damn, damn.
She tried to work up a smile but had a feeling it looked kind of sick, because she felt kind of sick. “I understand. And…this isn’t the only reason I’m here.”
“I know.”
“I didn’t want to tell you that I was a loser.”
“Everyone loses, Tay.”
Not her. Not often, at least, and never in such a huge way.
“I guess.” She pressed her lips together. She couldn’t stomach any more of the strong tea, which meant she was stuck on the sofa forever or until Karl relieved her of the cup.
She looked at her grandfather then and wondered, judging from the way he was looking at her, if he wanted her trapped there.
“You know,” he said slowly, “you’re welcome to live on the farm if you want and look for a job locally to tide you over. I’d invite you to live here, but I don’t have much room.”
That was an understatement. His house had one bedroom, one bath, a tiny kitchen and a living room. It was truly a single-person house.
“I…uh…” Would hate so much to lose my place. The apartment was even more of a symbol of what she’d accomplished than her car. And her mother was so ridiculously proud of her. “I appreciate it, Grandpa. But what about that guy living there?”
“There’s always the bunkhouse.”
“It needs work.”
“You’re resourceful.”
“Me?” Taylor almost spilled her tea. And she felt ridiculously betrayed. “But—”
“He’s paid a month’s rent on the house. It wouldn’t be right to ask him to move midmonth.”
“Just one month?”
“I’m keeping my options open, so we have a month-to-month deal.” He glanced through the window at his sister’s place next door. “I don’t know how long I’ll be here. Elise is doing better, but she hates being alone.”
“How long has he been on the farm?”
Her grandfather did a mental calculation. “Two weeks yesterday.”
Which meant his month in the house was already halfway over. That made Taylor feel better. To a degree.
Move to the farm…? As much as she appreciated the offer, it was a crazy idea. More than that, it was demoralizing.
“The thing is…if I move to the Eagle Valley—” and somehow keep it quiet from her mother “—it feels like I’m giving up.”
“Why? Aren’t there jobs in your field in Missoula or Bozeman?”
“I’m sure there are.” In her field, but probably not at her level.
“They may not be as prestigious,” her grandfather said, reading her thoughts, “but they’d pay the bills.”
“Yes.” Hard to argue with that. Taylor took a drink of tea, trying to tamp down the feeling that she was being sucked into a farm vortex. She’d never once considered moving two states away from her beloved Seattle, or settling in a rural area, but the idea made an awful kind of sense. Her living expenses would be slashed to next to nothing. She was having no luck in her job search, and each day brought with it a deeper sense of desperation and depression. If something didn’t change soon, she’d have to sell her car, find a new living situation—one that involved roommates—and she’d have to pass a credit check to join a lease and…
“The farm would be a stopgap, until you get back on your feet.”
When had she become so transparent?
Taylor moistened her lips. “How would your tenant take the news if I decided to move in?”
“Cole’s a decent guy.”
If you say so… “What made you decide to rent the house to him instead of just leaving it closed up?”
“I didn’t want it broken into while I’m gone, and with him living there, he can farm more easily.”
He could also farm easily from the bunkhouse. He was a farm guy. Probably used to roughing it.
“How well do you know him?”
“Not all that well personally. His grandfather and I were friends.”
“Did you…cowboy together?”
Karl gave her a surprised look. “I wasn’t much of a cowboy, but I worked for two summers on the Bryan family ranch near Missoula. It’s a guest ranch now. Cole used to manage it until he got his fill.”
So he had indeed worked in a people-related field. Her radar was working.
“And did you approach him, or did he approach you?”
“He approached me.” One corner of Karl’s mouth quirked up. “Are you concerned about him taking advantage of me?”
“It happens.”
“Yes. But not in this case.”
“You’re sure? You said you didn’t know him well, yet you let him live there with all your stuff.”
“Yep. Because you know what? I’m a grown-up and I can make those kinds of decisions for myself.”
“I didn’t mean…” Taylor stopped. Regrouped. “I apologize, Grandpa. It startled me when he answered the phone yesterday. We got off on the wrong foot.”
“He’s a good kid.”
Kid. Ha. He was a grown man. Good-looking. Sexy. But an interloper all the same.
“Do you want to move onto the farm?”
Did she? Was she that desperate? Totally, or she wouldn’t be here right now. She’d started the drive because she was concerned about her grandfather and felt guilty for not being in closer contact, but she’d also needed to talk to him about a way out. The way she’d thought was so reasonable—the loan—wasn’t going to work, so that meant she needed to get tough and try something new.
And lose her beautiful apartment.
“I might. If things don’t change fast.”
“How soon would they have to change?”
Considering what she was paying for rent and utilities…?
“Yesterday.”
“I’ll call Cole.”
* * *
COLE CAME IN from the machine shed, wiping his hands on his bandanna for want of anything better. He was going to have to buy some
