The Bride's Cowboy

by Sophia Summers

  He brought warmed plates over to the table and motioned to the food also spread there. “I didn’t know if you were a big breakfast eater or just wanted to take a couple bites.”

  “So you made it all.” She reached for his hand, sitting across from her. “Thank you. This is awesome.”

  “You’re welcome. Now, let’s dig in. From what I gathered, we’ve both got busy days today.”

  Her stomach felt heavy again. “Yes, and important ones.”

  He eyed her, his face wrinkled in concern.

  But she looked away, placed the napkin on her lap, and said, “I was watching the news on my phone this morning, and they’re expecting the storm of the century around here. Maybe I should head out earlier than I planned.”

  His face a mask, he nodded. “Might be best. I was going to mention it later. Let’s talk tonight about what to do.”

  They ate breakfast, joking about their favorite memories of Thayer Falls, talking about what they’d been doing these past few years, and then he mentioned his mother. “She made this cake, every Sunday for us as kids.”

  “It’s delicious. So full of flavor, not dry. I don’t even want to know what’s in it.”

  His grin melted her insides. “You can eat whatever you like, I’d imagine, and still look stunning in that little number you had on last night.”

  Her face and neck heated. “Jed.”

  “I wouldn’t be a man if I didn’t think of it once in a while, or more like, every second of every waking moment.” He winked, and she laughed. He was ridiculous, part serious, part humorous, and she loved him for it.

  “Before I head into town, I’ve got to set some things in place to protect the livestock, to make sure the herd can shelter, and to watch our waterlines. I’ve got to wrap water spigots so they don’t freeze.”

  “Do you have ranch hands to help with this?”

  “I do.” He nodded. “But I like to double-check on cold nights like tonight will be. Besides, I like to haul hay sometimes; keeps me strong.”

  She admitted to herself she loved that he hauled hay. In fact, if she could figure out a way, she’d love to go watch him lift the huge bales.

  They separated, her taking the truck and her maps. She wrote notes as she drove along the perimeter of his place. Then she drove up along the parkland that bordered it and took a look at the piece that would completely cut off the property’s access to the public road. It was a beautiful piece of land, but no more beautiful than the areas to the east of west of it. The only purpose for snatching the neighboring land would be to obviously and completely cut off Jed in his property. Even if she didn’t know Jed, she wouldn’t feel comfortable doing this. Thankfully she’d come to see for herself. On paper, anyone checking her work would never be able to tell that the most beautiful and park-like land was either to the east or west and that this piece was actually an awkward seizure of someone’s livelihood.

  But why were they doing this? That’s what she needed to know. Why pick on the McAllisters? Or maybe someone didn’t have a vendetta against them, perhaps they had their own motives. After a full morning and partial afternoon of exploring land, marking pieces on the map, measuring and doing her own valuation of all different cuts of properties, she made her way into town. She’d heard they had a café to die for, and she wanted to get a feel for the people who lived here.

  The door dinged when she opened it, and the warmth, the smells, the smiles on the faces pulled her in immediately. She stepped up to the bar, sat on a stool, and a bright, red-faced woman took her order.

  “Now, you’re not from around here.” Her eyes, open and curious, made Anna smile.

  “I’m not. I’m here visiting, looking at some property and more than anything, enjoying the stunning scenery.”

  She poured Anna’s water. “There’s plenty to look at around here, I’ll give you that.” She stepped away, and Anna was again left to her own thoughts. She pulled out her paperwork, studying it. If she were to make a recommendation of her own, not just respond to one already made, she would have clumped an entirely different plot of land together. It didn’t make sense at all to sequester Jed’s land. He’d never move away. He wasn’t giving up, even if he had to bike in to live there. He’d helicopter, give up his cows, and keep the land until his dying breath. She shook her head. Synergy Group and whoever the client was didn’t know it, but they were trying to pressure the wrong man.

  Plenty of other pieces would increase the park size without messing with Jed. Something wasn’t making sense. There had to be a reason for their suspected seizure. After a couple hours, long after her food had been eaten, she still couldn’t get a handle on what was really going down.

  She wrote an email to Miles. “Who are the lobbyists involved in this case? I’m trying to make heads or tails of their requests, and I have about five better recommendations than the ones suggested.”

  Her email dinged right away in response. “Don’t mess with this one. Sometimes we don’t need the whole story.”

  She frowned. This was not how she worked. And it wasn’t why she’d wanted to work this job in the first place.

  An email from her airline showed up. They were cancelling her flight on Saturday, three days away. Apparently, the cold they expected was going to dip into deep, low negatives, and they wouldn’t be able to fly. She was encouraged to look at booking earlier or later flights, but to do so immediately because they expected everything to fill up quickly.

  She called Jed.

  He picked up on the first ring. “Hey, beautiful.”

  Her smile hijacked what she was about to say. “Hey, yourself.”

  “So, I know this great café.” The door dinged. “They make a great BLT.” His voice carried to her inside the café, and she whirled around.

  “You’re here.” She put her phone down.

  The waitress approached. “Remember how I said there was all kinds of good things to look at?” Her eyes indicated Jed, and she winked and then walked away.

