Page 18 of Parading the Cowboy Billionaire (Bluegrass Ranch 4)

Ginny nodded, her mind whirring as dinner continued. Only Drake said something before the conversation moved on to something else.

You could do that, he’d said.But only if you’re willing to pay the price if she finds out.

Ginny didn’t know what price that would be, but knowing Mother, it would be catastrophic.

5

Cayden turned onto a road that had clearly been privately paved. It wound back through the trees, which finally thinned and opened up to a meadow. A house sat at the end of the lane, with wild grasses surrounding it, a huge wrap-around porch, and the rustic feel of a log cabin though it wasn’t made of logs.

The exterior was wood, though, and it shone a bright, earthy orange in the dying light of this Tuesday.

He’d only had to drive for fifteen minutes to get to this “country house,” and Cayden wasn’t about to complain about that. The house was probably an hour from the lane where her mansion was on the Winters property, and he could see why one would want to escape from there and come here.

He pulled up to the house and parked, not seeing her car or a flicker of life anywhere. The stillness in the air outside almost unnerved him, and Cayden glanced left and right as he went up the steps to the porch.

He knocked and stepped back, hoping she’d answer the door quickly. She didn’t, but the barking of her dogs came through the door, and then her voice called, “Come in!”

The door wasn’t locked, and Cayden went right inside. He did lock it behind him just before her trio of dogs surged toward him. He grinned at them and bent down to greet them with pats and hellos. They’d all stayed at the homestead until yesterday morning, when Ginny had packed up everything her assistant had brought and moved it out here.

Cayden hadn’t seen her since then, and he wasn’t sure what to expect when he walked further into the house, her dogs now his shadows. Perhaps an array of food on the counter that she’d picked up in town, with her wearing one of her fancy gowns, heels, and precise makeup.

He found her standing in front of the stove, using a pair of tongs to stir and lift pasta as she coated it in sauce. She wore a pair of loose pants that had an elastic waist and yet somehow still looked elegant as they flowed around her legs.

She turned toward him, a smile on her face, which was as natural as all the wood throughout the house. “You found it.”

“I sure did,” he said, his voice betraying how cowboy he was. The scent of garlic and cream hung in the air, along with the saltiness of bacon. “What are you making?”

“Carbonara,” she said, going back to the stirring. “You said you liked pasta.”

“I do.” He took a few more steps, drinking in the black sweater she wore, with the brightly colored apron over that. “You look real nice, Ginny.” He put one hand on her hip and looked over her shoulder into the pan. “I didn’t know you cooked.”

“I enjoy it,” she said. “I just normally don’t have much time.” She looked up at him, her face very close to his when she did.

His heart boomed in his chest, and he stepped back so she wouldn’t feel it reverberating through her shoulder blade. “Looks amazing.” He turned around, and on the slate countertops, she already had a big bowl of salad and a tray of garlic bread.

His mouth watered, and he rounded the counter as she turned and put the pan of pasta next to everything else. She hadn’t said much after her dinner with her brothers the other night, and Cayden was dying to know what was going on.

“Are you going to tell me tonight?” he asked as he took a barstool.

She’d already gotten down plates, and she opened a drawer on her side of the island and pulled out forks. “Yes.” She nodded to him. “You want to say grace?”

“Sure.” He swept his cowboy hat off his head and ran his fingers through his hair. His eyes closed, and he said, “Dear Lord, we thank Thee for our bounty. Thank you that Ginny could have the time to do what she likes to do. Thank you that we’re able to be here together to talk and eat. Bless her with a clear mind regarding her mother and Sweet Rose. Bless me that all will go well in the joint meeting in the morning and that we’ll be able to find a solution to our current obstacles. Bless this food. Amen.”

“Amen,” Ginny said softly.

Cayden opened his eyes and found her already looking at him. She’d said she wasn’t nearly as religious as he was, but she’d prayed with him and Blaine, as well as all the brothers that had come for lunch on Sunday following church. Ginny had not attended, but Cayden usually did, so he’d gone with Blaine and Tam.

“Thank you,” she said. “I don’t think anyone has ever prayed for me before.” Her eyes held a light tonight that made Cayden’s whole world brighter. She smiled, her lips perfect and pink and drawing all of his attention.

She didn’t wear much makeup tonight, and he wondered if she’d gone to work. Her hair fell over her shoulders, but just barely, and he said, “You cut your hair.”

“Yes,” she said, reaching up and touching the very ends of it. “It’s quite a bit shorter. I’m thinking of dying it.”

“Oh?” Cayden stood as she started scooping salad onto her plate. He picked up the only remaining plate and took a couple of pieces of garlic bread with the tongs there. “What color?”

“Blonde,” she said.

“That’s a huge change,” he said.

---