A Moment To Love (17 page)

CHAPTER SIXTEEN

W
hat in the world did he go and say that for?

Cord glanced at Lexi, who now refused even to look his way. His hands clenched into tight balls. The leather reins dug into his palms. He had absolutely no idea how to deal with women. None whatsoever.

Every muscle in his body grew rigid. He shouldn’t take his frustration out on her for his inability to remain immune to her charms. But just for once, he wanted a woman to like him for his own qualities instead of his assets. Was that asking too much?

How long would Lexi wait before she once again broached the subject of buying Haggerty? Before she did, he intended to derail her by selling her on the idea of buying the couple hundred acres for a vacation home. He’d never been much of a salesman, but he’d give it his best shot.

He guided his horse over to a shady area, and Lexi followed. Once he had the horses squared away, he turned to her. “We walk from here.”

Her head turned toward the steep wall of the canyon. “We’re going up there?”

“Yep. Are you up for it?”

“Uh…sure.” Her tone lacked sincerity.

“Don’t worry. It looks worse than it is.”

“I sure hope so,” she mumbled.

“Here.” He offered her a bottle of water. “You look like you need it.”

“I have some bottled water in my backpack.” She retrieved it from Blaze’s saddle as well as a Choconut Bar. She waved it at Cord. “Want it?”

The sight of her freely handing over her favorite candy lightened his mood. “Do you go anywhere without one of those?”

She smiled, making him eager to believe there was something real growing between them. He wanted her—as much as he wanted to hold on to his family’s land. Wait. What? When had this happened? When had she sneaked past all of his strategically placed defenses?

“A girl has to be prepared for anything.” She smiled up at him, and that funny feeling started again in his chest.

It was true—she’d gotten to him. Still reeling from the revelation of how much she’d come to mean to him, he struggled to act normal. He couldn’t let on that his world had suddenly tilted off-kilter. “And you figured that with a trusty Choconut Bar handy, you’re ready to face any problem?”

A hesitant smile lifted her lips. “Something like that.”

“But if I eat this, won’t you get hungry?”

“I’m fine. I stopped by the Cantina this morning for some more of those huevos rancheros.”

He smiled. That simple action eased his tension. “I told you they have the best food this side of the Mississippi. Put the candy in your bag. You’ll want it when we get to the top.”

She did as he suggested. It was good to know that she didn’t always have to have her own way. Maybe there was a chance for them—oh, who was he kidding? Selling or not selling the land was a small part of their problems. They came from two totally different worlds. He could never make her happy long-term—eventually, the novelty of having a cowboy escort her around would wear off. But no matter how he rationalized it, he still couldn’t extinguish the desire to pull her back into his arms and show her what she was missing—what they were both missing.

As they started their ascent up the jagged cliff, Lexi asked, “Is there a name for this place?”

“I call it the Little Grand Canyon.” He paused to glance back at her. “If we hike to the top, you won’t be disappointed by the spectacular view.”

Usually, he’d meander around exploring for wildlife, but not today. With Lexi being an inexperienced hiker, he planned to take the most direct path. He led them at a steady pace, while skirting the patches of desert grass and scraggly brush. His boots safely deflected the sticker burrs with tiny, painful barbs. The only sound was from the wind whipping through the canyon and the stones crunching beneath their feet.

He paused about halfway up the wall of rock. “Do you need a break?”

“I’m fine. You can keep going.”

He didn’t stop until they reached the overlook with a spectacular view of the narrow canyon. He moved to a large rock, his favorite place to sit and take in the scenery. He set his backpack next to a boulder as Lexi caught up to him. She dropped her supplies on the ground. Her face was splotchy, and she looked exhausted. Maybe he shouldn’t have been so eager to share this spot with her.

He held out his hands. “Let me help you up on the rock.”

Not giving her a chance to protest, his hands spanned her waist. His gaze dipped, taking in her full bottom lip. If he were to lean forward a few inches, he could snag a kiss—one of those mind-blowing kisses that haunted him at night. He swallowed. Caving in to his desires now wouldn’t solve anything between them—it’d only complicate things further now that he had feelings for her.

With her settled on the rock, he turned his back. If he kept staring at her pink lips, he knew his resolve would crumble. Instead, he focused on the familiar beauty of the vast canyon. “You’re the first person I’ve shared this spot with. I’ve been coming here since I was old enough to take the horses out on my own. I’d lie on this rock and daydream.”

“You were lucky to have such an amazing childhood. I can definitely see what draws you to this spot. It’s like sitting on top of the world. I wish I’d had a spot like this to unwind and do some thinking.”

“You could have it now.” He turned to her, wanting her to take him seriously because he’d never been more serious in his whole life—for a variety of reasons. “Buy the couple hundred acres I have up for sale and build yourself a house. Consider it a retreat from the craziness of New York. Better yet, move here permanently and…and breed horses. You have a way with them.”

“Really? You think so?” He nodded but then doubt shadowed her eyes. “I’m no horse breeder or rancher. I wouldn’t even know where to begin.”

“Okay. Then start your own business—an Internet business. And when I finish up my chores for the day, I can head over to your place to share an evening meal.” Now where had that idea come from? But the thought of being able to see Lexi whenever he wanted had a smile tugging at his lips.

“And who’s going to be in charge of whipping up those supposed dinners?”

“Why?” How could he have forgotten that he was talking to a high-powered executive? Something told him that she didn’t eat dinner at home very often. “You don’t cook?”

She shook her head. “Not even a little.”

She certainly wasn’t making this sales pitch easy on him. “You could learn—”

“Save it. Me in the kitchen will never happen.” She rolled her eyes and sighed. “I’d be an utter failure.”

“Have you ever tried?”

She shook her head. “Are you saying this because you want me to move here or because you’ll do anything to stop the resort from being built?”

