Chapter Thirty-Four
Gentry
“The bank said no, so what? Banks are assholes Gentry. Focus on all the good this year. The cattle crop was strong. No major unexpected costs. This isn’t a big deal, it was just something you had casually talked about. It won’t make or break Mirror Lake. You have Krys here for God sake boy. You got it good,” Ed ranted and I slammed my hands on the hood of the truck.
“That’s what this is about isn’t it? Krystina? That girl doesn’t care about whether or not you grow this ranch by a hundred acers.”
I climbed in the truck, slamming the door and starting the engine. Ed scrambled in the passenger side.
“Krys came from nothing. Teffy DeLouch never gave a damn about her, she never even told her what piece of scum was her father. She went to school, James gave her everything. Money, status, power. Even if his family, his older brothers, his parents hadn’t helped giver her that she would have gotten it on her own. Been some high power player in Boston or New York’s court rooms. Now she’s here and she has real estate agents sending her house listings of mansions. City townhouses, beach front fancy bungalows. If I have a right to ask Krys to stay here for good, I have to prove I can expand and provide as good of a life as she had and better.”
“She’s happier here Gentry.”
I stared out the window aimlessly remembering her draped in Upper East Side attire at Gloria’s wedding and the day I picked her up at the airport.
She had looked amazing. Vouge model worthy. She was perfect in her jeans and boots though I couldn’t predict how long she would want this.
“Happier for now. I have to prove I can do both.” Ed didn’t ask what both was. But I had to be able to whisk her to the city and keep her finer things and be that man to. I had to do whatever it took to keep Krys here. Keep her happy.
We drove back to the ranch in silence. I had a few more calls I could make to other banks but I doubted it looked good. Lacey had hinted if I couldn’t offer soon she had another buyer interested. I didn’t blame her. It had been a few weeks now.
We were the last meeting of the day so it was dark when we got home. A quick scan showed everyone settled in the barn for the night. The crockpot on the counter was going and I smelled chicken and cheese Quesada dip wafting out of it. I knew better than to touch it until Krys gave the okay.
Ed dropped our papers and folders on the desk inside the living room and headed for his recliner. I took the stairs two at a time looking for Krys. She was in her room wrapping more Christmas presents.
“Where’s mine?” I asked peeking through all the bags.
“Like I would bring it in here,” she scoffed. “You are too nosey and would find it. Then the surprise would be ruined.”
That wasn’t helping. Krys had gotten me something awesome and I was still dumbfounded on what to get her.
She quickly pushed everything aside and I flopped on the bed. She groaned that I still had my boots on and pulled them from my feet. She crawled in bed next to me and lay her head on my chest. “Meeting go good?”
“Not particularly,” I wrapped my arms tightly around her snuggling my face in her hair, relaxing into her.
“I’m sorry. Is there anything I can do to help?”
“No, no. if it was meant to be it’s meant to be. I’ll figure it out and if I can’t it’s not the end of the world.”
“If it’s something you want,” she started and I placed a finger to her lips.
“What I want is you,” I kissed her and rolled over on her nibbling at her neck.
Twenty minutes later we were re-dressed and headed back down for dinner. Her long hair was falling over her shoulders as she danced around the kitchen setting the table.
This was so natural, so comfortable. The last ten years didn’t exist today. It felt like she had been right here the whole time.
Ed sat the paper in front of me with the corner folded down on the town jewelers advertisement. He was rooting for a holiday engagement. But it was too soon. Wasn’t it? Because Krystina had been gone for the last decade. Her divorce, no matter how much she says it doesn’t matter to her, it was her marriage and the ending was fresh. Plus, we have only been back together with me done hating her for the last month.
I wanted to find out her plans. Where she was going, what she needed to with her life now. I needed to ask her to stay. To tell the realtors to all go to hell. But a left hand ring? She wore my locket. That was our agreement to wed. That I would always be hers. But a ring meant a wedding date and I didn’t want to rush this.
I tossed the paper down and watched my horse handler pour us three some sweet tea. I needed to figure out how to make me, make the ranch, something she needs to keep in her life permanently.
I grabbed Krys by the waist and encircled her. “What’s your plans for the week?”
“Why? What do you have in mind?”
“Was hoping you could sneak away with me for an afternoon this week. From a lunch date on?”
“I’ll have to see what my hard ass boss has planned. But possibly. Christmas is only nine days away you know.”
“I know,” I kissed her. “How’s Saturday?”
“Sounds perfect.”