Chapter Nine
Graeme was having the time of his life. Sure, he hadn’t figured out everything as yet, but he would do so soon. All he needed to do was tell Cullen he loved her, she would say the same words back, and everything would fall into place as it was meant to be. When he returned with Cullen to the farm, Graeme was busy contemplating the new purchase they’d finalized. The three hundred new cattle they bought for Westbury Ranch would be a wonderful addition.
Cullen navigated the quiet lanes as they made their way home. She’d been unusually quiet for the past four days, and even though they continued to meet, she didn’t tell him the reason for her reticence. Maybe she was also struggling with her feelings for him. Perhaps she wanted to tell him she was crazy in love with him and wanted him to remain with her forever.
Graeme smiled at his own wishful thinking. “I’m fairly optimistic about the cattle project,” he told her.
“Yeah, me too.”
“We need to hire new people.”
“I’m on it.”
Is it work that was bothering her? He didn’t think so. Everything on the farm was as it should be. Actually, they were quite ahead of their targets. “The new barn will be ready in one or two days, which means we could have the cattle delivered earlier.”
“No. Let’s just move according to the plan.”
They entered through the gate of the farm and Graeme ran his gaze over the barns, the stable, and the fields. Everything looked good. Although they were away for a night, he didn’t anticipate any problems. The staff was well trained and would’ve called them if things had gone off kilter. After they got out, she went inside the farm house and he walked to his cottage to dump his bag. Not long after, he strolled over to the stables. He checked each horse and made sure the animals were fed well. Then he moved on to his daily chores.
“The east corner fence needs repairing,” one of the ranch hands said while Graeme was busy inspecting the saddles.
“Let’s do it right now.”
“We need some new supplies, and it might be better if we kept some extra repairing stuff such as screws, hammers, and wood because when the cattle come in, we would see a lot more damage.”
“You’re right,” Graeme agreed. “I’ll make a list and then get everything.”
Soon, the list was ready and since Graeme had some time on his hands, he decided to go into town and buy the things now. Since he was supposed to share a car with Jackie, he went to ask her if he could take it.
She was sitting at the kitchen table, looking a bit lost.
“Jackie, hi. Do you have a minute?”
“Sure.”
It looked as if she’d been crying. He’d never seen her look so upset. It wasn’t his place to ask but he couldn’t just walk out. Graeme took a seat. “Is everything okay?”
“Yeah.” She wiped a hand across her face. “No, actually. I guess you’re going to know soon enough so I might as well tell you. My daughter Shayne got divorced.”
He was taken aback by the blunt announcement. Is this the reason why Cullen looked so anxious? Why didn’t she tell him? It hurt him that she wouldn’t share a family detail with him. Wasn’t he important enough to share such information? He tried to concentrate on Jackie, and since he was actually fond of her, Graeme took her hand in his. “I’m sorry to hear it.”
“I—thought she was happy. I—I guess a mother can be wrong about her kids.”
“Why don’t you visit her?”
“She’s going to come here. Cullen has already offered her the job as the marketing/administrative manager. It will be good to have two of my girls’ home, but I wished that it wasn’t under such circumstances.”
Cullen had hired her sister as a manager and neglected to tell him? Of course, she wasn’t required to share the information with a mere foreman, but he’d thought their relationship had evolved more than that. Anger stirred in Graeme’s heart. Was he fooling himself into thinking that what he had with Cullen was love?
She didn’t seem to think so.
After pushing back the feelings that crowded in his heart, he focused on Jackie. Graeme stayed with her for a while until he felt sure she was coping a little better, and then he took the car keys and drove to town. It was time to have a heart-to-heart talk with Cullen. What if she didn’t think of him in the same way he thought of her? He wouldn’t be able to live here if it turned out that she was merely passing time with him. Graeme really loved her, and he wanted something permanent. Marriage. Perhaps kids. He wanted the whole nine yards. It wasn’t just women who thought that way. Some men also shared the same dreams. He wanted to settle down, have roots, and belong to a place and a family. If Cullen wasn’t thinking along those lines, it would be better for him to cut his losses now than to get more involved.
