Cassidy Harte and the Comeback Kid Read Online Free PDF Page B

blamed her.
    â€œThis is nice,” he murmured instead.
    â€œYou must live in some grand mansion somewhere, now that you’ve hit the big time.”
    He thought of his cold, impersonal apartment in Denver, with its elegant furniture he was never quitecomfortable using. Her little cabin held far more appeal.
    â€œNot really,” he answered. “It’s a place to sleep and that’s about it.”
    There was an awkward pause between them, and he thought about the little trailer home they’d planned to buy in Logan while she finished school. She had decorated it in her head a hundred times, talking endlessly about curtains and furniture and wallpaper. He had even gotten into the spirit of things, something that still amazed him. Neither of them had cared how cramped the little trailer would be. They were too excited about starting their lives together.
    She finally broke the silence, her expression stony and cold. “Can we skip the small talk? I’ve had a long day and need to be up at five to start breakfast over at the lodge.”
    He pushed away his memories. If he wanted this to work, he had to focus on the present. “Okay. Let’s get down to business. I don’t want you to quit.”
    â€œWhat you want hasn’t mattered to me for a long time, Zack.”
    He ignored her clipped tone. “From all the research my people did before we made the offer, we know that the food at the Lost Creek is one of the main draws of the ranch. In just a few months you’ve developed quite a reputation for delicious, healthy meals.”
    He paused, waiting for her to respond, but she remained stubbornly silent. After a moment he went on. “I want to build on that reputation. Use it as a selling point. That’s been one of my goals for the ranch from the beginning.”
    She rolled her eyes. “Come on, Zack. You didn’treally think I would stay here and work for you, did you?”
    At his continued silence she gazed at him for a moment, then her jaw sagged. “You did! I can’t believe this!”
    He had hoped. Now he realized how completely foolish that had been. “You used to be the kind of woman who would never back down from a good fight.”
    Her mouth hardened again. “I used to be a lot of things. Ten years is a long time. I’m not the same person I was then. I’ve become much more choosy about the things I’m willing to fight for.”
    â€œAnd your job isn’t one of them?”
    â€œI won’t lie to you. I like working for the Lost Creek. Jean is a sweetheart and gives me all the freedom I could ever want to create my own menus. But I would rather take a job cleaning truck-stop toilets than stay here and work for you.”
    He deserved everything she dished out and more. He knew it, but her words still stung.
    â€œIs there anything I can say to change your mind?”
    She shook her head firmly and he chewed the inside of his cheek. He hadn’t wanted to play this card but she was the one folding way too early in the game. “Fine,” he said, his voice cool and detached. “I’ll let Jean know in the morning that Maverick will have to pass on the ranch.”
    Her eyes widened, and that stubborn little jaw threatened to sag again. “You can’t! You’ve already signed papers. Jean already has a check.”
    â€œEarnest money, that’s all.” He refused to let the shocked outrage in her voice deter him. “We had thirtydays to reach a final decision on the sale. I’ll just tell Jean I’ve changed my mind.”
    â€œYou’re willing to walk away from the whole deal just because I refuse to work for you?”
    â€œI’m a businessman, Cassie, as unbelievable as you seem to find that. The food you provide is an important component of the ranch’s appeal to its guests. Who knows what kind of an impact your resignation will have? I don’t want to take that