“Are you going to sell me your share of the ranch?” she asked. As far as she was concerned, that was the only acceptable answer.
His deep chuckle sent a shiver streaking up her spine. “No. And I’m betting you aren’t willing to sell me yours.”
“Not a chance,” she shot back.
“I figured as much.” He got to his feet and walked over to lean one shoulder against the porch support post in front of her. “But I think the one thing we do agree on is the fact that the way things are now is unacceptable.”
She nodded. “You’re right about that. There’s nothing about this that I find even remotely acceptable.”
“Before I tell you what I have in mind, I’d like to ask that you hear me out before you give me your answer,” he said, folding his arms across his wide chest. “Do you think you can do that, Taylor?”
His deep baritone voice saying her name caused her to catch her breath. “A-all right. What have you come up with?”
“I want us to play poker,” he said, meeting her questioning gaze. “If you win, I’ll sell you my share of the Lucky Ace and you’ll be rid of me for good.”
Taylor’s heart sank. Her grandfather might have been a world-class poker player, but she had never taken an interest in the game and didn’t have a clue about how to play. What chance would she have against someone like Donaldson?
Besides, she wasn’t entirely certain she could trust that he would play honestly. And even if he did, he was a professional and in the same elite category as her grandfather had been. She wouldn’t have a prayer of winning against him.
“And if you should happen to win?” she asked, knowing she wasn’t going to like his answer.
He smiled. “If I win, you go back to California and I stay right here.”
“Absolutely not,” she said, shaking her head. “I’m not taking a chance of losing my share—”
He held up his hand to stop her. “You promised to hear me out.”
Glaring at him, she folded her arms beneath her breasts. “All right,” she conceded. “Continue.”
“I didn’t mention anything about you losing your interest in the ranch,” he said calmly. “If I win, you would retain your half of the place, go back to California and be content with occasional visits. And I’m sure we can come to an agreement on how often you want to receive reports and dividend checks, as well as sign documents stating that if either of us ever decide we want to sell our share, we’ll give the other the first right of purchase.”
Suspicious, she asked, “Why are you willing to be so generous? You told me that if I won, you would sell me your half. Doesn’t that work both ways? Wouldn’t you want my share if I lost?”
“It’s true that I’d like to own the entire property,” he admitted. “But I know this land belonged to your grandfather and that you have a sentimental attachment to it. I respect that and wouldn’t ask you to give it up if it means that much to you.”
“Why do you want it?” she demanded. There had to be a reason behind his stubbornness about not selling his part of the ranch and she was determined to find out what it was. “You don’t have the same ties to it that I do.”
He paused for a moment as he stared down at his boots. When he looked up, he shrugged his broad shoulders. “I finished growing up on a place a lot like this one and until I moved here last fall, I didn’t realize how much I missed living on a ranch.”
“Surely there are other places you could buy,” she said, hoping he would see reason. “Texas isn’t the only state with ranch property. I’m sure you could find something suitable somewhere else. And you wouldn’t have a business partner. You would be the sole owner.”
“All of my brothers have ranches that are close by or within a few hours’ driving distance from here and there’s nothing the size of the Lucky Ace for sale that isn’t at least a day’s drive away.” He smiled. “I’m sure you can understand my wanting to be close to my family, as well as not wanting to settle for something that isn’t what I really want.”
Staring at him, she couldn’t help but wonder what it was like to want to be close to family. Being the only child of a couple who should have never married, the only family member she had ever been close to was her grandfather. Spending all of her summers with him on the Lucky Ace until she enrolled in cooking school after high school graduation had been her only reprieve from her parents’ constant arguing. That’s why it meant so much to her. It represented the tranquility that she’d never had at home. But that wasn’t something she felt comfortable sharing with just anyone, and especially not with Donaldson.