“I’d like you to think about my offer,” I said. “It’s a good one. I’d hate to see you miss out.”
“I won’t change my mind, but I’d be willing to meet again, so I can try to change yours.” His confident grin was in place now.
Fat chance. But I took it as an opportunity. “Tomorrow’s Sunday. I like to go hiking on my day off. We could do it together while we negotiate.”
“Seems like a good idea. What’s your favorite spot?”
“Eagle Nest Trail.” It was about a twenty-mile drive from our ranches with some fairly rough terrain. Challenging, but not requiring excessive skill, if he wasn’t much of a hiker himself.
“I like that place, too, and I haven’t been in a while. Meet at the trailhead at seven?”
“Works for me.” I stood up, satisfied with the encounter. “See you in the morning, Jake.”
THREE
JULIA
Iset my daypack on the tailgate of my truck and leaned against it. The sun was up, but the air was cool and fresh in the early spring morning. I checked my watch. Jake still had five minutes, but there was no sign of a vehicle approaching down the long and winding road that led from the highway to the trailhead.
Maybe he wasn’t coming. I’d picked a trail that would take all day to hike. Was that too much time away from the ranch for him? He was a hands-on ranch owner. I knew that from my veterinary visits to Thorne Ranch. He paid close attention to his horses—noticed quickly if any were off their feed or showing signs of injury.
And when the situation was serious enough to call me in, he always stayed with a sick animal, talking in a soothing way. Which was funny, because in other circumstances he could be plenty loud. Even back in high school, he’d had a reputation for being loud and brash and outgoing, brimming over with confidence. I didn’t see the quieter side until I’d seen him with his horses.
Ten minutes passed, and I was sure he was going to be a no-show. I’d never been stood up before, and I wasn’t sure how I felt about it. Not that this was a date, but it would be a missed opportunity to talk business with him. I thought back to our conversation in the bar. He’d thought I was interested in going out with him. Why was that? Had I shown him something unintentionally?
No, Jake flirted with everybody. He probably hadn’t thought anything of that moment. I put it aside and decided to do the hike alone. I strapped on my pack, checking to make sure I had plenty of water and snacks before slamming the tailgate closed. Taking one last glance down the entrance road, I saw a puff of dust and waited. Maybe I was going to have company after all. The dust turned into a trail leading right to me.
Jake pulled his truck in next to mine and grabbed his pack from the bed, slinging it onto his back. “Sorry I’m late,” he said as he walked up to me.
“Only a few minutes. Trouble at the ranch?” I asked.
“Nothing serious. Cal’s moving a few of my mares over to his place to train them for barrel racing. I helped him load them up.”
“How are plans for his rodeo school coming along?” I met Cal when some cattle from Kingdom Ranch got loose and he’d borrowed Twister to help round up the stragglers. When he’d first approached me, I’d been shocked at his likeness to Luke Thorne, and I’d been prepared to say no. He was a stranger to me and I rarely even let friends ride my stallion. But horses are good judges of character and Twister was instantly taken with his calm demeanor.
“Just getting started.” Jake grinned. “He’s also remodeling the farmhouse they bought and planning his and Amy’s wedding, so he’s busy for the foreseeable future.”
“I’d guess so. Are you ready?” When he nodded his agreement, I led the way onto the trail that wove down into the river valley before starting a slow and steady climb. “Business first?” I asked after we’d been walking for several minutes.
“Let’s do it.” He came alongside me on a wider section of trail. “Give me your best sales pitch.”
“Okay.” I’d planned my words carefully on the drive over, so I was ready. “The way I see it, there are plenty of advantages to you paying stud fees for Twister rather than purchasing him outright. First, you don’t have to deal with the cost of ownership. Twister would be an expensive purchase upfront, and then there are his needs—food, vet bills, and so on. If you agree to a fee arrangement, we could come to an agreement giving you first access, meaning he’d be available when you needed him so you wouldn’t have to settle for an inferior stallion.”
“Like the one I’ve got.” He chuckled wryly.
“Gambler’s a decent horse, but not what you need from a stud if your goal is to improve your stock,” I said. “At any time if you were dissatisfied with Twister’s offspring or just wanted to inject some fresh blood into your operation, you’d be free to do that. Twister wouldn’t be your only option.”
He didn’t say anything for a minute, and I was hopeful that I’d convinced him. “All fair points, but I still think you’d be better off selling Twister to me outright.”
“Why?” It was clear that I hadn’t succeeded in convincing him, but he’d heard me out, so I’d do the same for him.
“Money in the bank. I’d pay you upfront. That’s a lot of dough at one time, instead of spreading it out over years in stud fees.You’dhave no ongoing cost of ownership to worry about. I realize vet bills aren’t a thing for you, but you’ve still got other expenses with maintaining a horse like Twister, especially if you want him to be a marketable commodity. I’m sure you’re personally attached to him, and who could blame you? But if I owned him, you’d be able to visit him whenever you wanted to since he’d be next door to your place.”
“That’s a rational and logical argument, but no.” I didn’t need to think about it since I wasn’t parting with Twister. We hiked on, getting into a steeper part of the trail, which forced us to walk in a single line. The silence between us was surprisingly comfortable considering we were at odds over this deal.
“Water break,” Jake said when we were in the shade of some juniper trees. We took long drinks from our bottles. As he was recapping his, he asked, “What’s the real reason you won’t sell Twister to me?”
“I’d rather play the long game of making money off his stud fees and be in control of his future. I won’t sell him to anyone,” I said. This wasn’t about Jake. I hoped he knew that.
