Page 72 of Parading the Cowboy Billionaire (Bluegrass Ranch 4)

“No, ma’am,” he said pleasantly.

Wendy glanced around the office, her mouth actually turned down. He wondered if she’d practiced that frown before using it in public. “Do you know where she’s living?”

“Yes, ma’am.”

“You’re not going to tell me.” She pinned him with a glare, and Cayden’s heartbeat stuttered.

“I’d like to,” he said. “I would. I want nothing more than for you and Ginny to be on speaking terms. You’re her mother, and she loves you. She’s just…hurting right now.”Grievingmight be a better word, but Cayden didn’t want to give Wendy that much power.

She dropped her eyes to her purse, and Cayden had the sudden flash of thought that she was hurting too.

“Seems like you might be hurting yourself,” he said gently.

Wendy’s dark eyes flew back to his, and she wasn’t happy with his assessment. “I’m fine.”

“I’m sure you are,” he said crisply. “You always seem to be, no matter what.” He leaned back into his chair. “Kind of like a robot. Uncaring. Cold.” He gave her another smile that didn’t hold nearly the happiness it had before. “I know exactly the part you play, Miss Winters. Ma’am. I’ve seen Ginny do it too. It’s all fake. You’re pretending to be something and someone you’re not.”

“You don’t know me.”

“No, I do not,” he said. “Though I would like to.”

She held his gaze for only another moment before dropping her attention back to her purse. Victory sang through Cayden, but he held back his smile. “I know you’re not really cold and uncaring,” he said. “I also know you’re not okay, but you don’t have to admit anything to me.”

“I worked for decades to make Sweet Rose and Ginny into what they needed to be.” She extracted a plain, white envelope from her bag.

“Sure,” Cayden said. “You just forgot one of them is a human being and not a piece of clay.”

Wendy looked at him with complete shock covering every inch of her face. “How dare you?”

“I haveeyes, Miss Winters,” he said dryly, realizing he’d gone down a path he shouldn’t have. “Are you going to give that to me to give to her?”

Wendy pressed the envelope to her chest, her eye searching his face. She seemed almost wild, but he watched her reel it all back together and cover everything with a perfect mask. How he hated that, but he could see where Ginny got it from.

“Do you really love my daughter?”

“Yes, ma’am,” he said quietly, allowing his chin to drop slightly for only a moment. “I sure do, with everything inside me.”

Wendy seemed to soften slightly. “Have you been married before?”

“I don’t believe you don’t already know the answer to any question about me,” he said just as quietly and just as powerfully as when he’d declared his love for Ginny. “But no, I haven’t been married before. Yes, I have a degree from Tulane. I’m the fourth of eight brothers, and we all live here and run this ranch.”

He leaned forward again, something fiery crackling through him. “I spoke to my mother about her relationship with Harvey, and they didnothave an affair after you two were married. She didnothingwrong.Hepursuedher, and while that might hurt you, and I sincerely apologize about that, your grudge and cruel behavior because of it is completely unwarranted.”

Wendy’s eyes widened with every word he spoke, and when he finished, he stood. “I’m so sorry, Miss Winters, but I have averybusy day ahead, and I need to get out to the stables to make sure my owners are happy.”

Before he could offer to help her stand, another light knock sounded on the door, and this time it opened before he could say anything.

“Cay,” Ginny said as she entered. “I’ve called you twice, and we need you out in the—” She cut off when she finally saw her mother sitting in the chair. “Mother.”

Wendy got to her feet, and Cayden reached for Ginny. She didn’t have to face her alone this time. Cayden would be right there at her side, the way he’d always envisioned he would be.

22

Ginny quickly crossed the room to Cayden and took his hand. Their eyes met, and he smiled at her as if to say,No big deal, sweetheart. I’m fine. You’re fine. This is fine.

She swallowed and looked back at her mother. The first thing that came to her mind was to pay her a compliment. Mother loved compliments, and that usually started them off on the right foot.

Ginny held back, because she wasn’t the one who’d caused this massive divide between them.

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