A Moment To Love (8 page)

“That’s reassuring.”

“We better get moving.”

They climbed into their respective vehicles. Her foot hovered over the brake, tapping it now and then as the SUV dipped down the side of the arroyo. Stones ricocheted off the undercarriage as the vehicle crept forward. The uneven ground jostled her back and forth in her seat. The rift wasn’t too wide, and soon they rolled up the other side.

Less than ten minutes later, a rocky outcrop jutting out from the earth came into view. Cord’s brake lights flashed on. She pulled up beside his truck and got out.

“We’re here.” He waved his hand around. “This is Haggerty.”

“It certainly is a long way off the beaten path.” She gazed at the remnants of Haggerty, awed by its rustic charm. It was like stepping out of a time machine. If she closed her eyes, she could imagine the clomping sound of horse hooves and piano music from the saloon.

“More than a century ago, settlers moved here for the promise of a new start. While they waited for the railroad to be built, scarce amounts of supplies were brought in by wagon. When they relocated the proposed rail line, people followed the train to Whistle Stop. Eventually, my great-great-grandfather was left with nothing but dry scrub weed and an empty town.”

“Sounds sad.” Thinking of the neglected town square, she hoped Whistle Stop wasn’t heading for the same fate.

“There’s folklore linked to the town. Would you like to hear some of it?”

What she really wanted to learn more about was him and why he let the townsfolk believe he was some sort of monster, when in fact she’d found him utterly captivating, even if he could be quite stubborn. Instead of caving in to her mounting curiosity and plying him with a bunch of nosy questions, she said, “I’d love to hear some.”

He led her a short distance to a wall of rock. The opening to the mine was boarded up with weathered wood planks. A big Keep Out sign was nailed in the center. “Legend says many years ago, a young couple desperately in love wanted to marry, but the bride’s family didn’t approve of the match—”

“This is great.” Alexis smiled and pressed a hand to her chest. “Everyone loves a tragic love story. It’ll tug at the hearts of female visitors.”

Cord frowned. “I’m not telling you this for you to plan out some promotional campaign—”

“Oh. I know.” She didn’t want to start another heated discussion with him. “Please tell me more of the story.”

He cast her a doubtful look. Did he have any clue that he looked more cute and ornery than intimidating? In fact, she found him more attractive than she should.

Not about to let her thoughts dwell on his mesmerizing eyes or the bit of scruff trailing down his chiseled jaw that led to his inviting lips, she said, “I’ll be quiet. I promise.”

He cleared his throat. “The young man moved here, planning to strike it big in the mines. He needed to prove his worthiness in order to marry his true love. Months went by, and at last he’d saved up enough money to send for her. The day before she arrived, a cave-in at the mine buried an entire crew of men, leaving behind heartbroken widows and fatherless children.”

Something told Alexis this part of the story was true, that this town had lost miners—husbands—and fathers. Her heart ached for the townspeople. She knew all too well about loss.

Cord crossed his arms and rocked back on his heels. “When the young woman stepped off the stagecoach, she was devastated by the news. Having turned against her family’s wishes, she couldn’t return home. Alone in a new town with not much more than her wedding dress and a broken heart, she refused to give up hope that her true love would find his way back to her.”

A faraway glint in Cord’s eyes had her wondering if he, too, had had an unfortunate romance. And did it have anything to do with the town’s animosity? The uncomfortable thought caught her off guard. She told herself Cord’s personal life was none of her business. She needed to keep her thoughts on the business at hand, and right now that included a history lesson about Haggerty.

Alexis enjoyed listening to the soothing tones of Cord’s voice. “Is there more?”

He nodded. “The young woman returned here every day, waiting for her betrothed to find his way back to her. It’s believed that on a full moon, you can see her pacing in front of the mine entrance.”

“Is the story true?”

“I’m not sure. But once I found a set of footprints outside the mine.”

“Are you serious?”

His lips spread into a smile, and his dimples eased the worry lines etching his face. Her heart lurched into her throat. If she thought the brooding look on him was sexy, the smiling version of him was downright captivating. The gleam in his eyes and the shrug of his shoulders let her know he’d added the part about the footsteps to tease her.

With effort she drew her gaze from his handsome face to the mine entrance. “Have you ever thought of writing down the history of this place? Sounds like you’d have enough to fill a book.”

He kicked at a rock. “Uh…no. No one would be interested.”

“I am, and I’m sure there’d be others. It’d be a way for you to honor you ancestors.”

His smile faded as his lips pressed together into an uncompromising line. What in the world had he taken offense to this time? She sure didn’t understand him, no matter how hard she tried. “I’m not a writer.”

“But if you wrote down what you know, someone else could reword it—”

“Don’t do that.”

“Do what?”

“Mess with things you don’t understand.”

“But you’re the only one who knows all of the details about this ghost town, and the people—”

“You’re not getting what I’m saying. I can’t…” He turned and started to walk away.

She rushed to catch up to him. “Can’t what?”

“Leave it be.”

She placed a hand on his shoulder. She could feel the corded strength beneath her fingertips. “Tell me. I want to understand.”

He stopped suddenly, and her hand fell away. He turned to her with those dark, unreadable eyes. “You wanted a tour, I’m giving it to you. Don’t push your luck. We can still visit the sheriff’s office.”

Was he serious? It was highly doubtful. If he’d intended to have her charged with trespassing, he’d have done it by now. No, there was something he’d almost let slip—something important. But what? And why didn’t he want her to know?

She stared at his back as he strode away. There was so much more to the reclusive cowboy than his need to cling to his heritage, and she intended to find out what he was hiding. Maybe if he let down his barriers just a little, others would see him through new eyes—like she saw him. She assured herself that she wasn’t getting emotionally invested in him. She knew all too well not to let a person get too close. In the end, she’d be the one to get hurt. And she refused to let herself become vulnerable again—not even for a lonely cowboy.

