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He lifted his head long enough to whisper, “I never knew a kiss could be this good.”
“Me either.”
Her body reacted to his with a will of its own. Wrapped in his arms, she wasn’t a businesswoman trying to save her family’s company or the woman trying to save the home of her very own cowboy. In this moment, she was merely a woman with an overwhelming desire to follow his kiss wherever it led her…but she couldn’t.
What she had to say to him would prevent them from taking this relationship any further. And it wasn’t fair to let him go on thinking they were building something special. Dread pinched her heart in its steely grip.
She forced herself out of his arms. “We need to talk.”
Confusion clouded his eyes. “You mean about what you said at the town hall meeting?”
“Yes. And you aren’t going to like it.”
“Wait,” he said, taking her hands in his. “I want to tell you something first.”
She doubted anything he had to say would make her feel any better, unless he’d decided that building the resort was a good idea—surely she couldn’t be that lucky.
His steady gaze held hers. “Whatever you have to say, we’ll deal with it together. Because I love you.”
Those three little words had the power to knock the air from her lungs. Surely she hadn’t heard him correctly. Not now. Not today.
Happiness reflected in his eyes, and the lines of stress eased from his face. In that instance, she acknowledged that all of her stalling and trying to find a backup plan for the resort was due to the fact that she loved him, too. Her heart clenched, and she knew she’d never get a chance to say those words to him. She had to stop this madness. She had to do it now.
She stepped back. His admission drove home just how much she stood to lose this day. How in the world was she supposed to break the news to him now?
“I can’t do this.”
“Do what?” His brows gathered.
Ignoring the chain saw of guilt sawing through her heart, she blinked back the threatening tears. “I came here to tell you that…that if you don’t agree to the terms of the sale, your bank will be notified that HSG’s intent to purchase the land has been withdrawn. They’ll put your entire property in immediate foreclosure.”
His eyes darkened as his mouth settled into a firm line.
“After which the ghost town, this house…all of the ranch and your land will go up for auction. There will be no more extensions. No more chances to save your beautiful home. And no guarantee who will buy the Brazen H or what they will do with the place. Because by that point, it’ll be too late for HSG to make the purchase. Our investors have lost their patience.”
“No matter what I do, your company’s determined to get their hands on my land.” His voice was cold and cutting.
“I have tried to explain your situation to my father, but he’s the final decision maker and: To him, business is business. And besides, this isn’t just about my company getting what it wants. It’s also about you getting to keep your home.”
“You mean, your father doesn’t have time for those things. You’re here to do his bidding.”
“That’s not true. I’m here to do my job. I have to finish what I started. Believe it or not, I care about you, and this land deal is what’s best for you.”
“I don’t agree.” He crossed his arms and glared at her.
She withdrew the papers from her oversized purse. “Just sign them. It’s for the best.”
He waved them away. “I don’t want them.”
She paused and glanced down at the papers. Now wasn’t the best time to broach this subject, but if it was part of the reason he was avoiding signing the papers, then it needed to be addressed. “Is it that you don’t want the papers? Or is it that you have a problem reading, and that’s why you’re avoiding going over the offer?”
“What?” He glanced at the ground and shifted his weight from foot to foot. “I don’t know what you’re taking about.”
Oh, yes, he did know what she was talking about. “I could go over them with you—”
“I told you I don’t have a problem. I get by just fine.”
She unfolded the papers and moved next to him. “Would you like me to read the whole thing to you? Or you could just let me know which words you need help with—”
