She waved toward the boxes. “I was organizing yesterday to get started.”
Parker lifted up the top paper and stared at it. “This is all you’ve done?” He gave her a disapproving stare. “You’ve been here for two days. Most would have finished and started on their next project by now.”
Christine swallowed. “I know. I’m sorry. I was just. . .”
“You were trying to get to know the people.” He clicked his tongue as he picked up another sheet of paper. “It’s no use. I told you, that is not our job. We are here to gather facts, that is all.”
“But what if there are situations the facts don’t show?” she muttered under her breath. When she glanced back up at Parker, he had a disgruntled look on his face.
“That is all, Miss Jordan.” He repeated as he grabbed the armrest of the desk chair and pulled it over. He settled down on it and pulled out a stack of papers. “My flight isn’t until this evening. Why don’t I lend you my help while I’m here?”
Christine swallowed as she studied the window. For a moment, she allowed herself to wonder where Sean was and what he might think of her boss showing up to check on her. Then she swallowed and forced herself to focus on the mound of papers in front of her. Sean probably didn’t care. He was most likely out in the field doing what he loved.
If anything, he’d be grateful that she wasn’t alone. Parker being here only meant she’d be finished that much sooner. She sighed and pushed away a loose strand of hair. Right now, that seemed like the best answer for everyone.
Chapter Thirteen
Sean
Sean walked into the kitchen at half-past six. His body ached from head to toe. The house was quiet. Pops was most likely taking his afternoon nap, and Christine was working in the study. Taking a moment to himself, Sean walked over to the cupboard and pulled out a glass.
He filled it with water and turned, resting his back against the counter behind him. He wanted to tell himself that it was because he’d tackled installing the new fence post holes with more vigor than normal—but he knew better. He hadn’t worked hard to get the job done faster. He’d worked that fast because he hoped it would help him push all the thoughts he had about Christine to the back of his mind.
Or forget her. Either one would have been nice.
But nothing had worked. His muscles ached right alongside his heart. He had been a fool to let her into his life. To allow himself to care.
He placed his cup into the sink and then made his way over to the phone. He needed to talk to someone who understood him. Who understood the life he’d chosen.
He dialed Austin’s number and waited while the phone rang.
“Hello?” Emma’s sweet voice asked.
“Hey, Ems. Is Austin there?”
“Sean! How’s it going? How’s Christine?”
He tried not to groan. Talking about the dragon was the last thing he wanted to do. “She’s fine. Doing her job. Is Austin there?”
Emma was silent for a moment. “What happened?” she asked.
Just like Emma to know exactly what was going on in his life. To see past his lie.
“The realization that certain things just aren’t meant to be.” He cleared his throat. “I don’t really want to talk about it.”
She sighed. “No, Austin’s not here. He had to go into town. But I’m meeting him at the Tavern. Why don’t you join us?”
Sean glanced in the direction of the study and nodded. That sounded like the best idea. Getting away from his house meant getting away from Christine, and right now that was all he wanted to do.
“Sounds perfect. I’ll see you in an hour?”
“You got it.”
Sean said goodbye and then hung up the phone. He had enough time to shower and get dressed. Both of those tasks pretty much guaranteed that he wasn’t going to see Christine, and that thought made his heart pound. Keeping himself away from her meant keeping himself safe. And that was what he needed right now.
After a hot shower, he wrapped a towel around his waist and opened the bathroom door. He jumped when he saw Christine standing just outside the door with her arms folded. Her gaze dropped to his chest but then back up to meet his. Her eyes narrowed.
“What?” he asked, stepping around her and into the hall.
“I have to talk to you about something,” she said, grabbing onto his arm and leading him to his room.
His heart pounded. What did she have to talk to him about? The thought that this might be the moment she declared her feelings for him made his mouth dry. What was he going to say back? Emotions bubbled up inside of him. His thoughts rested on the tip of his tongue.
When they got into his room, she shut the door and turned around. Her cheeks were pink as she paced the floor. Something wasn’t right. He felt like such an idiot. Of course, she wasn’t going to confess her feelings to him. Man, he was stupid. She’d found something, and it wasn’t good.
She stopped and turned to meet his gaze. “How many calves are born on the ranch in a year?”
He made his way over to his bed and sat down. Why would she want to know that? “I don’t know. Two hundred plus.”
She rung her hands. “And how many do you keep in the herd?”
This was getting strange. Was this a crime? “Maybe ten percent?”
She rested her forehead in her hands as she took deep breaths. “There was no record of sale, or payment in taxes for any sale, of livestock for two years.” She looked over at him. “Did you know about that?”
Sean’s stomach sank to the floor. What had his grandfather done? Why would he do that? “Two years?”
Christine nodded. “How much does a calf go for?”
Sean swallowed. “Eight hundred.”
She shook her head. “Do you know why he would do this?”
Sean couldn’t handle sitting there anymore. He stood and started to pace. “There’s no record? Nothing?”
She shook her head. “The only income that was claimed is what was made from selling hay and random vending operations.”
