“Tyler, you have also been left all of the livestock on the Mile End Ranch except for a horse named ‘Thunder’. That horse has been left to Chloé by her Aunt Brenda, who arranged for her husband to keep it for her until such time as his demise.”
Chloé felt herself go hot. She stared at Mr. Harley and then at Tyler. Tyler looked surprised and bemused. She said nothing.
“If you would just sign some papers for me I won’t detain you any longer,” Mr. Harley told them, “oh, and I have to give you these.” He looked a little wary as he handed them each a small, sealed envelope and Chloé got the impression he was rushing them out of the room as quickly as he could. The poor old guy was probably used to seeing a lot of drama in this little office when he read out a will. She was determined not to make a scene, though. Not here, anyway.
Once outside, Tyler sighed and put his hat back on. He wore a thick jeans-style jacket today and looked utterly scrumptious. Chloé had to keep reminding herself how much she hated him, though, and was determined not to let his good looks get in the way of that.
“Well, that was a surprise,” he said at last.
“Was it?” She gave him a doubtful look and tore open her envelope.
“You think I knew about this?” Tyler raised his eyebrows and opened his own envelope.
Chloé pulled out a small sheet of paper, hopeful of some sort of explanation. She didn’t get it. All she got was one word, “Sorry”.
She looked over at Tyler to see what his had said. He was staring at it, and she wondered whether he was still reading. She daren’t ask him what his letter contained, so she folded hers up neatly and tucked it into her purse before making her way over to her car.
“Don’t you want to talk about all this?” he asked with a puzzled frown.
She swallowed hard. “No,” she said, “You’ve got work to do and I’ve got some decisions to make.”
She almost regretted being the first to get in her car and drive away when she saw his truck in her rear-view mirror again. She really didn’t like him following her, although she realized that they were both going the same way so it couldn’t really be avoided. It just felt to her that he was watching her all the time, just waiting for her to crash or something.
The road had become even icier and she felt a little nervous as she negotiated some of the sharp bends on the track. She was relieved when she got home and pulled up outside the ranch house. Her ranch house.
“What do you want me to tell the men? They’ll be expecting some kind of announcement or something. Some assurance that their jobs are safe, or at least some notice if you intend to sell up. Are you planning on speaking to them or do you want me to?” Tyler had pulled up behind her and was now standing on the bottom of the steps which led to her front door.
Chloé felt herself flush. She hadn’t thought of that. “Jeesh, Tyler. I haven’t had time to make any decisions yet, you know that. We’ve only just heard what’s happening with this place. I’ll talk to the men when I’ve seen the books and decided on the best course of action – you can tell them that.”
She opened the door and flung herself inside, before slamming it shut.
* * * *
Tyler sighed as he turned back toward the stables. It was odd to think that he owned all of these horses, except for Thunder, of course. He knew how special that horse was to Brenda, and how much Lightning had meant to Chloé. It was only right that she should get the horse now – heck it would have been right for her to get all the livestock. What in hell was John thinking, leaving them to him? It was no wonder Chloé was so pissed at him for inheriting all the animals as well as the house. That fiery little angel sure was beautiful when she was angry, though. He chuckled to himself as he stroked Thunder’s nose.
“Any news, boss?” Adam, one of the young hands came over to him. Tyler knew the guy was worried about keeping his job, especially as he hadn’t been working at Mile End for very long. He was a good worker, though, and Chloé would be crazy to let him go.
“Well she’s the new owner, all right. Hasn’t decided what to do with the place yet though, buddy. She’s got to go through the books and make sure it’s a viable asset before she can choose whether to keep it on or let it go. If she does sell it on there’s always a good chance they’ll need the hands so don’t you go worrying about it just yet.”
“Is it viable?” Adam asked, wide-eyed.
Tyler pursed his lips. “I’d say it is. Some areas need some work, but on the whole I’d say the place is making money.”
“Will she want to take it on though? I hear she’s got some hotshot job in the city. Won’t she want to sell up and get back to it? After all, even if she employs a manager for this place, she’ll have to spend time overseeing it all. If she’s got a life over in Atlanta then why would she want to be bothered with all this?” Adam looked gloomy as he gestured to the ranch, and Tyler couldn’t help feeling sorry for him.
He patted the youngster on the back. “Don’t you worry. Whatever happens I’m sure you’ll be fine, bud.” He tried to sound reassuring, although the truth was he wasn’t so sure himself.
He looked over toward the house, fighting the temptation to go in there and demand that Chloé hear him out. He was sure she must be thinking he’d done something to entice all of this out of her uncle, when, in fact, it was the last thing on his mind. He was also truly grateful for the house – although it might be awkward to own a property on the land if someone else took over the ranch and didn’t want to employ him. He sighed.
A pick-up drove onto the site and pulled up just outside the ranch house. Tyler frowned. It was the latest model and he instantly recognized it as belonging to Bill Simmons. What in hell was he doing sniffing around here?
