by Deb Kastner
He was a little too young to be thinking of retiring. In fact, he was a lot too young. Yet the sheer determination on his face gave Alexis no room for doubt that he meant what he said. If he was looking for peace and quiet, Serendipity was the perfect town for it—but really, what could this city boy possibly know about ranching? He would crash and burn in a week on a working ranch.
Wait. He wanted to buy a ranch?
Her heart sank. Oh, no. What had Vivian done?
“You’re not thinking of buying Redemption Ranch, are you?” Alexis’s voice squeaked out an octave higher than usual. With the financial troubles she’d been facing recently, losing her childhood home was at the forefront of her mind. Unless she could find a new source of capital, there was a very great possibility her worst case scenario was about to become a reality and she wouldn’t be able to afford to keep the place running. But she wasn’t ready to sell yet—or ever, if she could avoid it. Ugly knots formed in her gut. Surely her sister hadn’t suggested that their land might be for sale. Yes, the land belonged to both of them but Alexis was the one who was actually doing something with it. Vivian was self-absorbed, but not so much that she didn’t understand what the ranch meant to Alexis.
No ranch, no ministry.
Alexis had done everything in her power to see that Vivian could follow her dreams. She’d sacrificed everything—possibly even her own hopes and plans. It looked that way right now, in any case.
Griff chuckled and held up a hand, bringing Alexis’s attention back to the present. “As I assured you earlier, I’m not here to swipe anything, and I’m not the least bit interested in your home, stealing or buying. Vivian told me all about the area, and it sounded like the perfect place to settle down. I’m looking for something in or around Serendipity. Vivian kindly offered to allow me to stay at the ranch while I searched for a place of my own.”
“I see,” Alexis murmured, chewing on her bottom lip as her thoughts flew in several directions. While it was typical of her flighty sister to offer help without really thinking through the consequences, it seemed a little extreme for Viv to lead Griff to believe the house was vacant. She knew perfectly well that Alexis lived on the premises—not to mention that the ranch was generally overrun with teenagers. And then there was the odd addition of Vivian referring to her as Alex. That just wasn’t right. She had never called her Alex before in her life.
What possible reason could Vivian have for such a deception? Something wasn’t adding up. Unfortunately, Alexis never had been all that proficient with math, even the emotional kind. She was flummoxed.
What a mess.
The worst of it was the preposterous tug of guilt she was feeling for the way Viv had put the poor man out. Alexis almost felt as if she owed Griff something to make up for her sister’s lack of foresight. It wouldn’t be the first time she’d had to clean up her ditzy twin’s messes.
She glanced at the clock on the stove. She had a phone call to make—from an irate sister to an imprudent one. She wanted answers, and she wanted them now.
But first she had to decide what she was going to do with Griff. He was definitely the most immediate problem. Vivian had given him some impossible promises, and it wasn’t Griff’s fault he’d been duped into believing her when she’d said he could stay at the supposedly vacant ranch house.
Then again, it wasn’t exactly Alexis’s responsibility, either. Why should she suffer for her sister’s lack of common sense and be forced to try to find a place for this city slicker to stay?
And yet here she and Griff were, both in a pickle, and Vivian was, as usual, nowhere in sight.
One thing was certain. Griff couldn’t stay at the Grainger house.
“What’s the frown for?” he asked, intently studying her face.
“Just trying to figure out how to keep everybody happy here.”
He chuckled. “Good luck with that. Talk about a sticky situation.”
“No kidding.” Alexis ran a hand down her face. How was she supposed to tell him he’d come all this way for nothing?
“You’re trying to figure out how to send me packing,” he guessed, though he made the statement with a smile.
She hesitated. “Well—yes. Politely,” she admitted. “I’m sorry, but Vivian’s put me in an impossible situation here. Not to mention what she’s done to you. The way I see it, you have two options—go back to Houston or find somewhere else to stay in the area. And, quite frankly, there aren’t a lot of choices here in Serendipity.”
“Cut to the chase, why don’t you?”
Alexis cringed. “Sorry. I know I’m blunt. I’ve never been the type to beat around the bush when I have something to say.”
“You call it like it is. Nothing wrong with that.”
Unless you’re trashing a man’s plans.
Alexis gulped at her coffee and struggled to regain her equilibrium.
“Hotel?” he suggested, tipping his chair back onto two legs and threading his fingers behind his neck.
“Sorry, no such thing in Serendipity. We don’t have enough visitors in town to warrant such an extravagance. You won’t find one within an hour’s drive. However, the Howells have a nice bed-and-breakfast located across town. It’s still a little early in the day, but I’m guessing they’re up for church by now. Would you like me to give them a call?”
Griff nodded in agreement and rose to refill their coffee mugs while she stepped out of the room to phone the Howells. She was back less than a minute later with bad news.
“Well, we can scratch that idea. The Howells are booked solid for the next month. It’s family reunion season, and if there’s one thing Serendipity folk celebrate, it’s family.”
