Chapter 30
CARTER
The next day, I got off to a slow start. Back in Los Angeles, I worked out a lot and tried to stay in good shape, but Shelby had a way of wearing me out.
Sex with her was incredible. I had dated plenty over the years, nothing serious but enough to have experience. With Shelby, it was just better.
I suspected it was because I had real feelings for her.
When we got together, it wasn’t just sex.
I didn’t know if it was “making love,” but it felt an awful lot like a physical expression of my feelings, rather than just a mechanical act.
I wasn’t just there to come and go. With Shelby, I wanted to come and stay.
No one would be printing that sentiment on a greeting card but it didn’t make it any less true. I was falling hard for this sassy farmgirl and I didn’t know what to do about it.
Those thoughts consumed me as I showered. The hot water felt good on my aching muscles, loosening them up. I wished the soap and water could wash away the confusion I was feeling.
No woman before Shelby had made me feel this way. I was borderline obsessed with her, which was insane because we had only just met. But maybe that was how love happened to some people, just hitting you out of the clear blue sky like a meteor, changing everything.
Or maybe it was just Shelby who could do that to me. She hypnotized me with her smile, knocked me over with her kiss, and made me laugh, even when she was bossing me around.
And when she looked at me, I was almost certain she was feeling the way I was. Her lips had a slight curve to them like she couldn’t help but smile at me. I only noticed because she had the same effect on me.
The problem was simple geography. Los Angeles and Ferris were pretty much across the country from each other.
If we tried giving this thing a real shot, it would require a long-distance relationship, with an emphasis on “long.” We could talk on the phone and video chat, and I could probably fly out this way here and there, but that felt like a pale imitation of what we were experiencing right now.
I didn’t think it would be enough for me, especially since I could never get my fill of Shelby. So for me, long distance was a nonstarter. If I was going to jump into a real relationship, I needed her with me, at my side, in my bed.
But I couldn’t imagine Shelby moving to Los Angeles with me.
Living there was great, despite plenty of flaws, but I fully understood a sprawling city like that was not a good fit for everyone, especially someone like Shelby, who seemed to prefer keeping life simple and uncomplicated.
And even if there was some way for her to adjust to that life, it still wouldn’t solve the problem of her farm.
Shelby would never give up Granny’s Acre.
She had fought tooth and nail to build it into what it was today, which was admittedly still small, but she was surviving, which was more than a lot of people these days.
No matter how much she liked me, she wouldn’t shut the farm down and abandon it, and I would never ask her to do so.
Might as well ask her to chop off a limb or change her name.
The farm life was part of who she was, a part of her identity. And yes, I liked her. Maybe even loved her, which was a seriously troubling thought. I wouldn’t ask her to change everything about herself just to accommodate me. That wasn’t love; it was control.
While I didn’t mind taking control in the bedroom, I wasn’t trying to run her life and tell her how to live it.
Hell, I barely knew what I was doing with my own life anymore.
Coming to Ferris had changed my perspective on a lot of things, and I was the last person who should be giving anyone life advice right then.
After my shower, I still didn’t have any answers about what I should do about my feelings for Shelby.
Spending more time in the steamy bathroom wouldn’t change that, so I got dressed so I could get on with my day.
I was hoping to get some time with Shelby later, but first, I had some business to handle.
I had gotten my personal attorneys to draw up new documents for the deal with Ronnie Miller. It was mostly the same as the first deal, but I had sweetened the numbers for Ronnie. Without Allory involved, I didn’t have to worry about the company stealing a huge piece of the pie.
Since I would be using my own money, I could take a lot less of a percentage. This investment didn’t need to make me rich. I was mostly there to help him sell a product I believed in.
He agreed to meet me over at the feed store, which was like the town’s unofficial meeting place.
I was starting to like it there. Jake was a good guy and he always welcomed me, even though he knew who I was and what my company had done to the town.
Jake didn’t seem to hold it against me, which I appreciated greatly.
He greeted me as I walked into the feed store, waving. “Ronnie’s already in the back.”
“Good,” I replied, nodding at Jake.
“He seemed really excited,” Jake said. “I assume it’s because of the deal you two are working on?”
“Yeah, I gave him a breakdown of the numbers and it should make him a lot of money.” I tapped my finger on the counter as I walked past it.
“Mark my words, Jake. If things work out the way I expect them to with Ronnie, he’ll be expanding his operations and he’ll be needing to hire extra help.
