Chapter Fourteen
Jordan wasn’t wild about the location of his meeting with Libby Weston, but locale hadn’t been a battle he wanted to fight. The only caveat other than the meeting itself being private was on Connery’s part; Burke was not allowed on the property. He wasn’t even allowed to sit in the truck and wait.
Despite his being shut out of the meeting, Connery was gracious about the use of his conference room on a Sunday morning.
It didn’t do to piss off the woman who might end up buying more property before all was said and done.
If that was in the cards, Jordan figured that Connery wanted to be the go-to brokerage over Lexington.
After they were seated on opposite sides of the conference table, and had waved away Connery’s offer of coffee, Jordan and Libby Weston took a moment to study one another.
She was a striking woman in her late forties, fit and stylishly dressed, with steel in her eyes.
A little too much steel. Jordan broke the silence, before she bored a hole through him.
“You tried to buy the Willow Creek.”
Her expression shifted. “Yes.”
“And you own the wildlife conservancy that abuts the ranch. The original R. F. Weston once owned the Willow Creek. He was your father?”
She acknowledged the facts with a nod. “Why won’t you sell?”
“Why do you want it so badly?” he replied.
A ghost of a smile curved her lips. For the first time since they’d sat she seemed to relax.
This was a woman comfortable in negotiations. “What makes you think I want it so badly?”
“You raised your offer twice.”
“That was Mr. Connery using his own discretion. I want to reunite the property. I gave him a top price.”
“Just curious … would you have let him keep the difference? You know, to kind of inspire him to sell?”
Her expression did not waver. “I plan to buy the Reed property instead.”
Jordan matched her tone when he replied bluntly, “Unless I sell the Willow Creek to you.”
“That’s a possibility.”
“What are you plans for the Reed property?”
Again the faint smile appeared. “That is not your concern, as long as I follow zoning.”
Zoning. Yes.
“And the Willow Creek. What would you do with the ranch? Put an exclusive golf course there?”
Her gaze came up and for one split second the facade cracked.
“The ranch is too small for a golf course,” she said simply.
“Not if the conservancy isn’t renewed. Looks like the renewal comes up early next year. Have you started your paperwork?”
She recovered quickly, as if she were no stranger to being hit with unexpected information. But any doubts Jordan had about Libby Weston’s intentions for the Willow Creek evaporated.
“I am not going to explain myself to you. Are you selling the ranch?”
“Would you honor the tenant agreement?”
“I have to.” The duh was implied.
“And stop the campaign to ease the McAllen sisters out.”
“What campaign?”
“The one where you chip away at their financial resources with accidents and mishaps, then follow with something major to help them make the decision.” She frowned as if having trouble following what he was saying. He leaned forward. “It’s a felony to shoot a cow, you know.”
Libby’s hand came to her chest. “Excuse me? A cow?” She appeared genuinely appalled. “Someone shot a cow?” She pulled in a breath, but the frown remained. “I assure you that I have no idea what you’re referring to.”
Maybe she did. Maybe she didn’t. Whatever, Jordan was done with games.
Jordan got to his feet. “I’m not interested in negotiating any further.”
“You’re not serious.”
“I am.”
He didn’t know if it was a mistake to give her time to regroup, but he was certain that if she did buy Jim’s place, he still had bargaining power. She wanted to reunite the Willow Creek and the conservancy land. For what purpose he had no idea, but it wasn’t for some small project.
“I’d hoped we’d come to an understanding today.”
“That’s not going to happen. I’m keeping my ranch.”
If she wanted to buy the Reed property more power to her. He hoped she liked pigs.
When Jordan opened the door, he half expected Connery to have a glass to the heavy wood panel, but the man was nowhere to be seen. Then it struck him. He probably had the room wired. Hell, he could listen from his office.
*
I don’t want to lose you.
Lil wrapped her arms around herself as she leaned against the goat pen, out of sight of her sister who was weeding the garden.
Jordan had said it wasn’t a declaration, but it had sounded like one.
A declaration she’d convinced herself would never come because, hey, they understood one another and where they needed their relationship to stay.
But now Jordan’s thinking had changed, and she needed to figure out what to do about it.
What could she do, other than gracefully retreat?
He was her landlord and her lover, the very circumstance she’d told herself that she wouldn’t fall into.
