A Moment To Love (6 page)

Still, apologizing wasn’t something he did often. His palms grew damp. He’d rather eat his hat than grovel, but his entire future rested on him making peace with her.

He sucked in a deep breath and exhaled.
Okay. Here it goes.

“I’m sorry for yesterday.” He forced his gaze to meet hers. “I’d like to start over—”

“I’m glad to hear you say that.” She smiled, easing his tense muscles. “Guess I didn’t need to come bearing gifts after all.”

He waved the chocolate bar in front of her. “Already changing your mind about parting with this?”

“Nope.” She sent him an ornery grin, reached inside her small black purse, and pulled out another candy bar. “I got myself one, too. So you’re safe to eat yours.”

He couldn’t help but chuckle. The tension in his shoulders eased. He felt lighter than he had in months.

“Now that you’re smiling,” she dropped the chocolate back into her purse, “how about we talk a little business?”

Though he’d meant his apology, questions continued to poke and prod him. He’d learned to trust his instincts when he was young, and they had rarely let him down. Right now, they were sounding off loud and clear. He didn’t trust Lexi, no matter how inviting her smile might be.

“Even though you’ve traded in your suit for something more…casual, you’re still the diligent businesswoman at heart. Before we talk business, I have a couple of questions. Like, why fly all the way across the country to build a bunch of five-and-ten-acre ranches?” The way she glanced away, refusing to meet his gaze, reinforced his suspicion of her. “Or is there more to this deal than you’ve let on?”

Her forehead creased as though she were giving her answer considerable thought. Why would an honest response take so much effort? With each passing moment of silence, his gut tightened.

“I need to be straight with you.” Lexi’s steady gaze met his. “I’m hoping you’ll be able to listen with an open mind.”

An open mind? His insides churned. Wherever she was leading him, he didn’t want to go. He was just beginning to appreciate the thought that a ranching community would try to maintain as much of the natural landscape as possible. But suddenly he got the feeling that wasn’t what she intended to do with the land.

The tip of her tongue moistened her lips. “The truth is…in order for me to be able to make you a formal offer on the land, I need something from you.”

“Stop with the theatrics and spit it out. What do you want?”

“Haggerty.”

The word exploded in his mind, scattering his thoughts in a million directions. She wanted his town—his heritage. She’d had this one goal all along—to buy the ghost town. His initial reaction was to tell her she didn’t have an icicle’s chance in hell of getting it, but logic kept him quiet.

He remembered Mr. Forbes assuring him that the error on the sales listing had been worked out, but clearly that wasn’t the case. Whether Cord liked it or not, she was his only chance to save this ranch. This time he needed to handle things differently from yesterday.

She stood unmoving, waiting for his response. The confidence in her stance—her unflinching eyes—said she thought she had him cornered. Not a good place to be. The one thing she must not have taken into consideration, though, was when an animal was cornered, was when they were the most dangerous. They had nothing to lose.

Cord crossed his arms and rocked back on the heels of his boots. “I was right about you. All of this friendliness was just a ploy. You wanted to sweet-talk me into a deal.”

Lexi’s face lit up with color. “Do you honestly think I’m so desperate to finalize this sale that I’d lead you on? Sure, we may have laughed a little, but it was all innocent and went both ways. It isn’t like we’ve started negotiations—”

“You let me go on believing that you wanted the two hundred acres for a small ranching community. You made it sound like all I had to do was sign on the dotted line. You never even hinted that your offer came with strings attached.”

Her mouth gaped open, but she snapped it shut.

“How long are you going to wait to tell me your real intentions for the land?”

“I’m not required to tell you.” Her fine brows drew together as she frowned at him. “HSG waits for the ideal moment before revealing our plans for any land we acquire.”

He pointed an accusing finger at her. “You admit it. You and your company are deceptive.”

She shook her head, brushing her short blond hair over her shoulders. “No, we’re not. I’m not. I would have explained everything yesterday, but you started throwing around accusations. You weren’t in any frame of mind to take a proposal seriously.”

His jaw tightened. She was right. He had let his temper get the best of him, but he wouldn’t make that same mistake today. There had to be a way to get her to agree to buy the two hundred acres without the ghost town.

Giving up Haggerty wouldn’t just be about losing a huge part of his heritage—he’d also lose a lot of valuable grazing land. His ranch would shrink considerably—his only source of income. A vise-like grip tightened around his rib cage. And then a thought came to mind—maybe he could work out something with her so he could retain grazing rights.

“I’m listening,” he said, straining to keep his voice neutral, hoping they could reach some sort of compromise. “Tell me what you have in mind for Haggerty.”

