Page 29 of Chasing Bandit

He chugged his beer, his thick Adam's apple bobbing up and down as he swallowed. I hated how my eyes were immediately drawn to it, unable to look away. Even his lips, almost too thick, reminded me of how good he was with them between my legs. When he lowered the bottle, his eyes were still watching me, reading my mind.

“You had a choice, Stevie, and I think that you chose wisely, wouldn’t ya say?” he whispered so that no one else could hear.

“Hey now, play nice,” Jovie teased from the other side of the float she was laying on before she slid off into the water.

“I don’t ever play nice; I play for keeps.” Wylie whispered in my ear again before grabbing the edge of the float and tipping both of us into the water.

Chapter 22 – Stevie

Golden Farm, a charming hobby farm, was located only a few miles from Ashwood ranch on the road to San Angelo, Texas.

Initially, it hadn't caught the attention of Jovie or Nash during their planning for the properties partnering with Nourish even though it neighbored Cameron ranch's property.

The previous owner abandoned the farm a few years ago after passing away unexpectedly and they were unaware that it'd been recently purchased by a new owner who had renamed it to 'Golden Farm.'

I had stumbled upon it by chance while crafting a marketing plan online. After calling the number listed, I'd reached Dallas Golden, the new owner and operator of Golden Farm. He was thrilled about the possibility of a partnership with the co-op. Dallas explained that, for now, farming was just a hobby while he worked remotely as an engineer for a company in Los Angeles. He had bought the farm on a whim two weeks ago when it went up for sale after transitioning to civilian life. Though his crops were just getting started, he planned to expand and saw this partnership as the push he needed to clean up the farm and dive into the intricacies of crop management.

“Good afternoon, Stevie, it’s nice to meet you,” Dallas greeted me as he stepped out of the front door of the cute, all white clapboard home.

Dallas was an attractive man, ex-marine, with buzzcut styled hair, a tall, strong built speaking to years of training, warm brown eyes, and a wide smile. He shook my hand firmly and then gestured towards the back of the home.

“Let me show you the gardens I've started and my plans for fixing up the property.”

Golden farm certainly needed work, but the earth was fertile and with its proximity so close to Cameron ranch, I knew it'd be successful once he cleared out the brush and tilled up the land. He gestured towards the blueberry bushes he'd revived and strawberry plants that he'd re-planted since moving in.

“Also started some onions and sweet potatoes. Then for crops, I’ll be planting corn this summer in anticipation for the fall as well as rice. I’m not big like the ranches around here, just a smaller operation for fun, but I’d love to donate all the proceeds to your co-op. I don’t have much use for any of the produce.”

"You live alone?" I asked.

He nodded with a smile. "Just me."

“Well, your plans look great and the amount of produce you could supply will be a huge addition to Nourish,” I gushed, “Let’s go finalize the contract.”

Dallas gestured towards an older swing tucked under a tree near the back of the home where I followed him. It was almost June now, and the hot, Texan summer days were in full force but the slightest breeze caressing the back of the home brought some reprieve.

I swiveled my tablet around, taking Dallas through the agreement we'd created for partnerships with Nourish and discussed our plans for the community. Once Dallas was finishing signing the documentation, he brought us two glasses of sweet tea from inside.

“Must be lonely living out here alone? You mentioned you work for a company in Los Angeles?”

He nodded, gazing out over the back of his property. While I couldn't help but admire the strong cut of his jawline and his handsome side profile, a pang of guilt flooded me. It seemed he had just shaved that morning; though I usually preferred men with a bit more scruff, Dallas' clean-shaven, marine vibe was undeniably attractive.

“I prefer this. Did the city thing when I was younger and decided I wanted a change. After three tours overseas with the marines, I needed a change. I still get my city fix when I go back to visit my family, but for the most part, I like sitting back here on my deck, watching the birds fly around and listening to the sounds of nature.”

It certainly was peaceful, and I could understand why he enjoyed it. Though I loved living in the city and for most of my life, felt like my heartbeat was tuned with Houston's bustle, I was starting to find some peace in the silence of Lonestar Junction. I wondered what brought Dallas to the small town if he didn't have any connections here.

“Heard a rumor from the lady at the convenience store up the road. She said something about you getting married recently to one of my neighbors, Wylie Cameron?” he raised a brow as his gaze dropped down to my bare ring finger. I’d since removed the black ring Wylie had clamped onto it the weekend before and it was noticeably empty once again.

“It’s a long story,” I sighed.

He smiled, “I got time if you do.”

“It was a marriage of convenience to meet some arbitrary rule his great-great-great-grandfather put in a deed so that he could inherit the Cameron ranch.”

Dallas raised a brow at my confession. “What’d you get out of that marriage?”

I chuckled, “nothing," though that was technically a lie. “His brother is marrying my little sister so in a weird way, we’ll be family in a few months. It felt like the right thing to do.”

Partially the truth.

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