The Cowboy Earns a Bride (Cowboys of Chance Creek Book 8) Read online

  What if she did?

  Still, a house was something special. Maybe it was worth the risk.

  She hadn’t realized she’d sighed until the man glanced over at her. “Find a good one?”

  “It’s too expensive.” She pointed to the one she liked, a yellow house with white shutters on a comfortable lot on the south side of town.

  “What’s your limit?” He moved closer and scanned the listing.

  “I’m not sure. I have—” She broke off. She shouldn’t talk money with a stranger.

  The man chuckled. “It’s okay. I promise I won’t tell anyone else. My name’s Carl.”

  “I’m Mia. Are you looking for a house?”

  It was his turn to sigh. “Yes, unfortunately. I was stupid enough to sell the one I had.”

  “And now you want it back?”

  He shrugged. “Seller’s remorse, I guess you could say. So what’s your limit again? There are some nice ones around two hundred and fifty thousand.”

  “That’s way over what I can afford. I’ve got two hundred—but this one is one-seventy-five.”

  “You have two hundred grand to spend? Or that’s all you have in the world?”

  “Two hundred grand is a lot of money,” she said, surprised at his tone.

  “I didn’t mean it wasn’t.” His expression was kind and she relaxed.

  “That’s all I have in the world. So I think this one is too expensive.”

  He leaned against the wall and surveyed her thoughtfully. “Most people don’t buy houses with cash, you know. They make a down payment—about twenty percent is good. Then they get a loan for the rest.”

  “I wouldn’t qualify for a loan,” Mia admitted. “So it’s cash or nothing.”

  “Then this one is definitely too much. I wouldn’t go over ninety-five if I were you. Get a fixer upper and learn to do as much of the work yourself as you can.”

  Jolene Manning appeared from the back of the office, a stack of file folders in her hand. She deposited them on the receptionist’s desk and walked right over to them. “Mia Start—are you looking at real estate? You must be marrying Luke, after all. I heard conflicting reports on that.”

  Heat rose in Mia’s cheeks. “Actually, no. We’re not getting married. I’m looking to buy a place for myself.”

  “Oh.” Jolene’s surprise was clear. “Then honey you’d better look at rentals. I don’t think you’ll qualify for a loan, and you’ll need one even for the condos.”

  “I don’t need a loan. I want to buy a fixer-upper. With cash.”

  Jolene laughed, her white teeth bright against her red lipstick. “Sweetie, did you look at the prices up there? You can’t buy these places with pocket change, you know.” She turned to Carl. “I’ll be with you in just a minute, sir.” She faced Mia again. “Honey, you go home and make up with Luke and come back together. I’ll be able to find just the right place for you if you don’t want to live on the Double-Bar-K.”

  “I’ve got money of my own,” Mia protested.

  Jolene took her arm and walked her firmly toward the door. “No, you don’t,” she said in a quiet voice that brooked no dissent. “I’m sorry, Mia, but I know your circumstances and you can’t afford a house. I work on commission. I need to talk to the customer that can afford one.” She tilted her chin toward Carl. “Make an appointment if you want me to explain real estate to you. I’m busy right now.”

  A second later, Mia was out on the sidewalk, blinking back tears. She jammed her hands in the pockets of her winter jacket and hunched her shoulders against a biting wind that had just started up. The sky was the color of lead and the thaw that had seemed imminent this morning now seemed as distant as the moon. She couldn’t believe Jolene wouldn’t even listen to her. So much for her new professional look.

  But then again, why would Jolene believe she had enough money for a house? No matter what she wore or how she styled her hair, she still worked a cash register for a living, and like everyone else Jolene believed that was all she’d ever do. She wasn’t proving to be an ace at business either. Look at the way she’d scheduled three back-to-back events in a single weekend.

  The panic she’d been fighting for days surged up again. What if she’d overextended herself? What if she couldn’t do it? What if she ruined two of her friends’ weddings and Lila White’s reunion?

  What if sending the letter to the pageant commission brought Fred Warner back into her life?

