When You Fall... (33 page)

“That was just my hurt talking. I would like to make this ranch work. Deep down it’s been a dream of mine to farm, to own land. Now that I’m here I’m reminded of all the stories I’d heard from my father—your father now—about what this place meant to him and your great-grandfather. Their legacy should be preserved, made into something they would be proud of.”

They sat there for a while, thinking that over. Carter propped her legs back up on the rail, staring off in the distance while Courtney quietly watched her.

“So you want to…?”

“Be a partner,” Courtney said.

“I want that, too. I want horses in the stable, not the small stable, but the larger, almost rotten-to-the-core one. I want to make this place into something to be proud of, too,” she said, turning to face Courtney. “I don’t want it to be about revenge.”

“I can’t help the way I feel,” Courtney said.

“I know. I feel it, too, the need for revenge,” she said.

“So what do you think? Can we do this?” Courtney asked.

“I think so. I want to try.”

“Okay, before we get too far, I’m thinking about a bed and breakfast, maybe even a restaurant. I love to cook—fresh vegetables and organic meats—so I’d like to have a farm, a large plot to grow vegetables, somewhere people could come and work in the garden, gathering eggs. You get the picture. We could be one of those agri-tourism places. The kind families come to spend the weekend, or for a vacation in the country,” Courtney said.

“I was thinking bed-and-breakfast too, hiring a cook, a restaurant, for dinner out, but since you like to cook, maybe we won’t need to hire one. I want horses—to train, to board, to rescue, to use for trail rides—for companies and families who come here for meetings and entertainment,” Carter said, smiling.

“Okay, we can work with that. We can both agree on the bed-and-breakfast idea. You take the horses, I’ll take the farming and the cooking,” she said.

“I should introduce you to my neighbor, Rafael. He could help you get started with the farming part.”

“Okay Carter. It’s business with me, and I mean all the way—partnership agreements, everying in writing, business proposals and business plan, budgets, long and short. Are you okay with that?”

“I’m an accountant, so that should help us as well.”

“I’m so excited!” Courtney said.

“Me, too. Want some coffee?” Carter asked.

“I’m a tea person.”

“Come inside. I’ll fix you right up,” Carter said, smiling. “You know what? There are two women I’d like you to meet. They make great tea, too,” she said, standing up. “Neighbors of mine—ours.”

“Do you want to drive or shall I?” Courtney said.

“We can walk, but let me warn you about our crazy neighbor,” she said.

#

Sunday afternoon

The house phone was ringing again. Carter knew who it was, the only person that called on it.

“Hi Madison,” she said.

“Hi Carter. How are you?”

“Fine.”

“You know I don’t beat around the bush, so I’ll get right to the point. I’m sorry about what happened again. We are alike. I wanted our father’s approval, too, more than anything. I played a part in not making you feel welcome, and I’m sorry for that,” she said, waiting a few beats. Carter could hear her take a deep breath. “You were in there too, Miss Independent. You didn’t like us. It was you and those horses. It was all you ever talked about, something we couldn’t compete with. I’m telling you this to say that we can change, our relationship can change if we want it to. Okay, you don’t want to talk about it. I understand,” she said, interpreting Carter’s continued silence as a refusal to discuss the matter.

“What’s the new property manager like?”

“She fine, very professional. Dad will be pleased,” Carter said. “I can’t stop calling him that,” she said.

“He’s been your dad for a long time. He asked me to call you about dinner. We are going to have it at their home.”

“Okay.”

“See ya.”

“Madison,” Carter said before she could hang up. “Are you and dad pretty close about the ranch? Has he talked to you about any of the details of the will? You know, what happens after everyone died?”

“No, he’s pretty closed-mouthed about that stuff,” she said, an answer maybe to a question that had been plaguing Carter since she’d found out about the will.

“Why?”

“Just curious,” Carter said.

“Okay. Talk to you soon,” Madison said.

“Bye,” Carter said.

