Page 73 of Christmas with the Cowgirl
“And he likes you.”She tilted her head back so she could look up at him.“Enough to let this go ahead, I think.”
They’d hammered it out in the early hours this morning, that he would begin the process of revivingStonewall.He’d been bluntly honest with her about the possible disruptions to her life, but also the benefits.He’d even suggested that Ed and the boys could have background parts if they wanted, at standard scale pay, in case they needed help with medical bills.She’d already handled that, without hesitation, but she liked that he’d thought of it.
Just as she’d liked his only request about the new living quarters was a wall big enough to hang the painting on.
“Your dad’s one hurdle,” Miles said.“But there’s the issue of permits and state ordinances and officials, and all the bureaucratic hoops to jump through.”
“You need to talk to Rylan Rafferty.He’s buds with the governor, you know, after he made that custom saddle for him a while back.Maybe he could get him to rattle the film board’s cage for something as big asStonewall.”
He grinned at her.“Girl, once you make up your mind you’re a steamroller, aren’t you?”
“You’d do well to remember that,” she said, in a teasingly warning tone.
“It’s going to take some bucks to get rolling again,” he said, now with a slight grimace.“And the thought of dealing with Swiffer again…” He trailed off with a shake of his head.
“Do you have to?Deal with him, I mean?”
He grimaced.“Not sure I can buy him out and finance the restart both.He’s a bit…greedy.And cheap, when it comes to spending on the things he’s supposed to be supporting.”
“Shane says guys like that’ll squeeze a nickel until the buffalo screams.”
He burst out laughing, and she loved the feel of it, how his whole body—every lean, luscious inch of it—flexed with it.
“I like your police chief,” he said.
She hesitated for a moment before saying, “What if somebody else bought him out?”
“Been thinking about that,” he admitted.“But there’s more risk involved now.No guarantee a restart will have the momentum or audience we had before.”
“What if that person didn’t care?”
“Who’s going to invest that kind of money and not—” He broke off suddenly, and stared at her.“Riley?”
She shrugged.“Have I mentioned I have a really sharp financial manager?And that he’s taken the money from that silly clip and multiplied it a few times over?”
“But…that’s why you…you thought I wanted your money.I don’t, Riley.I swear I don’t.I’d rather not do it at all than have you believe…that.”
“You couldn’t have wanted it if you didn’t know about it.And that’s what I believe.”
He closed his eyes for a moment and she felt him relax.She leaned in and rested her cheek on his chest, over his heart.
“Besides,” she said, “I want to see your vision ofStonewall.The real thing, as it should have been.And I’m sure I’m far from alone.”
He hugged her fiercely then.“As long as this isn’t something you think you need to or have to do.”
“That’s all behind us, Miles.No more of that.So, what else needs to happen?”
He looked thoughtful.“I’ll need to get an office in town.I don’t want to clutter up your house—”
“Ourhouse,” Riley corrected.
Miles smiled widely, so obviously happy it made her almost tear up yet again.“Our house,” he corrected.“Anyway, there’s a lot of clutter, and I’ll need a place for meetings and a writers’ room and—”
“I got it,” she said, laughing now, delighted with his enthusiasm.“You need a place the size of city hall.”
“More like the library,” he said, grinning now.“That’s one of the things I love about Last Stand, that the library’s bigger than city hall.”
“You know,Yippee Ki Yayhas a second floor they don’t use for much except occasional storage.They’ve talked now and then about renting it out, just haven’t been motivated.I’ll bet you could motivate them.”