  She turned and walked slowly toward her truck, trying to calm her own fears. Warner was far from Chance Creek. She didn’t have to worry about him. She’d get through these first three events and she’d be careful about scheduling more in the future.

  Meanwhile, there were other real estate companies in town. Mia thought about visiting one now, but she didn’t have the heart to do it. She’d go home, regroup and figure out what to do next.

  “Hey, Mia!”

  Carl appeared on the sidewalk behind her, the door to the realtor’s office swinging closed. Mia stopped walking and waited for him to catch up.

  “Want to grab a cup of coffee?”

  “I thought you were buying a house.”

  “I decided that woman wasn’t the realtor for me. If she treats you with disrespect—someone she knows—I figure she’ll treat me with disrespect too someday.”

  “She treated me with disrespect because she knows me.” Mia kept her eyes on the pavement. “She knows I’m poor.”

  “No one with two hundred grand in their bank account is poor.”

  “Well, I was poor until Ellis gave it to me.”

  “Ellis? Not Ellis Scranton?”

  Mia wilted. Of course this nice man would have to know Ellis.

  “Why did Ellis Scranton give you two hundred grand?” Carl peered down at her. “What did the old scumbag do to you?”

  “Got me pregnant,” Mia said dejectedly. Everyone else knew about it. Carl might as well too.

  He snorted. “Figures. Listen, I’m still up for that coffee if you are. I’m not Ellis—I won’t hit on you. I’m a businessman, though—just like him. I might be able to give you some advice.”

  “Or maybe you’ll talk me right out of my money.” Mia was done with men taking advantage of her.

  “I swear I won’t do that. Can I tell you a secret?”

  Mia hesitated. Looked him over. “I guess.”

  “I’ve got more money of my own than I know what to do with.”

  “How much?” Mia didn’t think she’d ever met anyone so frank about his circumstances. Carl was a little strange, but she liked him for that.

  “Last I checked? About fifty million dollars.”

  She stopped dead. “Are you shitting me?”

  Carl laughed. “No, I’m not. So I promise I won’t take yours. How about that coffee?”

  “Okay—but I’ll buy my own.” Millionaire or not, she still wouldn’t trust a man fully. Not anymore. “Where do you want to go?”

  Luke met up with Ethan and Autumn in line at the post office that afternoon when he came in to mail in his credit card payment.

  “Why don’t you pay that on the computer?” Ethan asked as the line advanced toward the counter.

  “Dad’s paranoia has rubbed off on me. He thinks online banking is the next best thing to throwing cash on a bonfire. What’re you here for?”

  “Picking up a package.” Ethan held out the yellow slip. “Although why they didn’t just leave it at the ranch, I can’t guess.”

  They found out when they reached the counter.

  “The sender asked for the package to be held for you here. It’s marked fragile all over the thing,” Carrie Benton said and disappeared into the back room to fetch it.

  “What did you order?” Luke placed his envelope on the counter.

  “Nothing.” Ethan watched the door to the back. Autumn shifted Arianna into a better position. When Carrie came back she set a tall thin package on the counter. As she’d said, it was stamped fragile in many places. Sh
e took Luke’s envelope and the money he offered her and put on a stamp.

  “It looks like a bottle of wine. Or maybe champagne. Where’d it come from?” Autumn asked. Ethan bent to scan the label.

  “Can T. Siddown. Who the heck is that?”

  Luke cocked his head. Suppressed a laugh. “Can’t sit down?”

  Ethan read it again. “Naw.” He made a face. “You don’t think…”

  They moved aside to let the next people in line reach the counter. Greg Hutton and his wife Eleanor held out another package slip for Carrie to fetch.

  “I think I’d be careful about how I open that thing,” Luke said.

  “I still think it’s wine. It’s got to be. Look at the box.” Autumn shifted Arianna again. “Open it!”

  Ethan set the package down on a side counter and did just that, tearing the cardboard flaps apart. He reached in and pulled out a handful of tubes.

  “What is that?” Autumn bent closer. “Preparation H? Why’d you order so much?”

