“What’s that look for, Julián?”
“Nothing. I just wish I could make this all better.”
“You have made it better. I made it here and we’re together right now.”
“Yes, but for how long?” He couldn’t believe he’d said it out loud. He felt stupid, knowing he was just setting himself up for more pain.
Sadness filled her eyes. “I can’t stay, Julián. I need to figure out what to do to get the ranch and Zephyr back. Colorado is my home. That’s where my dream is.”
Trying to tamp down the disappointment and anger at himself, he nodded. “I know that, love.” He’d not only succeeded in making himself feel worse, now she felt bad too.
A sad smile bowed her lips and she palmed his cheek as she shook her head minutely. “Julián…”
“What?” He knew she objected to the endearment but he couldn’t help it. It felt right. He wanted her. He wanted her to stay. He wanted her love, and to call it what it was.
She surprised him by leaning against him and kissing him softly on the lips. “Nothing. You make me want things I shouldn’t.”
“There isn’t much I wouldn’t let you have, if you asked.” Fool.
She leaned her forehead against his shoulder and nodded. “I need my ranch and Zephyr back.”
“What if you didn’t have to go back out on the road? Would you consider accepting money from someone who wanted to help save your dream?”
“Julián, it’s a huge amount of money and I’d still need to pay it back.”
“What if I could guarantee that you wouldn’t need to pay it back until after your new horse training venture takes off?”
“That would be a long time. It’s sweet of you to offer to help me get the money but in the end I’m still in debt up to my eyeballs. I might as well invest one more year and get it over with.”
“Gwen, I could have the money tomorrow—”
“No. My problem. My solution,” she replied firmly. “I want my ranch back fair and square without owing anybody anything.” For a second, he pictured her as a little girl, telling her parents, “No, I do it myself!” Stubborn little thing.
Fine. “Okay. Chris has arrived with your truck. I think he’s staying for supper.”
“Is he?” she asked, averting her eyes, a rosy blush spreading over her cheeks.
“Yeah. Seems like you made quite an impression on him too.” He was referring to the fact that Chris was obviously interested in her, but Gwen scoffed.
“The big jerk nearly ran over me in a drive-thru. It’s more likely that he made an impression on me. He made fun of my hat, and my truck. He kids around a lot. He’s…aggravating.”
Julián grinned, thinking she was protesting quite a bit, while blushing very prettily. Interesting.
“That’s just his way, love. He grows on you.”
“Oh, yeah? Like a tumor? He has a Texan accent but he looks like he’s straight from the cast of Jersey Shore.”
Julián laughed out loud. “He gets that a lot. Right before he was born, his big family moved to Texas from New Jersey to open a chain of authentic Italian restaurants in Texas. Great food, really loud family.”
Julián had gone to one of the gatherings recently and his ears had rung for hours after they’d left. Believing that what Chris might’ve lacked in the suave and debonair department, he made up for in the loyalty department, Julián said, “Trust me, you’ll grow to love him.” In fact I’m betting on it.
“I don’t know about that. He reminds me of a big overbearing mixed-breed pit bull dog that one of my friends’ brothers had while I was growing up. The dog acted like it was a lapdog, even though he had to be close to a hundred pounds. Always climbing on me, right up in my face, licking and slobbering all over me. Drove me nuts, but…” The disgust left her face and she slammed her mouth shut.
“What?”
“Never mind.”
“No. Now I’m curious. What?”
“I guess I kind of loved that dog, even though he was like that. He did love me in his own overbearing way. I cried when he was struck by a car and killed.”
“I see.”
“Please, please, do not tell Chris I compared him to a dog, okay? Please?”
Julián chuckled evilly but said, “Don’t worry. Not a word from me. And I do think you’ll see him differently.” I guess I need to have a talk with the big pit bull. Julián had the oddest sense that there was something about Chris, some indefinable quality that she’d recognize.