coincidence, in those circumstances, that the two of them should have met at all. Even allowing for such a coincidence, it was doubly hard to believe that Max would have made such a beeline for her in the way that he had if it weren’t for the fact that he already knew she was one of the sisters who was proving so intractable to the financial offers he was making on behalf of the Marshall Corporation.
Max’s expression was grim. ‘I can’t help what you believe, I can only repeat that until a short time ago I genuinely had no idea what your surname was, or who you are.’
And she could only repeat—inwardly, at least—that she didn’t believe him!
She gave him another scathing glance. ‘What are you doing here, Mr Golding? I’m sure my sister May has already made it more than plain that we aren’t interested—’
‘Will you stop calling me by my surname in that contemptuous way?’ he protested irritably. ‘It was Max before. And I’m still Max.’
Not in the same way, he wasn’t. He was the enemy now. The known enemy. Untrustworthy. Worse, he was devious.
‘And, yes, your sister May did make it quite clear to me yesterday that you aren’t interested in selling the farm,’ he continued impatiently. ‘Now that I know of the family connection, the likeness between the two of you, apart from the colour of your eyes, is quite remarkable,’ he allowed heavily. ‘I simply wasn’t looking for that likeness when I visited the farm yesterday.’
‘No?’ January derided disbelievingly. ‘Then you’re going to get even more of a shock when—or if!—you meet March; “like three peas in a pod”, our father used to say about us,’ she told him dismissively.
‘I said there was a likeness, January; the way you look, the sound of your voice, is utterly unique,’ he assured her evenly.
Her mouth twisted humourlessly. ‘Of course it is,’ she humoured scathingly. ‘Well, if you wouldn’t mind moving your vehicle out of my way; some of us have work to do.’
Max looked at her closely, a frown between his eyes as his gaze narrowed. ‘Is that bump on your head from the accident earlier?’
Her gloved hand moved up instinctively to cover the discolouration at her temple. She would be lying if she claimed that it didn’t hurt, because it did; she just had no intention of discussing her injury—or her inner pain—with Max Golding!
‘January?’ he prompted sharply.
‘Yes, it is,’ she confirmed dismissively. ‘If you turn your car around in the gateway just behind you—’
‘January, I am not interested in discussing turning the car around,’ he bit out in fiercely measured tones.
Her eyes flashed a warning. ‘Well, I’m not interested in discussing anything else with you—which pretty well leaves us with nothing left to say to each other!’ She turned back to the tractor.
Only to have her arm clasped between steely fingers as Max swung her back round to face him.
‘I have several things I want to say to you,’ he told her forcefully, blue eyes glittering dangerously. ‘Firstly, I repeat my claim that I had no idea of your connection with the Calendar farm—’
‘And I repeat that I don’t believe you!’ she came back harshly.
Max became suddenly still, his eyes so pale a blue now they looked almost grey. ‘I don’t tell lies, January,’ he bit out coldly. ‘Have you seen a doctor about that bump on the head?’ he changed the subject frowningly.
Her mouth twisted contemptuously. ‘Careful, you’re starting to sound like May again!’
His mouth tightened at her deliberate barb. ‘If she’s as concerned about you as I am then I think I like your elder sister.’
January’s cheeks became angrily flushed as she gave a humourless smile. ‘I very much doubt the sentiment is reciprocated!’
Max shook his head. ‘I’m not out to win popularity contests, I’m only interested in making sure you’ve suffered no ill effects from the accident—’
‘The only “ill effects” I have are from having to look at you any longer than I need to!’ January told him insultingly, at last managing to pull her arm out of his grasp as she glared up at him. ‘Now, are you going to move your car, or do I have to go round you by taking the tractor into one of the fields?’ she challenged hardly.
Move, she pleaded inwardly. Just move. If only so that she could get away from his overwhelming presence. Because if he didn’t soon move, she was very much afraid she was going to cry!
At the moment, her only defence against her feelings for this man was her anger. And she wasn’t sure how much longer she would be able to maintain it.
Max stared at her frustratedly. She was, without doubt, the most stubborn, most determined—
More stubborn than he was? More determined than he was? Somehow he didn’t think so.
At the moment, January was furiously angry with him for what she thought of as his deception. He could see only too clearly that nothing he said or did just now—or in the immediate future, for that matter—was going to change her feelings for him. Besides, he was in something of a quandary himself, had always made it a rule to keep his private and business life completely separate. That way there was never any question of a conflict of interest.
January Calendar. Of all the women he could have found himself so attracted to, it had to be one of the Calendar sisters!
What were the chances of that happening? Really? Almost nil, he would have said, with the farm being such a distance away from the hotel. That little mischief called Fate, he felt, was playing some sort of game with him.
But he had challenged Fate before, and won; he could win this time, too. If he still wanted to…
That was the real problem here. He had been stunned to learn that January was one of the three Calendar sisters he had been sent here to persuade into selling their farm. More than stunned. In truth, he simply didn’t know what to do about it. A most unusual occurrence for him.
‘You won’t agree to see a doctor about that bump on the head?’ He tried one last time to make her see sense about that at least.
‘No, I won’t,’ she came back predictably.
His mouth tightened even as he gave an acknowledging nod of his head; stubborn didn’t even begin to describe this particular woman!
‘I take it our date for dinner this evening is also cancelled?’ he prompted dryly.
Her eyes flashed deeply grey. ‘You take it correct!’ she snapped.
‘I thought so,’ he murmured mildly. ‘As I obviously no longer have any other plans for today, and as I’m already halfway there already, I may as well drive up the rest of the way to the farm and have another talk to your sisters.’
January’s eyes widened incredulously at this suggestion. ‘You will be wasting your time!’
He shrugged. ‘It’s
