Liar, my subconscious-self accused. I let out a breath. Okay, I did want something more. I just didn't know what. A pair of beautiful blue eyes flashed in my mind. Landon had more written all over him. But that was just more reason why I needed to keep my distance. Until I knew what I wanted and if my idea of more and Landon's lined up, it wasn't fair to go there. I could hurt him. And knowing that no matter how mad I was at Ripley, he was right, and I probably owed him an apology, didn't exactly put me in a good mood.
I drove out to the Warner Ranch to wait for my client. I was going to be early because I had planned to spend a little time talking to the guys in the coffee shop, but it would give me a chance to look around and make sure everything was as it should be. It wasn't as large as the Bluebird Ranch, or the Grayson spread, but it was a good size. It had been a working ranch until Mr. Warner died three years ago. His nephew had tried to keep it going, but he wasn't a rancher at heart, and ranching wasn't for everyone. He gave up a few months ago and sold off all the livestock and put it up for sale.
I went inside the house and opened some windows to let some fresh air in. Then I went out to the barn to make sure everything there looked okay. I let my mind wander while I waited. I wondered if something like this was what Landon wanted some day but dismissed the idea. Not that he wouldn't be capable, I just didn't think running a ranch was something he wanted. I got the feeling he just wanted to work with horses, and he was good with them. I'd seen him out on the ranch working with the cut horses Reed was raising. He had tremendous amounts of patience, and I could see how much he loved working with them.
Gravel crunched in the driveway pulling me out of my thoughts. I took a deep breath and let the feelings of the morning go as I exhaled. I needed to be one hundred percent on if I wanted to sell this ranch. My bad morning had no place here. I pasted on a smile and went to greet the prospective buyer. As I made my way to the rental car to greet him, a man stepped out of the driver's side. He was pretty much exactly my type. Tall, dark hair, and a lean muscular build that showed he put in a lot of time in the gym. He smiled as I approached and held out his hand. We shook, and he held the handshake just a little longer than was proper.
I didn't make a habit of sleeping with clients, but I didn't have a rule against it either. “You must be Miller,” he said with a smile.
“I am, and you must be Charles Carter. It's nice to put a face with the name.”
“It is,” he agreed. He turned and looked at the house. “The house looks great. I think I told you over the phone that I don't really know much about running a ranch, but I do know how to hire people to do things I don't know how to do.”
“You did mention that.”
“I'm honestly not even sure why the idea of owning one appeals to me. It just does, and I have to do something with all this money,” he said with a wink.
When he’d originally called, he said he had a software development company that he took public and made a fortune, and now he was at a bit of loose ends with what to do next. “Well, Charles, ranching is a big change from software development, and River Gorge is a long way from Silicon Valley.”
He laughed. “That it is. But it isn't too far from Dallas or Austin, and it’s really not far from San Antonio at all.”
“True,” I agreed. Far be it from me to talk myself out of a multi-million-dollar sale. “Well, let's take a look at the house.”
We went inside the sprawling house. “While this ranch isn't the largest in the area property wise, this was one of the largest homes. The late Mrs. Warner had expensive tastes, and Mr. Warner liked to give her what she wanted. There was a smaller house on the property that was the original ranch house, and when this one was built, that one became the foreman's house.”
“Oh, so there are two full houses on the property then?” he asked, making me wonder how much time he’d spent looking at all the information I'd sent him.
“Yes, two full houses, a barn, and a few outbuildings.”
“So, if I needed to hire someone to run this as an actual ranch, they could live there.”
“That's correct. The main house has five bedrooms, and two living areas as well as a sun porch. It's a lot of house for one person. Assuming you’re single, that is,” I said.
“I am. My previous boyfriend ended things with me shortly before I took the company public. Something I have no doubt his wallet greatly regrets.”
“Good riddance to old rubbish, as my grandfather would say.”
“Precisely,” he said with a laugh. “I've heard River Gorge is rather progressive, though. That's one of the reasons I was looking here, to begin with.”
“It is. We have a bisexual sheriff, a gay mayor, and of course one very gay real estate broker, just for starters,” I said with a wink.
He tipped his head appraisingly. “And is this very gay real estate broker single?”
I started to say very, which was my normal response, when an image of Landon smiling at me at dinner last night flashed through my mind. “Ah,” he said with a grin. “I recognize that look.”
“Yes, I’m taken at the moment. By one very handsome cowboy.”
“Well, maybe if I buy this place, I’ll get lucky and find a cowboy of my own.”
10
Landon
I was finishing up in the barn for the morning and fixin’ to break for lunch when I got a text from Miller.
Miller: Just sold the Warner Ranch $$$. Let me take you to lunch.
Landon: Awesome. But I can't. I have too much to do to stop and drive into town. How about dinner?
Miller: Sounds great. The Watering Hole at 7?
Landon: Meet you there.
That was great for him. He’d shown the place to quite a few people, and I knew it was a high dollar property, so that was worth celebrating. But how touched I was that he wanted to celebrate with me was concerning. I mean, I knew it was probably just for show, but still, I liked that one of the first things he did was text me with the news.
I spent the rest of the day trying to focus on work and not on seeing Miller for dinner. I finished up around five and hurried to take a shower. I wanted to run by the garage and talk to Cody for a few minutes before I met Miller. He usually closed up around six, so I should get there in time.
I was on my way out to my truck when Ripley walked up. “Hey, you going out tonight?”
“Yeah, meeting Miller. He sold the Warner Ranch today.”
“Really? He usually texts us all and plans a celebration when he makes such a big sale.”
“Well, he texted me. We’re planning to celebrate,” I said with a shrug, hopping into my truck. Then as an afterthought, I added, “We'll be at The Watering Hole if y'all want to come.”
I poked my head into Cody's garage and called out, “Hey, you in here?”
I heard a clang like a wrench dropping on the floor, and Cody called out, “Yeah, I'm just finishing up. Give me a sec.”
I went into his office to wait. I was thinking about getting a tattoo, and I spent time looking at pictures on my phone. I had no idea what I wanted to get, but I knew I wanted one. I'd been thinking about it ever since Maverick opened his shop here in town. But I was no closer to settling on a design than I was the day he opened.