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I reminded myself to be pragmatic, to stay rooted in the purpose that brought me here. My role was clear—to aid Christian in revitalizing a cherished place. But, the heart, stubborn and unpredictable, yearned to unravel its own narrative.
As we began unloading the sticks, I urged myself to be aware, to tread lightly around the sentiments that threatened to take root. The flicker of sadness in Christian's eyes lingered in my mind, a poignant reminder of the emotional stakes involved. I silently repeated the refrain that echoed through my thoughts—I'm here to help him, not to fall in love.
The sun began to set, painting an orange glow over the ranch house. I settled into the porch chair, enjoying the peace and quiet with Christian and Brett by my side.
"I'm so glad we could remove all the brush today," I said, taking a bite of my sandwich.
"Me too. It looks awesome," Christian replied, his eyes glued to his phone.
"Yeah, it's looking better and better," Brett added.
My phone rang. It was Marley, my college roommate. I answered the call.
"Hello?" I greeted her.
"Casey! It's Marley!" she exclaimed.
"Oh, hey Marley! What's up?" I asked.
"Not much. I just wanted to say really quick that I miss you and I wish you were back here in the city," Marley confessed.
"I miss you too, Marley. I'll be there soon," I promised. I gave a quick glance at Christian who was clearly interested in my call.
"Are you having a great summer away?" Marley asked.
"I am! I'll have to tell you all about it."
"As soon as you get back! Did you get the call from the agency?”
“Wait.” I thought for a moment. “That was you?”
“Uh huh! You’d be great for the job. Plus, it would be nice to have another friend in the office. We’ll live and work together! Parker Marketing would be lucky to have you!”
I chuckled. She was always so passionate. “We’ll see, Mar.”
“I'll talk to you soon!"
"Bye, Marley," I said, hanging up the phone.
I glanced at Christian, who continued eating his sandwich silently.
We continued sitting on the porch, watching the sun dip below the horizon. A sense of longing washed over me as I thought about Marley and my life back in the city. The ranch was peaceful, but I missed the hustle and bustle of urban life.
CHAPTER 12
Christian: Hope & Fear
Istood on the porch of my ranch, my heart pounding in my chest. I had been waiting for this moment for months – the moment when I would finally get the loan I needed to save my ranch.
The investor's black SUV pulled up the driveway, kicking up a cloud of dust. Clay stepped out of the car and looked around the ranch. His eyes immediately fell on the blackened side, a stark reminder of the fire that had nearly destroyed my livelihood.
"I see you've had some fire damage," the investor said, his voice laced with concern.
"Yes, we did," I replied, my stomach sinking. I knew that the fire would be a major concern for Clay, but I had hoped that he would be willing to look past it.
"Have you done any investigations into the cause of the fire?" Clay asked.
"Yes, we're still in the process of investigating," I said, trying to sound confident.
