“Yes, I know him. Why?”
“He called me at the hotel last night, ready to make an offer. Told me to name my price.”
“I’m sure he did. He’s been trying to get his hands on the Blazing Frontier for years.”
Cash nodded. “I see.”
“Now I have a question for you, Cash.”
“Which is?”
“What about Ms. Ellen’s request that the two of us go through her personal belongings and decide what to do with them?”
“I honestly don’t want to be involved in that. Whatever you decide to do with Ellen’s things is fine with me.” Then, barely missing a beat, he said, “It’s time to head back.”
“I am so happy Ms. Ellen looked out for you in her will, Brie. What she did was so thoughtful and kind. Did you have any idea she was going to do that?”
Brianna took a sip of her lemonade while talking to her best friend, Miesha James. It was a beautiful Sunday afternoon after the downpour late yesterday evening.
“Yes, that was kind and thoughtful of her, and no, I had no idea she would do that.”
“Tell me about Cashen Outlaw, now that you’ve seen him in the flesh. Was he worth the crush you had on him years ago?”
Brianna rolled her eyes. Only Miesha would remember that. Brianna had finished her first year of college, hurt and humiliated after Alan’s betrayal. In the summer she had returned home and she’d rarely left the ranch, wanting to retreat from a world filled with pain and self-pity. One day after volunteering to organize Ms. Ellen’s attic, she’d come across a private investigator’s report that had included a photograph of Cash. It was his graduation picture from college. She had gotten hooked by his huge smile, and on that day he had become her fantasy boyfriend. Daydreaming about Cash all that summer had helped her get over the pain Alan had caused.
Brianna smiled. “Yes. I can sum up Cashen Outlaw in one word. Hot.”
“Now you got my bones shivering in lust, girl. Was he really that hot?”
“Yes. Everything about him. His features, his body, his clothes, the way he carried himself. Even the way he rode his horse. However, that picture I saw of him when he was in his early twenties is nothing like the thirtysomething hunk he’s aged into. Like I said, he is hot.”
“Um...maybe I need to come pay you a visit.”
Brianna chuckled. “Too late. He left this morning to return to Alaska and there is no reason for him to come back. In fact, I got the distinct impression that he won’t ever return.”
“Didn’t you say Ms. Ellen left him the ranch?”
“Yes, but he doesn’t want it. He’d made up his mind to sell it before even seeing it. After giving him a tour yesterday, I could tell he was impressed, but I doubt he was impressed enough to keep it.” She paused, then added, “He did say Hal Sutherland had already contacted him and made an offer.”
“Hal Sutherland! Did you tell him what a douchebag that man is?”
“No, and I don’t intend to. I will not influence Cash in any way...not that I think I could. Cash is a businessman. For him it will be all about business.”
“I think you should tell him.”
“I disagree. Can we change the subject?”
“One more question. Did Cashen Outlaw say why he never reached out to his mom over the years? Why he never answered her letters?”
“No, and I didn’t ask him. I did just what I promised Ms. Ellen I would do if our paths ever crossed and that was to not bring it up to him and not pass judgment on him because of it. The latter was hard.”
“I’m sure it was.”
“I want to believe, like Ms. Ellen did, that the letters never reached him. That his father made sure of it.”
“That’s why you should mention the letters to him, Brie.”
“I promised Ms. Ellen I wouldn’t.”
“You and your promises.”
“I know. I know. And speaking of promises, I have some news to share with you,” Brianna said, refilling her glass with lemonade.
“What?”
“Now that I know I have a roof over my head for keeps, I’m moving ahead with plans to have a baby. Dad sent me a reminder of that promise on Friday.”
“Your dad?”
“Yes.” Brianna told Miesha about the letter.
“Wow, Brie. You don’t know who sent it?”
“No, and really that doesn’t matter because it could be anyone. Dad had a lot of friends who would do whatever he asked. It’s good knowing he supports my decision. Now what I want to know is—since you had the procedure six years ago, are there any regrets?”
There was a pause before Miesha said, “Darrett is my world and I won’t ever regret giving birth to him. But...”
“But what?”
“If I had to do it over again, I would go about it differently.”
Brianna lifted a brow. “In what way?”
“I wouldn’t use a sperm bank.”
Brianna frowned. She recalled Miesha telling her how easy using a sperm bank had been. She’d filled out the questionnaire indicating the specific traits she wanted her child to have, even down to the eye color. Then they’d selected a donor based on her preference. “Why?”
“Because Darrett is getting older, and now that he’s in the first grade and other kids have fathers, he wants to know about his. I wish I had a picture of a real person I could show him instead of a photo of a test tube.” Brianna heard the sorrow in her friend’s voice when she added, “If I had it to do all over again, Brianna, I would use a human being and go through the process of procreation the traditional way.”
“Yes, but that way can get messy,” Brianna said. “Very few men would voluntarily get a woman pregnant, Miesha. They would envision eighteen years of child support.”
“Yes, but I’d take my time and find a guy who would go along with my plan. There are guys out there who want to be fathers without the benefit of a wife, just like there are women who want to be mothers without the benefit of a husband. The key is to find the right man.”
Miesha paused and then said, “And if you find a man who’s willing to meet you halfway, one who will sign papers agreeing that you won’t ever hit him up for child support or the like, then I’d consider going that route as well.” She chuckled and tacked on, “And if the sex is good, then that will be a bonus.”