Magic Ball: the Billionaire in Ranch

75 Love Is Not Blind

Walking back and forth on the farmhouse's porch, Noah kept a blank expression on his face.

Thomas, who had been scrapping the fallen leaves in front of the house, had been staring at him for an hour now. Noah knew the older man had been annoyed by his behavior, but he was too bashful to explain that he had worries about woman—women, he corrected himself as the agony engulfed his mind once more.

Two women had occupied his mind for the past days. One had been his lover for a few months, while the other was somewhat the silent type that didn't want her feelings to be known.

The real dilemma began when he realized that he had been trying to pursue the both of them. He didn’t mean it at first. Joanna had left his side for some time now. But when they saw each other at the police station, the woman made known that she was interested in eating dinner with him after everything is settled. Noah wanted to smack himself on the head and tell himself that Joanna was just trying to be polite. She didn't obviously want to ask him for money when Noah said the old good, tell me what you want as a reward, and I’ll do my best to get it for you. In the end, they mutually agreed that they would go out for dinner tonight. Now, Noah's having second thoughts when he beheld Diana's face in the farmyard riding Snowflake like she was the said plains queen.

He had this mental talk with himself for several days now. The logical answer is, of course, to not expect anything at all. Second, if there comes a time that he's to choose, he must choose the person that would reciprocate his feelings. That falls beyond Diana. The blond woman appears to be somewhat uninterested in him as a lover. She seemed more comfortable with them being friends.

On the other hand, Joanna had made the first move by inviting him for dinner. She was showing and doing it for Noah all at the same time.

Running a hand through his head, Noah let out the most exaggerated sigh he had.

"What the hell, lad? What is with that long face?" holding onto the scrapper, Thomas couldn't stand his bickering anymore. He gathered the leaves on one side and ensured that the wind wouldn't get on them by pressing the scrapper on top of the said pile.

“Yes, Thomas?” he suddenly asked as if he had just heard what he had inquired.

Thomas arched a silvering eyebrow, “I just asked you a question.”

Noah scanned through his head—he couldn’t remember what he asked!

Plopping on the love seat he placed on the porch, Noah had his hands covered his face. He let out a groan that shook the birds awake.

Thomas followed the birds' direction before he pulled back his gaze to Noah, "Lad, I don't know what in the seventh hell is wrong with you." He gestured to him, sitting on the porch like he was already a dead man, "cut that crap out and tell me what's happening."

And there it was. Noah dreaded situations like this. He loathes it to his core. Telling people about his dilemma in love was already torture itself. He couldn't open himself up no matter what people tell him. They said it was alright, and that it didn't do any harm, just good because you're able to vent out and hear on different people's opinion. Then again, Noah wasn’t the type that felt comfortable with expressing himself through words.

“Screw this,” Thomas threw the scrapper, and it landed on the floor with a thud, the leaves scattering all over the pressed soil.

Noah heard the marching of Thomas’s boots—it was heading to where he was.

He wants to go inside and lock inside his room, but he figured his employees always, always, always find a way to make say things he couldn’t. Most of the time, he hated them for doing it because it was basically breaking the boundary between employee and employer relationship. But Noah knew they weren’t just like that anymore. These people had been family, and he had no reason to evade them when all they ever wanted was to know what they were worried about.

Sitting beside him, Thomas grumbled about how the leaves were already scattered on the soil. Noah wished he had stayed where he was.

“I’m not telling,” he began, “it’s hard for me to say it.”

“What? Is it some kind of an ancient language no one would understand?” the older man found humor in what he asked for a playful smile was plastered on his lips.

Noah couldn’t handle the thought that he was joking in the middle of his breakdown. But the older man’s rare smile was indeed contagious, so he found himself showing a small smile to Thomas.

“I hate it when you joke at serious moments,” Noah remarked as he rummaged through his pocket.

Thomas shrugged his shoulders, “My humor is too dark that it needs to come out when people are in tough times.”

“I still won’t tell you,” Noah held his ground, “and this sucks.” He began pressing his lips, the cigarette between them. Fire came out from his lighter as smoke appeared on the tip of his stick.

Thomas supported his neck through pressing both his hands behind his head, “Not the first time you did that."

“What did you just say?” Noah removed the cigarette from his mouth, the disbelief engulfing his face.

“That,” Thomas pointed on his face, “it’s not the first time you made that expression.”

Was he really that transparent to the people that he cares about?

“Whatever do you mean?” Noah pressed his lips together, the cigarette at the side of his mouth, “I have always looked like this my entire life. In fact, my mother got worried because I was already frowning as a babe.”

“Are you becoming an i***t? Because that won’t benefit this land,” Thomas commented.

Noah shook his head, the smoke following the motion of his neck, “I wish I wasn’t always like this,” he didn’t find it offensive when his employees joke about such things. After all, in the absence of his family, Thomas, Wynn, and Nancy had always been the people that filled the void. For that, Noah would repeatedly tell the world that he was grateful beyond what he had expected.

“The last time you looked like that,” Thomas turned to look at him, “was when that Jonas—”

Noah hates to do this because he was basically confirming everything, “It’s Joanna.”

The frown on Thomas's face deepened, "Right. Joanna." He faked a cough, "As I was saying, it was when Joanna had wanted you to be in a relationship with her."

Initially, Noah hadn't planned on telling them about him and Joanna. But the employees inside his ranch are too keen at details they might as well apply for the federal investigation unit around the place. They are natural detectives that can piece through puzzle after puzzle.

