Chapter 4

Brock

I could literally feel her presence in the air. I knew she’d gotten into town yesterday, but I hadn’t seen or heard from her yet. I wasn’t sure what to think about that. Was it a good thing or a bad thing? Did she know I was the one who wanted to buy the farm? Did she care?

Maybe life in New York was so good for her that she didn’t care that the family farm was going to be gone. What if she only came to town to pack up the last of the things she’d left behind? I didn’t want to think about what it meant if she wasn’t bothered by the fact that I was the one who was going to buy the farm and sell it so a developer could put up condos. If it didn’t bother her in the least, she was not the woman I thought she was.

Hell, I already knew that. She proved that to me years ago when she packed up and left without so much as a fuck off or go to hell.

Maybe she didn’t know. That would explain why I hadn’t seen or heard from her. She had to know who I was now. There is no way she could have gotten through town without seeing my face. Even I got tired of seeing my face plastered all over town. It was a marketing tactic. When people wanted to buy or sell real estate, I was going to be the first person they thought of. How could they not?

“Brock! Line one,” Helen shouted from the other room.

I rolled my eyes. The woman took full advantage of our laid-back office setting. It did seem a little silly to use the intercom system when she was twenty feet away and we were alone, but still. I liked the professionalism of the intercom.

I picked up my phone. “This is Brock Trenton.”

It was the developer. He approved of my plans and appreciated all the leg work. He was excited to move forward. There was more work to be done, but if I could get the land, he was willing to develop it. This would be my first big land deal. I could almost taste the money. I imagined all the things I could buy.

My giddiness over the deal was short-lived, as I heard the bell on the front door to the office tinkle. I popped my head around the open door to see who it was and froze.

It was her.

I sat back, hoping she hadn’t seen me. I instantly smoothed my hair back and straightened my shirt. I hadn’t worn a tie today. It was too damn hot. I regretted that choice now. I wanted to show to her how successful I was. A power suit was one way to do that.

“Hi,” Helen said to her. “Ma’am, please, you can’t—”

She could and she did.

“What the hell do you think you’re doing?” she shouted as she strolled through my open office door.

It took me about half a second to regain my composure. God, she was stunning. I remembered she was pretty, but she had grown into a beautiful woman. Her blond hair was cut in a youthful, slightly rebellious style, short in the back and a bit longer in the front. There was a streak of pink down one side. She was wearing a pair of tiny cut-off shorts and a T-shirt that hugged her figure. She was hot. Damn. Now I remembered why I had fallen head over heels for her all those years ago.

I stood and walked around my desk, extending my hand. “Good to see you, Ashley.”

She looked at my hand as if it were a poisonous snake. I pulled it back, not offended in the least. I was actually thrilled to see her this mad. My plan was working.

“How dare you!” she seethed. “How could you be such a ruthless prick? Are you seriously so desperate that you would steal a man’s home? Not just any man, but a man who has cancer! A man who took you in and did so much for you! You’re a pig, Brock Trenton! A vile, nasty pig!”

I refused to let her see how much guilt she made me feel. No way. I would not feel guilty. I was doing Tanner Parks a favor. If I didn’t buy it, the bank would foreclose, ruining his credit and likely causing him to have even more debt.

“Tell me how you really feel, Ashley,” I said with a menacing grin.

I’d been waiting for this moment for six long years, and I wanted to enjoy every bit of it. I hoped she was furious. I hoped she cried. I wanted her to long for what she couldn’t have.

“Are you seriously that hung up on the past that you would go after my dad to get your revenge?”

I smiled, not a nice smile, but a smile laced with malice. “It’s just business.”

She shook her head. “You are not the man I thought you were.”

“Really? That’s a shock since you obviously don’t know me at all.”

Her face was pink with heat and anger. She stepped close to me, her eyes glowering. “You are an arrogant man. Your arrogance will be your downfall,” she said, slamming her tiny finger into my chest.

I didn’t respond. I stood there, staring down at her, my face devoid of emotion. I would not let her get a rise out of me. Not anymore. Never again.

