by Claire Adams
I almost believed that. Almost.
Chapter 18
Alex
On Saturday, late morning, Carl and I hopped in his truck and drove down the road a bit to check out the land next door.
“I can’t believe no one’s bought this yet, bro,” he said.
“Not a lot of people looking to get into ranching around here who aren’t already, I reckon.” I shrugged.
“They don’t know what they’re missing.” A wide grin appeared on his face.
“Cow and horseshit?”
“Yeah, that too.”
We both snickered.
He drove up the dirt road to the main house.
“Are the McMillians here?” I asked.
I’d never dealt with them that much when working at the ranch over the summers. The few times I had, they’d seemed like a cranky couple, and honestly, I didn’t feel like taking any shit from them when I was in a pretty good mood.
“No,” Carl said. “They actually moved out of town a few years back. To Phoenix, I think. They didn’t decide to sell until six months ago, though. I don’t know why it took them so long. The real estate agent said it was okay for us to look around. I don’t think he thinks he can sell this place.”
He reached into his pocket to pull out the keys they’d loaned him. Small town trust could make things easier at times.
After Carl parked, we made our way to the house. He unlocked the door, and we entered. Dust coated the silent and empty home. Not a huge surprise. Webs ruled the corners of the rooms. No signs of mouse or rat droppings, though.
We slowly looked around, checking out the place, every room, bedrooms, bathroom, kitchen, even the attic. I knelt, checking out the baseboards in each room. I wished we’d brought along a voltage tester, but the lights were working in each room at least, which was a good sign.
The bad signs were that every room in the house needed to be painted, and there were stains all over the floors and walls. No sign of dry rot or water damage, though; no termites, and no cracks in the wall or foundation. I might not have been a contractor, but I’d worked construction for many years, and I could tell when a place was in solid shape. I had to give that to the McMillians. I wasn’t sure if I was going to keep the house, but it was nice to know that it was in good shape if I chose to. It might even work as a nice rental property or something like that.
After 20 minutes of exploring the house, I said, “It’s gonna need to be fixed up, but nothing major that I can see.”
“Yeah. They had an inspection six months ago when they put the land on the market,” Carl said. “That’s what he said too. Good roof and no electrical problems. Mostly cosmetic and minor stuff.”
I nodded. “Let’s go check out the barn.”
We locked up and headed to the barn. The paint was peeling, and there were more than a few cracks in the wood, but it didn’t look like it was going to collapse in the first summer storm. The damage was something we could fix ourselves probably with a few days of work.
Stepping out of the barn, I said, “It’s a good deal between the house, barn, and the land.”
Carl pointed off in the distance. “Remember the creek, bro?”
I grinned. “Yeah. I remember how we used to mess around in it, and sometimes Old Man McMillian would find us and bitch us out.” I raised my arm to mimic him holding his cane. “Get off my property, you punks,” I said using my best old man voice.
Carl laughed. “Well, it runs through the entire back part of his property.” He gestured. “My land ends right before it on my side. So if I bought this land, I’d have another water source for the cows.”
“Nice.”
“Yeah. It’s damn near perfect.”
“I don’t think you’re going to find anything better than this,” I said.
“I agree. But I can’t make it happen without you, bro.” He shrugged.
I rubbed the back of my neck. Everything about the plan seemed good. I trusted Carl, and I didn’t mind ranching life, but still, it’d be a major commitment.
“Let me think about.” I glanced at my watch. “Maybe we can head into town and grab some lunch and go check out my dad’s old house since it’s still pretty early.”
“Sounds like a plan.”
* * *
Lunch was fine. My dad’s house wasn’t. I hadn’t bothered to set up an appointment to see it, so we couldn’t enter, but I didn’t need to bother. Given how crappy the outside was, I could imagine we’d find a rat-infested hellhole on the inside.
Before, I’d just driven by, the same thing for Carl, so we hadn’t seen all the problems. The overgrown lawn didn’t bother me. I could take care of that in one weekend. Everything else I could see made it clear I shouldn’t waste money on the dump.
Just from what I could see, the roof had major issues and would need to be replaced. Probably leaks all over the house, which meant damage to wood and tile.
The foundation was cracked in several places, and huge termite lines ran along all sides. It was like termite Nashville over there.
Now, termite colonies didn’t eat up houses as fast as most people thought, but for all I knew, they’d been there for the last decade, munching away on my childhood home and further weakening the already damaged house.
Jagged cracks ran through one of the back walls, which was obviously load-bearing, and I wasn’t even sure if it was structurally sound anymore. The place probably should have been condemned. It was embarrassing they were even trying to sell the rathole.
By the time I was back in Carl’s struck, I was pretty upset. I’d had a lot of good memories of that place, and it broke my heart to see it gone to shit like that.
“You okay, bro?” Carl said.
I shrugged. “Doesn’t matter.”
“You sure?”
I tapped my head. “They can’t take my memories, and it’s been a long time since I’ve lived there.” I grunted.
Carl slapped me on the back. “Still sorry about it.” He started the truck. “Want to hit anywhere else before we go back to the ranch?”
“Yeah,” I said. “You bought this truck at Eddie’s, right?”