Sean ran his hand through his hair. “I’ll talk to my Pops.”
She nodded as her gaze slipped to his chest. “Okay. You do that. I’m going to go so you can get dressed.”
He nodded, but before she slipped from the room, he grabbed her elbow. “You’ll let me find out before you tell your boss, right?”
Her complexion paled as she shifted her gaze away from him.
“Christine?” What wasn’t she telling him?
“You don’t know?”
He shook his head. His stomach was in knots. It was rapidly becoming evident that he was losing control of the situation.
She leaned closer to him. “My boss is downstairs. He was the one asking me about it.” Her voice was so low that he almost didn’t hear her.
He studied her. Had she said what he thought she’d said? “What?”
She shut the door and then glanced up at him. “He just showed up. He wasn’t happy with my results so came out here to, I don’t know, help me I guess.”
And just like that, Sean saw his dreams of owning the ranch slip through his fingertips. “What does this mean?”
“I don’t know.” Her voice dropped as she watched him. As if she were expecting him to storm out.
Which was exactly what he wanted to do. He walked over to his dresser and pulled out a shirt and pants. Then he passed by Christine who looked as if she was poised to protest. “I’ve gotta go. I’m meeting Emma and Austin at the Tavern. You guys finish up with whatever you’re doing. You don’t need me here.”
He reached out and opened the door. The walls of the house felt as if they were closing in on him. He needed some air, and he needed to get away from Christine and what she was about to do to him. He went into the bathroom and shut the door.
After he dressed, he pounded down the stairs and out the front door. Christine must have gone back to the study because she was nowhere to be found. When he got to his truck, he pulled op
en the door and jumped into the driver’s seat. The engine roared to life as he made his way out of the drive and onto the main road. Gravel spit up around him as he peeled off.
The thirty-minute drive into town wasn’t nearly long enough. He was still fuming when he pulled into the parking lot of the Tavern and shut off his truck. He needed some time away from everything right now. He needed time to process what exactly was happening.
He pulled open the door to the Tavern and some twangy music carried out. He walked in and scanned the inhabitants. Emma and Austin were sitting at the back booth, watching the singer on stage wail into the microphone.
Relieved to see some familiar faces, Sean made his way over and dropped down into the seat across from them.
“You look like hell, man,” Austin said, glancing over at him.
Sean scrubbed his face. “You have no idea.”
A worried expression passed over Emma’s face. “Did Christine find anything?”
A sour feeling rose up in his throat. “It’s not good. Apparently, my Pops hasn’t been claiming sales of the calves on his returns. He’s kept this a secret for years.” Sean swallowed as his stomach churned. What was he going to do? He didn’t have enough money to cover this and the IRS was not going to be understanding about it. They got paid. Period.
“Is Christine going to report it?” Emma asked with her eyes wide.
“Babe, she has to. It’s her job,” Austin said.
Sean wanted to yell. He wanted to say it wasn’t fair. That his grandfather wasn’t thinking when he was watching his wife slowly slip away from cancer. He should be given a second chance. Something.
But the government didn’t work like that. And Sean knew it. Everyone needed to pay in and do their civic duty. This whole situation just felt unfair.
Thirty minutes later, Sean leaned back in the booth, watching as couples danced around the dance floor. Austin and Emma were in the throng of people. They kept the conversation light and fluffy, even though a dark cloud hung over the table.
Sean tapped his fingers on the table to the beat of the music. It was amazing what some food and time did for his mood. So what if his grandfather didn’t pay the taxes? Sean Petty wasn’t the kind of guy who just rolled over and took the beating. He was going to fight this. He was going to keep his ranch if it killed him.
“Mind if I sit with you?”
Sean straightened as Christine stepped into his line of sight. Her eyebrows were raised and so were her hands. As if she were anticipating some blow back from him.
He shot her a smile. Maybe he could convince her to say something on behalf of his ranch. Maybe she could get his punishment lightened. There had to be something she could do.
“Sure,” he said, waving toward the spot across from him.
She slipped into the booth and glanced over at him. Her expression was still one of unease. She fiddled with an unused napkin then leaned forward. “Are you sure you’re okay?”
He shot her a smile. This really wasn’t something he wanted to talk about. “How did you get here?”
She quirked an eyebrow at him as she cleared her throat. “I had my boss drop me off before he headed to the airport.”
“Your boss, huh. He left?”
She nodded. “Yes.”
From the look on her face, he knew the reason why. Her boss was leaving because the case had been solved. They’d discovered the truth and that was all they needed. No more reason to stick around.
Sean slid out of the booth and stood. “I understand,” he said as he turned. Why was he letting this bother him?
A hand grabbed his elbow. Whipping around, he saw Christine standing behind him with a concerned expression. “Can we talk about this?”
“What’s there to talk about? You’re going to sink me, you know that.” His stomach squeezed at his words. He knew that what he’d said wasn’t technically true. There wasn’t much that Christine could do. He just wished that she’d try. Or perhaps the kiss they’d shared in the lake had only meant something to him.
She stared at him with her lips parted.
