Page 62 of More Than This Land

Luke stood on the porch step he’d fixed and looked at Claire’s grandmother in the doorway with her library book and her clear eyes and understood exactly what she was not quite saying.

She pulled her reading glasses down from her head. “What are you going to do about it?” One corner of her mouth lifted. “I’ve tried everything I know to do, and I’m thinking it’s someone else’s turn. Meanwhile, I’m going to finish my chapter.” She took a small step back toward the door and shut it in his face.

Chapter Sixteen

The conference room took up the entire northwest corner of the tenth floor, its floor-to-ceiling windows offering an unobstructed view of downtown Billings. Claire sat in a leather chair that probably cost more than her car payment, her portfolio resting in her lap, and her attention drifting around the room much like the dust motes dancing in the sunlight streaming across the room.

The hiring manager outlined the compensation package in detail, and she yanked her mind back into the conversation, one-sided though it had been so far.

“The base salary starts at ninety-two thousand.” Robert Thomas tapped his pen against the folder in front of him, his movements precise and economical. “With performance bonuses that typically add another fifteen to twenty percent. Health insurance, dental, vision, four weeks PTO to start, and a company match on your 401k up to six percent.”

Numbers she’d dreamed about six months ago. Numbers that would let her rebuild what she’d lost when the shop closed. Numbers that represented security and independence and the life she’d planned before Granny Mama’s dizzy spells brought her back to Covenant Creek.

“We’re also offering a signing bonus.” Robert slid a sheet across the polished mahogany table. “Five thousand, paid after your first ninety days.”

Claire picked up the paper, her fingers running across the heavy stock embossed with thick, raised letters on the letterhead. So much importance this paper represented.

It didn’t take much to catalogue everything this represented. From prestige to her much-craved stability, this job locked in the trajectory that made sense on paper and fit the narrative she’d been telling herself for so long she wasn’t sure how to function without it.

“The role itself is what makes this exciting.” Robert leaned forward, his enthusiasm genuine despite the corporate polish. “You’d be lead consultant for our agricultural division. We have clients throughout Montana, Wyoming, and the Dakotas. Ranches, farms, co-ops, equipment manufacturers. Your expertise with the 4C Ranch project caught our attention. That kind of innovative thinking is exactly what our clients need.”

Her throat tightened. She hadn’t done it to impress anyone but to help Luke. She forced a swallow and set the paper down, aligning it with the edge of the table. A tremble rattled through her hands until she locked them underneath her thighs.

Robert hadn’t asked for her input at all, so she kept quiet and tried to listen.

“We’d want you to start June first, which gives you time to wrap up any outstanding commitments.” He flipped to another page in his folder. “There’s a relocation allowance if you need it, though I understand you’re already in the area. That works in our favor, and yours. You know the region, the culture, and the challenges these operations face.”

The window framed the city skyline. Glass towers reflected the sun, creating a patchwork of light and shadow against the spring sky. Somewhere below, traffic moved in patterns that followed rules and laws. People walked purposeful routes between buildings. Everything stayed organized, predictable, contained.

Safe.

Luke wanted her to stay, but did he need her?

Why did the distinction matter so much she was willing to ignore the fact she loved him and he’d all but said the same when he asked her to stay?

Loving Luke was not safe. It did not check her boxes that verified stability or predictability. Yes, Luke would provide a stable life, but what if he reverted to the man she’d first met?

“I’ve emailed you the full benefits package.” Robert turned his laptop toward her, the screen displaying a detailed spreadsheet. “Take a look, and if you have questions, I’m happy to clarify.”

She stared at the numbers without seeing them. Her pulse thumped in her throat, each beat a hammering strike that made breathing difficult. She pressed her hand against her sternum, trying to ease the pressure building there. It didn’t help, and it caused Robert to study her with a new intensity, forcing her to drop her hand.

Maybe he’d think she found the benefits overwhelming.

This was everything she’d worked for. Everything that made sense.

Except the part where she couldn’t stop thinking about a porch in the dark and a man who’d almost reached for her but pulled back. What about the man whose voice had gone rough when he asked her to stay, whose eyes had held hers with an intensity that made her ribs ache?

“The client list is particularly strong right now.” He reached around the computer and tapped a key, pulling up another document. “We signed two new cattle operations in eastern Montana, and there’s a grain cooperative in North Dakota that’s been asking for someone with your background. They read the case study we published on the 4C Ranch restructuring.”

She hadn’t even known they could do that.

Her fingers curled against her thighs. Luke’s face superimposed itself over the spreadsheet, the way he’d looked at her when he told her to be careful.

Drive safe. The roads get slick.

She’d walked away from him twice. Once at the cabin when he’d asked if she wanted to stay, and once on her porch when he’d been so close to kissing her that she could count his heartbeats.

Telling him she couldn’t because there was no room for halfway felt like a lie. She’d chosen safety over risk and kept building the same walls she’d criticized Luke for.