They left the shop in an awkward silence.
“Let’s see if we can make it home,” he said, when they reached the truck.
Chloé shook her head. If anyone could tackle Mile End Mountain in thick snow, it was Tyler Brannagh. She was just glad she wasn’t driving herself.
“You didn’t have to upset Maisie,” she pointed out as they began the steep ascent.
“I didn’t. You did, as I recall.” He was watching the road in front, concentrating hard.
“I didn’t say anything,” she told him, “it was you. Why would you do that? Is it because she’s my friend?”
He glanced over at her and she realized he was frowning hard. Thick snow covered the mountain and it was nearly impossible to decipher where the track was. No vehicles had passed that way since the deluge, and it was difficult to see as the wind blew the fresh snow toward them.
“Don’t be stupid,” he said, before turning his attention back to his driving.”Why would you think that?”
“Because you clearly don’t approve of me having any friends,” she said, not sure that she wanted to have this conversation while he handled such an arduous task.
He tutted, but said nothing.
Chloé felt it best to say nothing, too, given the circumstances, so they continued the journey in silence.
There were no other vehicles around, thank goodness, and Chloé wondered at one point if they were ever going to make it home. Tyler was a good driver, though, and managed to negotiate his way around the worst of the snow.
He looked as relieved as she was when they finally pulled up outside her house.
“Come in and get warmed up,” she urged him, desperate to get in front of the fire herself.
“I might have to leave the truck here for a while,” he said, getting out. The snow was still falling. Even if he only stopped for a quick coffee – which was her intention – it would take a couple of shovels to dig the wheels out afterward.
Tyler lit the fire while Chloé busied herself in the kitchen. She made some sandwiches to go with their coffee, remembering that they’d missed lunch. Tyler was kneeling on the hearth stoking the fire when she went through to the sitting room. It was getting dark already, and the amber light of the flames shrouded his face in a warm glow. She sighed at the lovely sight.
“Hey, food.” He looked up with a smile. “You didn’t have to do that.”
She put the tray on the small table and sat in the armchair. “We were out much longer than I expected,” she told him.
He slowly slid onto the sofa, his whole body slinking like an elegant panther. “Did you get what you wanted?” He raised an eyebrow in question and her stomach lurched at the sight. She wondered if he was aware just how sexy he looked when he did that.
She shook her head, averting her eyes to the fire. “I don’t know,” she admitted.
“You don’t have to make any rash decisions,” he said, gently. “Take your time. You’ve got a lot to cope with. And besides, it’s Christmas.”
She gaped at him as he took a bite of his ham sandwich. “That’s the trouble, everywhere’s shutting down for the holidays. Don’t these people realize that life still goes on? Businesses can’t all close down just because...”
“Because it’s Christmas?” Even in the dim light she could see his jaw clench. “Well, you’ve certainly changed your tune, Chloé Jenkins.” He turned to face her head-on. “I seem to recall you always being the first one to start hanging decorations and baking fruit cake and mince pies. This house used to smell of gingerbread and spices right up from Halloween to Christmas Day. You always maintained it was the best time of year, when everyone took a break and acknowledged how important the people around them were. I remember you berated your Uncle John one year because he went out to check on the cattle one more time before we all sat down to eat Christmas dinner. You told him work could wait; that Christmas only came once a year.”
She remembered that day only too well. It was the last year Aunt Brenda was with them for the big day. She’d been glad after the old lady passed away a couple of months later that they’d all been there for her last Christmas; that everyone had made it as wonderful as it could be.
A thud hit her stomach like a giant boulder and she sniffed. That was four Christmases ago. The house had been full of people and noise. The happiness of everyone around her had been palpable. Magical.
She had sat next to Tyler at the dinner table, laughing and joking. She knew then that she was falling in love with him, and longed for him to make a move on her. He was the perfect gentleman, though – the perfect everything.
