Learning the Ropes (21 page)

“Ali, please. I understand why you feel the way you do. But,” she heard him sigh into the phone. “You realize I don’t really care what my dad says, right? That I don’t feel the same way?”

Maybe it was because she understood how much it hurt to care deeply for someone and know the feeling would never be reciprocated, but it felt wrong to cast him aside without explanation. She sighed. “I have to be somewhere this afternoon at one. Maybe we can meet for coffee after?”

“Absolutely.” His voice suddenly sounded rushed. “Look, I have to go but just call me when you get into town and I’ll meet you wherever you want.”

“Okay,” she agreed.

“Bye, Ali.” She heard him fumbling with the phone just before Colt’s voice could be heard yelling in the background.

“How many times do I have to tell you to quit wasting time with that bunny? Is she really that good in the sack?”

“For the last time, do
not
talk about her. I’m a grown man and I’ve about had it with your meddling.” She could hear the fury in David’s voice. “For someone who wants an awful lot of money from me, you’re sure pushing my buttons. I should walk away now and let you rot in that trailer.”

“Why don’t you just find a rich girl like your brother did? At least you’d be of some use since it doesn’t look like you’re doing anything to help us keep the ranch.”

Alicia heard a scuffle in the background and couldn’t help but wonder what in the world was happening with David and his father. She thought about hurrying back to the barn to send Chris to make sure they were both all right.

“Don’t ever raise a hand to me again, Dad.” David sounded breathless. “Or the next time you land on your ass it won’t be because you tripped.”

David’s voice came through the phone again, startling her. “Hello? Hello? Ali, are you there?”

She stared at her phone, holding her breath. She didn’t want him to know she’d heard any of what had just occurred. The line disconnected and she felt the icy dread creeping over her limbs. David’s relationship with his father had crossed a line but she wasn’t sure who it posed more danger for—him or his father.

C
HRIS PULLED INTO
his parents’ driveway as his dog, Bueller, came running out to greet him. He’d been a gift from a girlfriend just a few years ago. He rubbed the dog’s fuzzy golden head. The girlfriend had been around less time than it took to house train the puppy, but at least he’d gained a trusty friend from the short-lived relationship.

“Maybe you can offer me some sound advice because I think I’m really screwing things up.” The dog plopped his furry butt on the ground and his tail thumped against the gravel driveway. “Thanks a lot,” Chris muttered.

All of his relationships seemed to turn out this way and he knew he was to blame. He never wanted to look past the surface of any of the women he dated and, even if he had, it didn’t take a brain surgeon to see he was deliberately choosing women who weren’t looking for attachments. So, what was it about Ali that had him ready to jump, headfirst? He’d told her he loved her. He knew what happened when you said that to a woman. They immediately started looking at white dresses and picking dates for a wedding. But not Ali. No, instead, she’d ignored him and, when she couldn’t ignore it, she ran the other direction like a scared jackrabbit. He’d never known Ali to be afraid of anything.

Chris looked up as he heard an engine slowing in front of the house and recognized David’s truck. He rolled his eyes at the dog. “Great, I must have hit the crap-jackpot.” Chris stuffed his hands into the pockets of his jeans as Bueller rubbed against his thigh, trying to gain his master’s attention again.

David parked the truck behind his and got out. Chris didn’t miss the intent in his eyes; David was pissed and there was only one reason for him to show up here this mad first thing in the morning. Somehow, he’d found out about Ali.

“What the hell are you trying to pull?” David stormed toward him. “I call Ali’s house this morning and her mother tells me you showed up last night, drunk? Was that after I called you?” David shoved him backward, ignoring the low growl of the dog.

Chris wanted to defend himself, to remind David that he’d known Ali far longer, had loved her for years, but he had no right. He’d introduced them, worked to convince David to date her, and then moved in as soon as they had a bump in their relationship. He was a jerk and he didn’t deserve David as a friend, but he couldn’t lie to him.

“Bueller, get to the porch,” he ordered, turning back to David. “Yeah, I went over there and I told her how I feel.”

“What? Horny?” It was a low blow but Chris knew he deserved it.

