Read Online A Cowboy Comes Home by Barbara Dunlop - Free Book Online Page B
Authors: Barbara Dunlop
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better. I’m so relieved.”
“Good to hear,” Caleb agreed.
“You were talking to Travis?” she asked him in return, raising her brows in a prompt.
“Danielle had some car trouble.”
“She’s still in Colorado?” Mandy was obviously surprised by the news. “I got the impression she was going to be on the first flight out.”
“They’re sending us a list of parts for the car.” Caleb turned the ignition key and started the Escalade.
“Is she okay?”
“She’s fine. Travis helped her out. But she’s frustrated to be stuck in Lyndon.”
His phone rang again, but he didn’t recognize the number. He flipped it open. “Caleb Terrell.”
“Mr. Terrell? It’s Frank Cummings here, Mountain Real Estate. I have some good news for you.”
“Hello, Frank.”
“We have an interested buyer.”
“This soon?” Caleb was surprised. It had been less than twenty-four hours since he’d listed the ranch.
“The gentleman has been watching for opportunities in the area, and he’ll be in Lyndon tonight. I’m meeting him for dinner. I was wondering if we might touch base with you by phone in a couple of hours? If all goes well, we’ll want to arrange a viewing.”
“I’m in Lyndon.”
“Right now?”
“Right now.”
“Then you should join us for dinner.” Frank sounded excited at the prospect.
“Sure.” Why not? If it was a serious buyer, Caleb would like to look him in the eye and make his pitch. “I’m with someone,” he told Frank, his glance going to Mandy.
“Up to you, but feel free to bring them along.”
“Where and when?”
“Riverfront Grill at six.”
“We’ll be there.” He ended the call.
Mandy arched a brown. “We’ll be where?”
He pocketed his phone and pulled the shifter into Reverse. “Is there any chance I can trust you?”
Mandy buckled up. “To do what?”
“To behave yourself—”
She sputtered an unintelligible protest.
“Frank Cummings has a buyer,” he finished.
She froze, jaw dropping. “For the ranch?”
He reversed the SUV out of the parking spot, tires slipping to a stop on the gravel scattered on top of the pavement. Then he shifted into Drive. “Only thing I’m selling.”
“But… You… That’s too fast!”
“I don’t think there are any speed regulations.”
“Who’s the buyer? What does he want? Is he going to keep it as a working ranch?”
Caleb shot her a look of annoyance. “You can’t ask him questions like that. It’s none of our business.”
She clenched her jaw.
“I mean it, Mandy. If you come to dinner, you have to behave yourself.”
“You make me sound like a child.”
“You’re about as emotional as one.”
“Can you blame me? Really, Caleb. Can you blame me for trying to protect your land and your family—”
“It’s not yours to protect.”
“—from someone so determined to make such a stupid mistake?”
“You’re referring to me?”
“If the shoe fits.”
He glanced sternly at her one more time. “You want to come to this dinner, or not? I’m serious, Mandy. I don’t want to dump you off on the side of the road, but I’m not taking a lit stick of dynamite into a business meeting.”
She seemed to have to think about it for a moment.
He waited.
“I won’t ask him his plans for the ranch,” she finally promised, folding her hands primly on her lap, staring straight ahead and looking for all the world like a mischievous young girl.
He squelched an urge to waggle his finger at her. “You are to say nothing but cheerful, positive things about Terrell Ranch and the Lyndon Valley.”
She turned to him, tone dripping with sarcasm. “I love the Lyndon Valley.”
“And if you could do that little pouty thing with your mouth, make the guy think he’ll have a sexy, farmer’s daughter living next door—”
Mandy socked Caleb soundly in the shoulder. “Watch your mouth.”
“I’d rather watch yours.”
“And you’re worried about my behavior?”
He cracked a grin.
“Good to hear,” Caleb agreed.
“You were talking to Travis?” she asked him in return, raising her brows in a prompt.
“Danielle had some car trouble.”
“She’s still in Colorado?” Mandy was obviously surprised by the news. “I got the impression she was going to be on the first flight out.”
“They’re sending us a list of parts for the car.” Caleb turned the ignition key and started the Escalade.
“Is she okay?”
“She’s fine. Travis helped her out. But she’s frustrated to be stuck in Lyndon.”
His phone rang again, but he didn’t recognize the number. He flipped it open. “Caleb Terrell.”
“Mr. Terrell? It’s Frank Cummings here, Mountain Real Estate. I have some good news for you.”
“Hello, Frank.”
“We have an interested buyer.”
“This soon?” Caleb was surprised. It had been less than twenty-four hours since he’d listed the ranch.
“The gentleman has been watching for opportunities in the area, and he’ll be in Lyndon tonight. I’m meeting him for dinner. I was wondering if we might touch base with you by phone in a couple of hours? If all goes well, we’ll want to arrange a viewing.”
“I’m in Lyndon.”
“Right now?”
“Right now.”
“Then you should join us for dinner.” Frank sounded excited at the prospect.
“Sure.” Why not? If it was a serious buyer, Caleb would like to look him in the eye and make his pitch. “I’m with someone,” he told Frank, his glance going to Mandy.
“Up to you, but feel free to bring them along.”
“Where and when?”
“Riverfront Grill at six.”
“We’ll be there.” He ended the call.
Mandy arched a brown. “We’ll be where?”
He pocketed his phone and pulled the shifter into Reverse. “Is there any chance I can trust you?”
Mandy buckled up. “To do what?”
“To behave yourself—”
She sputtered an unintelligible protest.
“Frank Cummings has a buyer,” he finished.
She froze, jaw dropping. “For the ranch?”
He reversed the SUV out of the parking spot, tires slipping to a stop on the gravel scattered on top of the pavement. Then he shifted into Drive. “Only thing I’m selling.”
“But… You… That’s too fast!”
“I don’t think there are any speed regulations.”
“Who’s the buyer? What does he want? Is he going to keep it as a working ranch?”
Caleb shot her a look of annoyance. “You can’t ask him questions like that. It’s none of our business.”
She clenched her jaw.
“I mean it, Mandy. If you come to dinner, you have to behave yourself.”
“You make me sound like a child.”
“You’re about as emotional as one.”
“Can you blame me? Really, Caleb. Can you blame me for trying to protect your land and your family—”
“It’s not yours to protect.”
“—from someone so determined to make such a stupid mistake?”
“You’re referring to me?”
“If the shoe fits.”
He glanced sternly at her one more time. “You want to come to this dinner, or not? I’m serious, Mandy. I don’t want to dump you off on the side of the road, but I’m not taking a lit stick of dynamite into a business meeting.”
She seemed to have to think about it for a moment.
He waited.
“I won’t ask him his plans for the ranch,” she finally promised, folding her hands primly on her lap, staring straight ahead and looking for all the world like a mischievous young girl.
He squelched an urge to waggle his finger at her. “You are to say nothing but cheerful, positive things about Terrell Ranch and the Lyndon Valley.”
She turned to him, tone dripping with sarcasm. “I love the Lyndon Valley.”
“And if you could do that little pouty thing with your mouth, make the guy think he’ll have a sexy, farmer’s daughter living next door—”
Mandy socked Caleb soundly in the shoulder. “Watch your mouth.”
“I’d rather watch yours.”
“And you’re worried about my behavior?”
He cracked a grin.
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