“Come on, I’ll take you home,” Bill announced, suddenly swooping her up into his arms. He was a thin, wiry man and, despite his commanding character, didn’t instill a lot of confidence in Chloé as she was hoisted into the cold air.
“I was about to do just that,” Tyler drawled.
“Well it looked to me like the lady wasn’t that keen on the idea. Besides, it’s not exactly out of my way, and my truck looks a lot cozier than yours.” Bill sneered as he took Chloé over to his top-of-the-range vehicle.
“He wasn’t really bothering me,” Chloé protested, secretly disappointed at not going home with Tyler, after all.
Bill was already placing her on the plush front seat of his warm truck. “Well you didn’t look all that happy to me,” he said, before closing the door.
Chloé felt the warmth permeate her frozen body and couldn’t help a little sigh which escaped her lips as she sat back into the soft nubuck leather. Bill had left the engine running so the truck hadn’t lost any heat by stopping. He looked quite elegant sat behind the wheel and maneuvered the truck effortlessly around Tyler’s vehicle before zooming off up the track. In his new, posh car he seemed to have a total disregard for the weather conditions, and they glided up the road as snow fell silently all around them.
Chloé saw Tyler watching them as they drove around him and his truck. He looked annoyed. She felt sad. It had felt lovely being held in his strong arms, although she would never admit that to anyone.
CHAPTER TWO
“How long are you home for?” Bill asked casually as they neared Mile End. He ran a hand through his fine, blond hair.
“I’m not sure. I’ve taken a couple of weeks off to sort everything out, but they’ve said I can extend it if I need to.” She felt a jolt of misery as she thought about her job.
“Sounds like you’ve got a good boss there. You don’t want to take advantage. My advice would be to get everything out of the way as quickly as possible and then head back to the city. It’ll be a feather in your cap if you go back early.” Bill sounded knowledgeable, as usual, but also a little condescending.
“Hmm. I’ll have to see how it goes tomorrow. Hopefully, the will reading’ll be all cut and dried.” She sighed.
“I’ll run you down there if you like? You won’t be up to driving with that ankle. What time’s your appointment? I can be here whenever you need me.”
Bill seemed quite determined and Chloé felt a twinge of disappointment. She had been planning to drive herself down, and hopefully get to see Tyler again. She silently admonished herself – I don’t want anything to do with him, remember?
“Come on, let’s get you inside, sweetheart.” Bill parked the truck and rushed around to her side to help her out.
“I can manage,” she told him as he reached in and grabbed her by the waist.
“I doubt that, sweetheart. It’s mighty slippery out here and you won’t be able to balance properly on one foot. Here, let me help.”
He lifted her out of the cab of his truck and carried her to the door. She had hoped that he would stop there but was sorely disappointed. Bill carried her through into the sitting room, placed her down on a chair and then lit the fire for her. The house was cold and she was reluctant to remove her coat.
“I’ll get some coffee on, warm us up a bit,” Bill announced, and took himself through into her kitchen. “I’ll fetch some ice for that ankle, too.” He called as he went.
Chloé sat back in the large armchair her Aunt Brenda used to favor. The house felt empty and quiet. She didn’t like it like this. It used to be warm and noisy, with ranch hands and neighbors popping in and out all day. The coffee pot was always on and there was a permanent smell of baking from the warm kitchen. After Aunt Brenda had passed away fewer people seemed to come up to the house. Uncle John had become even grumpier, and she guessed his temper had made the neighbors feel unwelcome. Chloé had been glad to leave in the end. It wasn’t a happy home anymore.
“Here you go; it’s all you had in.” Bill suddenly appeared in front of her with a couple of packs of frozen peas.
She stared at him at first and then realized what he meant. She carefully removed her boot and noticed that her ankle was already beginning to swell. As soon as she pulled off her sock, Bill placed the cold packets around her, and she gasped as the cold assaulted her throbbing ankle.
“You okay?” Bill still looked concerned for her and she managed a smile.
“Yeah. Just a bit cold.”
“The coffee should be ready now. Just give me a minute.” Bill went back into the kitchen and quickly appeared with two steaming hot mugs of coffee and a plateful of cookies. “You missed your lunch,” he said as he offered her a cup.
Chloé stared at him as he put the plate on the small table and sat down in Uncle John’s chair. Her mind was reeling. How does he know I missed lunch? Was he at the wake? Did he really just happen to be passing or did he follow me out of The Wakefield Inn? Seeing him sitting in her late uncle’s chair made her blood boil but she didn’t know what to say to him. Talk about a lack of respect. He didn’t seem to notice anything was wrong and continued to chat nonchalantly.
“This place needs a lot of work. Are you planning to get it done up or just sell it on?”
Chloé took a deep breath to quell her anger. “I don’t know yet.”
“My advice is to sell it on right away. Don’t go throwing good money after bad. I don’t know if you realize that the ranch isn’t doing very well at all, but it would be best to get rid of it while you can. The sooner you can get shot of the place the sooner you can get back to your life in – where was it? Atlanta?”
She nodded.
