“I don’t know. You said there was no one here. I just…”
He tucked a lock of hair behind her ear and cupped her cheek. “You want to know about old girlfriends that weren’t here. I get it.” He sat up against the headboard and reached for her, tucking her against him.
“Maybe a little,” she admitted, and hoped she wouldn’t regret it.
“There isn’t much to tell. I’ve really only had one long-term girlfriend. Susan Nelson. We got together in our last year of college. I thought we wanted the same things out of life. I took a job in the Great Smoky Mountains and we moved in together. Briefly. The weekend I was going to bring her home to meet my family, she took off. End of story.”
End of story? That’s barely an outline. “How long were you together?”
“Couple months before living together. Two weeks of living together.” His jaw tightened, and she felt his muscles tense around her.
Did you love her? was on the tip of her tongue, but she held it back. Their relationship was temporary. They had an expiration date. She shouldn’t even want to know this much, but she couldn’t help it. He looked pained, and she wanted to know how deeply he was hurt so she could soothe him.
“Why did she leave?”
“Because people suck,” he said glibly.
The fatal flaw.
“She hooked up with a stockbroker, left for the good life. She said I’d never be able to give her what she really wanted, and she was right. I’d never have changed my lifestyle for her. The thing was, she’d led me to believe that the life I wanted was what she really wanted.”
“The other night Jade made it sound like you’d never had a serious relationship.” She didn’t mention that Rachel had noticed a change in him when he’d returned that fall.
“Because she never knew. No one in my family did. I was away at college, working and going to school. I was busy; our calls were brief. I didn’t walk at graduation, so they didn’t come out, and then I took that summer job. It never came up.”
“Never came up? How can a relationship that leads to living together not come up?”
He looked right into her eyes; the honesty in his was palpable. “I have no idea, but I never told anyone about me and Jo, either. And as far as Susan goes.” He shrugged. “I guess I must have known things with her weren’t real, because I’ve already told my parents about us.”
“You…You did?” Her pulse quickened.
He nodded. “I didn’t even hesitate. It just came out. I was so young then. I thought I loved her. I realize now that I didn’t have a clue about love, because I didn’t feel for her one-tenth of what I feel for you.”
“Grizz.” She was overcome by his confession.
He pressed his lips to hers again and brushed his thumb over her jaw. “I was hurt when she left, but that’s nothing compared to what I’ll be when you leave.”
Chapter Eleven
STEVE AND SHANNON immersed themselves in everything and anything having to do with crowdfunding for the next couple of days, and Steve’s head was spinning. Shannon was not only determined to make this effort a success, but she’d become as entrenched in the cause as he was. Through her hard work and endless patience for Steve’s distaste of social media—Twitter? I don’t want to do Twitter. Then we’ll set up an account for the campaign and we’ll run it together—Steve began seeing the crowdfunding effort in a different light. It was clear that there were millions of people willing to help strangers. He was shocked at not only the number of campaigns running on multiple crowdfunding sites, but also at the wide array of campaigns—everything from college kids needing money for classes to single mothers asking for help with medical bills and kids raising funds for their school band.
Though he hoped the concept they’d come up with would pull in enough support to purchase the property, he had his doubts. Which was why he was sitting in Treat’s home office trying to keep the pride he’d swallowed from coming back up.
Treat flipped through the business plan Steve and Shannon had developed, nodding every so often. He owned resorts all over the world and was a distinguished-looking man with dark hair and chiseled features. He was the eldest of Hal’s six children, and he was about as even-keeled as they came. At six six, he didn’t need to fly off the handle or raise his voice to demand respect. The man received it from his stature and retained it with his actions.
“I won’t be offended if you’d rather not entertain the idea of going into business together. I’ve been wrestling with my own concerns about it,” Steve said honestly. “After what went down with our parents, I wasn’t thrilled about the idea of approaching you with this. Our families have come a long way, and I don’t want to do anything to jeopardize the friendships we’ve all established.”
