a long while over hilly grounds, they reached the ranch, a large, spacious, mostly brown home, not at all fancy, but much larger than Chad’s place. It does look like a man’s home. It needs a woman’s touch.
Chad took his keys out of his pocket and opened the door. He took off his shoes so Star followed his lead. The carpeting was fluffy and clean, looking almost unlived in. The leather furniture, similar to Chad’s, also appeared to be unused. It smelled brand new. Chad escorted her to a closed door and knocked.
“Come in!” a rough, weathered voice called out and Chad opened the door.
Star took in a breath as stared at Chad’s imposing father, standing behind his desk. He was even taller than Chad, with thick brown hair, gray at the sides, wire glasses, a stocky build and a plaid western shirt with jeans. If he’d had a cowboy hat on, he’d have looked like some cowboy from the movies…not exactly handsome, but rugged and tough. The first thing he did was look over at Star and ask, “Who’s this now?” His eyes flashed then turned toward Chad.
“A friend.” Chad pulled her closer, as if protecting her.
He snorted, ignoring her. “Didn’t Bella just break up with you last night? I was hoping you two could patch things up.” Finally his gaze rested on Star. “Young lady, right off I’m thinkin’ you aren’t suitable for my son so don’t get any ideas.”
Before Star could react, Chad stepped up closer to the desk and gritted his teeth then spat his father. “You don’t know anything about Star, but she is my guest for a while. I’d ask you to shut the fuck up!”
Star gasped, but the elder Austin didn’t even flinch.
“She reminds me of your damn mother!” he bellowed, then he turned his head.
“I do?” Star couldn’t help but laugh and stick up for herself. “Do I look like her or something?” She laughed again.
“What the hell do you mean?” Chad asked his father, in an angry voice.
The older man shook his head. “I can’t explain it, all right? Of course she didn’t look like her, but…her voice…her presence…bah! Forget about it. She won’t last. I have a chore for you to do for the ranch.”
Star took Chad’s hand and could feel his uber-tight muscles. She stroked the back of his hand with her thumb, hoping to calm him; wishing she could tell him that his father was onto something…
“All right, get it over with,” Chad said, his chin high.
“I can’t do shit with Old Man Withers,” Chad’s father said, in a disgusted Texan drawl. “You know seventy acres of adjoining land is for sale.”
“Yeah, you want him to sell it to you so we can join our properties, but he doesn’t like you so he won’t. I wonder why he doesn’t like you.”
“Chad, don’t,” Star whispered to him, squeezing his hand.
She could feel his muscles relaxing just a little bit. As she took in the aura in the room, she was fascinated as well as a little bit confused.
“What do you want me to do about Withers?” Chad asked, in a calmer voice.
“Go talk to him and see if you can soften him up at all. I mean, you won’t be able to do it, but it can’t hurt anything, and maybe it’ll teach you a lesson on negotiating with assholes. You’ll have to do plenty of that.”
Star felt Chad’s muscles harden again. “How do you know I can’t do it?”
“He hates you too because you’re my son and heir to the ranch.”
“He doesn’t know me. Maybe I can talk him into it. You never think I can do anything right so I don’t know why you even ask me to try.”
Star could see Chad’s face growing red and noticed a tic in his temple.
“Chad…try it,” Star said.
“Well?” his father asked, in a harsh voice. “It’s a chance to double the size of our ranch and you know you’ll have heirs one day.” He chuckled. “Or, if not, Diego will and the ranch will go to them. He is as close to me as another son. Should I send him over to try?”
“No! I’ll
Chad took his keys out of his pocket and opened the door. He took off his shoes so Star followed his lead. The carpeting was fluffy and clean, looking almost unlived in. The leather furniture, similar to Chad’s, also appeared to be unused. It smelled brand new. Chad escorted her to a closed door and knocked.
“Come in!” a rough, weathered voice called out and Chad opened the door.
Star took in a breath as stared at Chad’s imposing father, standing behind his desk. He was even taller than Chad, with thick brown hair, gray at the sides, wire glasses, a stocky build and a plaid western shirt with jeans. If he’d had a cowboy hat on, he’d have looked like some cowboy from the movies…not exactly handsome, but rugged and tough. The first thing he did was look over at Star and ask, “Who’s this now?” His eyes flashed then turned toward Chad.
“A friend.” Chad pulled her closer, as if protecting her.
He snorted, ignoring her. “Didn’t Bella just break up with you last night? I was hoping you two could patch things up.” Finally his gaze rested on Star. “Young lady, right off I’m thinkin’ you aren’t suitable for my son so don’t get any ideas.”
Before Star could react, Chad stepped up closer to the desk and gritted his teeth then spat his father. “You don’t know anything about Star, but she is my guest for a while. I’d ask you to shut the fuck up!”
Star gasped, but the elder Austin didn’t even flinch.
“She reminds me of your damn mother!” he bellowed, then he turned his head.
“I do?” Star couldn’t help but laugh and stick up for herself. “Do I look like her or something?” She laughed again.
“What the hell do you mean?” Chad asked his father, in an angry voice.
The older man shook his head. “I can’t explain it, all right? Of course she didn’t look like her, but…her voice…her presence…bah! Forget about it. She won’t last. I have a chore for you to do for the ranch.”
Star took Chad’s hand and could feel his uber-tight muscles. She stroked the back of his hand with her thumb, hoping to calm him; wishing she could tell him that his father was onto something…
“All right, get it over with,” Chad said, his chin high.
“I can’t do shit with Old Man Withers,” Chad’s father said, in a disgusted Texan drawl. “You know seventy acres of adjoining land is for sale.”
“Yeah, you want him to sell it to you so we can join our properties, but he doesn’t like you so he won’t. I wonder why he doesn’t like you.”
“Chad, don’t,” Star whispered to him, squeezing his hand.
She could feel his muscles relaxing just a little bit. As she took in the aura in the room, she was fascinated as well as a little bit confused.
“What do you want me to do about Withers?” Chad asked, in a calmer voice.
“Go talk to him and see if you can soften him up at all. I mean, you won’t be able to do it, but it can’t hurt anything, and maybe it’ll teach you a lesson on negotiating with assholes. You’ll have to do plenty of that.”
Star felt Chad’s muscles harden again. “How do you know I can’t do it?”
“He hates you too because you’re my son and heir to the ranch.”
“He doesn’t know me. Maybe I can talk him into it. You never think I can do anything right so I don’t know why you even ask me to try.”
Star could see Chad’s face growing red and noticed a tic in his temple.
“Chad…try it,” Star said.
“Well?” his father asked, in a harsh voice. “It’s a chance to double the size of our ranch and you know you’ll have heirs one day.” He chuckled. “Or, if not, Diego will and the ranch will go to them. He is as close to me as another son. Should I send him over to try?”
“No! I’ll
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