Page 6 of Then You Happened
Your words and your eyes aren’t matching up there, sweetheart.
“And for the record, it’s my husband’s ranch, not mine.”
“He’s dead, so technically, it is yours.” She doesn’t want to pull any punches, then neither will I.
“Ah, the lovely Lone Star rumor mill strikes again? Who was it this time? The guy at the gas station? The waitress at the diner? Perhaps the teller at the bank? Oh, wait, was it Ginger? He’s a smart man and usually stays neutral, so if it was him, that’s a new development.”
Her nonchalance at how much people in town dislike her is not unexpected considering how blasé she’s been about everything else thus far.
“Nope. Your words on the phone last week during our interview.” I take the pause she’s given me with her lax lips and wide-eyed stare and make a show of looking around. I had heard it from her first, but that doesn’t mean I didn’t also hear it from everyone I talked to as well.
A controlling husband who was flashy with his money but who couldn’t seem to get this place up and running to save his life. A fiery car accident that claimed his life. His high-and-mighty wife who thinks she is too good for the town they live in and can’t seem to keep a single employee on staff.
“Like I said, I don’t need anyone,” she reiterates, breaking the silence stretching between us like a rubber band that is bound to snap. “I’ve got this handled.”
“About to lose your farm is not exactly what I’d call having things handled.”
“Whoever told you that is full of shit,” she says.
“You sure about that?” I ask, noting the uncertainty fleet across her face—lips pulled tight, eyes widened, and jaw clenched. “From what I hear—”
“I’m not losing the ranch,” she asserts. “Not even close.”
I scrub a hand over my jaw, uncertain whether I believe her or not. The rod in her spine tells me she’s telling the truth but everyone else in this town tells me otherwise.
Maybe they just want her to.
And maybe a small part of me did too until I got here.
“I don’t associate with people who lie,” I muse as I lean against the railing behind me.
“Then what in the hell are you doing at the bar in town? They all lie and you’re listening to them, right?”
Touché.
“Why’d you tell me to come out here, Knox, if you already knew you were going to fire me the minute I showed up on your porch?” I ask, curious about her when I shouldn’t care.
“Why’d you sit in town and listen to the rumors, believe them, before you ever even met me? Shouldn’t your boss be given more respect than that?”
“I don’t believe rumors, but they aren’t lies if they’re true.” I shift on my feet, the wood of the porch creaking beneath me. “And respect is earned, not expected.”
This woman. Hell. If her spite wasn’t so damn frustrating, it might be a little attractive.
“Why are you still standing here?” she asks.
“Good question.” I wondered the same thing. Turning my back to her, I take in the dead flowers and weeds overflowing the planters positioned around the porch and let my eyes skate over the paint peeling on the railing on the verandah.
But I know why I’m here.
I know what guilt feels like as it weighs you down so heavily you’ll do anything—even deal with a woman like Tatum Knox—if it means you just might get to lift it off your shoulders.
It’s a goddamn emotional tug of war, and I’m not quite sure which side I want to win.
“You hired me to get you more business,” I say when I turn back around. “You think potential clients are going to be eager to buy a horse when they stroll up here and see this?” I motion to the first set of pots. “How can you be trusted to keep horses healthy when you can’t even keep flowers alive?” I give a slow shake of my head in displeasure, causing her to scowl.
“If you’re trying to win my favor, you’re going about this all wrong.”
“Winning your favor is the least of my worries.” I cross my arms over my chest and just hold her glare for glare. “Forget me being able to secure quality studs to breed. Screw me getting the ranch new clients under a long-term contract. What you really need more than anything is a ranch manager who is worth a shit.”
