Chapter 4
It was only after Liberty left the conference room that Jesse felt like he could breathe again. He had heard about women taking your breath away. He had just never experienced it.
Until now.
As soon as she’d laid those pretty Irish green eyes on him, he’d felt like he’d been bucked off a Brahman bull and then slammed by the same bull into a wall. The entire time she’d been there, he’d struggled to catch his breath. And he couldn’t figure out why. He’d been all over the world and had dated a lot of beautiful women. But not one of them had stolen his breath.
And his wits.
With his lack of oxygen, he’d struggled to keep up with their conversation. Now that she was gone, his brain started functioning again. The first thing that popped into it was Liberty’s comment about Corbin refusing to let Rome Remington pay off Hank Holiday’s loan. Liberty had to have misunderstood. Corbin wouldn’t refuse the loan being paid off in full with interest. That made no sense. Corbin liked making money as much as Jesse did.
Jesse lifted his cellphone. Instead of calling Corbin again, who, with the international time change, was probably sleeping, he called the lawyer working on the foreclosure case.
When he had invested in Oleander Investments, he had made it clear to his brother that he would be a silent partner. He would offer advice when Corbin asked, but other than that, he’d let Corbin run the business the way he saw fit. He had no plans to change that. He wouldn’t keep his brother’s trust by breaking his word and butting his nose into the business. But he also couldn’t help being curious.
“Yes, I talked with Mr. Remington’s lawyers about paying off the loan,” Samantha Letts said. “But Mr. Whitlock told me to refuse their offer.”
“Did Corbin say why?”
“No. He just said to continue with the foreclosure. But I’m assuming he has a good reason. Mr. Whitlock doesn’t make any decision without doing his research.”
It was the truth. Corbin was the most thorough person Jesse had ever met. He spent hours reading every word of legal documents and just as many hours writing them. While Jesse occasionally went with his gut and took a chance, Corbin didn’t leave anything to chance. He researched every business decision he made and had all the details before he made a move.
So why had he loaned Hank Holiday the money? At first Jesse had thought it was strictly a good business opportunity. Interest rates were high. Whether Hank paid the loan off or Corbin ended up owning the ranch, it was a win-win proposition. But now that he’d found out about Rome Remington offering to pay off the loan in full, Jesse wasn’t so sure this was a business deal to Corbin. If money were the incentive, why wouldn’t he just let Rome pay off the loan? Especially when land prices were down and selling the ranch was a greater financial risk. Not to mention the hassle and legalities it took to foreclose on a ranch.
The questions continued to plague Jesse for the rest of the day—most of which was spent at the trailer keeping an eye on the daughter of Satan while he answered emails and dealt with his own business ventures.
As much as he enjoyed searching for new ways to make money, he had to admit that the thrill of choosing a good investment—whether stocks, real estate, or businesses—had been fading in the last couple years. Of course, his joy in a lot of things had been fading. Rodeo roping had lost its appeal. Traveling wasn’t as exciting, and he’d started to feel bored and antsy after only days of being in a new country.
His family wanted him to come back to Bramble and help with the family business. He did love the little town, but after only a few weeks there, he started feeling like something was missing. And he had never wanted to piggyback on his family’s wealth. He liked making his own way in the world. He knew Corbin liked that too. Which is why he’d stayed out of his brother’s business.
Until now.
Around five o’clock, he tried calling Corbin. When his call went to voicemail, he left a brief message before he got Tay-Tay her dinner. The vicious kitten attacked it like a lion on its prey and devoured every last water-soaked kibble. Jesse felt just as hungry. But since there wasn’t a speck of human food in the trailer, he would have to head into town for his supper. He went to pick up Tay-Tay to put her in her room, but she hissed and spat at him. Since there was nothing in the trailer that she could harm, or that could harm her, he held up his hands.
“Have it your way.” It wasn’t until he went to climb into his truck and a furry blur of orange jumped in before him, that he realized Tay-Tay had slipped out of the trailer when he’d opened the door. “Oh, no, you don’t. You aren’t coming with me.” He went to grab the kitten that was crouched next to the gas petal and received a hiss and a scratch for his trouble. He jerked his hand back and checked for blood. “Maybe you aren’t Satan’s daughter. Maybe you’re Satan himself.”
She sent him a narrow-eyed look before slipping under the bench seat. Since he wasn’t about to blindly put his hand under there, he gave up and climbed in.
“Fine. You want to come along for the ride, come along. You just better not get carsick.”
