Page 68 of Christmas with the Cowboy
“But, what?”
“You know.”
“I don’t.”
He frowned at her.
“You have to tell me what you’re talking about,” she said patiently.
The frown deepened. “I signed something.”
“An NDA?” He shrugged and she said, “I’m family.”
“You should at least warn them. The Kellers.” With that, he turned on his heel and headed to his truck. After hefting the last box in, he got behind the wheel and started the engine.
“Sorry if he bothered you,” Mason said after Jay had pulled out.
“No bother,” Trenna said lightly. “I’m glad we spoke.” So glad. She smiled at the foreman, then turned and headed back to the lodge, makeup kit forgotten.
“You’re not dressed,” Dawn said on a laugh as she entered the lodge through the kitchen door. Dawn was resplendent in cinnamon-colored taffeta that perfectly set off her auburn hair.
Trenna simply smiled and headed through the long room to the hall leading to her dad’s office, hoping against hope that he was still there. The door was still closed and when she tapped, he called, “I’ll be ready soon, dear.”
She took that as her cue to enter.
Carter leaned back in his chair, an expression of surprise playing across his face. Why not? Trenna rarely sought him out twice in one visit.
“What’s going on with the Kellers?”
He gave her a what-the-hell scowl. She crossed the room and stopped less than a foot away from him, well into his comfort zone. “Your neighbors. What are you planning?”
He shook his head.
“Why did you offer to buy their ranch?”
If he was surprised that she knew, he didn’t show it. “Land in this area is an investment. You know that.”
“You have land.”
“I don’t have a river.”
She turned her chin to give him a sideways look. “Is that what the land grab was about? River access?”
“I’m not doing anything illegal.”
“We’ve been over that. There’s legal and then there’s moral.”
Her father studied her for a long moment. “You have no right to look down your nose at me.”
His tone would have shaken her in her twenties, but she was beyond that now—for the most part. She’d have aftereffects, but for now, she was all about going toe-to-toe.
“Then don’t do things that make me feel like doing that. What do you have against the family, anyway?” Because if it was still some deep-seated disapproval of Reed, after all these years…
“Nothing. It’s business. Having a section of river would be a major benefit.”
“Why? It’s not close enough to the lodge to be a handy benefit for guests.”
He regarded her with the maddening expression he wore when he was stonewalling. Arrogance, assurance, a touch of pity for those with lesser minds. But mostly arrogance.
