After his conversation with James the night before, he struggled painfully with indecision. Part of him wanted to put an end to all of it, confess his feelings, then gallop off into the sunset with her on his gentle steed Donald, but he wasn’t convinced that it would last forever. She would eventually see that he was undeserving of love and move on with her life, leaving him alone once again.
Loneliness was in his wheel house. He understood it. It made sense to him. Everything else was so unfamiliar, the vulnerability, the jealousy, the desire. All of that scared the shit out of him. What the hell was missing from him that made it so impossible to let another person in?
Alice sighed deeply, dropping her hand from his neck. She leaned over the desk to take a closer look at the numbers.
“Ok, this last installment, will it get the job done? All of it?” she asked flatly.
“Yes, that’ll do it,” he answered grimly.
Alice stood up straight and walked around her desk, pulling her chair up so she could sit down. She looked worried, distress written all over her face. She sat in silence for several minutes, taking it all in.
“I’m not sure I can cover it, Billy. This is coming in sixty grand over budget. How did we not forecast this?” she asked, more concerned than accusatory.
Billy shook his head and sat down on the corner of the desk, facing her.
“It is not altogether uncommon for construction budgets to change along the way. That’s why we typically factor in a cushion, to deal with unexpected expenses,” he offered carefully.
Alice looked at him, her eyes filled with doubt. Billy looked down at the floor, unwilling to meet her gaze.
“That cushion was clearly not enough,” she said, the words crushing in her throat. “There’s only one option here. I need to get a loan or find someone willing to invest early, which won’t be easy. The arena was suppose to carry itself and earn enough profit over the next year to tweak the interest of potential investors for the next phases. I may have to stall construction until I figure this all out,” she explained, trying to control her panic, “and that will set us so far back.”
Billy placed his hand gently on top of hers.
“It will all work out. I’m confident of that. In the meantime, just transfer the amount you do have and we will keep going as far as we can. Stalling doesn’t make sense. We’ve come so far. We are at the finish line, Alice,” he coaxed cautiously.
Alice tried to meet his eyes again and this time he and smiled at her gently, masking his guilt. Alice exhaled loudly and shrugged her shoulders.
“I just don’t know what to do,” she admitted, searching his face for answers.
Billy wanted to go to her and hold her close, to take away her fears, but that seemed so hypocritical given he was the cause of them. He caressed her fingertips with his own, the only reassurance he could offer.
“Alice, let me move forward with what you have. You go to the bank and get a loan for the remainder. They will want to see what you have done and what’s remaining, so make sure you take all the information with you. With the equity you have on this land, they will approve you in no time, trust me. It’s only sixty grand,” he presented confidently.
“No, Billy, it is everything I have already invested plus sixty grand. It’s my entire life savings and now this debt on top of it? If my vision doesn’t pan out, I’ll have nothing left. I won’t be able to keep the ranch afloat. We have a lot riding on this,” she said, her insecurity grabbing hold of her with both hands and shaking her.
“I’m sorry, I’m not trying to understate the gravity of the added investment, but now isn’t the time to lose courage. No one said this was going to be a cake walk Alice, but if anyone can do it, you can. Success is reserved for hard workers who never give up. Aren’t you one of those people?” he asked, hoping to inspire her.
Alice took a deep breath and nodded, reaching for her cell phone.
“Ok, let’s get it done,” she said, transferring him the last of her money.
“Call the bank. If they come through with the loan by early next week, I promise you the arena will be complete and ready to go by mid-September,” Billy offered with mock confidence.
But he would be gone long before then.
“Ok, I’ll call the bank right now and make an appointment,” she said, picking up her cell phone a second time.
Billy stood up and gave her a kiss, a gentle peck on her cheek.
“I’m going to get back to work. I’ll catch up with you later,” he said, heading for the door.
“Billy?” Alice called out to him. He turned around to see her smiling at him.
“I almost forgot to ask. I want to take Amy to the Annual Fire Fighter Picnic on Saturday afternoon. There are lots of activities for the kids, live music, a small carnival, that sort of thing. Would you like to join us?” she asked hopefully.
Billy’s smile was tentative. While he felt honored that she had invited him he was hesitant to say yes. It was bad enough that he was deceiving Alice and knowing he was ultimately going to hurt her, but to do the same to little Amy? Then, of course, was the obvious problem. He had avoided being in public with Alice for fear that someone would recognize him, as remote a possibility as it was. That would be catastrophic to the plan.
Then again, if he said no it would raise doubts, and he couldn’t afford to let anything go wrong until she finished her business with the bank.
“That would be nice. I would like that,” he answered, making his way outside.
* * *
Billy sat in his truck in the Walmart parking lot, dialing James’ cell phone. It was just past six o’clock and he would likely still be in the office.
“William, I didn’t think I would be hearing from you so soon. What’s happening?” James inquired, forgoing the hello.
“I just received the last installment and Alice is getting a bank loan for the rest,” Billy said, his tone flat and emotionless.
“What’s your exit strategy?” James asked, not pulling any punches.
Billy frowned and ran his fingers through his hair.
