Perfect Secret by Molly McLain
Chapter 15
ALANA
Holden’s stayed over for the past two nights and I’m fairly certain his occupancy of the little room across the hall is over.
Ten days.
He’s been in my life for ten days and I already dread the morning I wake up alone.
Thank god that day isn’t today.
I press a kiss to his chest and trail my fingers up and down the smooth, muscled ridge of his abs, teasing a little lower to where his erection tents the sheet. His alarm will go off in ten minutes, but I’m confident he’d rather wake up to my touch than the annoying beep of his phone.
“Mmm, good morning to you, too,” he murmurs, his voice husky from sleep.
“I’m sorry. He looked like he wanted attention.”
He chuckles. “He always wants your attention, babe. Unfortunately, I have to be up in five minutes or Wilder’s gonna have my ass.”
“Ugh. Damn Wilder.”
Holden presses a kiss to the top of my head. “What time are you meeting with Hallie today?”
“Three. Susie is coming in early to cover for me.” Hallie and I met yesterday, too, but she ended up having to sit in for Brayden at a last minute bank meeting, so we didn’t get to finish running numbers. “I can’t believe she liked my business plan.”
“Well, of course, she did. You’re a genius.”
“You haven’t even seen it.” I poke at his side and he chuckles.
“I don’t need to see it to know you killed it, babe.” He rolls so we’re face to face. “But I wouldn’t mind seeing it sometime. You know, if you wanted to show me.”
“Really?” I pull back in surprise. “You’d be interested in something like that?”
He frowns. “Yeah, darlin’. I’m interested in you, so by association, I’m interested in what you want to accomplish.”
My silly heart clenches and I press my lips to his in a hard kiss. “You can’t say things like that to me when we both need to get out of this bed.”
His fingers dig into my hip as he deepens the kiss for just a moment before breaking away. “If we didn’t need to be in Rebel River by seven o’clock, I’d show you just how interested I am.”
“Rebel River again?” He mentioned helping a friend of Wilder’s over the weekend, but I assumed it was a one-time thing.
“Yup. I guess Sandy wants to try a new feeding system for the cattle and she wants to run it by Wilder before she brings it up with the foreman. He’s been giving her a lot of hassle and I think she’s trying to avoid the conflict.”
“The Magnolia Blue Ranch? Isn’t that the one right along the river?”
“Yup. Friggin’ gorgeous. Not a ton of land, but it’s a hell of a setup.”
His eyes light up as he talks about the place, which is something I’ve noticed a lot lately when he talks about working on Wilder’s ranch. That shine, however, doesn’t seem to be there when he talks about his job back in Colorado.
His phone begins to chime from the nightstand and he groans as he rolls over to shut it off. “One of these days, we’re going to sleep in and not get out of bed until noon.”
I laugh. “Uh huh, sure.” I’ve opened the market all but two days in the past four years and I don’t see that changing anytime soon.
“A guy can dream, right?” He twists to give me another quick kiss before crawling out of bed. “You’re not heading back to work after meeting with Hallie, are you?”
“Ugh, I should. Then again, Susie’s working tonight and she can close up, too. Why?”
He flashes a mischievous grin. “Was hoping I could take you out tonight.”
I fake gasp and press a hand to my chest. “Like a date?”
He dips his chin. “Yes, ma’am. And none of that pretend shit.”
I giggle, knowing damn well that we were never really fake dating. There was always something very real about it, even though we tried to pretend otherwise.
“And how exactly will this real date differ from a pretend date?” I ask, curiosity rising as I reluctantly slide from the bed, as well.
But Holden merely shakes his head, a crooked grin turning up one side of his mouth. “Nope, darlin’. You’re not getting any hints from me. Just wear something pretty and be ready at six.”
“Something pretty, huh?” Padding around the bed in my bare feet, I toe up to steal a kiss. “I’ll see what I can do.”
HOLDEN
“Sometimes I think I should just sell the place,” Sandy says with a defeated sigh as her fingers worry the corner of the coaster beneath her glass of iced tea.
Wilder and I had arrived early and had spent all morning walking the ranch with her, helping her make a list of all the things that needed updating. While there wasn’t much—Dean had actually done a pretty good job on the upkeep—what we did find seemed to cause her more and more stress.
