The Wrong Rancher
Автор
J. Margot Critch
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22
One
Piper sat back in the buttery-smooth leather seat and sipped from her champagne flute. She looked out the small round window of the private plane that had been sent to Chicago to take her to the small Texas ranch town of Applewood. “Ms. Gallagher,” the flight attendant said, collecting Piper’s now-empty glass from the table next to her. “We’ll be beginning our descent now. Touchdown on the Applewood airstrip in just ten minutes.”
“Thank you. For everything.” Piper had never experienced such luxury before in her life. In just forty-eight hours, her normally modest life had done a full one-eighty. If her trip to Applewood worked out favorably, this was something she could get used to, but she wasn’t going to count her chickens too early on that one.
“It was a pleasure having you on board. I hope you have a great time in Applewood.”
Piper smiled at the woman, who turned to walk back to the galley. Applewood. Piper mused over the word. It was a town she’d never heard of before two days ago, and thanks to the network of billion-dollar ranches in the town per capita, it one of the wealthiest in the country. Seeing as how a private jet was her first introduction to the community, she believed it. She smoothed a hand over the arm of her chair as she felt the plane decreasing its altitude.
A few minutes later, the plane landed at the Applewood airstrip, and Piper found her luxurious ride over far too soon. She disembarked and saw that the tarmac was lined with small white luxury planes. She’d previously wondered why Applewood had its own airstrip and regional airport, but now it all made sense to her.
She was led into the small airport, where she was to wait until her bag was unloaded from the plane and brought to her. The walls of the small building were made of glass and she took the opportunity to check out the environment around her. From the air, she’d seen the large swaths of rolling hills and ranchland that broke up the dense forests and comprised much of the town. The sun was high in the sky, casting a warm glow over everything in sight. It was a stunning sight, so tranquil, so quiet, so far removed from her crowded, bustling neighborhood in Chicago.
She pulled her phone from her purse to take a photo. Her eyes were still on her screen when she turned away from the glass wall and crashed against something hard and quite warm.
“Oof,” she said as the air compressed from her lungs at the impact, and she looked up to see the amused smile of possibly the sexiest man she’d ever seen. “I’m so sorry,” Piper told him, feeling an embarrassed flush rise in her cheeks. “I really should be looking where I’m going.”
He put a steadying hand on her upper arm. “It’s quite all right, ma’am,” he said in an irresistibly slow drawl. “Are you okay?”
“I’m fine, thank you.”
“I noticed you looking at the scenery,” he noted.
She took the opportunity to look up at him again. He was the classic tall, dark, and handsome type, with a stunning smile, strong jaw and high cheekbones. The thick waves of his black hair were brushed back, and she was tempted to push her fingers through them.
“Yeah, I just landed and was killing some time while I wait for my bag,” Piper overexplained. She did that when she was nervous, and for some reason, this man made her nervous. She tore her eyes away from him and back to the glass. The sky was a stunning cerulean blue. “It’s gorgeous here.”
He was wearing a black T-shirt and jeans, a leather backpack slung over one shoulder. His square jaw was covered in a short dark beard. Speaking of gorgeous sights. She covertly looked him up and down through her dark sunglasses. He was handsome, and from the way he filled out his clothing, she could tell he was strong. Piper was absolutely transfixed.
“Is this your first visit to Applewood?” he asked her.
“Yes, it is. I don’t know just how long I’ll be here, yet,” she explained. “But I’m looking forward to getting out there and exploring.” And maybe crossing paths again with this mysterious hunk. “Do you live here in town?” she asked.
“I do. I guess my plane must have landed just after yours.”
His plane. So he was another rich person in Applewood. And she didn’t bother to correct him about her own status. “Yeah, perhaps.”
They watched each other for several beats before he smiled and shook his head, clearly embarrassed. “I’m sorry, I’ve forgotten my manners.” He stuck out his hand. “Maverick Kane.”
She shook his hand. “I’m Piper Gallagher. Nice to meet you, Maverick. Or do you go by Mav? Or Mr. Kane?” She was having fun flirting with him. She’d been on Texas soil for all of ten minutes, and she was already smitten.
“Whatever you want to call me is fine by me. I’m sure I’ve heard worse.” He laughed, and the warm chuckle vibrated throughout her body. “So, you’re staying in town then?”