  Luke noticed the Huttons listening in. Eleanor nudged her husband when she spotted the tubes. “He must be as constipated as Grandma Hutton. She always had a stockpile of that around for her piles.”

  “I didn’t order it!” Ethan’s face turned a mottled red. “I’m not constipated!”

  Luke laughed out loud. “It was Ned—it has to be! Remember what he said?”

  “No, what did he say? What’s going on?” Autumn said, looking from one to the other of them.

  “Just Ned’s idea of a stupid joke,” Ethan said, tossing the tubes back in the box disgustedly. He closed up the flaps and tossed the whole box into the trash. “Come on. Let’s get out of here.”

  Autumn giggled. “Why does Ned think you need Preparation H?”

  “Drop it!” Ethan stalked away.

  Luke held out his hands for Arianna and Autumn handed her over as they followed the angry cowboy. “Thanks,” Autumn said. “Now how about explaining what’s going on?”

  ‡

  Chapter Fourteen

  “Hi Mia,” Tracey said as Mia and Carl settled themselves into a booth at Linda’s Diner. “What can I get for you two?”

  “I’ll have a cup of coffee and a slice of that apple pie I saw on the way in,” Carl said. “Mia, what would you like?”

  “A glass of milk and a chocolate chip muffin. Thanks.” She smiled at Tracey, who cocked an eyebrow when she turned her back to Carl. Mia hoped she wasn’t coming to the wrong conclusion about this meeting.

  “That’s funny.” Carl watched Tracey head back to the kitchen. “I don’t think she recognized me.”

  “Tracey knows you?”

  “I used to come here now and then when I lived here before. Maybe she just forgot.”

  “Maybe you look different. Was it a long time ago?”

  “Not that long, but I guess I have lost some weight. I took up mountain climbing when I left here last year. I climbed a lot of mountains.” He made a face. “So tell me more about your situation. You’ve got money in the bank, but you won’t qualify for a loan, which means your job situation must be tenuous.”

  “Not tenuous, exactly—I always have work—but I don’t make a lot of money at it. I work behind the counter at Fila’s Familia, a new restaurant in town. And I’m starting an event planning business. I have three events already.” Mia wondered what had propelled him to climb all those mountains. A broken heart?

  “Paid events?”

  Mia dropped her searching gaze. “One is free,” she admitted, “but the other two are paid.”

  “How much?”

  “Well, I haven’t gotten that far really. I mean…”

  Carl tapped his fingers on the table thoughtfully. “Okay, here’s the deal, Mia. You’ve got a businessman sitting across the table from you. A businessman with a hell of a lot of money burning a hole in his pocket, and he’s taking the time to chat with you. What do you do?”

  Mia blinked. “Talk to him back?”

  “No. You sell him.”

  “On what?” She was getting the same feeling she used to have in trigonometry at school, when the teacher would write an equation on the board and ask her to come and solve it. But at least he wasn’t treating her like just a pretty face.

  He stopped tapping. “On your event planning business.”

  “Like, try to get you to hire me to plan an event for you?”

  “Well, that’s one way to go about it. That’s the small businessman’s way to go about it. Know what a businessman like me would do?”

  Mia shook her head.

  “I’d come up with a gimmick and try to sell someone like me on making it a franchise. That’s what I’d do.”

  “Like McDonald’s?” She frowned.

  “Exactly.” He stopped. Got a faraway look. Tapped his right forefinger twice. “But that’s not what you should do,” he said a moment later.

  “Okay, now I’m confused.”

  He twined his fingers together. “You know what? So am I. Maybe I shouldn’t be trying to help you. Maybe you should be helping me.”

  Tracey arrived with their drinks and pastries, and another significant look at Mia. When she was gone again, Mia said, “What do you need help with?”

  “Learning how to act like a human being. Like the kind of guy who can live in a small town and not piss everyone off.”

  “Is that what happened before? You pissed everyone off?”

  “You wouldn’t believe the half of it,” Carl said. “But I’m a changed man, I swear.”

  “You must be. You haven’t pissed me off.” She smiled at him.

