Page 35 of Burning Skies
“Sure thing, Honey.” She clicks her pen and walks off.
Ian frowns at me. “You could have picked a nicer restaurant. I’m paying.”
“I don’t want to be wined and dined, but thank you.” Ian and I stare at each other, and I laugh uncomfortably. This is ridiculous. “Can I ask why you want to do this?”
His brows lift. “Date a beautiful woman?”
I wish he’d cut the crap. “Do you really want to marry someone you barely know? In six months? Because that’s what my father says has to happen.”
He cracks a smile. “I like that you don’t pull any punches.”
“I’m learning to be more upfront with what I need.”
Nodding slowly, he gives me a once-over. “So you’re a teacher.”
Ugh, we’re doing this. Making small talk. Fine. “High school English.”
“My least favorite subject. My penmanship is shit, so my teachers never tried to read what I wrote.”
“That happens, unfortunately, which is why I book time in the computer lab so my students can type their work.”
His lips tug up into a smile. “Nice. What else do I need to know about you? Did I hear something about a club?”
My dad must have told him about the Harvesters. “Yes, it’s a group that fosters interest in animal husbandry and farming in students. I participated in high school and got awards for raising cows and their calves and training my horse.” I explain how I’m hoping to purchase Mr. Turner’s old farm and expand our outreach in the community.
As I talk about the competitions I used to do, his eyes glaze over before he glances down at his phone. At texts, I assume.
After a minute, I stop talking and wait for him to say something.
He finally sets the phone face down. “Sorry. More work stuff.”
“I figured I was boring you.” Since he has no idea what I just said.
“Not at all.” He folds his hands as he appraises me. “Honey, you seem like a smart woman. Think of this, you and me, like a business transaction. We get together, make our parents happy, and everyone makes lots of money. Win-win.”
What a romantic. “You make it sound simple.”
“Isn’t it?” He leans back when Maybelle puts our food down.
I pour some ketchup on my plate and drag a fry through it. “No offense, but I’m generally a fan of that time-honored tradition of falling in love as a prerequisite for marriage.”
“That’s cute.” He laughs as he picks at his food. “Were your parents really in love when they married?”
“I’m not sure.” They’re not the kind of people who are overtly affectionate, but I used to think they were fond of each other. Although now I’m beginning to wonder.
“Well, mine weren’t. They had neighboring ranches and decided to merge their assets to form a kickass business.” Excitement lights his eyes. “You and I can be like that, Honey. We can forge new opportunities for our families.”
I’m still confused. “My father said he’ll get oil rights to some of your land, but what do you get out of this?”
He frowns for a moment, but then his expression clears. “Besides marrying you?”
“Besides that. What financial gain do you get?”
Nodding slowly, he wipes his hands. “I get to align my family with one of the biggest ranching families in Texas. That means when one of those tech companies tries to put some monstrous call center next to our property, and guzzle up all our water that we need for our cattle, we have the collective power to lobby the state congress.”
“So you’re interested in my father’s influence in Austin.”
“Yes.”
