“You are a lot like your father. I think maybe he has bitten off more than he can chew this time.” Jeffrey laughed as he walked her out to the truck.
Maggie was so excited she could barely contain herself. This news was awesome. Her father wanted to set her up. Well, she could play that game as well and turn the tables on him. She laughed, but even as she did so, some of her motivation changed. Why wasn’t her Dad with this woman? He had looked so happy. Was Maggie the reason he stayed single? All these questions nagged at her while she drove back to the ranch. Her desire to get even with her father was changing to a desire to see him happy, and then it dawned on her that her father probably had the same motivation for his meddling.
The drive back was faster; she managed to make it before evening traffic. As she drove into the ranch, she saw Jack sitting alone at the picnic table in front of the stable.
She parked her truck in the shade under the live oak tree. Jack stood up and walked over.
“How did it go at the university?” Jack leaned against the truck.
“Oh brother,, that’s another story, but first, let me tell you about a plan I have. We can walk around the lake after dinner, and I’ll tell you about it. Here comes my Dad.”
She waved to her Dad as he walked over toward the truck. “How did it go with the mustangs?”
Jack raised his eyebrows. “I think your father and I had a competition going. We both broke one each. I’m done for the day. I think he could break another one before dinner.” He laughed and wiped the sweat off his brow.
“Oh, that’s hard. Well, I knew it would be.” She looked over at her dad and smiled. It must be so lonely for him. Her dad walked up to them. “Hey, Dad. I missed being here.” She hugged her father.
“Was it that bad?” She didn’t want to tell him about what happened at the university yet. He would do something about it, she was sure.
“Oh no, Dr. Henderson wasn’t there, so I met with a member of the committee and just dropped it off. Your idea to send everyone on the committee an electronic copy was brilliant. I have already received compliments on it.”
Her dad took off his hat and fanned the bugs away. “I think I’ll join you two at the ranch house for dinner tonight.” All three of them walked over to the front porch.
“So, Dad, what about the mustangs? Did you leave any for me to work with?” She was teasing her father, but she did want to work the horses. It had been two years since she had the fun of breaking a horse.
“There’s plenty of waiting for you, Missy.” The air-conditioned dining room felt wonderful as the three of them sat down to eat.
Dinner was delicious as always. Marie, the chef, made their favorite Mexican dishes. Her cooking was authentic. Henry and Mary paid her good money to cook. She was worth every penny. They didn’t have any guest this week, so Marie sat with them. Maggie leaned over to her. “Marie, would you ever consider giving me any of your recipes? I missed your cooking so much while I was away.”
Marie chuckled. “Oh, Missy, you are too much. You can get this food anywhere in Texas.”
Maggie noticed she didn’t offer her recipes. Turning back, she looked over at Jack expectantly, and he got the cue.
“Hey, Maggie, would you like to take a walk around the lake? We can stop at the corral and see the two mustangs we with worked today if you’d like.”
Maggie looked over at her father. “Are you staying or leaving, Dad?” He stood and took his plate to the kitchen.
When he came out, he leaned against the fireplace stone wall and looked at Maggie with those knowing eyes. Maggie worried he knew she had visited Jeffrey. Her father could read her like a book, so she hurried to put her plate away and walked out the door with Jack in tow. “Well, I’ll see you tomorrow, Dad.”
“Come on, Jack. I don’t want my father to pick up on anything going on.” She almost jogged to the bridge.
“Wait, what’s going on?” Jack came up next to her and took her arm. “Slow down.”
“I went to visit one of my father’s friends south of Houston. I found out my father almost married again, but things didn’t work out. I’d like to see if we could set him up with that woman.”
Jack shook his head slightly. “What if there was a good reason it didn’t work out?”
“I don’t know. It was right about the time Dad was having some trouble, and I was installed at the cabin.” Maggie frowned, thinking. “You said you wanted to talk to him. How did that go?” Jack shook his head.