The music stopped and the singer began to speak. Sean only picked up on bits and pieces as he turned his attention over to the man.
“It’s lady’s choice, so ladies, go out and grab yourself a partner!” Then the twangy music started up, and the couples began dancing around again.
“Do you want to dance?” Christine asked, motioning toward the dance floor.
Was she serious? First, she comes here to investigate him. Then gets him to fall for her and rips his heart out.
“I have to go.” He turned but found Emma standing behind him.
She pointed her finger at his chest. “I don’t think so. You dance with that girl,” she said, nodding in Christine’s direction.
“Emma, this doesn’t concern you.” He sidestepped her, but she turned, bumping him with her tummy.
“I understand your stubbornness, Sean Petty. Now, you be a gentleman and dance when a lady asks you.” She folded her arms and tapped her fingers.
Sean stared at her but then realized that he wasn’t going to get around her. He turned and nodded toward Christine. “Let’s do this.”
Chapter Fourteen
Christine
Why she thought that dancing with Sean was a good idea boggled her mind. What was she thinking? He was standing on the dance floor, practically glaring at her. But she was desperate. She needed him to hear her out. Trapping him between boot-tapping couples seemed like the best way.
His jaw flinched as he raised one arm up and extended the other one. “Let’s get this over with,” he said.
Not the most romantic thing a man had ever said to her, but right now, she’d take it.
So she stepped forward, bringing her hand up to rest on his shoulder as she placed her other one in his hand. He moved forward and she followed. Soon, they were dancing around the other couples.
Sean kept his gaze above her head. Christine desperately wanted to talk to him. To explain to him that what his grandfather did was wrong. That she had no choice but to follow through with her report. She just didn’t know how to start the conversation.
“It’s my job. You know that. Right?” She winced as the words left her lips. Nothing like shooting straight from the hip.
His eyes widened. “Of course I understand that it’s your job.” He shifted and guided her away from a particularly enthusiastic couple that was barreling toward them. “But it’s my home. You can’t fault me for wanting to protect it.”
Christine leaned back to look into his eyes. Protect it? He felt like he needed to protect it from her? Parker—maybe. But her? She had tried to fight Parker about it before he left. She’d asked him if he would consider lowering the amount paid back. If anything, she was standing behind him.
Sean sighed and pulled away. He took a few steps off the dance floor and looked over at her. “I know it’s not your fault. I just. . .” He took a deep breath. “I can’t get involved with you—or anyone right now. I need to focus on the ranch and getting us out of this mess.”
“Sean, I—”
“Who are we kidding? A rancher and an auditor would never work. You’re from the city and I’m. . . well, I’m about as opposite from the city as you can get.” He rubbed the back of his neck with his hand. “It’s probably best for you to finish up and go home.” He turned to walk away.
Christine stared at him. Was that really all he was going to say to her? But she had so much she needed to tell him. She reached out for his elbow, but he pulled back, breaking her contact.
“I need to go. Now,” he said from over his shoulder.
She parted her lips to speak, but before she could process what was happening, Sean had stalked off. And she was left alone to stare at his retreating frame.
She swallowed and blinked back the tears. She could do this. She was strong. There was no way she was going to let this cowboy rattle her.
Turning, she glanced through the c
rowd and located Emma and Austin. She made her way over. Emma pulled back, took one look at Christine, and studied the room.
“Where’s Sean?” she asked.
“Gone. And he’s instructed me to go back to Washington as well.” Her voice wavered from that declaration, but she pushed down her emotions. Sean was a jerk, and she wasn’t going to cry over a jerk.
Emma pulled away from Austin and wrapped her into a big hug. “I’m so sorry. Sean’s an idiot.”
Christine just patted her back, not sure what to say or do. There was no way she was going to let the world know that she had feelings for Sean. That him sending her away was breaking her heart. He didn’t deserve that part of her. “Can you give me a ride?”
Emma glanced over at Austin, who nodded. “Of course I can. Come on, I’ve gotta grab my keys.”
Austin let her go, and she led the way over to the table. She grabbed her purse and waved at Christine to follow. Once they got outside, Emma led her over to a truck and unlocked the doors.
Christine climbed in alongside Emma. They buckled their seatbelts, and Emma started the engine. Two minutes down the road, Emma turned to look at her.
“Wanna talk about it?”
Christine swallowed as she thought back to their conversation, her heart breaking all over again. The way Sean looked at her. The way he accused her of not caring. Or the way he said that he didn’t want her around.
“Sean hates me,” she said, glancing out the window.
“He does not hate you.”
Christine scoffed. It really felt like he did.
“Sean’s worried and protective. He’s not sure what to do. It’s not right, whatever he said, but he’s just confused.” Emma clicked her tongue. “That’s the cowboy curse. They’re as bull-headed as the steers they raise.” She laughed. “Listen to me! You would have never guessed two years ago I was living in New York taking pictures of food.”
Emma’s laugh helped lighten the mood. If anything, Emma was the only one who would understand what she was going through. “But Austin seems so level-headed. I couldn’t imagine him saying the same thing to you.”
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