“I’ll be leaving as soon as the loan comes through and Alice hands it over to me. Hopefully, that will be early next week. Then I’ll pull the crew out. She’s a smart woman so I’m certain she’ll figure it all out soon after that,” Billy replied coolly.
James cleared his throat on the other end, although it might have been a chuckle. Billy wasn’t certain.
“The arena will be far from finished and she won’t have the money or the heart to find another contractor. Trust me, she’ll be crushed. The betrayal will break her,” Billy said, his words trailing off to a whisper.
James quickly chimed in.
“And then I’ll approach her with our final offer. Hopefully she will be anxious to part with her damn ranch and move on with her life. Then we can put all this drama behind us and get back to business!” James chirped, with a little too much enthusiasm, in Billy’s opinion.
“Just so we are both clear, I’ll be returning the loan money back to her after the sale is final, and the offer to purchase will be generous and include all the money she invested in that fucking arena. Understand? I may be a cold-hearted bastard but I’m not a thief,” Billy stated assertively.
This time James did chuckle.
“I’m fucking serious, James,” Billy growled, not impressed by the insensitivity his partner was showing.
“Oh, just relax, William, I’ll take care of it,” James chided, a little more condescending than Billy liked. “If I didn’t know you better, William, I would think you were smitten.”
He chuckled.
“Well you do know me better, James, and no one says smitten anymore,” Billy responded glibly, ready to end the conversation.
James laughed again, clearly appreciating Billy’s reply.
“I’ll be in touch next week,” he said, hanging up his cell.
He picked up his burner phone, the one reserved just for Alice, and
read the text that chimed in while he was in the bank. His heart hammered in his chest and he slammed his hand against the steering wheel several times.
He read the text again.
Thank you for everything, Billy. I couldn’t do any of this without you.
As he was mentally berating himself for being such a jerk, a second text came through.
How about I saddle up the horses and we go for a sunset ride?
Billy reread both messages and shook his head at the sheer irony.
Chapter 19
Alice
After Alice tucked Amy in for the night, she left her with Lisa and made her way down to the barn. She tacked up both Sadie and Donald, packing the saddle bags with everything they needed and slipping a large blanket into one bag and a flask of wine with two plastic cups in the other. She planned for them to ride the horses west, toward the coast, and watch the sunset on the beach together.
It was the most romantic location on her property. In fact, it was where her father had proposed to her mother all those years ago. Once she had the ranch up and running as a resort, she planned to build a gazebo on the exact spot. It would be a perfect location for beach weddings. The photographs would be spectacular! Even when the tide was in, this particular spot was protected from the surf. She couldn’t wait to share that with Billy.
She was re-checking the cinch straps on both horses when Billy came in, freshly showered. He had picked a daisy which he handed to her as soon as he was within reach. Alice blushed at the sweet gesture.
“I was told once that daisies represent loyalty,” Alice shared, tucking the flower behind her ear.
Billy dropped his eyes for a moment, a gesture Alice chalked up to modesty. She gave him a small peck on his cheek but he quickly pulled her into his arms, crushing his lips against hers. Alice felt an intensity she couldn’t quite explain, almost like agitation, as though he were afraid of losing her.
She leaned away from him and met his eyes. Aside from the smile he offered her, she could sense something else. Sadness?
“Everything ok?” she asked kindly, suddenly concerned for him.
He nodded his head quickly and grinned at her, then gave her another quick kiss.
“I’m fine. Thanks for suggesting this. I’ve been looking forward to it ever since I got your text,” he said, releasing her from his embrace.
Alice went back to checking the straps to make sure they were good and tight, then handed Billy Donald’s bridle straps, so he could lead him outside. She followed behind with Sadie.
“Which way are we going?” Billy asked as he mounted his horse.
Alice easily hoisted herself onto Sadie’s saddle and gestured for him to follow her. They cantered toward the ocean, watching the sun slowly sinking in the western sky. When they got to the edge of the slope, Alice pulled up on Sadie’s reigns and dismounted. She approached Donald and grabbed his bridle, stabilizing him so that Billy could jump off. He was getting quite comfortable in the saddle, so her assistance wasn’t necessary anymore, but she wanted to be nearby, just in case.
“Shall we head down? I put some things in Donald’s saddle bag. Will you grab them for us?” she asked, ground tying both horses.
Billy nodded, collecting the blanket and wine and joining her. They held on to each other as they made their way down the embankment. Although it wasn’t steep, it required careful foot placement, so they took their time descending.
Once they had everything set up on the beach, Alice poured them each a small cup of wine and they sat down side by side on the blanket. Billy placed his arm around her and she snuggled next to his warm body. It was a beautiful evening, peaceful, warm and breezy. The sunset was breathtaking, a pallet of oranges, pinks, and reds painted the sky the color of romance. Alice sighed deeply, grateful for all of it. The sunset, the ocean, and the beautiful man beside her. She was happy.
“This is perfect,” Billy said, taking a sip of his wine.
“It really is,” she agreed, wondering what was on his mind.
He seemed so pensive.
