are so noble that you can afford to be given millions and give it away. I am curious, though, on one point: What happens to the many thousands of people who are paid by Jordan money if th

ere is no one to run the company for the coming three years? Do the banks suspend the employees’ mortgages? Do their children stop eating for three years? Do—?”

“All right, you’ve made your point. You’re a saint, and you want to do nothing but help other people.”

“It doesn’t matter what my personal interests are, does it? It just seems that the two of us both want the same thing, so I thought perhaps we could work together on this.”

“I don’t need any help,” Kady said, her jaw set. Looking at him now in the moonlight, she thought that the less time she spent with him the better. He wasn’t a sweet man like Cole, or even an ordinary man like Gregory. This man was . . . was different.

He refilled her wineglass. “I do wish you’d stop looking at me like that. Contrary to what you seem to think of me, I am not a monster.”

Kady didn’t pick up the glass. “What do you want of me?”

“You once asked me to help you, and now I’m saying that I’m willing to do so. Why don’t you start by telling me everything that happened between you and my, ah, great-great-great-grandmother?”

Standing, Kady put her hands on the table and leaned toward him. “I’m not going to tell you anything,” she said sweetly, with a little smile. “I don’t like you, and I don’t trust you, and I don’t want to spend another minute in your company.” With that, she started to walk away into the darkness, but she had no idea which was the way back to Denver.

As silent as the wind, he moved to stand in front of her. “Look, Miss Long . . .” His voice softened. “Miss Long, you and I got off on the wrong foot. I apologize, but you must know that since I was a boy your name has been something to be hated.”

Kady gasped at that.

“Many years ago my father told me in private about the will and about you. I grew up hearing about you and . . .” He reached out his hand to her. “Couldn’t we start over? Couldn’t we help each other? You seem to have something you feel you must do in Legend, but you’ll never be allowed into the place without my help. My uncle knows me, and if you go with me, he won’t shoot you.”

Kady knew he was right, and it seemed only fair that a Jordan should help her with the impossible task Ruth had set for her. Cocking her head to one side, she said, “You wouldn’t happen to know where there are some petroglyphs, would you?”

“Out past the cemetery? Not far from the Hanging Tree? Those petroglyphs?”

Kady couldn’t prevent a smile. “Yes. Those petrogylphs.”

When he smiled back at her, Kady felt herself weakening, and she could tell by the way he smiled at her that he knew she was weakening.

“I got into some trouble when I was fifteen, and my father sent me to Uncle Hannibal in an attempt to . . . to jerk a knot into my tail, is, I believe, the way he put it.”

“Did it work?”

“Not in the least,” he said, grinning; then he offered her his arm. “I have some fresh peaches for dessert. Interested?”

“Yes,” she said and allowed him to escort her back to the fire.

But it was an hour later, as she was feeling drowsy and as she watched him stirring the embers of the fire that she vowed that she was not, not, not going to allow herself to get close to him. His every movement was graceful, and she could well believe that he was a master at all forms of martial arts.

“Why did you give the money back?” he asked, taking her out of her own thoughts.

“Why did you bring a lawsuit against me?” she countered.

“It never entered my head that you’d peacefully give the money back,” he said, smiling at her.

Kady didn’t want to think how that smile was making her feel so very warm. Had he brought two sleeping bags or one? “If your Leonie were in my situation, would she have given the money back?” The words came out with more force than she had meant them to.

But he didn’t seem the least perturbed. “Leonie would have spent all of it in four days.”