“Your father is very good at avoiding questions, but I like him.” They both sat down in the privacy of the covered bridge. Jack put his arm around Maggie, and she wanted to push it off, but she needed the comfort. She told him about what happened with Dr. Brickson and why she didn’t tell her father. She was upset about it. “Should I have reported him?”
Jack shook his head. “There are ways to fix these problems without all the notoriety associated.”
“You sound like my Dad. Is he going to disappear?” Maggie shook her head. Jack was reminding her more and more of her father.
“No way. University donors have power. I can wield that power if you want?” Jack looked down at her and brushed some grass out of her hair.
Maggie looked up at just the right moment. Jack took advantage of that moment and kissed her. Having his arms around her was just what she needed to end a pretty upsetting day. She felt so comforted and at peace in his arms. This was new and different from the thrill of kissing him, which was just as magical.
“I will think about it. I hate to leave that professor there doing what he’s doing. The thing is, he’s an amazing leader in the field. I’m going to have to do something, but not today.”
Chapter 5
Jack and Maggie walked to the other side of the lake and started what became the beginning of their plans. Maggie touched Jack’s arm as they were walking around the lake. “Jack, this is perfect. We can turn the tables on him. You know, the picture of them together really looked happy. I would love to do this for my father more than get even with him.” They both sat down on the bench while Timber and Aussie, Carsons cow dog, ran around the woods behind them hunting raccoons most likely.
Jack wasn’t sure he could commit to a long-term relationship, so that put him in an awkward position when Maggie asked him to help her. He liked her enough to want to be with her, but was he ready to commit to a lifetime with her? He wasn’t sure, but at the same time, he didn’t want her to get away from him either, so he was going along with her ideas just to have more time with her, and to see if he could win her.
“I think it’s obvious, Jack. Look, this is perfect. Dad almost married this woman, according to Jeffrey, but she got transferred. All this trouble happened around Dad’s work, and they just never pursued the relationship after that.” Maggie looked excited.
“Are you thinking of trying to bring her here?” Jack could see a lot of logistical problems, as well as maybe she wouldn’t agree. “Where is she?”
“Jeffrey got the scoop on her life. She is teaching at what used to be an American international school in Rio. When they changed the capital to Brasilia, the school continued as a private school for wealthy Brazilian children. She isn’t married, and I have her picture.” Maggie searched for her phone and pulled up a picture. “Here, we have, Raelyn Turner.”
Jack took her phone and zoomed into the picture. “She’s a beautiful woman. Your father has good taste.” Jack handed the phone back and looked at Maggie speculatively with raised eyebrows.
“What?” Maggie stopped walking and turned to face Jack.
“I was just thinking; your mother must have been a very beautiful woman because you are.” Jack noticed Maggie blush and wondered how many women he knew that blushed any more.
“That’s beside the point. We need to focus on our plan to bring her here somehow.” Maggie rolled her eyes and threw up her hands.
“I think we are going to have to go there. I doubt Raelyn will just come if we
ask. Listen, I have a meeting with Petrobras in Rio next week. Why don’t you come with me and we can arrange to meet her.” Jack liked the idea of traveling with Maggie very much. He wondered how she would receive that idea. This way, he could have more time with her without her father being there. He knew it was now or never with Maggie. Either he won her over, and that meant a full commitment on his part, or he left, and she married someone else.
“I could arrange to meet with a professor of the Oceanographic Institute out of Sao Paulo, and I could arrange to have the meeting in Rio.” Maggie checked her phone for messages. “Dr. Westbury wanted to discuss my thesis. I have his number here somewhere.” Jack was willing to go along with Maggie’s plans to help her Dad find a lost love, but not for the reasons she thought. His goal was just to have another chance with her. Getting brushed off at the cabin had stuck in his craw every time he thought about it, and he kept questioning himself. Why did he just walk out of her life? He hadn’t been able to stop thinking about her since. He hoped his time in Rio would settle the matter one way or the other.
