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He snorted. “That doesn’t make it your home, sweetheart. This place is nothing like it was when you were growing up here, I’ll bet.”
Chloé looked around at the peeling paint and worn curtains. “No, it wasn’t like this then,” she agreed, a little sadly.
“Nothing ever stays the same,” Bill said, holding her a little tighter. “I think you’ve done the right thing. Getting a good job with career prospects is the best way to make money. Look at little Maisie Turner – she’ll never amount to anything.”
“But she’s happy,” Chloé pointed out, a little annoyed that he was decrying her friend.
Bill snorted. “Is she? With no money, a dead-end job in the local super mart and that father of hers to look after? She’s got hardly any social life – not only because he doesn’t want her out of his sight for a minute longer than is necessary, but all her friends managed to pass their exams and get decent jobs away from this dump. The only people she talks to nowadays are the old biddies who go into that awful shop. Even the ranchers use the large store outside of town. Rough Oaks is no place for a young girl.” He shook his head.
Chloé felt a pang of sadness. She liked being home, but she knew most of her college friends had already left the area. There were a few left here, though, and she intended to catch up with them while she was home.
“Looks like the snow’s getting heavier,” he said, nodding toward the window.
He was right. A thick blanket had long-since buried the ground and the windowsill was half-covered.
“I’d best get out there and see if they need a hand with the horses,” Chloé said, gently pushing him away from her and standing up.
“Yeah, I guess I’d best get back, too. There’s always so much to do on a ranch – even when you’re the owner, eh?” He chuckled and she managed a weak smile.
Chloé led the way to the front door and gasped as the bitter cold wind barged past her the second she opened it.
“You think on what I said, sweetheart. The offer’s on the table for another couple of days while you mull it over. I’ll bet you can’t wait to get back to that cozy little place of yours over in Atlanta, can you? I don’t blame you one bit.”
He leaned over and kissed her chastely on the lips as he passed her in the doorway. Chloé felt her breath hitch. She hadn’t been expecting it and she felt a little shocked. She shook her head, convincing herself that it didn’t actually mean anything – he was just a slightly older guy being friendly toward his neighbor. He chuckled as he strode steadily down the steps toward his truck.
Chloé looked over and saw Tyler staring at them from his position by the fence. He looked shocked and angry. Chloé felt a pang in her chest, which was quickly replaced by obstinacy. Tyler had hurt her badly. It was no business of his if someone else kissed her. Jutting out her chin, she waved her hand and smiled to Bill as he climbed into his car and roared off down the drive.
Pretending not to notice Tyler, she turned and went back into the house. When she saw herself in the mirror she was horrified at the tearstains which ran down her face. She quickly splashed cold water onto her cheeks and eyes, ridding herself of the blotchy remains of make-up.
She pulled on some jeans and a couple of sweaters as well as her boots and thick coat before venturing back outside again. Her ankle didn’t feel so bad now and she had almost lost her limp, thank goodness. It felt like a form of weakness she could well do without right now.
Oddly enough, she was looking forward to seeing Tyler’s reaction toward her. If she hadn’t known better she would have thought he actually looked a little jealous at her being kissed by someone else. Serves him right.
She caught up with him at the stables, where he was settling a rather skittish young mare. He didn’t see her at first. He was cooing gently as he patted the beast’s flank comfortingly. Obviously satisfied that she was all right, he locked the door to her stall and turned around.
“Need any help?” She couldn’t help noticing how gorgeous he looked as he peered over at her.
He looked toward the front door of the house and then back to her, silently informing her that he had seen her with Bill. “Sure you’re not too busy?”
She raised her eyebrows, trying not to notice the hurt expression in his eyes. “I thought you might need an extra pair of hands getting all the horses settled before the snow got any thicker, that’s all.” She tried to sound nonchalant.
He nodded. “Thunder needs more hay and feed.” He gestured to her horse’s stall just as a guy whom she assumed must be Adam arrived with another horse.
“That’s the last of them, boss.” The young lad tipped his hat to Chloé and she smiled at him. She didn’t remember seeing him before, but then, it had been a year since she was last here. Saying nothing, she proceeded over to see to Thunder.
The two men were talking quietly as they settled the other horse in its stall. She went to the back passageway which led behind all of the stalls and took some feed from one of the large sacks in the small room there.
There was the sound of footsteps and she could hear Adam saying goodbye to Tyler, who had evidently let him go early because of the weather. Afraid that Tyler would catch up with her in the store-room, she quickly grabbed a partially-full sack and hurried toward the doorway. Too late. Tyler stood by the door-jam, towering over her. She gasped and dropped the sack.
He raised an eyebrow and stared at her. When she finally managed to stop gawping at the handsome hunk, Chloé bent down and started to scoop some of the spilled feed back into the sack. In an instant he was crouching next to her, his large, gloved hands replacing the food quicker than she ever could. As she went to scrape some stray oats from the stone floor his hand came over hers and she gulped. She could feel his heat permeate both hers and his gloves, and warmed her trembling skin.
“I-I can manage,” she told him, in more of whisper than the determined remark she had hoped to make.
He chuckled. It came from somewhere deep within his throat. “Oh, I’m sure you can,” he replied.
Angrily she whipped her hand from under his and stood up with the sack. She stormed past him and went to replenish Thunder’s feed. The horse had plenty of fresh hay so she gave him a good pat, straightened his blanket and locked the stall.
Marching toward the house she could hear soft thuds in the snow behind her and knew Tyler was following her. She hurried as much as she could, determined not to make a fool of herself by falling in the snow again. He caught up with her as she reached her front door.
