It was a power play. That was all.

When I saw Albert’s fancy black car pull up in my dirt driveway, I knew I was in for a rough morning. I’d expected them to throw around big numbers, big propositions. They didn’t have to remind me about the situation I was in; it was only a matter of time before the bank came to seize the property by force. I had expected things to go a lot rougher than they did, so I supposed I was partially relieved.

But I hadn’t expected him.

I recognized Jacob instantly. It was like a blast from the past. We used to play together by the creek that ran between our families’ farms after school.

A lot about him had changed. He was significantly taller, and he’d grown into those ears of his. His face was chiseled, and his frame was strong and athletic.

I couldn’t help but notice the slight lean he had, however. He stood and sat in what seemed to be a constant state of obvious discomfort. It was probably my imagination, though. I chalked it up to nerves.

But he still had the same dark brown eyes, framed by thick, long lashes. The freckles I remembered him having were faded now, no longer as noticeable as they once had been in his youth.

When I saw him leaning against the car, I felt my heart lift out of my chest. It had been so long since I’d seen a familiar face. My family never visited me –- for backward reasons -– and I didn’t really have any friends who lived nearby. So seeing Jacob was like a sudden breath of fresh air. It was a shame he didn’t remember me.

It was also a shame that he was strong-arming me into selling Breakaway.

I nibbled my bottom lip, deep in thought. I had to think of something. I had to think of something fast.

The ranch, my home, my horses, my life –- they were all slipping through my fingers, like water through a cracked dam. It was only a matter of time before I had a flood to deal with.

I watched through the window as Jacob and Thomas spoke by the car. They weren’t getting into the vehicle right away; probably another power-play tactic. They were waiting for me to get desperate enough to come running after them, begging to take the deal.

I watched Jacob’s mouth move as he spoke. His lips were supple and a little pouty, but my God, did I want to know what they felt like.

I wished he’d stop talking. I wished he would stop looking down on me, with his fancy suit, nice car, and shiny golden wristwatch. Maybe I could make him shut up if I just crashed my lips into his. I would leave him winded and dazed.

I shook my head, mentally kicking myself. This wasn’t the time to be daydreaming.

Besides, I wasn’t ready. Not since Michael. I’d rather not deal with the pain again.

But there was something about the way he watched me. I did my best to pretend not to notice how his eyes lingered on me, too long to be an accident. I pretended not to notice him swallow nervously when our eyes locked, pretended not to see the faint pink that welled up in his cheeks.

Was he seriously checking me out? It had to be my imagination. There was no way Jacob was into guys. I was just projecting, wanting something that wasn’t really there.

I glanced over at the horse shed, remembering that I still hadn’t checked up on Maybelle. My poor girl must have been feeling a little cramped by now.

And then the idea hit me. I didn’t know why I hadn’t thought of it before. Probably because it was too crazy, but I was getting anxious. And desperate times called for desperate measures.

Bursting through the front door of my home, I shouted after Albert. “Wait!”

Albert turned, a curious glint in his eye. There was no doubt in my mind he thought he was playing me like a fiddle. “Yes, Dan?” he practically cooed.

Asshole.

“Let me give you Maybelle as collateral,” I said firmly. This had to work. It had to.

Albert exchanged a confused look with Thomas. Jacob was the only one who didn’t seem thrown by my statement. He had been born and raised on the farm. He probably knew where I was going with all of this.

“Who’s Maybelle?” asked Thomas.

“She’s my horse,” I explained. “She’s won several awards and competitions. She’s worth a lot of money.”

“How much money are we talking?” inquired Albert.

“She’s worth at least a five-figure sum. Minimum fifty grand.”

Thomas looked over to Jacob like he didn’t believe me, but Jacob returned the smallest of nods in confirmation. He knew. Prize-winning Thoroughbreds had been sold for a lot more than that. In the millions, even. I was just low-balling it.

“There’s a huge competition coming up,” I continued. “When I win, I can pay back everything that I owe to the bank.”

“If,” corrected Jacob smugly. I frowned. I didn’t remember him being such a cocky bastard.

Gesturing towards the horse shed, I said, “Let me bring her out. I can show you. She’s a winner.”