It wasn’t difficult for Graeme to find parking. He pressed the keypad to lock the car doors and strolled into the supply store. The Westbury Ranch had an account, and all he had to do was buy everything and the bill would be sent later.
Graeme strolled in. In the short time he was here, he’d made some good friends and understood the rhythm of the town. “Hey, Tom.” He raised a hand in greeting to the owner who was on the phone. “I’m in the back, collecting some stuff.”
People respected and trusted each other; in time of need, they supported one another. He would like to live here for the rest of his life, but not if Cullen and he weren’t on the same page. He wanted—no needed—her love more than he needed air to breathe. Graeme picked up the things and put them in the basket. While he strolled closer and closer to the back of the store, he realized he wasn’t alone. At least two men were in the back row, and they were talking.
Ordinarily, he wouldn’t have paid attention but when he heard Cullen’s name, Graeme halted. “She’s not getting away,” a man growled low.
Although Graeme only met him once, he recognized Hayes’s voice. Why the hell was that guy talking about Cullen?
“She’s seeing the foreman,” another guy said.
“He won’t last for long.”
“What are you planning?
“Oh, you wait and see,” Hayes drawled in a particularly annoying voice. “Cullen and that farm of hers are both going to be mine.”
“The farm? Are you planning to buy it?”
“That bitch will hand it right over after I show her who the boss is.”
Graeme wouldn’t have reacted to the foul talk if the man hadn’t cursed Cullen. He strode to the last aisle, turned the corner, and confronted the men. The other man was the owner of the local nursery. “Hasn’t anyone told you that gentlemen don’t call ladies names?”
Hayes spared him a glance. He didn’t look too perturbed to be caught right smack in the middle of a bitching session. “Just get your ass out of here, man.”
Even though rage was a tempest in his belly, Graeme didn’t want a fight. He wanted to make his point and get out. “The sight of you two disgusts me.” He turned to leave.
Hayes’s hand landed on his shoulder. “Hey! Who the hell do you think you’re talking to?”
Graeme turned around slowly. The anger that swept through his heart was a full blown rage, but he controlled it. He wasn’t going to get into a fist fight with this lowlife, despite the extreme provocation. “Move your hand.”
“Make me.”
With a quick swipe of his hand, Graeme broke free from the other’s man’s grasp. He stared at the two men. “Cullen is not yours to own.”
“You think a few romps in the bed with her makes you a permanent fixture by her side? She’s never going to settle with a guy like you. You’re nobody, a nothing.”
Graeme didn’t think that question deserved a response. He strode to the counter and handed over his purchases, before he lost his temper and did something he would later regret.
The owner listed the things in the ledger. “Had a fight with Max?”
“I don’t touch shit with my hands,” he replied.
Tom grinned with approval. “Good for you. We have enough rough cowboys here.”
After Graeme collected his stuff, he left the store and walked over to his car. Opening the trunk, he dumped the things in, and when he closed it, he was startled to see Hayes standing right there. The gleam in the other man’s eyes clearly told him the purpose for his arrival. His friend stood behind him. Two to one weren’t odds that he was happy with, but he’d seen worse.
Graeme didn’t like to instigate a fight, but he sure as hell wasn’t going to back away from one. He wasn’t a coward. And yet, he didn’t want to do something he would regret later on. It was better to settle this with words. “What do you want? Let’s talk.”
“The time for talk is over.” Hayes’s fisted hand was aimed straight to his face.
Graeme ducked to the right before Hayes’s fist could connect. He stepped to the right again and delivered an elbow jab to the Hayes’s stomach. As the man doubled over, Graeme straightened to deal with the other opponent who was rushing towards him. A good kick on the shin dropped the man like a sack of potatoes. Hayes lunged forward and grabbed Graeme’s shirt, but he slipped out of the man’s grasp.
