“Tell me about it. There’s a celebration going on every week. You know how far I have to park from the newspaper when there’s an event on Main Street?”
“Yes, but you can catch the shuttle they provide when they block off parts of the town,” he countered. “What is it about this town that bothers you so much?”
“Who says anything bothers me?”
“It’s the vibe you give off. It screams ‘this place is just a temporary stop in my life.’”
“You couldn’t be more wrong.”
He gave her a look.
“Fine. Maybe you have a point.” She bit her lip. “I am trying to figure some things out. My personal life imploded, and my career is going nowhere.”
“Does the personal implosion have something to do with the ex-boyfriend?”
“Yes.” She sighed. “Then a major online news outlet I freelanced for went up in smoke.”
“But you found work at the Harper’s Gazette.”
“Yes, but it’s not a major news outlet.”
“Excuse me, I’ll have you know that Mayor Grayson’s luau fundraiser to get a hot tub in city hall was pretty damn important news.”
She snorted, then covered her mouth. “I can’t believe he actually made his goal.”
He laughed too. “Grayson has a way of convincing people to do things.”
“Yeah. Mayor Grayson seems to have won Ralph over.”
“Ralph is community oriented. You’ll find that out the longer you work for him.” He took a bite out of his sandwich. “I read your article on the fire. It was good. Precise coverage. It was a nice touch mentioning some of the people’s names you interviewed and how much they love Angela. They will get a kick out of that.”
“Everyone is an open book around here except you.”
“I don’t find myself to be interesting.”
“Says the man who’s led a very interesting life. What made you want to be a Navy SEAL?”
“Besides being a world-renowned, badass branch of the military?”
“I don’t think you put yourself through rigorous training and in constant danger on secret missions just to show everyone how badass you were.”
He laughed. “Well, it did come with a free tattoo.”
“If you were a glory hound, I’d be OK with the typical testosterone-riddled answer you just gave. But a man who doesn’t want any attention for a good deed done in his community would not join an elite force for the glory.”
He was about to reply when two women on horses riding along the fence began waving at him. It was Aubrey and her friend Bethany.
“Hi Austin!” The two young ladies rode over to them and dismounted their horses.
“Ladies.” He stood. “How’s it going?”
“We heard what happened last night and wanted to make sure everything was OK,” Aubrey said. “We stopped by your office and they said you were out and about overseeing repairs.”
He gave Aubrey a stern, yet affectionate look. “I heard you called Parker and told her what happened. Logan chewed me out good for not calling him and giving him a firsthand account.”
“Sorry about that.” Aubrey gave him a shy smile. “Parker and I were on the phone planning Riley’s birthday party and I just had to tell her. She just happened to be at the ranch while we were talking. Thank heavens you’re OK. Do you forgive me?”
“Of course. How could I ever be mad with you?” He motioned to Savannah. “I’d like you to meet Savannah Brewster. She’s a reporter for the Gazette.”
“Hi, there.” Both ladies waved.
“Savannah, this is Aubrey and her roommate Bethany. They are college students.”
“Nice to meet you ladies.” Savannah smiled.
“I heard you were doing a story on Austin. Cool,” Aubrey said. “He’s the real deal.”
“I think what you did was really awesome and heroic,” Bethany gushed. “I can’t believe Mark will be doing things like that for a living. I hate that he wants to be a firefighter.”
“Mark will be just fine. He’ll have the training and the proper equipment and he won’t do something as foolhardy as I did.”
“I’m just happy you’re OK.” Aubrey gave him a hug.
“Me too.” Bethany slid between them and squeezed him.
“You two enjoy the rest of your ride,” he said. “Aubrey, I’ll see you at dinner next weekend.”
They watched as the ladies mounted their horses and went back to the trail. He could see the wheels in Savannah’s mind moving again, as if she were trying to figure out his relationship to the two young women. Her knitted brow said she thought something was suspicious, and that rubbed him the wrong way. How could she think he’d date someone so young? Was her opinion of him that low? He turned to her to call her out, but she spoke first.
“More members of your fan club?”
“I have gray hairs older than those girls. Not only is Aubrey my friend Alex’s occasional babysitter and his brother Theo’s girlfriend, but she’s also Riley Sloane’s sister. The quarterback for—”
“I know who Riley Sloane is; I don’t live in a cave.” She smiled. “Seems like you and Aubrey’s lives were meant to intersect.”
“She’s a sweet kid. I think of her as a little sister.”
“It shows.” Savannah’s face softened. “I apologize if I seemed to imply you have any nefarious intentions with every woman you know.”
“If you’re going to work on this article. You have to keep an open mind. I already have one woman complaining about me on the radio. I don’t need another hit piece.”
“You’re right. I promised you responsible journalism, and you’ll get it with me.” She wiped her hand with her napkin and extended it for a shake. “You have my word.”
He shook her hand. “I’ll hold you to it.”
* * *
Savannah knew she should’ve probably finished the interview and taken off hours ago, but she was having such a good time at the ranch. After lunch, they arrived back at the main stable building and headed for his office. No surprise, it was a spacious suite with leather couches, a big desk with a connecting full bath and a kitchenette. He went over to the kitchenette area, opened a tin, and offered her a chocolate chip cookie.