Griff set her refilled cup in front of her, slid back into his seat and stretched his arm across the back of the chair next to him. “I know this sounds unconventional, but do you have a spare bedroom I could use? I promise I won’t be in the way, and I’ll be out of your hair as soon as I can secure a place of my own. I’ll even cook you breakfast if you’d like.” The confident grin he flashed her exposed even teeth and a dimple on his right cheek. He looked like a man who never heard the word no.
He was in for a disappointment.
“Absolutely out of the question.” She didn’t even need a moment to think about it. The man had no idea what he was asking. Zero. Zip. None.
He raised his eyebrows, a glint in his eyes. She couldn’t decide whether he was shocked by her outburst or was silently urging her to continue. Maybe a little of both.
She pressed her lips together and shifted her gaze over his left shoulder. Out the kitchen window gray doves were clustering near a feeder on her deck. A sign of peace amid a moment of tension. God’s silent reminder. Alexis took a deep breath and prayed for guidance.
There were dozens of reasons why Griff couldn’t stay at the house. She ticked them off in her head.
He wasn’t family, for starters. Serendipity was a painfully small town where the gossip mill was concerned. Alexis didn’t want to risk even the appearance of impropriety. And despite his reassurance that he’d stay out of her way, she knew herself well enough to know she would feel obligated to treat him like a guest. Adding one more mouth to the supper table wouldn’t be much of a hassle, but squiring him around town while he got his bearings and keeping him entertained here at the ranch was another thing entirely. No matter what Griff said to the contrary, he would be a problem for her.
Last—or maybe it should have been listed first—she had another group of teenagers arriving for boot camp on Monday. She ran Redemption Ranch as an alternative to community service for troubled teens facing misdemeanors, a chance to change their lives for the better. Her hands were full. And so was her life.
She felt sorry for the man, but then, it really wasn’t her fault he was in this predicament, nor was it her problem to
fix.
At least in theory.
In practice, she had a man curiously staring at her over the breakfast table, apparently waiting for her to pull a bunny out of a hat…or something. Unfortunately she was fresh out of rabbits. She clasped her cup in both hands and squarely met his gaze.
“I’ve got to be honest with you, Griff. I don’t have any idea what I’m going to do with you.”
* * *
Griff locked gazes with the woman sitting across from him, her hands clenched so tightly around her coffee mug that her fingers were quivering. He was afraid the glass might shatter under the pressure she was exerting on it.
She didn’t know what to do with him? He didn’t know what to do with her. The last thing he’d expected to find when he’d come to Serendipity was a woman living in the “vacant” house he was supposed to be borrowing. He didn’t know who’d been more shocked by their first meeting—Alexis thinking he was an intruder in her home, or him being surprised by a wild woman brandishing a curling iron. His knuckles still smarted from the splattered grease. But once the surprise had faded, disgruntlement had sunk in. The situation was hardly his fault. He’d acted in good faith, believing he had a confirmed place to stay. He couldn’t be blamed for Vivian’s deception. And in spite of it all, he was trying to be reasonable, trying to compromise.
One thing was for certain—Alexis Grainger hadn’t left much bargaining room.
“No room for negotiating?” he suggested mildly. He’d been successful in his career as venture capitalist for a reason. He’d learned to keep his emotions in check, to always be confident and that it never hurt to ask.
“Absolutely none whatsoever.”
Then again, asking for what he wanted could be a pointless gesture.
“Well, I’m not going back to Houston without finding what I came here for.” He wasn’t going back to Houston at all. He set his jaw. She wasn’t the only one who could be stubborn. “It appears to me that your sister pulled a fast one on both of us.”
“Says you.” Alexis sniffed and shrugged offhandedly. “From my perspective, you’re the one who got duped.”
Griff’s dander rose. Duped? Was that how she saw him? As a man easily swayed by a pretty face? Did he have it written on his forehead, or was it just part of a woman’s natural mystique to be able to read a man like an open book?
It wasn’t that long ago that he’d made the mistake of taking the word of a manipulative woman at face value. He’d believed himself to be less trusting now. Wiser. And yet apparently he hadn’t learned his lesson at all. Though he still had no idea what her motive for all of this was, he couldn’t deny that he’d stepped right into Vivian’s scheming trap with eyes wide open. Now her beautiful twin considered him a chump.
If the shoe fit…
He’d already gone down that road and was the not-so-proud owner of the T-shirt. Color him a slow learner.
“No, I don’t think so.” He wasn’t answering her so much as reprimanding himself, and didn’t immediately realize he’d spoken aloud—not until Alexis lifted a high-arching blond brow in response.
“No? What do you mean, no?”
“Look, I don’t mean to be difficult, but I really need to stay in Serendipity, to do this one thing for myself. I can’t even begin to describe how important this is for me.” It wasn’t as if he could head back to Houston with his tail between his legs. He couldn’t, and he wouldn’t. It wasn’t even an option for him. He’d put his apartment on the market and had his things placed in storage until he could move them out to whatever property he purchased. Decisive action had always been his trademark. Once he’d made the decision to leave Houston behind, he’d shut down his life there in record time.