“You fool,” Graeme seethed.
“Bastard! I’m going to make you regret ever sleeping with her,” Hayes growled as he kicked Graeme on his leg.
Graeme stumbled, and Hayes’s fist hit him in the eye. Graeme saw stars. He nearly fell but luckily for him, the car was right behind. It broke his fall. When Hayes rushed at him, he stepped to the side, grabbed the other man’s arms and forced him head down on the trunk of the car. “Now you listen to me good, asshole!” He cast a look behind but the other man was slowly backing away as if realizing that he didn’t want to be a part of this fight anymore. Good! At least one of these idiots appeared to have a bit of commonsense left. “I’m done here. If you insist on fighting me, I’m going to have to hurt you.” He tightened his hold on Hayes’s arm, and felt a measure of satisfaction when the idiot winced in pain. “Trust me, I really would like to hurt you, real good. And as far as Cullen is concerned, do yourself a huge favor by staying away from her.”
“You won’t last long in this town. I’ll make sure of it,” Hayes warned. The man was down but he wasn’t willing to give up.
Graeme ignored his threat. If he wanted, he could pound him to a pulp, but there wasn’t any point in doing so. All he wanted to do was go home and put some ice on his eye that was throbbing like a bitch.
With a swift yank, he pushed Hayes away. For a moment, he stood still, waiting for another attack but Hayes waved a fist and moved away. Graeme shook his head at the arrogant ass and got into his car. He never intended a fight. It wasn’t something he enjoyed but of course, he wouldn’t just sit there like a log and take a beating. If Hayes tried something like this again, he might have to file a complaint against him with the Sheriff.
He drove straight to his the cottage. First, he wanted to deal with his injuries. Hayes hadn’t done much damage, but his eye was already swelling up a little. Nothing that a little ice couldn’t fix. He headed straight for the kitchen, took out a frozen bag of peas out of the refrigerator and put it on his face. Soon, he felt better. His knuckles were a little bruised, but it was nothing he couldn’t take. Hopefully, Hayes learnt his lesson and wouldn’t bother him again.
He’d hated to hear such nonsense about Cullen who didn’t deserve such shit spoken about her. Hayes was an idiot. He not only allowed a beautiful woman with a generous spirit get away, but then he also persisted on making things worse by messing with her life. Why the hell did he want the ranch? Was it just male boasting or did he really want her land?
Had he pursued Cullen for it?
Graeme didn’t relish the idea of having that conversation with Cullen. She would be hurt when she found out what her ex-boyfriend was talking about. Graeme didn’t want to be the one to enlighten her, but there wasn’t any other choice. He didn’t want to keep information like this from her.
After about twenty minutes of icing his face, he went out again. His eye still throbbed and already it was black and shining, but he’d seen worse. Graeme drove the car back. He dropped off the supplies, wrote down the details regarding them in the ledger, and then dragged his feet over to her office.
Cullen wasn’t in.
Damn!
“Hey, Smith, have you seen Cullen?”
The ranch hand glanced at Graeme’s face. “What happened to your eye?”
“I walked into a door.”
Smith’s lips split into a smile as he sauntered forward to take a closer look. “Dude! It must’ve been some door.”
Graeme didn’t want to give any details. It wasn’t anyone’s business but his and Hayes’s…and of course, Cullen’s. “Sure, it was. Now, where’s Cullen?”
“Saw her walking to the farmhouse a few minutes ago. Jackie called her because Max came calling.”
Graeme stood as still as a rock. “Max? As in the next door neighbor.”
“Same, I think.”
Shit! And doubt shit! He had to hand it to the guy. Graeme didn’t anticipate this move. Hayes would probably be telling Cullen some whopping lies by now. Graeme should've gone to her as soon as he came in. Well, never mind, he would go and set the record straight now. He didn’t want another altercation in front of the ladies but if Hayes so much as dared to say anything against Cullen, he would be forced to do so.
