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“In that case I’ll answer it.” He didn’t wait for a reply; he marched out of the sitting room and into the hallway.
“Oh, I might have guessed I’d find you sniffing around here.” Bill’s voice could be heard sneering from the front doorstep. “So are you going to invite me in or do I have to stand out here all night?”
“Well now, that all depends on what it is you’re wanting.” Tyler didn’t sound happy.
She heard a snort which must have been from Bill. “Not the same thing as you, evidently,” the older man replied. “I actually thought Chloé might be hungry so I’ve brought her over a meat and potato pie. I figured she won’t have had time to do any shopping and her freezer was almost empty when I looked in there last night.”
“Thanks, I’ll see she gets it.” Tyler was obviously speaking through gritted teeth and Chloé wondered whether he was reading something into Bill’s remark. A few hours ago she would have been glad that he was so mad at the thought of someone else being in her kitchen, but right now she just felt awkward. She didn’t want to go out there and invite Bill in, but she didn’t want to be rude, either.
She heard a scuffle at her front door, and Bill shouted, “I can do it myself, thank you.”
“I don’t believe I invited you in.” Tyler’s voice bellowed back at him.
Chloé couldn’t stand it any longer. She was so embarrassed that they were fighting on her own front doorstep she flung open the sitting room door and stormed down the hallway.
“There you are.” Bill offered her a smile before looking smugly back at Tyler. “I brought you over some supper, but Brannagh seems to be a little confused over which house he’s just inherited.”
Tyler’s jaw dropped, as Bill barged past him and strode toward the kitchen.
“How the hell did you know about my inheritance?” he demanded, following him.
Bill stopped and turned back to face him, a supercilious grin on his face. “Chloé told me all about it.”
She felt a thud in her gut. Tyler stared at her like she’s betrayed him, while Bill continued into the kitchen and there was a clanging sound as he must have been putting the pie in the oven.
Chewing the inside of her cheek, she sighed heavily as Tyler frowned at her.
“Is that true? You told him my business?”
“Our business,” she corrected, “this affects both of us, remember?”
Bill poked his head around the kitchen doorway. “But the business is still yours, sweetheart, don’t you forget that. This place belongs to you.” He pointed at her.
“Yeah and everything in it belongs to me. I guess that makes this whole matter our concern – nothing to do with you.” Tyler scowled at him.
Bill raised his eyebrows. “Well that’s just where you’re wrong, mister. As my land borders this place I think I have every right to know just what’s going to happen with it. Who my new neighbors are going to be could have a direct affect on my own business. Communication is key in the world of commerce, Brannagh, you’d do well to remember that.”
“And you’d do well to remember that you are in the lady’s house and she’s just lost her uncle. She hasn’t made any decisions yet, and won’t be doing so until she’s good and ready. Until that time, I think it would be better if you left her alone to work things out – we’ll inform you of anything you need to know when it’s been finalized.” Tyler’s fists were clenched and his jaw was tight as he was clearly trying to keep control. He held the door open expectantly.
Bill tightened his lips, narrowing his eyes at Tyler. Then he looked over at Chloé. She bit her cheek, not knowing what to say. Her heart beat madly against her ribs as the silence closed in around her and she felt all eyes on her.
“It was very kind of you to bring me supper, Bill,” she said, managing a weak smile. “Obviously I haven’t made any decisions about the ranch yet. I think I need to sleep on it and see how things look in the morning. I’ll be able to think a bit straighter then.”
Bill’s face relaxed. He nodded. “That’s understandable. I wouldn’t expect you to make any decisions just yet. Think on what I said, though, won’t you?”
“I will,” she promised, shivering as the cold night air blew in through the open door.
Looking over at Tyler he said, “I think we should both leave and give the lady some peace. She’s had a long day and needs to get a good night’s sleep.”
Tyler huffed and took his coat from the hook and put it on. “I agree,” he said, evenly. He strutted into the sitting room and fetched his hat before joining Bill at the front door.
Bill gestured for Tyler to go first, which clearly annoyed the cowboy.
“Goodnight, Chloé, I’ll see you in the morning.”
“Goodnight, Tyler.”
He gave Bill a backward glance before leaving.
