“I’m going to cut you off before you even get started with that,” he said, shaking his head. But he was still smiling. “Vanessa, trust me when I say, there is nothing that I could spend that money on that would mean as much to me as being able to help fund your gallery. Anyway, I expect that when the place takes off and becomes a multi-billion dollar venture, you’ll pay me back my measly ten grand. Then, I will be able to do exactly what I want with it.”
“But what if the gallery fails?” I asked, feeling worried. Of course, I needed to pay him back at some point, but the gallery was a risky investment, even though everyone I talked to thought it was a good idea. I couldn’t let Trethan invest in an uncertain idea. “If the bank refuses to let me take out a loan for it, I couldn’t let you risk your own money on it. It’s too much money. I know exactly how much that could mean for you, given the wage that my dad is paying you.”
He groaned. “Will you forget what the bank said for a moment? Those guys are idiots. They wouldn’t know a good idea if it bit them in the ass. That’s why they’re bankers; t
here isn’t a shred of creativity in any of them.” He paused, putting his hands on my shoulders and staring down into my eyes. “Vanessa, it’s a great idea, and you know it. The whole town is rooting for you, anyway.”
I couldn’t help smiling at him. “Thanks,” I said, leaning up on my toes to kiss him. “I’m glad to have your support.” I bit my lower lip. “But I really am worried about you. Bull riding is a dangerous sport.”
“I know, I know,” Trethan said. “I’ll be careful. I promise.”
“It’s not all about being careful,” I told him grimly. “You also have to be pretty lucky.”
“Oh, do I?” he asked, grinning devilishly at me. “It’s been a few days since I got lucky.”
I laughed and pushed at his shoulder. “Is that all you ever think about?” I asked him.
He shrugged. “When I have a girlfriend as sexy as you, of course that’s all I can think about,” he said, looking as though this were the tragedy of the century. “So, what do you say?”
I sighed. “Unfortunately, I have to get back home,” I told him. “I promised Dad I would have dinner ready by the time he got done with the classes he’s teaching this evening. I had just run out to go to the store and pick up some groceries when I got your text.” I frowned, cocking my head to the side. “But maybe you could come over for dinner, and then afterward, we could have some alone time.”
Trethan grimaced. “I’m not sure that’s the best idea,” he said. “What with your dad being there and all.”
I hated the feeling I got when he said it like that. He meant he didn’t want Dad to find out we were sleeping together. Dad, of course, would assume that we were dating again, and Trethan didn’t want him to get the wrong impression. No big deal.
It hurt, but I tried to play it off, shrugging.
“It’s not like you’ve never come over for dinner with us before,” I said mildly. “Dad even invited you to my welcome home dinner, remember? He won’t think there’s anything strange about seeing you there tonight.”
“Your welcome dinner happened before we were back together,” he said, shrugging and looking sheepishly off to the side. “I don’t know if I could keep my hands to myself.”
I blinked at him and then blushed. “Oh,” I said.
“Oh,” he agreed. He caught my hips and pulled me in close to him, bending down to rest his forehead against mine and trailing his fingertips up over my breasts. I only wore a flimsy bralette, given the summer heat, and it was obvious how turned on I was from his touch. My nipples were already pert nubs beneath the thin material.
Trethan groaned and tore himself away. “If you’re ever going to get back and cook dinner, you should probably leave,” he told me. “Otherwise, I’m going to drag you inside and have my way with you. Again and again and again, for the whole night.”
My breath caught, and I was tempted to call Dad and tell him I was staying at a friend’s house for the night. That I wouldn’t be home for dinner, after all.
But there wasn’t an alibi that I could provide if I did that. It wasn’t like the old days when I could just say that I was over at Julie’s house. I could throw out some other name, but Dad would wonder why he hadn’t heard their name come up before this impromptu sleepover. Anyway, it was a small town, and there was a chance that Dad would go out to eat dinner if I didn’t come home and run into the very person I had used as my alibi.
I sighed and took a step back. “I should leave,” I agreed, nodding my head. But I still lingered there. “Maybe sometime later this week?”
He nodded. “I’m going to be training with Larry for the next few days,” he told me. “So I’m not sure how exhausted I’ll be or what my time will be like. But sometime later this week, for sure.”
I smiled at him and then swooped in for one final, quick peck on the lips. Then, I darted back to my car and reversed down the driveway, carefully not looking back at Trethan because I knew I would never leave if I did.
Chapter Twenty-Nine
Trethan
I pulled up at the ranch George had directed me to, looking around the place with a frown on my face. It was clear that George hadn’t bought the place too long ago and renovations were still ongoing. A pile of timber sat off to the left side of the driveway, some of it new and some of it obviously torn from older buildings around the place. The house was freshly painted, as was the bright red barn behind it, but the shed to the right of the house was dilapidated and looked as though it could fall down at any moment. Three fences needed serious repairs, some of which surrounded dirt fields where I could see horses, off in the distance.
With the state of things, no animals should have been around there.
I got an uneasy feeling in my gut, wondering if maybe George had bitten off more than he could chew. Or more importantly, if he had any idea what he was doing.
But then, I saw Larry striding toward me from the barn. He must know what he was doing; he’d been on the circuit long enough. I was just used to the Lazy J, where John ran everything with the precision and attention of a military stable. Anyway, with the number of workmen scattered around the scene, I was sure that things would improve soon.