  Anna laughed. “Well, come sit by me.”

  He joined her, his eyes sparkling in welcome, and her stomach responding in flips. “It’s good to see you.”

  He gave his order to the attentive waitress, all smiles and graciousness. The girl shrugged when Anna caught her eye.

  “I just got an email; the airline is cancelling all flights out this weekend because of extreme low temps. Who knew?”

  “Ah, I should have suspected. I’ve been getting all kinds of warnings and notifications about how to be safe in these situations.”

  “So, I need to reschedule. I can leave early, or wait it out. They aren’t sure when the cold temps will pass, but certainly by next weekend, everything should be fine.”

  His grin grew and grew.

  “What?”

  “Well, didn’t I just ask you to stay? You know my vote. You’re welcome here as long as you need or want.”

  “I admit that sounds amazing. I’d love to spend some more time in this beautiful place.” She toyed with her fork and then looked into his face. “With you.”

  His eyes met hers. Then he leaned in so close she felt his breath tickle her neck. “That was some kiss. Can’t get it out of my mind.” His lips found her neck, a quick reminder. “Or that outfit you had on. Maybe we can sit out the cold, wait for it to pass from inside the hot tub?” His eyes wiggled up and down in a ridiculous manner.

  But the idea sounded better than any other option. One idea worried her. If she didn’t get back, things might move forward against Jed’s property no matter what she said. She’d feel more comfortable if she was present, talking to her boss, making presentations to her clients in person. She didn’t feel like she could leave this up to anyone else, or Jed’s land might be trapped forever.

  “What is it? Do you need to get back?” His eyes held concern, his gaze searching hers.

  “I might need to get back. I’d better check flights, just to see the safest bet. The temperatures could drop as soon as t
his evening.”

  “Well now, that won’t do. But I understand. You do what you need to. And I’ll help in whatever ways I can.”

  They worked side by side, on their own stuff, papers spread around, for a little bit longer and then Jed stood. “Should we head back? I can type just as easily and in greater comfort sitting at my desk at home.” He reached out his hand for her to take. “And if you come, the view will be just as good.”

  She laughed. She would miss his constant cheesy compliments. They were starting to grow on her, especially when she began to suspect he was completely sincere. She’d never met anyone so artless. It was refreshing after all the lobbyists she was used to dealing with. She had an idea that perhaps Jed could help with her problem. “Hey, can you think of a reason someone would want this land for profit?”

  His eyes sharpened, and he didn’t answer right away, but his face took on a new guarded expression she’d never seen before. “I don’t know for sure. I’m betting people could think of a lot of ways to make money off the land around here.”

  She nodded, sorry she’d brought it up. The good rapport between them was too enjoyable to give up. She’d have to figure it out on her own.

  They drove separate cars back up to the property, and when she pulled to a stop, he was already at her door, opening it. His hand felt warm, inviting, smooth as always as he helped her out of the car, grabbed her bag, and walked at her side into the house.

  A handsome man stood in the doorway to welcome them.

  “Dad!”

  His warm expression smoothed out some wrinkles around the man’s eyes. “Son.” He turned to AnnaMae. “And who is our lovely houseguest?”

  “Where were you yesterday? And last night? And this morning?”

  “Just seeing to some things. New calf you know. And in all the cold that’s coming, I had to coax his mama down to the barn.”

  “Oh, is he here?” She’d love to go see him.

  “He’s open for visitors, any time.”

  “Dad, this is AnnaMae Caruthers. You might remember her family from Thayer Falls.”

  Jed’s dad reached a hand to shake hers. “I’m so happy to see you again. The little AnnaMae was something to remember in this family, and I see the grown version will be just so.”

  Her face heated, and as she shook his hand, she felt the warm welcome of family. “Thank you. I’m sorry about the passing of Mrs. McAllister.”

  His eyes held a hint of sadness. “Thank you. She was mighty special. When you find a woman like that, you wise up and keep her happy.”

  “Well, I was sorry to hear the news. Your whole family is remembered fondly in Thayer Falls.”

  He nodded. “Thank you. We enjoyed our time there. But when my Dad passed away, it came time for us to start our life up here.”

  “You have such a beautiful place. We rode out on it yesterday, and I have to agree with Jed. There’s something special. It touches you right here.” She held a hand to her heart.

  Jed and his father shared a look, and then Jed grabbed her hand. “We both have some work to do. You can join us if you like, Dad.”

  “I just might. First I’ll grab a bite with Aunt Julie in the kitchen.”

  When he’d left them, and they’d made their way to the table where they could work, she sighed. “Such a nice man.”

  “He is. He’s the best of men. I love this land for him as much as I do for me. I see him and my grandfather everywhere I look when I’m out on the property.”

  Her heart sank further, and her stomach twisted. Another reason she desperately needed to find a way to save the land.

