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“I’m sorry for your loss. He was a good man.”
She nodded, her gaze shifting to the horizon.
“Heard you’d probably inherit the old man’s ranch,” I said nonchalantly, my hands busy under the car’s hood.
Her eyes, sharp and calculating, met mine.
“So?”
She sounded defensive and as prickly as the nearby cacti.
“Just wondering what a city girl like you plans to do with a vast stretch of good ole Texas land?”
“That’s my business.”
“Well, around here, everything in this town is everyone’s business.”
She huffed. “Not this.”
I chuckled, tightening some loose bolts I found in the engine. The car should start once I put in the good battery.
“You can’t run a ranch from Chicago.”
“I don't have to.”
I paused, leaned back on the car. What did she mean?
Better to have all my cards out in the open. I wouldn’t tell her I wanted to buy the ranch, but I’d make it seem like it was the best option.
“The way I see it, you've got three options. Number one, sell the land,” I said, using my fingers to count.
She frowned and I swiftly backtracked.
“Number two, hire someone to manage the ranch. And number three, manage it by yourself. The second and the third require extensive knowledge of ranching. And you need to stay in Marfa to successfully manage the ranch. You don’t meet the requirements for the second or third.”
When her gaze remained unflinching, I paused.
“Did you learn about ranching somewhere I didn’t know of? Or do you have the sudden urge to now live in Marfa?”
Her eyebrows raised in challenge.
“Maybe.”
My heart began to beat faster. If she wished to stay in Marfa, I’d have another chance with her. We could rekindle our romance like old times.
“How, when, and where did you learn? When did you decide to stay in Marfa?” I asked.
Her lips slowly stretched into a smile. Her eyes remained cold as ice.
“You’re full of questions today, aren’t you? Why are you asking all these questions, Max?”
I stiffened. I couldn’t tell her the truth, that I wanted to buy Harrington Ranch.
But Grandpa William had said, “This ranch has been in my family for generations, and it’s not going anywhere.”
If her grandfather had refused to sell, Anna would follow in his footsteps. Being plain with her wouldn’t help my course. I shrugged to hide my real intention.
“Curiosity.”
