Chapter 8 #2
Killian’s smile is soft and his fingers graze my arm.
“Whenever you want to talk about it, I’d like to hear it.
To go from wanting to fix people’s lives to saving a horse ranch from whatever bullshit is going on seems a little similar.
You’re helping people’s lives by being a publicist and stepping in. ”
I laugh. “It does when you put it that way.”
There is a buzzing sound on the security panel. “That’s probably the food,” Killian says as he gets up. He says something back and forth through the speaker and then buzzes the driver through.
He opens the door, waiting for the car to approach and then exchanges the money for food. I get up to help and also offer to pay, but he, of course, won’t hear it.
Killian lays out the food and hands me chopsticks. I grab a container, sit back on the couch, and dig in.
“All right, so I know I said I’d wait, but you gotta give me something. How did you end up as a publicist?”
I pull my right leg up and cross my left under my butt.
“I got really lucky. Out of undergrad, I was kind of floundering, and I took a job as a nanny. It was for a pretty famous baseball player in Indiana. He’s represented by Anchor Light, but the entertainment division out of California.
I met Catherine, the owner, and she said I was a natural at seeing a problem and creating a solid path.
Offered me an internship while I was in grad school and then I got hired full time by Brynlee into the new corporate side. ”
They both assured me that my instincts were spot on.
Although, my current situation would say otherwise.
I’m living with the man who was supposed to be a one-night stand. Who also is my client. And is probably a bit older than I’m allowing myself to admit.
“Egg roll?” Killian offers.
I shake my head. “No thanks, I’m not a fan of egg rolls. All right, I answered your question—tell me about your other business in Boston.”
Killian puts his container down. “Not much to tell. We’re a real estate investment company.
My partner handles most of the business, while I just look at what he’s interested in and decide if it’s a good financial move.
I’m pragmatic, where Nathaniel is more emotionally driven.
I do think that’s why he’s successful, though.
Where I follow the numbers, he goes with his instincts.
We started it after I decided professional football wasn’t for me and he offered me an opportunity because he saw I was lost after I gave up the sport I loved. ”
“He seems important to you,” Tessa notes.
“He’s saved my life more times than I can count. Nathaniel is like a brother. When my sister was sick, he didn’t say a single word when I said I needed to come down here and split time in Boston. He picked up the slack, never complained, and he still doesn’t. He’s truly my best friend.”
I smile at that. “I think we all need people like that.”
I know how much my friends mean to me. If it weren’t for them, I would’ve fallen apart multiple times.
Killian nods. “I agree. Nathaniel has great instincts for what will make money and what won’t.
When we started, he was flipping houses for the most part.
It did well, and we reinvested that into buying up commercial and residential real estate.
I don’t know, it pays the bills and I really focus on the financial side of things where Nathaniel is the salesman. ”
“Sounds pretty…boring.”
He chuckles. “It is. It’s why I love this ranch so much, and over the past six years, I’ve spent more and more time here. With the sales of the horses and the board and train option, this ranch has become more lucrative than the real estate company and that’s saying something.”
And now he’s losing money like crazy. Sales are dropping, people are pulling their horses, there is no trainer, and if we make any big moves, the story could sprout wings and take flight.
It’s why I need to find Travis.
He’s the lynchpin in this grenade.
In the meantime, I need to bring customers here and save his business. I have ideas on ways we can do community outreach and start to get the word out. Of course, he’s going to hate all of them, which is why I’m trying to pin down which one I want to approach first.
“Are you finished?” Killian asks, looking down at the food.
“Yes, I’m stuffed. Thank-you. Let me know how much dinner was.”
He rolls his eyes and gets up. “Sure, I’ll put it on your tab.”
I’m pretty sure that means he will not do that.
I help him clean up and then I follow him out to the barn.
He pulls the big door to the right, and we walk through. This barn is huge, with a half-open loft at the one end and at least fifteen stalls. Killian walks over to an area and grabs a bag.
“Here.” He hands it to me. “Apples are a horse’s best friend.”
I smile. “Thanks.”
We walk through, stopping at a few stalls, giving apples to the horses and petting their necks. Each one is beautiful, but I’m completely enamored with the last one we come to. She’s taller than the others, but lean and the most stunning shade of black. Her mane is as dark as her coat.
She’s stunning.
“This was my first horse,” Killian says as he rubs her nose. “This is Midnight. She’s been with me a long time, right girl?”
“How did you get into horses?” I ask.
“My sister, Alicia. We grew up in Colorado in this small town called Infinity Ridge. Anyway, they have a horse ranch there and she would go over after school, muck out the stalls, and talk to Mr. Stone about one day being able to buy one of his horses.”
I smile. “Did she?”
Killian sighs and shakes his head. “No, she never could. My family was poor. We could never afford to take care of a horse, let alone cover the price of it. However, Mr. Stone was one of those men who believed in hard work and he allowed her to pick one horse she loved and he promised to let her ride anytime she wanted, if she promised to take care of him.”
I lean against the stall door, reaching my hand out to pet Midnight. “He sounds like an amazing man.”
“He is. My sister was there every single day, taking care of her horse. Of course, as her younger brother, I wanted to be there too.”
Sounds like my brother. “Ahh, little brothers and their need to be annoying.”
He grins. “I asked Mr. Stone if the same applied to me—it didn’t.”
I burst out laughing. “I didn’t see that twist.”
“I wasn’t half as dedicated as Alicia. However, about eight years ago, when my sister was diagnosed with cancer, I went to the Heartstone Ranch and bought her Midnight.”
My chest tightens and I keep my gaze on his. “You bought her this horse?”
“Yes. And I bought this ranch when she got sick so I could keep them both here.”
I gasp. “Wow, that’s…beautiful. You bought a farm for your sister?”
“A few other reasons too, but yes.”
This ranch clearly means more to him than I imagined. Of course all people love their businesses and no one wants to see their work fall apart, but there’s a deeper meaning too.
“Did your sister live here?”
Killian looks at Midnight and rubs her nose. “She did. It was her dream to live on ranch like this.”
“How so?”
“We left Colorado as soon as we both could. I went to college in Boston at eighteen and never came back. Alicia met a guy and moved a town over from here. He left her when she was diagnosed, said he didn’t sign up for years of agony, whatever the fuck that meant.
Not that life with him was all that great.
They barely got by and then she was sick and without anything.
By then, my company in Boston was doing extremely well, so I came here, bought the ranch so she could be around her horse and not have to worry about finances. ”
I reach my hand out, resting it on his arm. “Killian, that’s so…amazing. I hope you know that. For her to have that peace probably meant the world to her.”
“I hope so.”
“I can assure you, it did.”
He smiles. “Thank-you.”
I nod once.
“It’s why I can’t lose it, Tessa. I need to save it. Whatever we have to do, I’ll do it. I love this land, the barns, the horses.”
The way his voice quivers sends an ache through my heart. “I know, we’ll figure it out.”
His big green eyes lock on mine, and I pray I can deliver on my promise.
And now, my professional feelings just got personal.