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But, why does she keep coming back?
I’d understand if maybe she wanted to take a week during summer to enjoy herself, let loose a bit, but why has she come here every three months like clockwork? That sinking feeling in my gut comes back and this time it’s not something I can ignore. If there’s anyone that understands what the ranch lacks during each season, it’s me, and there’s nothing special about it during the winter.
Unless Sydney sees something I don’t, there’s only one thing that would make coming here during the snowfall worth it, and that’s the lake when it freezes over. That didn’t happen while she was here, yet she stayed the entire week.
I want to believe that she stayed because of me, but what if it’s something else entirely? She said she worked at a firm, but didn’t get into any other details besides that, and now I’m wondering if she even told me the truth.
Chapter 22
Sydney
It’s been two months since Heath freaked out on me about not having any new information on Brent’s ranch and I haven’t heard anything about getting sent back. He should’ve come to me by now and let me know when I’ll be departing for the ranch next, but it’s making me increasingly nervous that he hasn’t yet. That’s how I find myself walking slowly down the long hallway that leads me to his office, which sits in the corner to the left of his father’s office.
His muffled voice filters through the walls and I take a deep breath before tapping my knuckle on it lightly. I’m not sure he’ll appreciate being bothered at this time, much less being bothered while in the middle of a call, so light and sweet is what we are going with this morning. The blinds are pulled down, shielding me from seeing him, but his shadow still moves along them and I straighten my spine as he walks toward the door.
I cower back slightly when I see the glare on his face, but he only shakes his head in irritation before pointing me to the empty chair in front of his desk. He makes his way around his desk, eyes focused on me even though he’s still in the middle of a conversation, and it reminds me of what it used to be like when we were together. There was never a time when he wouldn’t be on the phone, not even when we made plans for a nice dinner, and it only goes to show me the difference between him and Brent.
I’ve been wondering how it was so easy to get as close as I did to Brent, but seeing the way Heath has been toward me since I got back has shown me the truth. Sure, Brent might be a little grumpy depending on the day, but he’s still got a big heart that Heath will never have. I take a moment to glance around the office while he talks to whoever’s on the other end, my gaze zeroing in on the frames sitting along the window sill.
That should’ve been another clue that we were doomed from the start. There are photos of him with friends from college, even a few that include his dad, but he never once added me to the mix. As if he was ashamed to let people know I was the one under his arm. As much as the moment had hurt me, I guess it’s a blessing that he cheated on me when he did — who knows how long I would’ve let our relationship continue if he didn’t ruin it first.
Heath clears his throat, forcing my attention back on him, and he narrows his eyes. “What could be so important that you thought you’d show up unannounced?”
I manage to keep my face straight, even though I’m itching to roll my eyes at him. He’s not even the most important man in the building, yet he acts as if he is — it’s ridiculous. “I was wondering why I haven’t heard anything about leaving for the week next month.”
He chuckles. “Oh, you thought you were still working on that?”
That makes my heart drop to my stomach, but I school my features before he can begin to question them. “Are you saying I’m no longer going there?”
“I thought it would be best if we sent someone else out there, to finish what you started since you can’t seem to do that for us.”
My hand twitches on my lap and I thread my fingers together, holding them tightly so as not to showcase my growing anxiety. I had worried that I’d be fired altogether, but instead, I’m not allowed to go back there at all. What the hell do I do? I give him a small smile and take a deep breath. “Is it possible to give me one more chance? I really think we could get somewhere with one more trip, especially since I’ve gotten close to the owner’s son.”
Heath’s jaw clenches, his face turning red, and he scoffs. “Why doesn’t that statement surprise me?” Before I can make some backhanded comment about his jab, he leans on his desk with a grin that doesn’t sit right with me. “Fine, I’ll give you one more shot, but that’s it. If you come back empty-handed, someone else will be taking over and I’ll make sure they get the work done.”
I nod frantically, letting the breath I was holding slowly fall out. “Thank you, Heath, you won’t regret it.”
When I don’t move from the chair, he arches a brow at me in question. “Is there something else you need?”
“No.”
“Then you can leave. Make sure to shut the door behind you and remind my assistant not to send anyone back without an appointment.” Judging by the stern frown on his face, I’m going to take a guess that his assistant is about to be in serious trouble — oops.
“Thank you again, Heath. I’m devoted to this project and appreciate the chance to see it through all the way.” It’s nothing but a lie coming out of my mouth, I’d love nothing more than to watch whatever he’s trying to do crash and burn, but that’s not something he needs to know or else I’ll never step foot on the ranch again.
As I’m pushing the office door open, I swear I hear him mutter something about not thanking him yet, but I choose to ignore it since I got what I wanted anyway. I catch the glare his assistant is giving me as I rush past her desk and avert my gaze from hers, knowing that she probably figured out the emergency I called about was a fluke once she reached her destination.
It doesn’t take long for Heath to call her name with annoyance and she jerks from her spot at the desk, pulling her tight skirt down along the way. I roll my eyes when I notice Heath’s gaze traveling down her legs — something tells me this won’t be the kind of ass-chewing I had in mind — and judging by the smirk she gives me over her shoulder, she knows it too.
Does she think I give a shit what she does with him? I chuckle to myself because she probably thinks she’s the only one he’s doing it with, but she’ll find out the hard way. It’s crazy to think I was her at one point, feeling like it was the most amazing thing that I grabbed his attention, only to realize how many other women caught it as well.
Silly me.
* * *
It’s late when I finally step onto the perfectly paved sidewalk outside, the bright squares a stark contrast to the darker ones only a few feet away — everything at this place has me in pristine condition, it’s disgusting. What did I ever see in working somewhere like this again?
I shake my head and head down the sidewalk, choosing to walk instead of catching a cab since it’s a nice night out right now. It’s not often that I’ll walk around at night, especially during the colder months, but something about the chill it brings takes me back to the ranch and I can’t seem to bring myself to chase the cold away. This also isn’t the first night I’ve decided to walk home.