#

Saturday

Rafael waved to Carter later on that day. She was with another woman, and they were both headed in the direction of the barn. He wondered if that was her half-sister. He hadn’t gone over there purposefully this week, didn’t want to interrupt. He missed seeing her, though, and talking to her. He wasn’t sure what to do now. He loved her. That he knew. She liked him, liked making love with him, but was there anything other than affection for him on her part?

He hadn’t a clue. He did know that he needed her to love him, no way around it, and he needed her to love him as much as he loved her. He wanted more than a meeting of his list with her. Perhaps the list would have worked with someone other than her; someone he hadn’t lost his heart to. He wanted two fools in love—he and her together.

So, what to do now? How did he go about getting her to fall in love with him? He knew you couldn’t make someone love you. They either did or didn’t.

#

Sunday

Today marked the end of the two weeks since Carter and Courtney’s initial meeting. It had been a life-altering event and there was no going back. She and Courtney had started planning for a B&B in earnest.

They spent most of their time talking and catching up on lost history—both personal and family history. Courtney cooked while Carter ate, and there was more talk, more getting to know each other. They’d spent time both in- and outside, taking stock of the land and the building.

It was overwhelming, this planning. They were going to have to make choices, especially where to start first, because there was no way they could tackle the list of projects they had agreed upon all at once, or even within the first few years. Today was the start of putting it all on paper, followed by a prioritizing session.

Carter stood on the back porch now, waiting for Courtney to come downstairs, while also keeping her eye out for Rafael. He’d become firmly planted in her mind, a staple of her existence. She hadn’t seen much of him this week. He was giving her space to adjust, probably. She missed seeing him though.

She’d given way too much thought to their time spent together—the night spent in town with him, dancing and then later on waking up in his bed—her favorite memory.

He was something, the way he moved on the dance floor, all smooth and commanding, and the way he moved within her, all smooth and commanding also, and his support of her, same smooth and commanding. There was also the time spent in barns, sitting next to the horses, him listening to her. Too many good memories to choose from.

She was falling in love. There was no other way to put it. And it was real this time, even though she had thought what she felt for Bentley was love, too. But what she’d felt for Bentley seemed like ages ago. She could look back at her break-up attempt with less hurt now. She needed to, no, she
would
apologize to Bentley and his wife. It was wrong what she’d done.

Maybe Rafael’s list wasn’t such a bad thing, her mind returning to a place where it lived most days, in the land of Rafael. So, he didn’t want to marry for love. Fine. She knew marriages that had started out with less.

She checked her watch. It was near ten, and he was due to be home from his trip into town, not that she was looking for him. When you fall… it made the difficulties of life more bearable.

Well, lucky her, she thought, as his truck pulled into view. She stood, up and headed in his direction, as if being pulled by some imaginary string. Drawing them closer together.

He was getting out of his truck. He turned and looked in her direction, saw her and waved. She hoped that the smile on his face was meant for her. Why was she going over there? To be near him?
What do you want?
she asked herself. She wanted him to love her, to not want any other woman but her, to recognize that his list wouldn’t give him what he sought; that only she would be able to do that. That was the answer to her question. She met him at her fence.

“Egg delivery?” she asked.

“Just getting back,” he said, his eyes moving around her face. She leaned in to kiss him.

“So, busy today?”

“Yes. Courtney and I are going to start putting things on paper,” she said.

“That’s good,” he said.

“What about you? What does your day look like?”

“Nothing much, the usual.”

“Carter!” Courtney called out. Carter turned. Courtney was standing by the back door, the screen door opened as she stepped out.

Carter waved to her, motioning for her to come over. She turned back to Rafael, whose eyes were now on Courtney.

“Have you two met?” Carter asked him.

“No,” Rafael said, eyes still on Courtney, and a germ of an idea was taking shape in his mind.

“She’s gorgeous,” Carter said, wanting to get that out of the way.

“She is,” he said, turning to look at Carter, before returning his eyes to Courtney.

They both watched Courtney make her way across the field to them. She was gorgeous with honey-brown colored skin and hazel eyes, long curly hair flying behind her head. She’d taken down her braids. She was as tall as Rafe, with those long legs that men seem to admire.