He hadn’t ever wanted to be a part of the wealthy, high-society scene to begin with, and now? Well, never again. His ex-girlfriend Caro had singlehandedly shredded everything he’d worked for his entire life, everything that mattered to him both personally and professionally. And the reactions of those around him had just twisted the knife. The gossip had been painfully humiliating and had just gone to prove to him how little he could count on the people he had thought were his friends. Half the point of moving here was the anonymity the new surroundings afforded.
“All I can say is that, for reasons too complicated to explain, it’s the perfect time for me to start over. Move forward, rather. Horse ranching has been a lifelong dream of mine, and I’m finally in a position where I can pursue it. But I’m floundering, here. I’d really like your help to find a viable solution to my problem.”
If there was no hotel, no availability at the only
B and B and no room for him at Redemption Ranch, then he wasn’t sure what that viable solution might be. The only thing he could think of was to find someone willing to rent him a spare bedroom or garage apartment. He hoped it wouldn’t come to that. He had more than enough money to make it worth someone’s time to rent him the space, but the last thing he wanted to do was to start flinging his money all over town. That was why he’d been so quick to snap up Vivian’s offer to borrow her house. He could lay low at the Grainger’s, not have to bump heads with any more people than strictly necessary. The less folks knew about him, the better.
People changed when they started figuring out his net worth. He’d seen it over and over again—their eyes filled with dollar signs and any hope he had of establishing a real, personal connection went straight by the wayside. Back in Houston, everybody wanted something from him, and all he wanted was for everyone to leave him alone. He could think of nothing better than to hole up on his own little spread of land on the outskirts of Serendipity, where he could fend for himself and not have to deal with cruel and two-faced individuals ever again.
He focused his gaze on her, determination pressing his breath into his throat. “There must be something. Please, Alexis. You’re all I’ve got right now.”
Alexis’s gorgeous electric-blue eyes widened and her full lips dropped into a pretty little frown that made Griff’s gut do a backflip. Alexis was nothing if not gorgeous and he was painfully aware of his own weakness—he was particularly vulnerable to the ladies, beautiful women in particular.
How twisted was that?
In his experience, women were insincere and manipulative. The whole lot of them, bar none. What had he been thinking to have trusted Vivian to be honest with him? He should have known better.
And despite the fact that Alexis had done nothing to make him suspect she might be playing him, he figured it would be smarter to be wary. Better to be safe than to expose a vein. Compassion flooded her gaze and he felt a momentary twinge of guilt that he was pressing her buttons. For a second he was tempted to blurt out the whole sorry truth.
Instead he clenched his jaw until the urge passed. Honesty was overrated. No matter how kind Alexis appeared to be, he knew better than to trust her. Look what had happened when he’d given Vivian a little bit of leeway.
He’d been scammed. Just as with his ex, Caro.
Let Alexis interpret his words any way she wanted. He was here in Serendipity and he wasn’t leaving. He shouldn’t be penalized because of Vivian—and he wasn’t about to let this awkward situation with Alexis force him to tip his hand.
“I understand what you’re going through.” She was softening toward him—her gaze, her posture, her expression. His expectations rose with the smile on her lips. “Sometimes life changes are—” she paused and gave a little sigh “—seriously complicated.”
He wanted to pump his fist in the air. Not that he was necessarily proud of his ability to manipulate people, but he was good at it. And he was winning.
“I’ll tell you what. You can stay here at Redemption Ranch as long as you have the need to do so.”
Score.
“In the wrangler’s bunkhouse, where my ranch hands live.”
Or no
t.
“The wrangler’s bunkhouse?” he repeated lamely. Surely she was joking.
She nodded.
His lip curled. He’d slept in worse than a bunkhouse—much worse. But that was exactly the point. He was above that kind of lifestyle now. He’d paid his dues and had risen to the top of society. Surely she could see he was too refined to share sleeping space with the hired help. Why, the scarf he was wearing cost more than a rancher made in—
Whoa. How stupid could he be?
His designer clothes were a dead giveaway, suggesting he might be more than a burnt-out shell of a man ready to invest his whole life savings on a ranch. Of course, he’d thought he was going to be alone in the house, so he hadn’t given much thought to his choice of attire at the time. But he was thinking about it now—and it mattered, if he was planning to continue in the manner in which he’d originally presented himself: a man of limited means determined to make himself into a rancher. He wondered if she’d noticed his get-up, or even if she’d be able to identify the names that accompanied the fancy apparel.
He scoffed inwardly at his own thoughts. What a snob he’d become. The man he’d never wanted to be. At the first available opportunity, he’d visit the general store in town and pick up some plain Western-style clothing so he wouldn’t stand out among the natives. If he wanted to be a rancher, his attire would be a good place to start. And if it meant that people wouldn’t be able to accurately guess his bank balance from his brand names, then all the better.
Luckily for him, she didn’t appear to have noticed the high-fashion nature of his clothing, since she was at least partially falling for his fish-out-of-water ruse. He sighed in relief.
“Take it or leave it.” She slapped her palms on the table with all the finality of a judge’s gavel. “It’s my best offer. I wish I could do more for you, but I can’t.”
