They didn’t reply to the greeting. Instead, all of their attention was fixed on the stranger before them. They eyed him with such suspicion that she grew uncomfortable for Cash. He turned to her as if for an explanation. Flustered, she gave none.
“I take it this is another one of your clients, Sierra,” Henry finally said.
That was mild enough. Maybe this wouldn’t be too bad.
Sierra nodded. “This is Cash Crawford.”
“Crawford, huh?” echoed Thomas. His tone was somehow lower than his brother’s. He folded his arms and let out a long whistle. Turning to Henry, he said, “Didn’t Jerry Goodman’s sister marry a Crawford?”
“I believe she did.” They turned flat stares on Cash.
“That would be my mama. Nice to meet you, sirs,” said Cash with pride in his voice. He extended his hand to shake theirs but they only glared at his palm.
Silence evaporated into the air before Sierra spoke again, this time nervously. “Cash is looking into buying a ranch nearby.”
That got their interest. The brothers exchanged glances, a world of information exchanged in just a few seconds.
“A ranch, huh?” asked Henry. He rubbed one hand against his prickled chin.
“Yep,” nodded Cash. “Want to settle down, you know. Been working in gas and oil—the job’s tiring.”
“Oh, I bet it is.” Even though Thomas’s words dripped sarcasm, the smile didn’t fade from Cash’s face.
“Sometimes in life I think it’s nice to treat yourself.” His gaze flickered back and forth between the other two men, gauging their reactions.
“Which place you looking at?” Henry asked.
“The old Wright place,” Sierra interjected.
“Oh, yeah?” Henry smiled. “You know, we’ve got a special name for that ranch you’re after. It’s called Rattlesnake Hill.”
The longer the men chatted, the more Cash’s gaze sharpened and thicker his Texas accent got. “Why is it called that?”
“Full of rattlesnakes. Everywhere you look. Terrifying.” Glee underscored Henry’s voice.
“Yeah?” Cash shifted his weight and pointed his chin at a white pickup truck parked in front of the real estate office. “Out in the oil-patch, we chop the rattlers in half. I got an axe in my truck for that.” He turned back to face the men, leaning in close and dropping his voice further. “Or we just shoot ’em dead. Got the gear for that, too.”
The quiet intensity of Cash’s voice somehow served to underscore the implied threat of his words.
Nervous now, Sierra tugged at Cash’s shirtsleeve, trying to pull him away from the conversation. “It’s time to go look at the ranch, Cash. We shouldn’t be late.”
“Take care. Maybe I’ll see you around,” Cash managed to say before she dragged him away.
“Everyone in town that welcoming?” he asked. “And are we really going to the ranch now?”
“No, that was just to get you away from them.”
“Thought so.”
Sierra shook her head. “You can be a little scary. Did you know that?”
“What?” he asked with feigned innocence. “We were just talking about rattlesnakes.” He paused. “Or maybe I was talking to rattlesnakes. Hard to tell the difference sometimes.”
She snorted. “Are you always like this?”
“Like what?”
“So...sure of yourself. Certain of what you want.”
Cash grinned, pleased at the compliment. “I do try.”
She rolled her eyes and they continued on her way.
“So if you didn’t really want to go out to the ranch, why did you pull me away?” He tried to catch her gaze, but she was busy trying not to look into his eyes.
She didn’t want to admit that she was trying to break up their masculine threat-fest? Fine. He could handle that. “Oh, I get it,” he said. “You wanted me to walk with you. Get back to the hand-holding.”
“What? No. Don’t be ridiculous.” She clasped her hands behind her back.
“Don’t lie. I can see right through you.”
She didn’t answer, simply rolling her eyes and continuing to walk.
“Oh. Wait. I recognize this route. You’re taking me home with you again,” said Cash, moments later, a twinkle in his eyes.
When she whipped around to face him, stopping dead in her tracks, the sparks in her eyes froze him. He couldn’t have walked away from her if he’d tried.
