The Cowboy and the Girl Next Door: (A Clean, Enemies to Lovers Romance) Wyle Away Ranch Book 1

by Janette Rallison

  That weekend when Dillon was home to do the books, he asked why the estimates for the Coyote Glen were taking so long. “We’ve got half a million of our own we can use,” Dillon said, “but it will take time to do the paperwork and get approved for a loan for the rest. We don’t want to wait so long to make an offer that the Bentons figure Kitty might as well stick it out.”

  Landon couldn’t avoid moving forward with the offer any longer. He retrieved the estimates from his dresser.

  Usually Dillon worked in the den, but Kitty had painted the desk earlier that morning and it was still outside drying. Dillon sat at the kitchen table, mumbling what were probably curses as he sorted through stacks of papers searching for the right receipts.

  Landon laid the estimates in front of him with an air of resignation. “I hate to think what the interest on this loan will cost us every month. I tell you, bankers are greedy SOBs.”

  “Thanks,” Dillon said.

  “Probably all callous too.”

  Dillon didn’t rise to the bait. He was too busy reading the land description, including information on its generator, wells, storage tanks, dirt tanks, and concrete water catchment. He needn’t have bothered. Nothing had changed on Coyote Glen since last year when Dillon had been there to help Cal with branding.

  Dillon flipped through the second estimate. “It’s always best to start negotiations on the low side, so we should offer them two million, one hundred thousand and see what the Bentons counter with. Do you want me to call Kitty or do you want to do it?”

  Landon contemplated the matter. “Doesn’t seem right to lowball Kitty. I don’t want her to think we’re trying to take advantage of her.”

  “Alrighty, then.” Dillon set the papers in a stack. “I’ll make the call.”

  “At a hundred thousand under the lowest estimate?”

  “Yes, and they’ll come back with an offer that’s a hundred thousand over the highest estimate, and we’ll negotiate from there.” Dillon gave him a patient look. “They know that if they turn us down, they might come away with nothing. They probably also know that come calving season, there’s no way Kitty is going to hold down a calf to dehorn it, let alone brand and castrate the thing.” Landon and his brothers had always assisted Cal with those tasks, but the tone of Dillon’s voice made it clear he wouldn’t volunteer for the job again. “She’ll have to pay for help this spring.”

  That was a matter Landon hadn’t considered. Usually friends and fellow ranchers got together on branding day. It became a social event. But no one around here would ask for Kitty’s help, and if she asked for theirs, she was bound to be met by a chilly reception.

  Landon rubbed the back of his neck in irritation. “If she loses the ranch because people around here are too unfriendly to help her, she’ll never want to stay in Arizona.”

  Dillon handed the estimates back to Landon. “Hopefully, she’ll take our offer and won’t have to worry about who shows up on branding day.”

  He’d have the ranch, but he’d lose Kitty . . . unless, the sale process took so long that he had more time to convince her to stay. Landon folded the papers. “Tell her we want to offer on the cattle too. Of course, we’ll need to inspect them to get an idea of their value. Might take a while.”

  Dillon laid his pen down on the table with a thud. “You want to take on an extra three hundred and fifty head?”

  It meant more work, anyway you looked at it.

  Landon shrugged. “I can handle it.” And with the way Preston seemed determined to flunk English, college wasn’t high on his priorities. He wouldn’t have a choice but to work full time after he graduated.

  “Fine.” Dillon picked up his phone. “But I’ll be the one that makes the offer on those too. Otherwise, you’ll most likely run up the price in her favor.”

  Without waiting for Landon’s response, Dillon called Kitty. He spoke in a tone that was all business, smooth as a salesman. Landon stood by, straining to hear her voice, even though he was too far away. Was she unhappy with the offer? Eager for an excuse to leave?

  Dillon said, “I’ll drop by on my way to town so you can have the offer in writing. If it’s acceptable, we’ll start negotiations for the cattle.”

  Landon would have been happy for an excuse to see her tonight, but letting Dillon handle the matter was probably for the best. He and Kitty shouldn’t let business come between them.

