“There’s a copy of the contract on the table.” She nodded to an envelope behind him.
“Lena, come on. Just tell me.”
She didn’t respond right away, as expected, and he knew she was glaring, though he couldn’t see her eyes behind her sunglasses. Lena Graves was a beautiful woman well into her forties. Her figure was sculpted by private trainers and she had a gorgeous face to go with it. She was also a savvy businesswoman who used everything in her arsenal to get her way.
“We changed the split,” she said, as if it was an afterthought that he was still there. “It’s now fifty-one/forty-nine.”
Ben stood. “That better be in my favor.”
“Of course it’s not in your favor. Why should it be? I’m the one with the most to lose. It’s my money on the line. All you have to do is play with horses all day. I don’t see why you should get an equal share when our contributions aren’t equal.”
For a moment, anger paralyzed him.
Instead of tipping over her goddamn patio table, Ben stared out at the San Fernando Valley. Well, at what was hiding the valley, because from up here, all he really saw was smog.
Then he took a look at the eastern view. On a clear day, he could see the Hollywood Bowl Amphitheater, downtown Los Angeles and out to the ocean and Catalina Island. He wondered if there’d ever be a clear day in Los Angeles again.
Funny how difficult it was to see the smog when he was in the thick of it. He had had to step away for that.
Something clicked inside him, and he saw his own life split in two. On one side, his dream Ventura ranch, working with the contacts he’d made in the past twelve years, working with Lena and all the other folks like her. Talk about swimming with sharks. There was no town more vicious except for Washington, DC.
On the other side: Grace.
“I suppose you’re angry now,” Lena said. “But I’ve talked to—”
“You know what?” he said, not giving a damn about what she was saying. “I’m done.”
“What do you mean, done?” She actually stood. “Done with what?”
“With everything.”
“You’re not planning to—what do you mean...everything?”
He shook his head, laughing as he turned to go. He didn’t feel any goodbyes were needed.
Not even after she called after him. “Fine. We’ll make it fifty/fifty.”
It might be smoggy as hell, but Ben had never seen things so clearly. He wasn’t sure what he was going to do yet, but it wouldn’t include anymore of this backstabbing bullshit.
* * *
GRACE WENT STRAIGHT to her room after her shift ended. Before she stripped off her uniform shirt and jeans, she pulled out the list she’d stuck in her back pocket. It was difficult to read her scrawl because the paper had been folded so many times. And then there was more doodling than actual helpful items in either the pro or con column.
She’d jotted down things throughout the day as they came to her. That is, when she was able to keep her mind off Ben.
Another thought registered as she put on her red T-shirt and yoga pants. She had no winter clothes. Well, not the kind she’d need here. That would cost her. Definitely a con.
She spread her paper on the small table, grabbed a cold soda and a pen, then sat. She stared at the pros. Noah believed in her. She’d be in charge. More money. She’d started making friends. She’d get to fire Wade!—that was a biggie. Roy and Danny were fed up with Wade. Sadie could be mayor in November. The chances of having another opportunity like this again were very slim. Any other place would be just as hard to get used to.
Ben would be back.
She took a big swig of her soda and quickly switched to the cons. She might lose in November. Clarence. Wade. Small-town gossip. Winter. Being the first woman at anything was a risk. Her, sheriff in a cowboy town? Roy and Danny would have to be retrained.
Ben would be back.
She ran her hands through her hair. She’d already known the pros were greater than the cons. But she needed more time to think.
Noah was being great, and she knew he’d get her up to speed quickly if she said yes. A lot of people would think she got the position because she was friendly with the McAllisters, or because Ben was a friend of Noah’s. But she wasn’t going to make this decision based on emotion. If she did, she might as well just throw in the towel now.
But it wasn’t as if she could flip a switch and stop thinking about Ben. She couldn’t pretend that she hadn’t fallen for him or that it didn’t hurt. And when he came back to see his mom—
Her phone rang, and she forced herself to stop hoping it was Ben.
She picked it up and blinked at the screen. Hard.
Holy crap. It was Ben.
Grace let it ring three times while she collected herself, then answered, “Hey.”
“Am I catching you at a good time?” He sounded tired.
“Yeah.”
“I’m sorry for not calling again. This trip hasn’t exactly gone to plan. I broke my phone in the middle of the night, and when I got home, I crashed hard.”
His phone broke? Really? Maybe his dog ate his homework, too. “You’re there and safe, so...that’s what counts.”
“How’s it going with the rumors?”
Her heart sank with each beat. No “I missed you” or anything even remotely personal. God, she was being foolish. “It’s nothing I can’t ride out. What happened with the loan?”
He paused. “It fell through. But I’m not making that public yet, so...”
“Got it. Secret. No problem.”
Silence stretched between them.
Had her voice betrayed her disappointment? Surely, it must have. Until he’d left, she hadn’t realized how deeply she’d wanted this thing with Ben to be real. To be more. But that was no reason to act cold. “I’m really sorry about the ranch.”