And I don’t want to.
Chapter 7
Cash was right, Sierra realized. On some level, she wanted him to go home with her again.
She hadn’t been conscious of it but now she knew that was exactly what had caused her to head toward home.
God. I’m weak and pathetic—and all for Cash Crawford.
The guy she was supposed to be chasing out of the town with a torch and pitchfork.
So much for that plan.
She might have been able to get the zoning changed on one ranch. But she didn’t think Cash Crawford would be that
Sierra marched down the street, lost in thought, ignoring Cash beside her.
She had a reputation as a woman who kept her cool in almost any situation. The appearance of Cash Crawford in her life had clearly thrown that out the window.
The two of them walked side by side for a while. Despite the situation, it had been a while since she’d walked down the street with a handsome man. Her relationship with Jimmy had been brief and tumultuous—there hadn’t been much walking together in companionable silence.
Needless to say, even Cash’s company was enough to make her feel complete, once again.
“I’m not taking you home with me,” she said eventually, not knowing how else to defend her actions. “I’m getting you to walk me home.”
“Mm-hm.”
“Hush,” she said, laughing a little.
It wasn’t like he thought. She was going home anyway. She just wanted some company while she was on the way.
Besides, he’s the one who followed me when I was already—
She sighed. She was already sick of defending her actions to herself. It didn’t make sense—nothing she had done in the past twenty-four hours had made sense. She barely knew him, but she wanted to spend more time with him. It all came down to that.
Why did his stupid uncle have to die anyway? This was all his fault.
If Jerry Goodman hadn’t died, Cash wouldn’t be a billionaire and wouldn’t have come to Necessity in the first place.
Sierra would be working in her office right now, like any normal day, with a clear conscience. Now, everything had changed.
All because this man wanted a ranch.
They arrived at her front door and Sierra was suddenly struck by déjà vu. She blushed as she remembered the feel of his perfect body under hers.
Cash smiled as if he could read her mind—and she could have sworn she saw the flicker of desire in his eyes, as well.
But if he felt the same way, they were both were too stubborn and too embarrassed to admit it.
“I have your number,” she said. “I’ll call you when I arrange for you to see the ranch.” Then she bid him farewell in a hurry and all but ran into her home.
Chapter 8
The ranch was everything that Cash had ever dreamed of.
There was an air of tranquillity surrounding the large, rambling farmhouse, and the second he laid eyes on the place, he knew he was about to make the best decision of his life.
Birds whistled joyfully at each other in the distance and he imagined them waking him up of a morning, marking the beginning of another wonderful day.
The ranch came with a bunkhouse for the hands, too—not too big but not too small either. It was perfect for his workers to settle in, once he hired them of course. In the meantime, he could have the place all to himself. Some people might think that living on a ranch alone for the time being would be awful lonely. But right now, this kind of isolation was just what Cash needed. An escape from the
backbreaking work he’d been doing for years.
I’m going to love hiding away here for a while.
“I’m ready to make an offer,” he announced. “I’ll need a couple of days to get the full amount from the bank, but I can put down a deposit tonight.”
“Okay.” Sierra blinked, obviously surprised at his instant decision. “Are you sure you don’t want to see some of the other properties? I’ve got several more for you to see today.”
He shrugged. “We can go see them. But I won’t change my mind.”
Cash returned alone the following evening, after the deposit had been made, to just admire the ranch from afar. He rested his elbows on a crooked post holding up a sagging barbed-wire fence. Sierra had assured him it wouldn’t take much manpower to fix it. Cash kind of liked it though.
It gives the place character.
He wasn’t after a flawless ranch that would run smoothly with little issue. He wanted a place that felt like home. And home was bound to have a dozen imperfections tarnishing it but it didn’t ruin the quality altogether. No, it almost improved it.
Guess I’ll need to fix it before I get any cattle, though.
