“Or this late?” Mike asked softly. “Nem caved in awful easy last night. I never thought she’d really stay in bed.”

Ben remembered Emma saying she was going to give Michael a push, if that’s what the boy needed. Was Simms that push? Had she called him as soon as they’d left last night? If that man had spent the night with Emma, there was going to be more than just moose blood on his hands.

“I tried to warn you. You should have sent her those flowers.”

Ben halted the truck beside the black pickup, then grabbed Mike’s arm to stop him from jumping out. Not taking his eyes off the lighted kitchen windows, Ben spoke softly. “Let me handle this, Mike.”

“You won’t do anything … crazy?”

Ben smiled and let go of his arm. “I’m not making any promises.”

“Nem wouldn’t … she didn’t … she doesn’t even like the guy.”

“Then that makes three of us. Don’t worry—Simms wasn’t here all night.”

He hoped. But hell, who knew women? He certainly couldn’t figure this one out. She was supposedly in love with some unknown guy, yet she had exploded in passion yesterday in the woods. She loved Michael like a son, yet she had sent a letter that would ultimately take him away. She just might be crazy enough to think that Galen Simms would be a good way to give Mike the push he needed to leave the nest.

He should have tied her to the bed last night, out of reach of the phone. Hell, he shouldn’t even have brought her back home yesterday morning. He should have kept Emma in the woods for a week, and made love to her until she agreed to marry him.

Whoa! Married?

Where the hell had that come from?

Yeah, Mr. Brain-dead. The woman is in love with another man. You want to live with that the rest of your life?

Damn right he would, if it would gain him his son. He didn’t love Emma Sands, but that shouldn’t be an issue. Love and lust were two different things completely. He could see himself married to Emma without bringing love into the equation. He would simply offer marriage as a solution to their problem.

And she just might accept—for Michael.

“You going in, or are you waiting for the preacher to arrive?”

Ben turned his head and stared at his son in disbelief.

“Simms,” Mike clarified. “You going to kick him out, or throw rice at their wedding?”

Ben sighed in relief. “It would help if you would at least give me a hint. Who’s the guy she’s suppose to be in love with?”

“You haven’t figured it out yet?” Mike narrowed his eyes, making them barely visible inside all the swelling. “Exactly what happened when you found her in the woods?”

“I’ll write you a letter explaining what happened and leave it in my will.”

“You tried to seduce her, didn’t you?”

“Goddammit! Your aunt tried to knock my head off. I couldn’t get close enough to seduce her!”

“Well, Jeez.”

“If you even so much as whisper about this, I’ll be all over you like road dust.”

Michael vigorously nodded, smiling like a well-fed cat. Which immediately made Ben suspicious.

“It’s a ruse, isn’t it? You invented some dream guy, and put the idea in my head that Galen Simms wants to marry Emma. You’re trying to manipulate your aunt and me into getting together so you don’t have to give up either one of us.”

The boy instantly sobered. “Nem’s hope chest isn’t invented. Neither is Simms. And I’m not being selfish. I can still have both of you even if we don’t live together.” Michael sighed and rubbed his eyes again. “I should probably just go to college and not bother living with either one of you.” He looked over at Ben with ancient, tired eyes. “I’ll just act like you’re both my parents, only divorced or something. Millions of kids live out of two households.”

“College is still a long way off. You’re only fifteen.”

“But I get my high school diploma at the end of December. I accelerated my classes. I’ve even taken some college courses already. And I’ve been accepted at MIT with full scholarship as soon as I’m ready.”

Ben fell back against the door of the truck as if he’d taken a blow to the chest. Michael Sands is a genius.

“Mike.”

“It’s okay, Dad. The chances of you coming here after fifteen years and picking up a relationship with me was far-fetched anyway.” He smiled sadly. “And no one knows my aunt better than I do. She can be more stubborn than a mule when something’s important to her.” He rubbed his eyes again. “She sees you as somebody who wants to take her whole life away. Do you blame her for fighting back?”

“No. Put that way, I’d probably fight like hell myself. I’m not going to walk away from you, Mike. And I won’t walk away from your aunt, either. We can work it out.”

“Not if we don’t get Simms out of the house. He really does plan to marry her. And he’s getting desperate.”

Ben whipped his head around and glared at the kitchen window. “Hell. I forgot about him.” He opened his door. “Give me some time. I can get your aunt to come around eventually.”

The boy’s grin was suddenly back. “Then you’re a better man than I’ll ever be. Nem has more defenses than a porcupine.”

Ben stalked up to the house, determined to cause a scene that would become legend in Medicine Gore. If he had to—and he hoped he did—he was going to kick Galen’s ass all the way home.

Assuming he found Simms sitting at the kitchen table. If he was in Emma’s bed, he might drag the bastard across the lake once or twice first. Either way, the man was going to know Emma Sands was no longer available.

When Ben walked in the kitchen door and didn’t find anyone, the blood drained from his face and he felt light-headed as he pictured Emma in bed with another man.

There was a sudden crash from the great room and the unmistakable sound of flesh being struck. Ben heard a pained gasp and another crash. Two strides brought him onto the scene of any woman’s nightmare. Emma was being held down by an angry man while she struggled to protect herself.

Galen Simms’s head snapped around as Ben roared in outrage. He was on the bastard before Simms could scramble to his feet. Ben pulled him up by the back of the neck and drove his knee into Simms’s ribs, sending the man sprawling on his back, away from Emma.

Ben saw her scramble away into the corner as he went after Simms again. The man was trying to stand and Ben caught him in the torso this time, using his boot. Simms rolled with the blow and came up on his hands and knees, then rolled again to avoid Ben’s third attack. He slammed into an end table, breaking it into splinters.

“Goddammit! What in hell are you doing!” the man yelled.

“Protecting what’s mine, you son of a bitch.” Ben caught the retreating bastard by the shoulder and turned him to plant a fist in Simms’s angry face. The man went down again, but quickly scrambled to his feet and ran for the kitchen door. Ben started to chase him, but suddenly caught sight of Emma, and he froze.

She was standing in the corner of the great room, a broken lamp held up like a weapon, her eyes wide with fear. The moment she realized the threat was over, she dropped the lamp and covered her face with her hands.

Ben looked at the open back door and saw Michael standing there.

He looked back at the corner. Emma was now sitting on the floor, tucked up in a ball so tight it was a wonder she could breathe, looking like a frightened child trying to make herself invisible.

Ben hunched down beside her, swearing under his breath when she flinched. Not knowing what to do but unable to just do nothing, he reached out and cupped her face. She tried to scoot away, only to be stopped by the wall.

“Emma. Honey. It’s just me.” He inched closer. “Come on, honey. Let me help you up.”

Hoping like hell he was doing the right thing, he carefully reached an arm under her knees and another around her shoulders, pulled her against his chest, and stood up. She buried her face in his shirt.