Chapter Two

~ Mitsuaki ~

I stared out the window of the limousine as it slowed and then turned down a long dirt driveway. I glanced up as they drove under a large iron arch that read "Cross Creek Ranch".

So, this was it then.

This was where my birth father lived, a man I had never met.

I drew in a calming breath and tried to settle my agitated nerves. I had lived at the Kaneko family compound my entire life. I'd never even been out to attend school. My tutors, doctors, and caretakers had all come to me.

Montana had been a surprise. I hadn't known wide open spaces like this actually existed. Of course, everything about this trip had been a surprise. The sudden ride to the airport, the flight across the ocean, the ride from the airport in Helena.

Being made to leave the only place I'd ever lived had not been a surprise. When my beloved grandfather had gotten sick, he had warned me to have a bagged packed and ready to go. He said he'd made arrangements for me to be taken out of the country the moment he died.

I hadn't even been able to say goodbye.

I'd been rushed to a waiting car not even an hour after my grandfather took his last breath and then placed on an airplane. Now, I found myself shuttled half-way around the world to some ranch belonging to a man I had never even met.

Montgomery Cross was my father and yet I knew nothing about him beyond his name, and I only knew that because I carried the same name.

Mitsuaki Montgomery Cross.

My mother had died when I was born and my grandfather refused to discuss who my father was with me. I had always wondered why my name was so unusual, and had only learned the truth once I was already on the plane and my grandfather's lawyer had given me a packet of papers, which included my birth certificate.

When the car came to a stop in front of a large three story ranch house, rancid tasting bile rose up in my throat. I quickly swallowed it down, remembering that I didn't have a choice about being here—I never did—but I did have a choice about how the world perceived me.

I climbed out of the limo behind the lawyer my grandfather had sent with me and the bodyguard, which I wasn't sure was there to keep me safe or there to keep me from running. That was always kind of in question.

I had tried to run before.

The air was strange. Not dry, but not wet either, and there was a definite odor that I couldn't identify. It was relatively quiet outside, which I hadn't expected considering it was supposed to be a working ranch. Where were all the horses and cows? The cowboys? Weren't those things that belonged on ranches?

I kept my head down, but peeked through my eyelashes as I followed my grandfather's lawyer up the wooden steps to a large front porch. The lawyer knocked on the red front door. Considering the rest of the house was white, I thought it odd that the front door was red, but what did I know? Maybe it meant something to ranchers.

According to Feng Shui , many believed that painting their front door red would create a positive energy flow and a welcoming atmosphere.I doubted ranchers cared much about creating harmony in the natural world.

When the door was opened by an older woman with pure white hair swept up in a bun, my curiosity got away from me. I raised my head so I could get a better look. The kindly smile on her face as she met my gaze lowered my anxiety level, but just a little.

"Good day, ma'am," the lawyer started. "I am Harold Sato, lawyer for—"

"Come in, come in," the woman said before glancing over her shoulder. "Monty," she called out loudly, "your son is here."

My eyes rounded at the sheer volume of her shout.

She flashed me another one of those kindly smiles. "Mr. Cross will be right here. In the meantime, is there anything I can get you to drink?"

I didn't know how to reply to that, but I felt like I should. The woman was looking right at me. "I am good," I said softly as I gave a slight bow. " Domo arigatou ."

The woman squinted at me. "Domo what?"

Crap.

"Apologies." I gave another quick bow as I quickly swallowed the bile rising in my throat again. I had forgotten I was only supposed to speak English and feared I would be punished for my mistake. "Thank you very much."

"Oh." Some of the pressure on my chest lifted when she smiled again. "That sounded so pretty in Japanese."

I gave her a small smile instead of replying verbally. I was already in enough trouble. I didn't want to add to it. Punishment was always hard and swift back home. I didn't know how it would be here.

"I'm Mrs. Gibbons. I take care of the big house."

