“You did what?” He didn’t need anyone sticking up for him.
“I told her that you’ve been nothing but kind and considerate.”
He had? That’s really how she saw him? The funny feeling in his chest left him feeling off-kilter. What was he supposed to say now?
“Don’t look so shocked. You can be quite the gentleman when you set your mind to it.”
No one had ever said such kind things to him. Unable to look her in the eyes, he gazed down at his plate. “You shouldn’t have wasted your time. They already have their minds made up about me.”
“Mrs. Sanchez seemed quite interested in my opinion of you. Perhaps you should give them a second chance, and maybe they’ll give you one, too.”
Uncomfortable with this line of conversation, he decided to turn it around. “You made quite an impression on Mr. Forbes. He thinks your resort would be good for the local economy. He insisted I learn more about your plans. So now it’s your turn. Tell me more about this resort you’re all gung ho to build.”
“I have some information in my room that you’re welcome to read.” Her chair scraped over the tile floor.
He held out his hand to stop her from getting up. “I don’t want to read some sales pitch. I just want you to be bluntly honest with me. What kind of resort would you build?”
“A Wild West-themed one.”
Hence, the need for the ghost town. “Why in the world would you build a vacation destination in the middle of nowhere?”
“That’s one of the land’s many charms. It’ll provide privacy to the resort’s guests.”
“Why would they need privacy?” A dull ache in his gut told him he wasn’t going to like the answer.
“I suppose at this point it won’t hurt to tell you that this will be an exclusive resort. The clientele will be high-profile people who want a vacation without having to worry about the paparazzi snapping pictures for those grocery store tabloids.”
“And the ghost town?”
“We’ll provide it as an attraction for the guests to explore.”
Speechless, he stared at her. She wanted to take the land his family had eked out a living on and turn it into some sort of amusement for the rich and famous. His gut twisted.
He stood and grabbed his half-empty plate. He strode to the sink and deposited it. What had happened to his plans for some fun banter and kissing? His jaw tightened. This wasn’t anywhere close to the ending he’d dreamed up.
“Hey, where are you going?” she called to him.
“I have to clean up the kitchen.”
“You didn’t finish eating. And you didn’t share your thoughts about the resort.”
He kept his back to her. His hands clenched the edge of the counter. “That’s not a good idea. I don’t think you want to hear what I think.”
“Sure I do.”
He shook his head. “Go rest while I clean up.”
He needed the time alone to wrap his head around what she’d told him. Even though she appeared to be a desirable lady with lots of love for her father, Cord couldn’t get past his horror of her wanting to do something so trivial with the land—his land. When he was out there on the range, he could be comfortable with himself. He wasn’t constantly reminded of his shortcomings.
What he had now was all he would ever own. By giving up a large chunk of his family’s land, his acreage would drastically shrink—his ability to make a living off the land would be severely compromised. Less land would mean a smaller herd of cattle, which would mean significantly less income. He’d have to let go of some of his ranch hands—men who counted on him for a paycheck. The thought washed away the sweetness from his iced tea, leaving behind only bitterness.
“I don’t want to rest,” Lexi insisted. “I want to talk—about the resort. Admit it, the plan has a lot of potential. Not only will it save the Brazen H from foreclosure, but it’ll bring a lot of business back to Whistle Stop.”
He turned to her. “Why did you have to pick my family’s land? This is a large desert area. There’s lots of other remote property. Why do you have to destroy my heritage to make a profit?”
Tense lines etched her beautiful face as her painted nails tucked a strand of hair behind her ear. “Our investors want something new and invigorating. Your land offers a host of unique resort activities from rock-climbing to hiking to exploring a genuine ghost town. In addition, the area allows for an airstrip for private planes, as well as commuter flights out of the Albuquerque airport.”
In any other circumstance, he’d have applauded her for devising a resort unique from the ski and golf resorts such as the ones up north in Red River and Angel Fire. If only she hadn’t set her sights on his land.