Not wanting to be left behind, she rushed after him. Honoring his wishes, she changed the subject. “Do you really believe in ghosts or spirits or whatever you want to call them?”

“There’s a lot of unknowns in this world. I try not to be closed-minded.”

“Too bad more people aren’t like you.” She stopped to scan the perimeter. The sight of a graveyard in the distance drew her interest. “Let’s walk over there.”

She took off without bothering to check if Cord was behind her. Row upon row of tombstones faced her. Most of the markers were so old the weather had worn away the names, leaving her to wonder about the people laid to rest here.

Cord’s voice came from behind her. “This land was a symbol of a new beginning for my great-great-grandfather. He sold his businesses in the East to move here. He worked night and day to carve out a life for himself.”

“I can’t imagine giving up everything you’ve worked for only to start over again from scratch.”

“Not surprising,” Cord mumbled.

“Hey, what’s that supposed to mean?”

He slid his hands in his pockets. “Just doesn’t surprise me that you wouldn’t be willing to give up your five-star restaurants and boardrooms to follow your heart—”

“Hey!” She poked him in the chest. “You don’t know anything about my heart or what I’m capable of.”

Before she could poke him again, his strong fingers wrapped around her hand and held it captive against the pounding inside chest. “Whoa there. I didn’t mean to upset you.”

She should yank her hand away. She should tell him he had struck a very sensitive nerve. She should turn and walk away. Instead, she tilted her chin up and met his concerned gaze. Those warm chocolate eyes drew her in and held her transfixed.

Why in the world had she let his words affect her so deeply? He wasn’t Steven, the man who’d accused her of not being happy for him after he’d used her father’s name and connections to get a bigger title with a bigger company on the West Coast. When she’d asked him for time so that they could work through this huge change in their life, Steven had said all of the right things, while simultaneously doing all of the wrong things with another woman behind Alexis’s back.

A guilty look crossed Cord’s handsome face as his steady gaze continued to hold hers. “Sometimes I don’t think before I speak.”

“And sometimes I overreact.” She hoped to put him at ease, even though her heart was racing.

His gaze dipped to her lips. She knew that look—the desire was evident. And this was all wrong. She’d just got done stitching her heart back together. She wasn’t going to let herself get hurt again.

She pulled her hand from his, immediately missing his touch. It’d been so long since she’d let down her defenses and enjoyed the warmth and tenderness found in the mere act of holding hands. It surprised her how much she longed for a longer connection, a deeper connection.

Giving herself a mental shake, she walked around the graveyard, trying to center her turbulent thoughts. While most of the gravestones were worn smooth, two large markers stood out. “Are those graves new?”

“They belong to my parents.” A slight hitch in his voice let her know how much he missed his family. “Mama wanted to be buried here with her ancestors, and Papa would have followed my mother to the ends of the earth.”

The knowledge that his parents were laid to rest out here shocked her. No wonder he didn’t want to sell the land. A knot of emotion tightened inside her as she struggled with a moment of indecision. If she pushed ahead with her plans, Cord would lose. And if she gave up, she would lose her one chance to put HSG back in the black without her father finding out how close the company had come to filing for bankruptcy. She was doomed no matter which way she turned.

“I’m sorry, Cord.” She reached out and squeezed his hand.

A tremor of awareness coursed its way up her arm and finally settled in her chest. Her sympathies encompassed more than him losing his family. Because even though she now knew how important this land was to him, she couldn’t walk away.

Cord’s brown eyes warmed as he tightened his long fingers around hers. “Now, are you beginning to understand why I can’t sell you Haggerty?”

“I had no idea there was a cemetery out here. No one mentioned it. I’ll make certain they fence off this area so no one disturbs it. You have my word on it.” It wasn’t a sales pitch. She’d definitely make the fence a priority.

He jerked his hand away as though her touch had scalded him. “Even after telling you how important this ghost town is to my family, you’re still insisting on including it as part of the deal?”

As much as she’d like to make Cord happy by walking away from this land deal, she couldn’t. This sale was necessary—for both their sakes. The Southwest contained only a handful of ghost towns. Mr. Santos had a lead on one in Arizona that was about to be listed, but nothing was definite yet. Still, Alexis found herself hoping for an alternative solution.

“The plan for the resort won’t work without it. We’ll work something out to protect this area.” She waved her hand around at the cemetery. “Don’t worry. It’ll be fine.”

“No, it won’t. You can’t understand unless you’ve lost someone close to you.”

His words ripped a scab off her old wound. The pain was quick and intense. She struggled to swallow down the unexpected wave of pain. “What makes you think you’re the only one to feel pain and loss?”

His head rose, and his eyes narrowed as if he was trying to determine whether she was being truthful. “Who did you lose?”

“My mother.”

The lines bracketing his mouth and eyes eased. “I’m sorry. It’s tough when a parent dies.”

He misunderstood her. Though she didn’t want to delve further into this subject, she felt obligated to correct him. “She’s not dead.”

“But you said—”

Alexis took a deep breath, all the while chastising herself for opening up this subject. “I said I lost her. I guess it’d be more correct to say she walked out on me and my father.”

What had gotten into her to go down this road? She didn’t even discuss the woman with her father, which seemed to suit him just fine. The fact Alexis resembled the woman was enough of a challenge for her father without her bombarding him with questions.

Alexis gazed into Cord’s eyes, finding understanding and support—two things that she found herself craving. Since when had they moved from a business relationship to something more, something she couldn’t quite name?