Page 55 of Parading the Cowboy Billionaire (Bluegrass Ranch 4)

She took a deep breath and smoothed her hands down the front of her jumpsuit. “I look okay?”

“Okay?” Alicia said, embracing her. “You look like a million bucks, Mya.”

“I’m going to burn my shoulders.” She looked at her bare shoulders, save for the thin strap of the jumpsuit. She’d loved this piece the moment she’d laid eyes on it, and she thanked the heavens above they’d had her size. The black material was lightweight and breathable, with bright red, yellow, and purple flowers scattered across it. Because they were small, the pattern wasn’t splashy, and she liked that.

It was classy.

The red sandals completed the look, and Mariah combed her fingers through her hair, which was properly spritzed according to Olli’s instructions withLeather, Lace, and Laughter.

“All right,” she said. “Here goes nothing.”

17

Cayden couldn’t believe he only had three more weeks until the Summer Smash. He had everything laid out in front of him in the cool, quiet administration building, and he adjusted a piece of paper that indicated an entire section of the stands.

They were all grayed out, because by some miracle, they’d sold every single seat in their arena. With Tim’s help, Cayden had made drastic improvements to their facilities, with a few simple construction projects that had wrapped last week.

He reached out and touched the row of paper that represented their corporate suites. These could be rented by anyone, and he’d offered them to all the owners entering their horses in the sales event for free. The others they’d rented for a flat fee of one thousand dollars for the day, with a maximum of eight guests per suite.

They were located on the second level of the stands, spanning the width of arena, except for one large area right in the center.

That was the Bonfire Room, and it held a maximum of fifty people, with tables and chairs for dining inside, and seats to watch the race on the balcony.

The moment the pictures of the Bonfire Room had come back, Lawrence had forwarded them to Mariah Barker, and she’d put them on the website, along with the availability. As there was only one room, with a large occupancy, they’d listed the rental fee at ten thousand dollars.

Mariah had called fifteen minutes after the room went up and said it had been booked.

Cayden let his eyes drift along the second level, his thoughts tangling around Mariah and Lawrence. Now that his brother lived in the homestead with him, Cayden knew more details of Lawrence’s life, and he knew he’d accompanied Mariah to at least three events that summer.

“Three in less than a month,” Cayden muttered, wondering if Lawrence was dating her. After the first party, where Lawrence had sighed like a man in love when he’d returned home, Cayden had asked him if he was seeing Mariah romantically.

Lawrence had burst out laughing and said, “Who talks like that, Cay? Seeing her romantically?” After another round of laughter, Lawrence got up and took a bottle of his favorite fruit punch out of the fridge and had disappeared upstairs.

Because he’d had Ginny on the couch with him, Cayden hadn’t realized until after that Lawrence hadn’t exactly answered the question.

They’d gone to a water park with The Gemini Group, and Lawrence had returned after a full Sunday away from the ranch the color of boiled lobster. Cayden and Duke, who’d started sleeping in Blaine’s old bedroom for some reason Cayden hadn’t discovered yet, had tended to him for days and weeks afterward, spreading cooling aloe vera over his back and shoulders while the heat radiated off of him.

Lawrence had complained the whole time about how many people worked at The Gemini Group, and how the boss there barely knew all the employees. He did say he was impressed they had big company parties like that, and Cayden had a bug in his head now about holding a huge Bluegrass-Ranch-wide party for anyone on their payroll.

They hadn’t done that in the past, to his knowledge. Daddy used to give out bonuses during the holidays, and Spur had stuck to that tradition. Cayden didn’t want to admit he’d started another folder on his computer for a holiday party, where the bonuses would be handed out in person. Not until the Smash was over.

He looked up a tier to the third level. The kitchen for the café, restaurant, and bar at the arena was on this level, and the chef would also cater to anyone who rented any of the suites.

“Their food orders have to be in by Friday,” he said, tapping his phone to wake it. Friday was tomorrow, and he quickly picked up his phone to text Lawrence about who still needed to turn those in.

We have seven outstanding, Lawrence answered a few seconds later.I’m meeting with Mariah this afternoon to go over all the last-minute loose ends.

Cayden sent a thumbs-up and put his phone down, though something zipped through him at the wordsI’m meeting with Mariah this afternoon.

He and Mariah had made up and patched over whatever they’d fought about that day they’d all met together for the first time.

He picked up his phone again and typed,Come see me in my office when you get back to the ranch.

Will do, Lawrence said, and Cayden sat down and tapped to call Ginny.

“Hello,” she said crisply. “I have about forty-five seconds before my brothers are arriving.”

“I won’t keep you,” he said. “It’s just something silly anyway.”

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