Treat sat back in his chair and lifted his dark, serious eyes to Steve. “Neither do I. But we’re not our parents, and it’s clear that we both care a great deal about Weston and the community. I actually spoke to Mack and Will about the property after their father passed away, and it was clear they were going to ask too much for it. I followed up the other day when I heard about CRH, and Mack mentioned you were interested.” Treat splayed his hands. “I didn’t want to step on your toes, so I backed off. Needless to say, I’m glad you thought of me. A joint venture is an interesting idea. You’ve got the conservation know-how and I’ve got the business expertise. It could work out really well.”
“The idea of the Cumberland land being divvied up into a cookie-cutter development turns my stomach. Obviously there’s a lot on the line, and if we proceed, I want to be sure that we thoroughly outline the deal so we don’t end up with any miscommunications or misunderstandings. No amount of land is worth losing good friends.”
“I agree,” Treat said. “I do business with close friends and family often. If we talk through the potential pitfalls up front, I’m certain we can work amicably. I like what you’ve outlined here for developing a land trust, and for the ranch operations to remain intact, if possible. Although I’m not sure about the crowdfunding idea. That’s a tough road, Steve.”
Steve drew his shoulders back and straightened his spine. “That’s my only option at this point. I don’t make a killing for a living, though I do all right. What I have to contribute isn’t nearly enough to cover fifty percent of the purchase price, even if we talk them down to market value, which I think we both intend to. If you contribute fifty percent of market value, our campaign goal will be five hundred thousand, and I’m good for the rest.”
“I respect your decision, though partners don’t have to put in equal capital.”
“Understood,” Steve said. “I know it’s a long shot, and honestly, I didn’t even know what crowdfunding was until Shannon introduced me to it. And now I know only enough to be dangerous, but Shannon’s taken the reins, and she’s incredible. She’d like to work with Max to design an online marketing program to spread the word.”
“I’m glad you two are together, Steve. I just want to throw that out there. Shannon’s been hot for you for quite a while, and I know you well enough to realize you were keeping your distance out of respect not just for Shannon, but probably for all of us.”
Steve scrubbed a hand down his face. “Am I that transparent?”
“Not to most people, but I’ve known you long enough to realize how seriously you take family loyalties.”
“She’s only here for a few weeks, and I didn’t want to upset the apple cart, so to speak. Our families have had enough quarreling for a lifetime.”
“You don’t have to worry about that,” Treat said with a smile. “Though I have even more respect for you for considering us. You’re a stronger man than me. When I fell in love with Max, I never gave anyone besides the two of us a thought.”
Steve felt a smile tugging at his lips. “Yeah, well, I obviously wasn’t that strong. She’s been on the mountain less than a week and we’re together every night. I think that shows you where my heart lies.” It sure as hell showed Steve.
&nbs
p; They talked for a long while, hammering out details of the partnership, how it would be structured, how it would run, and they decided on the name Colorado Land Trust. Treat had been through this enough times that he knew all the ins and outs not only of trusts, but also businesses in general. He explained legal and tax guidelines, as well as general business particulars for land trusts. By the time Steve stood to leave several hours later, with his pride intact, he knew he’d made the right decision—and he owed a certain pushy brunette a hell of a lot of gratitude.
Steve saw smoke as he neared his cabin. Shannon. He pushed the pedal to the floor and sped up the hill. Gray plumes rose from just beyond the far side of his cabin. He threw the truck into park and flew out the door.
“Shannon!” He tore around the side of the house, praying she wasn’t hurt, and found her waving a newspaper at the smoke, which was coming from a mangled attempt at a bonfire. He pulled her into his arms. “Baby. Thank God you’re okay.” He kissed her forehead, her cheeks, her chin, her lips, unable to slow his frantic pulse. “I thought…”
“I’m sorry. I wanted to surprise you with dinner over the fire, but I have no idea how you start the darn thing.”
He drew back and searched her bloodshot eyes. “Baby, how long have you been at this?”
“I don’t know.” She pouted. “An hour? Maybe more. You made it look so easy.”
