by T. J. Kline
Ali felt his eyes perusing her leisurely, as if they were hanging out at the swimming hole and not in the middle of a conference room buying a million dollar ranch. She shifted in her chair, nervous under his scrutiny.
“Not yet, but I trust Ali. She’s knows me well enough to know exactly what I need.”
She nearly choked on his innuendo, a furious blush turning her cheeks bright red. Tim jumped from behind his desk to offer her a paper cup of water from the nearby cooler and Chris patted her back, laughing quietly.
“Are you okay?”
“Knock it off,” she muttered under her breath, reaching for the cup Tim held out to her. “Thank you.”
“We could take a ride out to the property if you like. If you’re going to plunk this kind of money down, you should probably see what you’re getting.”
“I’d love to see it.” Chris rose from the chair.
As she rose to leave the office, Chris reached down and twined his fingers with hers, immediately breaking her no-touching policy, and led her toward his truck as Tim locked up.
“Want to ride me?”
“Excuse me?” Alicia spun at his question, her mouth falling open in shock as she tried to get her brain to function enough to come up with a scathing response.
“Do you want to ride with me?” His brows furrowed and he paused at the front bumper of the truck. “Are you feeling okay?”
“I’m fine,” she answered, too quickly.
“Because you seem a bit,” he searched for the right word, “tightly wound.”
“I’m fine,” she assured him again, jerking her hand from his grasp.
“Okay,” he answered sarcastically. “As long as you’re fine.” Chris shut the truck door behind her and slid into the driver’s seat, slipping the key into the ignition. “Because if not, we don’t have to do this.”
She glared at him. “It’s not like I have another option.”
“Wow, you sure know how to make a guy feel special, Ali.” He twisted the key and gave her a sideways glance. “You could always show cutting horses.”
She knew she wasn’t really mad at Chris. She should be grateful for what he was doing for her. Chris was offering her the opportunity to follow her dreams, helping her buy the property she had her heart set on, allowing her to continue to barrel race in an attempt to reach the National Finals while still getting her parents out from under their commitment to Bradley Langdon. Yet, she was snapping at him like he’d been the one to force her into this situation. She should want to shower him with gratitude but her problem was that her mind, and body, couldn’t get past the thought of showering with him. How in the world was she ever going to do this for a year? She heaved a dramatic sigh.
“I’m sorry, I’m just a little . . .”
“Tightly wound,” he supplied, grinning as he pulled behind Tim’s car.
This was the Chris she knew, the teasing smart aleck who didn’t take anything seriously. Unfortunately, this was also the same man who sent her pulse racing and heat coursing through her entire being. She watched him concentrate on the road, fighting the urge to press a kiss to the light stubble on his unshaved jaw.
Get it together, girl. If you don’t, this year is going to destroy you.
She’d managed to be friends with him for years while hiding her feelings. She could manage for one year. At least, she hoped she could.
“HOW FAR AWAY is this place?”
“Just outside of town, off the highway. That was one of the things I liked about it. It’s easy to find.”
They’d barely started out and he was having a difficult time keeping his eyes on the road. Ali’s eyes swept over him slowly, like a caress, and he could see the smoldering desire. The slightest tinder would cause it to rage but he found himself holding back, worried about stoking the fire too much too soon. He knew from experience that wildfires raged hot but they burned out nearly as quickly as they started. This was one fire he wanted to burn for a long time.
He marveled at the change in himself. A few weeks ago, he’d been a self-professed bachelor, doubtful he’d ever consider having a serious relationship. Now, when he finally found a woman who held his attention, one he wanted to spend every waking moment with, she rejected the notion. Not with everyone, just with him, and he knew it was his own fault. He was going to need to work hard to make her see he’d changed, that she’d made him want to change.
He followed Tim as they turned off the highway and recognition hit him. Warning bells started sounding in his mind. David’s father lived out this way. He’d been out to the Greenly spread only a few times, since his dad had with a better set up than Colt did. Chris tried to remember what the house looked like. Large, sprawling ranch style with small guest quarters. Two barns, several fenced corrals. He felt the knot in his stomach tightening as his memories ticked off each description of the property Tim mentioned.
As they turned down the driveway and pulled up to the gate, Chris saw the familiar emblem on the wrought iron. He’d seen it for years on the buckle David’s father had custom-made for each of his boys. His gut twisted and he shook his head as Tim opened the gate for them.
“What’s wrong?” Ali didn’t miss the tension bunching his shoulders.
“Nothing.”
Chris chewed at the inside of his cheek. He couldn’t tell her the truth, that they’d snatched this property out from under David and his father. How was he going to tell David that he was the reason they were being kicked out? Cringing as they pulled up to the house, Chris tried to ignore the worried glances Ali continued to cast his direction. He thanked whatever fates were smiling down on him that neither David nor Colt’s trucks were anywhere in sight.
“It’s pretty nice, huh?” Tim waved his arms out to his sides as they parked the vehicles. “Nothing too fancy but I think it will fit exactly what you both wanted.”