I glanced at my grandfather's lawyer out of the corner of my eye. I wasn't sure what a big house was beyond the fact that we were currently standing in a very big house. It just wasn't as big as my grandfather's family compound.

"Come on in and sit down. Monty will be out in a moment." Mrs. Gibbons led us to the living room, which I found quite airy. I'd expected a lot of wood and rock and antlers, maybe animal heads and rifles hung over the mantle. I hadn't expected hardwood floors, white walls, or a vaulted ceiling.

I had read about ranches in a book my grandfather had given me. I hadn't known at the time the crafty old man had had an agenda with giving me that book.

I hadn't known I'd be here.

I gave Mrs. Gibbons another bow as I searched for the appropriate words. "Your home is very pleasing."

Mrs. Gibbons stared for a moment before her kindly smile broke out into a large grin. "Thank you."

I let out a relieved breath that I'd replied appropriately.

I wouldn't be punished.

"Are you sure I can't get you some coffee or tea?" Mrs. Gibbons asked.

I glanced at the lawyer.

"That would be kind of you," the man replied. "Thank you."

I knew from the man's stiff posture, he was only accepting to be polite. I doubted the lawyer would even drink the coffee of tea when it got here. I wasn't thrilled that work was being created for the woman when there didn't need to be, but it wasn't my place to say anything.

I knew the rules.

I kept my head bent down until I heard footsteps. Nothing in the world could have kept me from looking up and watching an older man with a cane walk toward us from the back of the house. His hair was graying, but still full and lush, cut close to his head. His mustache was still dark brown, without a hint of the gray in his hair. He was tall, much taller than me, even with the slight bend in his wide shoulders.

This was Montgomery Cross?

The older man stopped when he reached the seating area. I could feel his gaze roaming over me without even looking. I swallowed down my fear and raised my eyes to meet my father's.

"Hello, Mitsuaki."

I stood, squaring my shoulders and standing stiff before pressing my hands together and bowing deeply over them. "Good day, sir."

The lawyer stood and held out his hand. "Mr. Cross, I am Harold Sato, Mr. Kaneko's personal attorney. I am here to facilitate the transfer of Mitsuaki—"

"Let me see you, son."

I fisted my hands and then pressed them flat against my thighs. I stood still as my father walked around me. I wasn't exactly sure why the man would want to look at me, but I knew better than to argue.

"Why, you're no bigger than a June bug."

I bowed his head so the man couldn't see the hurt in my eyes. There was nothing I could do about my size. I'd often been told I took after my mother, who had been fine boned and delicate.

I wouldn't know. I'd never even seen a picture of her. After I was born, all references to Akari Kaneko had been removed from my grandfather's house. No one wanted to remember her shame.

"You look just like your mother."

My head snapped up. "You knew my mother?"

Duh. Of course he did. This man was my father. He had to have known my mother at least once.

A low grunt from my bodyguard had me quickly lowering my head. I tried to keep my trembling hidden from everyone's view. I'd spoken out of turn. Even worse, I'd asked about my mother. Both actions were forbidden.

I was sure to be punished now.

"I did," my father replied, "and I was sorry to hear of her passing. She was a wonderful woman. I miss her very much."

I missed her, too, and I never knew her. That hole in my heart was one I doubted would ever be fixed.

"Mr. Cross," the lawyer started again, "as I mentioned on the phone, we are in somewhat of a time constraint. If we could—"

"Yes, of course," my father replied as he turned to look at the lawyer. "We're just waiting for—"

I glanced over when the front door opened and then sucked in a deep, painful breath as the biggest man I'd ever seen walked into the house. He shut the door and then turned.

His gaze roamed over everyone standing there until it landed on me, and then I felt as if all the air had been sucked out of the room. I fought for breath under the intense heat in the cornflower blue eyes that swept over me.

"Here he is now," my father said as he stepped closer to the imposing man. "This is Joseph Nash, my ranch foreman."

"He has agreed to the stipulations in the contract I forwarded to you?"

