“Mr.Conley,” she said breathlessly and frowned, confused why he was standing in her house.
Cole walked into the office.His eyes scanned the room.
“Hello, Miss Robertson.I’m sorry.I didn’t mean to scare you.”
The look of suspicious disbelief on her face made his lips twitch.
“I never heard a knock,” she commented as she scooped up the papers.She stood and moved around the desk, putting the piece of furniture between them.It wasn’t much, but it made her feel better.She didn’t do it because she was physically afraid of him, but his nearness made her feel unusually warm and jittery.
“It’s because I didn’t.”
Victoria ground her teeth together and decided to let it go for the moment.“What can I do for you?”
Cole walked further into the room.He indicated the plate with a half-eaten sandwich.It was already past suppertime.
“You didn’t eat your lunch.”
“Actually, this is my dinner.”
Cole frowned.“That’s all you’re going to eat?”
Victoria crossed her arms over her chest, and her chin tilted up an inch.
“Why are you here?”
He slapped his old, broken-in cowboy hat against his thigh.“I came to talk business.”
She watched as dust particles drifted through the air from his hat and his jeans.So much for dusting.Her frown deepened.
“What business?”
“I want to buy your ranch.”
Her heart stopped for a second as she dropped into the chair behind her.She never even considered that he would want the ranch.
“But it’s not for sale.”
“I’ll give you a good price.”
“Mr.Conley, I will not be selling this ranch.Not now, not ever.”
He took a seat on the other side of the desk and laid his hat on one knee.“What exactly are you going to do then?”
She looked at him, confused.“I’m going to live here and run the ranch.”
Cole snorted.“You can’t be serious?”
Victoria’s jaw tightened, and she folded her arms on the desk in front of her.“Why is that?”
He threw his arm out at her, indicating her body.“No way in hell you can run a ranch.”
“Give me one good reason.”He didn’t answer and continued to stare at her.“Answer me.Why do you think I can’t do this?”
A look crossed his face.“Because you’re not made for this kind of work.”
For some reason, his remark stung deeper than she’d expected, and she had to swallow back the tears that burned her throat and behind her eyelids.“You don’t know me at all, so I don’t know how you can determine that I’m not ...what?”she yelped.
He moved fast, his arm striking across the desk, and he grabbed her wrist.
