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“Are you sure? I just frosted those cinnamon rolls. They’re poppin’ fresh.”
Alexis’s mouth watered. She really shouldn’t. It would cost her a ton of calories for the day. But they looked so good. And it’d been ages since she’d indulged in a cinnamon roll. Oh, what the heck? “Okay, I’ll take one.”
“A girl after my own tastes.” Piper smiled. “I think this is the beginning of a wonderful friendship.”
“I’d like that.” Alexis smiled back. “By the way, your engagement ring is beautiful.”
“Thanks. The big day isn’t until next year.” Piper chatted a bit more about her wedding plans to a councilman’s son.
It was nice to have a friend in this new town. She wasn’t sure how long she’d be here, but after what she’d overheard the day before, Cord Lawson was going to take some serious persuading to get him to sell his ghost town.
When more people strolled through the door, Alexis paid her bill and moved to a table near the window. Piper hadn’t been exaggerating. The cinnamon roll was still warm and soft. It practically melted in Alexis’s mouth. A moan swelled in the back of her throat. This treat was definitely worth cheating on her diet.
While she enjoyed her treat, she gave some more thought to the train depot. She did know a top executive with the railroad. They’d worked well together on another HSG project. He had said if she ever needed anything to give him a call. Something told her that helping to revitalize a small town hadn’t been what he’d meant, but it wouldn’t hurt to run her idea past him.
After savoring the last bite of the roll, Alexis got to her feet. It was time to get to work. She’d grab a shower and then head to the Brazen H, the home of the handsome but stubborn cowboy who stood between her and building the resort. But what he didn’t know yet was that he’d met his match. She wasn’t about to jet back to New York until they hammered out a deal.
???
Cord slammed the phone down on the desk in his study. He jumped to his feet, sending the leather chair careening back into the credenza that rested beneath the window. Unable to stand still, he started to pace.
He’d wasted more than an hour getting the royal runaround from the Internet bank holding his mortgage. Normally, he would have done business with Whistle Stop’s Save-A-Penny Bank, where he could do business one-on-one, but his ex-wife had made sure to turn the bank president against him.
Cord’s foreman, Manny, had been playing pool at Cactus Mike’s Saloon when he’d witnessed Susan, half-drunk and rambling, telling the banker that Cord wouldn’t let her leave the ranch and that she’d had to sneak around to make it into town. Nothing could have been further from the truth.
Cord drew his thoughts up short. There was no point in dwelling on the past. It wouldn’t change a thing. What was done was done. He just had to deal with the cards he’d drawn.
He stormed out of the room, grabbed his hat from the round table in the entryway, and headed for the front door. It’d been five years since his ex-wife had strode out of the same doorway, and yet he was still working to piece his life back together. By letting his heart overrule his mind, he’d put the only way of life he’d ever known at risk.
Maybe if he hadn’t been in such a rush—maybe if he had concentrated harder on reading the fine print on the mortgage—maybe then he wouldn’t be in this mess. Or maybe he’d created this fiasco by marrying a girl with big dreams. He’d hoped the Brazen H would be enough for Susan, but he’d been so wrong. And when she’d found out that he wouldn’t sell the ranch and move, she’d gone ballistic. If only he’d listened to his gut and not been rushed to the altar out of sympathy for Susan living in poverty. He’d wanted only to help her. Somehow, his good intentions had gotten all turned around. And now he might pay for it with his ranch.
Why did hindsight have to be so damned enlightening?
He jerked the front door closed with a loud thwack, followed by the bang-bang of the screen door. He’d started down the stairs when the crunch of gravel drew his attention. An unfamiliar tan SUV blazed up the lane, sweeping up a cloud of dust behind it. They certainly were in a mighty hurry.
Cord paused on the bottom step and waited until the vehicle skidded to a stop, throwing up a spray of dirt. He did a double take when he caught the sheen of honey-blond hair. The chocolate fiend. What was she doing here?
The woman smiled as she stepped out into the sunshine. He found himself smiling back. It was as though she’d sensed his thoughts—his loneliness—and shown up. In that instance, he realized he was being ridiculous. First of all, she was a stranger. And secondly, there was no such thing as intuition, or whatever you wanted to call it.
Could she be the interested buyer? His muscles bunched up. He recalled Mr. Forbes saying the person was female. If so, he’d have to start thinking a lot more clearly. No sexy smile or sweet talk was going to sway him—not ever again. Susan had taught him that lesson—the hard way.
Ms. Business Suit lifted her sunglasses and rested them on top of her golden hair. Good. He wanted to be able to look in her blue eyes when he talked with her. They were so expressive—so captivating.
“I didn’t expect to see you this morning. If you’re here for more chocolate…”
“No.” Amusement reflected in her eyes. “You must think I’m some sort of crazed chocoholic.”
“That wasn’t exactly the description I had in mind.” When she responded with warm laughter, the melodious tone eased the tension in his body. Drawn in by her good mood and not wanting it to end, he asked, “Are you sure you didn’t stop by for directions to the next candy store?”
Her laughter faded into a friendly smile. “No need. A generous cowboy sacrificed his chocolate bar to satisfy my craving.”
“Nice guy.”
“Definitely.”
Cord approached her, checking out the tailored business suit that hinted at her curves. Wait a sec. Is that the same outfit she wore yesterday? Sure looks like it. He expected a woman like her, with her perfectly styled hair and her long, polished nails, to be finicky about wearing an outfit two days in a row. Still, he found himself contemplating the curves lurking somewhere beneath the folds of her clothes.
“I’m surprised to see you’re still in the area. From the looks of it, I’d say your luggage has yet to catch up with you.”
