“Oh, well, okay. That’s handy.”
“How about we meet at the Waterwall?”
“What time were you thinking?”
He glanced at the time on his laptop. “Why don’t we make it midday? I’ll pick up some food and drinks, and we can eat and talk about whatever it is you want to talk about.”
“Sounds great. See you then.”
“Bye.”
The call disconnected. Anticipation fired through him. He hoped whatever Charlotte had to say, it would include the words “I’ll sell you my land.”
• • •
Gage walked over to where the water thundered over the high granite walls. The Waterwall was a unique tourist attraction in Houston, and on a Saturday afternoon there were a lot of people taking photos and filling the park area.
He had no idea where Charlotte was; he should’ve made a point of arranging a meeting point.
“Hi, Gage.”
He whirled around, the greeting he had lodged in his throat. Wearing a pale blue halter dress that stopped just above her knees, Charlotte looked like a sexy goddess. Her hair was loose and covered her shoulders, the glossy strands glowing in the sunlight. If he didn’t have his hands full of food and drinks, he would have run his fingers through it to see if it was as soft as it looked.
“Hey. You look lovely. That color suits you.”
He could tell he’d surprised her by the way her green eyes widened. Hell, he’d surprised himself.
“Uh, thank you.” She nodded toward the brown paper bag he held and the drinks in the cardboard holder. “And you got food. I brought a blanket.”
“Okay, let’s find somewhere to sit.”
“That works.”
He headed down the steps and made his way across the grass, where he found a space beneath a tree. Within seconds Charlotte had the blanket laid out.
“What food did you get?”
Gage kneeled down and placed the bag of food and the drink container in the middle of the blanket.
“I wasn’t sure what you liked, but I figured I couldn’t go wrong with a garden salad and some fried chicken. As for drinks, I played it safe and got you a Diet Coke and myself an iced tea.”
“Oh … Diet Coke.”
“What? You don’t like Diet Coke?”
Charlotte shook her head. “I don’t like diet sodas.”
“You must be the only girl I know who doesn’t like diet drinks. Would you like the iced tea then?”
“Is that okay?”
“Sure. I don’t mind Diet Coke.”
“Thanks.”
He opened the containers of food and handed Charlotte one of the plates the café had supplied to go with their lunch, then watched as she filled it up. It was nice to see a woman put a decent amount of food on her plate. The last couple of dates he’d been on before his dad died would’ve freaked if he’d turned up with fried chicken.
They ate in silence for a few minutes.
“You know, there really is no cute way to eat fried chicken,” Charlotte said conversationally.
“Sometimes the best-tasting food can’t be eaten pretty.”
“True. This is good, but it doesn’t beat Betty Lou’s fried chicken. That is the best chicken I’ve ever tasted. I suppose you’ve had it a ton of times?”
“No, I haven’t. I never went there much.”
“What? Why?”
He could understand her disbelief. It was a well-known fact that Betty Lou’s was the place to go. He and his brothers and dad had just never gone.
“It’s true. The Cooper family never went into the diner.”
“But why?”
“The story I was told, Mom didn’t like Betty Lou and demanded Dad not eat there. Dad is nothing but loyal, so he respected Mom’s request and we never ate there. Even after she died, he never went there.”
“Well, something changed. The first day I was in Sweet Ridge I had lunch there, and that’s where I met Jack. He sat down and ate with me.”
This revelation should’ve shocked Gage, but with the way his father had acted with regard to the will, it didn’t. It made total sense Jack would’ve started to frequent the diner. Everything his father had done the last few months of his life seemed out of character.
“Well, we’ll never know his reasons for his change of heart.”
“You miss him, don’t you?”
How did he answer that? He had a lot of regrets where his relationship with his father was concerned. If only they’d had a little more time to fully resolve their issues. Although before he died, Dad seemed to give the impression that all was forgiven. Maybe he’d been wrong and Dad hadn’t completely forgiven and forgotten Gage’s mistakes.
“I guess I do. I wish I’d said a few more things to him. Explained why I’d done the things I did.”
“Life is always full of regrets. Sometimes you have to accept that, no matter how hard it is.”
Gage shrugged. In principle, acceptance seemed the logical course of action. In reality, forgiving himself for his shortcomings wasn’t something he could do.
“Do you have any regrets, Charlotte?” He turned the question on her to take the heat off him.
“I think I do.”
“What do you mean, you think you do? Either you do or you don’t.”
“Well, I regret not being more open with some of the kids I met on my dad’s various overseas assignments. As an ex-pat kid, it’s better not to get too attached to the people you associate with. As you said, contracts end. You move on to another school. Another group of people. Another place to call home for a couple of years.”
He had always thought of traveling as an exciting prospect. Until he started working on the oil rigs. He’d worked on some all over the world, and soon tired of living out of a suitcase. He’d been glad when his investments had paid off and he could buy a fifty percent share of the company that had hired him. The timing had been perfect, and he never looked back. After a year of becoming a part owner of the company, he’d taken full ownership when his partner wanted out due to ill health. The fact that Gage was twenty-five at that time had been an achievement within itself.