  Chapter 10

  After making a few more phone calls, Jed realized he was going to need to fly out to New York, of all places, to try to talk sense into some of the key players in this attempted seizure. He had yet to find any details about the person out here from Synergy Group to survey his land, to make the recommendations. He had asked around at the only hotel in town and no one had checked in. He had his suspicions about AnnaMae, but she’d said nothing about it. And if she was the one with the power to ruin him, he figured he was doing as good a job as any he could in convincing her otherwise. And sincerely so. He winced, hoping it wasn’t on her shoulders to try to save or destroy his land.

  “What?”

  He had been staring out, unseeing, across the expanse of land in front of the house.

  “Nothing.” He paused, watching her. “Well, I did learn some disturbing things while in town and today on the computer.”

  Her eyes widened, and his suspicion grew. “Yes, turns out there’s someone here trying to cut off access to my land.”

  Her face was blank; a definite coldness blanketed their otherwise warm interaction. But her eyes lit with sudden interest. “Do you know why they would do that? What they hope to gain?”

  “I’m not certain. But I need to look into it.”

  “If you look at your land, the areas around it, you don’t have the most logical parcel to suggest, not even close. Your piece is obviously complete and separate.” She pulled out her maps, markings all over them that indicated his land, various portions in different colors, some segments tied into the park around and others connected to land to the south. She pointed. “See here, this piece more naturally fits in with that park to the north and this to the south. There’s no logical reason to clump yours with it or to cut it off completely, unless for gain?”

  “And I’d not like to lose access to the land, obviously, especially this area here and here.” He pointed out places she had already blackened. He watched her. “You’ve obviously given this some serious thought.”

  She shrugged. “It’s part of my job.”

  His heart iced a little at her unfeeling response. “Just like that? It’s your job?”

  “Well, yes, I’m hoping—”

  His phone rang. “I’m sorry. I have to take this—”

  “Hello.” Will gave him his latest findings, which weren’t much. He’d discovered some important people they must talk to in New York. In fact, the sooner Jed could get out there, the better. “And, Jed, I know you’re leaving. It’s probably even more important you meet these people in New York, but I did find the name of the woman Synergy Group sent out. If you run into an Anna Caruthers, she’s your woman. Work some magic there too.” Will laughed. “Maybe she’s young enough to be won over by your broad shoulders. Give it a shot.”

  Jed hung up soon after, and for a full thirty seconds, he couldn’t look up. Was she using him? Did she even care about him or was it all a big sham? What would she suggest to her firm? At last he forced his eyes up. She stared back, hopeful worry drawing out the edges of her expression.

  “Everything alright?” She started to smile but then let it drop.

  “I’m going to have to leave tomorrow. To New York.”

  She nodded, slowly. “Okay, then I should go too?”

  “Probably for the best.”

  “What’s wrong? Did you…learn something?”

  “I’ve learned a whole heap of things. I’ve got to go fight this. After New York, I’ll probably be heading down to Washington D.C. We have lobbyists on this, but I want to see it through myself.”

  She pushed her map closer to him. “I could help. These areas here—”

  He held out a hand. “I don’t want your help right now. I just learned you’re the last person I should have let run around my land, marking things, making suggestions, plotting my ruin.”

  Her eyes welled, and his heart clenched. But he held firm. Until he knew exactly where she stood, he couldn’t trust her. Her quivering lip called out to be kissed into happiness, and his heart wanted to betray his brain, but he stood, gathering his things. “I’m sorry.” Then he left the room.

  Once in his closet, he threw things into a piece of luggage as though he were running away, tossed, crumpled his shirts and pants. Everything would have to be pressed when he arrived. But he had no patience for packing carefully. No tolerance at a
ll for the position he was in. When had America become a place where the government could seize land? He gritted his teeth until his temple ached at the pressure. No patience, no tolerance, and no room in his heart for the heartbreak. Whenever he thought of AnnaMae, where he used to feel better, everything hurt worse.

  His phone dinged again. This time, it was from the airlines. The flight reservation he’d just made was cancelled. The cold front they were expecting tomorrow night had already hit, and temperatures were plummeting.

  Alarm pinged through him. He needed to get out east as soon as possible. The flights wouldn’t open back up again for at least four days. The longest he could wait would be two. He checked the news on road conditions. All clear. It was too cold for snow. Ice would have been a problem if there had been any moisture at all, but it looked like he would be safe driving, if he left right away.

  He threw more things into his suitcase, zipped it up and had just put the phone to his ear to arrange for more ranch hands to help out while he was gone, when he almost ran down AnnaMae.

  His hand reached out to steady her, and he pocketed his phone.

  She held up her phone. “Flights cancelled today.” Her gaze travelled over his suitcase, his obvious intention to walk out the door. “Are you leaving right now?”

  He sighed inwardly. “I am. Driving. I can’t miss some of these meetings. The roads are clear, so I thought I’d leave. You are welcome to anything here. You will be notified when the next flights start working. Until then, we have everything you’d ever need and you will be quite safe and warm, no matter how low the temperature drops.”

  “Wait. I’m not staying if you’re leaving. I have to get back.” She pulled up her phone. “I’ll just rent a car. Is that what you’re doing?” Her wide eyes were too much and broke his resolve. But how could he travel with her? He could barely handle just being in her presence, wanting to be near her at the same time he wanted nothing more to do with her.