One carload of Johnsons managed to get their car stuck when they backed off the road, which meant that Luke had to pull them out. He spent a good half hour with that, and had just pulled the car back on the road when a pair of Mercedes sports cars sailed by on their way to the main house.
He unhooked the Johnson car, stuck around to make sure they parked without driving into a ditch again, then headed back to the house. As he pulled up next to the garage, he noticed Madeline on the drive, speaking to a group of men. Specifically, to men in expensive suits and shoes. Those men hadn’t come here for a reunion.
This was it, he realized. The moment of truth Luke had known would come, that he’d hoped would never come. He could feel painful resentment burning through him, the feeling of fresh betrayal slicing through him. He got out of the Bronco and walked up into their midst.
Madeline’s expression was pained. “Luke, this is…” She hesitated, and Luke wondered if she had forgotten the man’s name.
“Stephen Wallace,” the man said, his hand extended, his gaze cool.
Stephen. Good-looking Stephen in his expensive shoes and crisp white shirt. “I am Madeline’s attorney,” he said, a statement that seemed to surprise Madeline. “This is my associate, Jim Puryear from Denver, and the real estate broker we have consulted, Chip Danziger.”
This was what Leo would call a full-scale assault. Madeline was going to end this between them with all guns blazing. He leveled his gaze on her.
“This is Luke Kendrick,” Madeline said, her voice weak. To Luke, she said, “It’s not what you think. I didn’t know they were coming today.”
“Maybe not today, but you knew they were coming,” he said.
“Allow me to introduce Mr. Taranaku,” Chip Danziger said, gesturing to the diminutive man next to him. “He represents some folks who are very interested in buying this place.”
“What?”
The sound of Libby’s voice startled them all. Libby was suddenly there, holding several rolls of toilet paper in her arms. She looked at Taranaku, then at Madeline. “What?” she demanded again. “What is going on here?”
“I will explain,” Madeline said.
“It’s great to meet you all,” Luke said casually, and reached in his back pocket for a card to give them. “But if you want to speak about the ranch, you’ll have to speak to my attorney.”
He handed the card to Stephen and looked him directly in the eye; Stephen steadily returned his gaze.
Luke shifted his gaze to Libby. “Libby, if you’ve got a minute, there’re a couple of things I think you and I ought to talk about.” He put his hand on her elbow and turned her away.
“Wait!” Madeline said. “I’ll come, too. I can explain—”
“I think you’ve explained yourself pretty well,” Luke said, and looked past her, to the men there.
“What is going on?” Libby asked, her eyes wide with confusion.
“I’ll fill you in,” he said, and walked on with Libby. He did not look at Madeline as he walked away.
THIRTY
Madeline was appalled and ashamed, absolutely ashamed.
She never dreamed Stephen would fly to Colorado. She never imagined in her wildest thoughts that he would come out to see the ranch with the realtor, bringing a buyer along. She had believed these men would give her information—only information—that she could share with Libby and Emma and Luke.
She had completely underestimated Stephen. Completely.
“What are you doing here?” she’d demanded when she’d realized what was happening. “Why are you here?”
“I came to help,” he’d said cheerfully, as if Madeline would be happy about such a blindsiding. “Turns out, a case I’m working on has some documents in Aspen I needed to look at, and I thought, why not kill two birds with one stone?”
Why not just kill her? He couldn’t have done a better job of it, showing up like this, with these men. Luke… Luke… he’d looked at her with such disgust. And worse, as if he’d been expecting it. Libby, dear God, Libby—she looked so confused, so hurt.
“Mr. Taranaku would like to have a look around, Madeline,” the broker said. “Would you mind giving him a quick tour?”
“Me?” she asked, incredulous.
Chip had looked about, and said, “I don’t see anyone else to do it. Is it a problem?”
“Of course not,” Stephen had said blithely. “I’d like to see it too.” He spoke as if he and she were buddies, as if it was a perfectly sane thing for him to do, to fly out here to have a look around a ranch she’d inherited.
Madeline made quick work of the tour, showing him the house, the bunkhouse, and the barn. She did not feel obliged to show him the paths leading up to Mrs. Kendrick’s garden, or anything else.
Nevertheless, Mr. Taranaku seemed quite interested and asked if there were more events lined up. “Weddings? Business retreats?”
She remembered Libby saying there’d been some interest in a wedding, but she said only, “You should contact Jackson Crane about that. In the meantime, we have so much going on, I am going to have to excuse myself.”