“I might even be able to help you out, too. I think I might know of someone who wouldn’t mind buying a dilapidated old ranch at the right price. I’ll make some more inquiries and get back to you on that one, sweetheart; you just leave it to me.”
She finished her coffee and slammed her mug onto the table next to her. It was only then that he actually looked over at her. Until that time he had been looking all around the room while rattling on about how rundown it all was. He seemed a little surprised by her expression.
“I’ll think about it. Thank you for the ride home.” She threw him a steely gaze and he quickly got out of his seat.
“Right, well, you just do that, sweetheart. I’ll be off now and let you get some rest. You’ve got another big day ahead tomorrow. What time shall I come ’round for you?” Bill straightened his coat as he made his way toward the door.
“I’ll call you if I need you,” she replied evenly. She didn’t really want to make an enemy of the man, but she was seriously pissed at his arrogance right now.
“All right, you’ve got my number haven’t you?”
“Yes, I’ve got your number all right.” Her voice was even colder than the peas, but she was doing her best not to yell at him to get out. If only she hadn’t injured her ankle she would have shown him the door ages ago. In fact, he never would have gotten through it in the first place.
She noticed a slightly shocked expression cross his face before he turned and let himself out of the front door.
Chloé was relieved to hear the slam. As if today wasn’t bad enough now she had Bill Simmons to contend with. He had hardly ever spoken to her before, and his use of ‘sweetheart’ made her cringe. He was obviously only after the ranch, and saw her as an easy way to get it.
A horrid thought suddenly flashed through her mind. Is that what Tyler Brannagh wants, too? After all, he had stood her up the last time she had been here and now here he was acting as though nothing had happened. Venom surged through her veins at the thought. Neither of them is interested in me – it’s just the ranch they’re after.
It was getting dark but it didn’t matter. Hot tears of anger and disappointment flooded her face as she sat mulling everything over. Bill was a very powerful man but that didn’t mean she had to fall in with his plans. And there was no denying Tyler
Brannagh was a very handsome cowboy, but he was also a deceitful and conniving snake.
She wasn’t quite sure what she was going to do, but one thing was for sure – she wasn’t going to let either of them get their hands on her ranch. She hated her job in the city and was beginning to realize just how much she loved it here at Rough Oaks – despite some of the people who lived here. Waking this morning to the sound of birdsong, smelling the country air as soon as she stepped outside, and being surrounded by hills and pasture was like being in heaven. She had forgotten just how much she loved everything about the place. She had left to escape humiliation and only made herself even more miserable. Now it was time to do something about it. It was time to make her own decisions about her future.
* * * *
The winter sun was trying to break through the clouds when Chloé awoke the next morning. She had managed to hobble to her room eventually and got a surprisingly good night’s sleep in her old bed. Waking up there instantly put a smile on her face. Putting her weight on her injured ankle was a lot less painful today and the swelling had gone down considerably. She practiced walking around on it while she puttered about getting herself ready. There was no need to be at the attorney’s office until ten-thirty so she had plenty of time.
She pulled on a smart, green woolen dress, one which she had bought to wear to work, and put a cream scarf with it to brighten it up a little. Rummaging in her old closet she pulled out a pair of boots which she had hardly ever worn. She had fallen in love with them and just had to have them – even though they were a size too big for her. They were made of soft leather and she was relieved to be able to pull one on over her slightly swollen, injured ankle. It took an extra sock to make the other one fit better and then she stood back to admire her reflection in the cheval mirror.
Her brown hair was wavy and she left it down today. She was used to having to wear lots of makeup for her job, as all the women at Jarvis-Brockman were expected to be immaculately turned out at all times. Being home again it was nice to just be able to swish on some mascara and a lick of lip gloss – and some concealer, of course, as even at twenty-two years old her freckles were still noticeable without it. Chloé had always hated the dang things – ‘sun-kisses’ her Aunt Brenda used to call them. What with freckles and the extra rolls of flesh which insisted on clinging to her stomach and hips, she felt destined to never have any self-confidence.
The dress looked nice, though, and she was in a good mood today so she wasn’t going to let anything faze her.
She was washing her breakfast dishes when she noticed Tyler from the kitchen window. He was walking one of the horses out of the stables. It felt like a lead ball had just landed in her stomach. She recognized the horse as Thunder, a beautiful black quarter-horse. He had been bought at the same time as a mare, whom Chloé had christened Lightning. Aunt Brenda favored Thunder and told Chloé that Lightning was hers. How she loved that horse. Lightning was, as her name suggested, white, and could be quite temperamental, but Chloé knew just how to handle her.
She felt a tear roll down her cheek as she remembered the day she had left the ranch. She had gone to say goodbye to Lightning and found her gone. When she asked one of the hands where her horse was, he told her that she had died last night and that Tyler had taken her away already. It was the last straw. Chloé had hated Tyler for not letting her say goodbye to her own horse more than she hated him for standing her up the previous night.
When she had questioned Uncle John about it he had told her that it was for the best. He assured her that Lightning hadn’t suffered, and said it was better for her not to see the mare after she had passed on. That was one of the worst days of her life – the day she left home.