“No, thanks.”
“You sure? They’re really good.” He broke one in half. “I’ll share it with you if you don’t want the whole thing.”
“Just one.” She took a bite of the gooey cookie.
A blonde-haired little girl dressed in a blazer, riding boots and helmet came running into the office with an envelope in her hand. “Austin!”
“Hi, Carly. You were looking good out there today in the arena. I see you worked out the issues with getting Comet to get his hind legs up for those taller jumps.”
“Yes. We’re getting much better at that.” The little girl blushed. “This is for you.”
“Thank you.” He opened the envelope. It was a five-dollar bill. “Hold on, let me get you a receipt.”
Savannah watched as Austin retrieved a big leather binder from his desk drawer. He quickly scribbled on a receipt, signed it, and handed it over to the girl.
She lunged at him and threw her arms around his neck. “I’m glad you didn’t get hurt rescuing Angela from the fire.”
“I was extra careful because I didn’t want to be cooped up in some hospital for your big competition coming up.”
The girl smiled. “See you next week.”
“I’ll be here,” he replied.
Savannah watched the little girl scurry back out. As soon as she was out of earshot, she had to ask. “What’s the five dollars for?”
“Boarding fees.”
“Do you operate on a sliding scale fee?” She raised an eyebrow. “You charge according to your height?”
“Carly inherited Comet from her grandfather who passed away last year. Her family can’t afford the monthly boarding fees and upkeep, so they came to me asking if I could help them sell the horse.
I couldn’t, in good conscience, help her sell off the one thing her grandpa wanted her to have. I offered to board and feed the horse for free but her parents thought it was important that she know responsibility. So five dollars a month seemed fair.”
“That was very nice.” She smiled and continued to munch on the fancy cookie.
“It was nothing.”
“No, it was definitely something. Especially to Carly. She gets to keep the last present her grandfather gave her thanks to you.”
He shrugged, as if not wanting to make a big deal about it. “You want to go check on Sweet Sadie with me?” He pointed at her face. “You have a little chocolate chip on your lip.”
“Oh my gosh.” She covered her mouth with her hand and picked up a napkin. “How long has it been there?”
He laughed. “Just a few minutes.”
“Jerk.” She dug into her purse for her compact.
Austin rounded the desk, sat on the edge, and took the napkin from her. “Let me get that for you.”
She stilled as Austin took his time gently wiping her face with the napkin. Her heart sped up as he made each slow, deliberate stroke to her face. She looked into his eyes through her long lashes and saw a flash that resembled lightning striking in the air. The air was thick and electric; his cologne was a mix of sandalwood and sex appeal.
“Am I interrupting something?” a cold voice said from the direction of the door.
She looked toward the door to discover the voice belonged to Lucinda. She was looking perfectly coiffed, with her face painted like her billboard photo. She looked too dressed up to be going for a ride. The scarlet blouse with the plunging neckline didn’t seem practical. The jeans she wore were so tight Savannah was pretty sure she couldn’t ride a horse comfortably in them. But by the way she was looking at Austin, it didn’t look like riding a horse was on her mind. And by the way Austin tensed, he didn’t look happy to see her. If he were such a heartless cad like Lucinda claimed, then why was she standing there with a gift in her hand?
“Lucinda.” Austin scratched at his temple. “What brings you by?”
“Hey, handsome.” Lucinda walked over and handed him the gift bag. “I stopped by to see how you were doing. I heard you were released from the hospital Friday night. Sorry I didn’t get here sooner, but I had a big station marketing event over in Talligan Falls. It got national coverage, so I couldn’t miss it.”
“Thanks for the concern, but there was no need. I’m fine.” He motioned to Savannah. “You know Savannah Brewster? She works at the Gazette.”
Lucinda gave her a once-over. “No, we’ve never met.”
“Yes, we have.”
“Oh right. You’re the junior cub reporter Ralph hired.” She put her hand on her hip. “You were the one who worked for that radical digital paper. The one that went bankrupt after that bad scandal?”
Wow. So much for not recognizing her. Little miss perfect had come out swinging.
“Yes.” Savannah’s jaw ticked. “And I’m just a reporter, no junior or cub on that title. We attended the tri-country journalism conference together three months ago.”
“I was on the panel as a special guest. I didn’t get a good look at everyone who attended.”
“I asked the question about the lack of coverage on the attempt to tear down the old movie theater, which is a historical monument, without a town vote. You said you didn’t think it was relevant.”
“It’s not. It wasn’t a national treasure at the time, and it was a bit of an eyesore.”
“It’s not relevant to the rich people in this town. But everyone else felt it was a big deal. It was part of history for the people who hadn’t flocked here the last fifteen years.”
“That space could’ve been a trendy eatery or a coffeehouse.”
“We have two coffeehouses already in this town. If you ask me, the nouveau riche drink too much caffeine.”
“It’s an atmosphere thing. I don’t suppose you’d get it.”
“I understand posturing,” Savannah fired back. “Lucky for us, Ralph wrote that rousing article that stirred up the public and caught the attention of the council members.”
