Rode Hard, Put Up Wet: Cowboy Romance (Rebels & Outlaws 2)

Chapter Thirty-Five

"I'm ready to talk about a potential offer on the ranch."

The words don't feel right coming out of his mouth. He should've found another way, or he shouldn't have let the boys get hurt, or… something. Anything. But instead, he's already decided that with this little bit of trouble that he's having, it's time to sell the ranch.

His stomach turns, but it's what he has to do. The boy's future is more important than the ranch, no matter how much she offers. As long as he can skim the extra off the top, it doesn't matter.

"Are you sure about this?"

Her response almost makes him feel worse.

"Don't ask me that, God damn it all. Just. Can we meet somewhere?"

"Okay." She offers to meet him at the ranch. It's as good a place as any, he supposes. And it's getting late, so he ought to be heading home in the first place. It'll be time for bed in only a couple of hours.

But first, he's got to finish business of the day, and today's been a busy day already. Callahan slides into the truck and starts it up. His body moves automatically, taking him home even as his brain is too tired for even one more thought.

He pulls up beside the red car that's already in his yard and clambers out of the truck. His head feels like someone drove a wedge right through it, but he keeps his head on straight as best as he can.

She's waiting for him by the door.

"Are you feeling alright?"

No, he's not. "I'm fine."

"You don't look so good. We can do this any time. It doesn't have to be tonight."

"Sure it does."

She stops arguing. It's the right decision to make, he thinks. Don't argue, just accept that he's going to do what he wants to. What he has to. And if she gets what she wants out of it, then that's good for her. Good for him, too, because he needs the payout.

"I need a number, Morgan." He's too tired for this negotiating stuff. The mood he's in, he could use something to get him chee

red up. That, and a cup of coffee.

He undresses her with his eyes as he sits. And yet, his mood is sufficiently sour that it's almost hard to enjoy.

Almost.

"I was talking with some of my associates, and—"

"A number."

"We're prepared to offer you five-hundred and fifty thousand dollars."

"You have another plot, you could sell me? Right? You mentioned something about a plot a bit north of here."

"Um, let me just—"

"What's that change the total to?"

She closes her eyes a minute like she's doing math, and then reaches into her pocket and pulls out a piece of paper.

"The land was valued by our surveyors at around five hundred thousand, but—" She takes a breath and closes her eyes again. Then she's straightened out again. "I could give it to you, plus a hundred fifty thousand, if you agree to let us have this property. We could move your wife's—"

His jaw gets tight. "What about my wife?"

She looks surprised, like she hadn't realized that she might be stepping on toes, and in all likelihood she hadn't realized it.