And that was the thing about owning and running an operation like this. You either had it in you or you didn’t. Sandy had busied herself with raising a family and maintaining the domestic side of the ranch, while her husband handled the rest. Now that she was in charge of it, the truth was slowly revealing itself. This wasn’t how she wanted to spend the rest of her life.
“Dean’s mentioned taking over and maybe even buying the ranch someday, but I don’t think he has the means to do so. At least not within the next ten years and I don’t know that I want to wait around, knowing I’m still responsible for all of this in the meantime, whether he’s running everything or not.” She adjusts in her seat, the legs of the chair screeching slightly against the hardwood floor beneath the oversized dining table. A table that I imagine sits most, if not all of the ranch hands, a few times a week.
“I know you two butt heads more than is good for either of you, but I do think he means well, San.” Wilder passes her a small smile. “In fact, he’s probably feeling the same kind of pressure you are, to keep the Magnolia Blue running just like Hank did.”
The older woman nods. “I know. And part of me wants to give him a chance, but I’d have to do so at my own expense and I just… I don’t know that I have it in me.” When she glances toward the big bay of windows and the rolling fields that lead to the Rebel River, the glisten of emotion in her eyes is unmistakable. “I want to sell. Ideally to someone who will keep my crew at work and make sure their families are fed. Hank would want it that way.”
I don’t know this woman well, but something propels me to reach across the table and cover her hand with mine. “I can tell this is weighing heavily on you, and while I never knew Hank, I think he’d want you to be happy, too.”
A flash of emotion dances across her face and her bottom lip begins to quiver as she turns her hand over beneath mine and squeezes. “I want to do right by him more than anything else,” she whispers.
“We know you do,” Wilder says. “And I did know Hank, so I can confidently say that if selling is what you want, then he would support you in that decision.”
She lets go of my hand to swipe her tears. “My daughter Sarah said the same. In fact, she’s already talking about moving me into her guest house, so I can be close to my grandbabies.”
I chuckle. “Well, that sounds just about perfect.”
“Sarah lives in California,” Wilder says with a scowl as if the Golden State is anything but.
“I don’t care if it’s downtown L.A., as long as I can see my babies more.” Sandy glances back and forth between us, a smile slowly replacing the fear and unease. “Thank you both for this. For just listening and hearing me out.”
“You know I’m here for you, Sandy. Anything you need, just ask.”
She tucks a strand of gray hair behind her ear and bites her lip. “Would you… would you be here when I have Grady or Cole come out to look things over?”
Wilder dips his chin. “Absolutely.”
Her relief seems to lighten her shoulders and it puts me at ease, too. Again, I don’t really know Sandy and I never had the pleasure of meeting her late husband, but I felt a connection to this woman and to this ranch the moment I stepped out of the truck last week. Wilder’s ranch has a similar vibe. Both are more than a business and a means of livelihood. They exude a feeling of family. Of connection and stability and the promise for a future built on something solid.
Wilder turns his truck into the long driveway of the Roman Wilde Ranch an hour later, the trip from Rebel River back to Mason Creek filled with idle chitchat about what will come next for Sandy.
Wilder offered to be there as a token of moral support when she talked to her staff, but she declined, claiming it would be too emotional and she didn’t want to burden him that way when he’d already done so much. She could handle that part of things if he’d help her with the realtor to ensure she gets a fair price.
“You’re thinking about it, aren’t you?” he asks when he puts the truck into park in front of the stable.
“Thinking about what?” I frown like I don’t know exactly what he’s talking about and he smirks.
“You won the world title a couple years back. You’ve got a boatload of money sitting in the bank, am I right?”
I give a low laugh, my newfound bitterness for ABR rearing its ugly head. “I have money in the bank because I’ve invested it, not only because of the friggin’ ABR.”
He cants his head in acknowledgment, then, “You know that’s not what I’m really asking.”
Yeah, I do, but I’m not sure of more than that right now.
Of course, I’d love a place like Magnolia Blue. In fact, it’s no secret I’ve wanted a ranch of my own someday. My dream has always been to retire from bull riding and get back to my roots. Back to work that provides far more than entertainment. To work that means something.