He laughed out of sheer relief. “I’ll teach you. I promise. I’m just so glad you’re okay. You scared the crap out of me with that smoke.”
“How can it be this hard? I’ve seen my father and brothers do it a zillion times. And why don’t you have a grill? You need a grill. If you had a grill, all I’d have to do is push a button.” She waved her hands to clear the smoke, and he dragged her away from it.
“Sorry, Butterfly. If you want a grill, I’ll buy a grill. And from now on, if something like this happens, call me. Don’t try to deal with it on your own.”
“It’s just smoke.”
“And embers.” He pointed to the glowing embers in the bottom of the pit. “You’re in the woods, Shan. Everything here can go up in flames, most importantly, you.”
“Fine.” She put her hands on her hips and glared at him, as if he’d done something wrong. “I don’t want a grill. I want to learn to do it your way. I love it out here, and I really wanted to surprise you.”
“You did surprise me. You nearly gave me a heart attack.”
She swatted him and he laughed.
“Seriously, it was sweet of you, and I’ll teach you.” He pressed his lips to hers, draped an arm over her shoulder, and headed for his truck. “I’ll take care of the fire in two minutes. How about I surprise you instead?”
“I like surprises.” Her eyes lit up.
“I went to see Treat.”
She reached up and touched his forehead.
“What are you doing?”
“Checking to see if you’re sick.”
He tickled her ribs and she squealed. “Stop! Stop!”
He took her in a sloppy kiss, both of them laughing. “I’m not sick. You were right. I had my priorities all messed up. I was letting my pride guide me, and once I realized that, I went to see him.” He reached into the truck and grabbed the bouquet of roses he’d bought for her on the way home.
Her eyes widened and just as quickly dampened. “Grizz. You didn’t have to do that.” She snagged them from his hand and breathed them in. “I love, love, love roses.”
“Thank you for urging me to open my eyes and do the right thing. Treat’s lawyers are going to write up the paperwork. He’s agreed to put up fifty percent and to match whatever we earn through crowdfunding.”
She squealed and jumped into his arms. He laughed as they kissed.
“You’re changing my world, Butterfly. One pushy moment at a time.”
He moved to put her down, and she wrapped her legs around his waist, clinging to him like a bear to a tree. He carried her that way back toward the fire pit.
“You can’t fall for me, you know,” she said more seriously. “We have an expiration date, and besides, there’s no way I’m doing the whole two point five children thing. It’s too mean. What would we do with the other half a child?”
God, I love you. The realization hit him like a kick in the chest, stealing the breath from his lungs.
“And we had a deal, so stop looking at me like I’ve hung the moon.” Her eyes twinkled with delight. “All I’ve done is smoked up your yard and pushed you out of your comfort zone. So no falling for me. Got it, Grizz?”
Too late, baby.
Chapter Twelve
THREE DAYS AFTER Steve’s first meeting with Treat, they met again to finalize the legal documents to establish the trust. This was really happening, and he owed it all to his beautiful girlfriend sitting on the opposite end of the couch, staring intently at her laptop. Her legs were stretched across Steve’s lap as he read through their campaign plans one last time, absently massaging her feet. He and Shannon had worked late into the evenings every night since they’d made the decision to move forward with the crowdfunding effort. She and Max were almost done creating a gorgeous website focusing on Weston, the land, and the community. Shannon was going into town tomorrow to gather information about the history of the land and to talk to Will and Mack about their family’s stories to include on the site, which would endear people to the property on a more personal level. She’d thought of everything. Not for the first time, and certainly not for the last, Steve was in awe of her. She’d jumped right into this project and had spent hours researching and planning while continuing to collect data for her research. Like everything she touched, the project took on a life of its own—alive, giving hope for a better future for Weston.
He wanted to give Shannon the world, and he knew his world would never offer the things that made her happiest. They had a few more weeks together, and he planned on making the best of every second.
