The Rancher Meets His Match

by Kate Pearce

  Kaiden sat at the top table with his and Silver’s families. Julia couldn’t help notice that Ben was the only one who was really talking to Kaiden, apart from his mother and Daisy. It appeared that the rift in the Miller family was real. Jeff looked worn to the bone, although he was doing his best to chat with anyone who warily approached him.

  After making sure that her dad wouldn’t miss her, she walked over to where Kaiden was standing with Daisy. He turned as she approached, excused himself from his sister, and came to her side.

  “Do you want to go outside? It’s definitely quieter,” Julia asked.

  “Sure. Do you want your coat?”

  “I think I’ll be fine. It’s still warm out there with the heaters on and the dancing hasn’t started yet.”

  She followed him out of the open French doors and down the shallow steps to the large pavilion where the outdoor weddings were held during the spring and summer. There was a DJ setting up his stuff, but apart from that, the space was almost deserted, which suited Julia just fine. If everything went wrong she’d rather not have an audience to her humiliation.

  She walked over to the far end of the pavilion, which looked out over the water meadows, and turned to face Kaiden with what she hoped was a welcoming smile.

  “So, what do you want to say to me?”

  “Don’t rush me.” He rubbed a hand over the back of his neck. “I’m trying to think of how to ask the questions so you won’t get mad.”

  “Knowing you, that’s probably impossible.” Julia smiled. “How about I start with an easy one. What’s going on between you and your family?”

  “What’s that got to do with anything?” He looked genuinely confused.

  “I thought we were supposed to be friends. I thought you might like to talk about it to someone outside the family.”

  “It’s . . . complicated.”

  Julia simply looked at him until he sighed.

  “My dad just got to me and I quit. He thought it over, decided Evan could do a better job than me, and accepted my decision.”

  “Your dad has always been difficult, what did he do or say to finally push you over the edge?” Julia wasn’t satisfied.

  “He caught me on a bad day.” He grimaced. “Same day I had that fight with you, to be honest.”

  “Oh.” It was her turn to wince. “I’m sorry.”

  He shrugged. “It was bound to happen at some point. Don’t blame yourself. I don’t regret it, you know? It gives me way more time to sleep in and do my carpentry.”

  She didn’t believe that for a second, but she let it go.

  “Of course everyone has taken Dad’s side because he’s sick, and apparently I shouldn’t be adding to his stress,” Kaiden said. “I keep telling them that him not arguing with me all the time is way better for his health, but they don’t see it like that.”

  “I should imagine they are worried about both of you,” Julia said gently.

  “Nah, why would they worry about me?” Kaiden smiled. “The third expendable son? The one whose father was quite happy to let go?”

  There was a hint of bitterness in his voice that made her reach out and touch his arm.

  “Kaiden . . .”

  He shook off her hand. “It’s okay, I’m not going to turn this into a huge pity party. I’m a big boy. I made my choices. What’s up in your world?”

  Wanting to give him a moment to regroup, she offered him a cautious smile. The conversation wasn’t going at all as she had hoped. Perhaps she needed to be more assertive and persuade him on her own terms.

  “Big changes are afoot,” Julia said.

  “Yeah?”

  “Blaine and Melanie were fired.”

  “Awesome!” He offered her a high five. “You in charge now?”

  “Well, I was offered that role, but Mr. Bashear, the B in MZB, asked me if I’d be interested in forming a new team for the company.”

  “Doing what exactly?”

  She took a deep breath. “I’m going to be actively recruiting clients who want to buy land in more rural areas, and develop it in a sympathetic and environmentally sound manner that takes account of the local community’s needs and wishes.”

  “Really?” His smile disappeared and he suddenly looked way too much like his father.

  “What’s up?” Julia asked. “I thought you’d approve.”

  “That you’re going to be helping your clients screw over ranchers like Mr. Evans?”

  “Screw over?” For a second she struggled for words. “Where the hell did that come from?”