“A real man would have a sense of honor and respect for people who were kind to him, people he’s known his entire life, people who have never done him wrong. A real man would never sacrifice an innocent person for his own need for revenge.”

The last bit made her pause and take a step back. I raised an eyebrow. We both knew that was bullshit. She had done me a serious wrong and, by extension, her family.

“I don’t know how you can preach to me about honor and respect. You certainly don’t possess those qualities. I don’t remember anyone doing you any wrong, but I guess you are above the rest of us measly peasants here in West Virginia. You’re someone special because you live in the city.”

Her eyes widened in shock. “You’re a despicable human.”

I shrugged. “I might be, but don’t climb up on your high horse. You are right down here in the mud with me.”

She was shaking her head. “I would never do something so callous.”

I cocked my head to the side and looked at her. “Really? Are you sure about that?”

“Oh my God, get over it! We were kids! What I did doesn’t give you the right to go after my father!” She looked at me, her brown eyes a little softer than they had been. “Brock, you can’t do this to him because of what I did to you.”

I fought back the urge to shout at her. “Ashley, this may be hard for you to comprehend, so I’m going to speak real slowly. This. Has. Nothing. To. Do. With. You. Get over yourself.”

Her eyes were practically shooting arrows at me. “Bullshit! It does too. You’re a coward, Brock, a selfish, pompous little baby who didn’t get what he wanted six years ago so now you are throwing a fit. God, I can’t believe I ever thought I wanted to marry you!”

The words stung. It felt like I’d been kicked in the gut. No way would I let her see how she could get to me. I would show no weakness.

I took a deep breath and walked back to sit at my desk. “Ashley, I have a full day, and while I really enjoyed this little reunion, I need to get back to work. I have properties to snatch up. I wouldn’t want to let anyone who thinks I might be a humble, honorable man down.”

Her hands went to her hips, and she glared down at me at my desk. “I won’t let you do this,” she said in a low voice.

I looked up at her. “If you have any questions or concerns, I retain counsel to deal with those matters. I’m simply the face of the operation.”

She clenched her jaw before raising her chin in the air. “This isn’t over, Brock, not even close. If you want a fight, you’ll get a fight.”

I laughed. “I want nothing from you, Ashley, except your absence. That’s something you’re real good at doing. You can see yourself out. Door’s that way. You won’t even need to use the window to run away from me this time.”

“Wow, you really hold on to the past, don’t you?” she said in a quiet voice before spinning on her heel and stomping out.

Upon hearing the tinkle of the bells on the door, I knew she had left the office. I breathed a sigh of relief. That had been intense. Seeing her had stirred up all those memories and feelings I had pushed away a long time ago. She was a lot like I remembered, but she had changed a bit as well. I knew she would be fiery, always had been, but she seemed more calculating. I was actually a little intimidated by her. I would have to fight extra hard to push this deal through before she could throw a wrench into my plans. I was sick of that woman ruining my plans for the future.

“You okay?” Helen asked, standing in my doorway.

I put on a fake smile and nodded. “Yep. Just some old business.”

She rolled her eyes. “I’m not that much older than you, Brock. I know what happened between you and Ashley. Are you sure you aren’t pushing this deal so hard because you want to get some kind of revenge for what she did?”

“Helen, I am a professional. This is my business. If I were to shy away from property connected to anyone from my past, I would go bankrupt. This is a small town. I have had both good and bad dealings with everyone at some point in my life.”

She nodded her head, but I knew she didn’t believe me. “Okay then. I’ll be at my desk if you need me.”

“Helen?”

“Yes?”

“Will you shut my door? I need to make a phone call.”

She did as I asked, and once she had gone, I let out a long breath of air. I didn’t need to call anyone. I just needed a minute to get my shit together. That woman had a way of making me crazy—still!

I would not let her win. I would definitely not allow her to get under my skin. There was no way she could hurt me if I managed to stay indifferent toward her. I just hoped I had the strength to ignore the stirring of passion she always managed to incite within me.