“It’s not the end. Just a bump in the road.”
Okay. That made the picture pretty clear. He was back in his element with his real priorities. He probably regretted telling her so much about himself. “So what do you plan do to next?”
“Not sure. Other than more stunt work. There’s a film coming up... I don’t know. I’m too exhausted to think straight.”
She winced, as if closing her eyes would change the fact that this whole conversation was awkward. Somehow that was the worst part. “Well, it sounds like you should get some more sleep.”
“Yeah,” he said, his voice distant. “I’ll call you later, okay?”
“Sure,” she said, and disconnected the call, wishing she could wipe out the past five minutes.
The man she’d just spoken to...he wasn’t the Ben she knew, and it hurt. She wasn’t sorry for telling him about Arizona. Although she’d be more careful about that kind of thing in the future. But at least she didn’t tell him about Noah’s offer or that she’d have to give her answer tomorrow. Neither of which provided much solace. She curled up on her bed and didn’t even try to stop crying.
* * *
BEN STARED BLINDLY at the calendar on his desk, wishing he could take back everything he’d said to Grace. But he hadn’t wanted to tell her the whole story, not when he was so beat and raw with disappointment. And yeah, somewhat embarrassed. Not that he wouldn’t tell her. He’d walked away from his dream today without having a plan B, except to keep knocking on doors until he found another investor. Or saved the money himself. But that would take forever.
The hard work didn’t discourage him. Being in this town did. Hell, he’d fought long and hard to become an in-demand stunt man. But LA had never been less appealing. Not after his trip to Montana. Not after Grace.
He slumped back in his chair, wishing she were here to help him think this through.
His cell rang in h
is hand. When he saw the name on the screen, he frowned. Why would Rachel call him now?
* * *
GRACE HAD GONE to work with puffy, red eyes, but no one had remarked on it, not even Wade. She’d gone in early to tell Noah her decision. He’d accepted it with no fuss, and she’d gone on about her thrilling duty of preparing paperwork for the county commissioner’s office, mostly reports of tickets.
She’d picked up a ready-made salad at the store for lunch, and now she was cleaning out the back of the truck. She’d been putting it off, annoyed at Gus’s and Danny’s sloppiness. Sharing a vehicle sucked.
A car parked right behind her, and she clenched her teeth. There were empty spaces up and down the block. It was just some little white compact. It could fit anywhere. But she wasn’t going to blow it out of proportion just because she was down in the dumps. She was almost done clearing out Danny’s garbage, anyway.
But when a guy stepped up all in her space, she swiveled around in a huff. “Can I help—”
“Yeah,” Ben said, taking hold of her arms, keeping her still. “I’m pretty sure you’re the only one who can help.”
“What? How?” It really was Ben. Disheveled and gorgeous even with three days’ growth of beard. “What are you doing here? How did you even get here?”
“I flew to Kalispell.”
Her mouth fell open. All she could think of was his red Porsche.
“On an airplane,” he said. “I didn’t grow wings.”
“What?” She blinked at the small white compact. “Why?”
“So I could catch you before you left. So I could tell you I’m sorry for that stupid phone call and for anything else I’ve done that may have given you the impression you didn’t matter to me.”
His hands were kind of tight, but that was okay. She had the feeling she wouldn’t be steady on her own. Not with what he was saying...
This had better not be a dream.
No, she could feel his grip, his heat. Could see the warmth in his hazel eyes.
“I realized when I went to meet Lena that I didn’t want to be in Hollywood anymore. Not that I don’t still want a ranch. Do you know how many movies and TV shows are filmed in this part of the country? A lot.” He shrugged his broad shoulders and smiled that perfect smile of his. “But that’s not the point.”
Grace was grinning, too. “Have you slept at all since we talked?”
“A couple hours maybe. Not many flights go to Kalispell. And none of them direct.” He touched her cheek. “When Rachel told me you were leaving town, I did what I had to do to catch you.”
“Rachel?” But...she knew better. Grace noticed her standing between Sadie and Nikki on the sidewalk in front of the bar, all of them looking happy and weepy at the same time. Those little devils...
Ben exhaled a deep, shuddering breath. “I know it seems too soon, I guess, since I’ve never felt this way before.” He swallowed. “I’m in love with you, Grace. And I think you might come to love me if you give me a chance. I know you’re leaving, and that’s okay, because I’ll go wherever you want to go. I still have some money. I’ll sell the Porsche, my Valencia house. I’ve been thinking it over while waiting for planes and sitting on flights. California is expensive. I don’t want to live there anymore. I can find an affordable ranch almost anywhere else.” He paused. “Whatever you want, Grace.”
She wasn’t sure she could respond. She had the words, but he’d stolen her breath away. He loved her. Enough to race back to Blackfoot Falls. And he respected her, enough to follow wherever her career took her. Above all that, though, was the way he was looking at her. She could see it. The love that she’d seen in her own mirror when she thought of him. “Oh, you poor, exhausted man. I won’t need time to fall in love with you. I’m already there.”