  Dillon ended the call and calmly put his phone on the table.

  “Well?” Landon asked.

  His brother’s attention was already back on feed receipts. “She said she’d talk to her parents and get back with us.”

  An uncomfortable sense of agitation settled into Landon’s stomach. He should’ve told Dillon to wait longer to make an offer. Whatever the outcome, it wouldn’t be good. Landon was either going to lose the water he needed or the woman he was beginning to need just as badly.

  Chapter Fifteen

  Kate scanned the pages of the Wyles’ offer into her computer and emailed them to her parents. She wanted her parents to strike some sort of bargain with Landon. And she also didn’t. Once a deal was reached, her family would expect her to move back to Seattle.

  She was finding herself more and more reluctant to do that. She’d only been dating Landon for a little over a month and already she didn’t want to leave him. She thought about him constantly and counted down the hours until she could see him again. The man was positively addictive. She wasn’t even sure if what she felt for him was real love or just giddy, intense attraction. It was difficult to tell because whenever she was with him, the giddy intense attraction sort of overshadowed all other emotions—and most of her reasoning abilities.

  A relationship couldn’t be based on the attraction of a chiseled jawline, a pair of stunning blue eyes, and the way Landon made faded Levis look like a work of art. In order for a relationship to work, people needed to be compatible. They needed similar goals and plans. Kate wasn’t sure she could tie her future, her entire life, to this patch of lonely desert. Granted, all the sunshine was nice—a sharp contrast to the autumn chill in Washington right now. The sunsets were a vivid, fiery pink, and the nights were laden with stars, but she needed to consider the whole lifestyle. Could she be happy in such an isolated place, even if Landon was with her?

  The women at church only politely endured her presence, and that was a step above most of the people she ran into around town. The other ranchers were the worst. They treated her like an uninvited guest who’d crashed their profession.

  Kate had contacted a few ranchers and asked if they wanted to buy any of her chickens. She’d offered a good price, but they all turned her down. One hinted that Kate’s lack of expertise had probably damaged the birds’ health and another gave her smug commentary on how dealing with livestock took finesse.

  So that was the sort of community she’d be stuck with if she stayed in Arizona. Still, each time she was with Landon, Washington lost more of its appeal. After a couple of kisses, Seattle’s clouds seemed dreary and did nothing but blot out the sun all the time. A few more kisses and the city was crowded, dingy, and full of strangers hurrying to go somewhere else.

  Not one of the men in Seattle spoke in that soft drawl of Landon’s. Even when he was going on about things like rotating pastures and using cattle chutes, his words felt so gently caressing that she wanted to close her eyes, lay her head against his chest, and listen to the lull of his cadence. That position was her favorite, because when she was tucked under his arm with her head to his heart, she could feel the gentle hum the words made in his chest.

  A half hour after Kate sent the paperwork to her parents, they called her. “I don’t mind selling the livestock to the Wyles,” her father said, “but the offer on the land is much too low. And without our land, I doubt they have the carrying capacity for another three hundred and fifty head.”

  Kate stood in her kitchen, phone pressed against her shoulder while she grated swiss cheese. She was making two quic
he lorraines, one for herself and one for Landon’s family. “I’m sure there’s room for negotiation. What would your lowest price be?”

  “That’s always been the heart of the problem,” her father said, “if we develop the land, we could make triple what the Wyles are offering.”

  Her mother made an agreeing noise. “They’ll never say yes to that price.”

  For the first time, Kate found herself frustrated by her parents’ plans. “Do you need to make triple the money? Isn’t a couple million enough? Besides, developing the land is a risk. Golf courses don’t always make money. Housing slumps happen.” And the wells would mean so much to the Wyles, to Landon. “If we sold now, you could take that money and do something with it right away.”

  “The money isn’t just for us,” her mother reminded her. “It’s for Libby’s education. We want to give her the school of her choice, just like we gave you. And if you want your own design firm, there’ll be lots of costs. You’ll need to rent an office downtown, pay a web designer, and sink a lot of money into advertising. And rent in Seattle—”

  “I don’t know if that’s what I really want to do.” Kate was thinking of how nice it would be to eat quiche with Landon out on his front porch. Maybe they could go horseback riding later or sit and watch the stars appear.

