to target.”
“You should have called me the moment you saw Blaine with Miguel,” Julia said.
Kaiden winced. “Yeah, I absolutely should’ve done that, but seeing as I was in the middle of a big fight with my own family, I didn’t think you’d appreciate me getting involved with yours. And I assumed—”
“That I knew because I’d obviously introduced them,” Julia cut across him.
“I still should have followed through.” He didn’t look away. “I told myself it would just make things worse, and that if you already knew about it from your dad, and didn’t see a problem, then I’d be opening up a whole new can of worms. I’m shit at confrontation, Julia. It’s no excuse but it’s the truth.”
His willingness to face up to his mistakes didn’t take away the hurt, but it did make her feel a little better.
“Blaine also thought he could blackmail me to fall into line if necessary by threatening my job,” Julia said.
Kaiden frowned. “I wish that asshole was still employed here so I could pay him a little visit.”
“Blaine was just doing what he always does.” Julia waved a dismissive hand. “The person who let his family down was Miguel. He didn’t have to listen to Blaine, but he wanted the money.”
“Yeah, I’m sorry about that.” Kaiden’s voice softened. “I can’t imagine how I’d feel if one of my siblings pulled that crap.”
“Miguel isn’t interested in the ranch, or its history, or his family.” Julia swallowed hard. “Dad asked me to talk to Henry when I come back because he wants to review his will. He wants to make sure Miguel can’t get control of everything and sell up.”
“You are planning on coming back, then?” Kaiden asked slowly.
“Yes, I am.”
“Even with me still living there?”
She met his gaze. “Conceited much?”
His lips twitched. “Even with this promotion?”
“Actually, this promotion makes it easier for me to work from home.” Julia took a quick breath. If there was a time to be brave and lay everything out on the table, it was now.
“As I mentioned before I’m officially fronting up a new West Coast initiative within MZB to establish and nurture environmentally responsible partnerships with land developers and builders in historically sensitive areas.”
He stared at her for a long moment. “Places like Bridgeport and Morgan Valley.”
“Exactly. I’ll be traveling more, but I don’t have to come into the city every day, which is why I’ll be able to come back and see Dad much more often. And, with the salary increase I can afford to pay for a ranch manager.”
“That’s great.”
She frowned. “You don’t sound very pleased.”
“Well, you’ve kind of stolen my big pitch.” His grin was almost her undoing. He stood, stuck his hand in his pocket, and looked down at his boots. “The thing is. I was going to offer to move here.”
“What?” Julia might have squeaked.
“I kept telling Adam that he shouldn’t expect Lizzie to upend her entire life just for him, and then I realized I was unconsciously doing the same thing to you. I was thinking I had to get you back to Morgan Valley, when it’s actually easier for me to uproot and come here. I can bring my business with me, you could continue doing what you do . . .”
He tailed off. “Am I getting ahead of myself?”
“Maybe you are.” She waited until he looked her right in the eye. “I am doing all these things for myself, not for you, Kaiden. You might find this difficult to believe, but I am perfectly capable of getting on with my life without you in it.”
“I know that.” He didn’t look away. “I messed up. I didn’t listen properly, I jumped to all the wrong conclusions, and worst of all I hurt you.”
She nodded and he continued speaking.
“I guess what I’m asking for, is a chance to make things right, because I’m not sure I can live without you in my life.” He grimaced. “I should’ve started with that rather than with what I want.”
Her breath caught as he approached her desk, took off his hat, and went down on his knees in front of her.
“Yeah, I definitely got this backward,” Kaiden said. “I forgot the groveling apology. Would you like me to kiss those fancy shoes of yours—they’re hot, by the way—or kiss your fingers, and tell you how much I’ve missed you, and what an ass I am?”
“I know you are an ass.” Julia scrabbled to latch on to something concrete.
He reached for her hand. “Then will you consider