Chapter 13
Kassi
Even though I knew this day would come, I thought I had more time. Or at least more warning. I even let myself believe, for a little while, that the quiet meant good news. But good news doesn't stalk hallways or whisper behind closed doors.
The minute I walk into the office, the air shifts.
It's thick with tension. Chairs scrape. Phones click into cradles. All eyes dart up and then quickly away. It’s as though I've walked into something I shouldn't have.
Something I'll wish I hasn’t seen. Even the receptionist, who normally greets everyone with a too-cheery good morning, doesn't make eye contact.
This is why I like working at home whenever I can. Why I try to avoid coming into the office, even one as small as this. I head to Margo's office, as she is the one who runs this branch, even though she rarely has any contact with me. It seems Martin likes to do that himself.
Margo's door is cracked open. I hear voices. Hers—sharp, tight, snapping like a whip. His—Mr. Callahan, the regional director and Martin's brother—smooth, cool, dangerous in that polished way men in expensive suits master.
He rarely visits this office, or any office, and hearing him makes my stomach knot.
I hate the way he looks at me, as though he can't decide whether to crush me under his shoe or try to seduce me.
Neither option is my choice. So before even passing Margo's door, I button the top button of my shirt, my last scrap of armor.
When I try to slip past unnoticed, Margo's voice cuts through like a bullet. "Kassi. Inside. Now."
Straightening my shoulders, I march in, already bracing for the blow. Callahan stands beside her desk, arms crossed, eyes scanning me as if I'm a report he's not sure passed inspection.
"You want to explain how you let the Silver Cattle Ranch get away from us?" he asks.
No preamble. No hello. Just fire. The two of them stand on one side of the room united against me, refusing to acknowledge we’re supposed to be on the same side—while my gut screams I've been on the wrong side all along.
"I didn't let it get away," I say evenly. "The Hayes brothers bought it before it was even on the market. I believe you were the one responsible for putting in the offer, but by the time I opened my email, which stated that it might be going up for sale, the Hayes brothers had already bought it."
What the hell is wrong with me? I never talk to my bosses like this. To accuse them and pin this one on them.
Shit! What is coming out of my mouth? I don't speak to my employers like this. Not in meetings. Not in passing. But something sharp and angry has taken root, and I can't keep swallowing it to stay polite. I’m not taking the fall for their oversight.
Margo lifts a brow, voice sharp. "Then maybe you can explain why we were blindsided by this deal?"
Because no one listened when I said they were making moves. Unless it confirmed their agenda, they didn't want to hear it.
"I sent the updates. I flagged the potential risks. You didn't act on them."
Callahan steps forward, his tone icy. "Don't get defensive, Kassi. This isn't about reports. This is about intelligence. You were our eyes and ears in that town, and now we're the ones left looking like fools."
I clench my jaw. "So, what do you expect me to do now?"
"Fix it," Margo snaps. "Find out what's going on with them. If they're struggling. If there's something we can use."
"And if there's nothing to dig up?"
She leans in, eyes hard. "Then make yourself valuable enough to make up for what you've cost us."
"It's obvious the brothers aren't giving up this land. Why don't we approach another ranch? There are a few families leaving town with larger ranches than the Hayes brothers' ranch," I say.
"Silver Creek is the best location. It allows us to be the first thing people see coming in from Amarillo. When they’re coming into a vacation town, they don't want to see the riffraff first," Mr. Callahan says.
I stand there in shock. The Hayes brothers' ranch is anything but rickety. I've learned it's what this town was built on, and suddenly I can't get out of this office fast enough.
Callahan smooths his tie, voice oily. "You've got charm, Kassi. Use it. Get in close to Asher Hayes. Learn what he's hiding. Make him trust you."
The way he says it makes my stomach turn. Like it's a con and Asher is a mark.
But I nod, because what else can I do while my mind is racing? My job, my security, my future—they're all wrapped in this moment. I refuse to make a decision that will affect Emma without thinking about it first.
The minute I'm dismissed, I don't go back to my desk.
I certainly don't breathe easily. I walk out of that building like it's on fire, and I'm trying not to inhale the smoke.
Then I keep walking straight to my car and head back to Walker Lake.
When I drive past the feed store, and out front, like a flashing neon sign, is Asher's truck.
I don't think about it. Pulling into the parking lot, I walk into the store without even knowing why.
There he is, leaning against the counter, talking to Doug behind the register. A bag of grain at his feet. Sun catching in his hair. Laugh lines carved into his face. Familiar in a way that hurts.
He sees me before I get the chance to compose myself. His eyes darken just slightly.
"Kassi," he says, polite, careful.
I step closer, trying to keep it light. "Hey. Didn't expect to see you here."
"You followin' me now?" His tone is dry, but there's an edge.
He doesn't point out that he has a reason to be there, and I don't. I'm thankful for that, even if my brain and mouth aren't talking to each other right now.
"Not today," I say with a half-smile. "Though I do have a question about your land. Something I forgot to ask when we last talked."
His jaw ticks. "Yeah?"
"I heard there were still some permits being processed for the southern part of the property. Just wanted to make sure our files are accurate."
He looks at me for a long moment. Doug, sensing the tension, excuses himself to the back. Smart guy.
Asher crosses his arms. "Funny. Thought that wasn't your concern anymore."
I take a step back, heat crawling up my neck. "It's just... for records."
"Whose records? The ones you keep for the people trying to buy us out?"
That lands harder than I expected. I don't know why, because it is the truth.
