The Cowboy's Promise

by Macie St James

  “It’s negotiable,” she said. “The point is, it isn’t all or nothing. You’ll get a better deal from us.”

  Reilly pushed his finished bowl away from him. “And your boss will sell the property off in parcels for a profit. I can do that. I’m a real estate agent, you know.”

  To her credit, Clay was pretty sure Harley had just learned there was a real estate agent in the family. And Reilly specialized in commercial lease space. Plus, he wasn’t all that good at it. He was second only to Clay in most needing this ranch to start making money.

  “You can,” she said. “We could work together on the transaction. Being a real estate agent, I’m sure you know how much work it can be to sell a property of this size for development.”

  Clay waited patiently on the sidelines. Somehow the conversation had switched to the two of them. It was as if he wasn’t even in the room. He had this weird twinge as he watched them. Jealousy?

  Yes, definitely jealousy.

  He watched Harley as she plopped down in the chair next to Reilly, pulling her tea mug over in front of her. It was still steaming somehow. She blew on it while watching Reilly review the map she’d slid in front of him.

  He couldn’t help but admire the way a lock of her hair draped delicately across her face—and she didn’t even seem to notice. Just the simple act of licking her lips after taking a sip stirred something in him.

  Yeah, he’d been focusing on work far too long.

  “Sounds pretty good,” Reilly said, looking up. “I’ll let you and Clay talk it over, but I’m open to discussing it further. Meanwhile, I need to get home.”

  Pushing his chair back from the table, Reilly stood, taking his empty bowl to the sink. Clay was all too aware he was about to be alone in the house with pure temptation. Not just because he was ridiculously attracted to Harley, but also because she seemed to be good at convincing people to do what she wanted. And what she wanted simply could never happen, no matter what she offered.

  Clay was going to turn this place around, make it better than ever. When his dad came home, he’d see Cedar Tree Ranch was not only a working ranch, but a home again. Like the one he’d grown up in. And then, Clay would finally prove to his father that he was worthy of his trust.

  5

  There were no blinds on the windows.

  Harley had noticed it when she crawled into bed the night before, but the room faced a big, empty field, so she wasn’t too worried. Unfortunately, though, she was met with a stark reminder when the sun rose since this room faced east.

  She tried turning in the other direction and pulling the covers over her head. Didn’t help. It was just too bright in this room.

  Finally, she tossed the covers off and stepped out of bed. Might as well get up. Maybe she could put the extra time into reviewing her plans and updating them with what she’d learned. Namely, that Clay’s parents wanted this to remain a working ranch, so she needed to find a way to make that happen and still get what her boss demanded.

  Shuffling across the room, she grabbed her phone from the dresser. First step: check her emails. Maybe the answer to all her problems was in her inbox. Someone offering to give her twenty thousand dollars, perhaps.

  It was the exact opposite, actually. An email from her roommate letting her know the landlord wanted rent now.

  Sighing, Harley turned to look at the stack of paperwork on the chair next to the window. Until Reilly had come over, she’d felt like this was a lost cause, but he seemed open to what she was suggesting. That might make it easier to convince Clay. Sure, it wouldn’t be the simplest thing she’d ever done, but if it were easy to talk a rancher into selling, there would be far fewer ranches and farms...and even more apartment complexes and strip malls than there already were.

  Tea. What she really needed was her morning tea. The pan from last night was in the dishwasher, so she’d just wash it out and quietly heat her water. She could do all that without waking Clay up, she was pretty sure.

  She was creeping down the hall, tea bag in hand, when she sensed something. The feeling of another human being moving around nearby. When she got to the kitchen, that feeling heightened. She was definitely not the only one awake.

  A rustling noise straight ahead directed her. But she realized, as her feet started moving in that direction, that it wasn’t wise to sneak in on someone in his own home. No telling what state of undress she might find him in.

  Back to the original plan. She grabbed the pan from the dishwasher and began filling it with water. If that didn’t alert him that she was up, she didn’t know what would.

  Sure enough, she heard the squeak of what sounded like a chair, along with wheels on a wooden floor. Seconds later, footsteps behind her.

  “Don’t they drink coffee where you come from?” she heard Clay ask.

  “Of course. Seattle’s known for a certain giant coffee chain. But most coffee shops also sell hot tea.”

  “Makes sense.”

  He stopped at the coffee pot and when she looked over, he was refilling an off-white mug that read, ‘Don’t Mess with Texas.’ Odd, considering he was about as far away from Texas as he could get and still be in the United States.

  As to her earlier concern, he was most definitely not in a state of undress. He wore a long-sleeve T-shirt and jeans that were much baggier than yesterday’s. Yet he made it look impossibly sexy. She told herself it was just that she’d gone so long without a date, but she was pretty sure anyone would stop to admire the way those sleeves outlined his biceps so, so perfectly.

  He jerked his thumb toward the door. “I was just about to do my morning chores. Throw on some play clothes and ride along.”

  Play clothes. That was a term she hadn’t heard since childhood. She just called them ‘clothes she wore to the gym.’

  “Now?” she asked.

  He nodded. “Now. I’ll grab you a thermos. You can drink tea through a thermos. Or is it like wine, needing to be in a very specific type of drink holder?”