  He half turned away before swinging around again. “I heard you’d been back to the Evans Ranch with a proposition for them. Is that true?”

  “Yes, it’s my job to negotiate between buyers and sellers and set the terms.” Julia nodded. “Who told you that?”

  “It’s not important. Did you persuade that frail old man to sell his family land off to a developer?”

  A sense of coldness settled low in Julia’s gut. “I offered him several options, one of which was a proposal from a developer who specializes in environmentally sympathetic and sustainable resort accommodation and restoration in rural locations. What about it?”

  “Brooksmiths?”

  “Yes.” She frowned. “They are an excellent company, how do you know about them?”

  “That’s a really interesting question, Julia. Does Blaine know who they are?”

  She shrugged. “He might have heard of them, but I doubt he would’ve been interested in their philosophy. He wasn’t the most environmentally aware person I’ve ever met.”

  “If he was ‘aware’ of them, do you think he might have mentioned them to Miguel?” All trace of the usual smiling Kaiden Miller she loved had disappeared, leaving her completely off balance. She’d never seen him lose his temper before. It wasn’t a pretty sight.

  “Miguel?”

  He raised his eyebrows. “Are you going to tell me that your father didn’t mention that Miguel came to the ranch?”

  “I’ve barely spoken to Dad. I literally got in late from Bridgeport, took a shower, and drove out to Morgan Ranch.” Julia pressed a hand to her throat. “Miguel came to see Dad? When?”

  “Yeah, with his buddy Blaine Purvis.”

  “And you didn’t think to let me know about that at the time?”

  “Miguel said you knew everything, and to be honest, Julia, how else would your brother know Blaine if you hadn’t introduced them?” Kaiden wasn’t letting up.

  “I don’t know the answer to that.” She had a horrible sense that the whole discussion was veering over a cliff that she hadn’t even realized was there, and that Kaiden’s current agenda had nothing to do with declaring how much he cared about her. “What else did Miguel say?”

  “That you’d both decided to sell the ranch.”

  “And you believed him?”

  “Not at first, but I think I have a right to ask you what your intentions are when you’ve just taken on a job where you’ll be encouraging Mr. Evans to give up his ranch to this ‘sympathetic’ developer, and might think of doing the same to your father.” He shook his head. “What the hell is wrong with you, Julia? Mr. Evans trusted you!”

  “Actually, I’m not at liberty to discuss Mr. Evans’s business decisions with anyone, and you, personally, have no right to ask me anything.” Julia’s hand curled into fists.

  “Okay.” He paused and let out a frustrated breath. “I’m trying to understand here. Does Brooksmiths pay you a commission or something? Does Blaine? Is it worth it for you?”

  “Wow.” Her voice was shaking so hard she could barely control it. “I didn’t realize you thought I had no soul.”

  “I didn’t say that—”

  She forced herself to meet his gaze. “Everything you just said was so completely wrong that I’m not even going to attempt to defend myself. If you truly think that’s what I’m like, and that’s what I’d do, then you really don’t know me at all.”

  He sounded
just like her father, assuming that a woman could never be trusted, that she’d always lie, and she was sick of it.

  “I’m just trying to get the truth, Julia.” Now he sounded almost as wretched as she did, but she wasn’t buying it. “I don’t want to believe any of it.”

  “But you chose to believe Miguel.” She shrugged. “And that’s not the first time you’ve done that, is it?”

  He frowned.

  “When Miguel told you I would never go out with you, you said all kinds of awful things about me. That’s why you fought that last time, because he defended me.”

  “I fought him to make him shut his damn mouth,” Kaiden snapped. “He was the one who said foul things about you! He thought I’d be willing to spread disgusting rumors about his own sister! I would never have done that.”

  “Even more reason that you shouldn’t have believed him now, then.”

