Page 41 of Carly's Heart

They nibbled and chatted until the flakey pastries vanished. She couldn’t help but lick the last bit off her fingers. Heat suffused her face when he stared at her lips.

Dinner conversation flowed easily. It had the vibe of old friends connecting after a long period apart. It also felt like two people getting to know each other. Birch was a great conversationalist. He asked interesting questions and paid attention to her answers.

“What made you get into horses? Was it your grandfather?” she asked.

“It was. Grampa had a great sense of humor. I loved being with him and hearing his jokes. I went through a rough patch when I was twelve. Testosterone and tangling with a bully. Helping Grampa on the ranch pulled me through all that. It was back before Dad took over the ranch. He was working in the oil patch, and we still lived in town.”

“I didn’t know you lived in town. I assumed you were born on the ranch, maybe in the barn,” she teased.

“Funny.” His face turned melancholy. “Part of my punishment for the repeated fights was extra chores. Specifically cleaning stalls. Grampa would come out to supervise. We’d end up talking while we worked. As punishments go, it was pretty lenient. One weekend, Grampa dragged me to an auction. He bought two young horses. A stallion and a mare. He said they had ‘potential’. Whatever that meant. Long story short, he bred them. In less than a year, he had a thriving horse business. First for riding, then for racing. Shortly before he passed, he sold all but the top six horses.”

“That’s incredible.”

“I worked alongside him until the day he died.” He blinked several times and scraped his hands through his hair. “He left the main ranch, cattle and equipment to Mom and Dad, to be passed on Sage and Asher. He left a chunk of money for Tanya. It’s in trust until she’s thirty. I got the horses, the second parcel of land we bought together, and the money he made from selling the rest of the herd.”

“What an incredible gift.” She couldn’t imagine the funds involved or the luck to have them drop into your lap. His parents were wealthy already according to Tanya. Something about investing in oil and the stock market. Now Helen did the office work for the ranch and Buck was the rancher. It wasn’t a huge operation, but Carly knew it was very profitable.

“It was a gift. One that I don’t waste. I’ve bred more horses and they’re starting to win important races. We’re not talking the Kentucky derby, but they do generate a good income for me.”

“But you still work with your dad?”

“I do. With the twins still at university, Dad can’t do it alone. Sure, he’s got a couple hands, I do too, but I like pitching in. Their ranch is my history. Mine will be my legacy. For my own children.”

Legacy. What a great thing to be able to leave your kids. At this point, all she had to give Layla was a legacy of love and acceptance. She was proud of how she was raising her child. Showing her love and the value of hard work. “I’d like to see your operation someday,” she said. “Your house is amazing.”

“I’d like that.” He smiled proudly. “There’s a lot to see.” He didn’t sound like he was bragging, more like he was stating a fact.

They talked all through dinner. “If you could go anywhere or do anything, what would it be?”

The abrupt change of topic stumped her for a second. “I guess I’d love to take Layla to the Vancouver Aquarium. She loves fish. Okay, she loves all animals but this week, it’s fish. We’d fly out and stay in a hotel and visit all the sights.” She smiled and then sighed. “But that’s not in the budget.”

“That’s a great idea. But what about you? Travel? Open a shop? Fly to Paris for dinner? Take a train ride through the mountains of Alberta and BC? Take a helicopter tour of the Grand Canyon? Think big. Bucket list items.”

She tried to think on a grand scale, but her needs and desires were small. “I don’t have a bucket list. But I guess any or all of those would be okay. They seem expensive. But really, I just want Layla to have a good life with everything she needs. Nothing excessive but not scrambling to meet her needs either.”

Birch nodded as if he agreed, but he looked puzzled.

She squirmed in her seat, uncomfortable now that he’d reminded her of their disparate incomes. Tanya might be her friend, but Birch was way out of her league. Someone from a modest background like hers would be foolish to pin her hopes on someone as wealthy as Birch.

“I guess I should go,” she said. “It’s late and tomorrow is a workday. Dinner was amazing.”

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