Once they were seated, he held her hand. “And what will it take to set things right?”
Alexis sucked in a deep breath and blew it out. She launched into the biggest, most important negotiation of her life—one that would dictate the terms of her future.
CHAPTER TWENTY-SIX
Alexis hadn’t even been gone a day, and Cord was utterly miserable.
None of the ranch hands would get near him—not even Manny. He couldn’t blame them. He was in a foul mood, and everything grated on his frayed nerves.
Being absolutely no help to anyone or anything, he’d taken off on horseback. He’d hoped riding astride Midnight Star with the wind in his face would lessen the sting of Lexi’s rejection. It hadn’t worked. If anything, the silence had him missing her even more.
Now back at the barn, it was long past dinnertime. With his horse tended to, he headed back to the house. He was partway up the porch steps when he thought he heard an approaching vehicle. He refused to give in to another one of his deluded fantasies that Lexi had changed her mind and come looking for him. He assured himself he was hearing things…again. Even if it was a vehicle, it wouldn’t be Lexi. She was on a plane by now, jetting across the country.
He’d reached the front door and grabbed for the doorknob when the sound of the engine was so close he was certain it wasn’t his imagination. Whoever it was, he was in no mood to talk to them. He didn’t care if it was rude, he started inside.
“Aren’t you even going to hear me out?” a familiar voice called out.
Lexi? Hope and anticipation swelled in his chest. He spun around, finding her standing in the driveway. She’d returned. He blew out a long-held breath. He refused to get his hopes up too high. She could be here for anything.
She climbed the steps, holding some folded papers.
His excitement skidded to a halt. “Are those more papers you need me to sign before you leave town?”
She glanced at her hand and then back at him. “Is that what you want? For me to leave? Have you changed your mind about us that quickly?”
“You know what I want,” he ground out. “And you turned me down.”
“I never turned you down. If you’ll remember, I said I couldn’t accept your proposal under those circumstances. We had too many things stacked against us.”
“And hours later, it’s that much different?” He stifled the urge to pull her into his arms. He was still wary of her intentions.
A tiny smile pulled at her lips as she shrugged. Now he was certain she was up to something, and he wasn’t sure if he liked it or not.
“Okay, Lexi. Spit it out. What has changed?”
“I officially quit my job. Now you can ask me that question again.”
She what? She had? When? Life suddenly hit warp speed, and he was having problems hanging on for the ride.
“Slow down. Let me get this straight. You actually quit HSG? I never thought you’d leave your father alone to run the company.”
“I’ve proven myself in the business world, but I don’t want it to be my entire life, like it was for my father. I need more.”
A surge of excitement raced over Cord. He struggled to remain still and not smother her with kisses. He needed to be sure she’d thought this completely through.
“And you think living here at the Brazen H is going to give you that fulfillment?”
“I’m here to stay. If you’ll have me.”
“But what about your father? How can you leave him when he needs you?”
“That’s something I wanted to discuss with you. What would you say to having a permanent houseguest?”
“Your father?” Cord didn’t hide the shock in his voice.
She nodded and smiled. “When he figured out I wasn’t as devoted to the business as he’d always been, he decided to sell the company to an associate who has made offers for it over the years. So he and I, we come as a package deal.”
“You do, huh?”