I shake my head. “It’s not a big deal. They would have been overstimulated even if you weren’t here. In case you missed it, the girls are big fans of cake.”
“You don’t say,” Ally says with a giggle. “They’re a hoot. I wish we lived closer so I could see them more often.”
Silver Mist Falls sits just about due west of Eternity Springs, but because of the mountainous terrain, it takes two hours to get there. It’s a quaint city located just south of bustling Interstate 70, thrown in the midst of all the well-known skiing and winter sports locations. With no major ski resort in town, Silver Mist Falls manages to maintain its small-town charm, while pulling in tons of tourism to keep the businesses going.
“How’s ranch life?” Leo asks easily, stretching over to pull my chair closer to his. Wrapping an arm around my shoulders, he mindlessly twirls a lock of hair around his fingers. I lean into his hand, finding peace in the feeling of his metal wedding band hitting my warm skin. We were quietly married in this backyard with only our kids, Travis and Gianna, and Leo’s parents in attendance. I’d invited my brother, but he never answered me, and I haven’t spoken to him since. I won’t force someone to be family for me. I married into the best family, and the rest of the people I’ve chosen to surround myself with make up for everyone else.
“Ranch life was going well,” Ally spits out, her gaze darkening. “We were doing just fine, until Dipshit McGee rolled into town and started making a fuss about things.”
“Dipshit McGee?” Leo asks dryly. “Please tell me that isn’t someone’s actual name.”
“No,” she mutters. “Although I think it sounds better than his actual name.”
“Oh, amanis causing problems,” I tease.
Her eyes are full of annoyance as she glares at me. “Of courseit’s a man. Whenever someone causes drama in my life, it’s always a fucking man.”
“Alright. Who is causing drama this time?” I ask.
Ally blows out a breath, the breeze forcing hair out of her eyes. Resting a boot against the edge of the fire pit, she audibly growls. “This rich asshat rolled into town a couple of months ago. Drove a Benz right onto my ranch and had the absolute audacity to tell me he wants to buy it. Then the asshole had thenerveto be offended when I told him to get the fuck off the property!”
“Woah,” Leo murmurs. “Why did he want to buy it?”
Irritation wafts off Ally in waves. “Does that really matter? Why does any entitled prick want to do anything? Because hecan. Because it’ll satisfy some innate need to take something from a woman. And probably because he also propositioned me the night before, and then he was butthurt about it.”
“Wait,” I interrupt. “He propositioned you? Did he take advantage of you?”
“No, nothing like that. We were both at the Timberline Tavern. I didn’t know who he was. Just that he cleaned up nice. When he whipped out his black Amex, I knew he was above my pay grade, and I got out of there. Then he shows up at the ranch the following day, dressed to the nines in a bespoke suit, and told me he was buying the ranch out from under me.”
“Ally, are you having financial troubles?” Leo asks bluntly. “For him to specifically state that he’s going to buy it out from under you makes me think he knows you’re in trouble.”
“Not really, no,” she murmurs. “Granted, it’s been a rough year. Tourism has been down, and we haven’t booked as many weddings we usually do. But we’ve been doing okay. I’ve never talked to anyone about struggling.”
“Have our other cousins?” I ask. Ally’s dad and my mom have another sibling. Our Uncle Jesse is the youngest, and always resented Ally’s dad, Boone, for inheriting the ranch. When Boone had a stroke ten years ago, Ally took over the reins, much to UncleJesse’s dismay. He has two sons, Dean and Walker, who both always seemed to walk a line between sniveling asshole and good guy. “If you’ve ever mentioned anything to Dean and Walker, I wouldn’t put it past them to start shit.”
“Could there be a connection between them and Dipshit McGee?” Leo asks, making me giggle. “What’s the guy’s name?”
Ally sighs, a sound full of resignation and exhaustion. “Cole Cunningham.”
Leo whistles low. “Damn. That’s not a dipshit, Ally. Not many men out there can call themselves billionaires before the age of forty. And he’s made quite a name for himself in commercial real estate. Not that I’m saying he has any right to tell you he’s going to buy your land, but you’ve got the best acreage in Silver Mist Falls. He’d be an idiot not to offer.”
“Well, I don’t want his offer! I want him to leave my town!” she seethes. “He’s everywhere I go. He wants horseback riding lessons and to host small dinner parties at the ranch. He shows up at town hall meetings, and even when I’m at the grocery store. He’s everywhere, Leo. And he’s so damn happy all the time. Who the hell smiles nonstop? And does he sleep? I get texts at all hours of the night.”
“How’d he get your number?” I ask, intrigued.
I notice a slight blush creep up her neck, only barely visible in the light from the fire. “A mistake on my part, before I realized who he was.”
“So change your number,” Leo offers up, his fingers finding the back of my neck to rub gently. I fight the urge to close my eyes in bliss.
“Like you changed yours when you guys broke up?” Ally asks defiantly.
Leo raises a brow. “Exactly. I didn’t, because I still wanted her. Seems to me like you want this dude reaching out to you.”
Ally stands in anger, her breath coming out in quick huffs. “I absolutely do not! I want to keep my life as simple as it’s alwaysbeen. Me, my friends, my animals, and the ranch. That’s it! He can fuck right off, and I won’t care! I’m going to bed.”
As she flounces off, Leo chuckles. “Is it bad that I’m looking forward to watching this play out?”
“Why?” I ask.