The sun was sinking low in the west and Cash was so lost in his own thoughts that he didn’t pay any attention to the stranger pulling up beside him in the old, blue Chevy Blazer.
Cash was just about to greet the man driving when the stranger mumbled something under his breath.
“Excuse me?” said Cash.
“I said you don’t belong here,” spat the stranger. His eyes were like daggers.
Cash had no idea how to respond, so he settled for silence, simply staring at the man.
“You heard me. Y’all lot ruin this town.”
Cash folded his arms, defensive yet wary. “I have no idea what you’re talking about.”
“You’ll be gone soon. Chased right outta town. Nobody’ll miss you. They’ll be happy. We all will.” The stranger sniffed and then coughed. His voice came out on a rasp, as if he were struggling for every word.
“Chased out of town?” Cash laughed aloud.
The stranger turned so furious Chase wouldn’t have been entirely surprised to see steam coming out his ears. His white chiseled face had turned crimson and he was practically quivering with rage. He shook his head rapidly and let out a snarl. “You don’t understand it one bit. You privileged lot. You don’t get how it is to work for your money.”
Cash really wanted to argue—he’d worked hard every day of his adult life. Right up to the moment he’d inherited Jerry’s money. But he doubted it would do any good. Apparently Sierra wasn’t the only one in town who hated billionaires.
“Just you wait,” the stranger continued. “That lady’ll have you out of here in no time.”
This piqued Cash’s interest. “What lady?”
“You know,” mumbled the man, scratching his chin in thought.
Is he drunk? Cash wondered.
“The realtor lady,” he finally continued.
Cash felt a pit grow deep in his stomach. “Sierra...” he breathed out.
“That’s the girl. She’s got a huge hatred for guys like you. She’ll have you outta here faster than you can say ‘deposit.’”
“I think you don’t understand.” Cash shook off the anxiety in his gut. “I just put down a deposit on this ranch here. And Sierra’s the one I gave it to.”
The man chuckled. “That’s part of her scheme, see. Reels ’em in and like a Black Widow she devours ’em whole. You ain’t gonna see that cash ever again and you sure ain’t gonna get that ranch.”
“What are you talking about? Are you saying she ripped me off? Robbed me?”
The man shrugged and snickered. “I don’t know what that girl’s got up her sleeve. A tricky one, that girl. Who knows what she’s gonna do?”
“She wouldn’t do that to me,” Cash argued. “I know her... She wouldn’t.”
“Heck, you’ve only known her a couple days. Truth be told, I don’t think anybody know what’s going on in her head. One minute she’s breaking down and becoming a hermit, the next she’s leading the billionaire protests.”
Overall, Cash didn’t know what to feel. For all he knew, this man was a crazy old fool who didn’t have a clue what he was talking about or who Sierra even was.
But a strange feeling eating Cash up inside told him everything this stranger was saying was true. He couldn’t fight the feeling that he had been lied to.
Betrayed.
The stranger laughed at the stern expression on Cash’s face. “Hey, don’t cry. It’s business, pal. It’s what she does.”
“She seemed so... genuine, though,” muttered Cash, more to himself than to the man.
The stranger howled at this with all his might. “Oh, no! You and Sierra? That’s how she got you? Please. That girl’s got ice running through her veins. Not even a dragon could melt her heart.”
Chapter 9
Cash sat in the cab of his pickup, staring out across the land he’d given Sierra a deposit to hold for him.
Silence surrounded him as he considered what the stranger had told him. He couldn’t believe he’d allowed himself to be swindled like that—or that Sierra had been able to fool him.
He frowned. The guy had to be lying. State law regulated what Sierra could do with the earnest money he’d given her. Then again, if she set out to steal it from him, he could think of several ways she could do it—starting by claiming he’d backed out of the deal.
He should have known the combination of a woman he wanted to pursue, a ranch he loved, and a town he could live in was too good to be true. He’d assumed that once had had money, everything else would fall into place.