“So, where is home for you?”
“At the moment it’s here in Houston.”
“But you’d like to make it Sweet Ridge?”
Sadness etched its way over her features. “I thought it could be…” she whispered, “more of a weekend getaway.”
“And it can’t be now?”
“No, it doesn’t seem likely.”
“Why?” God, couldn’t she give him straight answers instead of riddles to solve?
“It’s a bit far to travel from Australia to Sweet Ridge just for a weekend jaunt.”
Gage sat back and reviewed the conversation they’d had the last time they were together. She’d mentioned something about a green card and her company sponsoring her. Had that fallen through? Or had they changed their mind? He couldn’t believe Charlotte had changed her mind about living in Houston. Not with the way she was acting.
“What happened, Red?”
“My company investigated the green card process and decided against proceeding with the application. While they wanted to employ me on a permanent basis, last week they got the news they’d missed out on two contracts they bid on. The application cost, while not too prohibitive, was more than they wanted to spend. So when my contract ends in a couple of months, I’ll be heading back home.”
“I’m sorry. I know you were excited about the prospect of staying. But why would you want to live here? From everything I’ve heard and from other people I’ve talked to, most people would give their eyeteeth to live in Australia.”
“I mean, it is beautiful. I love going back there, but because I’ve traveled so much, it hasn’t really felt like home. I seem to have inherited my parents’ need to experience new things and places. My brothers, on the other hand, are quite content to settle down in Australia. They’ve started their own company, so they’ve got no
plans to leave.”
“But why here? What’s so special about Houston? It’s not exactly pretty, if you know what I mean.”
“It may not have a beautiful harbor like Sydney or the gorgeous Blue Mountains. But Houston has a vibe all its own. It’s cosmopolitan. It has great restaurants. Brilliant shopping. There’s just something about the place that appeals to me. Maybe it’s the international feel with so many ex-pats living here.” She shrugged. “I really can’t say why I like it here, I just do.”
“So, what are you going to do?”
“I spent some time looking into ways to get a green card myself, but it’s impossible. To work here, you have to have a company backing you. And even though Gold Star Eco wants me to stay, it’s just not a feasible thing for them at the moment. Their business relies on contracts. If they start to get outbid on more contracts like they did on these last few, or if contract opportunities peter out with the price of oil dropping, then they’ll be laying people off.”
“Tell me about it,” he muttered. “I’m sure there are other options. Maybe look for another job?”
Charlotte arched one of her auburn eyebrows. “Are you hiring?”
“No, although having you on my team might mean you won’t oppose everything the company does and make my life a lot easier.”
“Don’t count on it, Cowboy. I’d probably be tougher on you.”
“Yeah, you probably would.” He took a sip of his drink. “And there really aren’t any other options?”
“Nope. Pity I wasn’t on that reality show 90-Day Fiancée.”
Gage spat out his drink. “What is that show?”
Charlotte blushed, the light pink infusing her face. He quite liked seeing her uncomfortable. “It’s a show where people bring their girlfriends or boyfriends over from another country and then they have to get married after ninety days or they get sent back.”
“Now I’ve heard everything. Charlotte Wilkinson is a closet reality TV junkie.”
“Not quite. I was clicking through the channels one Sunday night and came across it. I watched one episode, but like everything else when it comes to reality television, it was probably scripted.”
“I guess if they live in a country where opportunities are limited, marrying to get a green card seems like the perfect idea for them.”
“If someone is desperate, they’ll do anything for a chance at changing their fate.”
“So we’ve gotten a little off-topic, but what do you plan to do about the land, then?”
“I guess I’ll sell it to you when the year is up.”
The sadness crept back into her voice and demeanor. While he wanted the land badly, he’d seen the excitement on Charlotte’s face at the old house last weekend. She really did want the property, too. And with the way she spoke about her love for travel, she wouldn’t stay in Australia long. Which made him wonder why she thought she would stay in the United States permanently. No doubt the wanderlust would hit her again and she’d sell everything she owned and flit off to some other place. He’d probably never get his hands on the land if that happened.
“I’ll pay you above market price for the land when the time comes.”
Or you could marry her and get the land via marriage instead of paying an absurd amount for it.
Gage shushed the voice in his mind. It was the most ridiculous idea he’d had, and it didn’t warrant a second thought.
And he wasn’t going to fall into the same trap Gavin did with Macy and end up in love. Who fell in love within a few weeks? But they had a history where animosity disguised their true feelings. Gavin had always had a crush on Macy. He and Charlotte had no history. Their animosity was work-related, and no emotions came into the equation at all.
Make it a business deal. Propose marriage and you could have everything you want. The land, the oil, and she gets her green card.
The absurd thought wouldn’t leave his mind. The last time he’d let that voice control his thoughts, though, he’d been kicked out of college. He’d learned long ago nothing good came from listening to it.