Surprisingly, Carter hadn’t really paid much attention to her sister’s good looks before. Now they were all she could concentrate on. She turned to take a peek at Rafael, and her heart sank. He had that glossed-over look men wore when they’d encountered something truly impressive.

“Who is this?” Courtney asked, her smile wide, eyes on Rafael. They would make an exceptional couple, Carter thought. And talk about producing beautiful children!

“This is our neighbor, Rafael. Rafe for short. He’s the farmer I’ve been telling you about,” she said, as she looked over at Rafe, whose smile and eyes were still on Courtney.

She hit him in the side with her elbow.

“Hello, Courtney,” he said, and grinned at Carter. She had no idea what to make of that grin. It could have been interpreted in so many ways.

“Hi Rafe. Carter has been going on and on about your farm, about how you could maybe teach me some of what you know. I’m up for it,” she said, all smiles and friendliness.

“Sure. I’m in and out during the mornings and afternoons. Evenings are better, if you want to talk.”

“I would like that,” she said, eyes on his. “Carter and I were out yesterday, looking at the property and we agreed on a stretch of land that would be perfect for farming. You’ll have to come take a look,” she said.

“I will,” Rafael said.

“You could also show me around your farm. I’d love to take a look at your operation,” Courtney said.

“Sure. Just stop by anytime,” he said.

“Carter tells me you went to the Texas A&M and studied agriculture. So did I.”

“Then you would have had Professor Johnson,” he said and laughed. Courtney joined him in hearty laughter. Some inside joke, Carter guessed.

“Stop by whenever you want. Carter knows my schedule,” he said when the laughter died down.

“Sure. Is this evening too soon?” Courtney said.

Of course it was, Carter thought.

“This evening is fine. I’m usually in the back. Carter has my cell phone number if you can’t find me. Just call,” he said, smiling at his new long-lost best friend.

“Well, ladies, as much as I’d like to stay, duty calls,” he said, smiling his sexy Rafael smile. Don’t you know that sexy lock of black hair, a family favorite, fell into his eye just then. Carter held her hands together to keep her from brushing it back. He smiled at her like he could read her mind.

Carter watched him return his attention to Courtney.

“Until this evening,” he said.

“Until this evening,” Courtney said.

She and Courtney watched him move away, his back view every bit as satisfying as the front had been. She inwardly sighed. Courtney was not so circumspect. Her sigh was loud enough to wake the dead. She heard Rafael chuckle. He must have heard her, too.

Carter turned to leave, and hit her sister in the shoulder to get her attention.

“He is fine,” she said, glancing over at Carter. “Is he married?” she asked.

“No, he’s not,” Carter said.

“Interesting,” Courtney said. Carter let it go. She didn’t feel like talking anymore, especially not about Rafael. Gone was her good mood at seeing him.

“You okay?” Courtney asked when they reached the door.

“Sure.”

“You’ve gotten quiet all of a sudden.”

“Nope. I was going through my mental to-do list for this afternoon, that’s all,” she said.

“Sure. You don’t like Rafael, do you?”

“No. We are friends, that’s all. He is looking to get married, but not to me. And I’m not looking to get serious with anyone.”

“Crazy Carter, the break-up artist,” Courtney said.

“Know about that, do you? That was me, although it feels like a long time ago. No, I’m done with the marriage thing,” she said.

“Okay. Do you want to work inside or out?” Courtney asked.

“In,” she said, picking up her coffee cup from the table where she’d left it in her mad rush to see Rafael. What a waste. He liked her—
liked
her—but that was all. He was looking for long-term, she reminded herself. So why was she bummed about it?

She followed Courtney inside, pushing Rafael out of her mind. She had plenty of work to do. She had gotten her wish—her great-grandfather’s property and the opportunity to make it into something he could be proud of. That task would require energy and commitment. She reminded herself. She forced herself to focus on the work that lay ahead, instead of her gorgeous next-door neighbor.

#

Monday

“Hi Rafael,” Courtney said. She’d spotted him on his way into Dry Goods later on that afternoon.