  “You don’t know what you want?” her mother asked.

  Well, Kate knew what she wanted at that moment, but she couldn’t tell her parents about it. Just thinking about Landon had made her mess up the swiss cheese. Had she put two cups in the bowl or three? She’d have to remeasure.

  “I thought,” her mother went on, clearly considering the two hundred thousand they’d paid for her schooling, “that owning a design firm was always your long-term goal.”

  “It is. But maybe not in Seattle. Tucson is a lot more affordable. At any rate, we shouldn’t make decisions about Coyote Glen based on that. A check from the Wyles now means we don’t have to worry about the possibility of losing the ranch altogether. That could still happen.”

  “Why?” Her father’s voice turned alarmed. “What’s going wrong on the ranch?”

  “Nothing.” Kate began scooping cheese out of the bowl. “But you never know. We could have a drought, and I’d have to spend too much on feed. Or the price of beef could crash. Or some expensive piece of equipment could break down. And speaking of equipment, if the Wyles hadn’t lent me their baler, I never would have gotten my alfalfa taken care of. They’ve helped me a lot.”

  She told her parents this so they’d see how nice the Wyles were, how deserving. Instead, her words had the opposite effect. “You’re too young and trusting,” her mother said. “Just watch, they won’t be nearly as friendly once you turn down this offer.”

  “In fact,” her father added, “you shouldn’t let them on the ranch. It’s better to be safe than out millions of dollars.”

  Her parents were wrong about Landon. She would know if he was lying about his feelings, if he was pretending every time he was with her. At least, she was fairly sure she would know. Granted, nobody ever thought they were being duped by scammers, but still.

  “If Landon wanted to win at all costs,” Kate pointed out. “he wouldn’t offer anything for the ranch.”

  “He might if he’s trying to gain your confidence,” her father said. “He knows we won’t take that offer. Meanwhile, you’re granting him access to the ranch.”

  She’d granted Landon access to more than that. She’d pretty much handed over her heart, and she couldn’t even admit that to her parents for fear of looking stupid and gullible.

  Long after she got off the phone, she worried about their accusations. If her parents were right, she’d not only be crushed when Landon dumped her and took the ranch, she’d have to admit to her parents that she’d completely gone against their advice and it had cost them millions of dollars.

  She ought to be careful, for their sake if not for hers. She ought to pull away from Landon a little and put some space between them.

  That night when she brought quiche to the Wyles, she took one look at Landon—at his magnetic blue eyes and perfect features—and was completely drawn in by him again.

  Turned out, she had no willpower. She couldn’t even bring herself to mention that her parents had turned down his offer. It would be kinder to let him think they were considering it for a few days. Maybe a week. Her parents were, after all, thorough people.

  That night as Landon kissed her goodbye, she realized she had other reasons for not revealing her parents’ decision. Part of her simply didn’t want to know if her parents were right. She didn’t want to find out if Landon would treat her differently once he knew her family wasn’t willing to sell Coyote Glen.

  The next morning, Dewayne left for a long weekend to visit his mother in Casa Grande. He would only be gone for three nights but still seemed to have his doubts that Kate could manage in his absence. Before heading to his truck, he said, “If anything breaks down, don’t try to fix it. Just let me handle it when I get back. And don’t overfeed the horses, we’re running low on their wet grain.”

  She felt like a teenager who’d been reluctantly handed her parents’ car keys. He shouldn’t have made her feel that way. She’d been working here for nearly two months and was capable of buying horse feed when needed. “Don’t worry,” she said. “I can manage everything just fine.”

  “Good, then you ought to find some time to clean the chicken coop. It needs it.”

  Ugh. She shouldn’t have said anything. She should have just waved him a silent goodbye and not given him an opportunity to give her more chores. Now she’d have to clean the coop or it would look like she’d been too overwhelmed to get to the task.