He grimaced as Bill sneered over at him before walking up to the front door. Tyler seethed. He watched the door open and Bill went into the house. Every bone in his body wanted to make its way over to see what the heck was going on, but his brain stopped him. Chloé probably wouldn’t thank him for interfering, and, besides, it was just possible that she had asked Bill to come over. He just hoped to God this wasn’t anything to do with those decisions she was talking about making.
Tyler took Footloose, one of the palominos, up with him to check on some of the fences. If the spread was about to be sold, Chloé would want it kept in good shape so she could get the best price for it, and if she was keeping it then she deserved his loyalty. He couldn’t help wondering how things would work with him having the livestock and her having the land. Would she want him to keep things the way they were? He could rent the land from her, but would probably have to sell off some of the animals to pay for it. The thought irked him.
He knew Chloé wasn’t in a fit frame of mind to discuss it with him yet, but she would have to consider it sooner or later. She sure had been pissed with him ever since she got home. Tyler shook his head. Typical of a woman to be mad at him when it was she who stood him up.
He had known that the night of her graduation would have been the last chance he had of asking her to go out with him. It was his own fault, really. He had put it off for so long that it had just become harder and harder. When she announced that she had been offered some accountancy position with a hotshot company in Atlanta he knew his time had all but run out.
He figured that if he told her exactly how he had felt about her then maybe they could still keep in touch – or, even better, he could persuade her not to go. It wasn’t all for selfish reasons; Tyler knew she didn’t really want the job. He had overheard her telling Maisie that it wasn’t what she wanted but she could see no alternative – there was nothing for her around Rough Oaks. At first he had been crushed, but Maisie had later confided in him that Chloé really liked him but as he had never made a move on her she assumed he wasn’t interested.
Nothing could have been further from the truth. Tyler had loved the bones of that girl for years, but was aware that she was the boss’s niece and John was keen for her to get a good
education and follow a career.
Tyler had assumed that marrying a cowboy who worked for her uncle probably wouldn’t fit into her plans, so he had backed off. Trouble was, the more he tried to avoid being with her the more he wanted to touch her.
Then had come the worst night of his life. He had been thrilled to be invited to attend Chloé’s graduation, which had been a lovely occasion. He had felt a glow of pride seeing her up on the stage in her cap and gown, and he had noticed her turn and smile to him as he stood up to clap when she received her degree.
She had been out celebrating the night before with her uni friends as some were leaving straight after the ceremony to start their new careers, so he took the bull by the horns and asked her to go out to dinner with him that night.
He had been elated when she agreed, and had left her drinking with her friends and Uncle John while he went back to his duties at the ranch.
Early that evening Lightning had gone down. Tyler and the hands tried everything to get her back on her feet, but she was too weak. When the veterinary arrived he announced that Lightning wasn’t going to make it through the night. Tyler was devastated, as he knew Chloé would be. When John arrived he was horrified.
Chloé was at the beauty parlor enjoying a relaxing massage before her date with him that night. The boss had consented to have the horse put out of her misery, and had told Tyler to help the vet take her away before Chloé got back. John was determined that nothing was to spoil Chloé’s graduation day.
Tyler was sworn to secrecy on the matter – Chloé would be told by her uncle in the morning. Luckily she wasn’t due to leave for the city for another few days, so she would at least have some time to get over the loss of the beautiful beast before she went away.
By the time Tyler returned to the ranch it was getting late and he was told that Chloé had already left. He rang the restaurant, Marconi’s, which was the swankiest one in the neighboring town, and told the Maitre D’ that when Chloé arrived she was to be treated like a VIP and given champagne to drink while she waited for him. He arranged for a tab to be opened, so she could have whatever she wanted, and he would pay for it all with the rest of the bill when they had their meal.
The Maitre D’ promised to look out for her and explain to her that he had been delayed and would be there as soon as he could. The man assured Tyler that he and his staff would treat her like royalty and look after her until he arrived.
By the time Tyler reached the restaurant he was almost an hour and a half late and it was raining hard. He rushed inside to find her. He had been mortified when the Maitre D’ informed him that no one had been in asking for him, and he hadn’t seen any unescorted young girl in the building all night who matched Chloé’s description. He asked in the bar but no one had seen her.
He remembered how miserable he had felt as he sat on the barstool contemplating his options. He had a whisky to warm him while he decided on his next move, and was amazed to be joined by Bill Simmons. Bill seemed surprised when he told him he had been hoping to meet with Chloé that night. He told Tyler that she had been drinking at the Rough Oaks Hotel earlier with some posh guy from her college.
The penny dropped, and Tyler realized that she must have been stringing him along. He had been right in the first place – he wasn’t good enough for her. With her fancy education and her even fancier friends, there was no room for him in her life. She was a career girl on her way up and she would have been a fool to waste her time with a cowboy from a small town like Rough Oaks. He had thanked Bill and made his way home feeling more miserable than ever.
The next morning he avoided the ranch house by taking a trek up to the far fields to check on some of the fences. When he returned he went to see John to find out how Chloé had taken the news. When John informed him that she had been upset about losing her horse, and even more upset that she hadn’t been able to say goodbye he had felt physically sick. That feeling only got worse when John told him that she had been so mad and upset that she had packed her bags and left for the city already. She had felt deceived and wouldn’t listen to her uncle when he had tried to explain the reasons for not telling her right away.
