Page 7 of Mister Cowboy
“I’m sorry. It’s my father.”
With a nod of understanding, he stood, buttoning his jacket. The wad of cash still sitting on the table. “Think about it. Meet me Monday morning at seven if you’re interested. If not, then it was lovely to have met you.”
She nodded slowly, and he turned away. The air moved with him, and a cold breeze ran over her skin. He waved at Michael, who was busy cleaning up the last remnants of last call but paused long enough to wave back. Lifting the phone to her ear, she paused as his eyes met hers once more. A lazy smile lifted at one corner of his mouth and then he was gone.
4
Brecken
“If you don’tlike being woken up so early you could always stay at your own place.” Brecken didn’t even try to hide the annoyance in his voice.
“It’s six AM. Can’t you stay in bed a little longer?” Nadia purred, letting the sheet drop from around her tits. Even they couldn’t convince him to stay this morning.
“Nope, I need to get to the ranch.”
“The ranch?” she asked, the surprise evident in her tone. “You aren’t going into the office?” She frowned.
“I’ll be in this afternoon. Cancel everything before noon today.”
She scrunched her eyebrows together and pursed her lips as she studied him. She knew better than to ask too many questions, but he could almost see them forming in a bubble over her head. Why was he going to the ranch? What was so urgent that he was canceling his morning meetings? Why hadn’t he told her earlier?
“Okay.” Is all she managed before he nodded and headed toward the door.
“I’ll see you in the office this afternoon.”
Taking the elevator down to the parking garage, he twirled the key ring around his finger.
“Good morning, Mr. Blackstone. Taking the Maserati to work today?”
“No, Ben. Taking the truck out today,” he said to the parking valet who eyed his attire and grinned. His suit was probably worth more than the old truck, but there was no way he was taking the car down the old gravel roads that led to the ranch.
“Have a good day, sir.”
The sun was beginning to rise as he drove out of the city. The roads were clear and quiet, the only sound was his constant tapping on the steering wheel. Nerves and a hint of excitement crept through his body as he turned onto the gravel road, which was lined with large trees on either side.
Brecken shifted in his seat, dropping one hand to mindlessly rest on the gearshift. Smiling at the old habit, he shook his head. Maybe some things, like driving a manual, never left you. He could only hope that wasn’t true across the board. He had no desire to go back to ranch life. The truck was a reminder of how far he’d come, nothing more.
The trees began to part, and through the windshield he got his first glimpse of the land and home that had been in his family for over fifty years. With everything that had happened—all the happy childhood memories that had been replaced with lies and deceit—he still loved this land. Its beauty stretched out as far as the eye could see, and it was picture perfect from every angle. Every view except from within.
The large iron gates with fancy, cursive B’s displayed ostentatiously on each side, opened with a press of a button on his key chain. He left it open in case January showed up. It was the start of the rancher’s day, a day that started before and extended well beyond that of most office hours. The best thing that he took away from growing up on a ranch was learning the benefit of working long and hard days. It served him well when his competitors took long lunches to schmooze clients then clocked out at five, while he remained chained to his desk, his head down and focused, determined to be a success in his own right.
He parked, cut the engine, and slid from the truck before inhaling deeply and letting the familiar smells and sounds surround him. His new employee would be arriving in a little under an hour and there was a lot to do—starting with figuring out what there was for her to do.
The truth was he had no idea what state the place was in. The ranch manager had been taking meticulous care of the land and animals, but Brecken himself hadn’t stepped foot inside the house in eighteen years. That was about to change.
Is it the house or the woman that has me on edge?
He was more anxious than he cared to admit that she wouldn’t show at all.
The memory of January made his body stir and his chest tighten. He recalled her face easily. Dark brown eyes set against fair skin, long, brown hair that he’d wanted to run his fingers through, and the most amazing pink lips he’d ever seen. The way she’d run her long fingernails over his name on the business card he’d given her had gone straight to his head. The one that had been south of the table.
Laying a hand on the tailgate of the truck, he forced his thoughts to her job on the ranch instead of the job he’d like her to do on him. He thought he’d worked her out of his system last night. Nadia was a poor replacement, but she was beautiful and uncomplicated and available whenever he called. With her, there were no questions about feelings or where the relationship was going. There was sex, work, and social obligations.
Would January be so flexible? Everything about her screamed complicated. The dust collecting on his expensive shoes and him canceling half a day of important meetings should have been enough to have him hopping back in the truck and high tailing it back to his office, but it wasn’t. Instead, he headed up the wooden steps to the large porch he’d always loved and laid a hand on the heavy oak front door, turned the knob, and pushed it open.
* * *
Brecken watchedTina’s mouth set in a straight line. They’d worked together long enough that he knew when she was holding back.
