The chime of classical music sounded from her phone on the edge of the sink. She hurried to rinse off and get dressed. After running a brush through her wet hair, she called her father back.
“Hi. What do you need?”
“Did you get the sales agreement signed?”
Not a Hi. How are you? or even a Good morning. Instead, her father was already talking business. But then again, he had no idea how much this deal was costing her and how her heart was being torn in half. And there was no way she was going to explain it to him. She could only imagine how it’d make his blood pressure spike.
She sighed. “I’m getting ready right now to head out to the Brazen H.”
“Quit stalling.” His voice took on an agitated tone. “You should have had his signature days ago. What is going on out there?”
“I went horseback riding the other day,” she said, still pleased with herself for getting back in the saddle.
“You what? You aren’t out there for a vacation. And you certainly don’t need to be taking foolish risks when there’s a huge deal in the works. What’s that man up to? Is he wining and dining you, hoping to get a better offer?”
“Cord isn’t like that.” She wasn’t going to let her father tarnish her accomplishment. “Aren’t you even pleased that I got back on a horse again?”
“Alexis, I never thought of you as a coward. You’re a strong, intelligent woman who can do whatever you set your mind to, even if it includes horseback riding.”
This was her opening, a chance to ask a question that had lain dormant for years. “Then why did you sell Black Beauty?”
“I don’t want to discuss that horse. We settled this years ago.”
“We never settled anything. You announced he was sold, but you refused to talk about it.”
Her father sighed. “You aren’t going to let this subject drop, are you? You have that determined tone to your voice.”
“I need to know. I need to understand why you took away the horse I loved.”
A strained silence ensued. “The day of your accident, I…I’d never been so scared in my life. You were still my little girl, and I wanted to protect you.” His voice grew deep and gravelly with emotion. “I probably overreacted…okay, I did overreact by selling your horse, but I couldn’t take the chance of losing you. I’m sorry I hurt you.”
Her heart swelled with love. Her father rarely ever talked about emotions, and for him to do so now moved her greatly. “Oh, Father, you’ll never lose me. I promise.”
“Ah, daughter, don’t make promises you can’t keep. You’re grown up now. Sooner or later, you’ll find the right guy and things will change. Things always change.”
Did he suspect something between her and Cord? Impossible. There was no way he could know what all had transpired between her and Cord. Her father continued talking while her thoughts spiraled back to that last toe-curling kiss. If they’d been somewhere more comfortable, she had no doubt things would have gone further—much further. But would that have been a wise decision? Perhaps not. Okay, definitely not. But at that moment, would that have stopped her? Heck no.
“Alexis, are you listening to me?”
“Um…yes.” Thank goodness they were on the phone, because it’d take her father only one look to know she was lying. “Father, you should take some of your own advice. It’s time you make some changes. You can’t go back to your crazy work schedule. Your body needs a slower pace.”
“I’m not ready to be put out to pasture. My mind is still sharp as a tack.”
She couldn’t argue. That’s why she’d made sure to keep him away from the office. It wouldn’t take him long to figure out the business was in trouble—serious trouble.
Her throat tightened, and she hoped her voice would sound normal. “Retirement doesn’t mean you have to stop living. It means you’ll have more time for hobbies. There are a million things you could try. It’s time you seriously consider what the doctors have been telling you. I don’t want to lose you either.”
“I hear you.” His voice suddenly sounded like that of an old man, something she never considered him. “Doesn’t mean I have to be excited about the future.”
“We’ll be okay,” she said, encouraged that he hadn’t outright rejected the idea of retiring. “Change will only make us stronger. Now I’m off to talk to a rancher about some land.”
With the town meeting not far off, she was running out of time to reason with Cord before the entire community was involved. In order to finalize this deal, she had to keep their interaction purely business. She wouldn’t let herself get distracted by the temptation of his persuasive lips or magical fingers.
Who did she think she was kidding?
Alexis hadn’t seen Cord in more than forty-eight long hours, and she’d barely thought of anything but saving the Brazen H and helping her favorite cowboy. She’d spent every waking moment of the last two days splitting her time between revamping her presentation to the town and researching an alternative site for the resort. Her presentation was almost complete.
She rushed to get ready to go see Cord, all the while going over everything in her head. The Arizona property had potential, but the owners weren’t exactly jumping to sell. However, the paper she’d signed for Cord’s bank remained valid for only forty-eight more hours—then the wheels of foreclosure would kick into gear.
In no time, she was driving toward the Brazen H. She could no longer go with her original approach to get the town to pressure Cord into selling to her. She’d already witnessed his difficulties with some of the town’s residents. She didn’t want to make him feel even more ostracized. And it was more important than ever that Cord be at the meeting. She wanted to show him that she was on his side and trying every which way to save his land and her company. After all, it didn’t have to be Christmastime for miracles to happen, did it?
She pulled her rental vehicle to a stop by Cord’s weathered barn. She didn’t even waste her time checking the house. He wouldn’t be there when there was work to be done. But with a sprawling ranch, Cord could be anywhere.