Jack put his phone away and walked over to the edge of the lake. “So, is there good fishing in this lake? I haven’t taken the time to fish for years.” He threw some grass into the water. Jack couldn’t stop thinking about Maggie. She seemed to be everything he ever wanted in a companion. She was beautiful and intelligent. She was feisty and independent, but she was also fun and compassionate. He could see the obvious love she had for her father but also her independence in wanting to thwart his plans for her life. So far he knew he wanted her close to him and preferably in his arms, but he wasn’t sure he could make the jump into marriage yet, and her father, in not so many words, made it clear nothing else would be acceptable to him.
“Jack, try to stay on topic. Are you in on this?” Maggie walked over to stand next to him. There was a turtle swimming across the lake, and the geese were swimming majestically along the far side. The tree fort was inviting ahead of them with the rope swing hanging down over the water.
“How are we going to bring this up with your father? I’m in if you think we can do it.” Jack turned toward Maggie, looking into her eyes. He wanted to take her in his arms.
“Let’s get our appointments set up in Brazil tomorrow. Then at dinner we can bring it up.” Maggie and Jack continued their walk around the lake.
“Are you sure you want to do this? I could leave, and then his plans would come to nothing.” Jack raised his eyebrows, looking at her.
“You don’t know my father very well. He would find some other way, and the more we fought it, the more intrusive he would become. But I love this idea. Not only can I get even with my father and see how he likes it when someone is messing around with his life’s decisions, but I also hope he can be happy with this woman.” Maggie sighed. “You know, Jack, you can just walk away if you want to. I can go ahead with my plan on my own. It’s been very nice of you to even consider all of this.”
“I’m in, Maggie. For my own reasons.” Jack smiled meaningfully, and he noticed Maggie blush. He wondered if Maggie was being a bit over-reactive. Granted, Carson had already made it clear while they were breaking horses that he didn’t want anyone messing with his daughter if he wasn’t serious. But talking in that Texas drawl and leaning back against the corral gate, he just didn’t seem too dangerous. Jack admired Carson. He must love his life as a ranch manager, and it was evident he had his hands in a lot of things besides ranching. He would love to settle down in one of his ranches and enjoy the day-to-day chores of raising cattle and fighting the Texas weather. Jack sighed. Maggie dusted off the back of her jeans.
“Okay, let’s do this. I hope it works, and we can convince Raelyn to help, but if not, we will at least have accomplished something with work and your career.” They both walked slowly around the lake, lost in their thoughts with more than a little trepidation.
The next day after working the horses and scheduling meetings in Brazil, they both came down to dinner. Maggie called her father and asked him to join them at the ranch house. “Jack, did you get set up with Petrobras? I’ve got my appointment with Dr. Woodbury.”
Jack nodded. “I’m all set. You bring it up, and I will add my bit.”
They walked into the dining room and sat down. Carson was already there, talking with Henry. “Hi, Dad. How’s it going with the mustangs?”
“Well, I could still use some help if you’re interested.” He paused and looked over at her. Maggie squirmed in her chair.
“Well, Dad, I have this week to help, but I have an opportunity to meet with some oceanographers in Brazil. They want to talk about my thesis paper. I think I’ll go down and meet with them.” Maggie looked over at Jack.
“When are you going? I have an appointment with Petrobras in Rio soon. If you would like, I can fly you down in the company jet.” Jack looked down at his plate, trying to be nonchalant and eating his very delicious steak.
“I hate to impose, but that sure beats commercial flying. We can talk about timing after dinner if you’re sure it would be no trouble.” Maggie didn’t dare look at her father. Instead, she reached down and petted Freckles, Mary’s English Setter.
“Great, it’s not a problem at all. I would appreciate the company.” Maggie looked over at Jack. He was playing his role well; she just hoped her father was buying the purpose of their trip.
Carson looked over at them both. “So, when do we get to break those horses?”
Jack smiled and stood up to get more steak. “I’m game this week for sure. I admit I’m a bit curious to see just how Maggie gently breaks horses. Nothing we did yesterday seemed very gentle.” He looked over at Maggie.
