Page 17 of Daddy's Little Cowgirl

She turned toward the bathroom to find the same color and everything else sparkling white.

“Do you think you’ll do okay in here?”

“Yes, I think so.” Ellie walked over to the window and looked out. She turned to glance at him over her shoulder. “Where is your room?”

“It was the first one on the left at the top of the stairs.”

“That far away?” she asked in dismay. It felt like he would be a mile away from her instead of a few doors away.

“All you have to do is come to me if you need me.”

“Any time?” she asked.

“Yes. If you can’t find me in the house, have Maggie call down to the main barn. They usually know where I am.”

“All right.”

“Do you want to freshen up before we go down?”

“No.”

He reached for her hand again and led her back downstairs. She couldn’t get the thought of being by herself at bedtime out of her head. She’d see how it went that night.

Chapter Ten

Ridge watched Ellie converse with Maggie when the older woman laid the plates down at lunch. He could tell Ellie wasn’t comfortable being served. He guessed she’d get used to it eventually.

Ellie straightened. “I can help.”

Maggie smiled and patted her head. “No, Child. I enjoy doing this. Don’t worry. I’ve got plenty of other things I need your help with.”

Ridge hid a grin at the excitement on the young woman’s face.

After they finished the meal, he took her hand and pulled her outside. “I want to show you some things. There is dangerous work going on every day, and I want you to stay away from it.”

“Like what?” she asked and looked up at him.

“I’ll show you some of it now,” he said.

Ridge caught the curious looks from his men. He or his foreman, Layton, would set them straight about no one touching her, and she was his. She was so damn beautiful he knew several of his men would want to start something with her.

He knew it was still early to be talking that way, but the way he felt already for the tiny woman who walked beside him was only going to grow every day. He couldn’t see himself being able to keep his hands off her for too long.

Ridge whistled, making her jump and gasp. He curled an arm around her shoulders. “I’m sorry, Sweetheart. I’m not used to having a woman here. These guys are used to it. That’s the only way to get someone’s attention out here.”

She looked up at him with so much trust and such a sweet smile that he felt his emotions going crazy. But in a good way.

“Hey, Boss.”

“Ellie, this is Layton. He’s the foreman here.”

“Foreman?” she asked.

“He runs the place when I’m not here. Hell, sometimes when I am, too.”

Both men chuckled.

“Layton. This is Ellie. She’s going to be living here with us and helping Maggie.”

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