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“Look,” he said finally, “I’m willing to give this a shot. You come out to the Perry Ranch. Stay there for the next couple of weeks. You follow me and the new foreman, Mike, around and learn what you can about ranching and how your camp would fit in with a working ranch.”
“Stay?”
Yeah, he told himself it wouldn’t be easy having her so close to hand day and night. But if he could get past that, then he’d never have to see her again and that would be best. He already needed her more than he was comfortable with. If he spent much more time with her, he’d only get drawn in deeper. So if she agreed, he’d put her up in his guest room, work her ass off, then send her back to the city and to the world she really belonged in.
In fact, he knew just the way to sweeten this pot enough that she wouldn’t be able to say no to the idea.
“No other way to find out if this is going to work or not.” He drew one knee up, and didn’t even notice that the blanket covering his groin slid off. Resting his forearm on his knee, he stared at her. “You can’t sit in Houston and decide to be a ranch hand. You say you’ve been thinking about this for years, but you don’t really know what it all entails. You have to find out what you’re getting into and so do we.
“If it works out, I’ll give you the land for your camp on my ranch.” Saying that cost him some, but Liam told himself she’d never make it. Soon enough she’d realize that this wasn’t what she really wanted. So he wouldn’t have to worry about having her permanently at his place. “You won’t have to deal with Sterling or do more convincing. So that’s the deal. You up for it or not?”
“You’d give me room for the camp on your land?” She sounded disbelieving, and he couldn’t really blame her.
“That’s what I said.” He pushed one hand through his hair. “Look, even if I recommend this idea to Sterling, he’ll still want to negotiate with you. You’re not ever going to have free rein on the Perry Ranch. But, if you prove yourself, you can have that on the Morrow ranch.”
He watched her, and could have sworn he heard the gears in her brain turning as thoughts raced through her mind one after another. She bit her bottom lip, and Liam focused on that action. On her mouth. He wanted her again, and told himself that having her on the ranch and not having her wasn’t going to be easy.
“My schedule’s clear for the next three weeks,” she mused. “The next event I’m handling isn’t until next month. Mr. and Mrs. Farrel’s fiftieth anniversary party.”
“Congratulations,” he said, shaking his head.
“And I can keep up with plans and arrangements by email.” She looked at him. “You do have internet, right?”
Wryly, he said, “No, but we’ve got homing pigeons you can use. Of course we’ve got Wi-Fi.”
“Right.” She took a breath, and he watched her breasts rise up beneath the blanket wrapped around her. “Okay, then yes. I’ll do it.”
“It’s not going to be easy,” he warned, giving her an opportunity to back out now.
“I’m not worried.”
She should be.
“Where will I stay?”
“At my cabin,” he said, and saw a fire in her eyes that matched his own.
Yeah, none of this was going to be easy.
Six
Once the storm was over and the floodwaters started receding, they left their temporary nest to explore what had been left behind.
The streets were still covered in muddy water, but no more than an inch or two when they walked outside for the first time since taking refuge in the TCC.
“It’s a damn mess,” Liam mused, looking up and down the street.
Chloe followed his gaze, and noticed that others were streaming from offices and apartment buildings to look around. A few of the trees planted by the city were broken or had branches missing from the gusting winds. Windows were shattered and several cars were now parked on the sidewalk, covered in water and mud.
“It’s going to take some time to clean all of this up.”
“It will,” he agreed. “But I can’t hang around for that. I’ve got the Perry Ranch and my own to check in on.”