"I have," the man in question answered in a deep-timbered voice. He never looked away from me. It was more than a bit unnerving.

"If you want to follow us to my office," the older man said as he headed out of the living room, "the judge is waiting."

When everyone started walking toward the back of house, I wasn't sure what I was supposed to do. I stiffened when I felt a hand press against my lower back.

"They're waiting for us, Mitsuaki."

I had to swallow before I could reply. "Thank you, Mr. Nash."

"Jos," the man said. "My name is Jos."

"Thank you, Jos."

The man's smile was tight.

I bowed my head and started walking in the direction everyone else had gone. I was fascinated by the fact that the man walking beside me was the foreman of a ranch. From everything I'd read, that was a very important responsibility.

I was even more fascinated by the man who had that responsibility. Jos was very powerful, his chest broad and muscular under his blue shirt. He had an air of authority about him and the appearance of one who demanded instant obedience.

A hundred different questions flew through my head.

I didn't ask a single one.

When we reached our destination, I found myself standing in a large office. It was the view beyond the windows that drew my attention first. I could see a fenced pasture, full of horses. I ached to go investigate. I'd never been close to a horse before.

I didn't move.

"Mitsuaki," my father started, drawing my attention away from the view out the window. "This is Judge Thomas. Bart, this is my son, Mitsuaki Montgomery Cross."

I gave the judge a respectful bow. "Good day, sir."

Another man in a suit stood beside the judge. He smiled at me when our eyes met. "I'm Walter Evans, your father's attorney."

I repeated my bow to him.

"Monty, I have the papers you asked for right here," the attorney said as he laid them out on the desk. "I just need your signature here." He pointed to a spot on the document. "And Jos's signature here." He pointed again.

Monty leaned over the desk and read over the papers before signing them. Jos did the same. The lawyer flipped through a few pages before having Jos sign again and then held the pen out to me. "I need you to sign, too."

I glanced at my grandfather's lawyer. When the man gave me a slight nod, I signed right where my father's attorney indicated. I didn't bother reading it. What would be the point? It wasn't like I could refuse to sign.

The lawyer looked the papers over after I signed them and then smiled as he handed them to the judge. "I think that's everything you need."

The judge signed the papers as well before smiling at everyone. "Shall we get started then?"

Mr. Sato opened his briefcase and pulled out a stack of papers. He handed them to Mr. Evans. "Here are all of Mitsuaki's papers. If you have any questions, my number is on the cover letter."

Mr. Evans nodded, but absently so. He was already going through whatever papers Mr. Sato had handed him.

"Mitsuaki, can you come stand over here?" Jos asked.

I glanced at Mr. Sato again. When the man gave me a nod, I went to stand next to the big ranch foreman. I tried to not look as if I was confused as hell, but I was as confused as hell.

Americans were weird people.

The judge smiled at both of us. "I'm afraid there are some words I am expected to say even under these circumstances."

Jos nodded. "It's fine."

I glanced between the two men, wondering what was happening. When I looked over to Mr. Sato, the man's lips were pressed tight. I swallowed painfully and bowed my head, not saying a word.

"Jos, do you accept Mitsuaki Montgomery Cross as your—"

"I do."

"Okay." The judge chuckled. "Mitsuaki, do you accept Joseph James Nash Cross as your—"

"He does," Mr. Sato said.

The judge frowned as he shot the lawyer a dark look. "I have to hear it from Mitsuaki."

Mr. Sato's lips thinned even more and anger flashed in his eyes. I felt a ball of nervousness start to knot in my gut. Mr. Sato wasn't a bad man, but he wasn't a very forgiving one either. If he reported to my uncle that I had refused something, there would be hell to pay.

"Mitsuaki, do you—"

" Hai ." No, that wasn't right. "Yes."

"Good, good." The judge smiled at Mitsuaki. "Okay, then, by the power invested in me by the State of Montana, I pronounce you husband and husband."