by Julie Benson
*
Aubrey heard throaty, feminine laughter as she headed for the wishing well, followed by the low rumble of her brother’s laughter.
Ty laughing? She hadn’t heard that sound in a long time.
She nudged her horse forward into the clearing and almost fell off her horse at the sight greeting her. Ty, her tall, he-man brother, knelt on a worn out blanket, his Stetson pushed back off his forehead, his gaze pleading. “How about we share the last brownie, Ella? Please?”
The child shook her head.
“I’ll give you a quarter to split it with me.”
The petite blonde seated on the opposite side of the blanket giggled. So this was the Cassie that had been driving her brother crazy.
“Your mom would be crushed to hear you think her brownies are only worth a quarter, and Ella’s too smart to agree to that lame offer.”
Aubrey chuckled at the verbal zinger the woman lobbed at Ty. Too many women he’d known didn’t stand up to him. They saw a handsome, successful rancher and were too preoccupied with snaring him to risk scaring him off.
Her brother looked up when she joined them. “How did the interview go?” he asked before she’d even dismounted.
If he wasn’t going to say hello before he interrogated her, then she planned on ignoring him. Instead of answering, she joined Cassie. “Since my brother isn’t going to introduce us before he starts the inquisition, I’ll do the honors. I’m Aubrey.”
Cassie laughed. “Oh, I like you already.”
“Ty tends to get so focused on a task he forgets everything else,” Aubrey said.
“He does tend to skip those conversation pleasantries doesn’t he?”
Aubrey nodded. “That’s one of his bad habits.”
“You know what Ella?” Ty said as he leaned toward Ella. When the child shook her head, he continued. “A lot of people would say talking about someone when he’s right in front of them is just as a bad a habit.”
Cassie chuckled, her eyes bright with mischief. “Touché.”
Aubrey glanced between her brother and Cassie, surprised at the undercurrent of electricity bouncing between them. This was very interesting. Not at all what she’d expected considering the frustration she heard in her brother’s voice when he spoke of Cassie.
“And speaking of tasks,” he said, focusing his businesslike gaze Cassie. “You and I have a lot to talk about. Time we get to it.”
Cassie’s smile evaporated and Aubrey shook her head. Her brother sure knew how to ruin a fun afternoon.
“Before you go, when can I talk to talk to you later about an investment opportunity?” Aubrey asked. “I need to move—”
“Today’s not good,” Ty said, his tight clipped voice cutting her off.
“Come on, Ty,” Aubrey cajoled. “All I need is five minutes.”
If she has enough funds on her own she wouldn’t even mention the opportunity, but with her funds tied up, she needed his help to avoid missing out. Not only was it a once in a lifetime chance to be in on the ground floor of something big, but it could show Ty she was a capable businesswoman.
“Five minutes isn’t much,” Cassie added.
“You, stay out of it.” Ty tossed Cassie a stern look.
“Too bad. I’m on her side, and for the record, that tough guy look doesn’t work on me.”
Aubrey wanted to high five Cassie, but knowing that wouldn’t help her case, she bit her lip until the urge passed. She peered at her brother, and saw a fire in his eyes, reminding her of how their Grandpa Mac looked when Grandma Mabel pushed his buttons. Filing away that tidbit of information, she flashed him her best, meek I-need-your-sage-advice-and-guidance look. “Surely you’ve got five minutes for your favorite baby sister.
Ty rubbed the back of his neck and when his features relaxed, Aubrey knew she’d won. The baby sister card rarely failed.
“Be in my office at four-thirty.”
“You’re the best brother I’ve ever had.”
Ty scoffed. “That’s not much of an honor considering I’m your only brother.”
“Details, details. Now you two go on. Ella and I have some wishes to make.” Aubrey stared at the well. “The last one I made didn’t turn out too well.”
*
As Ty ushered Cassie through the barn to his office, he thought dealing with Cassie Reynolds while managing Ella’s finances would drive him completely crazy. If it didn’t kill him out right.