A young ranch hand stepped out of the barn. He was tall and lanky. Her guess would be that he had just graduated high school. When his gaze caught hers, surprise reflected in his eyes. She’d been around the Brazen H long enough to realize they didn’t entertain many guests here.
She approached the young man. “Hi. Do you know where I can find Cord?”
“You the woman that wants to buy his land?” His face was devoid of emotion, so she wasn’t sure what reaction to expect from him.
“Yes. I’m Alexis Greer.” She held out her hand.
The young man pulled off his gloves, rubbed his palm over his faded jeans, and then shook her hand. “I’m Jesse.”
“Nice to meet you, Jesse.” She smiled, but he didn’t return the gesture.
He stared at her as though trying to make up his mind about her. If this kid was having such a hard time trying to decide if he should give her the benefit of the doubt, no wonder Cord was so hesitant around her.
Jesse stuffed his hands into his pockets. “You’re going to be talking at the town meeting tomorrow, aren’t you?”
“Yes, I am. I hope you’ll be there.”
His brows gathered. “Are you gonna turn the town against Cord in order to get his land? ‘Cause he doesn’t deserve it. He’s a good guy.”
“I promise I don’t plan to make things worse for Cord. I’d like to help him if I can. Do you know where he is?”
Jesse nodded.
“Would you mind telling me?”
He shrugged. “Cord just took off for the western pasture to check on the cattle. He won’t be back for a while.”
She knew she should leave and come back later, but she didn’t want to—not until she talked things out with Cord. “Mind if I wait for him?”
Jesse shrugged again. “Suit yourself.”
He strode back into the barn, leaving Alexis alone with her thoughts. There was anot
her reason she needed to see Cord, and it had nothing to do with the land. Before her nerve failed her, they needed to have an honest conversation about what happened in the desert. Cord had to understand her feelings for him were real and that they had absolutely nothing to do with whether he sold her the land or not.
For the first time in her life, she longed to toss aside her cautious tendencies. She wanted to live in the moment and savor more of Cord’s spine-tingling kisses—more of all of him.
After their hike, she’d waited for him to think things through and understand her situation. He was a reasonable guy and would understand her need to do what was best for her father. For the last two days, she’d willed the phone to ring, but he hadn’t called for any reason. Either he was nursing a bruised ego, or he was as confused as she was about where they went from here.
Unable to sit still, she paced across the lengthy porch, waiting for her cowboy—um, Cord to appear on the distant horizon. Seconds soon turned into a half hour. She needed something productive to do with herself to avoid becoming a ball of nerves.
Then a thought came to her, a way to soften him up. She recalled their conversation at the canyon about how he’d like to come home to her and a hot meal. In that moment, she wanted to be the woman be envisioned sharing his evening meals with while catching up on the day’s events.
Her chest warmed at the thought of the surprise in his eyes and the smile on his handsome face. Anticipation fluttered in her stomach. Toss in a little of the wine she’d spotted in the kitchen and some casual conversation, and it’d be a perfect evening.
However, where exactly did she want this evening to go? She knew it should end with a tactful business meeting, but another part of her was eager for something more personal. They may not have forever, so why not make the most of the here and now?
She knew she was getting way ahead of herself. She didn’t know how Cord would react to seeing her again, specifically with the town meeting literally on the horizon. And that wasn’t the only problem with her plan. She hadn’t exaggerated about her lack of experience behind the stove. Her idea of taking care of dinner usually consisted of ordering takeout.
Unwilling to give up, she knew she’d need help if she was going to make this meal a success. A recipe book would be a good start. Would a cowboy have such a thing? Probably not. But with the way he clung to the past, she’d bet he still had his mother’s recipes.
She rushed into the kitchen and scanned the tidy counter tops. No books. She glanced in the cabinet drawers. No recipes there either. She was about to give up when she spotted a little rack of books atop the fridge.
She grabbed the first cookbook and flipped it open. She soon decided a casserole sounded the easiest. Mix everything up, toss it in a dish, and shove it in the oven. Even she could do that…she hoped.
Through a process of elimination, she settled on a taco casserole. It didn’t sound so hard, and it had a Southwest flair. Who didn’t love tacos? No one she knew.
She set to work, quickly learning that cooking kept you on your toes. Stirring this, chopping that, and mixing something else, but at last she got everything in the baking dish. She grinned like a little kid as she slid her creation into the oven, making sure to double-check the temperature.
She turned around, horrified at the mess she’d made of Cord’s kitchen. Where had she gone wrong? Weren’t casseroles supposed to be easy? She wiped her arm across her damp brow. If so, why in the world did she have so many dishes to clean?
She loaded up the sink with a fistful of utensils, a stack of bowls, a skillet, and a couple of cutting boards. The trick would be to get it all cleaned up before he got home. She turned on the hot water and set to work.
A full half hour later, the kitchen was spotless once again. The thought that she’d forgotten something niggled at her. She peeked in the oven to find dinner bubbling away. What was she missing? She bit down on her lower lip as her gaze darted around. For the life of her, she couldn’t figure out what it could be.
She gave up worrying and walked out to the porch to look for signs of Cord. She wrung her hands together. She couldn’t recall ever being this nervous about impressing a man in her life—not even her father.
