“I don’t intend to do anything to help you turn my past into some sort of tourist trap.” He threw open the door. “Go home to New York.”
The backs of her eyes burned with unshed tears. She swallowed down the rush of emotions. “You’re going to lose your home, Cord. Is there some way I can make this easier for you?”
“Yes. Leave.”
Regret clawed at her throat, choking her with its foul taste. Unable to speak for fear of losing control of her rising emotions, she turned pleading eyes in his direction.
“Just go. Get off my land before I call the sheriff.” The ice-cold control in his voice chilled her to the bone.
Each step toward the door took effort. It was as though her feet were weighted down. Perhaps giving him some time to digest the news and cool down would be a wise way of handling this, but she was only deluding herself. Even if he came to his senses and signed the papers, he’d never forgive her.
She turned back. “I’ll return tomorrow for the papers.”
For an instant, the devastation showed on his face. He looked as though he’d aged ten years. Regret consumed her. She might be on the eve of saving her father’s company and Cord’s home, but she’d lost the only man she’d ever truly loved.
CHAPTER TWENTY-THREE
Cord slammed the front door, rattling the pictures on the walls. He strode into the living room. How dare Lexi march in here with her ultimatums? His hands clenched.
What in the world had he been thinking professing his love for her? Had he completely lost his senses? Hadn’t one hasty marriage been enough for him to learn to be cautious when it came to women?
He glanced at the photos of his ancestors. His gaze settled on the photo of his wise grandfather, who had raised him to love the land. He could feel the man shaking his head at him in disappointment. Guilt settled over Cord like a soggy wool blanket, cooling his rising emotions. The image of Lexi filled his thoughts.
You’ve been so focused on your save-the-ghost-town-at-all-costs campaign that I don’t think you’ve heard one word I’ve said about my father…
Her words echoed in his mind. His body tensed as his hands balled into fists. Of course, he’d listened. Hadn’t he?
Was it possible he had such tunnel vision when it came to saving Haggerty that he’d never given any real consideration to Lexi’s needs and the possibility she might end up losing her father and the legacy he’d built for her?
Cord dropped down on the edge of the couch and looked up at the family pictures on the wall. Conflicting emotions churned in his gut.
“What have I done?” He lowered his head into his outstretched hands.
Lost not only the family land…but the woman I love.
He recalled snippets of his conversation with Lexi about her company and the resort. Maybe he hadn’t considered the people relying on her, such as her ailing father or her employees. He knew too well the burden of worrying about your employees and the need to make sure he could keep all his ranch hands on the payroll.
Cord raised his head, and his gaze landed on the picture of his parents on the mantel. He’d made such a mess of things. What would his mother tell him to do about Lexi—the woman with a successful career on the other side of the country? Did Lexi truly care about him, like she claimed? Or was she playing on his feelings to get what she wanted from him, like his ex did?
The questions continued to whirl through his mind at lightning speed, making his stomach feel sick. He had to get this right—too much was riding on what he did next.
He walked past the unsigned sales agreement and straight out the front door. He jumped into his pickup and fired it up. The back tires spun as he punched the gas. He knew what had to be done, and he didn’t like it one little bit.
Questions and regrets trailed him into Whistle Stop. He stopped by the grain and feed store on the pretext of checking on an order. He then found himself walking from one end of town to the other. He swore to himself that he was only burning off some pent-up frustration, not trying to bump into Lexi.
When he ended up standing in front of the Green Chile Cantina, he didn’t have any appetite, but he sure could use a cup of coffee. Deflated and weary, he entered the restaurant. A handful of tables were occupied, but with it being a few minutes past eleven, the other residents had yet to come calling for lunch.
“Just one today?” Ana asked as she approached him. Her eyes needled him for information…about Lexi, he was certain.
He nodded. “You know me, always the lone rancher.”
She turned her back to him to grab a menu. “Too bad. Thought you and Alexis had something going on.”
So did he.
“You don’t have to worry about her. She’s getting ready to head back to New York. She’ll probably be on the next flight out of here.”
“Really?” Ana led him to a corner booth. “That’s interesting, because she didn’t mention anything to me at bingo.”