Katie turned and headed for her car. “We don’t need to share a meal to fix that, Liam. You just need to try talking to me instead of my brothers.”
Liam watched her walk away, his resolve hardening with each step. If he didn’t go after her soon, she’d climb into her car and go a helluva lot farther than the Summers farm. Dinner was a solid first step. After last time, he couldn’t push for too much too fast. But first he had to convince her to say yes.
KATIE RAN THE brush over Sugar, the gentle mare she’d rescued from a family who could no longer afford the feed bills during the winter months. The horse had been skin and bones back then, but now her coat shone and her belly had filled out. As she ran her hand down the horse’s neck, her mind jumped from the sale to Montana to . . . Liam.
She paused, resting her forehead against the mare’s smooth neck. “I have important life-changing decisions to make, choices that affect my family and my future,” she murmured. “And I’m thinking about dinner with a boy.”
Sugar let out a soft neigh.
“You’re right,” Katie said with a sigh, lifting her head. “He’s not a boy. He’s a walking, talking fantasy on a motorcycle.”
And a heartbreaker. She couldn’t forget that. He was still the same Liam Trulane who’d walked away when her brothers demanded to know if he was serious about her, if he cared for her—
“Hey sis,” Chad said from the door to the trucking company office, housed in the front of the barn. “Brody wants us back at the house. Liam called. We have an offer.”
“Wait a minute and I’ll walk up with you.” She unsnapped the cross ties from Sugar’s halter and led the mare back to her stall. Minutes later, she followed her brother to the main house.
Brody sat at the kitchen table and the siblings quickly took their places.
“What’s the number?” Chad asked. “What are we worth?”
Her brother’s mouth formed a grim line. “According to Moore Timber, one million dollars.”
Katie felt her anger simmer, quickly turning to a boil. She’d expected a low initial offer. Still, a million? It sounded like a fortune, but she knew better.
“The trucks alone are worth more than that,” she said. “Each one would sell for about two hundred thousand.”
“Maybe,” Brody said. “Some are getting old.”
“A million dollars isn’t enough,” she insisted. “Factor in taxes, and the debt we need to pay off on the new equipment, and we’re left with less than half that after the sale. Then divide it four ways and we each walk away with a hundred thousand if we’re lucky.”
“So what do you suggest we do?” Josh cut in. “Tell them hell no?”
“We come up with a counteroffer. Buy some more time,” she said.
“Any idea when your friend at Black Hills plans to sign those contracts?” Brody asked.
“I’m meeting with Mr. Fidderman on Thursday,” she said.
“We can’t afford to blow this,” Brody said slowly. “It’s not like companies are lining up to buy the business. I think we should tell Liam about the potential deal. They probably already saw the recently purchased tractor-trailers and the chipper on the inventory.”
“Not yet,” Katie shot back. Why was it so hard for her brothers to trust her? They let her manage the bookkeeping, but when it came to the big decisions, it was as if they turned a blind eye to the fact that she had studied finance and been on track to go to business school. Then Eric Moore, and his new equity partner Liam Trulane, entered the picture and they started second-guessing her.
“Katie,” Brody said. “There’s a chance this thing with Black Hills isn’t worth as much as you think. If that’s the case, we need to do what is best for the company.”
Katie ground her teeth. “It is also possible Liam would ruin the deal. This offer, it could all be a scheme to ruin our negotiations with Moore Timber’s leading competitor.”
“I don’t like Liam either, but I don’t think he would do something like that,” Brody said. “This might be the best offer we’ll get. And the timing . . . Katie, I want you to take that job if the woman in Montana offers it.”
Katie closed her eyes. She hated hearing the defeated note in her big brother’s voice. And the thought of leaving Brody without the business he’d fought to hold on to? In exchange for so little?
“Maybe we should put this to a vote?” Josh offered.
Katie opened her eyes, glancing around the table and confirming her suspicions. Her brothers were willing to take the deal. She could see it in their expressions. Well, maybe not Chad. He appeared to be on the fence. But Josh wanted out. And Brody would put everyone else’s wishes first.
“We’re worth more,” she said. “I know we are. Let’s put together a counteroffer. And then as soon as the contract with Black Hills is finalized, we can make the call. But please, let’s not do it because we feel trapped. We’re not.”
“I’m willing to see if they’ll bump up the price,” Brody said. “But make it reasonable. We don’t want to drag this out. Not with you moving to Montana.”
“I might not get the job,” she said.
“You will,” Brody insisted.
Katie smiled. “Thanks for the vote of confidence, but I still need to ace the interview. Until then, I’ll be drafting our response to Moore Timber.”
Katie stood and headed for the study. Inside, she shut the door and leaned back against the solid wood surface. Last week, finding a location for Georgia’s bachelorette had felt like the most pressing issue. But now? She had to keep her oldest brother from sacrificing everything, make certain Black Hills signed, and deal with the man who’d broken her heart.
Liam.
Had he known when he asked her to dinner that he planned to toss out a lowball offer? Running into her on the side of the road had not felt premeditated. Neither had the gas station. But Liam Trulane had tricked her before.
