Cowboy Casanova - Lorelei James [86]
“You want the creek front section, don’t you?”
“Yes. It’d be great grazing land and it’s the section that’s closest to the rest of our land. Look, if you wanted to subdivide it, we’d be open to that, because we don’t wanna chase you off. But we also figured you’d rather sell the land to us and end up with money in the bank, rather than the bank owning all of it and you ending up with nothin’.”
“You have the money right now?” she asked skeptically.
He tried to gauge the best response to her mood. If he told her getting that much cash wasn’t an issue, would she be resentful? Probably. He told a half-truth. “Not all of it, but I know where I can get it.” Jesus. He hoped he could figure out some financial wheeling and dealing —and soon.
“I…I don’t know. It sounds like a great solution, but I need some time to wrap my head around it.”
“Don’t take too long.” Isn’t that what Tell and Dalton had warned too?
“I won’t.”
“And promise me you won’t do anything until you’ve talked to me first.”
Rielle nodded.
The swinging door from the back set of stairs swung open. “I should’ve eaten before I showered because the—” Gavin stopped and looked from Ben to Rielle. “I’m sorry. Am I interrupting something?”
“No. I actually came by to talk to you since we didn’t get a chance yesterday. Rielle insisted I eat while I waited, and well, I’ll never say no to good cookin’.”
“Spoken like a bachelor.” Gavin helped himself to a cup of coffee. “But that doesn’t explain why it appears Rielle’s has been crying.”
She laughed a tad too cheerfully. “It’s from chopping onions for the quiche we’re having for lunch.”
Gavin looked like didn’t believe her, but he smiled at her anyway. “Good to know. I’d hate to have to pound on Ben if he somehow maligned your muffins.”
Rielle rolled her eyes. “Ben would never do that. He’s a good guy, honest as the day is long.”
Ben made a gagging noise.
“Plus, he knows what side his muffin is buttered on.” She winked. “If you need anything else, holler. I’ll be in my office.”
Gavin refilled his coffee and loaded his plate with a muffin and a banana.
“You seem to get along with Rielle,” Ben remarked.
“This is the third time I’ve stayed with her.”
Like that explained it. “So how long you staying?”
“I leave at six tonight on the direct flight out of Rapid City to Phoenix.” He cut the banana into precise quarters. “I’d like to stay longer, but my ex-wife can’t handle our daughter for more than a weekend so I have to be back to take Sierra to school tomorrow.”
“Don’t have a friendly relationship with your ex?”
Gavin separated his muffin into four equal sections. “If friendly fire counts, then, yes, it’s friendly.”
Ben laughed. “Sorry, you probably didn’t mean that to be funny.”
“So little is amusing about the situation that I’ll take laughter when I can get it.” He chewed and swallowed a piece of muffin, followed by a piece of banana.
“Tell me about—” my niece, “—your daughter.”
“Sierra is a typical teenage girl. Lots of drama and angst in her daily life. Her mother just adds to it by refusing to be Sierra’s parent—she prefers to be Sierra’s shopping buddy and confidante. So when Sierra comes to my house after a weekend with my ex, she argues incessantly, breaks the rules and drives me so fucking crazy I want to send her to boarding school.”
“No offense, but I’m glad I don’t have kids.”
“Ah. Therein lies the rub. After a couple days, Sierra is back to being my sweet, funny, wonderful, only slightly annoying, typical daughter.”
“At least she isn’t bratty all the time.”
Gavin ate a third bite of the muffin and banana combination. “That’s what Rielle tells me to focus on. Since she survived her daughter’s teen years, I’m hoping to survive it too.”
Ben couldn’t help but stare at Gavin as he shoved his hand through his short hair. That was the most obvious difference between him and his brothers—they all had the almost black hair color from the McKay side. But Gavin’s hair was brown and slightly