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“I’ll go grab my sandals,” I told him, then made my way to the bedroom.
My tennis shoes were at the back door, dirty from walking outside so much today and then being in the backyard, hanging clothes. I slipped on a pair of Tory Burch flip-flops, then glanced in the mirror. My hair was a bit messy from blowing in the wind. Curls were everywhere. I went over to the cabinets in the bathroom and found a hair tie to pull my hair up the best I could.
Stepping back, I assessed my clothing and decided a hoodie over my tank top would be better since the evening air was cool. The white linen shorts I was wearing worked with the blue hoodie that had a stack of books on it and the words I’m with the banned underneath. It had been a gift from a coworker for my birthday three years ago. Hill had hated it and called it tacky. Getting to wear it when I wanted was freeing.
Sebastian was texting on his phone when I walked back into the kitchen. He glanced up, then read my shirt before breaking into a smile. “That’s awesome.”
I nodded, pleased with his reaction. “Thank you. I happen to love it.”
He slipped his phone back into his pocket. “As you should. Let’s go, shall we?”
Sebastian let me go out first, then followed me out. The silver Porsche parked in front of my house shouldn’t have surprised me. But it did.
“Nice car,” I said, looking back at Sebastian.
He smirked. “Thanks. You know much about cars?”
I shook my head. “I drove a 1998 Honda Accord that didn’t crank most days, and I had to talk to Patricia real nice to get her to stay running when I stopped at red lights. Then, I married, and…I drove a Mercedes…on days I was allowed.”
Sebastian was silent for a moment, and I wished I’d left the latter part out.
We almost reached the Porsche when he stepped in front of me and opened the passenger door. “Patricia sounds like she was special.”
I nodded, relieved that he hadn’t asked any more about Hill. “She was. We were tight.”
He was smiling when he closed the door behind me.
I studied the interior of the car while I waited for him. Everything—from the leather seats to the console—was a brick color. I’d never seen anything like this. It was far superior to Hill’s Mercedes. This was another level of luxury. Even the leather seats were softer, smoother, like butter.
Sebastian opened his door and slid inside. “Well, this will mean little to you, but this is a custom 2024 Porsche Panamera 4. I designed it myself. Ice-gray metallic exterior, barrique interior, all the bells and whistles.” He stopped and patted the top of the steering wheel. “Haven’t named her, but now, I feel as if I should.”
I laughed, and he winked at me before starting the engine and backing up.
“Want to take it for a spin before we go to the house? See just how fast it can go?”
I was tempted, and for a moment, I almost agreed. But what if a cop pulled us over? That would be bad.
I shook my head. “No. That’s okay. I think just going to the ranch is all the fun I should have tonight.”
He shrugged. “Very well. But you’re missing an experience.”
“I’m sure I am, and I will regret it for eternity,” I replied.
When we passed Maeme’s, I caught myself looking for King’s truck, and when it wasn’t there, I felt a stab of disappointment I had no business feeling. I wondered if he was going to keep his distance from me now. My chest felt heavy at the thought, and I wished it didn’t. I wished I didn’t care at all.
“How are you related to Maeme?” I asked him.
He turned into the massive arch that read Shephard Ranch, then glanced over at me. “That’s an interesting question. You see, we aren’t technically related. The Shephards and Salazars have been in business together for a very long time. Before even our fathers were born and their fathers.”
That was odd. “In business with the horses?”
He nodded. “Yeah, among other things. It’s like a corporation, if you will. Our families and the Jones and Kingstons are all inside the same one. There are a couple others as well, but they don’t have homes in Madison. They’re in other parts of the South. But here, it’s our four families that run the Georgia side.”
I sat up straighter in my seat. “What things do you own?” I asked. “I mean…if it’s not my business…”
I felt my face warm. I was being nosy, but I wanted to understand their dynamic. Why they all came to Maeme’s on Sundays and acted like one big family. It was strange yet nice at the same time.
“It’s okay. I don’t mind,” he assured me. “We own a couple of restaurant chains, hotels, casinos, A few malls, corporate buildings. Quite a bit of corporate real estate.”
