He stopped suddenly, and her hand fell away. He turned to her with those dark, unreadable eyes. “You wanted a tour, I’m giving it to you. Don’t push your luck. We can still visit the sheriff’s office.”
Was he serious? It was highly doubtful. If he’d intended to have her charged with trespassing, he’d have done it by now. No, there was something he’d almost let slip—something important. But what? And why didn’t he want her to know?
She stared at his back as he strode away. There was so much more to the reclusive cowboy than his need to cling to his heritage, and she intended to find out what he was hiding. Maybe if he let down his barriers just a little, others would see him through new eyes—like she saw him. She assured herself that she wasn’t getting emotionally invested in him. She knew all too well not to let a person get too close. In the end, she’d be the one to get hurt. And she refused to let herself become vulnerable again—not even for a lonely cowboy.
Not wanting to be left behind, she rushed after him. Honoring his wishes, she changed the subject. “Do you really believe in ghosts or spirits or whatever you want to call them?”
“There’s a lot of unknowns in this world. I try not to be closed-minded.”
“Too bad more people aren’t like you.” She stopped to scan the perimeter. The sight of a graveyard in the distance drew her interest. “Let’s walk over there.”
She took off without bothering to check if Cord was behind her. Row upon row of tombstones faced her. Most of the markers were so old the weather had worn away the names, leaving her to wonder about the people laid to rest here.
Cord’s voice came from behind her. “This land was a symbol of a new beginning for my great-great-grandfather. He sold his businesses in the East to move here. He worked night and day to carve out a life for himself.”
“I can’t imagine giving up everything you’ve worked for only to start over again from scratch.”
“Not surprising,” Cord mumbled.
“Hey, what’s that supposed to mean?”
He slid his hands in his pockets. “Just doesn’t surprise me that you wouldn’t be willing to give up your five-star restaurants and boardrooms to follow your heart—”
“Hey!” She poked him in the chest. “You don’t know anything about my heart or what I’m capable of.”
Before she could poke him again, his strong fingers wrapped around her hand and held it captive against the pounding inside chest. “Whoa there. I didn’t mean to upset you.”
She should yank her hand away. She should tell him he had struck a very sensitive nerve. She should turn and walk away. Instead, she tilted her chin up and met his concerned gaze. Those warm chocolate eyes drew her in and held her transfixed.
Why in the world had she let his words affect her so deeply? He wasn’t Steven, the man who’d accused her of not being happy for him after he’d used her father’s name and connections to get a bigger title with a bigger company on the West Coast. When she’d asked him for time so that they could work through this huge change in their life, Steven had said all of the right things, while simultaneously doing all of the wrong things with another woman behind Alexis’s back.
A guilty look crossed Cord’s handsome face as his steady gaze continued to hold hers. “Sometimes I don’t think before I speak.”
“And sometimes I overreact.” She hoped to put him at ease, even though her heart was racing.
His gaze dipped to her lips. She knew that look—the desire was evident. And this was all wrong. She’d just got done stitching her heart back together. She wasn’t going to let herself get hurt again.
She pulled her hand from his, immediately missing his touch. It’d been so long since she’d let down her defenses and enjoyed the warmth and tenderness found in the mere act of holding hands. It surprised her how much she longed for a longer connection, a deeper connection.
Giving herself a mental shake, she walked around the graveyard, trying to center her turbulent thoughts. While most of the gravestones were worn smooth, two large markers stood out. “Are those graves new?”
“They belong to my parents.” A slight hitch in his voice let her know how much he missed his family. “Mama wanted to be buried here with her ancestors, and Papa would have followed my mother to the ends of the earth.”
The knowledge that his parents were laid to rest out here shocked her. No wonder he didn’t want to sell the land. A knot of emotion tightened inside her as she struggled with a moment of indecision. If she pushed ahead with her plans, Cord would lose. And if she gave up, she would lose her one chance to put HSG back in the black without her father finding out how close the company had come to filing for bankruptcy. She was doomed no matter which way she turned.
“I’m sorry, Cord.” She reached out and squeezed his hand.
A tremor of awareness coursed its way up her arm and finally settled in her chest. Her sympathies encompassed more than him losing his family. Because even though she now knew how important this land was to him, she couldn’t walk away.
Cord’s brown eyes warmed as he tightened his long fingers aroun
d hers. “Now, are you beginning to understand why I can’t sell you Haggerty?”
“I had no idea there was a cemetery out here. No one mentioned it. I’ll make certain they fence off this area so no one disturbs it. You have my word on it.” It wasn’t a sales pitch. She’d definitely make the fence a priority.
He jerked his hand away as though her touch had scalded him. “Even after telling you how important this ghost town is to my family, you’re still insisting on including it as part of the deal?”
As much as she’d like to make Cord happy by walking away from this land deal, she couldn’t. This sale was necessary—for both their sakes. The Southwest contained only a handful of ghost towns. Mr. Santos had a lead on one in Arizona that was about to be listed, but nothing was definite yet. Still, Alexis found herself hoping for an alternative solution.