“I don’t know.”He stood and stared down at her.The urge to shed his clothes and get back under the covers with her was considerable.“Let me think on it.”
“I don’t know what you have to think about.You have your ranch, and I have mine.”
She could see the frustration harden his face.
“I’ve got to go.I’ll call you later,” he said.He bent and gave her a hard kiss before he turned and left.
“Stay out of trouble today.”Victoria heard him call as he walked down the hallway.She listened until the back door closed, and his truck started up and pulled away.She drew in a shaky breath before she whipped the blanket aside and climbed out of bed.
She showered and dressed, grabbed a cup of coffee, and cleaned the house a bit before she headed outside to gather eggs.She wanted to mow and then work on the garden before it got too hot.
A few hours later, satisfied she’d done all she could, she decided to work on some paperwork in the cool confines of her house after she gathered the mail.
As she walked back from the mailbox, she looked around with a sense of pride.She was actually doing it.She was running a ranch she could call her own.Victoria knew she had a long way to go before she felt comfortable enough to manage the men, but she’d been lucky enough to inherit Tomas with the ranch.
She waved to a few of the men as she climbed the front porch steps.She grabbed another cup of coffee and took it into the office.She turned on the ancient computer her uncle had owned that she knew she’d have to update soon, but it was working so far.
Victoria tossed a few pieces of junk mail into the garbage can, then froze when she came to an official-looking envelope.At the top, it was marked by a lawyer in the next town over.She tore it open, read to the bottom, then reread it.
It took a moment for it to soak in.The lawyer stated that the sale of the ranch would proceed as soon as she signed the documents.But it was the buyer’s name that caught her attention.Cole was trying to buy the ranch, was using a different tactic, but was still after the one thing he’d always wanted.
So many things snapped into place.The fact that he’d never taken her off her ranch.Cole had never taken her to his place.Never introduced her to anyone.Never told her how he felt.Now she knew he felt nothing but a need to own her ranch.
Victoria tossed the letter on her desk, sat back, and closed her eyes.There was a burning sensation behind her eyes, but she refused to let the tears fall.She looked around her uncle’s office—now her office—and couldn’t imagine not being there.She loved every part of the ranch and knew it would kill something inside of her to lose it.
The sad thing was, she said the same to Cole about her feelings.He knew how much she loved it, but it didn’t matter.All that mattered was what he wanted.A sick feeling started to creep into her thoughts.Was he sleeping with her to get to her ranch?The fact that he found her attractive was inconceivable to her, and it had always been in the back of her mind that he was having sex with her for only one reason—the ranch.It was a sliver of realization that wouldn’t disappear.
These past few months had been a dream come true for her.An amazing man found her attractive and was spectacular in bed.
Victoria angrily swept a tear off her cheek, and on a snap decision, stood, grabbed the letter, and took off for his ranch.
She was taken aback when she came upon his place.His ranch operation looked like it was ten times larger and in a lot better shape than hers.Pristine white fencing was on either side of the long, well-kept driveway.The pastures were full of cattle and horses, and she could see several men gathered around the barns.Her eyes widened as she caught sight of his house.The thing was three times the size of hers and in perfect shape.Made of cream-colored stone and a wraparound porch with colorful flower beds and neatly cut grass surrounded his house.
She parked her truck in front, sat, and looked around in awe.She ignored the looks she was getting from the men, grabbed the letter, and walked up the steps to the front door.She bit back her need to cry when she saw the enormous, padded porch swing on one end of the long porch.What she wouldn’t give to sit in it for a minute.
The more she saw, the more she felt the fracture in their relationship grow further apart.
She straightened her shoulders and knocked.After a moment, she heard a bit of shuffling and a woman’s voice.A painful bolt of shock hit her when the door opened, and she saw a beautiful, tall, curvy woman about her age.
Victoria couldn’t get past the shock and stood staring at her.She wore a light, flowery skirt and a lacy top.Pretty sandals covered her feet.Her hair was long and curled and caught the light from the house.She wore a bit of makeup she didn’t really need, and her long fingers and toenails were painted a soft pink.Everything about her was feminine and delicate.
“May I help you?”
Victoria’s body jerked.Even her voice was lovely.She cleared her voice.“You live here?”she asked and then cringed.She hadn’t wanted to ask the question.Her first inclination was to turn and run.
The woman’s delicate brows puckered.“Well, yes.May I ask who you are?”
A sense of panic hit her.He’d never talked about a sister, so this woman was either Cole’s girlfriend or wife, and for the last several months, he’d been sleeping with her.Never in a million years would she have wanted to be with a man like that.She never wanted to be a homewrecker.
To make things worse, Victoria looked down at herself and felt a blush heat her cheeks.She stood in dirty boots, jeans, and a t-shirt that had seen better days.Her nails hadn’t seen polish since coming to the ranch.
Victoria held out the papers.“Could you please give these to your ...Cole?”
The woman glanced curiously at them.
“Please tell him, for the last time, the ranch is not for sale, and to stay the hell off my property.”The words rushed out, and then she turned, ignoring the woman’s call to stop, and raced for her truck.
Victoria drove slowly back to her place and sat at the end of the driveway.She wiped at the tears that fell before giving up.She put the truck back in gear and drove on.She hadn’t wanted to go home just yet.Her mind was in such turmoil, she felt like she wanted to scream.
