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Max's truck pulled up a few minutes later. He stepped out, and my breath caught in my throat. Max in his rugged jeans and crisply pressed shirt that accentuated his broad shoulders looked every bit the dashing cowboy.
My eyes traced his high cheekbones and strong jaws. Those green eyes that reminded me of fresh spring leaves were as intense as ever. When he moved closer, my heart beat faster.
“Ready for the festival?” he asked.
His rich resonant voice made my stomach flutter.
“Yes, let’s go.”
We got into the truck and drove off.
Marfa Lights Festival had a vibrant atmosphere. Strings of lights crisscrossed above. A local band strummed their guitar nearby while I salivated from the aroma of various delicious cuisines.
Max was the perfect gentleman, making me laugh with his jokes. Soon, I let myself get lost in the enjoyment. We walked hand in hand down the street, enjoying different parts of the festival.
After a while, Max excused himself to get us some food. Left alone, I wandered near a group of festival-goers.
I heard a familiar voice and turned. It was Beth, and she was talking to Luna. Curious, I moved closer, hidden by the crowd.
“Are you sure?” Beth asked. “Max seems to like Anna like old times.”
Luna shook her head vigorously.
“I am very sure. He’s still interested in taking the ranch from Anna. He is still discussing with Richard.”
She spat the last word out.
I shivered, stepping back slightly. Max’s alleged plan of taking my ranch had resurfaced.
The lively music and the chatter around me suddenly felt distant. I walked away from the hearing range of Beth and Luna, determined to enjoy the festival and not believe rumors.
I turned the corner, only for my worst fears to be confirmed. Max was talking to Richard Kane.
Kane was older than the last time I saw him, and his posture was more relaxed. Yet, there was an unmistakable air of arrogance around him that I couldn’t miss. His trademark features were still there. Smooth and glossy hair. Light, icy blue eyes that I hated to look at. Black, classy shoes that had been polished with an obsession.
Max and Richard’s conversation wasn’t a friendly banter. It was a tense argument.
Max, usually so self-assured, was on edge. He stood rigidly with a forced smile, his face a mask of concealed frustration. Richard had a smug triumphant expression on his face. He seemed to have the upper hand in their discussion.
The dynamic between them made me wonder if Luna and Beth had been wrong. Max might not be conspiring with Richard. Perhaps he was confronting him. He could have discovered Richard’s intentions for the ranch and was trying to intervene.
Well, I needed to find out. If Max was trying to protect the ranch from Richard, I owed it to him and myself to hear him out.
But if Luna’s suspicions were true, I needed to know that too, no matter how painful it might turn out.
I wove through the crowd until I got to the two men.
“Max, Richard Kane,” I greeted.
Max’s face filled with horror.
Richard’s lips slowly spread into a combination of a sneer and a smirk.
14
Max
IstaredatAnna,a ball of horror ballooning within me.
