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“Jake?”
“I—I’m not sure what my plans are right now.”
“Well, keep in touch, okay? And, Jake … even though we both know you’re a jerk, of all my brothers, I love you the most.”
He knew she’d meant to make him laugh, and he obliged.
“You know, kid, we figured out that routine years ago. It’s what you tell each of us.”
“Yes.” She laughed, too. “But at the moment I say it, I mean it.” She hesitated. “Come visit me in California, okay?”
“My sister, the chef to the stars.”
Lissa blew a raspberry into the phone.
“Your sister, the dork who gets to clean up the mess made by the chef to the stars.”
They both laughed, she made kissy sounds, Jake said he loved her and put his phone in his pocket.
He hadn’t asked Lissa what was going to happen to El Sueño.
If he didn’t run it, who would? Ranching was never simple but running The Dream was the equivalent of running a privately held, exceedingly successful corporation.
Horses. Crops. Mineral rights. Oil. And a seemingly endless list of businesses in which the ranch was invested.
The Dream had always been well-managed but there’d been a time Jake had been filled with ideas on how to do even bigger and better things with it.
Taking over as CEO would be his chance.
It would also be a reason to stay on in Wilde’s Crossing, take the time to see where this thing, whatever it was, with Addison was going.
Which was nuts.
It wasn’t going anywhere.
How could it?
There was no place in his life for her. Even he knew his head was totally screwed up.
Yeah, but maybe it wasn’t quite as screwed up anymore.
After all, here he was, thinking about staying. No guarantees, but—
But what?
What would he say to her?
Jake got to his feet.
Stay here. Don’t go back to New York. I don’t know what I’m offering you, I don’t know what tomorrow will bring, I only know I don’t want you to leave me….
Right.
That certainly summed it up.
He didn’t know this, he didn’t know that. The truth was, he didn’t know anything. He didn’t even know himself anymore, and neither did she.
Nobody did.
