Killian bit out his next words. “That was not the impression you left me with.”
“Yeah, I was fucking with you.” Liam filled the waitress’ tray.
“Why the fuck would you do that?”
He turned to him. “Because she moved here from New York but didn’t even know the condition of the place she was moving into. Because if you look close enough, behind those green eyes, you can tell she’s been through something. That shit with Frank…”
“Yeah…” Killian agreed. “I took care of Frank.”
“I saw your handiwork on his face,” Liam said, grinning. “Had to feel good.”
“Fucker had it coming.”
“And then some.” Liam shifted the conversation back when he added, “I love them and leave them. And you, no one gets close enough. Cedar doesn’t need that shit from either of us.”
Killian had already come to the same conclusion. Still. “I’m a grown ass man, Liam. Don’t need you fucking around in my life.”
Liam didn’t miss a beat. “I wasn’t thinking about you, man.”
“I’m not the one you need to worry about. Sebastian’s been out there already. Warned her about bears and lions.”
Liam rarely got mad, but when he did, it was volatile. “Why the fuck he do that?”
“So the damsel could call him when she was in distress,” Killian shared.
“Motherfucker.”
“Yeah, but for the foreseeable future, you don’t need to worry about Sebastian and his shit,” Killian said, pouring himself another whiskey.
“Why’s that?”
He lifted his glass and drained it. “Because I’m on the crew fixing her place up.”
As soon asKillian opened the door, Cooper and Max flew outside. He dropped his keys on the table and followed them out, detouring to the barn to saddle up Cisco, his black Arabian. He was tempted to head back down the valley, but he didn’t. His place sat on a hundred acres. Once it had been a working farm, but Killian had no desire to be a farmer. He bought the place because he loved the location and the view that was different, depending on where you looked.
He liked his solitude. Had never been an extrovert, not like Liam. He liked some people well enough, but he’d always preferred the company of animals. He’d once worked in the city, wore a suit, but he grew tired of the rat race. His one-time weekend retreat became his home. He bought the tavern because the previous owner wanted to retire, and Liam couldn’t afford it. The plan had always been for Liam to take it, but he was being stubborn. He understood; in his shoes, he wouldn’t want the handout either, but now he felt compelled to make appearances at the tavern. He much preferred the work with Graham, different locations that only lasted a few months, before they were off doing something else. He didn’t need to work, but he didn’t like being idle either.
He’d never been married, didn’t have kids. At one time, he thought he might like that, wasn’t so sure anymore. He’d been on his own for so long; he wasn’t the best company.
He reached the one vista, looking down at the valley. Cattle once roamed here, but nature had reclaimed the land. Wildflowers grew in the grass, the purple and yellow stretching out to the horizon. His thoughts shifted to Cedar. She was his closest neighbor, down that valley. He wondered what her story was. Liam was right; she’d been through something. It wasn’t pronounced, but there was definitely sadness behind her green eyes. Could be why she didn’t let shit settle, moving into her cabin, getting it organized so fast, lining up Graham, working in the yard. Was she trying to stay busy to keep herself distracted, or was she over the hurdle, had she come out on the other side and wasn’t going to waste another minute?
He was curious about her, and he sure as hell liked looking at her. Working on her house, he had the next few months to do just that. His dogs barked. It was dinnertime. He turned back for home; Cisco was itching to run, so he gave him his head.
Chapter Fifteen
Cedar
“That was delicious,”Liam said, sitting back and reaching for his beer. “That steak was cooked to perfection.”
“If you do say so yourself. I would have burned it.” Grilling for the first time with company wasn’t wise. Luckily, Liam took over, or I would have overcooked two very thick and expensive Delmonico steaks.
“The marinade was good,” he offered.
I grinned over my glass of wine. “Okay, so let’s talk business.”
Liam turned serious. “Alright.”
“My background is in advertising. If you hired my firm, there isn’t anything I would tell you that you aren’t already doing. And that’s evident by the turnover at the tavern. I don’t want to step on toes, so this is just a suggestion. If you’ve got a deal already with Killian then ignore me. I’ve got money to invest, and you want the tavern. So, my proposal is for me to become your silent partner. I buy out Killian, and you get complete control over the running of the place, and I get a portion of the profits. We could even work in a buyout plan, where after so long, you return my investment and take over complete ownership.”