Read Online Heart of Grace (Return to Grace Trilogy #1) by Abigail Easton - Free Book Online Page A
Authors: Abigail Easton
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ask just one thing’ you talked me
into helping you muck stalls, and in exchange you let me ride
your horse for ten minutes. It was not worth it. So don’t count
on it this time.”
“You never figured out I had an ulterior motive to all
that?”
“Of course I did,” she said, “if you finished your chores,
your dad would let you take Amy Bedley to the Brooks and
Dunn concert in Missoula.”
“That wasn’t the only reason,” Cole muttered, thinking of
Angie in her Wranglers and red boots, doing his chores
because she’d wanted to spend time with him. He’d known she
had a crush on him, and he’d been more than willing to exploit
it for his own selfish purposes. Even so, he’d liked the look of
her in those jeans.
She frowned. “So what is your ‘one thing’?”
He paused for a moment, considering his words. “Let me
have a say in who buys your shares at the end of the summer.
If I say ‘no’ to your choice, then no deal. No arguing. No
negotiating. And the coalition’s deal is off the table.”
“Fair enough. When the summer is over and I sell my half,”
she said confidently, “you’ll have a say in who buys it. Of
course, I trust you’ll be reasonable.”
“Of course.”
“We’ll have Mr. Bradley draw up an agreement if that
makes you feel more comfortable.”
“This isn’t New York, Angie. I trust you.” He stood and
held his hand out. “Partners?”
“Partners.” She shook his hand, her smile turning into a
cynical laugh. “Who’d have thought you and I would ever be
partners?”
“Who’d’ve thought me and Henry would be partners?”
She looked away, but not before he saw the spark of anger
flash across her face.
“Angie, can I ask you one more thing?”
“You said you just had one question.”
“Just one more.” He leaned forward, questioning his own
motives. “Will you stay in my guest house?”
“I’m staying at the hotel. It’s already arranged.”
“For three months?”
“I’ll manage.”
Cole shrugged. “If I were you I’d want more of a home.”
“Three months isn’t that long.”
“Still, I think you ought to stay in the guest house.”
Angie shook her head. “I don’t think it’s a good idea.”
“Why not?”
“It isn’t convenient.” Her voice rose. “If I stayed in town
I could more closely oversee the office there.”
“Living in a hotel room is less convenient than having to
drive a few minutes to getto work.”
“The hotel can’t be that bad.”
“It’s not what you are used to.”
“You don’t know anything about what I’m used to.”
Cole sat down again and leaned back in his chair, arms
crossed over his chest. He ran his tongue between his bottom
teeth and lower lip, then smiled. “Look at you, Angie.”
“My name is Angela.”
“Fine…Angela. Look at your fancy suit and your fancy
hair. All that makeup.”
“My job requires that I dress this way.” She fisted her
hands at her side.
“Does it? Since when does mucking stalls and ordering
horse feed require a two thousand dollar suit?”
She only stared at him.
“You aren’t a New York tycoon now,” he said. “You’re
going to be working a rodeo arena. Have you really thought
about what it will involve?”
“My parents owned that arena most of my life.” She
straightened her shoulders, eyes seething. “Of course I know
what it involves. And quit calling me a tycoon. You make me
sound like a little old man with a monocle.”
“I need to know you’ll hold your own.” He made an effort
to soften his voice. “I can’t have you screaming when you see
a bug or crying when you get dirt on your fancy shoes.”
She started to speak, but he interrupted her.
“And I don’t want to listen to you whine about having to
sleep on a hotel mattress for three months. And how are you
going to eat?” He gestured east, toward town. “The hotels in
Grace don’t have room service. Let me make this a little easier
for you, Angie…Angela.”
“Maybe I can find a house to
into helping you muck stalls, and in exchange you let me ride
your horse for ten minutes. It was not worth it. So don’t count
on it this time.”
“You never figured out I had an ulterior motive to all
that?”
“Of course I did,” she said, “if you finished your chores,
your dad would let you take Amy Bedley to the Brooks and
Dunn concert in Missoula.”
“That wasn’t the only reason,” Cole muttered, thinking of
Angie in her Wranglers and red boots, doing his chores
because she’d wanted to spend time with him. He’d known she
had a crush on him, and he’d been more than willing to exploit
it for his own selfish purposes. Even so, he’d liked the look of
her in those jeans.
She frowned. “So what is your ‘one thing’?”
He paused for a moment, considering his words. “Let me
have a say in who buys your shares at the end of the summer.
If I say ‘no’ to your choice, then no deal. No arguing. No
negotiating. And the coalition’s deal is off the table.”
“Fair enough. When the summer is over and I sell my half,”
she said confidently, “you’ll have a say in who buys it. Of
course, I trust you’ll be reasonable.”
“Of course.”
“We’ll have Mr. Bradley draw up an agreement if that
makes you feel more comfortable.”
“This isn’t New York, Angie. I trust you.” He stood and
held his hand out. “Partners?”
“Partners.” She shook his hand, her smile turning into a
cynical laugh. “Who’d have thought you and I would ever be
partners?”
“Who’d’ve thought me and Henry would be partners?”
She looked away, but not before he saw the spark of anger
flash across her face.
“Angie, can I ask you one more thing?”
“You said you just had one question.”
“Just one more.” He leaned forward, questioning his own
motives. “Will you stay in my guest house?”
“I’m staying at the hotel. It’s already arranged.”
“For three months?”
“I’ll manage.”
Cole shrugged. “If I were you I’d want more of a home.”
“Three months isn’t that long.”
“Still, I think you ought to stay in the guest house.”
Angie shook her head. “I don’t think it’s a good idea.”
“Why not?”
“It isn’t convenient.” Her voice rose. “If I stayed in town
I could more closely oversee the office there.”
“Living in a hotel room is less convenient than having to
drive a few minutes to getto work.”
“The hotel can’t be that bad.”
“It’s not what you are used to.”
“You don’t know anything about what I’m used to.”
Cole sat down again and leaned back in his chair, arms
crossed over his chest. He ran his tongue between his bottom
teeth and lower lip, then smiled. “Look at you, Angie.”
“My name is Angela.”
“Fine…Angela. Look at your fancy suit and your fancy
hair. All that makeup.”
“My job requires that I dress this way.” She fisted her
hands at her side.
“Does it? Since when does mucking stalls and ordering
horse feed require a two thousand dollar suit?”
She only stared at him.
“You aren’t a New York tycoon now,” he said. “You’re
going to be working a rodeo arena. Have you really thought
about what it will involve?”
“My parents owned that arena most of my life.” She
straightened her shoulders, eyes seething. “Of course I know
what it involves. And quit calling me a tycoon. You make me
sound like a little old man with a monocle.”
“I need to know you’ll hold your own.” He made an effort
to soften his voice. “I can’t have you screaming when you see
a bug or crying when you get dirt on your fancy shoes.”
She started to speak, but he interrupted her.
“And I don’t want to listen to you whine about having to
sleep on a hotel mattress for three months. And how are you
going to eat?” He gestured east, toward town. “The hotels in
Grace don’t have room service. Let me make this a little easier
for you, Angie…Angela.”
“Maybe I can find a house to
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