real estate, Cisco had decided to stick around. He was busy and successful with his real estate projects in Miami. But recently he’d begun feeling restless and a little bored with the endless stream of business lunches, rounds of golf and nights spent with the who’s who of South Beach. He loved his life but attributed his change in attitude to a childhood spent moving from place to place as his family followed his father’s career in the air force. Cisco wasn’t the type of guy to put down roots, and he always enjoyed the thrill of a new challenge.
Too bad his expertise in Miami didn’t mean much to his new bosses in Horseback Hollow. What had been more important to them was his connection to the influential Fortune family—a connection that was tenuous at best. Gabi loved her new in-laws, and his father, Orlando, seemed a bit smitten with Josephine Fortune Chesterfield, the matriarch of the British branch of the clan. Cisco hadn’t gotten close to any of the Fortunes personally, something he knew was going to need to change quickly.
“When can we get a meeting on the books with your Fortune friends?” Kent followed him across the empty field. “Cowboy Country is scheduled to open next month, and Mr. Moore wants to break ground on the condos by the end of the summer. The condos are new territory for Moore Entertainment, so we want outside investors to support this project. They need to be lined up in short order and catching a Fortune will go a long way toward attracting other important players around this part of Texas.”
Cisco glanced over his shoulder at the other man. Moore Entertainment had bought this huge tract of land near the planned amusement park for the express purpose of developing condos to expand the Cowboy Country brand. From what Cisco could tell, Kent was a decent guy, in his late fifties and totally devoted to his job. He’d relocated to Horseback Hollow from Chicago to dedicate his time exclusively to Cowboy Country. Cisco knew Kent had a lot riding on the success of this venture. Everyone at Moore Entertainment did.
“I’ll bring you the investors.” Cisco kept his answer purposefully vague. “Closing the deal is my specialty.”
“As long as the Fortunes are part of the deal, we’re all good.” Kent opened the trunk of his expensive BMW and pulled out a roll of paper. He closed the trunk, then spread the sheets across the gleaming black surface. Cisco had to give the guy credit—it was no easy feat to keep a car so clean with all the dust out on the plains of Texas. For the next twenty minutes, they discussed the plans for the Cowboy Condos, including a marketing strategy and target market. Cisco had his first niggling of doubt as he looked at drawings of stucco buildings with windows shaped like boots. He was used to dealing with extremely upscale developments and while Moore was certainly sinking a bunch of money into this project, the designs didn’t yet have the spark Cisco knew they would need to appeal to high-end investors. Right now, the Cowboy Condos reminded him of a kitschy motel off the highway. He wanted to turn them into a Western-themed Ritz.
Kent seemed willing to take his advice and input. The Mendozas had roots in Texas, so Cisco capitalized on his family history to encourage some authentic Western additions to the project. By the time the other man rolled up the plans, Cisco felt more confident things would work out in this deal. He would make sure they did, no matter what he had to do to get the end result he needed.
He watched Kent drive away, then turned to climb in the truck he’d leased from a dealership in nearby Vicker’s Corners. As he did, he noticed a lone horseback rider in the distance, tearing across the land, horse and rider clearly in sync as the horse’s hooves thundered over the ground. He felt his mouth go dry and had to remind himself to take a breath. That was a real cowboy, or maybe a cowboy kid, by the size of the rider. Cisco knew enough about horses and the West to pass himself off as a cowboy to his coworkers at Moore Entertainment, but this rider was the real deal from the tip of his cowboy hat to the glint of the metal on his saddle. Talk about a thrill. He was too far away to be noticed, but he stood and watched until the horse disappeared behind an outcropping of rocks, leaving a trail of dust in its wake.
That was the kind of adrenaline rush Cisco had been missing in his life, and he hoped pushing through this deal on the Cowboy Condos would reignite the fire that he’d been seeking.
* * *
Climbing into a booth across from his sister, Gabi, at the Horseback Hollow Grill an hour later, Cisco decided there was no time like the present to start making his future dream a reality.
“How’s it going, Mrs. Fortune Jones?” he asked with a wink. “I hope that husband of yours knows how lucky he is to have you and treats you accordingly. He’ll have big brother to answer to if not.”
Gabi rolled her eyes, but Cisco saw her mouth curve into a reluctant smile. “Jude and I keep each other happy,” she said. “I’m really glad you came in for the wedding and that you’ve stayed, Cisco.”
For a moment he forgot his reason for wanting to speak with his sister and took the time to enjoy the pleasure of her company. As the only girl in a family of four boisterous boys, Gabriella was always special, but her big heart and sweet soul made her even more so. It was good to reconnect with her now that he was in Horseback Hollow.
“It’s a cool town,” he answered. “For now, anyway.”
“Speaking of, what are your plans? The Cisco I know is always moving, working an angle or the next big deal. Do you plan to stay long enough to find a job here?”
He made the conscious effort not to cringe at her question. He hadn’t actually told anyone in his family that he was working for Moore Entertainment on the Cowboy Condos. It had quickly become clear his sister and father weren’t overly thrilled about the amusement park’s presence in town. He didn’t want to open himself up to their comments just yet.
“I’ve got some irons in the fire,” he said, avoiding a direct answer. “I also have loose ends to wrap up on a couple of Miami projects.” He paused as a waitress stopped by the table, giving him a friendly smile as she took their orders. He wiggled his eyebrows at Gabi as the young woman walked away. “Either way, I bet I can keep myself busy.”
Gabi blew out a frustrated breath. “Someday you’re going to find the right woman, Cisco.”
“I’ve found a lot of right women, Gabriella. Why limit it to one?”
“Because you have a huge heart under all that macho bravado.” She wagged a finger at him. “You’re more than a skirt chaser. Mama would have wanted you to find someone special.”
A place in his chest ached at the mention of their mother. Luz Mendoza had died three years ago. She’d been the heart and soul of their family and Cisco knew Gabrielle and their brothers still felt the loss of her as much as he did.
“Dad seems happy in Horseback Hollow,” he said, trying to subtly change the subject.
He figured Gabi was wise to his tactic, but she played along. “He fits here. It’s given him a way to feel a part of the community and taken away some of his loneliness.”
“He seems to be pretty close to some of the Fortunes, as well.”
Gabi nodded. “They’re a wonderful family. In fact, Jude’s parents, Jeanne Marie and Deke, are having a barbecue out at their ranch this weekend. I’m sure they’d love for you to join the fun. It would mean a lot to me for you to get to know Jude and his family.”
Cisco did an internal fist pump. He’d meet more of the Fortunes and make his sister happy in the process. Nothing like multitasking. “That sounds great. Text me their address and the details on when to be there.”
“I will.”