“Did you manage to set an appointment with the loan officer today?” he asked.
“Yes, I have a meeting scheduled for Monday morning. I spoke to him briefly about the situation. He doesn’t think it will be an issue,” she replied calmly.
The call had set her mind at ease. The initial moment of panic she had experienced earlier that day had dissipated soon after Billy had left. Of course, there would be set backs along the way and she had to relax and trust that everything would work out.
She appreciated Billy’s positive outlook and was grateful he was there to support her and keep her grounded. Life had thrown her a lot of curve balls and she always seemed to be waiting for the other shoe to drop. This cynical approach had kept her from taking chances, in life and in love. She was finally ready for all of that to change.
“I may have to leave for a few days at the end of next week. I have some business to attend to. I promised the folks at my last job that I would help them out at the end of the season. They contacted me today and asked if I could assist them with a few things,” he said quietly.
His tone was quite solemn so Alice shifted her body to see him better. Was that what was bothering him, she wondered.
Billy smiled gently at her, as though trying to reassure her.
“I won’t be long. I know the timing sucks, but I feel like I owe it to them to keep my promise. I know I’ll feel better if I can just tie up all the loose ends. Then I can come back and give you my undivided attention,” he explained, hugging her a little tighter.
“And the crew? Will they continue to work while you are gone? Who will supervise them?” she asked, her concern not yet satisfied.
“Well, they probably would be okay on their own but I was thinking this might be a good time for them to take a bit of a break too. Many of them haven’t seen their friends and families for over a month. I was thinking they could take five days off, and then we’ll all come back refreshed and push hard until the job is done,” he offered carefully. “What do you think? You’re the boss.”
Alice brushed her bangs out of her eyes, considering his request. She didn’t fancy the idea of the crew working without Billy around to lead them, even if they could handle it on their own. If anything went off the rails she wouldn’t have the slightest idea how to fix it. She trusted his judgment.
It did dawn on her that this was the first time he mentioned leaving since his arrival. The subject had never come up, although she had wondered plenty of times what his plans were, and if he had changed them. She wanted to ask him to stay on at the ranch, to explore their relationship together, but she was too afraid to broach the subject with him. She didn’t want to admit she was happy, and jinx everything.
“When will you be leaving?” she asked, trying to control the emotion in her voice.
“I’m not certain. I’ll know better next week, but if you agree, I’ll let the crew leave on Wednesday, with the plan that they will return on the following Tuesday, after Labor Day. I just placed an order today for the last of the supplies we’ll need. The delivery won’t arrive until late next week anyway,” he answered.
He wedged his cup in the sand and leaned back on his elbows, looking up at her.
“I guess that will be ok. As long as you think we will be able to stay on target?” she questioned gently.
The last thing she wanted was to micro-manage him.
“I’m confident of that. Now come here and give me a kiss,” he said playfully, pulling her on top of him.
Alice giggled, almost spilling her wine. She set her glass down beside his and then straddled him, kneeling one long leg on either side of him. She could feel the warmth of his groin as she pressed down into him, her lips pressing into his. The stubble on his chin was course and the friction from it burned the blushed skin of her cheeks, but she didn’t mind. She quite enjoyed how it tickled her senses, especially in combination with the scent of his intoxicating af
tershave. He had a way of heating her up quickly.
Billy held her hips tight against him and his erection grew quickly under her. As if they had a mind of their own, her hips gently rocked back and forth against his cock, applying just the right amount of delicious pressure. She moaned softly into his mouth, enjoying the pleasure building up inside her. Billy moved his hands to her ass and gently squeezed her cheeks, encouraging her to continue jamming on him, their dry fucking bringing her closer and closer to orgasm.
“You are make me fucking crazy, Alice. I don’t know whether I’m coming or going when I’m around you,” he confessed in her ear.
“Well right now I hope you are cumming,” she joked.
He sat up quickly, toppling her over, then swiftly flipped her on her back. He unfastened her jeans as fast as possible.
“Let’s say we take these off you, shall we?” he asked, a dirty smile on his face.
She lifted her ass for him and he peeled them off her, panties and all, then tossed them aside. He made quick work of removing his own jeans, then positioned himself on top of her, his body pressing into her. He shared a slow, romantic kiss with her, the tip of his penis teasing her folds, his hot pre-cum dripping on her. She was ready, she was wet, and she wanted him.
“Open your legs for me,” he growled, his command serving to heat her up even further.
The sound of his sultry voice made her feel so naughty, like she could just let go of all her inhibitions and explore any sexual fantasy she wanted and he would meet her there, arms wide open.
“Please, I want to ride you this time,” she begged, forcing the words out between each desperate breath.
“Ride me?”
“Like a bucking stallion,” she said.
He smiled and gave her a look like he was all hers, ready to do anything she requested.
“Lie down,” she said.
He got down on his back and she pulled off the rest of his clothes and her own, leaving them both completely naked.
She looked down at his cock, which was sticking up from his groin like a lone tree in a field. She leaned down over it and blew gently. He let out a soft moan as she got closer and opened her mouth.
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