"You don't get to come in here and play nice, then pretend you're not here on orders. I wasn't born yesterday."
"Asher, I wasn't—"
"You were. You are."
His voice rises. Loud enough for heads to turn. For the old man at the other end of the counter to raise a brow.
He lowers his voice and takes a step toward me. When he speaks, it's low enough that only I can hear him.
"We had a moment, Kassi. A damn real one. And now you're sniffing around like I'm too dumb to notice."
My heart pounds. I want to tell him it's not like that. That I'm under pressure. That I don't want to be this person. But all that comes out is, "I didn't mean to,” before I’m cut off.
"You did. You just didn't expect to get caught."
The words sting worse than they should.
With my head held high, I leave before I make it worse. My chest is burning. Now, everyone in town will have their own version of what happened by sunset.
Back at my apartment, I slam the door and sink onto the couch. I kick off my heels, rub the back of my neck, and try to shake off the encounter.
Opening my work laptop, I hesitate. Even though I don't know what I'm looking for, my gut is telling me to look. So for the next few hours, I scroll through the progress reports, the presentations, and all the developer pitches.
They're slick. Clean. Too clean.
I’m used to this. How professional they were.
How these people know their stuff. But seeing it all with fresh eyes and the knowledge I know now, I can see the timelines are vague.
Metrics don't add up. Promises with no backing.
Every time I ask questions, I get redirected and brushed off.
They want me to think I'm imagining things.
I pull out my journal. Start scribbling everything I remember. Every odd meeting. Every conversation that didn't sit right. Any time Margo changed her tone or Martin changed the subject.
Because they're making me doubt myself. Making me feel like I'm the crazy one.
But I'm not.
Something's off. And it's bigger than I thought.
Then I start highlighting emails and screenshotting inconsistencies. It's not just notes anymore. It's evidence. It's protection. When I glance up, I realize I have to go get Emma, and I need a way to store all this information that isn't attached to my computer.
On my way to get Emma, I duck into the general store down the block. The clerk looks up with mild surprise when I walk in, as if I'm out of place. I head straight for the small tech aisle and grab a few USB drives. Enough to back up everything twice. Maybe three times.
When I go to pay, the woman at the register squints at me. "Y'all doing a presentation or something?"
"Something like that," I say, handing over my card.
I leave the store and walk across the town square to the diner for coffee. Austin is working the counter, and her eyes go wide when she spots me.
"You alright?" she asks, pouring an iced coffee before I even have to ask.
"I've been better."
She leans in, lowering her voice. "Doug said you and Asher had a little... moment at the feed store."
"Small town, huh?" I say, accepting the cup.
"You want the version where I pretend no one saw it, or the version where I tell you everyone's already picked sides?"
I groan. "Neither."
Austin smiles, not unkindly. "Then just take your coffee and your pride and pick up that sweet girl of yours. Tomorrow's another day."
I linger by the counter a moment longer, swirling the ice in my cup. "Did it look that bad?"
Austin tilts her head. "It looked real. That's what scares folks the most."
"Real?" I echo. "You think so?"
She nods slowly. "Yeah. You looked like two people who actually cared. And that makes people uncomfortable. Makes them talk."
I sigh. "I don't know what I'm doing anymore."
Austin squeezes my hand over the counter. "Maybe that's how you know it's worth figuring out."
I nod and thank her, coffee in hand, then leave. The school parking lot is full by the time I get there. I wait in the parent pickup line, trying to shove the morning's tension deep down.
When she runs out and gets in the car, everything else falls away. At least for now.
Our normal after-school routine makes me forget everything else. Homework, dinner, bath, and bed are a comforting routine right now. The hours pass until Emma is in bed, and I finally sit down with a moment to think again.
The sun dips low, and my apartment is quiet. I stare at my phone on the coffee table for a long time before I do it.
Me: You awake?
No answer. I wait. I almost put the phone down. Of course, he isn't going to answer me. I don't think I'd answer if I were in his shoes.
Then it buzzes, and my heart races.
Bear: That depends. You bringin' attitude or just lookin' for company?
My laugh catches in my throat.
Me: Can it be both?
Bear: Always. Though I prefer your company. What's going on?
Me: I screwed up.
Bear: How bad?
Me: Bad enough I miss you. Bad enough, I wish I could forget everything and just... be.
There's a pause, and I don't expect the text that comes next.
Bear: You'd look better in my shirt than stressing over those suits.
My heart stumbles.
Me: That sounds dangerously close to flirting.
Bear: Good. 'Cause I'm dangerously close to driving over there.
Me: Wouldn't be the worst thing.
Bear: Tempting a cowboy, Sunshine. Risky territory.
Me: I think I'm already in it.
Bear: Then maybe we both need a distraction.
Me: Like what?
Bear: Like you telling me your favorite place on earth, so I can picture it right now.
Me: There is this little town on the Oregon coastline called Depoe Bay. It has the world's smallest harbor and is right on the water. You can stand there and watch the world go by and never feel calmer.
Bear: I've heard of it. It's the whale watching capital of the world, too, right? Never been though.
Me: Maybe we should go there sometime. Together.
Bear: Say the word.
Me: Word.
He doesn't reply right away. And that's okay. Because even in the silence, I feel it. A tether. A thread pulled tight between us.
Bear: I'd rather fight through all this mess with you than pretend it doesn't matter. Just say when, Sunshine.
Me: Soon.
Bear: I'll hold you to that.
Me: Promise?
Bear: Always. I'm here.
And for the first time all week, I believe someone.