He couldn’t figure Cassie out—not that a man could figure out any woman—but she was more troublesome than most. Like today. She’d thrown him off stride the moment she arrived with her lesson on greeting people. That had been a hoot. The trouble was, he hadn’t regained his balance since. She never reacted the way he expected. Her skirt was a prime example. Instead of getting upset about missing his message and needing to change, she’d hiked up her skirt, giving him a glimpse of her shapely legs, and fixed the problem.
His body’s unexpected reaction, hot, immediate, and hard, had nearly knocked him on his ass. Sure, it had been a while since he’d had sex, but not long enough for him to get that worked up. What was even worse was while he’d been tied in knots, she’d sashayed off as if nothing happened.
Once he sank into black leather desk chair with the lumbar support behind his grandfather’s oak roll top, the tightness in his chest loosened some. Here in his domain, Cassie wouldn’t throw him off stride.
He glanced at the notes he’d jotted down for the meeting and placed on his blotter earlier as he shifted into business mode. The key to them working together was clear cut responsibilities and an understanding of the chain of command with him at the top. While Cassie was free to give her opinion—as if he could keep her from expressing it—he wanted her to understand he would make the decisions. “The first thing to discuss is your responsibilities.”
“About that. I’ve been thinking about the inn a lot.”
So much for being in charge. Just once, couldn’t the woman let him get a complete thought out before she jumped all over his idea?
“I’m not sure staying in the house is what’s best for Ella.”
“Of course it is. It’s her home.” Dismissing the topic, he said, “Chloe and I had a simple division of labor. She handled everything at the inn—”
“I want to sell the bed and breakfast. I know it’s Ella’s home, but I’m worried living in the house is making it harder for her to move forward. Memories of the life she had with her parents are everywhere and they keep smacking her in the face.”
She couldn’t sell the inn when it was Ella’s last connection to her parents, her link to the past and her heritage. Didn’t Cassie realize how important that was to a child? “Taking her away from everything familiar, getting rid of her last tangle link to her parents isn’t a good idea. It could make things worse.”
He remembered how hard moving had been for him and Aubrey after her father died. They had to leave all their friends and their school. Their routine changed because their mom went back to work. His childhood ended when he became responsible for his sister after school.
“You’re acting like I’m going to move her across the country, for goodness sake. It would be a few miles into town. She’d go to the same school with her friends. Everything else would remain the same.”
Didn’t Cassie understand that she and the house were the only constants in Ella’s life? “Ella needs structure and routine. Hell, all kids need that predictability, but she does more than most. She needs what’s familiar, like waking up in the same room she has every day of her life. She’s young. She needs physical reminders to help her hold onto her memories.”
“What if the constant reminders are too painful for her? You’re not there with Ella. At times, it’s almost as if she’s an empty shell. I know she’s remembering how her life used to be and how it’ll never be that way again.”
“Too painful for her or you?”
Pain flashed in Cassie’s gaze and he regretted his harsh wo
rds. Of course being in her sister’s house hurt like hell, but that didn’t mean she’d move if it wasn’t best for Ella. Cassie loved her niece and though misguided this time, she genuinely wanted the best for Ella. Despite that certainty, his gut insisted there was more playing into her decision than simply Ella’s welfare.
“I admit it’s painful for me, too, but I’m better able to cope. Ella is struggling more, and I don’t know what else to do.”
“You can’t wipe out everything that reminds her that her parents are gone.”
“I know, but shouldn’t I eliminate as many painful memories as I can? Maybe if we lived somewhere else she’d handle the unexpected things that come up better like today when we arrived and didn’t have a treat for Crunchie. If we were in a new house, maybe she could have some fun and forget for a few minutes here and there.”
Suspecting he wouldn’t get anywhere with his current argument, he changed tactics. “Let’s say moving is a good thing for Ella. Since the house is her prime asset unless you’re able to get top dollar for the inn I won’t sign the papers.”