Ali walked around the truck toward him and he could see the excitement in her eyes. Every glance from her was filled with ideas about how best to bring out the property’s untapped potential. Chris looked around and could see where David’s dad had let several repairs slide. They were going to need to put in a lot of work to fix up the place—if David didn’t kill him first.
“What do you think?” Her eyes were alight with enthusiasm, her smile widening. His heart thudded in his chest. He hadn’t seen her look this happy—well, ever.
Chris nodded and looked around, pretending he’d never been here before. “Definitely has potential. It’s going to need a lot of elbow grease to fix it up before we can give lessons.” Her face fell and he hated himself for pissing on her high hopes. Chris made his way over to her and laid his hand at the small of her back and leaned down to whisper in her ear. “It’s perfect, Ali. Almost as perfect as you are.”
The blush that colored her cheeks made up for his previous insensitive comment. She didn’t need to know about the shit-storm on the horizon just yet. Once David found out who was buying his father’s ranch, she’d hear about it.
“The guy who owns the place has already moved out but his son, who lives in the guest house out back, is still living there when he’s home. At least until the sale goes through.”
And he shoots his best friend, Chris mentally supplied.
Chris knew David wasn’t ready to let the ranch go yet and was desperately trying to gather the funds to save it from being sold, or buy it outright himself. How was he ever going to break it to him that he’d just purchased it? And that he’d done it in partnership with the woman who’d just broken his heart?
CHRIS REACHED OVER the center console of his truck and took her hand in his. He was breaking her “no-touching” policy but right now, she needed his strength enough to overlook it. Alicia felt the familiar curl of desire dancing in her belly complete with the butterflies taking flight as she stared at the porch of her home, trying to prepare how she wanted to break the news to her parents.
“Are you ready?”
She rolled her eyes and tur
ned toward him. “Is it that easy to tell I’m not?”
“You look a bit panicked,” he teased. “Relax, Ali. You’re giving your father his dream. How many people can say that?” He squeezed her hand, gently. “Come on, I’ll be right beside you.”
Alicia took a deep breath and opened the door. She wanted to treasure this moment, relishing each and every emotion, even the nervousness. She’d been looking forward to it for so long, waiting for this “someday” to happen, and now that it was here, she was worried. Her mother greeted them at the door, just like she used to when they were young.
“Hola, kids! Come on in.” She shut the door behind them. “I just made cookies. Your favorite, Cristobel.” She handed both of them warm peanut butter cookies as if they were sixteen again. Oh, to feel that carefree, even for a moment.
“Mom, I need to talk with you and Dad.” Alicia heard the tremor in her voice. She needed to calm down.
“He’s in the mare barn right now.” Chris squeezed her hand again, a gesture her mother didn’t miss. “What’s going on, baby?”
Alicia realized her mother thought this was about Chris. “Nothing’s wrong . . .” Her words trailed off. She really wanted to talk to both of her parents together. Chris nudged her arm and pointed at the front window where she could see her father heading down the fence line toward the main house. “Hang on, Mom.”
Alicia hurried to catch her father at the door. “Dad, I need you to come here for a second.”
“Ali’i,” he called, using his pet name for her. “I need to go see Bradley.”
“It’s important, Dad.” She saw the change in his demeanor as he came back to the house. “Let’s go sit in the living room.”
Her parents looked at one another nervously and she caught the shadow of a smile on her mother’s lips as her eyes turned toward Chris. She reached out and pinched his cheek playfully. “Oh, you!”
Poor Chris. He looked confused and Alicia realized both of her parents had the wrong idea. “Mom, this isn’t about Chris. Well, sort of, I guess,” she clarified. “But it’s about all of us.”
She sat on the couch, her parents taking the seat across from her while Chris leaned back against the cushions on her right and circled his arm behind her shoulder.
“We bought a ranch,” she blurted.
Her father’s brow furrowed with anger and his face turned red as he rose, leaning toward them. Alicia was grateful for the table between them. “You’re moving in together? No, I won’t allow it.”
Chris shook his head and glanced at Alicia to clear up her misconstrued comment. “No, sir. Not like that.” He held up his hands in surrender. “Ali and I have become business partners.”
“Temporarily,” she corrected, ignoring Chris’s disapproving frown. “We bought several hundred acres just outside of town and we’re starting a rodeo school. Dad, you can quit the Diamond Bar to start training and showing your own horses.”
Her father looked shocked and dropped back onto the couch. He flexed his hands several times, making Alicia even more confident in her decision.
“But, I don’t want to leave the Diamond Bar.” His voice was so quiet she almost missed what he said.
“You’ve always talked about wanting to raise and train your own horses, your way. Mom wouldn’t have to wait on anyone else. Chris is going to train rope horses and give clinics while I train barrel horses. We’ve been talking about having a few small modular homes put on the property for guests to rent out.” She looked to Chris for back-up. “We’re already planning on setting up some sort of summer camps next year.” She knew she was rambling but they had to see what a great idea this was, how this would get them away from the burden of working for someone else.
“Baby,” her mother began, folding her hands in her lap as if needing time to compose her thoughts. “Your father and I like what we do. I know that we complain sometimes, but who doesn’t?”