  She smiled at his reference to a cup as a drink holder. As tough as he came off, there were little glimpses of a much more lighthearted Clay every now and then. That was the Clay she wanted to get to know a little better.

  Harley rushed to her room to throw on jeans with a sweater. Hardly play clothes, but it was the closest thing to casual she had. She had no intention of milking cows or mucking stables. It was a tour.

  The kitchen was empty when she emerged from her room. Not sure what to do, she headed out to the front porch. There he was, behind the wheel of the largest pickup truck she’d ever seen. He didn’t comment on what she was wearing. Probably because he was distracted by her battle to climb into the truck.

  “I’m five-foot-three,” she said. “This step is obviously not for me.”

  “Need help?” He held out his hand.

  She grabbed onto it before she could talk herself out of it. Then her hand was in his and that was all she could think about. She didn’t even notice how she’d gone from being on the step to sitting in the passenger seat. All she knew was when he dropped her hand, she missed his touch.

  “I guess you already figured out this is the main house,” Clay said, putting the truck into gear. “I grew up here. At the time, it was just this house and the stables we’ll see in a minute.”

  “The vacation rental I’m staying in was built recently?” Harley asked.

  “Two years ago,” Clay confirmed. “Colton’s house is four years old and there’s a third place for Reilly down by the lake.

  That was all on the map she’d shown him. She knew exactly where the houses were on the property, even if she hadn’t been so clear about the livestock situation. She’d seen that area as land since she’d figured livestock could be moved.

  “You make this drive every morning?” she asked a couple of miles down a long dirt road.

  He laughed. “About four times. Plus a few trips in the afternoon and evening. That’s on a normal day.”

  She didn’t ask
what a normal day was around here. She figured that was none of her business. The only reason she was being nosy about it was her curiosity about the man seated next to her. And unless it helped her make this sale and save her job, she didn’t need to know.

  “We’re coming up on the stables,” he said, pointing to an area over to the left. “Watch out for cow patties. Wouldn’t want to get another pair of your shoes messy.”

  His words instantly reminded her of her poop-covered shoes. The ones on the front porch of her rental. Which was when it hit her that Jared hadn’t responded to her email. The app would have sent a notification if he had.

  In any other instance, she would have whipped her phone out of her pocket and checked the app just to make sure the notification wasn’t missing. But not this time. Honestly, as much as she’d wanted her space last night, today she worried that time was running out. If she left Clay to go to Jared’s cabin, she’d have to find an excuse to get together and discuss him selling the property. This way, she could take the tour and spend the next twenty-four hours in his company, working her magic.

  Now she just had to hope he didn’t mention her vacation rental.

  When Clay crested the hill and the stables came into view, Harley’s jaw dropped. That was definitely not what she’d expected when he’d mentioned stables. The building to the left of them looked like a house. A big, white, gorgeous house that just happened to have an opening every few feet.

  “This replaced the old stables a little farther down the road,” he explained as he pulled up to the building and cut the engine. “I spent most of my childhood helping out in that old building. But the horses love their new digs. Let’s go.”

  As he hopped out of the truck with minimal effort, Harley reflected on what he’d just said. That little catch in his voice when he spoke of the old stables spoke volumes. This ranch represented family for him. It went beyond the main building. The land itself was tied so closely to his youth, it was a sentimental thing. How could she possibly ever convince him to sell?

  She may not know how, but she knew why. If he didn’t agree to work with her, he’d continue on his current path. He’d see his debts mount, month after month, with no way to bring in money to pay them. Then one, maybe two years down the road, he’d accept whatever offer he could get. Or the property would sink into foreclosure. He’d lose it anyway, but it wouldn’t be on his terms.

  Suddenly, she had an angle.

  Without warning, the passenger door flew open, eliciting a gasp from her. She turned to see Clay staring expectantly at her and realized she’d taken far too long to follow him from the truck.

  “Sorry,” she said, remembering she’d promised her roommate she’d work on not apologizing so much. It was especially impossible now, when she needed to earn the upper hand.

  “Stand on the step,” he said, pointing to the black plasticky-looking piece jutting out below.

  “I don’t want to break it,” she said.

  Was it rated for an adult’s full weight? Seemed it would be more designed as a step up, at which point any weight you put on it would be fleeting. Maybe she was overthinking this.

  “It’s fine,” he said, gesturing for her to get out.

  Yes, definitely overthinking.

  She nervously spun her legs around and settled her feet onto the uncomfortably narrow ledge, gritting her teeth as she transferred her weight to it. Before she could register what was happening, his hands were on either side of her waist and he had her in the air. Her feet landed gently on the ground, putting her face to face with him.

  It was the way he was looking at her. That was what got to her. The intensity in his gaze when he stared down at her made her weak in the knees. She was so mesmerized by it, she had no idea how long they stood there, staring into each other’s eyes, before he finally broke the spell.

  “I’ll show you around.”

  He turned and began walking toward the stables. Again, she lagged behind, but this time she didn’t want to be. This time, it would look like that moment had made her all melty inside or something. It had, but she’d be darned if she’d let him know that.

