Chapter 4 #2
He shakes his head. “Not your fault. August loves to get in everyone’s business. And if you’d gone over to their table, it would’ve been an hour before the boys stopped yammering.”
“Ah okay. Makes sense.” I should leave it there, but I can’t keep my mouth shut. “You don’t want to grab something to eat?”
Cal’s brow furrows. “What? Oh, no, I ate already. I get too hungry to wait until proper mealtime most days.”
I try, and fail, not to take him being considerate of my need to eat even though he already ate as a sign that maybe he doesn’t completely hate me. “Ah okay, well if you change your mind, I may have gone a bit overboard.”
His mouth twitches into what could almost be a smile, if he didn’t seem determined to look constipated around me. “Nothing wrong with enjoying a good meal.”
My mouth falls open in surprise that he didn’t say something rude, but he doesn’t see it, his back already turned as he leads me back to the lobby.
I follow him behind the reception desk, where he puts the tray down and grabs a key from a drawer, using it to unlock the door to the office.
He steps inside, flicking the lights on, and I pick up my food and follow him into the cramped space filled with filing cabinets and a small desk with a brick of a laptop on it.
I frown at the single chair and lack of surface space to put the tray. “Guess I’ll eat after we have this talk you’re eager to have.”
He nods and doesn’t stop me as I step back out to the reception desk, setting the food down with a mournful look.
So much for his being considerate. Or for eating a hot meal. My stomach gives a despondent growl.
Cal leans awkwardly against one of the ancient cabinets and gestures toward the chair.
I shake my head. “I’m fine to stand.” There’s no way I’m going to sit down and have him tower over me even more with that stern aura of his.
“Alright.” He gives me a long, hard look before speaking again. “I’ll cut to the chase, then. There’s no money for you to take.”
I blink back at him. “Uh, what?”
Cal sighs and rubs the base of his horn.
“I know Dawn left you half of the ranch in her will, but none of the assets are liquid. We’re barely getting by.
I can’t buy you out. Not now at least. Maybe if the summer season goes better than the last one, we can discuss it, but you’ve wasted your time coming out here. ”
Indignance flares within me at his assumptions.
Sure, I’d be lying if I said I hadn’t considered selling my share of the ranch to whoever got the other half—which I’m quickly realizing is the rude cow man glaring at me—but that was before I decided to take the leap of faith on the chance to start over here.
“Who said anything about money?” I cross my arms over my chest.
He snorts derisively. “Why else would a woman who never stepped foot on this ranch in all the years I’ve worked here—a woman who never so much as wrote a letter or called her grandma—come out here?”
His words hit me like a slap in the face. “You don’t know me, and you have no business judging my relationship with my grandma. I came here because I wanted to reconnect with my family.”
“It’s a little late for that,” he deadpans.
White-hot anger boils up inside me, and I open my mouth to curse him out, but he grimaces and holds his hands up.
“Sorry. That was uncalled for.”
“It was,” I bite back. “You think I don’t regret waiting so long?”
He at least has the decency to look chastised. “I… I’m sorry. Dawn was kin to me in every way but blood, and this ranch is my home. I’d do anything to protect this place and my family.”
“Well, I’m not here to ask for money or take it away from you, so stop assuming things,” I huff.
“I’ll…try not to.”
I barely refrain from rolling my eyes, doubting he’ll try very hard. He’s determined to think of me as some money-hungry interloper.
There’s a long, supremely awkward silence.
Cal clears his throat. “So then, why did you come out here, if not for money? Surely, it wasn’t only to destroy the ranch sign.”
I snort. “No, I don’t need to drive sixteen hours for property destruction and thrilling cock encounters.”
His mouth twitches again into an almost smile.
“I’m moving here.”
“What? Don’t be ridiculous.” Cal crosses his arms over his chest.
“I’m not! I own half of the ranch. I need to be here. I need to know this place and do what I can to help it succeed.”
His eyes narrow into that stern stare he loves to use on me. “We don’t need your help. This isn’t some fantasy where you get to come out here and play pretend cowgirl until you get bored. Life out here is dirty and rough and not meant for you.”
And there they are. The magic words that set me aflame with righteous determination. The ones that will keep me here on this ranch no matter what he says.
“Setting aside the fact that this is a guest ranch where people literally come out here to escape into a cowboy fantasy—maybe you’ve forgotten that because you have no guests—I get to decide what I’m capable of. Not some asshole sexist rancher with a superiority complex.”
He throws his hands up. “I’m not being sexist. I’m being practical. Look at you! You’re wearing a goddamn sequin costume.”
I scoff. “I can wear whatever I damn well please. Get used to it, because you have no say over whether I stay or go. Now, if you’ll excuse me, I’m going to go eat my dinner and unpack.”
“Belle.” I ignore him calling my name after me as I storm out, which is for the best because I’m about five seconds away from bursting into tears and there’s no damn way I’m letting him see that. He calls it again, but I still don’t look back.
I’ve made it all the way back to the house before I realize I’ve forgotten my food.
Fuck my life.
Hot, frustrated tears spill down my cheeks as I climb the porch stairs until I notice a tray sitting next to the door. I wipe away my tears to unblur my vision, and see that it’s a generous portion of cornbread and cobbler. There’s a little note on the tray, written with a rough scrawl.
You forgot these. Should still be good if you heat them up a bit. Hope Cal didn’t scare you off too much.