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“Never thought I’d see the day, Fletcher.”
Despite his polished exterior, there was something about Richard that set my teeth on edge. I sat down opposite him, equally eyeing him. He wasn’t a man to be taken lightly, nor was he to be trusted fully.
That was why we were meeting in the café in the open instead of at my place. The café was one of the unpretentious joints in town with wooden floors and photographs of Marfa’s yesteryears. Once I ordered coffee and it was served, I didn’t beat around the bush.
“I reckon we could do some business, Richard.”
His eyes narrowed, cold and calculating.
“Go on.”
I told him about Anna and Grandpa William’s will and how I wanted to partner with him to buy the ranch.
“Once Anna’s year is up, or perhaps even before, I want you to offer to buy the Harrington land.”
He leaned back, crossing his arms.
“And how do you propose we split this newfound kingdom of ours?”
“Simple. Cut it down in the middle. The part near my ranch goes to me. You get the rest.”
Richard scoffed. He swirled the coffee in his mug.
“Old Man Harrington wouldn’t part with that land despite it falling apart and despite not having a penny in savings. What makes you think the girl would be any different?”
“How did you get your hands on that tidbit about their finances?” I asked, astounded by what he knew about Anna’s grandfather.
He grinned like a fox.
“A man’s got his ways.”
“Anna ain’t her grandpa,” I retorted. “We’ll need to strategize. Let’s find a way to make her see the benefits of selling.”
He fixed me with a sharp gaze.
“She’ll hold on to that land unless she is forced to let go. And the only way is if she’s drowning in debt.”
A heavy silence settled between us. The corner of my lips twitched into a reluctant smile. It was a game of high stakes. Harrington Ranch was the coveted prize. And Anna – beautiful, steadfast Anna – was unknowingly sitting at the center of it all.
“You can help her get into debt,” he offered.
My jaw tightened. An acrid taste of bitterness crawled down my throat, and I forced my voice to remain low and controlled.
“Help her get into debt?”
The words felt foreign and filthy as they rolled off my tongue. I struggled to reconcile with the notion of willingly inflicting financial ruin on Anna.
The thought of deliberately sabotaging the Harrington Ranch went against everything I believed in. I had my motives for wanting the ranch, but I’d never considered resorting to such underhanded tactics.
“Look, Max. It’s not as bad as it sounds.”
His voice was silky. Its persuasive lilt made my ears itch. Clenching my fists under the table, I stared at the man across from me with disdain.
“Not as bad? You’re talking about sinking the Harrington Ranch into debt. You want to trick Anna into a corner.”
He grinned.
“You’ve suddenly become quite the idealist, Max. But let me remind you, since you’ve forgotten. Didn’t you try the same with the old man? If I recall clearly, you tried to put the same ranch in debt so Harrington would sell to you. I’m only asking you to complete what you started.”