“Yeah, why?” He shot me a glance.
“About time I got my own truck instead of borrowing yours like I’m your teenaged son or something.”
Carl grinned. “You couldn’t handle me as a dad, bro.”
I snorted. “Just drive.”
He started up the car. We’d been driving for a couple of minutes before he spoke again.
“So are you gonna buy the place?”
“My dad’s place?”
“Yeah. I mean it seemed like you weren’t, but maybe you want a project. I don’t know.” He shrugged a single shoulder.
“I don’t know. It’d take a lot of work. If it’s that messed up from the outside, it’s probably a complete wreck on the inside. It’d probably be easier to tear the entire place down now and build a new one.”
Carl sighed. “I know how much you wanted that place. I’m sorry I got your hopes up.”
“It’s not your fault. You weren’t the one not keeping it up.” I shook my head. “I need a place, but my dad is long gone. Maybe this is another chance for me to move forward instead of getting stuck in the past.”
“Whatever you say, bro.” Carl cleared his throat after a moment of silence. “The McMillian’s house wasn’t so bad.”
“No, it wasn’t. Just needs a new coat of paint and some polish mostly. The roof probably has another five good years on it.”
“Plenty big, too. Plenty of room for Kadie. And talk about having room outside to run around.”
I glanced over at him. “What are you saying?”
“Just saying that you could kill two birds with one stone. Not gonna say I don’t get something out of it, but you get a lot out of it too.”
“Partners, huh? Me as a rancher?”
Carl grinned. “Why you saying it like that? Sure, you didn’t grow up on a ranch, but you w
orked it plenty during the summers, and you’ve taken to it now. Nothing like working with animals on your own land. It’s what men have been doing ever since the time of the Bible, bro.” He spared me a glance. “Has it helped?”
“What do you mean?”
“Your nightmares.”
I nodded slowly. “It has, actually. I’ve had a couple, but in Texas, I was having them almost every night.”
“There you go, then. You were meant to be a rancher.”
“Let’s do it.”
“What?” He blinked, apparently surprised by my sudden agreement. “Seriously?”
“Seriously. On Monday, let’s go to the bank and get everything set up. I’m sure the McMillians aren’t gonna turn down a cash-only offer. I can’t think of a better way to use that settlement money.”
Carl was right. I did like working the ranch, and my heart and soul felt at peace. Even if I didn’t have a daughter in town, it’d make sense to stay. It was time to make a choice, so I made it.
“Hot damn, bro. We’re gonna be partners. Yes!”
* * *
A few hours later, I was standing in front of the cabin, taking in my new extended cab Ford F150. There was plenty of room in the back of a cab for a car seat.
Well, it was more used than new. About 50,000 miles on it. I could have afforded a brand new truck, but this one was in good shape, so I decided to save some money, and I got a good deal.
Besides, I was about to blow a lot more on the McMillian property on Monday. I had a lot of savings from both work and the settlement, but that didn’t mean money was no object.
Even though I was confident Carl and I could do a good job at expanding the ranching business, it still was a tough industry, and a tough summer or disease could cut into profits. I wanted to make sure I had some savings for the future.
The setting sun painted the sky as I thought over the events of that Saturday. It’d been a busy day between checking out the properties and getting the car.
I took a few breaths and slowly let them out. The truck I could drive out of town, but once Monday rolled around and I helped buy that property, that would seal it. I’d be back in Livingston permanently.
My stomach rumbled. I reached into my pocket and pulled out my phone. Aspyn had never called or texted me about my idea of going out to dinner, so it was time to head into the cabin and eat alone.
Things were moving along now. I just hoped it was for the best.
Chapter 19
Aspyn
Monday night, I gave Kadie a big kiss as she hugged me.
“You be good for Nana, okay, sweetie?”
She bobbed her head up and down. “I will, Mama.”
“And you play nice with Julie, okay?”
“I will, Mama.”
I gave her one more tight squeeze before standing and waving at my mama. I needed to get out of there, or I’d be hugging my daughter all night.
I turned, and Mama closed the door behind me.
A woman from our church was having surgery. Her husband wanted to stay in the county hospital with her and asked Mama to watch her daughter. She thought it’d be a good idea for the little girl to have someone to play with to keep her mind off the fact her parents were in the hospital.
That left me with an unscheduled open Monday night. That was rare. Like, super rare. So rare that I wasn’t sure what to even do with myself. Every other time I had Kadie stay overnight with my mama, I’d scheduled my plans weeks in advance, and they usually involved a movie or the Wild Mustang.
Once I settled into my car, I pulled out my phone and dialed Perri.
Several rings passed before she answered.
“Hi,” Perri said.
“Hey, Perri. I’m open tonight. What are you doing?”
“Oh, I’m sorry, Aspyn. I’m out with Carl tonight. Well, in with Carl.”
“Huh?”
“I mean, I’m over at his place.” She giggled. “Oh, stop, you!”
“What? Stop what?”
“Sorry, I meant Carl, not you.”
I rolled my eyes. “Okay, you two have fun. The last thing you need is a third wheel.”
They were definitely back on the hot side together.