“Would it be so bad if it were a bit of both?”

“But you can’t make me into the woman you want me to be. I’m a businesswoman. I’m not a homemaker, not that there’s anything wrong with it. It’s just not the path my life has taken. I understand numbers and spreadsheets. I know nothing about recipes and measuring cups. Sometimes, I wish I was good at both. I always envy women who can balance everything life throws at them.”

“I didn’t say you have to be a homemaker,” he ground out. “But how do you know what you want if you don’t try it on to see how it fits?”

“You can’t expect me to change into something that I’m not. It won’t work.”

This wasn’t how he’d hoped the conversation would go, but what would it hurt to keep talking? “You know, exploring other interests doesn’t mean you have to change.”

She tilted her head to the side and looked at him. “If I were to consider your idea—and I’m not saying I am—but if I were, what do I do about HSG? My father and the investors are counting on me to bring home this deal and keep the company profitable.”

“I don’t have all of the answers.” Cord refused to be sidetracked. HSG wasn’t his responsibility. “If you were to buy the land for personal reasons, do you envision yourself living here or just flying back for the occasional vacation?”

“We’re talking hypothetically?”

He nodded, eager to have her give his idea real consideration. The more she talked about it, the more tangible the possibility would become for her—at least, he hoped so.

“If I owned land here, I envision building a house and moving here.”

He smiled, liking the way her mind worked. They were headed in the right direction. Now, how in the world would he persuade her to take such a massive leap?

“And since we’re talking hypothetically,” she gave him a pointed look, “I’d have Midnight Star on my ranch. He needs to be ridden and often.”

Cord inwardly groaned. That horse wasn’t the only thing that needed to be ridden and often. He swallowed hard.

He drew his thoughts up short. He needed to focus. The only way to keep Lexi close would be to figure out a way she could still work for HSG while taking up residence here in Whistle Stop. But was that even possible?

Still, she was really taken with Midnight Star. “So you’re going to swap your business persona to become a horse thief. Looks like we’ll be taking that trip to the sheriff’s office after all.”

Her eyes sparkled with amusement. “If you’ll recall, I got out of it last time. I’m sure I’ll find another way out, should the need arise.”

He didn’t doubt with her easy way with words and those pouty lips that she’d be able to get out of any little scrape, but he wasn’t about to admit it. “The scorpion sting only works once. You’ll have to find another compelling reason to wave that sympathy card if you want me to fall for it again.”

Her chin jutted out. “Are you challenging me?”

He shrugged. “Guess you’ll have to pull up stakes and move to Whistle Stop to find out.”

“You know I hate to turn down a challenge. Be careful, or I just might, and then you’ll be minus a horse.”

Cord found himself wishing she was sincere, and it had nothing to do with saving Haggerty. He didn’t like the thought of her returning to New York and never getting to see her again. He enjoyed their time together a lot—a whole lot. As for giving up Midnight Star, it’d be worth it if he gained Lexi for a next-door neighbor—oh, what a beautiful neighbor.

“Could you hand me some water?” She wiped a palm over her forehead.

“Sure. As long as you’re willing to share the Choconut Bar.”

“I suppose if I have to.” She smiled, letting him know she was teasing him.

For a while, they shared the rock, the candy, and the water. The moment felt so right, even though he knew all of their talk was just that—talk. Frustration balled up in his gut. Lexi hadn’t changed her mind about the land. And neither had he.

“Look at that!” Lexi’s voice held a note of excitement.

He glanced her way to find her gazing up at the sky. With a hand shielding his eyes from the brilliant sunshine, he scanned the clear blue sky. And then he spotted the source of her excitement. Two brightly colored hot air balloons drifted lazily across the sky.

“I actually saw a balloon the other morning when I was out for a jog around town. I didn’t know I’d be lucky enough to see more.” She didn’t turn away from the sight of the two balloons. One was blue and white. The other had orange, red, yellow, and blue stripes. “Did you ever see anything so beautiful?”

Actually, he had seen something much more beautiful—her. But he kept that piece of information to himself. It’d do him no good at this point to show his growing feelings for her. “There are actually quite a few hot air balloons around here. In fact, every year in October a balloon fiesta is held in Albuquerque. It’s the biggest in the world. If you like balloons, you should definitely go. And make sure you don’t miss the morning glow as the balloons light up. It’s followed by the mass ascension of hundreds of balloons. It’s like nothing you’ve ever seen before. Just remember to take a jacket. Those early morning hours can be cold in the desert.”

“I just might do that.” She bestowed a smile on him before turning back to the balloons. “It doesn’t look like they’re going to drift any closer, so I guess this is the best picture I’m going to get.” She pulled her phone from her pocket and snapped some pictures. “Wait until I show my father these. He’s going to love them.”

“That’s not the only amazing sight out here. See how the rocks appear brown now? Well, come sundown, they’ll glow with a red hue—like jewels.” He got to his feet. “In the evening, it’s like having your very own private art gallery.”

“Stunning.” Her eyes never left his.

A flash of heat consumed him as she licked her dry lips. With no place to hide and no distractions, he couldn’t dodge the desire that overtook his common sense. Drawn to her like a restless stallion to a perky mare, he couldn’t turn away. Though this would only succeed in muddying his feelings further, he was willing to deal with the consequences. It’d be worth it to hold her and kiss her once more.

The differences between them slipped to the back of his mind. Before him sat a woman who’d given up everything to please her father. Maybe Cord just needed to remind her that there was more to life than work and duty.

His gaze shifted to her lush lips. His heart thumped, sending blood rushing to his extremities. Her blue eyes narrowed, and she licked her lips as though waiting for him to kiss her. He stepped toward her. She scooted forward on the rock. He stood between her legs. He gazed deep into her eyes, seeing the unmistakable flames of desire.