The Maverick Meets His Match (Hearts of Wyoming Book 2)(40)
“Thanks. We got the flowers, and they were beautiful.” Mandy gave the old man a gentle hug. “I need to introduce you to our new partner. And my husband. He was also a good friend of JM’s. Lyle Thornton, Ty Martin.”
Ty shook the thin man’s bony but sturdy hand.
“Ty here is new to Prescott, so I thought I’d show him around a bit,” Ben explained. “Was going to take him to the barn next.”
Lyle nodded and led the way with a rocking gait, across a paved sidewalk and toward one of the large buildings. Mandy had abandoned Ty to walk by Lyle’s side, doing her best, no doubt, to solidify a connection.
Ben and Ty trailed behind. “The county fair goes for ten days, and the rodeo, which we are in charge of, runs from Tuesday to Sunday. It’s a big event in these parts.” Ben seemed eager to impress, and Ty took that as a good sign.
The barn was large and long. Stall after stall lined the linear building, and they all looked well used with scratched wood and stained concrete attesting to the number of horses that had been housed over the years.
“You have, what, about a hundred and thirty stalls in here, Ben?” Mandy asked.
“That’s right.” Ben smiled as if pleased she’d remembered. “They’re looking to upgrade the stalls this coming year, and it’s about time. There are also plans for a new arena for the rodeo and cutting horse events located closer to the barn. We think that will keep attendance up.”
“They don’t like hauling in dirt to the coliseum, I’m guessing.”
Ben raised his eyebrows. “That’s right.”
“Through here,” Mandy said, waving a hand toward a large exit in the middle of the rows of stalls, “you can get to the cattle pens. As I recall, they can hold about a thousand head of cattle in those pens. More than enough for the bulls and steers we bring in for the events.”
Ty took a gander at the maze of metal railings. “Was this all built by the county?”
“In the seventies,” Ben said. “It’s in need of a facelift now. The plan is to renovate the barns, build an arena dedicated to equestrian events, and upgrade the offices and restrooms. Still serves its purpose though. Let me show you the coliseum where the rodeo is held, at least for now.”
“What are you looking at cost-wise for the renovation?” Ty asked as they walked out of the barn. He couldn’t help the developer in him.
“About twenty million.”
Sounded right.
Within minutes they were entering a huge concrete building. The air-conditioning felt good after the outside heat. The foursome wound their way along back corridors until they stood where the barrel racers would enter.
Looking across the arena and up at the stands, the coliseum seemed sizeable. Ben pointed out where the pens would go and explained the need to haul in dirt. “It will be much easier if we get our own venue on these grounds. We need to have good attendance this season to prove it’s worth the investment. That’s why, more than ever, we need a top-notch rodeo supplier this year.”
“You have five thousand seats to fill, and we’re here to fill them,” Mandy said and launched into her plans for the upcoming rodeo with unbridled enthusiasm, as if Abilene was the only rodeo that mattered. Ben and Lyle gave Mandy their full attention, and Ty knew the worst was over when the talk turned to how to make Abilene’s rodeo a good one rather than whether Prescott would be running it again.
Her red lips moved with excitement, snagging his attention, as did the shiny mane of hair she flipped more than once. He’d like to kiss those lips again, run his fingers through all that hair. He’d like to feel her explode as he made love to her.
Holding her last night had been hell. Tonight, alone in the hotel room, he planned to hold her with a specific endpoint in mind.
He was not a patient man, and he’d no intention of allowing Mandy to drag out the inevitable. She may think she had the upper hand, but it had been ten years since he’d had an opportunity to play his hand. He wasn’t one to miss an opportunity.
He shifted his thoughts to the two men, whose narrowed-eyed focus was on Mandy. She’d done a good job reconnecting with the two wranglers. She was definitely a people person with a knack for putting them at ease. Ty usually took a different tack in his business, making people uncomfortable. It worked in contentious land negotiations, but he sensed it wouldn’t work here, where trust and familiarity were necessary ingredients.
Mandy had also impressed him, and by the interest the two rodeo men where showing, impressed Lyle and Ben as well, with her knowledge, not only of Prescott but of the Abilene rodeo venue and what would be needed to put on a successful rodeo.
He had to admit that her brand of sales was working. She seemed a natural. Like this was her calling. And he might have to pull it away from her. Seeing her in action, being with her, the responsibility sat heavier now than just a few days ago.
Ty waited until Mandy finished discussing the number of broncs and bulls needed, the number of steers required, the announcer and bullfighters to be used, and the parade details before he brought up next year’s rodeo.
“We’re here to assure you of our commitment to the Abilene rodeo in case you had any doubts, given the circumstances. What we’d like to know is, if we meet your expectations this year, can we count on doing Abilene next year as well?”