The Cowboy In Me (Wild At Heart Cowboys Book 2)

by Charlene Bright

  He scoffed. “Brandt is an idiot. He’s a snot-nosed little kid who threatened me when I told him to get out of my office.”

  “I do apologize for that, Chief. If it makes you feel any better, Mr. Brandt has been placed on a leave of absence until matters are settled.” She beamed at him, showing a line of brilliant white teeth. “I promise you, I have no intention of leveling threats or being forceful in any way. As I see it, there is no need, since the offer speaks for itself.”

  Ryder leaned forward, his arms on the desk, and narrowed his eyes at her. “What makes you think I or any of the other ranchers in Five Forks is going to change our minds? Brandt came in here throwing big numbers around, and I wasn’t interested in his money.”

  “I see.” Her smile faltered slightly, but he wouldn’t have noticed if he hadn’t been fixated on those lips of hers. She recovered quickly and showed little weakness. He assumed that was how she’d managed to land herself a job at a big, snooty law firm out east. “The offer I’ve brought involves more than just money, Chief, and I only ask that you hear me out in full and sleep on it before you make a decision.”

  She was good, and she was probably used to men falling at her feet. Ryder knew the type. She used her feminine wiles to distract people so they ended up blindly agreeing to whatever she proposed. Ryder, however, had no intention of acting like an ignorant fool who was starved for sex or the attention of a woman. But if it made her feel important, he’d let her say her piece. And then he’d dress her down like any man, since that was the world she apparently wanted to live in.

  “Go ahead, Miss Halston. Do your worst.”

  A small laugh bubbled out of her, and it surprised him. He would have expected some fake chuckle, but this was real, mirthful. He didn’t think he’d said anything particularly funny, but apparently she found his comment amusing. “I’d rather put my best foot forward, but all right.” She opened the folder but didn’t look down at the pages inside. “The contract I’m authorized to offer includes the purchase of your land at market value plus twenty percent, the purchase of all livestock at equivalent to twenty-five percent over market value, the cost of labor to harvest all crops at the end of the season as well as direct purchase of said crops for fifteen percent over market value at the time of harvest, complete reimbursement for any and all costs incurred for relocation, an additional fifty thousand dollars for a down payment on new property or housing, and nine months in which to settle affairs and move from the property, which means that you have until the end of November to seek out new residency.”

  She paused and then added, “I understand there are some insurance claims due to a recent fire that damaged some of the ranches. In order to make things easier for everyone without involving insurance companies and having rates raised, my client is prepared to pay double the amount of each claim. It doesn’t appear you have a claim, since your ranch doesn’t back up to Forks Forest, but I thought you’d like to know just how generous my client is willing to be to acquire this land.”

  Ryder was astounded, but it also raised suspicions for him. How closely had Fillmore Investments been watching their community to know about the fire and the claims? He had assumed that, when that little weasel had left town, the corporation had given up. He hadn’t expected to hear from them again. He’d underestimated their determination to buy out the entire town.

  And that reminded him of Brandt’s threat, which made him think twice about the fire itself. It seemed awfully coincidental that, less than a month after the entire community had turned the corporate giant down flat, a fire broke out and now, barely a week after that fire, they’d sent an attorney with a new offer. Nobody was screwed up enough to set that fire to motivate the ranchers to leave, were they?

  After meeting Brandt, he wasn’t going to make any guarantees.

  “Miss Halston, how is it that your client came by the knowledge that our community had suffered fire damage?”

  “It’s a matter of public record, Chief. You filed the notice yourself with the Department of Forestry. It’s common practice for investors to fully research the property they wish to acquire. It makes perfect sense that Fillmore Investments would have been disturbed at the possibility of the property in which they want to invest being damaged.” She didn’t sound the least bit concerned or guilty.

  That didn’t mean anything. She was just a representative. Amanda Halston didn’t know every move her client made. She might know nothing about it, or she might believe that the ends justified the means. Hell, she might just be a good actress.