CHAPTER 8
A knock at her door made Charlotte look up from the environmental report she’d been attempting to read. She welcomed the interruption. While she should’ve been taking in the levels of contaminates in the soil, her mind had been on the prospect of finding another job. Where, she didn’t know. She needed to make a plan. But she really didn’t want to. She wanted to stay here. She liked working for Gold Star and she enjoyed Houston.
“What’s up, Meredith?”
“Gage Cooper is here to see you. I don’t have him listed for an appointment.”
Of course, Gage would just turn up without an appointment.
“That’s fine. I need a break from this report anyway. Send him in.”
“Okay.”
Charlotte closed the report and placed it in her in-tray. She put her pen in the penholder. The door opened and Gage filled her doorway, dressed casually in blue jeans, white button-down shirt with a cowboy hat on his head and, even though she couldn’t see his feet, she would bet a month’s salary he had on cowboy boots.
He looked like he would be as comfortable on the back of a horse as he no doubt was in the oil field.
“Good morning, Gage. What are—” She stopped when a flash of black landed on her desk. “And Oil Slick, too. What you both doing here?”
“Damn cat refuses to be left by herself in the condo. If I don’t want to come home to a shredded pillow or couch, she has to come with me.”
The image of big, strong Gage walking into his office with a cat on a lead was a sight she needed to see. “Do you take her to all your meetings? I’m sure that must go over well.”
He moved into the room and closed the door before he took a seat. “No, I don’t. She usually stays in the office with my assistant. Trailing a cat on a lead doesn’t help my image as a tough-nosed businessman.”
“So you don’t need to make that impression with me?” She patted the cat, who started purring before she curled up in the middle of her desk.
“Red, you know when it comes to our business relationship, you are the one who is tough-nosed. Not me.”
Charlotte shook her head. “I don’t know whether I’ve just been complimented or insulted.”
“Definitely complimented.”
“Really? That surprises me.”
“While I may not agree with everything you say, or rather, suggest, I appreciate someone who is passionate about their job. And you are very passionate.”
Again, she wasn’t entirely sure what to make of that comment. It seemed genuine, and he was right. She was passionate about her job. When her father had a year-long assignment in Brazil, she’d been fascinated by the rainforests and jungle. Her love for maintaining the integrity of the environment became her goal in life. So while she appreciated that mining for any sort of mineral was necessary, there were ways it could be done without compromising the environment.
Unfortunately, for so many years Gage and his ilk had only concerned themselves with getting the oil out of the ground and not with taking care of the land. Of course they disliked her when she came along and held them accountable for their actions.
“Well, thank you. So, to what do I owe this surprise visit from you and Oil Slick?”
As if a shutter had been pulled down over a window, blocking out the bright sunshine, Gage’s temperament went from light to dark. She sat a little straighter.
“I’ve been thinking about our get-together last weekend.”
“What about it?”
“It’s to do with the land.”
Bloody hell, not the land again. Why did he need to talk about it continually? The wheels were in motion for him to obtain the land in just over a year. The way time flew, it would be here before he knew it.
“I don’t think we have much more to talk about, do we? You’re getting what you want.”
“I know, but I feel I need to be honest with you about the real reas
ons I want the land.”
Huh? What did he mean, the “real reasons”?
“Gage, you’ve made it more than clear. Jack promised he would leave it to you when he died. For reasons unknown to anyone, Jack changed his will and left it to me. What more is there to know?”
“You remember when you were looking at the house and I told you I wanted to walk the perimeter again?”
“Yes.”
“Well, the reason I wanted to do it, is because Dad had the land surveyed years ago and found a pocket of oil.”
As irrational as it seemed, considering her expertise in the business, emotion overtook her sensibilities and all Charlotte could see in her mind was the quaint little house being demolished to make way for rod pumps and storage tanks. The woodland surrounding the property would no doubt be cleared, as well. How many animals would be left without a home? How many plants destroyed?
“You do realize you’ve taken a big risk in telling me this, don’t you? I don’t have to sell the land to you. Or I could sell the land to you and keep the mineral rights. Because those are what you’re really after, aren’t they? You don’t care about the house or the land, just what’s buried deep below.”
“Yes, I knew coming here to let you know my real reasons for wanting the land would probably not work in my favor. But I need to be honest with you.”
“I don’t understand this, Gage. You’ve basically killed any hope of you getting the land by telling me your plans. You know what I do for a living. You know I’ve been fighting with your company to at least try to protect the environment around your rigs. To work on plans to rehabilitate the land after you’ve finished drilling.”
“Yes, I understand all of that, and while it doesn’t make sense, maybe it will if I tell you the other reason why I’m here.”
This meeting had turned into something surreal. The man in front of her wasn’t acting like the astute businessman she knew him to be. Why would he all but shoot himself in the foot with his declaration?
“Lay it on me. I’m sure it can’t be any stranger than what you’ve already told me.”
Texas Temptation Page 61