“While I’m not obligated to tell you, I will because I know how important the land is to you.” Lexi tilted up her chin as her unwavering gaze met his. “HSG is in the business of building exclusive resorts. We believe the genuine ghost town will be a great marketing tool.”

He stepped back, shaking his head in disbelief. “You want to turn my ancestors’ land into some kind of amusement attraction?”

“I’m sure this idea will take some getting used to—” Her cell phone buzzed, and she took a moment to silence it. “That was a reminder that I have a meeting to attend.”

“About my family’s land, I presume.”

She nodded. “I have to go. Don’t make any rash decisions. I will contact you later to discuss this further.”

Cord drew back his shoulders. “You’re really serious about building a resort here? In the middle of nowhere?”

“Think of it as a win-win situation. You get to keep your ranch. And Whistle Stop gets a big boom in its economy.” She started for her vehicle.

“And you get to build your money-making resort on my family’s land.”

She paused and turned back. “I understand you’ll need some time to think things through. Right now, I’m due at a meeting with some county and state officials. It’s probably going to take most of the day. I just stopped by because I wanted to straighten out this misunderstanding over the land. I’m sorry if I gave you the wrong impression.”

At last, an apology. “Fine. I’ll think it over, but I’m not promising anything.”

She smiled, and her face lit up. “Fair enough. Before we talk again, I’d like to see the land in person.”

“I don’t think so.” He hadn’t even agreed to the sale. He needed time to think through it all.

“Photographs just aren’t the same. Especially when it comes to the ghost town.” She slid on sunglasses, hiding her expressive eyes. “How about I meet you here? Say, eight o’clock tomorrow morning? You can give me a personal tour of the ghost town.”

Traipsing around the countryside with a land developer who held the power to save his little piece of the world was one thing, but spending the day with a woman who warmed his blood with just a smile was quite another. And this out-of-town, hotshot businesswoman was definitely the wrong female to let his guard down around.

“I’ve got to work in the morning.”

“Then how about after lunch?”

“More work then, too.”

“Fine. I’ll go by myself.”

“If you do, it’ll be trespassing. And you should consider that an inexperienced person going out into the desert alone is a recipe for disaster. The desert can be harsh and unforgiving.”

Her phone buzzed again. “I’m going to be late.” She pulled out some folded papers and handed them to him. “Read these over and come up with a reasonable price for the ghost town. We can sort out the details later.”

He glanced down at the papers, not relishing the time and effort it’d take him to read them. “I haven’t agreed to any of this—”

“Not yet.”

CHAPTER SIX

T
he jangle of the phone stirred Cord from his deliberations. He didn’t move. With his dinner long cold, he continued staring out the kitchen window. The sun’s lingering golden rays washed over the vast land he loved, like a final kiss.

All day while he’d tended the livestock and then updated the ranch’s financial spreadsheets, he’d struggled to think up a way to stave off the bank—a way that did not include selling out to the determined lady developer with those hauntingly beautiful blue eyes. All he’d gained for his efforts was an incessant pounding in his temples.

At last, silence descended over the room, but before he could breathe a sigh of relief, the blasted telephone started up again. He smacked the glass tabletop and shoved his chair back, ignoring the protesting screech against the tile floor. Time to rid himself of this persistent caller.

He grabbed the receiver but before he could utter a word, he head, “Cord, it’s Peter Forbes. I’m not disturbing you, am I?”

“Actually, I was just sitting down—”

“This won’t take long,” the man rambled on. “I thought I might hear from you today.”

“Why? Is there another offer on the land?” His hand clenched the phone. He willed his real estate agent to say yes.

“No.”

Cord’s pent-up breath blew out in a sigh. “Then why would we talk?”

“The woman, Alexis Greer, she stopped by the office today. She wanted some more information about the land—”

“Did you make it clear to her that it’s just the two hundred acres that are for sale?”

“Actually, she was telling me about her plans for Haggerty. In fact, she showed me the plans—you know, for the resort. They’re quite impressive.”

Was Lexi starting some sort of crusade to turn the town against him? His ex-wife had tried swaying him with public pressure—twisting his arm to sell the ranch. She’d painted such an awful picture of him that it’d been hard to brush off the whispers and stares when he ventured into town for supplies. He wouldn’t stand for Lexi making matters worse for him.

After a moment of silence, Mr. Forbes cleared his throat and hurried on. “Have you taken time to consider her proposal? She has some good ideas that would bring some much needed tourist dollars to town. If it all worked out, it’d solve everyone’s problems.”

Everyone’s problems but his. Cord’s jaw tensed, holding back a burning retort.

“Think about it.” Mr. Forbes cleared his throat. “This resort would give people job opportunities, and the economy would grow. And best of all, your ranch would be free of debt.”