  “Give me twenty minutes and see how you feel then.”

  They laughed together over his remark, but Mia had a feeling he was serious. There was something wistful about Carl, especially when he looked at the occupants of other tables—people Mia knew well, and were part of the community. He must want some of that community for himself, she thought. And then added internally, He should be careful what he wishes for. Being known to everyone wasn’t always what it was cut out to be. People tended to pigeonhole you and not let you change.

  “So I won’t hit you up to help me start a franchise,” she said some minutes later, when they’d eaten, “but I wouldn’t mind some advice. A lot of people won’t take me seriously. My friends think I can’t handle running a business. What do I do about that?”

  He nodded thoughtfully. “That’s a tricky one, but building a reputation is something every new businessman faces. You don’t have to cut yourself off from your friends, or give up relationships that are meaningful to you, but you do need to surround yourself with a group of believers, or you’ll struggle to get anywhere. Pick out a group of cheerleaders and spend most of your time with them. They’re the ones to share new ideas and plans with. The people who drag you down can find out what you’re up to after you’ve accomplished it. After a while the people who don’t support you will fall away. You won’t have anything to talk to them about. You won’t want their negative energy around. Success sometimes means losing friends. Are you prepared for that?”

  She wasn’t sure. But one thing she did know was that her conversation with Carl had helped her more than any she’d had with anyone else except Rose. She decided that meant that Rose and Carl were now her cheerleading team. She asked for Carl’s number and wondered aloud if he’d be willing to have coffee again sometime. He agreed readily. “I could use a friend in Chance Creek.”

  “You’ve got one.” She took the business card he handed her, then entered his number in her phone—under a brand-new group, Business Contacts—and left the diner feeling more upbeat than she had in days.

  Until she realized that Luke hadn’t made the cut for her cheerleading squad.

  “Buddy, I hate to break it to you, but you’ve got competition.”

  “What do you mean?” Luke looked up from currycombing Bullet, a roan gelding he’d had for several years. They’d taken a quick ride out to check on some pregnant cows.
r />   Jake leaned against the side of Bullet’s stall. “Hannah heard the gossip at the veterinary clinic. Marcy Sharp came in with her cat and said she’d seen Mia at Linda’s Diner with a very handsome man. So I knew it couldn’t be you.”

  “Ha, ha.” Luke got back to work. “Mia doesn’t know any handsome strangers.”

  “She does now. Jolene Manning confirmed it. She says the guy was looking at properties in her office when Mia came in. The two talked and he followed her when she left.”

  Luke straightened. “Followed her? What is he, a stalker?”

  “A friendly stalker. They ate muffins together.”

  “Hell, doesn’t anyone have anything better to do than to spy on people?” He paused. “What does this guy look like?”

  “I don’t know. Lean. Brown hair. In his thirties. That’s what Marcy said.”

  Luke fought the urge to throw the currycomb. This was all he needed—some other guy putting the moves on Mia. “Does he know she’s pregnant?”

  “I don’t know. No one recorded their conversation. Come on, don’t take it like that. I just wanted you to know so you can step up your game.”

  “Step it up how? I made her a nursery. That didn’t work.” He hadn’t managed to talk to her about the pageants, either. He stood there, currycomb in hand, too frustrated to smooth it over Bullet’s coat.

  “Yeah, about that.” Jake took the currycomb from Luke and got to work on the horse. Bullet looked back at him, snorted, then returned to chewing from his feed bucket. “How did you manage to screw that up?”

  “Damned if I know. I told her she didn’t have to work. I told her I’d do it all—take care of her and her baby. She got mad and stormed out.”

  Jake stopped what he was doing and rested his head against Bullet’s flank. “Oh God. Not you, too.”

  “What?”

  Bullet shifted and Jake straightened up. “That’s pretty much the same mistake I made with Hannah. She says Mia wants to start her own business.”

  “Yeah. She’s got this crazy idea she can be a wedding planner and work for Fila. And have a baby. I mean, she was white as a sheet the other morning when she came over here, and that was after only a half day at Fila’s. She needs her rest.”