Page 42 of Parading the Cowboy Billionaire (Bluegrass Ranch 4)

Ginny turned and looked at him, trying to find a way to make him understand. “I don’t know if you’ve ever met anyone like her,” she said.

“If I get in over my head, I’ve got my bets foreman with me today.” He nodded to a man named Alex Samuels, who Ginny had met before. She’d known his family for a while too, as his father was one of Sweet Rose’s annual investors in their children’s parade over the Fourth of July.

He owned a huge car restoration shop in Dreamsville, and he often donated a number of bicycles to children in need as part of the parade. Alex had started as a mechanic and quickly moved on to construction.

Anything to be working with my hands, he’d told Ginny a year or so ago.

“Hello, Alex,” Ginny said pleasantly, stepping into him and kissing both of his cheeks.

“Morning,” he said. “Don’t worry about us.” He exchanged a glance with Ben.

“You know I will,” she said with a smile. “Tell Ben here that he can’t underestimate my mother.” Her stomach quaked, and she considered rescheduling her meeting for the tenth time that week.

“No one underestimates anyone out in this part of town,” Alex said, grinning at her. “Now, go on. I know you have a meeting, and we don’t need you here.”

“I know when I’m not wanted.” Ginny smiled and ducked back into the house, where she opened the closet behind the door and took out her purse. She paused to let Alex go by with an armful of tools and various supplies, her eyes widening at the amount of equipment being brought in.

“Just go,” she murmured to herself, because she wasn’t going to wield a saw or a hammer, knock down any walls, or fill in any doorways. In the driver’s seat, she took a moment to grip the wheel and close her eyes. “Help Mother to have a good day today and bless Ben and Alex to get a lot done today.”

The faster the demolition got done, the better. Mother had mentioned to Ginny at least twenty times how she couldn’t abide “hammering all day long.”

“It’s fine,” she told herself as she drove off the property. She and Cayden had brainstormed a back-up plan, and that back-up plan had a back-up. She could put Mother in any number of nearby hotels, and if worst came to worst, Ginny was prepared to move Mother into her house.

She glanced left as she drove by the street where her house was, but she couldn’t see it from the corner. It sat back far enough from the street that she almost had to be in front of it to see it. That, plus the mature trees that towered on the whole family block, kept the Winters family residences fairly private.

She continued on to her office, carrying in her protein shake and her purse, a measure of tiredness already moving through her and she’d just arrived at work.

The scent of cinnamon and honey met her nose, and she smiled at Mel as she approached. “Morning, Mel.”

“Good morning, Ginny.” Her auburn-haired assistant looked up at her, her dark green eyes bright and wide. “You’ve got your nine o’clock in your office.”

“Already?” Ginny picked up the stack of messages on the edge of Mel’s desk. A bit of mail sat there too, and while Mel went through most of it, she always sorted out the items Ginny needed to see.

“He’s a little early,” she said.

“Of course he is,” Ginny said, glancing toward her closed office door. “How was your date with Michael?” She wasn’t going to run into her office just because someone was waiting for her. In fact, she didn’t like it when her appointments were early, and had she been here at her normal time, Mel would’ve held Martin Gold out here.

“So amazing,” Mel smiled and leaned forward. “I’m not sure he’s ever had a hush puppy before.” They laughed together, and Ginny liked these softer moments with Mel. She didn’t have very many friends, but she’d count Mel as one of them.

“Where is he from again?”

“Nevada.”

“Yes, I don’t imagine they’d eat a lot of hush puppies in Nevada.”

“He claimed to like it, but I think he drank at least three glasses of water and three or four glasses of Diet Coke during the meal.”

“Maybe he just has severe dry mouth,” Ginny said, which caused Mel to laugh again. “You’re seeing him again, though, right?”

“Yes, tomorrow,” Mel said. “Now go on. You only have a few minutes.”

Ginny frowned as she straightened. “Only a few minutes?”

“Go now,” Mel hissed, looking past her and getting to her feet. “I’ll buy you a few minutes, but not if you’re out here chit-chatting with me.” She rounded the desk, and Ginny turned to see Martin Gold facing the wall near the door, his phone pressed to his ear.

“Wait a second,” she said. If Martin Gold was down there, who was waiting for her in her office?

Her curiosity piqued, Ginny hurried to the closed door and opened it, almost peeking in cautiously. Her office seemed empty, but there was definitely a presence here. A scent too, and Ginny’s nose got her pheromones firing.

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