“Hey, I didn’t mean to make you cry.” He was suddenly kneeling on the floor in front of her with a large, white handkerchief in his hand.
She hadn’t even realized that big tears had started dripping down her cheeks.
“I’m fine,” she said, sniffing hard as she took the hanky from him. She quickly wiped her face.
“I shouldn’t have said that. It’s none of my business,” he said softly, stroking her arm.
Tingles ran through her at his touch. A touch she’d yearned after for years. But not now, not after everything he’d done. She quickly stood.
“It’s getting late,” she said, switching on the overhead light.
He stood up. “Adam should have gone home hours ago, but I’ll go check on the horses.”
She nodded as he made his way to the hallway. Then he turned back, biting his lip.
“Talking of which,” he said, a little warily. “I’ll need to talk to him soon about his job here. If you decide to stay and rent the land out to me I’ll need to keep him on, I really need the extra pair of hands. But it’s your ranch. At the moment he works for you.”
She sighed. “If I stayed I’d need him to take care of Thunder.”
He nodded slowly. “Maybe we could come to some sort of compromise where he works for both of us. Just kept doing the job he does now, but with two bosses. Would you be happy to split his wages? I’d pay the lion’s share, of course.”
“Yep, that could work,” she said, thoughtfully.
“Great, I’ll speak to him tomorrow. At least it’ll give him some hope. He doesn’t need to be worrying about his job right over Christmas.” Tyler put his hat on. “Yell if you need anything. I’ll see you tomorrow.” He opened the door and smiled at her.
“Okay, thanks for the ride today.”
She watched him swagger toward the stables. He sure had a fine ass. Luckily the snow had stopped but it looked really deep. She felt sorry for the horses being out on a night like this; at least they should be warm enough in the stables. It was good that she could rely on Tyler to look after Thunder.
Closing the door, a thought suddenly crossed her mind. What would happen to Thunder if she sold up and went back to Atlanta?
CHAPTER EIGHT
Chloé felt like crying all over again. The bank manager had been very optimistic about Tyler’s ability to keep the ranch running, but there was no way he could pay her for the land, despite his claims that he’d manage. Besides, it wouldn’t feel right charging him.
She was mulling it over in the kitchen when a knock at the door startled her. Was there a problem with the horses? She rushed to the door and pulled it open, fully expecting to see Tyler, but it wasn’t him.
“Evening sweetheart.” It was Bill. “Thought you might like to join me for some beef stew. It’s just finished cooking, so we can eat straight away if you’re hungry?” He held a large pot up to her and she gaped at him, her heart pumping hard. He frowned. “Is everything okay?”
“Yes... yes, of course.” She came to her senses and stood back to let him in.
Bill needed no invitation; he brushed past her and headed straight for the kitchen. He was already fetching dishes from the cupboard when she joined him. Then he rattled about in a drawer to find a serving spoon and plated up the supper.
“You wanna eat in here or by the fire?” he asked.
It made sense to sit in the warmth, but she was concerned that he would make himself too comfortable if they did so she settled for the kitchen table.
“What did the bank manager say?” Bill wasted no time in cutting to the chase; they’d barely sat down.
“This smells delicious,” she said, picking up a fork. “Did you make it yourself?”
He frowned, clearly thrown. “Um... yeah.”
“It’s very kind of you, Bill, but you really don’t need to bring me food every night. I’ve actually been shopping today and stocked up.”
He gaped at her. “Stocked up? So... did it go well at the bank?”
She could see his concern. “Yes, it went quite well, actually.” She took another bite of beef. “This is lovely, by the way.”
Bill huffed. “Did he advise you to sell up?”
“No, he didn’t,” she said.
“What? He told you to rent the land out to Brannagh? The man’s a dumbass.” His lips tightened and he put his fork down in disgust.
“No, he didn’t actually say that.” She was enjoying making him sweat. “He just explained what my options were and told me I needed to make up my own mind.”
