Page 20 of Daddy's Little Cowgirl

“Sure.” Ridge gave her another treat.

She was very careful to do it the way he taught her and grinned when Rascal gently picked up the treat.

She turned to Ridge. “Can I feed him another one?”

Ridge chuckled. “Not right now. You don’t want to baby him too much, or he’ll never leave you alone.”

“I don’t care if he wants my attention. It won’t bother me a bit.”

He tugged on her hand. “Another time. Come on.”

For the next hour, he showed her which buildings to stay out of and introduced her to a few of his men. By the time they started to walk back to the house, it was already dinnertime.

Ridge opened the back door for her. “Why don’t you go up to your room and clean up? Dinner will be ready soon.”

“I can do that.” They stopped in the kitchen. “Maggie, is there anything you need me to do?”

Maggie smiled at her. “No, dear. But thank you. Dinner will be ready in about ten minutes.”

Ellie nodded and followed Ridge out of the room and up the stairs. He stopped at his door and looked at her. “Are you okay with getting to your room, Sweetheart?”

She looked down the hallway and then nodded. “Yes.”

“Okay, come and get me if there’s anything you need.”

“I will.”

She watched his door close, and her first instinct was to pound on the door and beg him to let her stay with him. She shook her head and headed for her room. She had to remind herself that Ridge was a busy man, so she couldn’t bother him with silly stuff. She was a big girl and could clean her own face.

After wiping her face off and washing her hands, she stood in the bedroom and stared. She didn’t know if she’d ever get used to living like that. She’d spent enough time at Larkin and the other littles’ huge houses not to be shocked, but she couldn’t comprehend actually living in one.

Ellie shook her head. She knew she was tired after the long day. Maybe after they ate, she could come back to the room. After a nice shower and a good night’s sleep, she knew she’d feel better in the morning.

She walked out of her room and met Ridge as he came out of his. She tried to peek into the room, but he closed the door before she could get a good look. One of her jobs would be to clean his bedroom, and the thought of touching his things made her all tingly. It startled her a bit, but she was quick to hide her face.

Ellie would take it day to day and see what happened.

Chapter Twelve

Ridge saw the exhaustion on her face and decided on an early night. He had to remind himself that she wasn’t used to the way of life on the ranch or being away from her friends. He was the only constant in her life, and she’d only known him a day.

“Let’s get you fed.”

She tried to smile but just leaned against him. The trust she showed him made his chest feel tight. He helped her sit in the chair to the right of him and then sat at the head of the table.

“Why can’t we sit at the counter in the kitchen with Maggie?” she asked.

He chuckled. “Because we’d be kicked out within a minute. She likes having us in a different room to eat.”

“Will she sit with us?”

He shook his head. “No. She likes to take her meal back to her apartment and watch her shows while she relaxes. She knows she’s welcome anytime. The whole crew will have a party for Christmas in a barn, and she’ll be there.”

Ellie nodded.

Maggie brought out their plates. Ridge was charmed when Maggie tapped Ellie’s shoulder and smiled, and the young woman beamed.

Ridge and Ellie talked about everyday things as they ate. Close to the end of the meal, he caught her eyelids starting to droop. When they finished, Ridge stood and helped Ellie to her feet. He smiled when she leaned against him and closed her eyes.

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