  Watching the ground for patties, Harley rushed to catch up with Clay. He was already halfway to the stables at that point. He hadn’t even looked back over his shoulder. She supposed that was a good thing. He might think she’d been right on his heels all along.

  “Hank’s my right-hand man out here,” he said. “No matter what, we can’t let him go.”

  “Ranch hand?” she asked.

  “Yep. He takes care of all the horses and helps maintain the pastures.”

  “But you have multiple ranch hands, right?” She’d seen it in the file her boss had handed over to her. There were three of them.

  “Just a couple of high school kids who help out for the experience,” he said. “We pay them hourly, but it’s getting to be a struggle.”

  Harley mulled that over while they entered the stables. It was good he didn’t have a bunch of salaried employees. Made it easier for her to convince him to sell. But she didn’t feel better about that, oddly. Instead, she found herself rooting for things to pick back up so that Clay, his brothers, and Hank would have the thriving operation they seemed to want.

  The smell inside the stables wasn’t nearly as pleasing to the senses as the outside appearance of the place. She resisted a wince and tried to focus on what she was seeing. But mostly she was seeing empty stalls.

  “The horses...?” she asked.

  “Out on a run,” he said, pointing toward the back of the building. “We’re down to three we’re boarding. Then there’s Minnie. She’s over here.”

  He motioned for Harley to follow as he headed toward the far end of the building. The place was massive and had so many empty stalls. She didn’t remember seeing anything about boarding horses in his file. That was a way they were generating income, she assumed. Or maybe he was boarding them for friends and people he knew.

  “Are you bringing in income from these horses?”

  The words slipped out before she’d really thought them through. The last thing she needed to be doing was giving him ideas for making this place a revenue generator. He’d have his dreams fulfilled, but she’d be on the unemployment line.

  “Yep,” he said. “Minnie over here is our newest board. A local kid got her as a birthday present.”

  Harley gasped. “Is that...a palomino?”

  Clay looked over at her. Was it her imagination, or did he seem to have a newfound respect for her? She almost liked this look better than the passionate one she’d sensed out by his truck. And that was saying quite a bit.

  “When I was little, I wanted a horse so badly. I read a book about a palomino horse, and I became fascinated with them. They’re so beautiful.” She reached out to gently stroke Minnie’s neck.

  Minnie didn’t react. She just continued to look around, indifferent.

  Clay headed over to the wall where the saddles were hanging. “Let’s take her out for a walk. I’ll show you out back.”

  While she and Minnie enjoyed a little quality bonding time, Clay attached her lead rope. “If you’d like to give it a try, I can show you. You’ll need to lead from this side, though.”

  Harley moved to Minnie’s left and took the lead from Clay. He was way too close to her, and she liked the way it felt. A little too much. Something about his presence behind her made her feel safe, protected. She hadn’t felt that way in a long, long time.

  “You need to hold it a little farther up,” he said. “The key is to keep it comfortable for both of you while also maintaining control. Here.”

  She’d moved her hand up, but not far enough, apparently. He placed his hand on hers and moved it as he stepped toward her, closer than he’d been yet. If she turned her head to look at him, he could easily kiss her. Or she could kiss him.

  No. Bad idea. Very, very bad idea.

  Stepping back, Clay said, “Walk,” in a loud, commanding voice. Harley started walk
ing before she realized he’d been talking to Minnie, not her.

  It was all good, though. Minnie was on the move and Harley stepped into place, staying at the horse’s shoulder as Clay instructed.

  “Whoa!” Clay called out.

  Again, that was for the horse, not her, but again, she followed the command at the same time as Minnie.

  They continued out of the stable and into a big, unfenced field behind it. She immediately saw they weren’t alone. A man and a younger boy were walking horses on leads like hers. Off in the distance, she could see another guy riding a horse.

  “This is part of the morning routine,” he told her as he waved at Hank.

  He didn’t talk to Hank or the other guy. They just all walked their horses in silence, focusing on the task at hand. Harley felt the usual tug to fill the silence with nervous chatter, but she realized that was a city thing. Out here, they relished the silence, using it to enjoy the crisp chill in the air and the beautiful scenery.

  Plus, silence might be good for the animals. She really had no idea. She was getting a surprise education in just how little she knew about ranch life.

  After a couple of big laps, though, he seemed to have the confidence necessary to leave her to it. He headed over to his main ranch hand and had a conversation she couldn’t hear. The fact that Hank looked over at her several times—and even gave her a greeting type of nod—made her infinitely curious about what Clay was saying.

  Whatever it was, it preceded Hank and his ranch hand heading straight into the stable. The other guy—the one riding his horse instead of walking—trailed after them.

  “You can go a couple more rounds if you want,” Clay said when he came back. “Or we can continue the tour.”

  Harley patted the beautiful horse’s side. “I’m all set here. I’d love to see the location of the old stables.”

  This glimpse into operations had piqued her curiosity. She wanted to say she was merely gathering information for her business venture, but deep down, she knew it all had to do with getting to know him better.

  “We’ll walk Minnie to her stall and get going,” Clay said, taking the lead from her. “The guys really appreciated you helping out. They need all the hands they can get these days.”