  “You don’t find it odd that your client finally took no for an answer and then sent you in with guns blazing after seven families I respect nearly lost their land in a fire?”

  She tilted her head, as if considering what he might be insinuating. He smirked. “Let me clarify it for you. It seems suspicious to me. We haven’t had a forest fire this large in sixteen years. And these are some of the largest claims our ranchers have had for the insurance companies. One of my friends almost lost his dog in the fire. Now, Brandt threatened me before he left town, and I find it too convenient for your client that some of our ranchers might be thinking twice about the safety of their livelihood.”

  “Are you trying to say that Fillmore Investments caused the fire? That would be arson, at the very least, Chief. Maybe you should consider the allegations you’re insinuating.” She looked truly disturbed and more than a little flustered. Good. Ryder wanted to get under her skin.

  His temper was rising steadily, and he didn’t care that he was facing a pretty woman rather than some burly man or skulking little boy. “Miss Halston, I appreciate your attempt at seducing me with such a lucrative offer. But I’m going to have to decline. You have not piqued my interest in selling my family’s land, though you have raised questions about your client’s integrity. Rest assured, the investigation into the fire isn’t closed, and now that I have suspicions about Fillmore Investments being involved, I’ll be looking more closely at the cause of the fire.”

  Amanda pressed her lips into a tight, thin line, the only sign that she was at all irritated. “Those suspicions of yours border on paranoia, Chief. Natural disasters happen, and you can’t blame someone simply because you’re offended by their attempt to compensate you for an acquisition they could easily make with a government court order.”

  Ryder saw red. “Are you talking about imminent domain? Because if you are, I will call every senator and representative in the state, and I’ll call every news station from coast to coast and border to border to spread the word that Fillmore Investments and Buster and Buffoon or whatever your law firm calls itself are shady bastards who want to rip away a hundred years of blood, sweat, and tears from good people.”

  Amanda was on her feet, a look of righteous indignation on her face. “I hope you don’t think I would represent a client with such underhanded practices. I take offense to your insinuation that I could consciously involve myself in that sort of scandal. For your information, my career is the most important thing in my life, and I refuse to compromise that for one client with questionable integrity. I’ve done my homework as well, Chief, and I think you should be careful not to point a finger at me.”

  Even when she lost her cool, she was well spoken, and that pissed Ryder off even more. And her accent became more pronounced. But Ryder stood to meet her challenge. “We’ll see, Miss Halston. If you didn’t have a part in this, that’s all fine and good. But if the company is responsible and you knew about it, I’ll roast you on a spit like a portly hog. Now, if you’ll excuse me, I have work to do, and another task just landed on my desk with your visit.”

  She jerked her coat on, shoved the folder in the briefcase, and squared her shoulders. “While you’re considering a ridiculous scheme to scare the people of Five Forks into selling their ranches, you should also consider the opportunity for a fresh start with far more equity, Chief. Maybe you’ll make the right decision in the end. Good day.” She pivoted on her heel an
d strode out the door and down the hall without stopping.

  Ryder kicked his desk and bit back a scream as his toe throbbed. But at least it distracted him from watching the sway of her hips as she left the building.

  5

  Amanda marched back to her car, part of her wishing she had driven because she didn’t like people staring at her and the other part glad she hadn’t because the long walk would help her blow off some steam. It also made her toes start to blister, providing a distraction. This should have been easy, but now she realized she was going to have more issues than she’d planned for.

  She winced as she finally reached her BMW, glancing at the diner and appalled at her own behavior. She shouldn’t have been so brazen, especially without verifying the subject at which her behavior was directed. Ryder Sieverson probably thought of her as a big joke now, and he’d spread the story of the woman who had blatantly made eyes at him and then come in like some professional to offer a package to acquire his property. She’d made it impossible for anyone to take her seriously.