How was Cord supposed to argue with logic like that? No matter what he said, he’d sound like the bad guy. No one understood his desperate need to cling to the land where he was a confident rancher—where he didn’t have to work to hide his dyslexia on a regular basis. On the Brazen H, he could just be himself.

Cord paced back and forth across the tiled floor. “She’ll have to build the resort somewhere else. I can’t sell her Haggerty.”

“Before you turn her down, you might want to hear what she’s proposing. The town really needs the jobs. It would keep the young people from leaving town in search of work. People would be excited—”

“Public pressure won’t sway me.”

Why was Mr. Forbes trying to make him responsible for the town’s welfare? It wasn’t like he was the town’s mayor. He wouldn’t stand a chance of even being elected dogcatcher. Not that he let it bother him. He got by just fine keeping to himself.

Then a legitimate thought occurred to him. “Did you ever stop to consider the resort’s employees might not be locals? They could hire anyone, people from as far away as…New York.”

“Guess you have a point.” A defeated tone filled the man’s voice. “Perhaps you should find out more about this resort before you sell to her. You’ll talk to her, right? For the town’s sake?”

A protest hung in the back of Cord’s throat, but instead he said, “I’ll listen to what she has to say, but that’s all I’m promising.”

“You know by bringing jobs to Whistle Stop, it might undo some of the hard feelings people have been harboring for so long.”

“Their attitudes are their problem. Not mine.” Cord ended the call.

He refused to be held responsible for solving Whistle Stop’s struggling economy. He was already failing at the responsibility he’d inherited—saving Haggerty. And time was running out until foreclosure.

His thoughts turned back to Lexi. She had more spunk than he’d originally given her credit for. He regretted that they were on opposite sides of this fight, because he found her gorgeous, strong-willed, and fiercely independent. Quite an intoxicating combination.

And if he wasn’t careful, she could end up walking away with his legacy.

♥♥♥

After an early morning phone call about her missing luggage, Alexis made her way to the front desk. Mrs. Sanchez glanced up from reading a glossy magazine. Her heavily made-up eyes gazed over the black rims of her reading glasses as she smiled.

“Good morning. My, don’t you look like you’re ready for an adventure?”

“Your suggestion of where to find some clothes to tide me over until my luggage shows up was very helpful. Thank you.”

“Any time, dear.” Mrs. Sanchez laid the magazine on the counter. “You’ll find that Whistle Stop doesn’t have all the amenities of New York City, but it makes up for it with a friendly community spirit.”

“I’ve noticed. Everyone has been so nice and helpful. I could get used to this.” And she meant every word of it.

Mrs. Sanchez’s eyes widened. “Are you considering buying the Lawson land?”

Alexis hesitated. Mrs. Sanchez was friendly, but she was also very astute. Alexis didn’t want to give away her plans before she was ready. But she wasn’t about to outright lie—that wasn’t her style.

“Actually, I am considering it. From what I’ve seen so far, the Southwest is beautiful.”

Mrs. Sanchez beamed as though Alexis had directly complimented her. “It really does have its charms. And we’d love to have you as a resident of Whistle Stop. I’ll have to introduce you to the girls in town. Let’s see, there’s Ana, the girl who owns the Green Chile Cantina. She’s about your age.” Mrs. Sanchez placed a red-painted fingernail against her chin as she got lost in thought.

“Thanks. But you don’t have to bother.” Alexis didn’t want the whole town to get the wrong impression.

“Why in the world not?” The woman gave her the strangest look. “If you’re shy, don’t worry. Everyone will make you feel welcome—”

“No, it’s not that. It’s just that—well, nothing is definite.”

“Oh. I understand. I won’t say a word until the deal is official. The holdup, it’s Cord, isn’t it? Is he being disagreeable?”

Now she was the one who was confused. “What?”

Mrs. Sanchez frowned. “He’s the reason you haven’t bought the land.”

What exactly did this woman know? Something told Alexis that it was more than she was letting on. She was certain that Cord wouldn’t have said anything to her, but that didn’t mean Cord’s Realtor hadn’t let something slip after she’d run her idea for the resort past him to get an idea if the town would support her plan. Mr. Forbes definitely thought that would be the case. She sure hoped he was right.

“Cord and I are talking, but nothing is definite.”

Mrs. Sanchez leaned back on the stool that sat behind the counter. Her eyes glittered as though she were about to burst if she didn’t share a secret. “I have it from a very good source that he isn’t the easiest man to deal with. It’s been said that he’s unreasonable and has a temper with a short fuse.”

“Cord? Really?” Alexis felt compelled to come to the man’s defense. Just because he didn’t want to sell his land to a developer didn’t mean he was a bad man. “That’s surprising. I’ve found him to be quite the opposite.”

“Really?” Mrs. Sanchez leaned forward on the counter as though they were about to share a confidence, even though they were the only two in the office. “He’s not mean or rude?”