David shoved him against the side of the truck, taking him by surprise. Chris knew he could take his friend in a fight. He easily outweighed David by twenty pounds of sheer muscle but he wouldn’t. Right now, after what he’d done, he deserved any sort of punishment David felt inclined to give.

“You’ve never wanted her until now. I was right last night; you
are
trying to sabotage our relationship.”

“No, I wasn’t . . . I’m not,” he corrected. “But are you sure you actually have one? She broke up with you. You said so yourself.”

“We’re meeting this afternoon.”

Chris felt like he’d just had the wind knocked out of him. He wanted to break something, to pummel David for lying, but he could see the truth in his friend’s eyes. Why was Ali meeting with him after what they’d shared that morning? He refused to believe he meant nothing to her. She wasn’t the type of girl to sleep with a man she didn’t care about. At least, the Ali he knew before wasn’t. But did he really know her anymore? Maybe David was full of shit, maybe it was planned before he showed up at Ali’s. Excuses floated through his mind, he wanted to believe anything but the thought that he’d been a pawn.

David eyed Chris, suspiciously. “Are you just getting home?”

Chris saw the frown marring David’s brow as his face reddened. “I slept in the barn. I was too drunk to drive so Ali took my keys away. I don’t know how I didn’t kill myself getting there in the first place.”

“Leave her alone, Chris.”

He could hear the pleading note in David’s voice and wondered at the reason for it. Didn’t David realize he was the better man? It was one of the reasons he’d even introduced him to Ali—David was a good man who deserved a good woman to love. Maybe he should leave Ali alone. He was sure to cause her nothing but sorrow.

As if reading his thoughts, David pressed on. “She deserves better than the few nights you’ll offer her until you’ve decided you’re bored.”

Chris adjusted his hat and met David’s serious gaze but didn’t say anything. He wanted to deny the accusation but his past spoke for itself and he wasn’t entirely sure he wouldn’t hurt her.

“Leave her alone, Chris. You can’t give her what she needs. She needs someone who won’t break her heart, someone who knows making love is more than a quick roll in the hay.”

“Someone like you?”

“Someone
not
like you.”

I
F
T
IM
B
ROOKS
hadn’t been the only real estate agent, Alicia would’ve felt better about using him. This was a small town, and small town people knew everyone’s business, and she wanted this to remain under wraps until she chose to reveal it. She didn’t want everyone finding out she was putting an offer on the ranch she’d spotted, and she certainly didn’t want any counter-offers. She hoped she could trust him to keep his mouth shut.

“Well, Alicia, everything seems to be in order; however, there is one small issue.”

Her excitement faded for a moment. Of course, something would go wrong. That was exactly her luck.

No, things are going to work out the way I want for a change.

“Tim, I thought everything was ready once I had the down payment.”

He twisted his mouth sideways and frowned, apologetically. “Well, I’ve been trying to get you pre-approved for a loan but, so far, I’m not having much luck.”

“What can I do to make it easier?” She’d do whatever she had to in order to make this a reality for her parents.

“Get a job.”

“A job?” Alicia narrowed her eyes, hoping Tim was joking.

He shrugged. “Apparently, underwriters don’t like seeing prize money as your source of income, even with your tax returns.”

“What do you mean? It’s what I do. I’m a barrel racer and it’s how I’ve supported myself and my parents for the past seven years.” Alicia couldn’t believe what she was hearing. The bank wouldn’t give her a loan because they didn’t recognize what she did for a living? When Tim didn’t say anything else, she realized he was serious. “What kind of a job am I supposed to have?”

“They want to see a steady income, with regular paychecks. It makes you look dependable.”

“I’ve saved nearly one hundred thousand dollars toward the down payment in less than two years. If that doesn’t prove I can pay the bills, I don’t know what does.” She rose and began to pace his office.

“I know, Alicia. But your debt to income ratio is still borderline and, with the issue of your income, they aren’t budging. There are really only two options. One is to take a steady paying job and the other would be to put twenty percent of the loan amount as a down payment.”

Her eyes widened in shock. “Another ten percent? It’s taken nearly two years to come up with this. You’re asking me to do the impossible.” Ali started to rise to leave.