As soon as they were on the road, the kitten cautiously climbed out from under the seat. She crouched on the floorboard for about a mile before she made the leap to the seat. Another mile and she was digging her claws into his upholstery and scaling the seat like a rock climber. She sat on the back for the rest of the trip into Wilder, her blue eyes staring out at the road.
He had planned on eating barbecue at Bobby Jay’s bar, but he wasn’t about to leave Tay-Tay in his beloved truck unsupervised—he was already upset over the claw holes she’d put in his upholstery. So he decided to try the little taco truck that was parked in front of the town hall.
After he took his first bite of the delectable soft chicken tacos oozing with guacamole and sour cream, he knew he’d made the right choice. He even shared a few chicken shreds with the kitten—tossing them to her rather than losing a finger.
After dinner, he should have headed back to the trailer. He hadn’t gotten much sleep the night before and he was tired. But thoughts of Corbin and the Holidays’ loan had him heading in the opposite direction.
The sun was setting by the time he drove under the grand Austin stone entrance to the Holiday Ranch. The other night when he’d come to Cooper Springs, it had been too dark to see much. Now, he could see the spring wildflowers that bloomed in a profusion of colors on either side of the road. It was beautiful, but the lack of cattle or horses meandering through those flowered fields proved that the ranch had fallen on hard times.
After passing the turnoff for Cooper Springs, Jesse drove another mile and got his first glimpse of the house. The two-story farmhouse was painted a soft green with crisp white shutters and trim. A big ol’ porch covered the entire front of the house, complete with cozy furniture and a swing. Mature trees grew on either side, their new spring leaves matching the green of the house.
Behind the house stood a towering red barn—the kind of barn that would make even a city slicker think of lazy summer days in the country.
Jesse slowed down and came to a stop, his gaze taking in the barn and the house and the porch and the rope swing that hung from a big old oak tree.
One word popped into his head.
Home.
A lump formed in Jesse’s throat. For the first nine years of his life, he’d known what it felt like to be the kid standing out in the cold peering into the glass window of other people’s homes. Homes with loving parents and a safe place to lay your head. Sometimes, he still felt like that kid looking in . . . he still felt like the little boy his own mother couldn’t love.
He was so lost in thought that the loud rap on the window almost caused him to pee his Wranglers. Even Tay-Tay released a startled yowl and dove under the seat. He looked at the side window where the noise had come from, but he didn’t see anyone. He had just started to think it had been an empty soda can or a tumbleweed that had blown into the truck when a gloved hand appeared and rapped on the window again.
He leaned over and rolled it down. “Hello?”
A snappish female voice drifted in. “Well, I’m certainly not going to talk to someone I can’t see.”
He opened his door and jumped down from the truck. He came around the front to see a little old woman in a wide-brimmed hat with a basket of wildflowers hooked over her arm. She wore scuffed roper boots, jeans with mud on the knees, and a shirt with two wild-eyed WWE wrestlers on the front.
He quickly took off his hat. “Sorry, ma’am. I didn’t mean any disrespect. You just took me by surprise.”
She stared at him from beneath the big brim. “And you think it’s respectful to come on people’s property and lurk around like some kind of criminal?”
He started to say he was lost, but for some reason, he couldn’t bring himself to lie to a little old grandma. He figured this must be Mimi Holiday, Hank’s mama. “No, ma’am. I’ve just heard a lot about the Holiday Ranch and I wanted to see it for myself.”
He couldn’t see her eyes in the shadow of the big hat, especially with the evening sun behind her, but he could feel her intense gaze. He knew she was trying to figure out who he was and what he was doing there. Before he could introduce himself—and, no doubt, tick her off—she figured it out on her own.
“You’re that cocky cowboy my granddaughter told me about. The one who works for Corbin Whitlock.”
He had no doubt that Liberty had painted a dismal picture of him. “Not works exactly. We’re more friends.” He hated to lie to a grandma, but he also didn’t want to be run out of town on a rail. Which is exactly what would happen if the townsfolk discovered he was not only related to Corbin, but also owned a piece of the company kicking the Holidays off their ranch. He figured it would be better for everyone if he just pretended to be a harmless friend. “I’m not here to cause any trouble. Like I said, I just wanted to see the ranch.”
She hesitated for only a moment before she spoke. “Well, you can’t see it from clear out here. Follow me back to the house and I’ll give you a tour.”
“Thank you, ma’am, but after our meeting today, I’m not sure your granddaughter will welcome me.” That was an understatement.
“It’s my name on the deed of this ranch. If I say you’re welcome, you’re welcome. Now come on.” She waved a gloved hand and then headed across the pasture with her flower basket swinging at her side.
