was doing this, right? I was tired of being seen as, what did Ripley call me…a one-night special. I knew it wasn't the way they meant it, but their constant insistence that I wasn't relationship material was the same as them saying I wasn't good enough to keep someone. I’m not sure when my being the town playboy changed from a fun game to me feeling like no one thought I was worthy of more. I didn't even want more.
Liar, my subconscious-self accused. I let out a breath. Okay, I did want something more. I just didn't know what. A pair of beautiful blue eyes flashed in my mind. Landon had more written all over him. But that was just more reason why I needed to keep my distance. Until I knew what I wanted and if my idea of more and Landon's lined up, it wasn't fair to go there. I could hurt him. And knowing that no matter how mad I was at Ripley, he was right, and I probably owed him an apology, didn't exactly put me in a good mood.
I drove out to the Warner Ranch to wait for my client. I was going to be early because I had planned to spend a little time talking to the guys in the coffee shop, but it would give me a chance to look around and make sure everything was as it should be. It wasn't as large as the Bluebird Ranch, or the Grayson spread, but it was a good size. It had been a working ranch until Mr. Warner died three years ago. His nephew had tried to keep it going, but he wasn't a rancher at heart, and ranching wasn't for everyone. He gave up a few months ago and sold off all the livestock and put it up for sale.
I went inside the house and opened some windows to let some fresh air in. Then I went out to the barn to make sure everything there looked okay. I let my mind wander while I waited. I wondered if something like this was what Landon wanted some day but dismissed the idea. Not that he wouldn't be capable, I just didn't think running a ranch was something he wanted. I got the feeling he just wanted to work with horses, and he was good with them. I'd seen him out on the ranch working with the cut horses Reed was raising. He had tremendous amounts of patience, and I could see how much he loved working with them.
Gravel crunched in the driveway pulling me out of my thoughts. I took a deep breath and let the feelings of the morning go as I exhaled. I needed to be one hundred percent on if I wanted to sell this ranch. My bad morning had no place here. I pasted on a smile and went to greet the prospective buyer. As I made my way to the rental car to greet him, a man stepped out of the driver's side. He was pretty much exactly my type. Tall, dark hair, and a lean muscular build that showed he put in a lot of time in the gym. He smiled as I approached and held out his hand. We shook, and he held the handshake just a little longer than was proper.
I didn't make a habit of sleeping with clients, but I didn't have a rule against it either. “You must be Miller,” he said with a smile.
“I am, and you must be Charles Carter. It's nice to put a face with the name.”
“It is,” he agreed. He turned and looked at the house. “The house looks great. I think I told you over the phone that I don't really know much about running a ranch, but I do know how to hire people to do things I don't know how to do.”
“You did mention that.”
“I'm honestly not even sure why the idea of owning one appeals to me. It just does, and I have to do something with all this money,” he said with a wink.
When he’d originally called, he said he had a software development company that he took public and made a fortune, and now he was at a bit of loose ends with what to do next. “Well, Charles, ranching is a big change from software development, and River Gorge is a long way from Silicon Valley.”
He laughed. “That it is. But it isn't too far from Dallas or Austin, and it’s