In fact, as Trenton busied himself with details surrounding the sale of his ranch, and the continued care of the livestock in the weeks ahead, the greatest focus in his mind was Andie. He’d been certain she was heaven sent, perhaps from Milton from the other side of the clouds.
That belief was out the window now. His fast-growing love for the woman had only shown Trenton what he’d be missing out on for the rest of his life. Perhaps one day he’d learn to look back on their times with fondness and affection. For now, the recollections felt more like torture devices than anything else.
He considered that as he headed to the mortgage office in the pouring rain, the wipers of his truck squeaking with every stroke. If he were being honest, Trenton had been betting on a theory. One that had been brewing since he called the realtor and told him he was finally ready to sell. He’d believed that, if the ranch sold right away, it would mean that he’d done the right thing in leaving. That he could go with a free and clear conscience and never look back.
Only if the ranch remained on the market did he plan to question his choice. Or if somehow the odds stacked against his favor and the task of selling his place proved an unlikely task—thenTrenton would have reconsidered his position. Perhaps take a second look at what he’d done and see if it’d be best to stay in Haven Hills after all.
So had fate called Trenton’s bluff?
No.If Trenton had really been bluffing, he wouldn’t have called the agent to begin with. The fact was, he’d made that call knowing the ranch could be gone tomorrow. And now, tomorrow had come.
Trenton fisted his keys after parking out front of the financial building. The rain had dried up, leaving a shiny sheen on the pavement’s surface. A quick glance at the dash said he was ten minutes early. There was still time to back out. Not for Trenton, of course, since he had no intention to do anything of the sort. But a piece of him hoped that the buyer would do that very thing.
It wouldn’t lend him a lot of time; if what Spencer said was true, there were more offers where this one came from.
Prickly knots poked at Trenton’s insides as he sucked in a nervous breath. Soon this would all be over. Then he could move on to the next phase—mourn the loss of love in his life. A love that, sadly, proved too good to be true.
Thump, thump, thump.
The repetitive knock on the passenger side window made him jump. Spencer must have gotten there early too.
Trenton held out a finger, shoved the key back into the ignition so he could slide down the automatic window, and furrowed his brow when he spotted khaki pants and a collared shirt instead of the suit his agent normally wore.
The window slid down as Trenton’s gaze moved up. The very sight of the man’s face pulled a gasp from his throat. “Richard?”
Andie’s brother rested a hand on the truck and squared a look at him. “I told the agent I needed another hour before we close. You should be getting a text as we speak.”
Trenton’s phone dinged. He glanced down at it, inwardly stuck on the word he’d said just before close—we.
Spencer King:Looks like we’ll be closing closer to 3:00. Grab a drink at the place next door while you wait. They serve a mean draft.
Trenton looked back to Richard as his shock and confusion grew.
The man threw a nod toward the bar next door. “We need to talk.”
Chapter 24
The loud blast of a twangy guitar riff blared from the nearby jukebox. Trenton hadn’t expected Richard to be the country music type, but he’d picked the number himself before settling into the bench across from Trenton.
“All I ask is that you hear me out before you sell off your ranch,” Richard said.
Trenton gave him a slow nod. “And are you the onebuyingthe ranch?”
“I didn’t want the place to sell out from under you before you knew why my sister didn’t give you all the…facts about her past.” He lowered his voice on the last few words.Thatwas the reason he’d played the music—privacy.
Hmm. He didn’t want him to sell the ranch yet, meaning he wanted Trenton to have a second chance with Andie. That didn’t seem like a very Richard thing to do. Emmitt, sure. But this was definitely a different side of her oldest brother.
“You should know that I’m doing this not just because I care about Andie, but because you’ve earned my respect as well. But I’ve got to say, man to man…” He leaned in and waved a hand back and forth between them. “You should have talked things out with my sister before packing up and leaving her like you did. That was a jerk move, and if you’re not already feeling the truth of it, I might be wasting my time—”
“I’m feeling it,” Trenton admitted. “Especially now thatyou’rehere.” He gulped, wondering—for the first time since his conversation with Betty—if perhaps they actually had a good reason to hide the truth from him. “But you have to understand,” he added, his defenses already starting to rise again, “I’ve been lied to all my life, and Andie knows that.”
“Here are your drafts, boys,” their waitress said as she slid their mugs onto the table. “Let me know if I can get you anything else.” She shot Trenton a wink as he glanced up at her.
“Thank you.”
“You’re welcome.” She set her eyes on Richard next. “If you men are planning to be in town for the evening, you might want to come back for our Friday Night Bash,” she said. “It’s not often we get men in here that are as handsome as you two.”
Richard nodded. “We’ll have to think about that, thank you.”