  Worse than that, however, was the fact that Parker Brandt had apparently failed to maintain a sense of propriety and had instead given the fire chief every reason to be suspicion of an act that Amanda couldn’t see her client making. Amanda had played it off well, but she knew that, put in Sieverson’s position, she would have the same concerns. She couldn’t blame him for that. She would have to call Brandt and find out exactly what he had said to rile the fire chief, and then she might have to consider the possibility that Sieverson was, in fact, correct and the investment firm was guilty of a heinous crime.

  If that was true, she had a career to think about, and she doubted the rest of her firm wanted to continue representing Fillmore. There would be damage control, and Amanda only hoped that, on the off chance that was the case, she could spin the situation to turn herself into a hero who saved a small town and the law firm’s reputation, which would guarantee her the partnership.

  But it wouldn’t come to that. Amanda had a sense about these things.

  First, though, she needed to find accommodations. She hadn’t realized how far from Cheyenne she would be when she arrived in the small-time village, and when she’d discovered it was a two-hour drive at the nearest edges of the city, Amanda had cancelled her reservations. She’d intended to stay only one night, and now, she was certain it would take longer. That was fine, but she needed to be here, in town, to work this to her advantage.

  Not wanting to stop anywhere else, Amanda stepped back into the diner, finding it packed with patrons, and the waitress gave her a curious look before motioning for her to wait. There obviously wasn’t anywhere to sit anyway, so Amanda stood, tapping her foot impatiently and trying to look unaffected.

  “Did you forget something, Miss, or did you come back for a slice of pie?” the waitress asked, in a hurry and glancing at her tables.

  “Neither, thank you. I just wanted to ask where I might find a room for the night. Or maybe two.” She offered the most genuine smile she could muster, still enraged.

  “Well, there’s a motel about five miles east of town. They usually have a room open, but between you and me, they don’t like Yanks.”

  “Yanks?” Amanda quirked a brow.

  The girl blushed. “Sorry. You know, people from the northeast.”

  Yankees. Great. Her Northeastern accent was going to get her shunned. “I see.”

  “Yeah, they overcharge. But there’s a bed and breakfast just down the block. Prices are real reasonable, and it includes three meals a day.”

  “That’s perfect. Where can I find it?”

  “Go that way.” She pointed the opposite direction from the fire station. “When you come to the stop sign, make a left, and it’s the second building on the right.”

  Amanda smiled. “Thank you for all your help.” She left feeling the day wearing on her already, and it wasn’t even halfway through. Of course, at home, it was nearing four o’clock, and she was jetlagged. That accounted for some of her weariness. But if she was honest, her encounter with Ryder Sieverson had taken a lot out of her. It didn’t help that she’d made a royal fool of herself and then confronted him without all the facts. That was a rookie mistake, and she’d been practicing law for four years now. Six, if she counted her time as an intern through the last two years of law school. She knew better than that.

  She drove slowly, looking around again. Most of the shops and eateries were probably family owned and operated in a place like this, and she wondered how many of the businesses belonged to the ranchers. She had a long list of properties she was supposed to acquire, and the plan had been to lure Sieverson in and use his influence to pull the rest in with a bulk signature. Now, she considered that there might be others in the community with the clout to rustle up the same enthusiasm.

  To her delight, she noticed a coffee shop just before she reached the intersection with the stop sign, and she realized what she needed was an infusion of caffeine. She whipped into a parking space and hurried inside. The pick-me-up would do her some good, and she could perhaps ask about the business owners.

  There was a pretty young woman with dark waves and mossy green eyes talking animatedly to the barista, and they both turned to look at Amanda as her heels announced her presence. Maybe she would be better off with flats or even boots since, from what she could see, they were the standard foot attire around here. “Hi, there,” the young woman greeted.

  “Good afternoon,” said the barista, his hair tied back so Amanda couldn’t tell just how far past his shoulders it hung. “Can I help you?”

