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She tilted her head in his direction, a persuasively hopeful gleam in her dark eyes. “Would it be terribly much to ask if I might have a tour of it? Since the idea to remodel it was mine to begin with, it feels like the project is my baby. I can’t help wanting to know how it’s coming along.”
Ty weighed her request, trying to guess at her ulterior motive for it. But he couldn’t come up with any obvious one, other than a desire to wiggle back into his good graces. And that wasn’t likely to happen.
“I have enough time to give you a quick tour of it,” he consented.
“Great.” Tara set off toward it, clearly anticipating him to fall in step with her. “It’s hard not to be a part of this, involved on a daily basis planning all the details for the auction, especially after living with it constantly for over a year. I can’t help feeling shut out.”
“I would have thought you would be too busy with your own project these days to give much thought to the auction,” Ty said in a dry but pointed reference to the construction in progress at Wolf Meadow.
Her smile was quick and warm. “Not so busy that I don’t have time to think about this.” Then her smile took on a rueful quality. “I know you don’t believe me, but I really do miss working with you on this.”
Ty wasn’t about to let the conversation become personal. “How is the house coming along?”
“Quickly.” If she was irritated by his change of subject, Tara didn’t let it show. “I have crews working on it night and day. If you have time one of these days, why don’t you come over and I’ll show you around. And I promise—I won’t object in the slightest if you cross my land to get to the site,” she teased.
His sole acknowledgment of the latter remark was a slight smile. “It’s a bit busy around here right now. But I’ll see what I can arrange in the next few days.”
“I hope you can come. I would like to show you the plans. It truly suits its environs, all rustic and open, very earthy and warm. I’m excited about it, as if you hadn’t guessed that already.” Tara was at her vivacious and vibrant best, aglow with enthusiasm for the subject. “Do you realize that this will be the first home that I designed, built, and decorated myself? Everything will be just the way I want it, not someone else. It’s a good feeling to put your stamp on something. I know at my home in Fort Worth, I can see Daddy’s mark in every room. Which is probably why I am reluctant to change anything there. Sometimes the past shouldn
’t be abolished.”
“Perhaps not.” Ty stepped ahead of her to open the barn’s Dutch door.
Light bathed much of the barn’s cavernous interior, most of it coming from indirect sources mounted among the rafters of massive rough-hewn timbers. Tara stepped inside onto the alleyway’s new floor, made from salvaged street brick laid in a herringbone pattern. One of the workers had cranked up the volume on the radio, filling the silence with a honky-tonk song.
Tara gazed about her with a mixture of pride and satisfaction. “This is clearly the exception, Ty. On occasions, you can take the past and improve on it. The lighting is the only obvious modern item in the whole place. It’s stunning. You must be pleased with it.”
“I am.”
In a far corner of the barn, a telephone rang, its bell amplified to be heard outside. After a second, ear-harsh ring, someone turned down the radio.
“It was impressive the last time I saw it,” Tara recalled. “But you have added so many finishing touches since then that it somehow increases the impact. This is a look others will try to duplicate. Wait and see.”
Ballard stepped from behind one of the partitions at the far end of the alleyway. “Stumpy’s on the phone, Ty. He wants to talk to you.”
“Sorry. It’s important,” Ty said in a brief aside to Tara and moved away, too quickly to catch the flicker of annoyance in her expression. Ballard saw it, though. “While I’m on the phone, show Tara the holding pens, Ballard.”
Ballard acknowledged the order with a nod and ambled in her direction, unaffected by the pleasant smile she beamed his way.
“Ty pawned me off on you, didn’t he?” Tara guessed. “It really isn’t necessary. I don’t mind waiting until he’s through, and I’m sure you have work to do.”
“He said to show you the holding pens, and that’s what I aim to do,” Ballard replied, deflecting her suggestion with an easy smile that didn’t quite match the amused glint in his eyes. “He seems to think you want to see them.”
“But I do.” The assurance came quickly, reinforced by a turn in their direction.
“Really? I could’ve sworn your purpose here was to do some fence mending,” he drawled.
“Isn’t that simple range courtesy?” Tara countered. “When there’s a break in the fence, you try to repair it.”
“At least you’re not denyin’ that you set out to get back in Ty’s good graces again.”
“I have the impression you don’t approve. To tell you the truth, I’m not surprised. I am certain nearly everyone on the Triple C regards me as an enemy since I bought Wolf Meadow property. But it was never my intent to keep the property,” Tara replied, most persuasively.
“I believe you,” Ballard stated, taking her by surprise. “In fact, I think you bought it strictly for insurance.”
“I don’t know what you mean.” She frowned in bewilderment even as her gaze sharpened on him.
“You’re out to get Ty back—one way or the other. That’s why you’re danglin’ Wolf Meadow in front of him. I wonder how long it will take him to realize that the only way he’ll ever get his hands on it is if he takes you as part of the package. That’s your plan, isn’t it?” Ballard challenged lightly. “To make him choose between you and Jessy.”