“Yeah,” she told him, even though she wasn’t entirely sure where she would be staying. That was one of those little details that Piper was certain, one way or another, would work itself out. “For a while, at least. I don’t quite know for how long yet.”
He hooked a thumb over his shoulder. “You know, I’ve got my truck out there in the parking lot. Why don’t a give you a ride?”
“My mom always told me to never accept a ride from a stranger.”
He smiled at her. “Of course—you’re right.”
At that moment there was nothing Piper wanted more than to spend time with Maverick Kane. He was charming, sexy, and she wouldn’t mind getting to know him better. “It’s okay,” she told him. “I have a ride coming. Thank you for the offer, though. I appreciate it. I just hope everyone else in town is as friendly as you.”
He leaned closer, a slick grin on his face. “Don’t let that get around,” he told her. “I wouldn’t want it to affect my reputation.” He straightened. “Enjoy your stay,” he told her. “Maybe I’ll see you around.”
Piper smiled. She really hoped she would cross paths with Maverick Kane again. “Yeah, maybe you will.”
He returned her smile and, for a moment, their eyes connected, and if they had been better acquainted, Piper was sure that he would have leaned over and kissed her. But they were strangers, and that wasn’t how things worked in real life. Instead, he cocked an eyebrow and smiled at her, showing off his straight, white teeth. “Well, you shouldn’t be too hard to find,” he commented, letting his eyes roam over her.
Before Piper could respond, Maverick turned on his heel and walked away. Her eyes stayed on him and even when he exited through the door, her eyes stayed on the exit.
“Your suitcase, Ms. Gallagher.”
Startled, she turned to the voice. It was the baggage handler who had brought her bag from the plane. “Thank you,” she said absently as she dug into her purse for her phone. “I appreciate it.”
“Do you need me to call you a car?” he asked.
“No, thank you,” she told him, scrolling through her text messages. “I have someone coming for me.”
“Very good, ma’am,” he said, tipping his hat at her. “You have a nice day now.”
“I will. And you, too,” she added. In her hand, her phone vibrated and the screen lit up with the notification of a text message.
Right outside, it read.
Again, Piper looked toward the door and hesitated. Right outside was Elias Hardwell, successful rancher, one of the richest men in Texas, patriarch of the well-known Hardwell family. And—oh, yeah—her father.
When she walked out of the airport and into the parking lot, Piper looked around and saw a black luxury SUV parked in the middle of the small lot, with an older man standing beside it. He raised his hand. It had to be Elias. She released the deep breath she’d been holding in her lungs and took the trepidatious first steps toward him and rest of her life.
As she got closer, she was able to take in the features of the man. He was tall, broad and his tan-colored cowboy hat covered silver hair. He wasn’t a man who looked to be the eighty years he was. It was, without a doubt, Elias Hardwell—her father. He removed his hat and smiled at her. “Piper,” he said, his voice holding an awed quality.
She extended her hand, keeping some measure of physical and emotional distance between them. “Mr. Hardwell.”
He paused for a moment but shook her hand. “I understand if you’re reluctant to call me Dad, but I’d appreciate if you call me Elias.”
She nodded. “I think I can do that.”
They went around to the rear of the SUV and he waved his hand over a hidden sensor, which opened the hatchback to the trunk. With strength that she wouldn’t have guessed an older man would possess, he lifted her suitcase and hoisted it into the back of the vehicle.
He opened the passenger’s-side door. “Thank you for responding to my email,” he told her.
“How could I not?”
Piper recalled how, only two days ago, her life had been turned completely upside down. She’d started her day in what she’d thought was going to be a typical Monday-morning pitch meeting for the fashion magazine she worked for—well, used to work for. There was news of a takeover, a larger publication consuming their brand, and apparently Piper’s services were no longer needed.
So, newly unemployed, she’d packed her desk and returned home, where she’d put on her sweats, piled her hair into a messy bun, ordered cheesecake from the place around the corner and worked on her résumé. When she’d opened her email, however, those plans had been scuttled when she was greeted by an unexpected letter from a man named Elias Hardwell. Her eyes had focused on several key phrases—Private investigator. Found you. Birth father. Please call me.
A quick internet search had told her that Elias Hardwell had owned one of the largest cattle ranches in the country, which also bred and trained race and show horses. He’d since retired and stepped down from operations, leaving the business in the hands of his grandson, Garrett.