Tyler must have caught her watching him as he turned and gave her a wave. He was smiling. How dare he smile? She quickly turned her back in case he saw her tears, although he would have been hard-pressed to do so from that distance. She quickly wiped her face and finished tidying the large kitchen.
After touching up her makeup she put on her coat and went for a short walk around the ranch. Tyler had disappeared so she was able to think without any distraction. She breathed in the scent of fresh hay as she passed the barn, and she looked over to the stables which she had run from on that horrid morning. Taking a deep breath she decided not to go over there, but instead turned to walk toward the training area, limping slightly.
“Morning Boss.” Tyler held a hand out to steady her as she almost walked right into him. She hadn’t heard him come up from behind her and she stared at him for a second. His hand was warm even through her coat and she felt something stir inside her. Quickly she remembered how upset she was with him and pulled her arm away.
“Good morning.” She lifted her chin obstinately.
“I’d be happy to give you a ride down to the attorney’s office if you just give me five minutes to wash up,” he offered with a smile. He seemed amused at her ire.
“No, thank you. I can drive myself, and, besides, I would imagine you’ve got enough to keep you busy here – that is, if you want to keep your job.” She felt a glow of satisfaction at the power she had over him. The thought of firing him made her smirk – especially as she knew that he would not only lose his job but also his home, as he lived in a house on the ranch itself, being the foreman.
To her dismay he chuckled. “Well, yes, ma’am I do want to keep my job here, but I had a letter from the attorney asking me to attend the reading of the will today, too. I’ve arranged with Darrel to cover for me so the ranch won’t suffer by my being out for a short while so there’s nothing to worry about on that score.”
Chloé stared up at him as she felt herself go hot. She frowned. “Why do you need to be there?”
He shrugged. “I don’t know. The letter just asked me to attend. Maybe it’s to tell me who my new boss is gonna be.”
She seethed. Being Uncle John’s only living relative, she had assumed that the ranch would be left to her, but it was just possible that Tyler had inveigled his way into her uncle’s will in her absence. She looked around the place as a massive lump formed in her throat. What if it wasn’t hers? What if she had to leave, after all?
“Are you okay?” He placed his hands on her arms again.
She looked up into his dark brown eyes, which oozed concern. Quickly she looked away again, not wanting to see it.
“I’m fine. I have to go now,” she told him curtly and hurried off toward her car.
Her ankle hurt quite badly as she drove down into the town, and she half-wished she had called a cab. The road was still icy and she had to concentrate hard, especially where the track narrowed. She soon became aware of a truck in her rear-view mirror. It was Tyler. Damn! She had hoped to get to see the attorney before he arrived, but here he was right behind her. She guessed she had caused him to slow down as he would have been much more confident about driving on this road than she was, even in these conditions.
He pulled up right beside her in the parking lot outside the office and opened the door to allow her to enter the small building. She seethed at his good manners. The way he looked, the way he acted – even the way he smiled – irritated the hell out of her. She wished he hadn’t been so damn gorgeous, as she was doing her best to hate him right now.
“Looks like it’s just the two of us,” Tyler remarked as they stood in the tiny waiting room.
Chloé seethed. Her ankle was really hurting and she was desperate to sit down on the plush leather sofa which lined one wall. She wouldn’t allow herself to, though. That would mean allowing him to stand while she sat – or he would go and sit next to her on the couch. She felt her face flush at the thought and told herself it was just anger simmering inside her. Either way she couldn’t let Tyler think he had the upper hand – she had learned all about power games in Atlanta. She’d hated all the backstabbing and one-upmanship of the corporate world and was in no hurry to return there. Unfortunately, her fate may well lie in her uncle’s will though, and
she had no idea which way this might go.
“Mr. Harley is ready for you now,” a blonde, slim secretary announced, poking her head around the door.
Tyler stood back to allow Chloé to go in first, and she felt herself bristle once more.
CHAPTER THREE
Mr. Harley was a small man with a very large desk. He stood up to shake their hands when they came into his office. “Nice to see you both. Now there’s a few formalities I need to go through with you before we get to the actual reading of the will,” he began and started reeling off a load of stuff which Chloé didn’t quite grasp.
“Right, I’m sure you’re wondering just exactly what your Uncle John has left you,” he said at last and Chloé sat up with interest.
Tyler didn’t move. He had sat upright on his chair, listening intently to everything the attorney had been saying to them, although Chloé wondered if he really understood any of it, either.
“Chloé, congratulations, you are now the legal owner of Mile End Ranch,” Mr. Harley said at last. “Although the foreman’s cottage has been left to Tyler.”
She felt a surge of relief flood her body and she couldn’t help smiling.
Tyler’s expression didn’t change. His stoic demeanor was really beginning to rattle her.
She was pleased that he hadn’t got his hands on her uncle’s ranch, though. To be fair, he had been a family friend for many years and she was sure Uncle John wouldn’t have been able to manage without him. He was a good foreman, too. She guessed that was why Uncle John had given him the house. That was nice of him. He obviously expected Tyler to stay on in his current position – although she would have to have a think about that.
Chloe's Christmas Cowboy: A Festive Second Chance Romance Page 2