“So Lucinda,” Austin said rather loudly. “What are you doing here?”
“I wanted to take you out to dinner. Or we could stay in.” Lucinda flashed a sexy smile.
“I’m afraid I’m busy. We were just going to check on one of my mares.”
“Don’t you have vets that tend to the sick ones?”
“Yes, but that’s not the point. I have an interest in all the animals on the ranch.”
“Was this the same mare that had you running out of my house?”
Savannah picked up her purse. “Wow. Look at the time. I had no idea it was so late. I have to go.”
Austin frowned. “No, don’t go.”
“I have to I told my sitter I’d be home by the afternoon.”
“Sitter?” Austin furrowed his eyebrows. “I didn’t know you had kids. I wouldn’t have kept you all day.”
“Kid.” She waved her hand. “It’s OK. It was my job to ask the questions today.”
“Since we’re not done, I guess I’ll be seeing you tomorrow then?”
“I’ll call and make an appointment. I wouldn’t want to just drop by and interrupt you.” She glanced over at Lucinda. “I hear that’s considered rude.”
“That’s very considerate of you,” he said gravely. “I tell you, good manners are a dying art form these days.”
“I know. Civilization is falling apart. We have all this technology but we humans still keep miscommunicating.”
“Let me be clear in my communications then,” Austin said with a smile. “You have a standing invitation. Drop by whenever you want.”
She wished she could take a photo of the look on Lucinda’s face. She looked like a toddler who’d just been told Santa wasn’t real. But the real photographic moment was that smile on Austin’s face.
“Thanks,” she said. “And I think I’ve learned a lot about you today.”
“Oh really?”
“Yes. It’s not your cologne.” She walked out of the office.
Leaving Austin there with Lucinda felt like leaving a baby gazelle with a lion. But she was sure he could hold his own. He didn’t seem like the type of man who’d let anyone dominate him. He was the type that took the reins and did the driving, and the woman who was lucky enough to have him wouldn’t complain one bit.
Once she finally made it back to her car, she connected her phone via Blue Tooth and surfed through the songs on her music app through the car’s radio display for something high octane to get Lucinda’s bitchy tone out of her head. “Tighten Up” by the Black Keys blared as she headed home.
She tried to wrap her head around the day’s events and the work on the ranch. Austin was as simple as he was complex. A former Navy SEAL who was the son of a billionaire but was also a man who had rejected all the trappings of a rich, elite life. He’d made it on his own. She knew the feeling. Being Clare Brewster’s daughter sometimes seemed more like a curse than a blessing. She liked that the town had no idea who her mother was because, like Austin, she was forging her own identity.
A little while later, she pulled into her driveway and cut the engine, feeling like today had been a success. She unlocked her door, humming to herself as she headed for the kitchen. Not only had she learned something about Austin, but she’d learned more than she wanted to about Lucinda. Clearly the woman was poised to attack anyone she thought Austin may be interested in. Did Lucinda see her as competition? OK, she had walked in on what looked like an intimate moment, but there was no call to be jealous.
The doorbell rang. She went over and opened the door. It was her neighbor Enya with Savannah’s dog Blue.
“Blue! How’s my boy?” She scratched under his chin. “Did you have a good time today?”
The dog echoed her sentiments by jumping up on his hind legs and licking her face.
“I missed you
too.” She turned to Enya. “Thanks so much for watching him. Did he behave at the dog park?”
“He was great.” Enya gave her the dog’s leash.
“Good. Thanks so much.” She went over to her purse and took out a couple of twenty dollar bills. “I have an assignment, so I may need you to walk him more often.”
“Not a problem. I will add him to my schedule. Just text me the dates and times.”
“Thanks.” She gave her the money and showed her out. Then she padded into the kitchen to get them both some water. She opened the bottled water and poured it into his dish. “Blue, this new assignment is going to be more of a challenge than I thought. So you will be seeing more of Enya. I’ll take that tail wagging as a sign you’d like that.”
The doorbell rang again. Enya must have forgotten to tell her something. She hurried through the house and opened the door. This time it was Levi.
“Levi.” Her tone was cold.
“I was in the neighborhood and thought I’d stop by.” He stooped down when Blue jumped on him. “Hey, Blue. How’s my big boy? I see you’ve put on the weight your momma lost.”
“Really? You’re body shaming our dog?”
“No. I was just making an observation. Are you sure he hasn’t been depressed since I moved out?”
On the contrary, the golden retriever was as happy and spry as he’d ever been. The absence of Levi’s toxic, me-first energy had lightened the atmosphere of her house. “Animals, like children, bounce back fast. But if I ever have to send him to a dog whisperer, I’ll send you a bill.”
“Ha ha. Do we always have to argue like this?”
“You’re right. Come on in.” She stepped back to let him into the house. “Actually, I’m glad you stopped by. I did some tidying up last weekend and I found a few of your things.” She went over to the hall closet and retrieved a box. “Here’s your U Mass T-shirt, a pair of cargo pants, and your tennis racket.”
He looked around. “Thanks. I see you’ve done some decorating. Treadmill is new.”
“Yep.”
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