Bill swiped a hand through his short hair. “Good. He’s right. It’s your decision.”
“Yes.”
“And you’re a businesswoman so, of course, you can weigh up the pros and cons. It doesn’t take a rocket scientist to figure out the best option.” He picked up his fork and resumed his meal.
She said nothing, but continued to eat. The stew really was tasty and she was impressed that he had made it himself. Who knew he was such a good cook?
“So, what are your thoughts?” He was nothing if not tenacious.
“I’m not sure yet,” she admitted. “He thinks the ranch is making good money and should continue to do so if we keep going as we are.”
“But for you to rent the land to Brannagh is gonna cause you one big headache while you’re over in Atlanta.” He looked thoughtful. “I suppose I could become your manager, take care of the payments from Brannagh – or whoever else gets the land – and rent out this place at the same time. It makes sense as I’m right here.”
She stared at him, stunned. “I hadn’t even considered that.”
“Well you should. It’s a good job you’ve got me to advise you. I know it’s a hard time for you right now, but these things have to be dealt with straight away. You could sign the place over to me as your financial advisor and manager, and just forget about it. You’d get a healthy check every month and you can get on with your life. I think you’ll agree it’s the best solution, unless you want to just sell up and be done with it.” He seemed to have it all worked out.
“I don’t know if I want to let go of it all, though,” she admitted. “I mean, this is my home; where I grew up. It’s full of happy memories of my aunt and uncle and all the fun we had. I’d feel like I was turning my back on all that if I just sell up, or even just hand it over to you.” She pursed her lips.
“You’re getting sentimental again,” he said, with a condescending shake of the head. “It’s good to keep your memories in your head, but not in bricks and mortar. Besides, not all your memories of this place are good, are they? You have to remember the reason you left in the first place. That bastard made a complete fool of you, sweetheart. Everyone knows it. If you rent the land out to him you’re just making his life easy – is that what you want? Is that what he deserves after everything he put you through?” He frowned at her incredulously. “Brannagh made your life hell – that’s what you need to remember.”
That lump settled in her stomach for the umpteenth time today. She recalled how she’d felt being left stranded in the pouring rain outside the restaurant. Then how she’d discovered Lightning had died. Tyler had no right to dispose of her body before she’d even had chance to say goodbye. And now she was contemplating letting him rent her land and look after her other horse?
“Did you get an idea how much the land is worth?” Bill was studying her closely.
Her face burned and her eyes stung as she fought back tears. She nodded. “Much more than I expected. But Tyler can’t afford what he’s suggesting.”
“Then find someone who can, sweetheart. You owe it to yourself – to your aunt and uncle. They wouldn’t want to see you sell yourself short. John left you this land as your inheritance; he wanted you to profit from it, not give it away out of some false sense of obligation.”
She sniffed back a tear. “I hadn’t looked at it that way,” she admitted.
He came around to her side of the table and put an arm around her shoulder. “I can see how much all this is upsetting you, sweetheart. It might be much easier if you just take the money and get back to your life. After all, there’s nothing keeping you here, is there?”
More tears streamed down her face as the truth of his words hit her. The only things she had now were memories, and they were in her heart, not in this run-down house.
“Leave everything to me. I promised your uncle I’d look after you, and that’s exactly what I intend to do,” he said soothingly.
She stared up at him. “Really? But you hardly knew me.”
He smiled. It wasn’t as warm as when Tyler smiled, and she felt her stomach lurch at the thought.
“My dad was a good friend of John’s,” he told her. “And during the past year I’ve sort of kept an eye on him for you. I know Brannagh was working for him, but somehow I got the impression he was just trying to inveigle his way into the old man’s will. Unfortunately, I was right.” He sighed. “But I didn’t have anything to gain from him. I was an impartial observer, if you will. John was getting old and needed a friend. I was there for him. Just as I’m here for you. Not to cheat you out of what’s yours, but to help and advise you the best way I can.” He was stroking her back, but it didn’t feel as comforting as it should.