He moved around his desk and pressed her shoulders, urging her back into the chair. “And that’s why I suggested you take a steady job.” Tim moved back behind his desk. “Depending on the job, you could still race on weekends but hold down the job during the week.”

“And when am I supposed to work my horses? Or travel?”

“I’m just giving you the facts, Alicia.” Tim shrugged. “But, whatever you decide to do, you need to do it quickly because it looks like the property is going into foreclosure proceedings and, if we don’t act soon, at least put in an offer and get the ball rolling, it’s going to auction.”

She dropped her face into her palms and groaned. There was no way to continue to barrel race if she took a job, at least, not on a national scale. But she couldn’t think of any job she was qualified for that would pay her what she was earning in rodeo. Without her winnings, she wouldn’t be able to pay the mortgage on the property, anyway. This morning just continued to get worse. She should have stayed in bed.

A
LICIA PULLED THE
truck into the parking lot of The Queen Bean, the local coffee shop, and dropped her forehead against her hands on the steering wheel.

“Now what?” she whispered in the quiet of the truck.

She was still too far off from the Finals to even think about counting on a win to get her the rest of the down payment. A few wins at some of the bigger purse Texas rodeos might get her closer but it still wouldn’t make up the $50,000 she needed, and not in the short amount of time she had left before the property went into foreclosure. And the likelihood of finding a job that would work around her rodeo schedule was almost nonexistent. She could see her dream slipping away.

Her phone rang and she reached for it, tapping the button to answer before looking at the screen. She’d already texted David, so she assumed he was returning her message.

“Hello?” Alicia didn’t even bother to hide the disappointment from her voice. The last thing she wanted right now was to rehash Colt Greenly’s insults with his son.

“Alicia? It’s Bradley.” She instantly recognized the voice of the man who’d employed her father for so many years. “I was hoping we might sit down and talk about my job offer.”

“Job offer?” Her mind spun at the prospect. She’d been putting him off for so long, she didn’t think he’d still be seriously considering her and, even if he was, she wasn’t sure she wanted to be locked into someone else’s schedule. But, if she took this job, it might be an answer to her prayers. At least, temporarily.

He laughed in the phone. “Yes, didn’t your dad tell you? We’re going to start showing more and we need someone who can travel with the horses. I’d also like to start giving lessons here at the ranch. You’d be great with kids.”

“I . . . I’m flattered, Mr. Langdon, I really am but—”

“Why don’t you meet with me at the house, say four o’clock? We can discuss numbers but I promise you won’t be disappointed.”

She had no doubt the salary would be more than what she was looking for but how much time would she be sacrificing? There would be no time for rodeo if she was showing horses every weekend for the Diamond Bar. “I’m meeting with someone right now, but I should be able to be back to the house by four thirty.”

“Good!” He sounded as if she’d already agreed. “I’ll be waiting for you!”

Alicia hung up just as she saw David pull into the parking lot, a deep frown marring his brow. He seemed to wear a permanent scowl these days and she realized she could sympathize with him. It seemed like nothing was going right for either of them. She sighed and exited the truck, locking it behind her and meeting him at the front bumper.

David quickly pasted a smile on his face when he saw her. “Hey, Ali.” He leaned in and gave her an awkward hug.

“You look mad.”

He opened the door for her and placed his hand at the small of her back. Nothing . . . no tingles, no butterflies, no sizzle of attraction. After spending the morning with Chris’s hands on her, sending fire through her veins, she knew she’d made the right decision breaking things off with David. She cared about him but his touch felt almost brotherly. There was no electricity between them and she just couldn’t pretend anymore. Sleeping with Chris might have been a mistake but trying to force feelings for David would be even worse and it wasn’t fair to him.

“Not mad,” he answered, eyeing her cautiously. “Just worried. About you,” he clarified.

“Me?”

He nodded and placed his order for a coffee, waiting for her to place hers before he paid for both. “Your mom told me Chris showed up drunk last night and woke everyone up.”

She didn’t meet his gaze and prayed he wouldn’t notice the blush creeping over her cheeks. The barista handed them their order and he followed her to a table near the back. Alicia wished he would change the subject.