  “I didn’t! I tried to call you—”

  “Hogwash.” Even after that startling revelation, Julia wasn’t about to make things easy for him. “I don’t know how Blaine got to Miguel, or what he offered him. Maybe my dad mentioned him. I do know that someone from my law firm contacted my mom and asked her if she had any remaining interest in the ranch.”

  “Your mother?” Kaiden frowned.

  “Yes, I suppose you’re going to doubt my word about that as well, aren’t you? Because God knows you can’t trust a woman to tell the truth.” She smiled even though it hurt. “I have to get back to my father. We obviously have a lot to talk about.”

  “Don’t—just walk away from me,” Kaiden said urgently. “If I’m wrong about this—I apologize, but can’t we talk it out?”

  “What reason would I have to talk to a man who leapt to a million wrong conclusions and doesn’t trust me?” Julia blinked back tears. “Please don’t come to the ranch again, or at least wait until I’m gone.”

  “Julia . . . this isn’t what I want at all.” Kaiden attempted to step in her path. “I told you I’d screw up. I wanted to make things right with you.”

  “Too late.” She couldn’t bring herself to look at him. “Have a great life, Kaiden. Maybe you should make up with your dad and family because God knows why anyone would want to trust or care about you when you’re incapable of reciprocating. Maybe you’re far more like your father than you realize.”

  She pushed past him, headed for the lobby, and went straight to the restrooms. Nancy was just coming out of the door, but she took one look at Julia and reversed course.

  “What’s happened?”

  “Nothing.” Julia sat down on one of the chairs in the anteroom and took the tissue Nancy held out to her. “Just my whole life imploding.”

  Nancy sat beside her and put a comforting arm around her shoulders as Julia finally started to cry.

  “I guess Kaiden Miller is being an ass?” Nancy asked eventually.

  “When is he not?” Julia swallowed hard.

  “That’s my girl.” Nancy squeezed her shoulder. “Any chance he can grovel sufficiently to make things better?”

  “I don’t think so.”

  “Well, that’s his loss. He definitely doesn’t deserve you.”

  The door opened and Silver came in wearing a short, pink, shiny dress that would make most women look like Barbie, but somehow worked on the movie star.

  “Oh, no!” She sank to her knees on the carpet in front of Julia. “Did he make you cry? I’m so sorry, I thought I was helping.”

  Even though she had no idea what Silver was talking about, Julia automatically tried to think of something comforting to say. “It’s fine.”

  “No, it’s not!”

  Nancy stood and glanced down at Julia. “I’ll go and check on your dad, okay? I’ll tell him you’re not feeling great and that you might need to go home.”

  “Thanks,” Julia said. “I really mean that.”

  Nancy blew her a kiss. “That’s what friends are for, right? And if I see Kaiden I’ll kick him in the nuts for you.”

  Silver took Nancy’s vacated seat, her gaze anxious, her hands clenched together in her lap. “This is all my fault. Ben told me I shouldn’t have interfered. I thought that if Kaiden knew about Brooksmiths, then he’d be better prepared to understand what you and Miguel might decide to do.”

  Julia sucked in a breath. “You told Kaiden I was forcing Mr. Evans to sell his land to a developer who would cut me in on the deal?”

  “No!” Silver looked aghast. “Is that what Kaiden said to you?”

  “Among other things. I only told you about Brooksmiths because I thought it might be of interest to your foundation.” Julia blew her nose one last time. “Look, I appreciate you trying to help, but maybe you could go back to your party? I have to take my father home.”

  “But I feel terrible . . . I was worried about what Miguel was up to with Blaine, and I added two and two and made five,” Silver confessed.

  “Kaiden told you about Blaine and Miguel and yet he didn’t bother to tell me?” Julia looked up.

  “Yes, he didn’t know what to do, because—”

  “He assumed that the only way Miguel would know Blaine was if I put them in touch.” Julia stowed her last tissue in her purse and put on her flat shoes. “I can see why that would’ve worried him. It’s a shame he didn’t think to ask me about it rather than you.”