“Thank you,” she said, wiping her face with Tyler’s handkerchief.
“No problem,” he assured her. “Now eat up; you’ve got some packing to do.”
She watched him go back to his seat and tuck in to the rest of his stew. Suddenly she’d lost her appetite. She toyed at the food with her fork.
“The snow’s stopped,” Bill went on. “I know it’s pretty thick out there but I’ll have no problem driving you down to the station in the morning. You’ll have to take the train back to Atlanta; I’ll take care of your car until the roads are passable and then I can bring it over to you, if you like. You’ll be able to manage without it for a few days, won’t you?”
She gaped at him, trying to compute what he was saying. He’d obviously put some thought into this, as he seemed to have every base covered.
“Tomorrow’s Christmas Eve,” she pointed out. Looking around the kitchen she thought of all the things she would normally be doing on Christmas Eve; last-minute baking, preparing vegetables for the morning, wrapping presents. She sighed. She hadn’t so much as hung up a sprig of holly this year.
“That’s all right, sweetheart. Some of the trains will still be running.” He smiled at her, finishing his meal. He looked at her plate. “Are you eating that?”
“I’m full. It was lovely,” she said, her mind whirling. She wasn’t concerned about whether or not the trains would be running – she was worried that it was Christmas Eve and the first year she hadn’t prepared for Christmas. She cleared away the plates and started to wash up.
Bill was tapping into his cell phone. “You can get a train at a quarter after eight,” he announced after a few minutes. “I’ll pick you up half an hour beforehand, give us plenty of time to get down the mountain and get you boarded. Do you want me to buy your ticket online? I can do it right now, save you the trouble.”
She shook her head in horror. This was all moving too fast; she hadn’t made any decisions about what she was going to do, but it seemed Bill had. “Not now. I’ll think on it some more first.”
He stood up quickly. “Think about what, swee
theart?” He was right next to her now.
She sighed, turning to face him. His eyebrows furled in puzzlement.
“I don’t know about going back tomorrow. I haven’t thought it through.”
“There’s nothing to think about,” he said, incredulously. “You don’t need to be holed up in this draughty old place anymore. I’ll take care of it all. All you need to do is get back home and make sure you keep that job. I’m sure your boss’ll be pleased when you tell him you’re available to work the next day.”
She stared at his blank expression in disbelief. “But that would be Christmas Day. The office will be shut for the holidays,” she reminded him.
He huffed. “I would have thought in the city they wouldn’t bother to close for the holidays. Surely it’s more important to keep the business running.” He shook his head, clearly disappointed.
“They’re allowed one day off.” She frowned at him. “Most of the people who work for the firm have families. Lots have children. They’d want to spend Christmas with them, not at work. Besides, all our clients will be taking the day off. We don’t need to be open.”
She gulped, recalling her protestations earlier when she was talking to Tyler. She was appalled that the local real estate agent would be closing early tomorrow for the holidays. It hadn’t occurred to her back then that it was important for them to be around for their families at this time of year, not working all the time.
She bit her lip in shame. How could she have been so insensitive? So selfish? Tyler was right; she’d been sore at Uncle John for not being with the family for a few minutes while he checked on the animals that Christmas, and yet here she was expecting the local business to remain open, despite the fact that they wouldn’t have any clients – they’d be too busy spending time with their families.
Since when did she have such double standards? She flushed with shame. Tyler was right; she’d changed – and not for the better.
Bill frowned. “I think you’ve been back here too long,” he said, shaking his head in that condescending manner that really got on her nerves. “You’ve started to think like these rednecks. You seem to have forgotten that you’re now a high-flying businesswoman working for a top accountancy firm in the city. You need to get back home and get your head back in gear, sweetheart. The sooner the better.”
Chloe's Christmas Cowboy: A Festive Second Chance Romance Page 7