His uncle hadn’t been a good person—he knew that—but Cash wanted to create his own legacy with the money he’d inherited. In this town, it seemed impossible. Necessity’s inhabitants had already made up their minds about him. It might not be fair or right, but that was how it. And Sierra—the first woman he’d felt a true connection to in longer than he could remember—was the one who was behind it all.
Never in his life had he ever felt so let down by another human being. Despite her occasionally prickly response to him, he genuinely liked her—and he’d been looking forward to getting to know her better.
Clearly, he’d also entirely misread the signals she was giving if all she wanted was for him to leave.
Oh. And to rob me blind.
He’d thought she could see past the money thing and realize that he was a genuine person—the same person she kissed on their drunken night together. But for her, a money man was all that he had become. There was no longer any depth to him.
For the first time in Cash’s life, he really had no idea what he was going to do.
Swinging out of the cab, he landed on the caliche drive and began walking along the fence line of the property. A dilapidated barn in the distance reminded him of the last time he’d ridden a horse.
I could fix that up, get a few horses. Turn this into a working ranch again.
The folks of Necessity don’t get to set the terms of my life.
No—he wasn’t ready to let go of his dream yet. He realized he had something to do. And somebody to talk to.
He wasn’t done with Sierra yet. Or with Necessity.
IT WAS JUST PAST TEN when Cash knocked on the door. He heard a shuffling inside and when it opened, Sierra stood there. A thin robe was tied around her petite waist and her face was pale and groggy. She could barely open her eyes and it was evident that he’d woken her up.
Before she could even speak, Cash began. “You lied to me, didn’t you?”
Sierra frowned, rubbing her eyes. “I don’t know what you’re—”
“Don’t start. You know exactly what I’m talking about. Everyone in Necessity wants me to leave, don’t they? None of them more than you, though.”
She closed her eyes and exhaled. Her lack of an answer was enough for him.
“I knew you ha
ted billionaires but I thought you were actually going to help me.”
“I don’t owe you anything.” Sierra pitched her voice low.
Cash couldn’t believe what she was saying. “I’m sorry?”
“We had sex. So what? I’m not in love with you.”
Cash went completely still. Not that Sierra noticed. She was avoiding his gaze entirely.
“Look, I tried to do my job,” she continued, “but I owe it to the town. They’re depending on me to keep Necessity as billionaire-free as possible.” Her voice dropped to a whisper as she looked down. “Why should you be the exception?”
Because I thought I meant something to you. He couldn’t bring himself to actually say it. It didn’t make sense. They barely knew each other, after all.
“What were you going to do with the money for the deposit, Sierra?”
Sierra glanced at her feet, preparing her words. With a shrug, she sighed: “I don’t know. Either buy a necklace or donate it to charity. Hadn’t quite decided yet.”
Cash laughed but it was only half-hearted. The other half was utter disbelief. “You planned to steal my money while you promised me a home that I could only ever dream of? A life beyond my wildest fantasies.”
Sierra eyed him carefully. “I knew your uncle, Cash. That money wasn’t earned honestly, regardless.”
“I didn’t even know my uncle. And it’s not up to you to decide what other people should do with their inheritances.” The rage in his voice burned.
He took a deep breath but it did little to calm him down. “So, do you think you could get that ranch for me?”
Regretfully, Sierra shook her head.
“No, you’re too loyal, right?”
“It’s not that.” She gulped. “Somebody already owns it.”
Cash raised his eyebrows, expecting her to say it was a joke. But she didn’t.
“You had no intention of ever selling me that ranch, did you?”
Sierra shook her head, the guilt evident on her face.
Every kind thought he’d harbored about her for the last few days evaporated in an instant, and Cash turned cold and hard. His voice was distant when he spoke. “I expect you to return my money within twenty-four hours, Sierra. Otherwise, I’ll arrange to have your realtor’s license revoked.”
Loving Necessity: The Complete Necessity, Texas Collection Page 27