The frown grew deeper. “A loan from whom?”
Kenny might pretend to be a goofball when it suited him, but the boy was smart...and he knew his grammar.
“From a friend of mine,” she said. “No big deal.”
Kenny perched on the bale of hay beside hers and put an arm around her shoulders. “What have you done, Luce?”
She sniffed, trying not to cry. “Made a deal with the devil?”
“Are you asking me or telling me?”
Kenny was two years younger than she was. Most of the time she felt like his mother. But for the moment, it was nice to have someone to lean on. “I think Jeff Hartley is going to loan it to me.”
“Hell, no.” Kenny jumped to his feet, raking both hands through his hair agitatedly. “The man cheated on you and broke your heart. I won’t take his money. We’ll think of something else. Or I’ll convince you it’s okay to sell the farm.”
“You’ll never convince me of that. What if being an actor doesn’t pan out?”
“Do you realize how patronizing you sound, Luce? No offense, but what I want to do is more serious than sowing wild oats.”
She rubbed her temples with her fingertips. “I shouldn’t have said that. I’m sorry.”
After a few moments, he went back to repairing the harness. “Why did you go to Jeff, Lucy? Why him?”
Bowing her head, she let the tears fall. “The day after tomorrow would have been our wedding anniversary. Jeff Hartley still owes me for that.”
Seven
Jeff made arrangements to have the Hartley Ranch covered, personnel wise, in the event that he didn’t return from Midland right away. There was no reason in the world to think that he and Lucy might end up in bed together, but he was a planner. A former Boy Scout. Preparation was second nature to him.
As he went about his business, his mind raced on a far more intimate track. Lucy had betrayed the wedding vows she and Jeff had both written. Before they’d ever made it to the altar. And yet she thought Jeff was the one at fault. Even from the perspective of two years down the road, he was still angry about that.
At four o’clock, he showered and quickly packed a bag. He traveled often for cattle shows and other business-related trips, so he was accustomed to the drill. Then he went online and ordered a variety of items and had them delivered to his favorite hotel.
When he was satisfied that his plans were perfectly in order, he loaded the car, stopped by the bank, and then drove out to the farm. There was at least a fifty-fifty chance Lucy would shut the door in his face. But he was convinced her request for a loan was legit. In order to get the cash, she had to go along with his wishes.
Unfortunately, Kenny answered the door. And he was spoiling for a fight.
Jeff had spent his entire life in Texas. He was no stranger to brawls and the occasional testosterone overload. But if he had plans for himself and Lucy, first he had to get past her gatekeeper. He held up his hands in the universal gesture for noncombative behavior. “I come in peace, big guy.”
“Luce never should have asked you for the money. I can manage on my own.”
“In LA? I don’t think so. Not without liquidating your assets. And that will break your cousin’s heart. Is that really what you want to do?”
“You’re hardly the man to talk about breaking Lucy’s heart.” But it was said without heat. As if Kenny understood that more was at stake here than his would-be career.
“Where is she?” Jeff asked. “We need to go.”
“I think she was on the phone, but she’ll be out soon. Though I sure as hell don’t know why.”
“Lucy and I have some unfinished business from two years ago. It’s time to settle a few scores.”
Kenny blanched. “I don’t want to be in the middle of this.”
“Too late. You shouldn’t have tried to sell your land to Samson Oil. And besides, Lucy came to me...not the other way around. What does that tell you?”
Kenny bristled. “It tells me that my cousin cares about me. I have no idea what it says about you.”
Eight
Lucy stood just out of sight in the hallway and listened to the two men argue. Strangely, there was not much real anger in the exchange. At one time, Kenny and Jeff had been good friends. Kenny was supposed to walk Lucy down the aisle and hand her over to the rancher who had swept her off her feet. But that moment never happened.