“Thanks, Aspyn. Sorry again, though.”
“Don’t worry about it.” I hung up.
I knew I couldn’t call Joe. He had a wife and kids. His days of hanging out because a bored friend called him up were long gone.
Looking down at my phone, my gaze rested on Alex’s name. I could call him. He’d asked to go out.
I shook my head. It was a bad idea. Even Alex said he’d wanted to hang out as a family, not go on a date. And I didn’t trust myself around him. Without the anger to push me away from him, I couldn’t help but be pulled toward the blond-haired, gray-eyed man who haunted my dreams at night.
Whether or not I called Alex, that didn’t stop me from being any less hungry. I didn’t feel like cooking. I pulled my keys out of the ignition, deciding I wasn’t going to drive.
It was a nice evening. It was time for a little walk.
* * *
Mama Rossetti’s always had great pizza, so in the end, when I spotted it, I headed toward the door. Or maybe it was that my stomach was now threatening to eat itself. My walking plan hadn’t seemed so smart after 15 minutes.
I opened the door and inhaled deeply. The delicious smells of sausage, herbs, and spices tickled my nose, which only my stomach rumble more. I hurried toward an open table and then stopped dead in my tracks.
“No way,” I whispered.
Alex Kline sat in a corner booth, munching away on some pizza. As if sensing my eyes on him, he looked my way and waved.
I thought about turning around, but it’d be stupid. We weren’t on bad terms anymore, just awkward terms. And I was so hungry at that point, I didn’t dare leave.
I walked over to his booth and smiled at him. “Hey, Alex.”
“Hey, Aspyn.” He leaned and looked past me. “Where’s Kadie?”
“With Mama tonight.”
Alex nodded slowly, his brow furrowed. He gestured across from me. “Join me?”
“Sure, why not?”
I sat down and immediately grabbed a slice of pizza.
He arched a brow.
“I’m so hungry, you wouldn’t believe it.”
Alex grinned and motioned to the pizza. “Help yourself.”
I gobbled down several slices. My cheeks burned once I’d finished. “Sorry.”
“No problem. I wasn’t that hungry anyway. Filled up on beer. Don’t even know why I ordered a whole pizza for myself.”
“What are you doing out? Decided you just wanted some pizza tonight?” I asked, trying to steer the conversation away from my own gluttony.
“Perri’s at Carl’s house.”
“But you aren’t staying in his house, right?”
“No, but you know, it’s still strange being close by.” He grimaced. “Plus, he left a window open, and I kept hearing things.”
I laughed. “Seriously?”
“I wonder if he wanted me to hear.” He shrugged.
We both laughed at that.
His smile and laughter flowed over me like a relaxing wave. The feeling was comfortable and familiar. We’d been like this before in high school, two people completely at ease with one each other. It was almost strange to me how quickly we fell back into it.
“Hey,” Alex said. “If you’re finished, how about we take a walk around?”
“A walk?”
I didn’t mind walking, but I did worry about walking alone with Alex. Then again, if we were walking around town, it shouldn’t be a big deal. Not like we were going to do anything in public.
“Sure,” I said. “Sounds like fun.”
* * *
The great thing about Livingston was that it was small. Sure, a car helped, but you could walk most anywhere in a half hour.
I’d never thought of that as a downside before, even when s
ome people complained about people walking instead of driving leading to things having a slow pace. I’d always thought that a little slower pace of life was good.
Now, 30 minutes later as we stood in front of my house, I wondered for the first time if the ease of walking around my town was a good thing.
I swallowed. I hadn’t even planned on walking Alex there. My feet just moved, and the next thing I knew, we were at my home.
I thought about saying we should continue on, but it’d be too obvious that I didn’t want him in my house. The last thing I wanted to do was make him mad after we’d started getting comfortable with each other again.
Then again, the idea of being alone in an empty house with Alex sent my heart racing.
“Um, thirsty?” I said awkwardly.
Alex shrugged. “A little.”
I nodded toward my house, and we walked to the front. I unlocked the door and motioned him inside.
He took a seat on the couch, and I went into my kitchen to pour him some sweet tea. The last thing either of us needed in that situation was alcohol.
Alex gulped down the tea like a thirsty man crawling through the Sahara Desert. He grinned and set the empty glass on my end table.
I sat down next to him, my breathing shallow. This close to him, the spicy scent of his aftershave washed over me. I’d not smelled it before. I wondered if it was new.
He turned and offered me a smile. “Thanks for the drink.”
“You’re welcome.”
Something in his eyes changed. Happiness changed to open hunger.
My breath caught. That look haunted me in my dreams at night, in my fantasies that I’d tried to bury under anger and disappointment. It was the look of a man who wanted a woman, the look of desire for me.
Oh, I missed it badly.
“This is dangerous, you know,” I whispered.
“What?”
“Us being alone together. Last time it ended up with you kissing me.”
Alex grinned widely. “You didn’t seem to mind at first.”
“No, I ...” I shook my head. “I didn’t, to be honest. It felt—”
“Felt what?”
“Damn good?” I offered.
Alex chuckled quietly. “What are you scared of, Aspyn?”
