A Cowboy Comes Home

“Can you blame me? Really, Caleb. Can you blame me for trying to protect your land and your family-”

“It’s not yours to protect.”

“-from someone so determined to make such a stupid mistake?”

“You’re referring to me?”

“If the shoe fits.”

He glanced sternly at her one more time. “You want to come to this dinner, or not? I’m serious, Mandy. I don’t want to dump you off on the side of the road, but I’m not taking a lit stick of dynamite into a business meeting.”

She seemed to have to think about it for a moment.

He waited.

“I won’t ask him his plans for the ranch,” she finally promised, folding her hands primly on her lap, staring straight ahead and looking for all the world like a mischievous young girl.

He squelched an urge to waggle his finger at her. “You are to say nothing but cheerful, positive things about Terrell Ranch and the Lyndon Valley.”

She turned to him, tone dripping with sarcasm. “I love the Lyndon Valley.”

“And if you could do that little pouty thing with your mouth, make the guy think he’ll have a sexy, farmer’s daughter living next door-”

Mandy socked Caleb soundly in the shoulder. “Watch your mouth.”

“I’d rather watch yours.”

“And you’re worried about my behavior?”

He cracked a grin. “I’ll be good if you will.”

And then he found himself second-guessing the wisdom of that particular promise. Honestly, it might be worth letting her blow the sale if it meant they could flirt instead.

Five

At a window table at the Riverfront Grill, Mandy plucked the cherry from the top of her hot-fudge sundae. She considered it consolation food, since Caleb’s sales meeting was going so well. Frank Cummings had come prepared with everything from surveyors’ drawings to photographs and climate charts. Nathan Brooks, a fifty-something man from Colorado Springs, was enthusiastic and obviously interested in the ranch.

She licked the whipped cream from the cherry and popped the fruit into her mouth, catching Caleb’s gaze as she chewed contemplatively and swallowed.

“I’m sorry?” Caleb turned his attention back to Nathan. “Can you repeat the question?”

“The upkeep of the house?”

“Has been regular, thorough maintenance, from paint and fixtures to plumbing and electrical.”

Mandy selected one of the dessert spoons. The waiter had provided four and set them in the middle of the table. She assumed it was to make her feel less self-conscious about being the only person at the table to order dessert. Not that she cared. It was only a chocolate sundae. Caleb was about to sell his birthright.

She scooped up a mound of whipped cream.

“The house is on a separate well?” asked Nathan.

“A well for the house. One for the outbuildings, and a third for the staff quarters.”

“Those cabins are all less than five years old,” Frank put in. “They’re a great draw for couples or families who are interested in working at the ranch.”

“What about irrigation?” asked Nathan.

“Two-hundred acres are irrigated and seeded to hay,” Caleb answered.

“Four-hundred,” Mandy put in.

Everyone looked her way.

“They doubled it,” she explained, seeing no reason to leave the man with a misconception.

“Thanks,” said Caleb.

She waved her spoon in acknowledgment, then dug into the ice cream and warm fudge.

“There are water rights on the river.” Frank produced a sheaf of papers. “Spelled out in the agreement with the state.”

Mandy swallowed her smooth, cool mouthful. “You might want to tell him about the review.”

Both Caleb’s and Frank’s eyes went wide. Nathan turned to look at her. “Review?”

“The water rights are up for review.” She dug her spoon in again, going for a big glob of the thick, cooling fudge. “It’s a provision under the regulations. The first stakeholders meeting is this weekend. Here. In Lyndon. You must have seen the notices.”

“Well,” Frank put in heartily. “I don’t think it’s so much a review of existing-”

Nathan’s eyes narrowed across the table at Frank. “You knew about this?”

Mandy stopped midbite, taking in the men’s expressions. Nathan looked angry. Frank looked like a deer in the headlights. While Caleb was glaring at her in obvious frustration.

Okay, can of worms, she’d own up to that. But surely they hadn’t expected to keep the review a secret. The man deserved to know what he was getting into.

Nathan pushed back his chair and threw his napkin down on the table. “Thank you for your time, gentlemen. Ms. Jacobs.”

Frank quickly hopped up. “It’s not what you might think. If you’d like, I can email a link to the Colorado information site.”

Nathan headed for the exit, with Frank hustling along behind.

Mandy finished the bite of fudge sauce.

“You did that on purpose,” Caleb accused, as he waved a waiter over to the table.

“I did not.” She brandished her spoon. “But I hope you’re not going to sit there and defend a plan to keep Nathan Brooks in the dark about the water review.”

“No one’s officially served notice to the property owners.”

“You were going to keep him in the dark,” Mandy accused. She couldn’t believe it. She never would have expected it of Caleb.

“And you were going to behave yourself at this meeting,” he countered.

The waiter stopped beside their table.

“Glen Klavitt, on the rocks. A double,” said Caleb.

“I can’t believe you would intentionally keep a buyer in the dark.”

“Hey, I’m not his nursemaid.”

“But you know the water rights are under review.”

“I also know it’s a routine review. And we’re talking about preliminary discussions to determine if there should even be an official review.”

“You’ve been doing your homework.” Despite her disappointment in his principles, Mandy had to admire that.

“Which is what Nathan Brooks ought to have done. And what he likely would have done, after he’d seen the ranch and maybe fallen in love with it. And at that point, he would have been far more interested in making a compromise and listening to reason.”

Okay. Mandy had to admit, when you looked at it like that, Caleb wasn’t completely amoral.

“You don’t lead with your flaws, Mandy.”

The waiter set Caleb’s drink down on the table.

Caleb nodded his thanks. “Marketing 101.”