“What do you mean you won’t sign?” Her voice squeaked with irritation. Then she paused and inhaled deeply, held the breath for a second, before exhaling slowly. “If I think it’s best to sell the inn, that’s what needs to be done.”
“As Ella’s trustee, if I say it’s not in her best financial interest then the sale is a no go because I sign the papers at the closing.” Figuring he’d settled the issue, he glanced at the paper on his desk to refresh his memory on his agenda. Time to get the conversation back on track. But with a runaway train like Cassie, what were the odds of that happening? Forty to one against him, at least. “What we need to talk about is—”
“Whoa. Hold on there, cowboy. No way are we done with this issue.” She leaned forward in her chair, her chin tilted up at him with determination, and for a minute he thought she might vault across the desk. “You’ve got to be kidding. You’d really keep me from selling the inn when I think it’s best for Ella?”
Yup, getting the train back on track had gone as well as he predicted.
“I sure as hell would,” he said with equal resolve. “No one’s talking me into doing something against my better judgment.”
“I could hire a lawyer and fight you.”
How had their discussion disintegrated to them talking about battling this out with lawyers?
A dull ache formed behind his eyes, but he resisted the urge to rub his temples. Between Cassie and his sister, by the end of the day he’d need to buy ibuprofen by the truckload. “Go ahead. Hire a lawyer, but you’ll pay him out of your own pocket.”
Her hands clutched the arms of the chair so tight her knuckles whitened. “You are the most stubbornly infuriating person I’ve ever met. I don’t know how Chloe and Jack thought we could ever work together. They were crazy. That’s all there is to it.”
“Ditto.”
He inhaled deeply, counted to ten, realized his temper wasn’t under control and counted to twenty. How did she do this to him? He lost all common sense around this woman. He rubbed the back of his neck to ease the muscle tension there. Next thing he knew he’d look like the Hunchback of Notre Damn. “We have to figure this out for Ella’s sake. Do you really think it’s best for her to move out of the house?”
She shifted in the chair and refused to meet his gaze, and he knew he wasn’t getting the full story. Not that he doubted Ella struggled with the memories the house stirred up, but something else was playing into Cassie’s decision. He knew that as surely as the sun came up in the east every morning. “What else is going on here?”
He waited.
She crossed her legs and fiddled with her right earring. She folded her hands in her lap, but never glanced in his direction. Despite that fact, he could almost see the gears working in her brain as she tried to decide what to tell him. She doesn’t trust me.
The thought left him uneasy. Everyone trusted him. Always had, and why wouldn’t they? He was an all-around good guy, who stepped up and helped anyone who needed a hand. Most times without being asked. He got the job done. So what was the problem with Cassie? He leaned forward in his chair, braced his forearms on his desk and stared her down. As if sensing his attention, she glanced up. Their gazes locked. He didn’t move. Didn’t blink. She leaned back in her chair, twirled her earring and broke contact.
A lot of things made sense now such as her questioning his every decision. Did she think he was unqualified to manage Ella’s finances? The fact that she doubted his ability, his credentials never occurred to him before. Maybe she saw him as nothing more than an east Texas hick rancher, capable of nothing but tossing hay bales to cattle and horses. The thought dinged his pride more than it should. So what if she did? He didn’t need to prove himself to her when Chloe and Jack had trusted him.
“If this has anything to do with Ella and providing for her, I need to know.”
Cassie sighed. “I went over the financial information you gave me again. While I didn’t understand all of it, I couldn’t miss the big red number at the end of the expenses versus income page.”
He nodded, not sure what she expected him to say. The woman sure took the long way around the mountain.
“I don’t know if you realize, but moving has caused problems for my career. People think it shouldn’t be a big deal because an artist can work anywhere, but it’s not that simple. I made a decent living in New York, but I had an established clientele there and people who commissioned work. I had word of mouth working for me to bring in new business and incredible support from a local gallery owner who featured my work.”