Magnolia Blue is the perfect setup. It’s not too big. It’s friggin’ beautiful. And it would come with a legacy, too. A history of Sandy and Hank’s hard work and Hank’s family before them. Something I could help them carry on.
I didn’t come here looking, but I’d be a fool not to seriously consider Magnolia. After all, what are the chances the perfect opportunity would present itself while I was here?
I don’t know what will happen with the ABR, but then… does the decision have to be theirs? If I want this—this chance for a new career and a future right here in Montana—then maybe I should be the one to make the next move.
ALANA
“We may have a problem with capital,” Hallie says, her lips twisting thoughtfully as she reviews the computer screen.
Even though I knew as much, my stomach still sinks. “What kind of number are we talking about?”
She lifts a shoulder. “Depends on the final appraisal of the store and an in-depth review of the market’s financials. Do you think Marty would allow me to take a look?”
“I don’t see why not. He knows you’re helping me, and I honestly believe he wants me to be the one who buys the store.”
She nods and then hesitates. “I know it might be difficult, but you may want to have a conversation with him about the down payment. We could get creative and ultimately have him front the money.”
I pull in a deep breath and rub my fingers nervously against my jeans. “Holden mentioned that, too.” And I have a feeling Marty would do what he could to help me out. But another part of me worries that Marty may not be around long enough for me to pay him back. That doesn’t feel right.
“Speaking of which…” Hallie spins away from her computer and levels a curious glance my way. “What in the heck is going on with you two?”
“Who? Me and Holden?” I ask, knowing darn well I’m only delaying the inevitable by a few moments.
She cocks her head to the side. “Really? We’re going to do this?”
I laugh and glance toward the windows as warmth fills my cheeks. An older couple strolls past on the sidewalk, and my nervous laughter melts into longing.
“He’s helping me out with something,” I say. Or rather he was, but now…
“What kind of something?” Hallie persists, and I turn back to her with a sigh. I’ve never been good at lying, and right now I’m not sure I even want to.
“Actually, he was helping me, but we’ve sort of flipped the script.”
Her perfect brows lift. “Oh, I think I like where this is going. Go on.”
Sucking in a deep breath, I tell her everything. Well, everything but the sleeping together bits. She can put those pieces together herself if she wants to.
“Let me get this straight,” she says, flattening her hands on her desk and leaning in a bit. “He offered to go out with you to get the other guys in town talking and even more interested, but now you’re really dating?”
I tip my head back and forth, then nod. “More or less. Except when we were faking it, we wanted everyone to think it was real. And now that it’s real, we don’t want anyone to know.”
She blinks at me.
“I told Aiden we had an arrangement, which at the time was true. Now that it’s real, I’d really like him to continue thinking it’s nothing he needs to worry about.”
“Ah.” Her smirk turns into a light laugh. “I can understand that.”
“He tries to make up for lost time or something with the overprotective big brother act. Wilder probably told you he showed up at the ranch over the weekend to give Holden hell.”
“Yeah, he mentioned it. He also said you haven’t dated in a while.”
My gaze flicks to hers. “Wilder said that?”
She nods, then in a low voice adds, “You must really like him.”
Butterflies lift in my stomach and I don’t bother to deny it. “I do. And that’s crazy, isn’t it? He’s only been here ten days.”
Her smile widens and then she shakes her head. “Wow.”
“What? Why are you looking at me like that?”
“Either you’re more out of practice than I realized and you genuinely think it’s weird to connect with someone you’ve just met or your feelings for him already go beyond like.”
“Oh.” The back of my neck begins to burn and the fluttering in my belly grows. “A little of both maybe?”
Hallie makes a soft throaty sound. “Maybe leaning a little more towards the latter?”
I swallow hard because admitting that to someone else when I’ve barely accepted it myself stirs up both relief and fear. I finally told Madelyn about Holden, but she’s been too busy to have any significant conversation. And I could never tell Emma for fear she’d tell Aiden.
But also admitting that Holden is the kind of guy I could easily get serious about is terrifying. He’ll leave Mason Creek soon, and there’s no doubt he’s already going to take a piece of me with him.
Maybe it was the timing of my life and my readiness to pull out of my funk… or maybe it was meeting Holden that set it all into motion, I don’t know. But I do know that he’s special and in the short time he’s been in my life, he’s already left his mark.