Page 5 of The Bull Rider & the Wedding Planner

He smoothed out his face and gave Presley his most charming look. “Princess Presley. A beautiful name for a beautiful little lady.”

Presley giggled and pulled her hand back, clasping her mom’s face with both of her small hands. “Mama. The cowboy thinks I’m a beautisul princess.” She laughed happily.

“You are, my angel. You are.” Cassie gathered her daughter close, turning her body slightly away from Easton as if to shield the little girl from him.

What was that all about? Okay, so he’d hit the guy she’d been cheating on him with. That didn’t make him some violent jerk. That showed he was in love with her and protective of her. Cassie didn’t know he was trained as an elite warrior. He could’ve done much worse to the loser. His chest puffed out.

“Easton.” Cassie nodded to him, brushed past him, and hurried for a newer Volkswagen Jetta.

Oh, no. No, no, no. She wasn’t dropping into his life, the meeting orchestrated by the angels, and then whooshing back out of it again.

He hurried after her, deciding to focus on the child first. He ducked behind Cassie and then popped up over her shoulder and called out, “Princess Presley is fire,” to Presley.

Presley roared with laughter. “Again!”

Easton smiled and obliged, hiding and popping up several more times.

Cassie all but ignored him, only smiling at her daughter’sreaction. They reached the car. He pulled open the back door and held it as Cassie set the grocery bag slung over her forearm on the floor and then secured Presley in her car seat. Cassie straightened and Easton waved at the girl. “See you soon, beautiful Princess Presley.”

“Bye, beautisul cowboy prince,” Presley hollered.

Cassie tugged the door from his grasp and shut it. She darted an apprehensive look at Easton and edged forward to the driver’s door. He dodged in front of her, pulling open her door and holding it for her.

“Thanks,” she murmured, brushing past him.

“Cassie.” Easton couldn’t stop himself from putting a hand on her arm. Thankfully she had a coat on and he didn’t get the full effect of touching her. Her simply gazing up at him with those teal-blue eyes was impactful enough.

“Yes?” she whispered.

He didn’t know where to start. He wouldn’t apologize for their last miserable interaction, but he would drop his pride and give her a chance. No way could he let her go again without a fight. That was his only regret of that awful night six years ago, that he hadn’t stuck around, let himself and Cassie cool down, and fought through the pain of and reasons for her cheating on him.

The good Lord had dropped her and her daughter into Coleville and into his path right when he was low as the dust. It had to mean something. He’d make it mean something.

“You’re a mother?” was what came out of his mouth, instead of any of his usual suave lines that had women falling for him left and right.

“Obviously,” she snipped.

“Married?” he ground out. He could stillpicture her in that guy’s arms. A blond, suit-wearing, polished city slicker. Was that who she’d married? What she was attracted to now?

“Not anymore.” She looked down at the asphalt.

He didn’t like her not meeting his eyes, but her words made his heart take flight. It gouged deep that she’d moved on, fallen in love, and gotten married when Easton couldn’t commit to more than one date with another woman. But she wasn’t married any longer, and she was home. Why was she finally home? She’d avoided Coleville like the plague for ten long years. Because of him, her mom, or the weird worries she’d always had that the town judged her?

“Presley’s adorable,” he said.

“She is.” Her eyes softened, but then they grew cool. “I need to go.”

“Wait,” he all but begged. “You came home.” He looked over her beautiful face and gave her his most enticing smile. The smile that made women the world over weak in the knees. He waited for her to say it … that she’d finally come home, for him. She could apologize for cheating on and yelling at him, they could pick up where they left off, and all his dreams of him and Cassie together forever would finally be realized.

She didn’t take the bait.

He gave her a little prompting. “You don’t have to say it. I know you’ve longed for your rizzy and handsome cowboy all these years.”

Her face pinched. “I didn’t come home for you. I haven’t longed for you. Donotget any ideas in your head, Easton Coleville!”

She flung herself into the seat and yanked on the door.

Easton stepped back to avoid getting slammed in the door. It didn’t stop his heart from dropping to the pavement.

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