“He’s been a perfect gentleman to me. In fact, he’s been quite friendly.” She thought of the way he’d taken the time to show her his horse and to get her something to drink. “Whoever told you that about Cord was wrong.”

“Perhaps.” Mrs. Sanchez’s forehead wrinkled as though she carefully considered Alexis’s words. “Perhaps. So you like him?”

Something told Alexis no matter what she said now, this conversation would be around town in no time. But if she could help Cord, why not do it? It wasn’t like she’d be here much longer.

“I think he’s a very nice man who enjoys his privacy.”

“Interesting.” Looking into the woman’s eyes, Alexis could practically see the wheels of her mind spinning. “Very interesting.”

“It can be easy to misjudge a person. Maybe people should give him another chance.”

Mrs. Sanchez’s penciled brows rose. “You two must be hitting it off. Hopefully, he won’t hold out on selling you the land. Seems as though this might just be the perfect match.”

Alexis wasn’t sure how to take her last comment. But the little voice in her head told her to just let it go. This conversation had the potential to go in the completely wrong direction. And the last thing she needed was Mrs. Sanchez playing matchmaker. After all, Alexis might find Cord amazingly attractive, but they were business adversaries. Anything beyond business negotiations was off-limits.

Anxious to wrap up this conversation, Alexis said, “I just stopped by to let you know that I spoke with the airline, and they should be dropping off my suitcase later today.”

“Thank goodness they found it. I’ll make sure and put it in your room when it arrives. Can I do anything else for you?”

She smiled, liking Mrs. Sanchez. The woman was the curious sort, but she had a good heart. “Actually, there is one other thing. Do you know where I can find the mayor?”

“Why certainly, dear. In fact, why don’t I take you to see Mayor Ortiz?”

Alexis hadn’t planned to talk to him just yet. She’d intended to make Haggerty her first stop of the day. She was eager to see her very first genuine ghost town. And now that she’d bought the right clothing and necessary supplies with the help of Sam at the Hitchin’ Post, she was ready to go.

“Thanks, but I know you have work to do here.” Though Alexis didn’t have a clue what that work might consist of since she appeared to be the motel’s only guest. “If you can just point me in the right direction, I’ll find my way.”

“Nonsense. I could use a mid-morning coffee.”

Alexis couldn’t think of a tactful way to tell the woman that she didn’t want her overhearing her conversation with the mayor. And since the woman hadn’t volunteered the mayor’s location, Alexis didn’t have much choice but to smile and follow her. As Mrs. Sanchez rounded the counter, Alexis took in her black dress with big fuchsia flowers. The woman was nothing if not flamboyant. She flipped a sign on the door so that it read: Be Back Soon.

As they walked along the sidewalk, everyone smiled and greeted them. A few times, Mrs. Sanchez stopped to hear a bit of news. Other times, she’d pause to share what she’d learned with others. Texting and instant messaging had nothing over these ladies. They were quite efficient and definitely stayed on top of everything that happened in town.

“It’s a shame there’s so many empty storefronts,” Alexis said as they walked along Grande Avenue.

“Whistle Stop wasn’t always like this. When I was a kid, this town was booming. There was a copper mine that kept the town thriving. When it closed up, people started to move away.”

“That happens a lot with small towns. They lose their main employer and die out.”

“It’d be great to see it grow again. I just wish Mayor Ortiz hadn’t given up on the town. That man and his cronies that sit on the town council seem to have made peace with just letting Whistle Stop languish a slow death.” Mrs. Sanchez shook as though she’d just had a sudden chill. “It just gives me the willies thinking of the town I grew up in turning into a ghost town like Haggerty.”

Alexis didn’t like the idea either. “I wouldn’t give up yet. From what I’ve seen so far, this town has a lot of heart. It just needs a push in the right direction.”

Mrs. Sanchez slanted her a suspicious gaze. “Do you have something in mind?”

Great. She’d said too much, and now she had to backpedal out of it. “No, nothing specific. It just sounds like whatever the town council has tried so far hasn’t worked, and they’ll have to try something different.”

“Hmpf…that would mean they’d have to get off their duffs and get back to work.” Mrs. Sanchez leaned closer. “This is all just between us girls. I wouldn’t want it getting around.”

“Of course not.” Alexis bit back a laugh at the hypocrisy. “I won’t say a word.”

“What business did you say you’re in?”

All Alexis wanted now was for the sidewalk to open up and swallow her. She could see why Mrs. Sanchez seemed to know everything that was going on in Whistle Stop. She was exceedingly good at pulling information out of people. And now what did she tell the woman? The truth?

“Good morning.” An older gentleman strolled up the walk in the opposite direction.