Taming the Moguls (7 page)

“When Kevin’s dad and I first got married, we
were very young. Fresh out of college without a dime to our names.
We lived in an apartment for a lot longer than I wanted—both boys
were born before we bought a house—because we knew we couldn’t
afford to buy a house until he was earning more. It was hard not to
go ahead and jump when a house became available that was just a
little bit over our budget, but Todd was a stickler. We made a
plan, and he wouldn’t budge from that plan. It set us on a good
course, and we were financially secure because of it.

“I’m not saying it’s your fault or Kevin’s
fault. Frankly, it’s both your faults for buying something you
can’t afford, but now that you have, there are consequences. You
two need to talk to each other honestly and make some tough
decisions about the future.”

“I don’t care about the house. If I cared
about the house, I would have kicked him out instead of leaving.”
She buried her face in her hands when she felt a crying jag coming.
“He never said anything. Anything at all. And then when he did, he
didn’t hold anything back. He couldn’t have hurt me more if he’d
punched me.”

Sarah blew out a breath. “My son has the
patience of a saint until it runs out, and then you’d better run
for cover.” She moved around the coffee table, sat next to Shiloh,
and ran her hand up and down her spine. “Marriage is hard, sweetie.
I know it feels like a mountain, but this is just a bump in the
road when you’re in it for the long haul. You two have always been
in it for the long haul.”

“He hasn’t even called.” The words came out
as a whimper because she’d forced them past the lump in her
throat.

“I think he’s taking stock and trying to
figure out how to fix this and make things right with you.”

“What if he doesn’t want to make things right
with me?”

Sarah hugged Shiloh, and Shiloh breathed in
her familiar apple scent. “Honey, you know better than that. I’ve
never seen a man more in love. He’s like his dad—one look and he
was gone. It’s a wonderful gift to be loved as much as Kevin loves
you. You’ve given him the same gift in return. Sometimes, when life
throws challenges your way, you forget all the gifts you have and
take them for granted.”

Shiloh wiped tears from her cheeks. “I’d
never cheat on him. I can’t believe he thought I would.”

“You need to talk to him. Tell him how you
feel. Be honest. That’s the only way you two can make things
right.”

“He doesn’t want to talk to me.”

“He will, when he’s ready.”

“So what am I supposed to do in the meantime?
Sit here and wait?”

“You do whatever you want to do.” Sarah
reached for the box of tissues on the table and passed it to
Shiloh. “What about your job?”

A stab of guilt pierced Shiloh’s stomach. “I
took vacation last week, and I called in sick today. I need to go
home and deal with it, but I was hardly making any money. If
Kevin’s here…”

“You two need to talk. The sooner the better.
He’s staying with us for a few days. If you decide to come out to
the house, I’ll make sure Dodge and I leave you two alone for as
long as you need.” She patted Shiloh’s shoulder and stood to
leave.

“Sarah?” Shiloh called. Her mother-in-law
turned at the door. “Thank you. I was going out of my mind
wondering where he was and what he was doing.”

“He’s wherever you are. He always has
been.”

Chapter 14

Gretchen refused to squeeze into the booth
where Tommy and his companion had been sitting. She couldn’t be so
close to him in such a confined space without wanting to touch him
or bursting into tears. She pulled a chair from a table for six and
hoped the men would join her. Walking into the meeting knowing he
would be there with a decade’s worth of anger had taken every ounce
of courage she had.

“I’m A.J. Dodge.” The man extended his hand.
From the feel of his callouses and the state of his jeans and
flannel shirt, she assumed he was either a farmer or a rancher.

Gretchen returned his greeting. “Gretchen
Lowry.”

Tommy yanked out a chair, sat down, and
crossed his arms. He’d been so large in college, all muscle and
bulk thanks to the game he loved but never intended to make his
career. He was leaner, more lanky than bulky, but his wide
shoulders and long arms were no less intimidating. Focusing on his
stature was easier than looking into his eyes. She’d always said
she could see his soul through his stormy brown eyes. She saw only
hatred.

“I appreciate you both taking the time to
meet,” she began.

