Page 15 of Caden's Situationship

The sound of a door closing above my garage diverted my attention. “Well, do me a favor and don’t ask her any stupid questions about how she dresses or what she’s wearing because she’s coming down now.”

All the men straightened up and stood just as I got a knock on my door. Something told me Cordelia was the type who would appreciate the level of respect of having men stand as she entered a room, and since we were born and raised in the south, that’s just how we were.

I took a deep breath as I opened the door, ignoring the nerves I felt in the pit of my stomach. I needed this partnership, which meant this shit had to go well. That also meant I should have been able to hold it together when I faced her again. Yet, despite my best effort, a snort escaped at the sight of her swimming in the blue fabric of another dress, and a bulky blue and white hat that almost looked too large to fit through my door.

What really made me almost lose my shit was the bright blue ribbon tied at her waist with a matching one around her neck.

“Are you laughing at me?” she asked, catching my slip up.

“I’m not,” I lied, leaning closer to her so that my friends couldn’t overhear. “I just didn’t expect for you to wear these dresses the entire time you’re here. Aren’t you hot underneath all that material?”

She shrugged. “I’ve been wearing these dresses for years, and I’m not hot at all.”

I wanted to call her out because if the sheen on her forehead was any indication, she was already sweating and had barely been outside after the short walk from the loft to my front door.

After inviting her inside, I almost didn’t even want to look at my friend’s faces. The room was so quiet, I could hear myself breathing and I didn’t want them to say anything that may offend her.

“Fellas, I would like for you to meet Cordelia Rose, the rep from Red Rose Investment Firm. Cordelia, this is Linc, Wade, and you may remember Hou from back in the day. They’re all helping me with the upgrades to the ranch whenever they have time.”

“Of course I remember Houston,” she said, stepping to him to give him a quick hug.

“It’s been a while,” Houston replied, returning her hug. “Nice to see you again.” I didn’t miss the questionable look he gave me when he hugged her. No doubt he was wondering why she looked so different than she had back in college.

Luckily, greeting Houston first broke the ice for the others, and after a little small talk, neither of the guys were staring at her as strangely as they had been when she arrived.

“We’ve already had breakfast, but I had our cook, Pete, make extra if you’re hungry.”

She smiled. “Yesterday, you made it seem like I wouldn’t eat if I couldn’t get up by the crack of dawn.”

“He’d never starve you,” Houston said with a laugh. “He made sure his staff didn’t eat your portion.”

She glanced at me, gratitude reflected in her eyes when she thanked me. I shrugged it off like it was no big deal, but Hou was right. I wouldn’t have let anyone touch her food. I couldn’t recall if she’d had a decent meal since she arrived.

It was funny how she didn’t look any different than she had yesterday, yet somehow, I no longer saw the unusual clothing as we continued to talk, but rather, I began to see my old friend. The slightly awkward southern girl who’d tripped over my boots when she was racing out of her classroom one day. I’d reached down in time to break her stumble, but there’d been something in those big brown eyes that had made me hold onto her a little longer than I should have. In a way, even then I couldn’t explain our connection, much like I didn’t have a damn clue what the hell was brewing since she rolled into my town like a frilly ruffled hurricane.

When Houston cleared his throat, I looked back at the guys, ignoring the amused expressions on their faces when I informed her, “The plan today after you eat is to show you the grounds first. Lance wanted you to get a good lay of the land, and if there is additional information you need regarding any part of the property, I can answer any questions for you. Sound good?”

She nodded. “That would be great! I’m usually pretty quick about these things, but since I’ll be in Cranberry Heights for a bit, maybe I can help you around the ranch to get a more in-depth view. At Red Rose, we really like to be involved with our client’s business when we visit.”

“Of course, that would be fine.” I observed her outfit again. “Will you be changing before the tour?”

“Why would I change?” she asked. “Aren’t we just walking around your property?” I heard one of the guys snort and figured it was Linc. It was always Linc.

“Yes, we’re walking, but we also may be on the tractor for a bit since I have to get some work done, so I can show you some of the property at the same time. Did you bring jeans and T-shirts?”

Her eyes widened. “I would never be caught dead in jeans and a T-shirt on a business visit!”

What the …“You do realize you’re on a ranch, right? I have livestock. There’s dirt and mud everywhere. You can’t step outside without getting dirty. I’m sure if you look at the rim of your dress, it’s dirty just from your short walk.”

She studied the bottom of her dress and upturned her nose. “Well knock me into tomorrow, you’re right. I just brought this dress and it’s already filthy.” She glanced back to me. “Okay, you win. I’ll change into something more appropriate.”

I mentally patted myself on the back for getting her to understand, yet she was barely out the front door before I heard Linc’s loud voice. “Damn, bruh, you peeped how she emphasized the wordinvolved?”

“Orin-depth,” Wade added.

“And let’s not ignore the fact that our boy Caden couldn’t stop staring at her.” Houston slapped my shoulder. “I guess those feelings you used to have back in college haven’t worn off, huh?”

“It’s not like that,” I retaliated. “It’s just hard for me to believe how small the world is and that I’m seeing her after all this time.”

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