Page 13 of Breaking Him

I went ramrod in my seat. “No.” I gritted my teeth, swallowing down a string of curse words I wanted to fire at the smug prick. “It’s just this drought. It can’t last much longer. When the rain comes…”

“You can’t predict the weather.” His lips lifted in a smug little curl. “And if the rain doesn’t come?”

“It will.” I tucked my hair behind my ear and licked my dry lips. “I hoped you might extend my loan. I just need a few months, then when things get back to normal, and cattle prices go back up, I’ll have money coming in. We’ve also got several horses nearly ready to sell. They’ll get a great price. Eli’s done such an amazing job with them.”

He sat forward in his chair and stared at me. “You’re going to fail, Ms. Smith.” He darted a glance over my shoulder. “I knew your mother when she still lived here. She was a…a good woman.” His stare returned to mine. “Which is why I’m saying this. Get out, get out now, before you lose everything. That ranch is going to fall to pieces with you running it, that’s a fact. Sell now and it won’t take you down with it.”

I sat there staring at him, torn between storming out and hurling his paperweight at him. I wanted to tell him he was wrong, that I’d been in charge of the financial side of running the goddamn ranch for the last five years. But what came out of my mouth was something else entirely. “You knew my mother?”

His face flushed red, and he whipped out his pocket square, dabbing at his top lip. “Of course I did. She used to live in this town.”

No. There was more to this, and I had an idea what had caused the bad blood between my dad and this asshole. My stomach churned. “You made it sound like you knew her more than just some passing acquaintance.”

His eyes darted away, and he cleared his throat. “I guess you could say we were…close.” He mopped his brow. “We were…friends. And I know she’d hate to see you struggling like this.”

“How the hell would you know what she’d think or feel? I certainly don’t. That woman hasn’t talked to me since she walked out on us.”

His assessing stare stayed locked on me, and I wanted to poke him in the goddamn eye. “You look like her, you know.” His expression turned appreciative. “That striking blond hair…your figure…”

I shot to my feet. I didn’t want to talk about her. I sure as hell didn’t like the direction this conversation was going. “Will you give me the three months or not, Mr. Jacobson?”

He snapped his mouth shut. “Well, I…I’ll let you know.”

Swinging my bag over my shoulder, I forced out a “Thank you” and stormed from his office.

God, had my mother and Connor Jacobson had an affair? Is that why she left, why my parents split up? How could she do that to my dad, to me? Is that why she’d stayed away, a guilty conscience? I shook my head. I didn’t care. Not about her, not anymore. The only thing I cared about was keeping my ranch. I’d never sell. Never.

I climbed into the truck, and that bastard’s words rang in my ears the whole way home.

He was wrong. I wasn’t going to fail.

No goddamn way.

Chapter Six

I finger-combed my hair, still a little damp from the shower, and eyed my wardrobe.

After my appointment with the bank, I’d come home and gotten busy with paperwork. Eli had already been out moving stock from the north field, and when he came in, went off to work with the horses. I’d glimpsed him several times throughout the day but hadn’t sought him out. After what happened at the bank, as well as what happened in the barn the day before, I was a little off balance.

Nothing had ever felt as right as the moment he’d thrust his fingers in my hair and demanded I open my mouth. Nothing. A shiver slid through me, my skin getting tingly and tight just from the memory.

When I’d finished for the day and had finally pulled it together enough to talk to him, I couldn’t find him. In the end I’d left a note on the pad by the barn door, asking him to come for dinner. I didn’t know if he’d seen it, or if he’d come.

I picked a cornflower-blue dress and slipped it on over my head. Hope. That goddamn dangerous emotion bloomed, refusing to be contained. He’d seemed okay…after we…after what happened in the barn. But then he’d left for the night. The thought that he might have left to get away from me stung. A lot.

He’d had time to think everything through, and I was scared he’d change his mind about what we were doing. That thought made my belly churn. I didn’t know what I’d do if that happened. Something deeper than sex was developing between us. Every time we were together it grew and shifted, changed shape. I didn’t recognize us anymore. It all had changed in such a short time. I didn’t know what we were doing, but I did know I didn’t want it to stop. I wanted to explore the attraction between us, take it as far as he was willing to go with me.

The kitchen phone rang, and I jogged down the hall to answer it. “Hello.”

“Abi, it’s me.” Kyle.

I pulled the phone away from my ear, ready to hang up.

“Please, hear me out,” he called, like he could see me.

I had no interest in talking to him whatsoever, but I didn’t want him spreading crap about Eli around town, either, so I pressed the phone to my ear. “What do you want?”

“I wanted to apologize for the way I acted… Ya know, getting pushy or whatever. You’re hot, babe. I’ve been panting after you since we were in high school, you gotta know that. I just…things got outta hand.”