“Thank you for the ride down.”
“I trust the plane was comfortable.”
She laughed. “I guess it’s been a while since you’ve flown commercial. Any flight where I don’t feel like I’m being herded like cattle is comfortable. The plane was downright luxurious. I’ve never flown private before.”
“It’s a good way to travel.” Elias checked his watch. “I guess we’d better get going. I want to show you around Applewood, but only for a little bit. We don’t want to be late.”
“Late for what?”
“Family dinner.”
“Family dinner?” she asked, reticent. She had been hoping that she and Elias would have some time to get to know one another without other people. She had thought he would suggest lodging in town, giving her a chance to get acclimated, but she was starting to think that Elias may have a flair for the dramatic. “Like, a dinner with the whole family?”
He chuckled. “What do you think ‘family dinner’ means? They’re a great bunch.”
“Who all is going to be there?” she asked, feeling nervous. A big family was something she’d always craved; she’d always wished she’d been a part of family dinners, celebrations and holidays. And since she’d lost her mother, the feeling had been compounded. But to be thrown into a big family gathering a stranger to everyone wasn’t exactly the way she’d expected it to happen.
“Well, you have a brother, my son, Stuart, and his two sons will be there, Garrett and Wes, along with their wives. And of course, my own bride-to-be, Cathy, will be there, and a few select family friends.”
“Your bride-to-be?” she asked, intrigued that, at his advanced age, he was getting married.
“Yes, I met Cathy a long time ago, after my first wife died. We’ve finally settled down and will be getting married in a couple of weeks.” He slid his gaze across the center console to her. “I hope you’ll still be sticking around until then.”
“A wedding? Well, I certainly didn’t pack for a formal event.”
“There are shops in town and I’m sure we can find something you like.”
“Why don’t we see how this evening goes?”
“I understand.” He took his eyes off the road to briefly look over at her. “And I’m sorry if I’m pushing things. Just tell me to back off if you want.”
“Thanks. And it’s okay. This is a strange situation for both of us.”
After spending some time showing her around Applewood, as she’d expected, it was a beautiful little town, and the surrounding area, with its sprawling ranches, was magnificent. Just now, Elias was driving them down a winding dirt road, presumably to his own sprawling ranch.
“So, what does everyone think about me coming?”
Elias chuckled, but she didn’t like the sound of it. “Cathy and I have talked about you. She actually urged me to find you. But everyone else?” He shook his head. “They don’t know squat.”
“What?” she exclaimed, sitting up straight and turning to face him. “They don’t know?” Her earlier estimation of the man was apparently correct. Drama, drama, drama.
“I thought it would be a fun surprise for everyone,” he finished.
Piper opened her mouth, trying to find the words. “Are they...a group that generally enjoys surprises?” she asked.
This time his laugh was hearty and filled the cab of the SUV. “I wouldn’t say they do.”
She wondered what other surprises he’d arranged for his family in the past. “This is unbelievable,” she said, shaking her head. “I feel like you’re setting me up for something.”
“No, my dear,” he said. “I’m not setting you up. But I figured that this might be the best way for you to meet everyone. So no one has the time to get their backs up.”
“You think they’ll get their backs up?” she asked. But she should have realized that, of course, they would. She was walking into a family as the long-lost daughter of one of the richest men in Texas, and they would likely be thinking about their inheritances or whatever it was that rich people cared about when strangers walked into their lives.
“No, of course not. But there will be questions,” he told her.
“That’s to be expected. I have questions myself.”
He nodded. “All in due time,” he said.
As they crested the top of the hill, a large ranch house and its expansive grounds came into view. “There she is—home.”
“You still live on the ranch?” she asked.
“Cathy and I moved to Arizona a while ago. I left the ranch operations to my grandson, Garrett, and he’s newly married and I thought it would be a good idea to give him some room. We love it in Arizona. It’s a good change of scenery, but I miss the ranch. There’s nothing quite like it.”
As they got closer, a nervous energy tore through Piper. This was it. She took a deep breath. Her life was about to change. She was on her way to meet her new family. She hadn’t forgiven Elias for springing this on her, and all of them. It would be awkward as hell, probably tense, hopefully not hostile, but this was her chance to get to know her family, and she was going to take it.
