Perhaps it was pointless to make that distinction. She only sighed. “You asked me to understand about your brothers; you’re going to have to understand about my parents.”
He did understand. He understood that her parents were always going to be a problem. They thought Landon was a con man. If Kitty ended up losing Coyote Glen, they’d suppose he’d done something to make that happen, and they’d never forgive him for it. He could live with that perhaps, but he couldn’t live with Kitty suspecting the same thing. “You say it’s not about what you think, but it is. As long as the ranch is an issue, you’ll always wonder about my motives.”
“What are you saying?”
He ran his hand across his forehead, pushing his hair out of his face. “Maybe your parents were right about us not seeing each other until this is resolved. Once it is…” He let the sentence drift off because he didn’t know if she would stick around once the year was over. He hoped she would. He wanted her to reassure him that she would.
Instead she said, “You’re breaking up with me?”
“Just until this is resolved.”
Her tone became coldly professional. “I see. And I suppose in the meantime, you’ll be dating other women and you expect me to date other men?”
She wasn’t telling him she would stay in Arizona. She was asking if she could date other men. Maybe she’d never been as invested in him as he’d thought. He swallowed back the hurt. “If that’s what you want.”
“What I want apparently doesn’t matter.”
“Kitty—”
“No, I get it,” she cut in. “It’s you, not me. The timing is off. You just want to be friends. You don’t have to say more. Really, please don’t say anymore.” She hung up before giving him the chance.
He nearly called her back. He considered reversing everything he’d just said, showing up on her doorstep, and telling her he’d make sure Coyote Glen succeeded just to show her that her suspicions were unfounded.
But doing that sort of thing when he had no guarantee of a future with her, that was too much to ask. He had to think of his brothers. He couldn’t torch their livelihood to prove his intentions were real. She had to be reasonable. And certainly once she cooled down, she would see his point. She would agree with him that this separation was for the best.
If she cared about their relationship, she ought to be willing to stick around after next September to work on it. And if she didn’t care, then dating each other for months beforehand would only make things harder for both of them.
Chapter Twenty
The next few days passed for Kate in a blur of ranch work with intermittent bingeing on chocolate chip cookies. Her heart felt like it had been punctured and was still raw and wounded. She painted the walls of her grandparents’ house and ordered fabric for new curtains and throw pillows. It was the interior designers’ equivalent of post-breakup cutting your bangs.
Even though she needed help with the livestock, she didn’t call any of the day laborers Landon suggested. Not because she didn’t trust them. She was just too proud to take Landon’s help. She hired different ones.
The fact that Landon had broken up with her after she’d called to give him a second chance—it still stung. Granted, he’d said he was just breaking up with her until the ranch issue was resolved, but that was clearly an attempt to let her down easy. He hadn’t denied that he would date other women or told her not to date other men. You didn’t do that if you were still interested in a person.
Not surprisingly, when she called her parents and let them know that Landon had dumped her because he thought she didn’t trust him, they weren’t sympathetic.
“It’s for the best,” her father said. “You don’t want to stay in Arizona anyway.”
It didn’t feel like it was for the best. It felt like she’d been hit with buckshot and pain was slowly filling her chest.
“You can always find someone else,” her mother added.
Not likely. She had no desire to check out the single scene in Bisbee. People in the community still treated her with chilly indifference, and no one at church spoke to her beyond what was necessary. She would’ve stayed home on Sundays, except she didn’t want Landon to think he’d chased her away.
Her new goal was to work so hard on the ranch and make it so successful that she showed Landon and the entire town that she had what it took to conquer any task in front of her. And she’d hold her head high while she did it. She didn’t need any of them. Then she’d go back to Washington away from this hot place and these cold people, back to her real life.
She hired one of the day laborers to come out and help with tasks she couldn’t do by herself but continued on with the rest of the chores, building both calluses and muscles. With this job, she’d never need to go to the gym again.
While her father looked for the right foreman to hire, November plodded along into December. Kate saw Landon each Sunday sitting in a pew with his brothers and niece, looking stoic and not nearly as miserable as she felt.
Each time her glance strayed to those broad shoulders and his sun-kissed hair, she felt the pangs of loss. She missed him. Pathetic really. She should have more pride than that.
Angelina showed up at church when she wasn’t working and generally made a point to sit near Landon and flirt with him as much as she could. He was friendly back. Everyone in the congregation seemed to love Angelina. As far as Kate could tell, everyone in Landon’s family did too. Angelina was so effortlessly an insider. Maybe Landon would change his mind about her friend status.
Jealousy was a sin that was becoming common on Sunday, as was coveting her neighbor—not anything he had, just him.
If Landon passed Kate in the church foyer—and okay, she might have lingered after the service every week so he would bump into her—he would stop to speak to her for a few minutes. This Sunday it was, “What have you been up to?”
“Pruning citrus.” A couple trees were so laden with fruit that some of their branches were breaking.
“Looks like your lemon tree put up a fight.” He ran a finger across her arm where several scratches were fading. His touch sent all sorts of shivers through her. He probably knew it too.
But even this brief interaction was a reminder of her inadequacies. She hadn’t realized lemon trees had thorns until she started cutting them. She should have worn long sleeves and gloves.