  “We told him to call you and ask,” Silver said earnestly. “But he didn’t want to bother you because he really didn’t believe you’d do such a thing and he thought your father would’ve clued you in about everything.”

  Julia stood and smoothed her skirts. “It’s a pity he didn’t keep believing that, isn’t it?” She smiled even though her face didn’t want to. “I need to go.”

  “I’ve let you down.” Silver met her gaze head-on. “I’ve let you both down, and I know I can’t apologize enough to make it right.”

  “Go and enjoy your party, Silver,” Julia said gently. “When it comes down to it, the only people responsible for this mess are Kaiden and I. So don’t beat yourself up about it.”

  Silver nodded, but there were tears in her eyes as she left. Julia wished she had the energy to be angrier with Kaiden’s sister-in-law, but what was the point? The moment Julia had starting speaking, Kaiden had leapt to his own conclusions, and things had gone downhill from there. She’d had so much to tell him about what had happened at work, and the Evans deal. Now, nothing really mattered because when it came down to it, he couldn’t bring himself to trust her.

  She forced herself to reapply her lipstick and mascara in the mirror before she ventured into the fray again.

  She’d been in love with a mirage, not a man, and that mistake was definitely on her.

  Chapter Twenty

  Kaiden paced the lobby, his gaze occasionally checking the entrance to the women’s restrooms in case Julia reemerged. Eventually, Nancy came out and headed straight for him. Her hair was in red and white spikes with candy-striped ribbons on them that matched the pattern of her short dress.

  She poked him hard in the chest. “You’re an idiot.”

  Before he could answer, she turned around and marched away again.

  “Like I didn’t know that,” Kaiden muttered to himself.

  How had everything gone so spectacularly pear shaped? He’d ended up losing his temper, hurting Julia, and getting shit wrong. Now, he’d lost the ability to regroup, and ask all the questions he should have started with before jumping in with both feet and accusing her of selling out her own father. As soon as he’d started talking and seen her horrified expression, he’d known he’d gotten it completely backward.

  As his temper took hold of him, he’d merrily kept digging his own grave. He just wasn’t good at this serious stuff. It scared him. He always screwed it up because he was afraid of getting too deep and personal, so he self-destructed.

  Silver came out of the restroom looking like she was about to burst into tears. She didn’t even see Kaiden, but headed straight toward Ben, w
ho immediately wrapped his arms around her and held her close. Kaiden was so busy watching his brother that he almost missed Julia emerging.

  She’d definitely seen him, though. At first, she looked like she’d rather talk to a skunk. But he watched as she raised her chin and looked him up and down just like she’d done when he’d first turned up at Garcia Ranch and found she’d come home.

  “Julia.” He hurried toward her. “Look—l know I’m the last person you want to talk to right now, but I can’t leave things like this. I messed up.”

  “Yes, you did.”

  “I know you probably won’t believe me, but I want to make things right, I need—”

  She held up one finger. “Actually, Kaiden, I don’t care what you need right now when I’m barely holding myself together. I just want to crawl into my bed and cry myself to sleep, okay? So, why don’t you go home and try and work out where you went wrong. Maybe, just maybe, in a couple of years when I’ve calmed down and rebuilt my shattered heart, I might be ready to speak to you again?”

  “Your heart?” Kaiden stuttered as everything suddenly got a thousand times worse.

  She blinked and looked away from him. “Yes, I was hoping we could talk about that, but I guess I made a mistake about everything.”

  He reached out an imploring hand. “You didn’t, I should’ve—”

  “Please stop talking.”

  “I can do that,” Kaiden said cautiously.

  “Then, can you leave?” She held herself like a queen. “You really suck.”

  “I know that, too.” He nodded. “But—”

  Her manicured finger came up again and this time pressed hard into his chest. “No buts right now. I don’t have the bandwidth to deal with them.”

  “Understandable.” He blew out a harried breath and looked her right in the eye. “I’m sorry I lost my temper. I fucked up.”