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Chloé said nothing as she quietly walked back to the truck. She hadn’t been privy to the conversation between Tyler and the manager regarding his personal finances, but she was damn sure he couldn’t afford the figures Mr. Hendrickson claimed she should be charging. She paused.
“You still wanna find the real estate agent for that valuation?” Tyler looked pensive.
She looked up at him as he waited, keys in hand. He looked so handsome and she couldn’t get over how businesslike he’d been in the first meeting when they both discussed their options. She’d expected to speak to Mr. Hendrickson on her own, but the manager felt that it would be prudent for them both to discuss their plans with him over a cup of strong coffee and a huge plate of cookies. Again, nothing like back in Atlanta.
She hadn’t been surprised to hear that Tyler would like to stay at the ranch, and, from what he said, it seemed that it was thriving. He had practically taken over the day-to-day running of the place while Uncle John wasn’t able to do so much, and it sounded as though he’d really turned it around.
Mr. Hendrickson saw no reason to sell up while it was doing so well, and there were still crops in the ground ready to come up in the spring. In his eyes Tyler had been seen as part of the family and there should be no problem with the splitting of the ranch’s assets. Chloé wasn’t so sure.
When she’d made it clear that the ranch was now two separate businesses, and she might be willing to rent out the land to Tyler, they’d been joined by the deputy manager, who, after suggesting an extortionate cost for the rent, then took Tyler to another room to discuss his financial position in private.
“Yes. If you need to get back I can...”
“You can what? Get a cab home?” His look of derision was really annoying.
“I’d manage somehow,” she snapped. “I don’t need you, Tyler Brannagh, you should remember that. As I see it, it’s completely the other way around.” She stuck her nose in the air, glad to have one up on him for a change.
“That’s not how I see it. Looks to me like you’d either have to come back without getting your valuation or walk all the way up that mountain – and we know what happened last time you tried that.” He smirked, looking pointedly at her ankle.
Chloé huffed. “Or I could go for option three,” she told him, pulling her cell phone from her pocket. “I’m sure I’ve got Bill Simmons’ number in here somewhere. He told me to call him anytime I needed anything.” She made a point of scrolling through her contacts while Tyler seethed.
“All right, you’ve got me,” he said, his jaw tight. “Come on; let’s see what the agent has to say.” He started walking toward the road with Chloé grinning as she followed.
“You really don’t like Bill, don’t you?” she chided, catching up with him on the snowy sidewalk.
“Careful.” Tyler grabbed her arm as she was about to step on a lump of ice.
“Thank you.” She noticed that he didn’t let go of her once they’d passed the danger. Although it felt secure having him hold her while they negotiated the treacherous terrain, she knew she couldn’t afford to enjoy it.
She had found that thinking of her horse Lightning was a good way to stay mad at Tyler. He had taken her poor animal away without allowing her to say goodbye. How cruel was that?
Taking a deep breath she ventured into the real estate agent’s office, while Tyler held the door open for her and followed her inside. It was warm in there, with some instrumental Christmas music playing quietly in the background. Bright foil garlands hung from the ceiling, and large bows had been added to the photos of properties for sale, with banners enticing customers to buy in time for the big day.
“Hello there. My name’s Amanda. Can I help you?” A lady in a woolen suit, which looked much warmer than Chloé’s, stepped forward as they approached the counter.
“I want to arrange a valuation of my property, Mile End Ranch,” Chloé explained.
Amanda frowned. “I can’t get anyone up there before Christmas, I’m afraid,” she told them, apologetically. “That mountain’s pretty dangerous in this weather; I don’t think either Mr. Grimley or Mr. Stokes would dare to venture up there. And besides, we’re closing early tomorrow for the holidays. They’d be happy to do it after Christmas, though, give the ice time to thaw.” She smiled at Tyler. “I admire you guys for making the journey down here on a day like this.”
Chloé felt a lurch in her stomach. It was frustrating that the woman automatically assumed that he had driven them – even though she was right. Actually, she probably thought they were a couple – after all, she was sure Mr. Hendrickson assumed that when he’d first seen them. The thought rankled.
“Is there another agent in town I could try? I need to get this sorted out as soon as possible so I can get home.” She held her head high, aware that Tyler was looking at her, but not daring to face him back. Atlanta certainly didn’t feel at all homey to her, but she couldn’t tell him that.
The woman shook her head. “Not in Rough Oaks, I’m afraid,” she said. “The nearest one to here would be over in Pinefields, but, to be honest, I’d be surprised if anyone from there would want to come all this way in these conditions.” She lowered her voice “Their valuer’s even older than ours, I’m sure he wouldn’t be confident to drive up there. I’m really sorry.”
Chloé huffed. That wasn’t what she’d hoped to hear at all. “Thank you anyway,” she told the lady and turned to leave.
“Do you want to make an appointment for some time after the festive season?” Amanda seemed eager to keep her business.
Chloé spun around. “I’ll call to arrange something when I know better how long I’ll be in Rough Oaks,” she said.
“You’re not planning to stay until after Christmas?” Tyler quizzed her as soon as they’d left the building.
She gaped. “I’m not sure I’ll be in Rough Oaks for Christmas,” she informed him.
Tyler’s face clouded with horror and she felt a lump form in her stomach. The thought of not being here at this time of year saddened her beyond belief. Even more so the thought of her aunt and uncle not being here. She thought she’d cried herself out already, but now it seemed like she’d never fully get over losing them.
He frowned. “When are you planning to go back? That mountain’s barely passable as it is, and there’s no saying what conditions are like in the rest of Marville County. You know how it gets around here.”