  The first day, she attacked the chores with relentless energy and even managed to clean the chicken coop. True, she wasn’t done until after the sun went down, and in the end, she was sort of blindly throwing straw around, but everything was clean. The second day was about the same. The third day went well until the horses’ second feeding. As per Dewayne’s orders, she hadn’t let Grandpa’s prize cutter Marigold out to graze with the other horses. Marigold was due to give birth in a couple weeks, and Dewayne was worried that if she was with the others, she might exert herself too much.

  This was only the third day the horse had been confined in her pen, and she was already getting restless. When Kate came into the barn, the mare was pacing around. Probably dying for some exercise and fresh air.

  Kate petted her neck sympathetically. “I wouldn’t want to be stuck in that pen either.” And who knew if Dewayne would let her out at all when he got home. Being cooped up for two weeks would be so dreary.

  Kate glanced out the barn door. About an hour of sunlight was left. The temperature was cooling but wasn’t too chilly yet. She could let the horse out to stretch her legs for that much time. After Kate ate dinner, she would bring her back to the stables.

  Kate led Marigold out to the pasture by the barn, murmuring to the horse that a cute little foal would be worth all the trouble it was causing her now. Then she went into the house to make dinner.

  She meant to remember to take the horse back to her pen. She really did. But while Kate ate, she began reading articles about ranchers who were reintroducing native grasses back into their lands. Using them could be more cost effective and better for the environment.

  The article about grass reminded her that she’d bought more grass seed but hadn’t recorded the purchase on her expense spreadsheet. Lately she’d spent so much time with Landon, she’d let paperwork slide. Well, no time like the present. She grabbed her laptop and the stack of receipts and sat down on the couch to tackle them. The day’s work had taken a toll on her. When she gave herself a break to lean back and rest her eyes, she immediately fell asleep.

  She awoke later, groggy and unsure of where she was. Her phone said it was eleven thirty. She plodded into her bedroom, rubbing her stiff neck, and got ready for bed. Missy was already there, stretched out in
the middle of the bed, enjoying the extra room. Kate pushed the dog over to the side.

  A banging noise from outside caught her attention. She straightened and listened. Another bang. It sounded like something hitting metal. What could possibly…? Only then did she remember Marigold out alone in the dark.

  She bolted from the room, horrified at her mistake. Wolves could be around. Or cougars. She pulled on some shoes, grabbed a flashlight, and ran outside. Missy bounded after her, barking because something interesting was clearly happening. Marigold would be fine, she told herself. Lots of wild horses lived in Arizona and they somehow made it through the night without succumbing to death.

  “I’m coming!” she called just in case any predators were around. Maybe the sound of a running person and a barking dog would scare them off.

  When Kate finally got close to the pasture, she waved the flashlight left and right, trying to find the horse. Nothing. Nothing. And then the beam hit the horse’s eyes and glowed. Marigold stood by the steel water trough, whole and well. Thank goodness.

  Whole and well, but not particularly happy. She pawed at the ground then at the empty trough, making it clang. The thing was empty. Kate had forgotten to check it before she’d turned Marigold out.

  Kate jogged that direction, panting. “Sorry, sorry,” she repeated and hoped the horse could understand by the tone of her voice what she meant. “Poor baby. Out here by yourself and thirsty. I’m so sorry.”

  She petted her neck, but the horse flicked her mane and pulled away. The action felt like a scolding. Kate took the lead rope and walked the horse to the barn, murmuring more apologies and promising apple slices for days to come. She put the horse in her pen and checked the water there. “We will never speak of this to Dewayne,” she said, and trudged back to the house.

  When she crawled back into bed at midnight, she was still chastising herself. She was the worst ranch hand ever. Dewayne had left her alone for three days, and she’d forgotten about a horse. And not just any horse. The expensive pregnant one. The one that had been her grandfather’s pride and joy. What would Dewayne have done if he’d come home early tomorrow morning and Marigold was still out there in the pasture? Would he tell everyone in town how incredibly inept Kate was? Did he tell people that already?