“We’ve got nothing but time down in our
little valley,” Tommy sneered. “I can’t imagine how you spent the
week. We don’t have Chicago’s fancy shopping or a gourmet
restaurant on every corner.”

His words felt like acid on her fragile skin.
“I’m quite enamored with the valley,” Gretchen countered. “There’s
a lot to be said for a slower pace of life.”

“That’ll change,” Dodge interrupted their
verbal sparring, “if this development goes through.”

“It could be a positive change.” She pulled a
file from her bag and retrieved the graphs and charts she’d
meticulously created. “Developments spur growth in outlying areas.
When the village at Butterfly Bend was created, the sleepy town of
Kingsland became a year-round tourist destination. Property values
went up substantially, economic development spurred, and the area
experienced a population boom.”

“We’ve studied Butterfly Bend, too,” Tommy
said. “Unlike you, we’ve actually talked to city officials,
business owners, residents, and the farmers and ranchers whose land
became too expensive to work.” Tommy leaned forward, his long
fingers spread on the table. She remembered the strength and
tenderness of his touch and yearned to feel it again. “Residents
were displaced by tourists and out-of-towners with zero
appreciation for the history and traditions of the area. Schools
became overcrowded, taxes went up, and long-time residents moved
elsewhere. We won’t let that happen here.”

She’d always admired the way he’d throw
himself into something he believed in. It used to be her. “Mr.
Holcomb believes we can strike a balance.”

“With over two thousand residential units?”
Tommy’s brows disappeared under the fringe of his dark hair. “Two
hundred thousand square feet of commercial space, ten restaurants,
and a handful of exclusive hotels? You think the valley you’ve
spent all week exploring can compete with that,
Mrs
. Lowry?”

Gretchen straightened. He could throw all the
development facts in her face and she wouldn’t blink an eye, but
the moment he connected her to Ryan, all bets were off. “It’s
Ms.”

“Oh, excuse me,” he said.

“Those are the specifics of the development
on the peak,” she explained. “The trickle-down effects will benefit
all the towns between the Lower Fork and Westmoreland.”

“We disagree on what you deem a benefit,”
Dodge said in a tone void of malice. “Your development will steal
our water, increase our traffic, and destroy the area’s wildlife.
Look, Ms. Lowry, I’ve lived in this valley most of my life. We
aren’t fancy people. We don’t need a bunch of restaurants and
clothing stores, and we certainly don’t want to be a thoroughfare
for those who do.”

“That’s why Holcomb has spent substantial
time and money studying and analyzing other developments in the
region. We can control the most offensive consequences of the
project so both sides are satisfied.”

“With all due respect,” Dodge said, “you
can’t control anything. Nobody can. You can control your buildings
and your leases, but outside your village, the trickle-down effects
are out of your hands. Ranchers and farmers who rely on the
valley’s aquifer don’t need you sucking up all the water. When land
prices go up, so do taxes and the cost of damn near everything. We
run our businesses at the mercy of the weather, and we don’t need
Holcomb mucking everything up and competing with God.”

“The environmental impact statement—”

“Hasn’t been released yet,” Tommy
interrupted. “Did you or your boss even read the comments from the
opposition? Did you bother to consider someone else’s point of
view? Did you ever wonder how your actions affect others?”

Was he talking about Holcomb or their past?
From the strangled sound of his voice, she couldn’t be sure.

“Just because you can’t see the little people
you step over doesn’t mean you haven’t left footprints all over
them. Maybe it’s time for you to come down from that ivory tower
and figure out how real life works.”

Her chin shot into the air. Real life? He
didn’t have a clue what real life looked like for her. An ivory
tower? She wished with all her might he could see the small ranch
house she’d worked her tail end off to finally afford. “I’ve got my
feet planted firmly on the ground, thank you very much, and I have
for some time.”

“I guess life in the fast lane isn’t as
glittery as you once thought.”

The only thing fast about her life was how
fast she’d been forced to grow up.

Fortunately, A.J. Dodge slapped his hands on
the table and got slowly to his feet. “I’ve got to get back to
work. I’m not sure there’s much left to say. It was nice to meet
you, Ms. Lowry.”

Gretchen stood and shook his hand. “Likewise,
Mr. Dodge.”

