Chapter 5
MADDIE
Uncertainty mixes with the excitement pooling in the pit of my stomach as I move through Daddy’s house.
A year ago, he stepped back from the day-to-day running of the ranch, but for our investments, I still need his approval.
Not because he doesn’t trust me, but because the ranch is still in his name and will be until he’s no longer around.
I’m hoping the freshly baked blueberry crumble muffins I had Oscar—our chef—make this morning help sway Daddy’s decision in my favor. Deep down, I know that this is the perfect plan; it will honor Mom’s memory and expand our business.
When I reach his closed office door, I force my shoulders down and rest a hand on my stomach in hopes that I can calm the butterflies.
Here goes nothing.
Pasting a smile on my face, I grip the handle, push the door open and glide into the room as if asking for a quarter of a million dollars is an everyday occurrence.
“Hey, Daddy. How did you sleep?” I ask, setting the muffins on the shiny surface of his desk and handing him the morning paper.
He splutters out a cough that has my brows tugging low before settling back into his chair. “Same old, same old. How was breakfast with Rhett?”
Sliding into one of the empty chairs in front of his desk, I stare out at the mountains beyond the window. Something about that view has a calming effect on me; it’s better than any drug the doctor could give.
With a calm ease flowing through me, I turn my attention back to Daddy and say, “Good. He says hi.” Rhett and I have breakfast at least twice a week. It’s our tradition and where we get to spend uninterrupted time together. Except for when Wyatt Wilde interrupts us.
“Would be nice if he came here to tell me that himself,” he grumbles.
I press my lips together, not bothering to respond to his comment.
I’ve tried too many times to explain to Daddy why Rhett is the way he is.
Instead, I continue as if he hasn’t spoken and say, “When we had breakfast the other day, I was telling him about the last piece of Evergreen land that’s up for sale. ”
Nerves flutter in the pit of my stomach, sending a wave of nausea through me.
These aren’t just because of what I’m about to ask for.
No, they’re because Wyatt Wilde overheard that conversation, and if there’s one thing I know about him it’s that he won’t let it go.
He’ll already be planning his next move.
Which means I need to keep my distance. Whatever the hell happened at the rodeo last night can’t happen again. Ever.
Looking down at my lap and the black folder I’m clutching, I force myself to stop thinking about Wyatt Wilde. He doesn’t deserve any of my mental energy. Instead, I focus on the reason I’m here and blurt, “I was hoping you wouldn’t mind if we put in a bid for it.”
I feel Daddy’s assessing gaze on me, and when I look up at him from under my lashes, into the brown eyes that look an awful lot like mine, I see pride swelling. He blinks, and it’s gone, leaving me convinced I imagined it.
“Is that a proposal?” he asks, his voice gruff as he nods to the folder in my lap.
I swallow, following his gaze. A swirl of emotion—a mix of hope, excitement, and nervousness—flares in my chest, making my pulse stutter. “Yes,” I rasp, before clearing my throat and sitting a little taller. “Yes, it is,” I add, sounding much more confident.
What is going on with me today? I know that I’m nervous about my proposal and that is most likely because it’s so personal, but I really hope he doesn’t say no. If he does, then I’ll move on. Other opportunities will come.
Or maybe it’s because of my lack of sleep last night.
I tossed and turned for hours, my fingers still tingling from where I had touched Wyatt as I overanalyzed each second of our interaction.
We’ve never been that physically close before, and he’s never left me feeling confused and turned on at the same time.
When it comes to Wyatt, all I’ve ever known was an indifference that grew into annoyance and frustration after the accident.
Daddy taps his pen against the newspaper, his gaze assessing as I return my attention to him. “Well, you’d better hand it over then.”
I hesitate for a beat, running my hand over the smooth surface. There’s no going back once he’s read it, and there will be an expectation for me to follow this through. Which I want to, for Mom.
Swallowing down my apprehension, I hand him the folder and watch as he opens it, reading over the first sheet of paper. I know what each page says; I could recite it to him word for word if he asked me to. For the past few weeks, I’ve spent hours perfecting this proposal.
Taking his time, as he does with anything that garners his attention, Daddy reads over the pages. This is a good sign. Or maybe it’s not. I’m too nervous to tell what he’s thinking, and out of all his children, I’m usually the one who can read him like an open book.
God, the silence, punctuated with the occasional shuffle of paper, is pure torture.
After what feels like an eternity, he closes the folder, sliding it across the polished surface toward me, before looking at me expectantly.
Even though I know he’s waiting for me to elaborate on what’s in my proposal, my mind is a jumble of words that I can’t quite put into order.
I open my mouth before snapping it shut.
“Your mother would have loved this idea, Peanut.” The reminder of my mom and the nickname I’ve had for longer than I can remember brings a pool of moisture to my eyes, and my body relaxes because I know he’s going to say yes. “Hell, I love this idea, Mads.”
I bask in his praise until he coughs, doubling over as he covers his mouth, the sound pained.
I spring into action, moving around the desk and rubbing one hand over his back as I use the other to refill his water glass. “Are you okay?” I ask, the concern lacing my voice clear.
He chugs the drink before setting the glass down and tapping a hand on his chest as he waves me away with the other. “I’m fine; you don’t need to worry about me.”
Inhaling, I stare down at him as I weigh up whether to push him for more.
There’s no denying that he’s been coughing a lot more lately, and not the usual tickle in your throat kind of thing.
This is the “you need to see a doctor” kind of coughing.
But I know Daddy, and if I try to tell him what to do, he’ll do the exact opposite.
Besides, he’s an adult. If he was concerned, he’d make sure he got it checked out.
With my mind somewhat at ease, I decide against pushing him, and allow a quiet to fall over us.
The only sound filling the room is that of the creaking of the house as I move to the window, staring out at the landscape.
The mountains stand tall in the distance, with green pastures lying at their feet.
“You don’t think it’s awful?” I chew on my bottom lip, before adding, “I figured you’d tell me that it would cost too much and take too long to recoup the money.
Or that it would add too much to my plate and I should let it go.
” I aim a soft smile at him as I turn to lean against the window ledge and fold my arms across my chest.
“No. I think it’s fantastic. You’ve outlined not only what having this land will do for the ranch, but what it will do for Coldwater. It’s a smart business move, Peanut.” He looks down at the folder before returning his attention to me. “It’s one I’d be making if I were leading the charge on this.”
“I had a good teacher,” I reply, grinning at him as I cross back to my seat. “Right now”—I drop into the chair—“you need to eat one of these muffins, or I’ll have to tell Oscar, and you don’t want to deal with his mood.”
He shakes his head, his grin contagious as he picks one up. “We can’t have you breaking that man’s heart any more than you already have.”
We spend the rest of the afternoon talking over the upcoming events at the ranch, as we eat nearly all the muffins.
I ignore the fact that now I have Daddy’s approval, I will most likely see more of Wyatt than I already do, given he overheard mine and Rhett’s conversation.
I wouldn’t put it past him to challenge our bid.