“I don’t know about that…” Noah looked away. He focused his gaze on the field ahead of them. He followed the way the wind made the leaves move.

He heard Thomas’ sigh behind him, “No matter how much you deny it, it shows on your face. Wynn, including myself, see it from time to time." He sat on the love seat and leaned his back on the cushion.

Noah roamed his hand on his face as he let out a groan. “Why did I hire keen employees again?”

Laughter came out from Thomas, and Noah can say that it was a rare occurrence. When he turned around, Thomas had his hand behind his head, a grin occupying what was once a grim expression, "Your fault, not ours," he commented.

After that, Thomas stood in one swift motion. He strode toward the work he left, grabbed at the scrapper, and gathered the autumnal leaves again.

Noah continued smoking, his thoughts flying between throwing a birthday party for Diana and having dinner with Joanna in return for helping him escape prison.

If he had to put it in a more logical way, he should divert his focus on Joanna since the woman had basically professed her love again. She also helped Noah not get behind bars for a crime he was accused of.

That night, Noah proceeded with the plan. He had taken Joanna on a dinner date. He was nervous, but not as giddy as when they first met.

Joanna had herself dolled up, and she looked the prettiest—like she was a Hollywood actress from the eighties. Her skin-tight dress gave her a figure any man would dream of having caressed by their hands. Noah felt those curves when they spent the night together. It was beautiful. Everything happened so fast Noah wasn’t sure anymore what he was doing.

Motioning her glass in a circle, Joanna looked at Noah intently, “You barely ate your meal,” she pointed out.

Noah was in the middle of drinking his champagne, “Oh?” he said after gulping down the liquid that burned his throat, “I’m eating them, don’t worry.”

With a furrowed brow, Joanna began speaking again, “Are you unwell?”

Noah managed a smile, “Not at all.” He minded if he answered faster than she expects him to. “To be honest, the meal ordered wasn’t that great.”

He was lying. It was good, but he couldn’t fathom the fact that he was eating with her instead of Diana. But then again, he couldn’t choose both of them. He had to make a choice, and he needed to be honest. Joanna deserves the truth, and Noah was hesitating whether he should tell him how he feels.

“Look, if you’re not feeling well, we can continue this in another night,” Joanna said while dabbing the napkin lightly on her red lips. She was careful enough not to remove it from her lips.

Noah waved his hand in dismissal, “No, no. I’m fine. I promise,” this time, the smile he had on his face was genuine. He finds it charming that Joanna cared for him. The guilt ate away at his heart when he realized yet again his dilemma.

Sighing, he placed down his glass of champaign. He looked up and fixed his gaze on a quiet Joanna. He feels so bad he had to make her uncomfortable for what was supposed to be a fancy and enjoyable dinner.

Placing his hand over the other, Noah opened his mouth to speak, “I have something to tell you.” His tone appeared low, and the reaction on Joanna’s face confirmed to him that she was a bit surprised at his sudden solemn tone.

Joanna sat straight, her palms placed on her thighs. Her stare was unfazed, the determination lining her eyes, “Yes?”

“I don’t know how I’m supposed to say this, but I need to be honest with you,” Noah stated. How can he say such a thing? Why can’t he just decide which among he would like to pursue? Why does it have to lead to the pain of the other? He couldn't understand the concept of relationships with the opposite s*x. It was complicated, heart-wrenching that you can't avoid the other no matter how much you try.

Joanna held her breath, “What is it?”

Noah needs to start with the basic, “Do you still like me?” the question rolled out of his tongue.

The neutrality remained on Joanna’s face. She blinked a few times, the mistiness in her eyes brought an ache in Noah’s heart. Shinning tears pooled at the end of her eyes, and her lips began to quiver. If such a question already brought sorrow to her, what more if he confesses that he can’t choose between her and a woman he met when they called it quits?

Bowing her head, Joanna inhaled several times. When she looked up again, the grave emotion was apparent in her beautiful face.

“Yes,” she answered. She said it like the wind, yet the emotion radiated in that one word that Noah was at lost for words.

His lips were in a thin line. He tried forming a comprehensible sentence in his head, but the words wouldn't just roll out of her tongue. Taking deep breaths, he gathered his courage.

“Thank you for telling me that,” he began, “but right now, I have feelings for another woman…” it was like he was accepting the fact that he had deep feelings for Diana.

Joanna gave him a sad smile, “I heard.”

The confusion replaced Noah’s grim expression, “From who?”

“From Fitch. He had been trying to ask Cora out.”

Noah thinks he needs to talk to Fitch when he gets home. His big mouth had been spilling unnecessary information to the wrong people.

“But don’t worry,” Joanna began. She didn’t look away. “I made my feelings known so that you would have the time to think about it.”

Noah had his mouth slightly open.

Joanna continued, “I didn’t want to compete. I would let you have your way. I know this sounds crazy, but I’m telling you this so that I could have a chance inside your heart, even if she’s already taking everything away from me.”

It’s Diana.

Diana had been occupying his heart for months now, and it hurt to see that Joanna had already known about this from the start. Yet, she still went on a dinner with him in hopes of making him understand that she too was asking for a chance at love.

“I understand. I’m sorry.”

A chuckle came out from Joanna’s lips, “Don’t be. After all, I was the first one who let go of your hand.”

After paying for the bill, Noah dropped her off at her apartment.

Joanna smiled—Noah’s heart ached.

“I’ll wait for your final answer,” she said before Noah drove home.