Jesse would have stopped her and made his excuses if he hadn’t been so stunned. Mimi Holiday owned the ranch? Not Hank? Did Corbin know that? Since he thoroughly read all contracts, he would have to. There was no way Hank could have gotten a loan using the ranch as collateral if his mother hadn’t signed off on it.
Corbin was taking a sweet little ol’ grandma’s home?
Jesse had straddled the line of what some folks would think was unscrupulous business behavior a few times in his life, but he had never kicked a grandma out of her house.
Nor could Jesse ignore a grandma’s wishes.
He got back in his truck and drove toward the house.
It was even homier up close . . . and decorated like a float in a Fourth of July parade. American flags lined the walkway. Red, white, and blue bunting hung along the eaves. And a star-spangled wreath hung on the door. As soon as Jesse got down from the truck, that door flew open and a big man with a shotgun stepped out.
“If you heard about me giving away my ranch to the first man to marry one of my daughters, you heard wrong.”
Jesse might have questioned that crazy statement if the gun hadn’t been pointed at him. He held up his hands. “I’m not here for one of your daughters. In fact, I’ll just be on my—”
“Stop pointing that gun, Hank William!” Mimi yelled as she came across the pasture. “He’s a guest. I invited him.”
Hank lowered the gun and turned to his mother. “Don’t tell me you’re trying to marry off another one of our girls, Mama. I think two getting married is quite enough.”
Mimi snorted. “Did you hear him? He’s not here for the girls. He’s a friend of Corbin Whitlock.”
The shotgun pointed at him again.
Shit.
“What in the world is going on?” A woman who was a shorter and older version of Liberty stepped out to the porch. Her daughter followed right behind.
That morning, Liberty had looked like a honky-tonk angel in the flirty dress and high-heeled boots. This evening, she looked like a country sweetheart in a western shirt knotted at her waist that showed off a peek of soft stomach and a pair of cut-off jean shorts that showed off mile-long legs. She was barefoot and her raven-black hair was put up into some kind of messy bun that Jesse had the urge to take down and mess even more. Her green eyes narrowed on him and once again all the air left his lungs.
“Jesse Cates.” The way she said his name wasn’t welcoming. Her voice held disgusted annoyance. So why did his heart start thumping like a bass drum in a high school marching band after a touchdown?
“Is that all you have to say, Libby Lou?” Mimi shook her head. “Where are youngins’ manners these day? Introduce everyone properly, Liberty Holiday. You’re not too old to get swats from your granny.”
Liberty rolled her eyes before she made the introductions. “Mama, Daddy, Mimi, this is Jesse Cates. He works for that lowdown snake Corbin Whitlock. Jesse, this is my mama, Darla, my daddy, Hank, and my grandmother, Mitzy.”
“Mimi is fine,” Mimi said.
Darla looked more than a little confused, but she recovered her manners quickly. “Well, isn’t it nice that you dropped by, Mr. Cates.”
“Just Jesse,” he said.
“You can call me Darla.” She glanced at her husband who was still pointing the shotgun at Jesse. “Put the gun away, honey. I’m sure Jesse isn’t here to kick us out of our house.” She looked back at him. “Are you?”
“No, ma’am. I didn’t even plan to stop by.” He glanced at Mimi and she took over the explanation.
“I found him sitting out on the road in his big ol’ truck. He claimed he just wanted to see the ranch for himself. So I figured we should give him the full tour.” She turned to Liberty. “Why don’t you do that, Libby Lou, while your mama and I fix him some sweet tea?”
Liberty opened her mouth to no doubt refuse, but then closed it again. After only a slight hesitation, she came down the porch steps to stand in front of him. He wished she hadn’t. His body was already acting a fool. Being surrounded by her scent didn’t help. She smelled like she looked—a country mix of spring flowers and home cooking. When he took a deep breath, the longing that punched him in the gut almost doubled him over.
She didn’t feel the same way.
Her eyes flashed like green fire as she spoke between her teeth. “I’d be delighted to show you around the ranch your boss is planning on stealing.”
“Not boss,” Mimi corrected. “Jesse says they’re friends.”
Liberty gave him another blazing look before she turned and headed for the barn. Her jean shorts had been cut off unevenly and one perfectly curved butt cheek peeked out with every long stride she took. His mouth went dry and his knees turned to water.
Lord have mercy.
A chuckle pulled him out of his butt-cheek trance and he glanced over to find Mimi watching him with a smirk on her thin lips.
“You better get goin’, Jesse Cates. Liberty isn’t the type of woman who likes to be kept waiting.”