Page 87 of Begin Again
Fitting, I think, and our steps halt in front of the horses.
“Time to get down to business, don’t you think?” Joseph says.
“Actually,” I say, interrupting Ben before he can do what he came here to do. I have so many questions, some about the future of Blackwood Ranch, but most are aboutXavier. For now,I’ll keep those to myself. “Joseph, can I ask you something a little personal?”
“You can ask me anything, darlin’.”
“You love it here. You have so much history here. Your family practically built this place…Why are you selling?”
Joseph’s lips curve into a sad smile beneath his white mustache. “How’d I know you were gonna ask me that?” He chuckles, leaning against the door of an empty stall. “We’ve had a bit of a rough patch the last few years. From bad crops to disease spreading in the cattle…Then that big resort opened a few towns over. It took a good chunk of the B&B customers. Unfortunately, I had to let all my guys go, so it’s just been Charlie and me, now Xavier. Don’t get me wrong, he’s been a big help, but I’m not getting any younger, and I don’t imagine he wants to make less than minimum wage the rest of his life.”
If only Joseph knew who he was talking about. My husband might have grown accustomed to the lifestyle of a Villa, but Nick had continued to be the humble man who grew up in the small town of Bridgeport, South Carolina, working in his family car shop, making just enough to make ends meet.
“With the bank breathing down my neck to pay the loan I borrowed a few years ago, I can’t afford to keep going. I’d rather sell it to someone like Jace, who might keep it somewhat intact instead of someone who wants to build a skyscraper in its place.”
Shadow, the black horse, whinnies, catching my attention, before it nickers at me. When it catches my eye, it moves its head in a combination of up-and-down and side-to-side movements, and I close the gap between us. Reaching my hand out, Shadow nuzzles his muzzle into my palm, nibbling my hand affectionately.
“You shooed us off the first time,” Ben says.
“Damn straight.” Joseph laughs, his gaze falling on me briefly before he turns back to the boys. “You wanted a numberright then and there, but I hadn’t accepted the truth yet. I wasn’t ready to admit defeat.”
“It’s not defeat, Joe,” Jace says.
“This place has been in my family for a long time, boy. I planned on spending the rest of my life here. It’s a little defeating to know I couldn’t keep it goin’ the way my parents hoped, but I think it’s time to let it go.”
I sigh, petting the bridge of Shadow’s nose. “This place is special. I hate to see what these two might do to it.”
“Which is why you’re here, Nin,” Jace says.
I hum in response, smiling at Shadow, who seems content with the affection received before I catch Joseph’s eye.
“Y’know, that horse doesn’t usually let many people near it,” he says with a twinkle in his eye. “The only one he’s taken a liking to besides you is Xavier.”
My heart constricts at his confession, but I try not to react, locking my jaw and returning my gaze to Shadow.
“Speak of the devil.” Joseph’s voice has a new level of excitement when a car door slams outside. “Sounds like they’re back. Come on, I’ll introduce you!”
I hold my gaze on Shadow, my fingers trailing down his nose. I could be mere seconds from seeing my husband, but I can’t make myself move. I’m scared—No, I’m terrified.
What if he doesn’t remember me? What if he never remembers me? Do I say something, or do I walk away? He’s made a life for himself here, but it’s a life that will soon be ripped out from under him. Where will he go when Joseph sells this place? And then there’s Charlie. Joseph said it was complicated. Are they together? Has he moved on without even knowing it?
“You coming?” Jace asks from the door.
Without looking, I ask the question that’s been on my mind since I got out of the car. “Why did you bring me here, Jace?”
“What do you—”
“You never said anything about all ofthison the phone. You only said you found him. You forgot to mention the part about him having amnesia or that he had built a life here.”
“I didn’t know, Nina. When I called you…Joseph hadn’t told us anything until after we spoke. I figured it was better to ease you into it than to let you come in guns blazing. This is still a matter of business for us, Nin.”
“You sure about that?” I ask, looking over my shoulder. The second he asked me to play along, he brought me into this deal, and I’m not sure I want to see what he has in store for Blackwood Ranch. Jace stands there a moment longer before he sighs and leaves the barn.
Then it’s just Shadow and me. The horse offers a small huff in my direction. I rest my forehead against his nose, take a deep breath, and try to swallow back the tears that have started to build in my eyes. When I step back, I whisper, “You know, don’t you?”
Picking up one of the apples nearby, I offer it to him, letting him eat it from the palm of my hand before petting him a final time.
“Now or never, huh?”