“I’m not some inexperienced little girl anymore,” she whispered to the empty room. She wasn’t going to let Liam mess with her future. No, she’d given him power over her once. She’d do anything to prevent that from happening again.
“I still can’t believe they let him in the front door,” she muttered as she went over to the desk and sat down, her hands moving over the keys as she opened the documents and started drafting their counteroffer. She paused and stared at the screen. The number was too low. She deleted it and started typing again. “I spend one night with him and they threaten him. But when he comes after our business, they don’t chase him away.”
Her hands stilled on the keys. What if her brothers found out Liam was coming after her again? If she said yes to Liam’s dinner invitation, and maybe more, word would get back to her brothers. What if she took it a step further, and this time, she seduced him?
The plan forming in her mind had revenge written all over it. But part of her wanted to be the one who walked away this time. And she couldn’t help feeling as if Liam deserved it.
It would have been one thing if he’d come to her seven years ago and ended their fling. She would have been just as heartbroken. And she would have felt just as stupid for believing that one night with him meant he loved her. But it would have spared her the humiliation of facing her brothers—and finding out from them that what she’d thought of as special had amounted to nothing more than down-and-dirty fucking.
She squeezed her eyes shut at the memory. A soft knock on the study door drew her back to the present.
“Katie?” Chad poked his head in. “Can I come in?”
“Sure.”
Her brother sank into the armchair across from the desk. Chad looked out of place with his torn jeans and grease-stained T-shirt. Of course, it was only late afternoon. In a few hours, once he’d showered and changed, he’d present a very different side of the hardworking truck driver to the women at the bar in town.
She suspected that of all her brothers, Chad used the apartment over the barn—the only bedroom removed from the house, the one they were supposed to save for visiting guests—the most.
“I just wanted to let you know that if it comes to a vote, I’m on your side. I want to make enough from the sale for a down payment on a chopper.” Her brother, who was seldom serious, appeared lost in sentiment. “I don’t want to give up the business unless I can make Dad’s dream a reality. Flying helicopters was his first love, but he set it aside to keep the trucking company, to support us. And I’m with you, I don’t want to give it away.”
“We’re not going to,” Katie said firmly. “I have a plan. I’m going to talk to Liam.”
Chad leaned forward in his chair, resting his elbows on his knees. “If he tries anything, you tell me, OK?”
“I’m a big girl,” Katie said.
“I know.” Her brother flashed the smile that roped women in. “But I’m bigger.”
“I promise to call if I need you,” she said, feeling a tinge of guilt at using her brother’s protective instincts to kill their deal. But their family had worked too hard for too long to settle.
Chad pushed to his feet and headed for the door. “I’m going into town tonight. You?”
“Not sure yet.” It all depended on Liam.
He nodded. “All right. Don’t work too late, sis.”
She waited until he closed the door. Once the sound of his boots on the hardwood floors faded, she pulled out her cell and dialed. “Liam? It’s Katie.”
“Hi,” he said, and she heard the roar of machinery in the background. “Give me a second to move someplace quiet.”
She waited, listening as the sounds of the work site faded.
“Katie,” he said. “What can I do for you?”
“I’d like to accept your invitation to dinner,” she said, hoping she wasn’t making a huge mistake. “To talk business.”
“That’s . . . wow, that’s great. How’s tonight?” he asked. In the background, she could hear someone calling his name. “Six o’clock?”
“Fine,” she said. “I’ll meet you at your place.”
He hesitated. “Your brothers don’t know?”
“No,” she said. “And we’re not telling them.”
“Works for me, honey.”
I’m not your “honey.” She bit back the words, quickly ending the call. It was time for Liam to realize he wasn’t the only one who could call the shots.
Chapter 5
LIAM LEANED AGAINST his bike trying not to feel like a freaking teenage girl waiting for a prom date. But he couldn’t stop staring at the road, waiting for a sign of Katie’s wagon. He glanced at his watch. Two minutes past. Had she changed her mind?
Shaking his head, he turned back to the house. He felt like a fool, freshly showered and shaved, wearing his only pair of jeans that weren’t shredded down at the bottom from catching on trees. He’d even thought about stopping by Eric’s place and borrowing one of his friend’s fancy button-down shirts.
But this was just a business dinner at the Ale House by the lake. If she ever showed.
Maybe this was Katie’s idea of payback. Hell, he couldn’t blame her. Looking back, he knew he deserved to be stood up, and a helluva lot more.
Katie’s beat-up wagon rounded the bend and turned into his driveway, pulling up alongside his motorcycle. She climbed out and walked around the car.
“Sorry I’m late. One of the goats got his head stuck in the fence,” she said.
“No problem. I’m glad you’re here. Hell, I was surprised you said yes in the first place.”
“Well, I was downright shocked by your offer.”
Liam chuckled. “So that’s what this is about. That number was just a place to start the conversation, and I think you know it.”
“You’ll have our response in the morning,” she shot back.
“Fair enough.” He cocked his head. “Still joining me for dinner?”
“I am.” She slipped her hands into the front pockets of her jeans. On her feet, she wore black cowboy boots, and on top, a fitted tank that hugged her curves—or what he could see of them beneath her jean jacket. He was dying to slip his hands under there and explore.
