Kate scannedthe pages of the Wyles’ offer into her computer and emailed them to her parents. She wanted her parents to strike some sort of bargain with Landon. And she also didn’t. Once a deal was reached, her family would expect her to move back to Seattle.
She was finding herself more and more reluctant to do that. She’d only been dating Landon for a little over a month and already she didn’t want to leave him. She thought about him constantly and counted down the hours until she could see him again. The man was positively addictive. She wasn’t even sure if what she felt for him was real love or just giddy, intense attraction. It was difficult to tell because whenever she was with him, the giddy intense attraction sort of overshadowed all other emotions—and most of her reasoning abilities.
A relationship couldn’t be based on the attraction of a chiseled jawline, a pair of stunning blue eyes, and the way Landon made faded Levis look like a work of art. In order for a relationship to work, people needed to be compatible. They needed similar goals and plans. Kate wasn’t sure she could tie her future, her entire life, to this patch of lonely desert. Granted, all the sunshine was nice—a sharp contrast to the autumn chill in Washington right now. The sunsets were a vivid, fiery pink, and the nights were laden with stars, but she needed to consider the whole lifestyle. Could she be happy in such an isolated place, even if Landon was with her?
The women at church only politely endured her presence, and that was a step above most of the people she ran into around town. The other ranchers were the worst. They treated her like an uninvited guest who’d crashed their profession.
Kate had contacted a few ranchers and asked if they wanted to buy any of her chickens. She’d offered a good price, but they all turned her down. One hinted that Kate’s lack of expertise had probably damaged the birds’ health and another gave her smug commentary on how dealing with livestock took finesse.
So that was the sort of community she’d be stuck with if she stayed in Arizona. Still, each time she was with Landon, Washington lost more of its appeal. After a couple of kisses, Seattle’s clouds seemed dreary and did nothing but blot out the sun all the time. A few more kisses and the city was crowded, dingy, and full of strangers hurrying to go somewhere else.
Not one of the men in Seattle spoke in that soft drawl of Landon’s. Even when he was going on about things like rotating pastures and using cattle chutes, his words felt so gently caressing that she wanted to close her eyes, lay her head against his chest, and listen to the lull of his cadence. That position was her favorite, because when she was tucked under his arm with her head to his heart, she could feel the gentle hum the words made in his chest.
A half hour after Kate sent the paperwork to her parents, they called her. “I don’t mind selling the livestock to the Wyles,” her father said, “but the offer on the land is much too low. And without our land, I doubt they have the carrying capacity for another three hundred and fifty head.”
Kate stood in her kitchen, phone pressed against her shoulder while she grated swiss cheese. She was making two quiche lorraines, one for herself and one for Landon’s family. “I’m sure there’s room for negotiation. What would your lowest price be?”
“That’s always been the heart of the problem,” her father said, “if we develop the land, we could make triple what the Wyles are offering.”
Her mother made an agreeing noise. “They’ll never say yes to that price.”
For the first time, Kate found herself frustrated by her parents’ plans. “Do youneedto make triple the money? Isn’t a couple million enough? Besides, developing the land is a risk. Golf courses don’t always make money. Housing slumps happen.” And the wells would mean so much to the Wyles, to Landon. “If we sold now, you could take that money and do something with it right away.”
“The money isn’t just for us,” her mother reminded her. “It’s for Libby’s education. We want to give her the school of her choice, just like we gave you. And if you want your own design firm, there’ll be lots of costs. You’ll need to rent an office downtown, pay a web designer, and sink a lot of money into advertising. And rent in Seattle—”
“I don’t know if that’s what I really want to do.” Kate was thinking of how nice it would be to eat quiche with Landon out on his front porch. Maybe they could go horseback riding later or sit and watch the stars appear.
“You don’t know what you want?” her mother asked.
Well, Kate knew what she wanted at that moment, but she couldn’t tell her parents about it. Just thinking about Landon had made her mess up the swiss cheese. Had she put two cups in the bowl or three? She’d have to remeasure.
“I thought,” her mother went on, clearly considering the two hundred thousand they’d paid for her schooling, “that owning a design firm was always your long-term goal.”
“It is. But maybe not in Seattle. Tucson is a lot more affordable. At any rate, we shouldn’t make decisions about Coyote Glen based on that. A check from the Wyles now means we don’t have to worry about the possibility of losing the ranch altogether. That could still happen.”
“Why?” Her father’s voice turned alarmed. “What’s going wrong on the ranch?”
“Nothing.” Kate began scooping cheese out of the bowl. “But you never know. We could have a drought, and I’d have to spend too much on feed. Or the price of beef could crash. Or some expensive piece of equipment could break down. And speaking of equipment, if the Wyles hadn’t lent me their baler, I never would have gotten my alfalfa taken care of. They’ve helped me a lot.”
She told her parents this so they’d see how nice the Wyles were, how deserving. Instead, her words had the opposite effect. “You’re too young and trusting,” her mother said. “Just watch, they won’t be nearly as friendly once you turn down this offer.”
“In fact,” her father added,“you shouldn’t let them on the ranch. It’s better to be safe than out millions of dollars.”
Her parents were wrong about Landon. She would know if he was lying about his feelings, if he was pretending every time he was with her. At least, she was fairly sure she would know. Granted, nobody ever thought they were being duped by scammers, but still.
“If Landon wanted to win at all costs,” Kate pointed out. “he wouldn’t offer anything for the ranch.”
“He might if he’s trying to gain your confidence,” her father said. “He knows we won’t take that offer. Meanwhile, you’re granting him access to the ranch.”
She’d granted Landon access to more than that. She’d pretty much handed over her heart, and she couldn’t even admit that to her parents for fear of looking stupid and gullible.
Long after she got off the phone, she worried about their accusations. If her parents were right, she’d not only be crushed when Landon dumped her and took the ranch, she’d have to admit to her parents that she’d completely gone against their advice and it had cost them millions of dollars.
She ought to be careful, for their sake if not for hers. She ought to pull away from Landon a little and put some space between them.
That night when she brought quiche to the Wyles, she took one look at Landon—at his magnetic blue eyes and perfect features—and was completely drawn in by him again.
Turned out, she had no willpower. She couldn’t even bring herself to mention that her parents had turned down his offer. It would be kinder to let him think they were considering it for a few days. Maybe a week. Her parents were, after all, thorough people.