It was snowing again as he stopped to strengthen one of the fences, his heart feeling almost as heavy as it had that day. He was annoyed and hurt that she had stood him up at the restaurant, but was also upset that she had been so devastated about her horse.
He wondered what she would be deciding now about the future of the ranch – and whether Bill Simmons would play a part in those decisions...
CHAPTER FOUR
Chloé had been surprised to see Bill Simmons on her doorstep. She really wasn’t in the mood for visitors, but thought it would be rude to turn him away. Her mind was in a whirl after the events of the morning and she didn’t know whether she was more angry or upset that her uncle had chosen to split the ranch from its livestock.
“I thought you could probably do with some company after your appointment. And I wanted to apologize for being a bit overpowering yesterday. I know I can come across as a bit bossy sometimes, but I don’t mean nothin’ by it. How’s that ankle doing?” Bill frowned with concern.
“It’s fine, thanks. I was just going to have some coffee. Come and join me.” She managed a smile and ushered him in. Large snowflakes were tumbling from a gray sky and she could feel the cold following him inside.
“Was it really awful?” he asked, as they sat at the kitchen table with their hot drinks and cookies. His voice was gentle and quiet, and Chloé began to wonder if she had got him wrong, after all.
“It was certainly a shock,” she said with a nod. “Uncle John left me the ranch and one of the horses, but the rest of the livestock goes to Tyler Brannagh.”
She watched his sympathetic expression quickly morph to anger. “What in hell would he do that for?” He was obviously seething.
Chloé shrugged. “I’ve no idea. I did wonder if he might leave everything to Tyler – Uncle probably felt that he was like a son to him, and he does know how to run the place.” She chewed the inside of her cheek thoughtfully.
Bill looked shocked. “You mean – you’re not going to contest it? He’s not even family.”
Chloé shook her head. “No, it was Uncle John’s ranch and he can do what he likes with it. He even left Tyler the house over there. Not that it would be of any use to anyone but the foreman anyway.”
She took another sip of her coffee, surprised to see how outraged Bill appeared.
“But it’s not right. You need to check into the deeds of that house. See if your uncle left him the land it stands on – you might be able to claim some sort of rent for the plot if nothing else. And you can charge him a good amount if he wants to keep the animals here, too. My guess is it would be too much of an upheaval for him to move them to another ranch, especially as his house is here – you can charge him a small fortune.” Bill was obviously thinking fast and Chloé had a hard time keeping up with him.
“Of course, you’ll make good money out of the hay,” he went on, frowning thoughtfully.
“But we use everything we grow for the horses,” she protested.
Bill snorted. “You’ve only got one horse to worry about, remember? If Brannagh wants the rest of it for his horses he’ll have to pay you for it.”
Chloé stared at him in disbelief. “I can’t do that. He’s responsible for growing the hay in the first place.”
“He was responsible for it when your uncle was employing him. If he wants to keep his horses here he needs to pay for their keep. And don’t forget the cattle are his now, too. You don’t need to hire cowboys anymore, Chloé. All you need now are a few farm-hands to tend the land. You’ll soon be raking in the cash and reducing your outgoings considerably. No, I think maybe your old uncle did you a favor there.” He took a long swig of his coffee, while Chloé tried to take it all in.
“I don’t know. I’m sure Uncle John wouldn’t want me making money from Tyler.” She shook her head.
She frowned.
Bill stretched his hand across the table and placed it over hers. She looked up at him in surprise.
“Look,” he said quietly. “I know this is all a bit too much for you, isn’t it? All you wanted to do was tie up any loose ends down here and head back to your life in the city. I understand that. Why don’t I make it easier for you? You could sell the ranch to this guy I know, take the money and get back to normality? No more worrying about how to get money to pay for the place’s upkeep, or how to cultivate the land that’s been dumped on you. I know this place must be causing you one almighty headache, so why not walk away from it? I’d get you a good price for a quick sale and you can get back to your new life? Why not have a think on it, eh?”
He stroked her hand and she felt his warmth. She knew his contact had been interested in buying the place when he thought she would inherit it all, and was actually surprised he was still interested in just part of it.
At first she had thought that Bill might have wanted the ranch for himself, but he seemed quite genuine today, and he certainly had a good head for business. Although she was good at her job in accounts, and could probably manage the ranch’s books without any difficulty, it was the moral issues which bothered her.
How could she expect Tyler Brannagh to pay for the hay which he had grown himself? Could she really charge him for the use of the ranch to take care of the animals? And what about the staff? How could Tyler afford to keep them all on? She hated the thought of people losing their jobs because of her. She sighed. It was all so complicated.
“Look, sweetheart. I know it’s a lot to take in. Heck, I’ll bet you thought that Brannagh was being a good friend to your uncle, not wheedling half the ranch out of him. If I were you the first thing I’d do is fire the conniving little shit – you don’t need the likes of him around.” Bill squeezed her hand gently.
Chloe's Christmas Cowboy: A Festive Second Chance Romance Page 3