“I’ll be back then so we can talk.” Wyatt took a sip of his coffee. Perfect as always. She opened her mouth to object, but he held up a finger, smiled, and said, “I’ll see you then. Have a great day.”
With a wave over his shoulder, he left the cool air of the coffee shop and stepped into the sweltering July heat. These were the times when he wished he could stomach iced coffee. He’d tried it once or twice, but coffee was meant to be hot. Even if it seemed silly to drink a cup of it when temps were nearing one hundred, Wyatt could admit he was addicted to the caffeine fix.
Once in his vehicle, he drove to the other side of town to the Clearwater Country Club that was less than a mile from the Guadalupe River. His parents, Ben and Elise Tabor, had owned the club for years, and his grandparents before that. It’d grown from a little eighteen-hole golf course to the kind of establishment where large businesses brought their potential clients out to woo them. Between the day spa, stables, and renowned five-star restaurant on the grounds, the club had landed itself in more than one travel magazine as a worthwhile destination.
The success of the place made it easy for his dad to save up and provide more for his family than he’d ever thought possible. Wyatt and his three sisters grew up wanting for nothing. At the same time, their dad insisted that they also learn to work and appreciate what they had. While he set aside a share of the family’s wealth for each of them, their money was put into individual bank accounts that were only accessible after their twenty-first birthdays.
Violet had managed to ruin that for the rest of them. As the oldest in the family by five years, she’d taken her money, gone on a tour of the world, and come back nearly broke two years later. She’d spent the last fifteen years married to a man that didn’t have nearly as much money as she’d like him to have and made sure her unhappiness with life was evident to the rest of the family.
Their father had since decided to hold onto their inheritance until he was satisfied that they were well established in life. With the influence of their mother, unfortunately, that meant seeing their children happily married and settled in Clearwater. Lucy, his other older sister, was married. The only ones left waiting for the blessing of their parents—and ultimately their inheritance—were Wyatt and Bonnie.
When Wyatt graduated college with a degree in business, Dad made him a manager of the country club. Over the years, that position morphed into being a business partner and head of personnel. In other words, he picked up the slack where needed.
He normally didn’t mind, but it irritated Wyatt to no end that his dedication didn’t seem to be enough to earn his inheritance. Unfortunately, he’d made the mistake of sharing his future business goals with his father.
It was Wyatt’s dream to open Joyful Hope Stables, a place where people could enjoy horses and learn how to ride at prices anyone could afford. He got the idea from the few horses they had at the country club. Wyatt had witnessed the way the horses helped people gain self-confidence, including Gran, and wanted to extend that to others. Maybe even hire some therapists to provide hippotherapy to adults and children alike.
It was a goal his father found ludicrous, insisting that putting money into a charity project that would never earn it back was foolhardy. Wyatt had long ago stopped trying to explain his dreams. While he got along with his father okay, they would never see eye to eye when it came to managing money.
Mom explained that until Dad was convinced that Wyatt was settled and stable, he’d see none of that inheritance money.
He could’ve seen his dreams realized a lot earlier, but since he didn’t have a family to support, he’d been putting away money every month. He was finally in reach of going forward with his plans, and all without the use of his family’s money.
As Wyatt settled in his office and went through a list of resumes he was considering for a job opening in the golf center, he couldn’t keep his mind off Chrissy and what he’d asked her.
If her expression was any indication, there was no way she was going to agree to go with him to Gran’s birthday. He read through another resume before setting it aside. A thought came to him.
What if he offered to pay Chrissy? Hiring a woman to pose as his date to his own grandmother’s birthday party wasn’t too pathetic, was it?
The moment the thought went through Wyatt’s mind, he dismissed it. That was a crazy idea. If his family ever found out that he’d become so desperate, they would never let him live it down. He couldn’t blame them, either. He would rib one of his sisters for months over something as crazy as this.
The idea ping-ponged between the worst thing he’d come up with and one that seemed plausible as he worked his way through the day. By the time three forty-five rolled around, he was ready to put the country club behind him and go talk to Chrissy. With any luck, she’d take pity on him after hearing his story, give him one of those smiles that seemed to light up the coffee shop, and agree to go with him out of the goodness of her heart.
Hey, a guy could hope.
