“Whatever gave him the idea we were a match?” Mandy questioned, glaring at Ty with a look that could wither a steel rod. As if it was somehow his fault.
Ty searched his mind to see if he’d ever given the old man any ideas in that direction. He’d asked after Mandy whenever he’d see JM, but that was just being polite, as anyone would have been. He may have commented a time or two about what a pretty granddaughter JM had, again just being nice, making talk. He certainly never admitted he was physically attracted to Mandy. That would have just been awkward. Ty might have added his two cents about her most recent boyfriend, Mitch Lockhart, not being worthy of someone like Mandy, but then he was just agreeing with what JM had already said. As to marriage, he’d always deflected any talk about marrying by saying he’d never find a woman who was beautiful, smart, and as driven as he was, someone who would understand and support his work ethic. Nope, he’d never given JM a hint he was in any way attracted to Mandy Prescott, much less interested in marrying her, because he wasn’t. Not Mandy, not any woman.
“I was wondering the same thing,” he added.
“You know it wasn’t my idea. I don’t even like you.” Mandy swung her attention back to Brian, leaving Ty to absorb that statement. Why did it feel like someone had just dropped an ice cube down his pants?
“This is ludicrous.” Mandy charged ahead. “How could you let him write such a thing—or believe we’d even consider it?”
“As I said, don’t blame the messenger. You have until Tuesday to think about it.”
“You have my answer now. It is no.” With that decision, Mandy rose and slung her large leather satchel over her shoulder. She brushed her hands down her jeans as if she could get rid of the whole discussion. “I’ve got a rodeo to put on this weekend, gentlemen. I’ll be seeing you.”
“Wait,” Ty said, also rising. No way could he let her leave without clarifying things. “Regardless of this provision, I’m heading up the company, at least for the time being. So I think the phrase is we’ve got a rodeo to put on this weekend.”
If he didn’t assert authority immediately with Mandy, he knew it would only get worse between them. “So, when we get back to the office, you will meet with me, you will show me the plans for this weekend’s rodeo, what stock we’re pulling and why, cost estimates, and profit potential. And just so you know, I’ve already had Karen book me a room at Greenville since I will be overseeing the operation, as I will all the rodeos going forward.”
She looked at him as if he’d lost his mind. “Don’t think I’m going to train you.”
“If you want me to release the money for the event, I need to review your plans.” She needed to understand who was boss. He could almost see the wheels turning in her head as she struggled with his edict. She had to know he’d bench her if she balked at his requests. If she was smart, she wouldn’t test him.
“I still need to clarify a few things about the terms of the will,” Brian said. “For one, cohabitation means not only living under one roof, but sleeping in the same room whether on the road or in the ranch house, and you can’t be away from each other for more than twenty-four hours at a time. Essentially, he wants you together during those six months.” Brian looked from Mandy to Ty. “Not that it matters, since you both seem set on not doing this.”
“Does he dictate where we take our meals and how many showers we must take together?” Mandy said in a voice filled with fury, though Ty kind of liked the shower image.
“No,” Brian answered.
“That was a rhetorical question, Brian.” She shook her head, and it seemed as though some of the steam had come out of her as she sighed. “I don’t know what got into JM at the end, but thinking Ty and I are in any way a match is just too ludicrous to contemplate. I don’t have to wait until Tuesday. You have my answer now.”
With her large purse slung over her shoulder, she moved toward the door, ready to escape.
The whole scene would have been pretty entertaining if his bachelor status wasn’t part of the ante. Still, it was kind of ironic that all these years he’d avoided Mandy out of deference to her being JM’s granddaughter, and here JM was giving his blessings for what could be six months of guilt-free sex.
“I can’t accept it until Tuesday. So you both should plan to be back in the office at two o’clock on that day.” Brian nodded. “And I’ll have a judge and the license ready. You both need to take a blood test today, which I’ve arranged at the clinic around the corner.” He looked at his watch. “At three o’clock. Plenty of time to make it.”