Page 52

“Well, thanks for such a resounding commitment to the valley, Bennett. Deer Creek thanks you.”

Wow. She was pissed as a spring storm, and he didn’t have a clue why.

The Ramseys came in, and Bennett gave them a much more distinguished wave. Something inside him snapped. He’d been nothing but kind, accommodating, and even welcoming since she’d arrived, and even after she’d found out he hadn’t dumped her for someone else, she was still brushing him off.

Because she’s leaving.

Of course. Why be nice to an old friend when you have no intention of ever seeing the guy again?

“I hear your sarcasm, but I really do care about this town, Maggie.” He shoved his hands in his jeans so he wouldn’t be tempted to tuck a stray curl back behind her ear. “It’s why I came back as soon as I got my degree, revitalized my dad’s land, and helped do the same for a lot of the valley. It’s also why I ran for the board so I could have a say in creating responsible ranching practices in Travis County. In case you forgot, I’m not the one leaving the moment I’m able.”

“Wait, what—”

“See you up there, Maggie. Looking forward to hearing your proposal.”

Her mouth fell open, and Bennett walked away while he still had the nerve.

C’mon. You really thought insulting her was the way to her heart?

No. He hadn’t. All he wanted to do was pick up where they’d left off. She was the one who told him to keep it strictly business. She was the one who pushed him away every single time.

Feedback from the mic screeched over the speakers.

“Whoa, there. Sounds like my kids when I pilfer a piece of their Halloween candy,” Cal Young, Deer Creek’s mayor, said as he took the podium. The crowd laughed obligingly, and Cal patted his stomach. With his perpetually rosy cheeks, jolly demeanor, and compassion for Deer Creek’s residents, he’d always reminded Bennett of the town’s very own Santa Claus. “Okay, so we’ve got a tight agenda and it seems like a full house to hear it, so let’s get started.”

Bennett tuned out while Cal reintroduced the board and two proxies. The mayor did the same thing every month even though most of these folks had known each other since they threw sand at each other at Little Lights Preschool.

The first speaker got up to talk about the drought and how to preserve water this season. Bennett caught some of what they were saying, but it wasn’t anything he wasn’t aware of already. He’d like to care more about the advice, but he was distracted.

His gaze kept drifting to Maggie, seated behind Cal. Her heel tapped out a version of an SOS and he could tell from his seat she was chewing on the inside of her lip. How many times had he scolded her teasingly for her raw lips when they were teens?

Despite the easy confidence she wore, there were still subtle hints of the Maggie he’d loved. If only they belied the strength and wit she carried instead of her insecurities.

“That’s some serious stuff,” Cal warned. “Which brings us to our next speaker. She’s the daughter of one of our own, though many of you may know her as the CEO of Steel Born Ranching.”

The murmur of the crowd said they were as impressed as Bennett had been. He sat up straighter in his chair. Cal had his attention now.

“Please give a warm welcome to Carl Newman’s daughter, Margaret Newman.”

The crowd erupted into applause, but reticence hung in the air. Maggie may have hailed from Deer Creek, but she was still new. New to the town translated to outsider.

Maggie smiled warmly, and to the casual observer, she looked commanding and welcoming in equal measure. Only Bennett knew to look for the penny she worried between her thumb and pointer finger. A chill raced up his spine—she still used the trick he’d taught her before her senior debate final.

“Thanks for inviting me, Mayor Young. Good afternoon, Deer Creek. Like the mayor said, I’m Maggie Newman. My father Carl ran Newman Ranch and Estate my whole life, like his father and grandfather did before them. Thank you all for your well wishes after his passing—it shows just how loved he was. He may not have had any sons, but ranching is my blood as well.”

Some light chatter came from the audience, but they were listening.

“I know firsthand how dry this year has been since I’ve been working on rejuvenating my dad’s property to the ranch it used to be before he died.” Bennett noticed a twitch in her jaw, but she kept going, her voice steady. “What you all do to protect your land, your families, and your herds isn’t lost on me just because I’ve been in San Antonio. For those of you who don’t know, my company, Steel Born, isn’t just any engineering company, but a ranching-specific one. I’ve designed a fire suppression system I’d like to pitch to the town.”

The chatter grew to a low din. She might have had his attention since she stepped foot back in Deer Creek, but now she had theirs.

A hand shot up in the front row. It’s not the time for questions. Let her talk, Bennett wanted to shout. Impatience brewed beneath his skin.

“Go ahead,” Maggie said, smiling and unfazed.

“What kind of work does Steel Born do?”

“We design, manufacture, and occasionally repair ranching equipment. But we’ve also been working on some bigger infrastructure designs that would take safety on ranches—and in ranch communities like this one—to another level. This system would be the first of its kind if y’all choose to implement it.”