Graeme knocked on the back door but no one answered, so he opened it and went inside. He heard voices coming from the living room. He walked through and found Hayes and Cullen in the middle of the room. They both stood opposite each other while Jackie sat on the couch.
“That man’s mad,” said Hayes. “He attacked me out of nowhere.”
Graeme frowned. “Excuse me?” Surely, he heard this wrong. Was Max actually blaming him for the fight? Not only was he aggressive and violent but also a liar. What had Cullen seen in him when she got involved with him in the first place? “What the hell are you talking about?”
Cullen turned to see him. Her eyes widened at the sight of his black, shiny eye. “Graeme…did you get into a fight with Max?”
“Sure, I did. He attacked me first.”
“Liar,” Hayes spat out the word. “I was over at Tom’s supply shop, getting my things, and when I went out, he just grabbed me. The man’s loco. You need to fire him immediately. I’m even thinking about filing a police complaint.”
The string of lies made Graeme’s blood boil. His eyes narrowed and he took a step forward. It was somewhat satisfying to see Hayes actually scuttled back as if he wanted to avoid Graeme. “You bastard! You’re the one who ambushed me.”
“Oh, please!” Hayes snorted. There was a vindictive gleam in his eyes. It was quite obvious the idiot was enjoying himself. “As if I would lower myself to fighting with the likes of you. You’re nothing but a glorified ranch hand whereas I’m the owner of one of the biggest ranches in this county.”
Graeme didn’t want to stoop to insults and name calling. As quickly as possible, he recounted all that he’d heard Hayes say to his friend, and the subsequent events that took place in the parking lot. Cullen’s expression told him she wasn’t sure which man to believe. For some reason, that pissed him off more than Hayes’s lies. Was she so susceptible to the other man’s charm that she wouldn’t trust him?
Did he mean nothing to her?
If he was as important to her as she was to him, she wouldn’t have even given Hayes this much time to spin his web of lies. Even though she hadn’t said a word as yet, Graeme felt hurt and betrayed. She shouldn’t have even thought of believing this asshole. Hayes was a liar, even while they were dating, so she shouldn’t even consider believing him. While Graeme had been spinning castles in the sky, Cullen was probably using him to make this guy jealous, so she could take him back.
“I’ve already said everything there’s to say about this.” He lifted his arm and pointed to Hayes. “This guy has some agenda that I can’t even begin to unravel. You can trust me or not. I don’t give a shit.” He glared at Hayes. “And as far as you’re concerned, dude, if I ever see you again, I won’t hold back. So make sure you stay out of my way.” Without waiting for a reply from Max or Cullen, he marched out. Graeme couldn't believe that the woman he loved didn’t trust him enough to take his words at face value. Maybe he made a mistake not coming straight to her to recount this story, but he wasn’t a tattletale.
Now, he was done.
If Cullen didn’t trust him, he didn’t see the point of staying on as her employee or as her man. If there wasn’t any future in their relationship, then he didn’t want to stick around for her to fire him. It was time to leave this place and make a life elsewhere. He would miss Cullen, and perhaps it might take weeks or even months for him to get over her. Maybe he wouldn’t ever be able to do so. She was the true love of his life, but he needed more than just a romp in bed from her.
He wanted love, trust, and loyalty.
He wanted a long-term relationship.
He wanted forever with her.
If she wasn’t prepared to give him those things, then it was better to call it quits. This was over. He went to the cottage and began to gather his things. It’d taken him months to make this his home, but it would take only hours to get away.
He would miss this place and the people—but most of all, Cullen’s absence would forever leave a void in his heart. He loved her, and maybe he wouldn’t ever be able to forget it, but it was better to end this now, than to hold on to something that wasn’t working out.
His life as he’d made it here was now over, and it was time to begin anew.
Graeme hated the thought of it, but there wasn’t an option. He’d made his decision, and nothing could make him change his mind.