at my hand, looking for apples. “I didn’t bring any, you mooch. I’ll get you some when we get back. I promise.”
Bella blew out a puff of air when I grabbed the saddle off the fence. She loved riding, and that was her excited noise. Her ears perked up, and she bumped up against me, letting me know she was eager and ready to get on a trail.
Once I was in the saddle and out the gate with the wind at my back, peace descended on my shoulders. Lachlan’s appearance had thrown me off balance. I knew the stables were in a sticky spot financially. I knew if we didn’t find a way to pull our heads above water soon, we’d be in trouble, but how did he know that? How did his big developing company in Edmonton catch wind of our tiny slip of land in Jasper?
And what did he want with it?
This place had been in our family for generations. I wasn’t giving up without a fight. When Dad signed the papers, transferring ownership to me, it was a proud moment. All my life, I knew I wanted to take over and continue what my family had started years ago. I was born and raised on this land, and I had every intention of dying here too.
I’d find a way to fix our money problem. And it wasn’t going to include that snake Lachlan Montgomery.
Chapter Five
Lachlan
I paced in front of the vast window in my room, tapping my phone against my lips as I puzzled every angle of the situation. Easton, Easton fucking Campbell. What were the odds that the guy I needed to secure a deal with was the same guy I’d tried to get in my bed last night?
This would never have happened in the city. There were too many people. Only in a small town would the gorgeous man I met at the fancy restaurant turn into the sexy as fuck cowboy who’d answered the door.
Fucking Easton Campbell had said no to me twice in two days. He was about to learn, no one said no to Lachlan Montgomery. I needed to figure out a way to get the guy to shut up and listen. I was doing him a favor. If he stopped arguing for five seconds, he’d see how generous the offer was.
But no. He’d been stubborn and rude. Hearing his words again, jumbled and muttered in that deep tone, resonated somewhere inside me. It wasn’t helping. Easton was laid back to the point of aggravation—even his speech was lazy. The man barely opened his mouth when he talked.
But instead of annoying me, there was something endearing about it. It struck a chord in my chest and made me want to lean in and pay closer attention.
“I should want to slap him, not fuck him. Goddammit.”
I glared at the clock. It was almost noon. Today was a bust. Easton had his sister’s wedding this afternoon and had been clear where he stood about offers and selling his property. If I was going to convince him to shut up and listen, it wouldn’t be today.
I dialed Christian’s number as I flopped on the big cushy chair by the window. If I told Dad about my roadblock, he’d tell me I was making excuses. Who cared who owned the property? So what if the information he’d given me was incorrect. It didn’t make a diddly difference, he would tell me. Get the deal done.
Never mind the fact that I’d made waves with the country boy before I knew who he was. I’d given Easton leverage I would never have done had I known who I was dealing with. Even though it hadn’t amounted to anything, I never mixed business with pleasure. It was dangerous.
“How’s it going?” Christian said when the call connected. “Did you talk with the guy yet?”
There was a TV blaring in the background, so I knew my brother was likely at home.
“I’ve run into a slight problem.”
“Meaning?”
“Meaning, the old man who Dad claimed owned the property doesn’t own the property. His son does.”
“His son? Okay. And?”
“And…” I paused, pinching the bridge of my nose as I prepared to confess. “I may have tried to get him in bed before I knew who he was.”
Laughter filled my ear, and I scowled.
“It’s not funny, Christian. Now the guy won’t talk to me.”
It took another minute before my asshole brother stopped chuckling. The TV noise vanished, and he cleared his throat, a hint of humor