Love and Honor: The Coltrane Saga, Book 7 by Patricia Hagan Read Free Book Online Page B

time and insisting we go on without you.”
    Kit sighed, disappointed. “Well, I’d hoped that Mother would be so mad she’d never dare nag at me again.”
    Colt’s expression was sympathetic. “I know. She wants to take you back to New York. Sometimes I agree with her, but I also realize that you’re all grown up, Kit, and you’ve got a mind of your own. I’m caught in the middle, but I want you to know that I’m holding out for your sake. For how long, though, I don’t know. I won’t make any promises.”
    Colt nodded toward several young men standing to one side of the room, their eyes devouring Kit as they waited for their chance to dance with her. “You’ve attracted the attention of every bachelor in Spain. Maybe there’s one out there who’ll make you a good husband, then your mother couldn’t object to leaving you here when we do go home.”
    Kit groaned, making a face. “The last thing I want to do is get married. I just want my own little ranch, my own life, to live as I want to.”
    Colt stared down at her thoughtfully. “You mean that, don’t you, kitten?”
    She nodded solemnly.
    “Well, I can’t agree with that,” he told her sternly.
    Kit did not respond, because she was not about to abandon her dream. She was grateful that just then the dance ended.
    Travis was waiting to take his father’s place. “Thought you were doing something cute, didn’t you?” he teased her as they danced. “Well, you had just the opposite effect on Mother. She’s tickled to death…says she’s never been prouder.”
    Quietly, firmly, Kit told him, “I’m not going to live in New York, Travis. They may make me move there, but sooner or later I’ll find a way to come back here.”
    He sighed. “You are stubborn, little sister, and I think I’d better let you in on a little secret—they know how stubborn you are, so unless you find yourself a wealthy husband, you won’t have the money to stay here…or their blessing,” he added grimly.
    Kit stiffened, momentarily losing the rhythm of the dance. She quickly recovered and demanded, “What’s that supposed to mean? I’ve got my trust fund, the money Grandpa left me, and—”
    “And Dad is the trustee,” Travis informed her. “I heard them talking, and there’s no way you’ll get your hands on that money until he says so. You know he’ll never agree to your using it to stay in Spain. The best thing for you to do is get used to the idea of living in America again.”
    Kit tossed her head haughtily, not about to let Travis upset her. Besides, he wasn’t telling her anything she did not already know. Her eyes found Kitty, beaming happily, as they swirled about the floor. She felt secure in the knowledge that she had options, whether her parents knew it or not, and when the time came, she would be ready.
    “I know what you’re thinking,” Travis interrupted her private thoughts, “and I don’t think it’s fair for you to ask her.”
    Kit looked at him sharply. “Just mind your own business. It’s my life.”
    Travis sighed, grateful that the dance was ending, for a lovely blond in a turquoise gown had caught his eye.
    In the shadows of a leaf palm, a man stood alone watching. He, too, was glad their dance had ended, for he had personally asked the orchestra leader not to play another waltz. He wanted to dance with the girl with the shimmering golden-red hair and unusual lavender eyes that smoldered with mysterious rebellion and sensuality. He had a feeling that she could dance something other than the impotent waltz.
    Travis escorted Kit toward a group of eager young men. The music began slowly, yet the beat of the drums grew steadily faster as the rhythm quickened to a feverish pace.
    People exchanged curious glances. They knew the tango when they heard it, but few could perform the intricate steps.
    The man with the dark, brooding eyes watched as one of the young embassy aides moved forward, unable to wait any longer for a chance to hold