“Bradley has been more than generous to us for over twenty-five years. We can’t just up and leave him now.” Her father shook his head and stared down at his work-calloused hands. She could see the rough skin and blisters, the swelling, arthritic knuckles no man his age should endure unless it was for himself. “I thought you just accepted a job with him?”
“This is what you’ve always said you wanted.”
Her mother looked at her sympathetically, and Ali could see her future crashing down around her. “Dreams, baby. They were just talk, wishes, and what-ifs, from two people far too old to start over.”
Alicia felt the tears burning in her eyes. “But it doesn’t have to be a dream. Don’t you see that? This can be a reality, for all of us.”
Her father stood up and pressed a kiss to her cheek. “Ali’i, it is so sweet of you to want to give me my dream, but you need to chase yours.” He stood and nodded at Chris before heading out the front door without another word.
Alicia stared at her mother, dumbfounded. Was he really going to throw this away? He couldn’t. She’d bought this property for her parents, not herself. Everything she’d done, from saving the down payment to chasing the National Finals title was all to give them their dream. This was never supposed to be about her.
“Thank you, baby, for what you were trying to do for us. I understand, I really do.” She rose and squeezed Alicia’s hand as she passed before patting Chris’s cheek gently. “Now, you two use this opportunity to grasp the things you want.” Her mother stared at Chris. “The things that have been out of reach until now.”
She watched her mother leave the room and her heart sank. Bile burned in her throat and she thought she might throw up. How could this have happened? “This was all for nothing?”
“Ali, look at me.”
She turned toward him, expecting an “I told you so.” Instead, she saw empathy and quiet strength. He’d told her repeatedly to talk to her parents, to make sure they wanted this before running ahead, but she hadn’t listened. But even now, he offered her support.
“This isn’t their dream but I know it’s still yours. You want to ride barrels and teach kids to love it as much as you do. Maybe your parents aren’t ready to take this leap of faith right now. That doesn’t mean it isn’t a great idea. This is our future.” He lifted his hand and brushed her cheekbone with his thumb and tingles tripped over her, centering in her lower body. “You said so yourself.”
She covered his hand with hers and, ignoring the desire to press a kiss to his palm, curled her fingers around his and moved it from her cheek, hardening her heart and feeling the aching loss to her core. “This is nothing more than a business partnership, Chris, and only until I can pay you back.” She arched a brow at his cocky grin. “I will pay you back after the NFR.”
His eyes flashed with innuendo and he ignored the stern tone of her voice. “Whatever you need to tell yourself to get to sleep at night, Ali.”
Chapter Seventeen
* * *
“IT LOOKS . . . NICE.” Ali tilted her head to the side and inspected the back of his trailer. “Who did the logo?”
Chris eyed the large, bold scripted letter A with a C hanging from the cross bar with the silhouette of a rearing horse in the background. She didn’t seem thrilled about it. “I did. Why? You don’t like it?”
“I do, actually.” She turned toward him and smiled. “It’s different but classy.”
It was the first time she’d looked happy all week. Most of the time, she was stressed. Between working her geldings and checking her phone for a message from Tim every fifteen minutes, her entire demeanor exuded tension. Chris had already decided to surprise her with the logo before they left this weekend for a rodeo in Reno, if he could convince her to go with him.
So far, she’d been digging in her heels, reminding him daily that this was a business relationship and nothing more. If she mentioned paying him back one more time, he was going to go caveman on her and toss her over his shoulder. He knew she needed time to realize she could trust him, trust what he was telling
her was true, trust his feelings for her, but damn if she wasn’t the most stubborn woman he’d ever known. She’d kept her distance from him all week, avoiding any chance for them to be alone. It was killing him to spend time making business plans with her, watching her work, without touching her. Every time he walked into the barn, he relived their morning in the tack room. Every fiber of his body would come alive, waiting for any chance to repeat the glorious moment. Unfortunately, Ali continued to shut him down at every turn, finding reasons to escape whenever he came around. He was at a loss to remedy the situation and hoped getting her away this weekend would convince her of the absurdity of the notion and put their relationship back on the right track, the track where she was in his arms again.
“I figured we might as well advertise when we head to Reno.”
She tucked her hands into her pockets and sighed. “About that.”
He cocked his head toward her. “Don’t say it, Ali. You can’t skip out. Reno has a big purse.”
“I know it does, but . . .” She tried to interrupt but he wasn’t about to let her get started.
He tucked his index fingers into her belt loops and pulled her toward him. He had to be careful how intimate he was with her these days. Too much and she’d bolt like a scared rabbit. “How are we ever supposed to see if this partnership works if you keep avoiding me?”
She placed her hands against the wall of his chest, refusing to let him pull her any closer. “Maybe if I thought our partnership was the reason you wanted me to go, I would think about it.”
Chris curled his hands around her hips but let her keep her distance. Her hands against his chest sent warmth coursing through every inch of him, desire curling and twisting in him. “I swear.” He held up three fingers. “Scout’s honor.”
She reached up, tucking one finger back into his fist and gave him a disapproving look. “It doesn’t count if you were never a Scout, cowboy. It’s two fingers.”