But she had, and, truthfully, she’d loved it until it started to edge from nebulous to concrete.
Oh yeah. She’d managed to convince herself that things would stay as they were and that she wouldn’t start falling for the guy.
Ah, Jordan. She pulled in a breath and dropped her head back to stare at the rafters.
They were in an emotionally charged situation, with shots fired and ranch sales and Jordan discovering things about his biological father.
Perspectives were skewed by all the outside chatter, and then there was, of course, her fear factor that refused to be quieted.
Maya had been right about that, although Lil doubted she’d confess to her sister.
A step back was in order. A slow, common-sense retreat back to the way things were.
Damn but she hoped that Jordan would play along.
*
When Jordan returned to the ranch, he had to pull around Lil’s truck and trailer, which were parked dead center in the drive, in order to park in his usual spot. Lil was attaching the trailer chains to the truck bumper.
“Going somewhere?” he asked after getting out of his truck.
“I’m going to pick up my horses from your place.” She clipped the second chain into place, then stood, the wind lifting her dark hair. “I’ll ride there one last time, then bring them back.”
He wasn’t surprised after he’d screwed up the night before.
Time and patience were in order here. She’d made it clear that she wasn’t interested in commitment, and he’d essentially told her that he was.
I don’t want to lose you was a pretty bald statement.
But Lil was playing it cool, and he knew that unless he pushed things they weren’t going to discuss why she was bringing the horses home. Not yet anyway.
“What happened with your meeting?” she asked.
He pushed the brim of his hat up. “I ended things for good. I’m not dealing with these people. Like Wade said, if the sale of the Reed property goes through, then it goes through.”
Lil nodded as if it was the outcome she’d expected. “Was Libby the person who made the offer?”
“She was. She was talking about trading properties. If I sell her the Willow Creek then she’d let go of her offer on the Reed.”
“Extortion, then.”
“That’s how I see it. I cut ties. We’re done.” He jerked his head to her trailer. “How about I go with you to the Tree Fork? I can ride one of the horses for you. We can talk through the meeting.” He could act like they’re just friends.
She needed space, but they still had other, nonpersonal matters to work through. He was in her life no matter what and they needed to cut the awkwardness.
Lil appeared to be of the same mind. “I could use the help.”
“Just let me change and I’ll be right out.”
Forty-five minutes later, they were riding through the trees behind his home ranch. No one, save Estelle, had been home, so he’d been able to help Lil saddle the horses without having to give a blow by blow of his meeting to Wade and his brothers.
“You think Libby’s reaction to the cow shooting was sincere?” Lil asked as they rode down the mountain trail they’d ridden up in near silence.
Yes, he’d come to talk, but it had taken a while before he broached the subject. Instead, he’d focused on the day. Lil. Damage control. Was it possible?
“My gut said her reaction was genuine, but she could be a really good actress,” he allowed.
“So you don’t think she’s the one who hired Joe Whitney to shoot the cow,” Lil said, guiding her horse around the end of a log that jutted into the trail. “Maybe we should talk to him. Not that I think he’d admit to anything, but maybe he would?”
Jordan liked the we part, but the rest was a pipe dream. “The chances of finding Joe are slim, at least until he goes to work again, and I can guarantee you that he’s not one to offer information.”
That was what was digging at him. The unknowns. Like Lil had once said, it was better to fight something tangible.
“I hope now that I’ve made it clear that the sale is off, and everybody and their uncle knows that we’re not buying the accidental cow shooting theory, that things will settle.”
“And hopefully Wade won’t have to build his stye.”
“Yeah. That remains to be seen.” Jordan lifted his chin to the breeze, thinking that he should probably ride out with Lil more often, help her put miles on the horses.
“Now that the sale is off, you’re going to move back home, right?”
Dudley felt Jordan’s reaction to her statement and took a couple jigging steps.
He eased the gelding back into a walk. Despite what was going on between him and Lil, he was in no hurry to move back to his family ranch, now just visible through the pine trees ahead.
As long as he was living on the Willow Creek … what?
He had a chance with Lil?
Deep down, he knew it wasn’t going to work that way, especially now, when she was not so subtly asking him for space.
“Things have been quiet,” she pointed out.
Her tone was pleasant, but she kept her eyes on the trail now. And there was a finality about her words.