It won’t replace the jobs lost when Whitaker Farms closed, but it’s something. ”
“More work is always good,” Jake said. “Lots of people around here are dying for a chance to earn a living. Not to get rich, but just to survive.”
I nodded. “I’m trying my best to give those folks some hope.”
Ronnie was in the back, having a cup of coffee and chatting with some of the old-timers sitting at nearby tables. We shook hands and I sat with him, pulling the documents out of my bag.
I walked him through each of the sections, answering any questions he had and explaining how things would work.
It took a while to get through all of it, considering all the moving parts of the deal.
I also told him to run it by his attorney too, to make sure everything lined up with what I had told him.
I wasn’t trying to get one over on him or unfairly profit. It would take a little longer for him to get an independent legal opinion, but I didn’t want there to be any questions or concerns.
Ronnie and I wrapped things up. He headed back to his farm and I went up to the counter where Jake was lounging, looking bored.
He smiled and shook his head when I walked up. “It’s too early to go have a beer, if that’s what you were going to ask me.”
I laughed. “No, I wasn’t going to suggest that. Although I do have cause to celebrate again.”
Jake nodded. “I’m glad you’re trying to help out around here. You don’t have to but you’re doing it anyway. That’s respectable.”
I wasn’t used to that sort of feedback. Working for Allory meant most of my interactions with the public were antagonistic, with me trying to defend some shady behavior I had nothing to do with and would never sign off on.
This was a welcome change, even though I wasn’t really sure how to accept these sorts of compliments.
Before I could respond, the front door to the feed store banged open, and a loud voice boomed through the quiet. “Where the hell is he? Where is Carter Allory?”
Jake’s eyes widened and he glanced at me. I shook my head and shrugged, not knowing who would come looking for me. My fists clenched at my sides, ready for anything. I wasn’t looking to get into a fight in the middle of the feed store, but I would defend myself if necessary.
A big bear of a man came marching up to the counter, his face a dark storm cloud, eyes shooting lightning in my direction. I didn’t recognize him but I recognized the anger on his face.
Jake held a hand up. “Whoa there, Shane. What’s going on?”
My eyes widened. So this was Shane, the vacationing mechanic. Shelby’s brother.
“This piece of shit has been chasing after my sister,” Shane said, squaring up to me.
“I would introduce myself but it seems you already know who I am,” I said, trying to keep my voice neutral.
Shane was clearly itching for a fight. Normally, I would happily show him I wasn’t to be messed with, no matter how big he was, but this was Shelby’s brother.
If I put him in the hospital, she would never forgive me.
“Yeah, I know who you are,” Shane snapped, his eyes boring into mine. “Your company destroyed this town and it ripped my family apart. And you think you can come back to Ferris and do it all over again?”
“That’s not why I’m here,” I said.
“I don’t want to hear anything you have to say, Allory.” Shane shook his head vehemently. People were starting to watch the confrontation unfold, not hiding their curiosity. “Your company is all liars and I won’t let you string my sister along like your company strung this town along.”
Jakes came out from behind the counter to get in between us. “Come on, man, let’s talk about this. I hate Allory as much as anyone, but Carter’s all right. He says he’s trying to be different, and I believe him.”
“Thank you, Jake,” I said, meaning it.
Shane looked at his friend with a pained expression on his face. “You too? Don’t you get it? This is what they do. They come into town, charm everyone with lies, and then they tear our lives apart to make a quick buck.”
“Look, Shane, I know my company has a lot to answer for, but I wasn’t involved in any of those decisions.”
He shook his head. “Just save it. This isn’t even about you being a soulless billionaire. This is about my sister. You’re out here playing house with a woman your business practices already broke. Don’t you have any compassion? Don’t you care you’re going to break her heart?”
“I’m not trying to break her heart,” I defended.
“Well, how do you think this is going to end? Unless you’re moving to Ferris, there’s only one way this goes.”
I didn’t have a good response to that. Shane was echoing my thoughts from earlier, but they sounded so much worse coming from him.
Shane held his hand out and I saw he had my car keys. “Here, man. I fixed your car. It’s parked outside. I suggest you get in, drive away, and never look back.”
I took my keys from him and handed him Tyler’s keys. Then I headed for the door, but not to leave town. Jake called after me to wait but there was nothing for me at the feed store. I needed to go talk to Shelby.
This was obviously what had been bothering her.
She had argued with her brother, but it hadn’t just been about her parents.
They had argued about me. And if her brother had this much venom in him, I couldn’t help but worry it would spread to Shelby too.
If so, this dream I had been living in was already over.
Right when it started to get good.