Jacob shifted uncomfortably where he stood, adjusting his tie for what must have been the fifth time that hour. His eyes darted nervously between me and the shed. I could hear Maybelle neigh off in the distance.

I didn’t quite know what to make of all this. Jacob’s face had paled, his skin a ghost-white. Was he scared of horses or something? That couldn’t be right. There was nothing to be afraid of.

“That won’t be necessary,” said Jacob quickly. Why did he sound so uneasy all of a sudden?

Albert sighed, taking off his glasses to polish. “I’m sorry, Dan. I’m sure your horse is worth a lot, but the bank can’t accept collateral on a gamble. If your horse doesn’t win the competition–-”

“She will,” I stressed.

“If she doesn’t, the bank will still be out what you owed, and we’ll also be stuck with a horse that we won’t know how to take care of.”

I clenched my fist. The last and only option I had left had just been shot to pieces.

Great.

“I don’t know what to do,” I admitted. “I built this place from the ground up. It’s all I’ve known. There’s got to be a way I can–-”

“I’m sorry, Mr. Stanton,” said Albert firmly. The bank advisor opened the driver side door of his fancy Audi. It seemed so out of place amongst the trees and unpaved road.

“Our offer still stands,” continued Thomas as he started to get into the car.

My attention fell on Jacob, who was still hovering next to the vehicle. There was a deep, troubled frown between his brows. He had his hand in his pocket.

“I’m sorry,” he muttered. “It’s just business.”

I bit the inside of my cheek. “Yeah. Just business.”

“The way I see it, we’re doing you a solid. You can barely afford to keep your own horse. Why not walk away and start fresh?”

I shook my head. “You of all people should understand.”

“What do you mean?”

“Who are you trying to fool? You grew up around here. You know the hard work that goes into raising your animals, harvesting crops. It’s in your blood. You can’t just walk away from this life.”

“But I did,” he argued, indignant. “And I’ll remind you that you wanted to leave, too.”

“You do remember me.” I leaned back a little, resting my weight on my heels. I stuffed my hands into my pocket, shivering against the chilly morning air.

“I didn’t recognize you before. You look really different.”

“So do you.”

A sharp breeze rushed past us, whistling through the leaves of the trees. Albert started up his vehicle, the engine purring softly. He slowly started backing up out of my driveway.

“What happened to you?” I asked him, maybe a little more harshly than I intended. “Nobody would tell us why you dropped out of school. I tried asking your mom once, but she didn’t give me a straight answer.”

“What did she say?”

“She said you were visiting family in the city. And then you never came back.”

Jacob shrugged a shoulder. He started towards the car and leaned against the frame. I noticed his face twist a little in pain, but it disappeared just as quickly. A chilly breeze swept past us, forcing a shiver down my neck. I folded my arms in an attempt to keep warm.

“She wasn’t wrong,” he mumbled.

“So, what? I haven’t seen you in thirteen years, and all you’ve got for me is a shaky explanation and a deal to buy out my ranch?”

“Danny, I–-”

“Danny?” I echoed in disbelief. It had been an incredibly long time since anyone had called me that. The nickname brought a violent wave of childhood memories crashing back. Summers spent around campfires roasting marshmallows, humid spring afternoons playing tag in the cornfields, pretending to be pirates in Jacob’s treehouse and telling his sister, Sarah, that no girls were allowed on our ship.

Jacob opened the passenger-side door. He cast his eyes down, unable to keep eye contact. There was something dark in his expression, something regretful. He was no longer the kid I’d known, no longer the boy I’d called my best friend. This was a stranger, a businessman who had moved away and forgotten all about me.

“Take the deal,” he said flatly before he slipped into the seat and closed the door behind him with a firm slam. The car reversed out of my driveway. I stood there on my porch and watched as the duo left.

Turning on my heel, I went inside and slammed the door roughly behind me. It shook the entire frame of the house, the sound echoing off the empty walls. My heart was pounding, blood rushing past my ears in a deafening roar.

This was it. This was really the end. I had no other options, no way out of this mess. And to top it all off, the news had been delivered to me by a friend I hadn’t seen in years –- a friend who didn’t seem to give two shits about what losing Breakaway would do to me.

Yes, this was turning out to be a very rough morning.