The Rancher Meets His Match (The Millers of Morgan Valley #4) - Kate Pearce Page 0,17

bar.” Julia sniffed.

“He’s no man ho if that’s what you’re thinking.” Nancy set her bottle down. “But he’s definitely never been short of a girlfriend. Have you seen him around yet?”

“You could say that.” Julia let out a breath. “He came up to the ranch to quote on the repairs a few days ago, and Dad and I saw him in town at lunchtime.”

“What did he do to put that expression on your face?”

“He . . . tried to be nice to me.”

Nancy blinked at her. “And?”

“I was horrible to him.”

To her surprise, Nancy gave a gurgle of laughter. “I bet that gave him a shock. I don’t think he’s ever met a woman since he was ten who wouldn’t immediately succumb to his charms.”

“I’m going to have to apologize to him at some point,” Julia said gloomily.

“Oh, no, please don’t. I’d love to see him running around trying to fix things for a change.” Nancy tucked her feet up on the couch. “Talk to Ben Miller and ask him whether there’s any way he could help preserve the ranch and keep it working. Ben, of all people, knows how important it is to keep the ranching community here thriving.”

“I’ll definitely sound him out.” Julia nodded. “It can’t hurt.”

It was so nice to have someone to talk to who was on her side, and not her competition. She had friends, who weren’t lawyers in the city, but they had their own work issues to deal with, and she never liked to bother anyone with her problems anyway. She’d been brought up to handle her own stuff without complaining.

“And you should definitely tell your work people to lay off you as well,” Nancy said severely. “If you like, I can pretend to be your secretary, and tell them for you.”

Julia shuddered at the thought. “I think I can handle them. I have no choice.”

“You need a new job or a new boss, girl.” Nancy nudged her in the ribs with her elbow. “Now, would you like some more coffee, or have you changed your mind about that beer?”

* * *

Kaiden cleared his throat and knocked on the front door of the Garcia Ranch. It didn’t take long for Julia to open it and step out of his way. She’d tied her hair back, and wore a black sweater with dark jeans and brightly colored striped socks. He tried to catch her eye as he went past, but she wasn’t having it.

“Thanks for letting me in this time.” He took off his hat. “I’ll go straight through.”

“I’ll make some coffee.”

She turned her back on him and marched toward the kitchen while he headed to the family room where he could hear the TV blaring. He reminded himself that he was only there to see Juan, and that any interaction with Julia should be kept short and professional.

“Hey! Kaiden!” Juan greeted him with a smile and immediately turned down the TV. “How’s your father?”

“Grumpy as ever.” Kaiden took a seat on the couch and took out his phone. “Danny’s back this weekend to help out, and Dad’s still not happy.”

Juan chuckled. “He’s always been a tough nut, your dad.”

“Tell me about it,” Kaiden muttered.

When he’d informed his father that he was going to the Garcias, he’d only just managed to get out of the house without causing a minor riot. Only Danny’s swift intervention to draw his father’s ire had allowed Kaiden to escape. He definitely wasn’t in the mood to be jerked around by anyone else this morning.

“I wrote out some ideas . . .” Kaiden started speaking, and Juan held up his hand.

“Let’s wait for Julia so you don’t have to repeat yourself twice.”

Kaiden couldn’t exactly tell him not to bother, so he made small talk until Julia appeared with the coffee and then waited as she poured it out and sat opposite him next to her father. Keeping his gaze on Juan, Kaiden started speaking again.

“From what I can see, major alterations are needed in the bathrooms, the kitchen, and the entrance and exits to bring them up to code.” He consulted his paperwork and passed a copy over to Juan so that he could follow along. “You’ll need a good bathroom specialist and someone to at least resize some of the kitchen cupboards and sink to make them accessible. I’ve drawn up some basic plans for you to take a look at and amend if need be. I’d also recommend completely new appliances that can be easily used from