to your senses, call me. I put my business card in here too.”
Then I tucked the folded paper and my business card into the front pocket of his Levi’s, making sure it was snug and deep inside, brushing my fingers where they didn’t belong.
His breathing hitched at the contact, and my gaze flicked to his face. His lip curled, maintaining his animosity, but his pupils dilated, giving him away.
His voice dropped a few decibels. “Get outta here, Lachlan. I’m warnin’ you.”
“I’m out. Call me when you get your head out of your ass.”
I stayed in his space an extra beat, and we stared, challenging each other, neither of us moving.
He wet his lips.
I followed the path of his tongue.
His Adam’s apple bobbed.
All telling signs in my books.
“You had your chance, cowboy. Just so you know, all I’m offering now is business.”
“That’s fine. I’m not interested. In either.”
“Yeah, tell that to your dick. Have a nice day.”
I took my time walking away, knowing I had his attention, knowing his gaze was raking up and down my body. The guy was an ass, but I wasn’t completely defeated. I had maintained the upper hand in the end. Unfortunately, not where I needed it.
He’d call. The money would be too enticing for him to refuse.
I would make this deal, and Dad would be thrilled.
Chapter Eight
Easton
Sweat trickled down my temple as I heaved another shovelful of soiled straw into the barrow. Tearing off my hat, I swiped my forehead with my sleeve and scanned the final stall. It was almost finished. Despite the approximate twenty-minute timestamp I’d told Lachlan, I’d managed to shave a handful or more minutes off the completion of each stall while fueled by fury.
My skin still vibrated with anger nearly an hour and a half later, and no matter what I did, I couldn’t shake the queasiness in my belly. How dare he come in here and flash his no-good money in my face, trying to take my family’s land.
After he’d driven off, I’d checked the paper he’d put in my pocket and was staggered by the amount of numbers all lined up.
“For goddamn condominiums. Over my dead body.” I bent and got to work again, determined not to think about it anymore.
But it was impossible.
“The hell are you doin’ in here? I thought you had a young lad who did all the muckin’?”
I snapped my head to the door of the stall and found JR with a frown on his face, head tilted to the side as he watched me.
“I can muck a stall fine on my own. Been doin’ it since I was five.”
“I’m aware. Who do you think taught you?”
I ignored my big brother and heaved the last of the soiled straw into the wheelbarrow. When I tried to wheel it past him, he refused to budge.
“Move.”
“My point is, why are you doing it when you have perfectly good young kids hired for the job?”
“Because maybe I can’t afford to keep them on the payroll much longer,” I snapped. “Maybe I need to pick up and do more so we can save a bit of money ’round ’ere.”
“Whoa.” JR stopped me when I tried to shove past him.
“Move, JR. I ain’t got time for this.”
“What the hell’s gotten into you?” He touched my arm, but I jerked it away.
JR wasn’t put off. He refused to let me pass. It was just like my brother to push and push and push until it was either knock him down or cave in. And I wasn’t one for brawling. Dad had never liked it when we solved arguments with fists.
“I heard Dad transferred the land into your name. We were talking about it after you went to town earlier with the kid. I didn’t know things were getting so bad.”
My nostrils flared as I took a few steady breaths to calm down. It wasn’t a surprise to anyone that the stables and house would end up going to me. Of all my siblings, I was the only one who’d shown any interest in carrying on the family business and staying put in Jasper. Dad had long ago discussed it with Elaina and JR. They understood and encouraged it. However, no one figured the ownership change would happen until Dad passed.
“We’re on a downward slide. Dad was ready to give up. He’s tried everything. I gotta fix it soon or we’ll be in real trouble.”
“He told me they wouldn’t let him put a second mortgage on the house.”