  Everyone seemed to be polite, with the exception of the one man she needed to be congenial. She offered a tentative grin. “I need something strong. I had a long flight and a long drive this morning, and I’m lagging. Could I get a double shot of espresso with a single shot of vanilla, a single shot of creamer, and a packet of Stevia?”

  The barista blushed. “I have Splenda, if that’s all right.”

  And again, Amanda was reminded of how far from true civilization she really was. “That would be fine.” She turned to the young woman, taking note of the way her eyes danced and the ring on her finger glistened. “Congratulations,” she said. Her attention to detail always came in handy when she wanted to strike up friendly conversation.

  The woman looked at her hand and beamed. “Thanks. The wedding’s in two months, and I feel like I’m never going to get everything together in time. I can’t even get the guests to send in their RSVPs.” She held out a hand in greeting. “I’m Zoe.”

  Amanda took it. “Amanda. It’s lovely to meet you. And when it comes to these things, everything just starts to smooth out all at once, at the last minute. Who’s the lucky man?”

  Zoe’s cheeks flushed. “Noah Thomas. He’s the horse trainer around here. Are you from Cheyenne?”

  “No, I’m from Richmond. I’m only in town for a few days on business.” Amanda recognized the name and ran through her mental Rolodex of cards she’d filed on each of the landowners she was pursuing. Noah Thomas had filed a claim after the fire that included vet bills and must have been the friend Sieverson referenced. His had been one of the ranches suffering the least damage.

  Zoe looked amused. “Well, that’s unusual. We don’t get a lot of people coming into town from that far away, especially for business.” But now there was a certain hardness in her eyes that told Amanda she knew about Fillmore Investments and was adding it all up. She wouldn’t get anything out of this young lady. She would just have to try someone else later.

  “Trust me, I’m not used to small towns myself.” She paid for the drink the barista passed, including a decent tip, and said, “It was nice meeting you. Maybe I’ll see you again.”

  “You should stop by the art studio next door. That’s where I work. I’m sure you might find some interesting material to look at.”

  Amanda doubted that. She had the feeling Zoe wanted to get her alone in a space she was familiar with so she cou
ld give Amanda a piece of her mind. That seemed to be the way things worked around here. With caffeine in hand, she went back to the car and drove to the bed and breakfast. Five Forks Friendly Faces. What a name. Shaking her head, she prepared herself for more country bumpkins and quaint accommodations. At least she had her coffee and something to keep her busy for the next several hours.

  6

  Ryder hung up the phone a bit less furious than he had been fifteen minutes ago. He’d called in a favor with an old friend from high school who’d left Five Forks for Cheyenne and ended up working for the police force. He didn’t want to step on any toes, but the Sheriff’s department didn’t have any experts in arson, and his friend’s big-city unit did.

  It was going to take some time to get them down here, but Ryder was going to get a couple of experts to look at the damage from the fire. He’d taken measures to secure the area and cover what they could with tarps to preserve the scene, just in case there was something more to be done. Hopefully, these guys would be able to identify whether or not the fire had been started on purpose or by accident. That would answer the first question.

  From there, he’d be hard pressed to figure out how to pin it on the bastards at Fillmore. It was obvious that they would be behind any fire that was purposely set, but he had to have evidence to make a case. That was the hard part.

  But he was getting ahead of himself. Amanda Halston wasn’t going away anytime soon. He could see the fire in her eyes when she talked about her work and her integrity. The woman may have flirted with him, but she had pride and dignity. She’d obviously had no idea who he was at the diner. If she had, she would have either avoided eye contact then or confronted him on the spot. Then again, she could have played the coy card and come into his office all flirtatious and trying to seduce him.

  But it was almost like two completely different personalities. No, she hadn’t known who she was taunting at the diner, and she’d intended to come in here and win him over on merit alone. Ryder had to at least admire that. But other than the smoking hot body she had, there wasn’t a whole lot else for him to like. Amanda Halston had put herself in the position to be his arch nemesis, and he wasn’t going to play nice just because she didn’t have an extra appendage between her legs.