Chapter 4

Austin

It is disheartening to acknowledge that I cannot escape the repercussions of my grandfather's actions, as evidenced by the constant reminders of how he wronged the Carters. I understand the gravity of the situation and the urgency to rectify the matter, but regrettably, I do not have any updates on the progress of our attorney's efforts to address the issue.

I feel relieved that I was able to rescue Stacy from the car's path. It was also great to reconnect with Cadee, and I hope we can strengthen our friendship. As I was walking through the parking lot, I saw a car speeding towards a spot where a child was running. I quickly reacted and managed to grab the child before the car hit her. However, I stumbled over my shopping cart and fell with the child. Fortunately, I was able to roll and protect her from the impact.

As he helped me up, I stumbled and leaned against his chest. I couldn't help but notice that his physique was quite impressive. He had a momentary look of desire on his face, but it quickly faded when Cadee introduced us. My priority was to make sure the girl was okay, and I wasn't looking to get involved with Cortland Carter. However, I couldn't deny the fact that I was taken aback by his looks. It's safe to say that the cliché about taking one's breath away is sometimes true.

He had a short haircut on the sides and slightly longer on top, giving him a casual and relaxed appearance. However, his light gray eyes caught my attention, and I instantly recognized them as like those of Cadee Carter. I realized he must be a member of the Carter family, which made my initial attraction to him fade away. It was disappointing to accept that my fantasy of having a passionate encounter with him was unrealistic. Moreover, the way he looked at me with pure hatred when he realized who I was made me feel uneasy.

I found it surprising how quickly my thoughts turned towards imagining what he would be like in bed. However, I have never been in a committed relationship before, and finding time for a sex life can be challenging. While I have had some sexual experiences, I'm not sure if I would consider myself a virgin or not. A drunken one-time encounter with the tech guy does not count as a meaningful sexual experience.

I decided to stop thinking about Cortland and his Greek God looks and instead focus on my injured ankle. I went to the nearest emergency room for an examination. After several hours, the doctors diagnosed me with a severe ankle sprain and put me in an air cast. I was told that I would need to wear the cast for three to four weeks. Luckily, I had some lace-up boots that I could loosen enough to fit over the cast.

I arrived home and tended to the horses. Despite a slight limp, I managed to unload the supplies I had purchased. After that, I heated up a meal and sat down to eat while I checked my emails. To my relief, I found an email from the attorney informing me that he had arranged a meeting with six families to discuss mineral and water rights. I agreed to attend the meeting at his office in a few days to sign the necessary documents in the presence of the required parties and a notary public. I'm glad to have one more item checked off my to-do list.

I received an email from Emberlynn, our company receptionist, informing me that Cortland Carter had requested to speak directly with the owner. Despite being informed that I had a family emergency and was unavailable, Mr. Carter insisted on speaking with me. This request was frustrating, but I realized that the Carters were scheduled to attend a meeting at our attorney's office. I checked the list and saw that they were indeed on it. I decided to wait and speak with Mr. Carter at the meeting which the attorney confirmed he would be attending. I am curious to learn what he wants from our saddle company.

After finishing my work on the laptop, I noticed several notifications on my phone. One of the messages was from my receptionist, informing me to check the social media pages of our business. I opened the F******k app and switched to the business page. Unfortunately, some of the Carter brothers had posted negative comments about my leave of absence, claiming that my reason for taking a break was not genuine. I instructed my receptionist not to respond and decided to take legal action. I planned to ask Mr. Jones to write a cease-and-desist order.

I sent an email to the Attorney along with screenshots of the social media posts. He responded that he would write a response and we could discuss it at the meeting in a few days. I wondered why I had to deal with the Carters twice in one day and silently thanked my grandfather. I went to bed, but my mind kept racing with thoughts of Cortland's muscles and how I wanted to touch them. Unfortunately, I couldn't stop thinking about him and knew it would be a long night before a busy day ahead.

The next morning, I woke up to a throbbing pain in my ankle. Since I don't have anyone to assist me with taking care of my horses, I had to hobble my way to the barn. After feeding the horses, I went inside for breakfast and checked my social media business pages. To my surprise, I found out that my clients are criticizing the Carters. It made me chuckle since I know that no one has ever dared to stand up against that family. Nevertheless, I felt proud of the fact that I was able to create a brand that my clients are willing to support.

In the afternoon, my ankle is throbbing with a dull pain. Despite the discomfort, I managed to hobble out to the barn to do some cleaning and other tasks. I know that tomorrow's meeting will take up most of the day, starting at 9 in the morning and running until 1 in the afternoon. The last family on the schedule is the Carters, which means I'll have plenty of time to speak with Cortland about why he wanted to meet with me. However, I'm aware that he may not be interested in speaking with me after being told to stop slandering my company.

After finishing up some work in the barn, I went back inside and decided to work on a custom saddle idea I had been thinking about. I gathered my leather tools and started working on the tooling pattern. Time flew by, and before I knew it, it was past midnight. I realized that I had to be up early the next day, so I decided to call it a night.