“After we get the campaign up and running, how about we take a couple days to hike out to the two dens you wanted to see?” He didn’t want to let the campaign overshadow the research she had yet to do.
“We need to make the campaign video tomorrow if you want to get the campaign started in time to get enough donations before the sixty-day window closes.”
They’d talked about this a few times over the last week, and he’d even had his father weigh in on the idea. The bottom line was, he’d already learned so much from Shannon about marketing, he’d take whatever advice she gave, but he wasn’t keen on the idea of being the focus of a video. “Can’t we get someone else to be in the video? Or have Treat do it? He’s a well-respected businessman and great with public speaking. Besides, who’s going to listen to me?”
“Grizz! You are this campaign. All those items on the outline? Those are your words, your hopes, your dreams. No one else can do this. I’ve been telling you this for three days.” She pointed her finger at him. “All the campaigns that do well have a video from the person asking for the donations. You’re doing this—no ifs, ands, or buts.”
When she put it like that, it was easy to see why she was right. Hell, she was usually right. “There you go, all bossypants on me again.”
“You like my bossypants,” she said playfully.
“That I do, Butterfly. Mostly when they’re on the floor and the bossy woman is in my bed.”
She poked his stomach with her toes, and he laughed.
“Camping, Butterfly. We need to collect the data from those other locations.” He tickled the bottom of her foot, and she lifted her gorgeous eyes again. “Right after the campaign is launched. No ifs, ands, or buts. Okay?”
She smiled, and he felt it slither into his chest like a hug. “Okay.”
Her eyes fell back to the laptop, and her forehead wrinkled in concentration. “I want to put together a rally.”
“A rally?” Did her mind ever stop?
“Yes, to get local people involved. I was talking to Sam about it,
because he hosts a huge barbecue every year to drum up sponsorships for his rafting and adventure company. He said community involvement is key with any grassroots effort, and I think he’s right. He even said he’d come out for it, and that got me thinking that I could invite my whole family. I’d love for them to see this all coming together. It’s exactly their type of thing. My parents started their own microbrewery business, Cole has his medical practice, Nate has his restaurant, and Tempest started her own music therapy business. And Ty loves any type of celebration.”
“You should invite them out even if we don’t host a rally. They’ll be so proud of you for the campaign alone. It would be nice to celebrate it with them.”
She sighed. “Really? You know my family. They’re a lot to take in all at once.”
“I love your family. Bring ’em on.”
“And what about the rally? What Sam said made sense. The old-timers aren’t into social media. They’ll never even see the campaign. We can ask Mack and Will to host it on their property, and we can hold a raffle and solicit for donations, or have events, like a kissing booth or something to make money for the effort. It’ll be fun.”
“Kissing booth? Baby, begging our own community? It’s one thing to do it online, but here?”
“Oh my gosh, Grizz. Aren’t you over that yet?”
“I think you’ve pushed me pretty far outside my comfort zone.”
She narrowed her eyes and said, “Then let me push a little farther. You’re doing this for these people. Let them get excited to help.”
He rested his head back on the cushion and sighed, staring up at the ceiling. “You know I can’t say no to you.”
She’d been spending the night since the first time they’d made love, and he couldn’t imagine a single night without her in his arms. Everywhere he looked there were signs of her. Her favorite flavor of coffee creamers were in his fridge—several flavors, because his sugar queen liked variety. A box of Pop-Tarts sat on his counter. Her boots with the flashy pink laces sat beside his work boots by the front door, and in his bedroom, her dirty clothes were in his hamper. She’d already claimed a dresser drawer—If I’m going to stay over, I need clean clothes—and his shower was now home to fancy bottles with flowery-smelling shampoos and conditioners, a loofah, and a purple mesh thing called a shower puff. A bottle of organic coconut body oil sat beside the bed. She put it on each morning, making her skin, and the entire cabin, smell like paradise. He didn’t even want to think about how empty his cabin—his life—would feel when she went back to Peaceful Harbor.
Crushing on Love (The Bradens of Peaceful Harbor, Book Four) Page 13