Ben loosened his grip on her slowly, as if her words were easing his desperation bit by bit. “You love me?”
She nodded. “I do. And I want to get to know everything about you.”
“I was thinking the very same thing.”
“On the plane?”
“Nope. That was on the drive to California. You were never far from my thoughts, Grace. I woke up thinking about how I’d left you without saying goodbye. I’m sorry for that. You looked so peaceful and beautiful as you slept that disturbing you didn’t seem right.” His gaze shifted from her eyes, but only for a second. “Are you on duty?”
She nodded.
“Have any time left on your break?”
Grace looked at her watch, her head spinning with all he’d said. “Nine minutes.”
“How about we go to your room?”
Now she noticed the crowd they were attracting. “We’ll have to be fast.”
He took her hand, and they walked as quickly as possible, just under a jog, to The Boarding House. She managed to open her door in one try, and then it was just the two of them.
Ben kissed her, and it was unlike any other kiss...except for the kiss by the stream. Was that when she’d fallen in love?
He drew back, and she was about to complain when he said, “So, where are we going?”
He didn’t know. She hadn’t told him or anyone else that she’d accepted Noah’s offer. She pulled him closer. “How does right here in Blackfoot Falls sound?”
“Does that mean I’m kissing the Sheriff of Blackfoot Falls?”
“Not yet. Noah will make the announcement soon. But remember, it’s only temporary. I could lose the election in November.”
“I’ll take that chance and start looking for some land.” He smiled, shaking his head. “I don’t understand how giving up pretty much everything is giving me more than I ever dreamed.” He tilted her chin up. “Congratulations, Sheriff Hendrix.” Then he kissed her.
And Grace knew this was the start of her brand-new life.
* * * * *
Keep reading for an excerpt form PULLED UNDER by Kelli Ireland.
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1
A PAPER AIRPLANE soared over the top of Harper Banks’s cubicle wall and bounced off her computer screen. She picked it up and unfolded it, then scowled. The plane had been made of what had to be the hundredth copy to circulate the office from her most famous pinup photo shoot for a custom motorcycle magazine. Disgust drove a hot flush across her skin.
“Ignore them, Harper.” Daniel Miller looked over his shoulder and shouted, “You guys cut the crap already!”
“Forget it, Daniel. They won’t stop. I’ve moved on.” A woman might think the universe would cut her a little slack for a slew of bad decisions, but no. No slack for her. She’d spent the past five years paying for blindly leaping for that elusive gold ring—and failing.
Her cell gave a Harley-like rumble, the ringtone she’d set for her dad.
“I need to take this,” she muttered, turning to face her desk. She swiped her thumb across the screen and propped the phone between her shoulder and ear so she could talk and type. “Hey, Dad. What’s up?”
On the other end of the phone, the TV volume decreased and papers rustled. “How’s the IRS’s newest senior field investigator managing today?” her dad asked, gravelly vo
ice rumbling from deep in his chest.
“Oh, you know—working to corral corruption and put bad guys behind bars.”
“Doin’ your job then.” He coughed. “You get your copy of Cycle Mania yet?”
“Nope. Hoping it comes in today. Anything good?” Harper tapped her user ID and password into the network portal, absently listening to her dad ramble about the latest innovations for the big choppers they used to work on together. An unexpected sensory memory swamped her and she could smell the rich exhaust of an old Kawasaki H1 500 engine, could feel the smooth glide of cloth over chrome.
She’d loved motorcycles since she was a kid, always interested in the hows and the whys. It had given her a connection with her dad, a way to gain his attention and earn his approval. When had he first let her near the machines he’d made his living from? Absently interrupting him, she asked. “How old was I when I started helping you out at the shop, Dad?”
He snorted. “Couldn’t a been more than four. Showed up with one a them Cracker Jack temporary tattoos on your arm, proud as hell and showing it off to all the guys. Without even asking, you grabbed a cloth and set yourself to polishing the tailpipes of that ’72 FLH Shovelhead Hardtail I was chopping. Like you were part of the crew. Had a soft spot for that bike ever since.” He paused, his breathing slightly labored from years of smoking. “It’s been a long time since I laid hands on anything that makes my heart speed up like that bike.”
“Good thing Mom’s not around to hear you say that,” she teased, clicking to open the desktop file labeled Beaux Hommes. She scribbled a couple of notes on a legal pad and switched the screen to her email inbox.
“She’s working overtime at the store this week,” he grumbled.
Harper knew just how much it bothered him that his wife had been forced to work at their local grocery store after the custom cycle shop her dad and his two brothers had built went under. Her old man had worked for as long as Harper could remember to design the next big thing in the motorcycle industry, always sure he was on cusp of some great financial payout. It had never come through. He’d been forced to start letting staff go just before Harper left for college, one man at a time. Two years after she’d graduated, he and his brothers closed the doors for good.
Anywhere with You Page 20
