Page 21 of Wrangling Hearts
“Right, sorry. But really, do you want me to stay on the phone?”
I swallowed back the bitter taste in the back of my throat. “No. It’s okay. I got it.”
“I swear I’m gonna make this up to you.” I didn’t need her to make it up to me. I needed her to be here now. It was already a major balancing act to line this tour up as it was. Gran was watching Mama, and Emmett had helped me pick this place up until it looked brand new. Kind of.
“I’m sure you will. I gotta go, they’re pulling up. Let me know when you get home.” I hung up before she could respond, and wiped my sweaty hands on my jeans.
I plastered on a smile as the Cavendish reps parked in the same polished truck I had seen at Circle M yesterday, and I wondered if it got washed every time it was driven, given how spotless it was.
“Good morning,” I said as the two men rounded the truck. I extended my hand, hoping they wouldn’t notice it shaking. “I’m Claire Hayes. Welcome to Golden Bridle.”
They took a brief moment to look around before meeting my gaze. “Claire, lovely to meet you,” the first one, a tall redhead, said. “I’m Oliver, and this is my partner, Trent.” Trent’s hair was so perfectly styled, it looked like a helmet.
I made sure the handshake was firm, but not too firm; I had Emmett practice with me last night, despite his eye rolling. “So great to have you here. I really appreciate you taking the time to come out.” I couldn’t believe how in control and unbothered I sounded. It was like my body had been taken over by some kind of parasite that calmed me down.
“Of course,” Trent said with a tight smile. “Want to show us around?”
“Yes!” I started to lead them to the stables. “I hope you don’t mind walking, I don’t have a golf cart like Circle M,” I said over my shoulder before I could stop it.
I stopped and turned, wincing. “Sorry, that wasn’t very professional of me. There are…extenuating circumstances between our ranches. I’m usually an extremely levelheaded person.”
Trent’s smile seemed more genuine this time, if not nosy. “Oh, we know all about the failed merger. Don’t worry.”
I didn’t know how to take that, so I just nodded and continued on. “Right, so this is our main barn. There are five stalls now, but I was thinking of an extension to add another five and a vet bay.”
They looked around as if to say,This is it?
“And how many stalls are already occupied?” Oliver asked, scribbling on his clipboard.
I hesitated, knowing the answer would probably go in their cons column. “Four currently.” I didn’t tell them about the stall Emmett had converted into a mini home gym.
Trent’s brows furrowed almost imperceptibly. “So really, there’d only be space for six of our horses.”
“Yes, but I was thinking, after we get some traction, we could expand further. You know, don’t want to bite off more than you can chew, right?” I chuckled awkwardly.
They gave me blank stares. My stomach knotted.
“And how many people work here currently?”
“Just my brother and me, but our family friend is an equine therapist, and she’d be joining the team. She was actually supposed to be here today,” my voice trailed and weakened when Oliver started writing more things down, “but she’s having car issues.”
Beau’s voice from last week slammed into me like a wrecking ball:At least I have people working for me!
I was definitely about to vomit.
“And turnout space? Arena space?” Trent asked, looking around as if there was more to Golden Bridle hidden behind some magic portal.
“We really only have space for one arena, which we’d make an indoor one for inclement weather. And there’s room for another corral, but we just have the one pasture.”
I could feel the dream slipping through my fingers as I watched Oliver write on that stupid clipboard. I desperately wanted to know what he was writing. It wasn’t like my ranch’s future hung on it or anything.
Thoughts tore through my mind like a windstorm, desperate to say anything that would impress them. That would set me apart from Circle M. Then the idea hit me like a crack of lightning.
“The friend I mentioned, Delilah Chase, the equine therapist, she’d come on full time,” I blurted. “We were thinking of expanding your program beyond performance horses. We want to help”—panicked, I looked around and saw Emmett’s pickup truck—“veterans with PTSD. There have been studies that taking care of the horses and working with them helps.”
The words finally registered in my mind. What the hell did I just say? God, Delilah was going to be pissed. Sure, she had offered to help with the proposal, but notworkhere.
“That actually sounds really interesting,” Trent said while Oliver nodded in agreement.
