Page 82 of Captured By the Billionaire Cowboy
Rowan smiled as Ciara’s cheeks tinged pink. “I’m afraid not,” he said lowly.
The little girl pouted. “Why not?”
Rowan chuckled as the girl’s mother hurriedly shushed her. The crowd laughed, but interest sparked in their features, speculation and knowing smiles. Ciara’s blush deepened.
There were a hundred ways he could respond, a witty response, a lighthearted joke or nothing at all. Instead, he lowered his voice as if telling a secret, even as it reverberated through the speakers. “I really can’t think of a good reason why not.” Then, he winked.
The crowd laughed, but Ciara stared at him. Was she trying to interpret his response? Did she know what it meant?
He did.
“Isn’t it amazing?” Ciara whispered, as the little girl caressed the horse’s flank, gazing at her with pure adoration. Soon she would be taking the horse home, a wonderful journey that would change both equine and human. Her family was one of several that commenced the adoption process, and more were inquiring every hour. “Today has been more successful than I ever dreamed, and it’s not even over. So many horses are going to loving families.”
“You did this.” Rowan edged closer, gently tucking a lock of hair behind her ear. “With the horses that have been adopted, wecan take new rescues soon. You should have no problem filling the stables.”
“I’ll do my best,” she promised. “There are hundreds of horses in need. The most important thing is getting them adopted quickly so we can save new ones. We only have limited space.”
“Actually, I’ve been meaning to talk to you about that.”
She stiffened. They barely had enough room for the horses as it was. Still, it was his ranch, and she couldn’t protest if he decided to repurpose some of the stalls. Yet decreasing the space wasn’t what he had in mind. “We could use a few more stalls, don’t you think?” He handed her a piece of paper.
She unfolded the crisp white sheet to reveal a detailed drawing, including blueprints and a map. She flipped the page over and read, “Ranch Expansion Plan.” She looked into brilliant blue eyes. “I don’t understand.”
“Well, you see–” He pointed to a shape depicting a large, long building in the center. “These are the new stables. The paddocks will be adjacent and stretch to the west. And this is where the additional residences will stand.”
Ciara blinked at the paper. “You can’t be serious.”
“I can’t?” He folded his arms across his chest, stood tall.
“Well, I mean you can, because you own it, but still…” She fought for focus, amidst a thousand images of what the extra space would mean. How many more horses they could save. “This is going to cost a fortune, and we don’t even know if the rescue will be successful.”
“I’d say this is a pretty good indication.” He gestured to the bustling fair. The sounds of delighted conversation played perfect melody to the hometown affair. Before she could protest further, he leaned down. “Just say yes and be happy. I can afford it.”
Yes, he could.Wealth and power defined Rowan Byrne. “I am happy,” she said softly. “Ecstatic, elated, but also stunned. I can’t believe this is happening.”
So true, and yet a whisper of sadness threaded through the perfection. Would she actually see any of the improvements? If she proceeded with her plans, she’d be long gone by the time they broke ground, tracking the progress through grainy cell phone photos and secondhand retellings. She’d have another job in America, and barely any time for the horse rescue that had redefined her world.
Unless she didn’t leave…
Oblivious to her thoughts, Rowan glanced around, before slowly leaning down and bestowing a brief, yet oh-so-sweet kiss. She licked her lips, fought the urge to ask for more. With him, it was never enough.
His eyes mirrored her desire. “I want to do this for you. And for the horses that deserve new lives.”
She reread the plans, as her heart skipped ahead like a prancing mare. Not only could they rescue more horses, but additional retreat beds meant more revenue to help the animals recuperate. “Thank you.” she whispered, edging closer to his solid form. “You don’t know how much this means to me.”
“Someone is excited.” Teara strolled up with Chelsea, entering the conversation with a brilliant smile, which widened as Ciara jumped back from Rowan. Yeah, they were fooling no one. Teara winked. “And I haven’t even given you my good news.”
Rowan grasped Ciara’s hand, keeping her close. “Do tell.”
Teara held up her tablet, which displayed dozens of names in an organized digital spreadsheet. “People have been inquiring about the retreat all day, both in person and over the Internet. We’re booked for months. Several visitors even talked aboutmaking it an annual trip, meaning repeat guests after the opening hype.”
“Everyone loves the fair,” Chelsea added. “We’ve had more people submit adoption papers than we have horses, even with the new batch. Soon, the only horses remaining will be the ones in recovery.”
Which meant it was time to save more horses.Ciara closed and opened her eyes. “I can’t tell you how grateful I am for your hard work. Thank you so much.” She held up the blueprints to the ladies. “It’ll be even more important now that Rowan is expanding the ranch with new stables and additional lodgings.”
“That’s amazing.” Teara clapped her hands. “We just started, and already we’re growing.”
All the happy people, the joyful horses. A hundred possibilities, as Ciara paced next to Rowan. “I was thinking we could do this again. Maybe make it a regular event. Well, not this exactly,” she clarified as the others gaped at her. “Obviously, we don’t have the money or time to put on something of this magnitude every month. But what if we plan a little get-together with a couple of bounce houses, a complimentary barbeque and several vendors? We could introduce people to the newest horses, offer free classes, that sort of thing.”