CHAPTER EIGHTEEN
Cord stood by the barn door, his eyes glued to the beautiful sight waiting for him on the porch. He drank in the view of Lexi’s purple T-shirt clinging to the swell of her chest and narrowing down to her waist before flaring out at her jean-clad hips. His mouth grew dry as he forced his eyes back to her smiling lips.
It’d been ages since he’d been able to come home to someone. He could get used to this—real easily. Not that he’d let himself. She’d already shot him down once. How many slap-downs would it take for him to learn his lesson?
She probably wanted to talk some more about the damn resort. His jaw tightened. The thought that she ventured here only for business dampened his anticipation.
“Wow-wee, looks like that cute missy is back.” Manny let off a low whistle. “She still tryin’ to get you to sell?”
“I don’t know what she wants.” Cord’s heart beat a little faster as he stared at her. “But I’m sure going to find out.”
He handed Manny his reins. “Can you take care of the horse for me?”
“Absolutely. Have fun. I know I sure would.”
Manny chuckled the whole way to the barn.
Cord forced himself to walk casually to the porch. “Did we have a meeting planned that I’ve forgotten?”
She shook her head, her hair swishing around and framing her face. “I made you dinner.”
“Dinner?”
“I thought you might like it after working all day. The food…I need to check on it.” She raced across the porch like the house was on fire.
He followed her inside, smelling a foul stench. Was that dinner? She certainly hadn’t been exaggerating when she’d professed that she didn’t cook. In the kitchen, she rushed to the oven and yanked open the door. The smoke wafted through the air, setting off the smoke alarm. Yep, that was dinner.
She removed the baking dish and turned. “It was the right temperature. I know it. I double-checked.”
Cord opened the windows and back door before fanning the smoke alarm to quiet it. “How long did you leave it in for?”
Dawning filtered across her eyes before a defeated look pulled at her face. “I knew I’d forgotten something. I’m hopeless.”
Sympathy welled up in him. “No, you aren’t. Everyone forgets now and then.”
“I tried real hard to make a nice surprise for you.”
She’d wanted to surprise him? But why? What was she trying to tell him? He’d never been good at reading women. He’d have to tread carefully or risk her stomping off like she’d done the other day. And he wasn’t ready to see her go.
He smiled, not something he did often. “I’m very surprised. It isn’t every day I come home to a pretty lady and a dinner.”
She glanced down at the food and back at him. “I told you I was no good at homemaking. This is a disaster.”
“No harm has been done. Just put the dish on the stove to cool.” Even though dinner wasn’t salvageable, he was still touched by the gesture. “I’ll take care of it after I grab a quick shower. Do you mind waiting?”
She shook her head. “Want me to make something else? Like a deli sandwich? Surely I can’t burn that.”
At least she hadn’t lost her sense of humor. “How about you go back out and sit on the porch? It’s a lovely evening out. It’ll take me five minutes to get cleaned up. By the way, what was dinner supposed to be?”
“A taco casserole. I found the recipe in one of your cookbooks.”
He started for the bedroom, but then paused and turned back. “Just remember it’s the thought that counts.”
“That’s good. I certainly wouldn’t score any points for my culinary skills.” She shook her head. “How could I have forgotten the timer?”
“I’m sure if you h
ad remembered, dinner would have been delicious.” He disappeared down the hallway.
He didn’t waste any time before stripping off his grungy clothes and slipping into a cool shower. She hadn’t mentioned anything about the land, so maybe she was just here to see him. But why? He scrubbed faster. Had she been thinking about that hot, steamy kiss they’d shared at the canyon? He sure hadn’t forgotten it. No matter how hard he’d tried.
Less than five minutes later, clean and refreshed, he entered the kitchen to find Lexi seated at the counter. “Thought you’d be outside.”
She shrugged. One look at her glistening eyes and red, blotchy cheeks, and he knew she’d had a meltdown while he was gone.
“What’s the matter now?” He approached her and took a seat on the stool next to her.
“I tried to clean out the dish, and I can’t even get the burnt food out of it. On top of ruining your dinner, I might have ruined your dish. I totally failed. I told you I wasn’t good at this kind of stuff.”
Cord pulled her toward him, and she willingly followed until she pressed against his chest, her face buried in his shoulder. His hand stroked her silky hair, and he wished he could hold her close all evening. There was something special about her, something that had him craving for any scraps of time she’d share with him. Did that make him pathetic? Probably. But he was beyond caring about his tattered pride. All that mattered now was Lexi.
“The dish will clean up once it soaks,” he murmured, his chin resting against the top of her head. “I’m impressed you’d even consider entering the kitchen on my behalf. What gave you the incentive?”
“You did.” She pulled back and looked up at him. “I…I wanted to make you happy.”
His instinct was to pull her back into his arms and kiss away her worries, but something told him that wasn’t what she needed just yet. “Talk to me, Lexi. What aren’t you saying?”
“I’ve extended my trip here longer than I’d intended, and now my father is insisting I wrap up this deal and return to New York as soon as possible.”
A Moment To Love Page 18