“Well, it’s nothing like what you do for sure. My horses like me when I’ve trained them.” Maggie was relieved. She smiled, joining in on the comradery. She took her plates to the sideboard.
Carson stood to leave, and Maggie walked over to hug him. He turned toward Jack as he walked out the door. “I will see you two tomorrow at about eight.”
“Okay, Dad. Sounds like a project to me.” Maggie loved this ranch, and she loved the slow pace of ranching. It made her rethink her plans. Did she want to spend her life in a city?
Jack walked over to get a cookie from the side table. “Do you want to take a stroll around the lake before we turn in? Tomorrow’s going to be a busy day.”
“Sure, that sounds nice.” She watched her father walk into the stable. “My father could have done anything really, and yet he chose to stay here. It makes me wonder.”
“I think he has a perfect life. I would love to have the slower lifestyle he enjoys.” They walked toward the bridge.
“Well, why don’t you just do it?” Maggie was wondering what a life like Jack’s would be like, and would she like it?
“How do you feel about ranching, Maggie?” Jack sat down on the bench in the covered bridge.
Maggie sat next to him, and sighed. “I don’t know. Previously, I wanted academia, but now that I think about it, do I? What about Timber and the outdoors? I love the country. Maybe I could find something where I could work from home.”
Jack sat back and put his arm around Maggie. “I’m changing a lot of my thinking lately too.” He looked down at Maggie.
“I don’t think my father is aware of what we are planning so far. If this works out, it will be amazing. I was worried there for a while, but you did your part well.” She was feeling closer to Jack as time passed. Did she want to pursue this man? The jury was still out on that one. The last time she gave her heart, she almost lost her personality and became a shadow of the person she once was. It wasn’t that Rodger was malicious. She was just too accommodating, and as he wanted to focus more and more on his needs, she pushed her own to the background until she wasn’t even sure she wanted to finish her schooling. It had taken a couple of years living in the forest to regain herself. It would be a while before she could trust herself in a relationship again.
They both watched the moo
n rise. Jack asked. “So, what were you like as a little girl?”
Maggie laughed. “Well, I didn’t play with dolls. I was outside most of the time, climbing trees and riding my horses. My father let me raise a beautiful colt and taught me how to train her. I won some barrel races with her growing up. Unfortunately, I didn’t spend much time in the kitchen, and I regret that now. But my mother passed away early on, and after that, I think I naturally just wanted to do things that kept me closer to my father. What were you like growing up?”
“I was happiest at home on the ranch.” Jack wiped his forehead.
“Really, where did this extreme sportsman come from?” Maggie was surprised.
Jack laughed and stood up, giving Maggie a hand as she stood. “It is a coping technique I have. As life gets more and more boring, I tend to liven things up.”
They slowly walked back to the ranch house. Maggie was happy to go to bed early and be ready for the horses. Both Jack and her father would be putting pressure on her to break horses their way. She needed to show them that her way was better. They would probably never change, but it was a matter of principle. She liked thinking of them working together. Maybe her father was on to something with this Jack Sellers.
The next morning, Maggie came down early to find Jack already eating breakfast. “Hi there, are you ready for this day?” Maggie had to smile, knowing how Jack felt about his last time with her father and the mustangs.
Jack looked up and smiled. “I’m ready and excited to watch you as well. I’m interested in these mustangs. Have you ever worked with them before?” Jack passed the orange juice to Maggie. They might be hard to gentle train.
“Well, you may be right there, Jack. This will be my first time with mustangs. Let’s see what the day brings.” They both walked out and over to the stables where Carson had brought up the mustang herd.
Maggie watched Jack as he stretched and worked his shoulders. It was like watching a golfer stretch before hitting the ball. They all had a routine they went through, and so did the Cowboys. Maggie smiled. She liked looking at Jack. Marie would say he was a mighty fine specimen. Her heart beat a little faster just thinking about those deep, dreamy eyes when he looked at her speculatively or just before he kissed her.
Discovered by Her Billionaire Page 7