“But there is no way, I’m climbing on the back of that thing,” she added, nodding to his bike.
He raised an eyebrow, his lips forming a smile. He liked how she didn’t hold her punches. “It’s a lot more fun than riding in your chewed-up wagon.”
“I heard you kept your bike locked up all summer. How can I trust you’ll get us there in one piece?” She adjusted the thin black leather strap holding her purse. It ran from one shoulder to the opposite hip. He wanted to reach out, slip his fingers under the leather, and draw her close. But he couldn’t. Not yet.
“Katie, I’m still as good as I ever was on this bike.” He picked up the spare helmet resting on his motorcycle and held it out to her. “I kept it in storage because I didn’t want Georgia to get any ideas in her head about taking it for a joyride back when she was hell-bent on seeking one adventure after another.”
Katie stared at him for a minute, before relenting. She took the helmet, positioning it between her knees as she reached back and pulled her hair into a ponytail. Tonight, her naturally curly red hair hung long and straight.
“Georgia scared you, didn’t she?” she said.
He nodded. “Mostly because I didn’t know how to help her. She came back from the army with a laundry list of fears and nightmares that left her fighting to stay awake day and night.”
No matter how long he lived, he’d never forget the sound of his sister’s screams when she’d been lost in the throes of a nightmare. He’d wanted to erase her pain, her memories, anything to stop the nightmares. But he couldn’t. As much as he wanted to sometimes, he couldn’t change the past.
“Is she sleeping now?” Katie asked.
“Some. I think having Eric around helps.”
“They’re good for each other.”
“They are.” It had taken him a while to face that fact, but he had. “You changed your hair.”
“I used a blow dryer.” She held the helmet up, but paused before pulling it on. “Mind telling me where we’re going?”
“The Ale House,” he said.
“I thought you’d prefer someplace private.” Her green eyes flashed with the challenge he remembered from years ago.
“Trust me, honey, I’ll enjoy having you on the back of my bike for the next forty-five minutes. But if we’re talking business, a restaurant outside of Independence Falls seemed like the best place.” He straddled the motorcycle, rocking it off the kickstand. “Ready to climb on?”
Placing her hands on his shoulders, Katie slid onto the back of his bike. She positioned her feet and wrapped her arms around his waist. He could feel her breasts pressed up against his back as he revved the engine. Her thighs touched his—and shit, he wasn’t sure he’d survive nearly an hour of full body contact knowing that tonight wouldn’t end with Katie naked in his arms. But he couldn’t go there yet. He had to wait until the deal closed.
Needing to calm his body’s reaction to the close contact, Liam mentally recited the Latin names for trees native to this part of Western Oregon as he steered the bike onto the road and headed for the highway.
KATIE HAD A long list of weapons in her arsenal, but none she could deploy on the Ale House’s crowded back porch overlooking the lake. She’d planned to seduce him, using her body, playing on his desires. But the public location, coupled with the motorcycle ride, had her at a disadvantage.
Her body hummed from head to toe as if she’d been pressed up against a vibrator without hope of release while her hands clung to Liam’s hard, sculpted body. Those muscles toned to perfection from felling trees and wielding chainsaws, made her mouth water and left her
aching. Right now, she wanted to pull him into a quiet corner, strip away his clothes, and enjoy every inch of him.
But if she let go of her anger, if she gave in to desire, she had a bad feeling all she would be left with was hurt. It would be like ripping off the Band-Aid covering a wound that had yet to heal.
She studied Liam out of the corner of her eye as the waiter set down her beer and his soda. They placed their orders—a veggie burger for her and a bison one for him. Liam added an order of the spinach/artichoke dip to start.
“Spinach, huh?” she said.
“Bacon-wrapped scallops were my first choice, but seeing as you’re the only woman I know who doesn’t enjoy bacon, I went with the dip,” he said.
“You remembered.” And her mind, still distracted from their ride, wondered what other facts he’d stored away.
“That you’re a vegetarian? Yeah, I remember. I’m not saying I approve. No one should bypass bacon,” he teased. “Even Georgia thinks it is a sin.”
She arched an eyebrow. “Have you told Georgia about this?”
“That I’m taking you to dinner?” He raised his soft drink to his lips. “No.”
“And Eric?”
“I didn’t see him today,” Liam said. “I was out on a job site harvesting a tract of land for Wilson’s widow. Your brothers agreed to haul the logs to the mill tomorrow.”
She crossed her legs, allowing her jeans-clad calf to brush up against his under the table. It was time to reach into the arsenal and deploy her weapons. She watched as his eyes widened in surprise. “Spent all day running your chainsaw?”
“No.” He set his glass back on the wooden tabletop, but kept his leg firmly pressed against hers. “I was operating the mechanical timber harvester. The land over there is flat. No need to have guys out there cutting with chainsaws.”
“You sat all day, pushing levers?” She shook her head, raising her beer to her lips and taking a sip—and felt his gaze drop to her mouth. “Well, that ruins the image of the tall, dark, and handsome lumberjack wielding dangerous machinery, doesn’t it?”
Caught in the Act: Book Two: Independence Falls Page 4