As I climbed off the horse, Rafe took Gunner’s reins from me and pulled the truck keys from his pocket. “Why don’t you take the truck back to the cabin?”
“What?” Except for the ATVs, I hadn’t driven by myself since I’d arrived. I stared at the Vierra Ranch key chain as he handed it to me “Are you sure? You never let me drive.”
“I know.” He looked at the storm clouds gathering then back at me. “I trust you with it. And if anything goes wrong, I trust you to call me. Go. Beat the rain. I’ll put Gunner away.”
I didn’t need to be told twice. The road from Rafe’s home to the cabin was an easy one. And if I hurried, I’d miss the rain.
CHAPTER 9
Rafe
The Confession
Sundays weremy least favorite day of the week. Chores were minimal and I used the day to catch up on paper work.
Since Rory’s arrival, I spent less time behind my father’s mahogany desk, but there were a few things I could not avoid. Like the fact the ranch was in serious trouble. There were some decisions I needed to make.
I stared at the profit and loss spreadsheet Rory had printed out a few days earlier. It was not nearly as cheerful as the bright yellow sticky note she put on top of the pile of paper.We need to talk about this!Followed by a smiley face. There wasn’t anything to smile about, so I had to assume she was feigning optimism.
I assumed she meant we needed to talk about everything else she had forced into the huge binder clip. I thumbed through the rest of the papers and my heart sank.
Everything started and ended with Argent. At first, I thought they were like every other developer who had bought the land west of my property. The part with the best views. Every fewyears, a developer would buy the land, sign the water contract to be fed from my aquifer. Then they would discover that between the costs of development and the protests of the people in the area it wasn’t worth it. They would give up but would honor the contract until they could sell.
But Argent was different. They were the biggest developer to buy the land in well over two decades. They had the resources to absorb the costs while they built.
The front door opened and closed followed closely by Rory’s raspy voice. “Honey, I’m home.”
Fuck.That statement shouldn’t sound as good as it did. I frowned, as I popped my head out of the doorway. “What are you doing here on a Sunday?”
“I brought your car back, in case you needed it.” She gestured to the pile of papers in my hand. “But now's as good a time as any to talk about that stack of paper.”
I stared down at the top page. The one that told me I barely survived the month. “What if I don’t want to?”
“Rafe.” Her face softened, and I knew she was about to deliver some truths I was not prepared for. “I am a fully qualified CPA, I handled the finances for a large breeding farm. Trust me on this. Besides, there is so much I need to tell you.”
Her face paled as she turned away from me. Whatever she wasn’t saying was more than just about me and my financial trouble. “What do you mean?”
“Let me get coffee, and we can chat.”
One thing I had noticed was Rory ran on caffeine and snacks. Not full meals. It was one thing I could fix for her since I knew she hated meal prepping for one. “I made a beef casserole last night. Want to share some leftovers with me for lunch?”
“Uhm.” Her eyes widened. Yeah, I was an asshole, if she was surprised I would offer her food. “Sure. Why not?”
While I dished for each of us, she filled our coffee mugs. “City, you should check the fridge, most days I have leftovers. I usually cook for a few days.”
“Okay.” Her eyes narrowed on me. “Are you okay?”
I rolled my eyes because I was not that much of an asshole. “I’m fine. Look, I know you prefer your sandwiches, and snacks, but when you want a proper meal, check my fridge. Okay?”
“Just surprised, is all.” She moved around my kitchen with a familiarity that eased something inside me. “I mean, I hate cooking for one, too, which is why I’ve been living on Ramen and sandwiches. But I could cook some nights and bring you the leftovers the next day as well. That way we both get some variety.”
Nodding, I took a deep breath before I offered to cook and eat together. I gestured to the pile of papers. “You wanted to talk?”
“First, tell me about Argent and why they didn’t sign a contract for the water.” She hiked herself on to the counter, and I swallowed hard to maintain my focus. “I went back years, Rafe. They were the first developer to not sign the contract.”
“They bought the land about 8 months ago. Maybe a month or two after I paid the taxes.” Instead of sitting in one of the uncomfortable kitchen chairs, I paced the length of my kitchen. “They didn’t want to sign the contract immediately. I didn’t pay too much attention, the ranch could survive without the income for a month or two.”
I continued telling her the story. How they had surveys done on the land. Pulling out the relevant sheet, I pushed it to her. “They found water on the land, and would not be needing me to supply them.”