She changed the subject. “So, how was your week?”
“The usual: checking fences, moving irrigation pipe, and plotting to overthrow all those who stand in my way.”
“Glad to know I’m in your thoughts.”
He smiled. “You are. Always.”
That was a comfort. Or maybe not. Sometimes she couldn’t tell if he was flirting or gloating.
By mid-December, and still without a foreman’s help, Kate had fallen behind on all but the essential ranch tasks. Finally, her father called to tell her he’d hired Gary Williams, one of his high school friend’s younger brothers, for the job. Her father was very pleased with himself for finding Gary because he’d had a dozen years of experience and could start immediately. Her father had also convinced him to work for half salary with the understanding that after Kate inherited the ranch, the family would give him twenty-five thousand dollars in cattle.
“What if I end up not inheriting the ranch?” Kate asked. It was always a worry. She’d managed—mostly by selling off the weened calves—to keep the ranch in the black, but with them gone, she was doubly dependent on the calves that would be born in the spring. She needed them to replenish her numbers.
“That’s the beauty of this arrangement,” her father said. “Gary has an incentive to work hard to make sure you inherit the ranch. And paying him less will give you an extra cushion of twenty-five thousand. Shouldn’t be hard to keep the ranch profitable now.”
Well, one would hope.
The next day Gary moved into the foreman’s cottage. He was the opposite of Dewayne in many ways. Dewayne had been w
iry and clean-shaven. Gary had a bushy mustache, arms like ham hocks, and a belly that hung over the turquoise belt buckle he always wore. He was quick to smile and even quicker to talk. By the time he’d been at Coyote Glenn for a week, Kate knew all about the ranch he’d worked at in Wyoming and the one before that in Nevada. She also knew about his soon to be ex-wife, Darla, and how the woman was taking Gary to the cleaners in their divorce.
More than once, Kate had to end a conversation by reminding him that they both had work to do. It always made her feel awkward to be his sympathetic ear. Details about his ex-wife’s infidelity felt too intimate. And the stories about his glory days in high school, yeah, she didn’t want to hear those either. By January, Kate almost missed Dewayne’s judgmental sullenness.
The other worrisome thing about Gary was that more and more beer cans popped up around the ranch. She found them perched on fence posts, abandoned in the tack room, and resting on haystacks. If the number of forgotten cans was so high, how many was he drinking that he didn’t mislay?
She told herself that Gary’s drinking habits weren’t any of her business, not if they didn’t affect his work. Divorce had to be hard on a man. Her breakup with Landon still weighed on her, and the two of them hadn’t dated that long, let alone been married. Any time she was close to the property line that divided Coyote Glen from the Wyle Away, she paused and looked in that direction as though she might catch sight of Landon riding by.
She hadn’t told anyone at church that Gary was working for her, and whenever there were errands to run in town, she did them. It was easier to keep track of receipts that way, and besides, she’d hired Gary for his expertise with animals so it made sense to leave him with them. Still, she knew news of her foreman would get around. Gary had gone to high school in the area and had a few—as he called them—lady friends who lived in Bisbee. He spent his nights off frequenting Bisbee’s bars with them, and judging from the stories he told Kate, generally acted like a drunken teenager on spring break.
She knew that Landon wouldn’t approve of Gary so it wasn’t really a surprise when Landon strolled up to Kate in the church foyer and said, “I heard you hired Gary Williams. How’s he working out?”
“Oh, I don’t think he works out,” she said, purposely misinterpreting the question. “Ranching keeps him too busy for the gym.”
“I’m glad to hear he’s busy. He has a reputation for partying harder than he works.”
She chewed the inside of her mouth, unsure how much to say about that.
Landon eyes narrowed as he surveyed her. “And I can tell by the way you didn’t jump to his defense that his behavior hasn’t changed.”
Man, Landon could read her better than she’d thought. “What he does after hours is his own concern.” It was all the defense she could offer in Gary’s behalf.
Landon was still scrutinizing her. “As long as it is after hours.”
Gary’s drinking clearly wasn’t, but he seemed capable of working a cattle chute with a beer in his hand. She doubted he would ever try to work completely drunk. It was too dangerous to be impaired around cattle. The animals seemed to either run away or run straight at you.
Landon lowered his voice. “His work ethic aside, do you feel safe with him there?”
The question struck a note of poignancy inside her, not because she was worried about Gary putting the moves on her—he seemed harmless enough in that regard—but because her safety mattered to Landon. He was worried about her. That meant he still cared about her, didn’t it?
Then again, Landon was the type that would worry about any woman who might be in danger. He was like a knight in shining Levis…who was no longer interested in her.
She sighed. “Yeah, I’m fine.”
He nodded, his gaze firmly on her eyes, and she knew he was trying to discern whether she was being honest or not.
“I lock the doors at night,” she added to reassure him. “And of course Missy would protect me, you know, unless an attacker bribed her with cheese.”
“Just remember, you can call me if you ever don’t feel safe.”
A thoughtful offer. Was it beyond the call of a typical knight?