Tommy stayed seated and stretched his long
legs beneath the table, crossing his boot-clad feet. The door at
her back jangled at Dodge’s retreat. Gretchen remained standing.
She didn’t trust herself to be alone with Tommy. She’d anticipated
a difficult audience before she knew he was involved. But standing
there, facing him, felt like facing a one-man firing squad.

“If you don’t have any questions, I suppose
we can call this meeting adjourned.”

“I’ve got plenty of questions,” Tommy said,
gripping his chin. The motion drew her attention to his mouth and
the lips she’d dreamt about only the night before. In her dreams,
they were soft and inviting, a far cry from the tight line they
formed as he pressed them together. “Was this fun for you?
Ambushing me?”

“It wasn’t an ambush. I didn’t know you had
anything to do with STS until a few days ago. By then, I was
already here and it was too late to back out.”

“Backing out is your style. Why change now
when you can dig the knife a little deeper into my back.”

Oh, God. She’d hurt him. The anger and the
pain were so evident, and she’d tried so hard to shield him from
pain. “I’m not trying to hurt you, Tommy.”

“You can’t hurt me, Gretchen. I’d have to
care for you to hurt me, and I just don’t anymore. You made sure of
that.”

She swallowed against the wave of nausea.
What would he do if he knew the truth? What would it cost her? “I’m
sorry you feel that way.”

He stood up slowly, tucking his legs beneath
him and straightening to his full six feet, two inches, forcing her
to look up to meet his icy stare. “I don’t feel anything but
disgust. I remember the girl who wanted to see the world and make a
difference. I never thought she’d become a corporate hack. Course,
I never thought she’d do a lot of things. Shame on me for expecting
better of her.”

She should be numb. Why was he able to aim
those darts right where it hurt the most? “That girl is gone. She
died right along with her dreams.”

Tommy leaned down. Gretchen felt his breath
stir her hair and squeezed her eyes closed. “I could have told you
he wasn’t worth it,” he whispered. His boots clicked on the
hardwood floors as he moved toward the door.

“We don’t always get to choose,” she
murmured.

The door jingled as he gripped the handle,
and Gretchen turned her head just as he cut his eyes out the front
window. “Everything we have in life is a choice. I’m not going to
let this valley suffer because you made the wrong one.”

He might not make the valley suffer, but he
sure as hell would make her suffer.

Chapter 15

Dodge felt tired to the bone. When he drove
up to his cabin, the last rays of the sun were casting the sky in
sheets of pink. He wanted a cold beer, the couch, and the company
of his wife—and not necessarily in that order. He scowled when he
spotted Kevin’s car in the drive. The hired help should never
arrive home before the boss. Dodge left his boots in the garage and
dragged his weary body up the stairs. He found Kevin drinking his
beer, on his couch, talking to his wife. “Something is seriously
wrong with this picture.”

“Hey,” Sarah said, “I didn’t hear you come
in.”

“Did you deliver the cows to Ft. Marland?”
Dodge asked Kevin.

“Done.”

“Clear out the ditch in the river
pasture?”

“Done.” Kevin took a sip of beer.

“Repair the fence line by the barn?”

“All done.”

“How did you get all that done so fast?”

Kevin smirked in that sassy way he had that
made Dodge want to hug him and strangle him all at once. “I’m young
and able-bodied.”

“I’m going to whip your young able body if
you don’t get off my couch and let me have some time with my woman.
Go make up with yours and get outta here.”

“Dodge…” Sarah chided.

“What? He’s got a wife and a house and a
fridge full of beer back in Denver.”

“It’s okay, Mom,” Kevin said. She’d defend
him to the death when they all knew what he really needed was a
swift kick in the ass. “He’s right.”

“Damn right I’m right.” Dodge slipped off his
jacket and hung it on the post. “I’m going to take a shower. When
I’m out,”—he pointed at Kevin—“we’re going to talk. Man to
man.”

Hot water did little to ease Dodge’s mood or
his muscles. At the start of every winter, he contemplated hanging
up his hat—or at least cutting back his hours. Maybe if his stepson
stayed in town and was as eager and nimble as he seemed, Dodge just
might consider taking it easy a little more seriously.