Long way around? At this pace they’d never get there. Knowing a man couldn’t rush a woman, especially this one, Ty resisted the urge to tell Cassie to get to the point. From his experience with her so far, she’d get there when she was good and ready.
“Now I have to rebuild my client base. I plan to sell my art online, but that takes time, too. It’s also meant revamping my website. You wouldn’t believe how much people with experience and a decent track record charge for that. From what it cost, I suspect they make a much better living than I do.”
Sounded like standard business issues so what was she all upset about? “You have to make certain investments for the business, but you can deduct them from your taxes.”
“You sound like my friend, Grace. What everyone forgets is while that’s true, the money has to come from somewhere, and if it goes to business expenses, it can’t go to things like the mortgage and electric bill.”
“Are you trying to say you’re having money problems?”
She chewed on her lower lip for a few seconds. “It’s complicated. I’ve got more expenses now, and my career is in transition. I’m not sure how my art will sell online or if it’ll sell here. I have an urban, gritty style. I’m not sure that will appeal to people in east Texas.”
He frowned. “We’re not complete hicks. Dallas and Houston aren’t that far away, but if your art doesn’t sell here create a different line that does. Rework your business plan. That’s simple business 101. Supply and demand.”
Her eyes darkened and she pinched her lips together so hard they became a thin colorless line. What the hell had he done now?
“What makes you think you can lecture me on what I should do with my business when—”
“I’m just a dumb rancher? Let me tell you something. Ranching is a business. Not realizing that’s cost a lot of people their land. For the record, my degree from A&M is in Agricultural Economics. Then I went on to get an MBA.”
Instead of being intimidated and apologetic as he expected, Cassie laughed, and not in a dainty or nervous way. Her laughter rumbled through the room, making him almost wince. What was so funny?
“You could win an Olympic gold medal with that long jump. I was going to say is what gives you the right to lecture me when you don’t know anything about me or my career.”
That stopped him cold and left him fee
ling a little foolish. “So you knew about my qualifications to handle to handle Ella’s finances?”
“Not completely. I knew you’d graduated from A&M, but not that your degree had so much emphasis on business.” She nibbled on her lower lip for a minute. “It’s not that I doubted your ability. I guess it’s all the business speak didn’t fit with my image of a rancher. I mean, I didn’t expect…You’re not like—”
He smiled when her voice trailed off, enjoying seeing her off stride for once. “You want me to take that shovel away from you before that hole you’re digging gets any deeper?”
She chuckled, and the tension in her eased. He wished he got to see this side of her more often. “That’s a good one. I’ll have to remember it.” She folded her hands in her lap. “Basically, what this comes down to is it’ll take time to get my career going again, and I’m not sure how much money I’ll have coming in for a while.”
“Then get a salaried job.”
He didn’t understand the problem. Ranchers were forced to do that when times got hard. When crops failed or beef prices fell too low. He’d done that because he’d promised his grandfather no matter what he had to do he’d hold onto their land. Yup, it was simple. If a person couldn’t pay the bills with what she was doing, then she needed to get a different job or a second one.
When he glanced at Cassie, he realized he’d stepped in another mess. Her ramrod straight back, the color flushing her cheeks and the thin line of her pinched lips were dead giveaways. “You’ve got all the answers don’t you? I guess that’s easier to do when you’re sitting behind your big ass desk as you run the family business.”
Now his hands clutched the chair arms until his knuckles whitened. He stared at her long and hard. Her posture was rigid. Her chin pointed too far in the air. As if she was trying too hard to appear confident and unshakable.
His gut told him something was going on, and the way she kept on the attack had him suspecting it wasn’t so much about him. After all, the best defense was a good offense. The question was what was the burr under her saddle? Until he discovered that he’d keep chasing his tail. “You’re trying to tell me something, but I can’t for the life of me figure out what. How about you tell me all of the truth and we quit dancing around the real problem.”