Angelina appeared in the foyer and swept up beside Landon, all intimate smiles and musky perfume. Her dark hair was curled in waves that brushed along her back and she wore a short skirt and tight red top. Quite a different look than her usual veterinary gear.
Angelina put her hand on Landon’s arm. “Can I ask you a favor?”
He smiled politely. “Of course. What do you need?”
“A ride to the Lawrence’s place. They want me to look over a neighbor’s stallion they’re considering buying. I told them I’d stop by after church. It’s not too far out of your way, is it?”
It probably was because when Landon hesitated, she pouted like a kid who’d just asked for candy before dinner. Honestly, you’d think a woman who was technically a doctor wouldn’t resort to pouting.
“Sure,” he said. “Let me get my brothers—”
Angelina didn’t let him finish. “I’d hate to make your entire family late getting home. We don’t have to drag them with us.” She turned triumphantly to Kate. “You wouldn’t mind taking Landon’s brothers home, would you? Their place is right next to yours.”
Kate did mind—not the part about giving Landon’s family a ride, the part about letting Angelina have Landon to herself, but what else could she say except, “Sure. No problem.”
Landon nodded a goodbye at Kate, Angelina linked her arm through Landon’s, and the two strolled off.
The way Angelina had taken Landon’s arm looked so natural, like it wasn’t the first time.
She shut her eyes and reminded herself, yet again, that Landon had broken up with her. She didn’t have a choice about that. She only had the choice of whether to keep her pride or not. Pride might be all she was left with after the year.
Chapter Twenty-One
Landon drove out of the parking lot with Angelina at his side. She seemed to have forgiven him for turning down her overtures last September. She’d not only started speaking to him again, she was back to being friendly. He hoped that meant she was over him and not that she was giving him a second shot. “It’s nice of you to stop by the Lawrence’s on your day off,” he told her.
“I’m a nice person,” she said, purred almost. “Besides, everything I own is washable. I’ll be fine.”
Maybe, but it wouldn’t be easy tromping around a stable in those heels. “With your car in the shop, how did you get to church?”
“My roommate gave me a ride.” Angelina had a four-bedroom house in Bisbee and rented out one of the rooms. “I asked for your help, though, because you looked like you needed to be rescued from Kate Benton.”
“Did I?” Angelina had obviously misinterpreted the situation. He’d never looked forward to church as much as he did now that it was the only time he saw Kitty.
Angelina leaned back into her seat. Her skirt had ridden up some but she didn’t bother pulling it back down. “She has nerve showing up to church.”
“Or maybe faith.” It was even possible she came to see him. He caught Kate glancing his way often enough.
Angelina scoffed. “You helped Cal run his ranch. You were better to him than his own son. What his family is doing to you is wrong.”
“You can’t blame the Bentons for feeling they’ve a right to inherit Cal’s estate.” Landon didn’t blame them. He just wished they’d been willing to negotiate. Everything could have been different then.
Landon stretched his shoulders in an attempt to shrug away the tension that was suddenly there. He didn’t usually let himself dwell on the bad luck that, over the last few years, kept showing up on his doorstep. To be honest, falling in love with Kitty also belonged in that bad luck category. Leave it to him to choose a woman who didn’t trust him and didn’t want to live in the same state.
Angelina ran her hand along Landon’s arm, drawing his attention back to her. She�
��d scooted closer. “You’re scowling. You spend too much time thinking about Kate Benton.”
Angelina had no idea how right she was about that.
She clicked her tongue. “Kate is a city girl who hates living here and will leave as soon as she can. You don’t have to bend over backward to play fair where she’s concerned.”
“That’s not the reason I play fair.” They’d reached the Lawrence’s place. Landon pulled up in front of the house and put the truck in park.
Angelina didn’t get out, didn’t even scoot toward the door. She considered Landon with knowing eyes. “She’s never going to be your type.”
Maybe Angelina wasn’t as bad at reading the situation as Landon supposed.
She put her hand on Landon’s leg. “This will be the second time I say this to you today: You look like you need rescuing.” Before he realized what she was doing, she leaned over and pressed her lips to his.
He was so surprised that it took a moment for him to react. He pulled away from her, feeling all sorts of uncomfortable. “I appreciate the concern, but I’m fine.”
She smiled and opened her door. “Give it some thought.” Before she stepped out of the truck, she turned back to him. “I owe you a favor for dropping me off. If your livestock need anything this week,” she gave him another smile, this one suggestive, “or if you need anything, text me. I’d be more than happy to make an afterhours call.” She winked, got out of the truck, and strutted off to the Lawrence’s.
Well, Angelina had just made everything more awkward than he’d expected. He thought he’d made it clear he wasn’t interested in anything beyond friendship. Apparently not. Landon put his truck in drive and headed home. This was another moment to add to his list of bad luck. Now he was going to have to avoid Angelina whenever she came to the ranch. And what if one of his animals had a problem after hours and he really did have to call her?
Landon shook his head, trying to erase thoughts of those possibilities. He was going to have to make sure Jaxon was around this week to make any potential vet calls.
The Cowboy and the Girl Next Door: (A Clean, Enemies to Lovers Romance) Wyle Away Ranch Book 1 Page 17