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I had no intention of staying anywhere within ten feet of the insufferable prick and possibly heeding the increasing impulse of putting my fist into his face. I needed this account, not necessarily to put another thorn in West’s side—although that would be a massive perk—but to set up a long-standing account that would keep us in the green for decades to come.
When I decided to fix my plate and sit to eat—no barbaric standing and eating around here—I tasted beef with flavor that five-star restaurants didn’t have. I had to get the recipe, or Ella might not talk to me for months.
I was halfway through my apple pie when Alma came and tapped me on the shoulder. “Pardon me, but Mister Portman wants to speak with you.”
My chest swooped as I closed my utensils, stood, and nodded to the rest, studiously ignoring Brandon’s hateful glare. When I reentered Hunter’s office, I prepared myself for anything that would come, and when he stood and gave me a grin, my blood rushed to my head.
“You chose me?”
“I chose you.” He replied. “Out of all the proposals given here, yours had the information I needed, down to the last chromosome. You came with facts, figures, results, and almost accurate growth projections, so I am choosing you. I don’t need the dog and pony show, I need things to back words up, and yours had it.”
“Thank you,” I replied, my mind darting to Rayna and her suggestion.
Hunter tilted his head. “Is there something else…”
“No,” I shook my head. “I remembered a special lady who told me to come armed with facts, not stories. She was right on the money.”
“Ah,” Hunter went to a bar and poured scotch into two glasses. “Women do seem to have insight we boars don’t. Well, you can tell your special lady she made you a rich, well,richerman.”
“I surely will,” I said, “But before I go, can you persuade your housekeeper to give me the recipe for her beef? My cook would guard it with her life.”
A soft laugh came from the doorway, and I turned to see a petite blonde woman there. “Well, I’m glad you like my recipe.”
Hunter crossed the room and kissed her cheek. “Maxwell, meet Ava,mylady.”
“Ma’am.” I nodded.
She waved me off. “I’m too young to be a ma’am, but I’ll have the recipe for you before you leave. But I need to speak with Hunter for a moment.” She looked regretful to tear Hunter away, but I didn’t mind.
Portman turned to me. “We’ll get in touch, Maxwell. I give you my word.”
“Thank you.” I took my glass with me, leaving the room and feeling my chest expand two sizes. Today had been a shocker, but it had worked out, thanks to Rayna. God, I had to give her something for it, and while it felt transactional to get her something bright and shiny, it only felt right.
When I got back to the dining room—surprise, surprise; West was gone. He had probably guessed Portman had gone with my pitch and had left in a huff knowing he had been looked over—again. Oddly though, it felt like a hollow victory.
As Hunter’s lady promised, I left the ranch with a folded piece of paper I would be handing to Ella when I got home.
* * *
When I entered my home, Harper and Sam were curled up in the rarely used living room with popcorn buckets and watching an animated movie. I stopped to kiss them on their foreheads. “Hi, girls. How have my angels been?”
“Fine, Daddy.” Sam looked up. “Do you think we can go fishing tomorrow?”
Tomorrow was Friday, and with nothing foreseen, I didn’t see why not. “Sure, munchkin. Harper, do you want to come with us?”
“Sure, but I don’t want to touch the eeky worms,” she shuddered. “They’re gross.”
“Don’t worry.” I ruffled her hair. “Sam and I’ll touch ‘em for you.”
After diverting to the kitchen to hand over my precious possession, I went to my room, craving a long, warm shower. While I stripped down, though, a thought lingering at the back of my head surged to the forefront—Brandon West. If he had been behind the shed suddenly collapsing, would he take me besting him at the Twisted Twine’s ranch contract as more motive to screw with me? If so, what would he do next?
If, John, that is a big if. No one knows for sure if it was him or not.
After the last two days in Austin, hammering out details with Hunter and his lawyers drafting up the contracts and terms, I had not even spared Brandon a thought. But now that I was merely a few miles, forestry, and canyon hill from his ranch, the thought was brimming in front of my mind.
As the hot water untied the knots in my shoulders, my thoughts turned to Rayna. Stepping out, I rubbed my hair towel-dry, gazed at myself in the mirror, and wondered if I should shave off the five o’clock shadow that had come four hours early. My hair was getting a touch longer than I usually kept. It was brushing my collar and heavy on the back of my neck. I’d run to the barber tomorrow or so. Right then, I had some celebratory fishing to do.
* * *
