Page 83 of Parading the Cowboy Billionaire (Bluegrass Ranch 4)

It might be, but that was what Mariah needed to do. “I don’t think he leaves the ranch much,” she mused.

“Then I guess you’ve got to get out to Bluegrass Ranch,” Dani said.

She did… Now she just needed to figure outhow.

* * *

A week wentby while Mariah planned the perfect staged attempt to run into Lawrence Chappell again. She’d driven along the road that ran in front of Bluegrass Ranch a dozen times, hoping her old SUV would break down and he’d conveniently happen by in his truck to help her.

The car just kept running and running, though, and all Mariah did was rack up a higher gas bill that week.

Still, she thought she’d give it one more try. Inspiration had struck her so many times out at Bluegrass that she was sure it would one more time.

“Just one more time,” she begged as she got behind the wheel of her car and started the pilgrimage to Bluegrass. It was a long way for her, but the time passed quickly under the cogs and wheels of her mind.

She was no closer to a solution when she approached the curve in the road where Bluegrass sat, up on the hill to her right.

A sign now sat there that hadn’t been there before.You Pick Peaches and Apples.

It had a giant arrow pointing left, and Mariah knew from working with the Chappells on the Summer Smash that one of them actually lived down the road at this other ranch.

She hit the brakes and put on her blinker, though there was no one behind her. After making the turn off the highway and onto the white gravel of a long driveway, Mariah took a deep breath. “This is crazy,” she said. “You don’t have time to pick fruit.”

She did adore peaches, though, and if she could get even a half-dozen of those, she’d have breakfast for a week.

A man rose from a chair positioned underneath a portable and collapsible shade, and Mariah recognized him. Not Lawrence, or Cayden, or Spur, whom she’d actually worked face-to-face with.

But Conrad Chappell, the brother who’d brought a giggly blonde to the family table during Blaine’s wedding.

He came out a few steps, a clipboard in his hand and a smile on his face. “Good morning,” he said, simply grinning at her like she was the one person he’d wanted to meet. “Welcome to Triple T Ranch. Do you want to pick apples or peaches?”

“Is there a price difference?”

“Yes, ma’am,” he said, flipping something on his clipboard. He took off a stiff piece of plastic and handed it to her. “The peaches are at their peak right now, but we’ve had a lot of people out here in the past couple of days, so you have to climb up to get them. They’re a bit more expensive. The apples are Liberties, and some of them need a few more weeks. Again, we’ve had a fair bit of traffic out here recently, and you’ll have to hunt for the apples.”

“Hunting and climbing,” Mariah said. “Sounds like hard work.” That she was going to pay to do. It made no sense, and yet, she found herself studying the plastic sheet.This is the closest you’ve been to Lawrence in three weeks. Don’t blow it.

“We’ve got guys out there that can help you,” he said.

Mariah looked up, her hopes climbing too as an idea occurred to her. “Do you recognize me, Conrad?” She handed him the plastic sheet back, his eyebrows furrowing down as he took it and reattached it to his clipboard.

“Should I?”

“Yes,” she said. “I ate with you at Blaine’s wedding. I sat next to Lawrence.”

“Oh, right,” he said, but his eyes didn’t light up. He still had no idea who she was, and her stomach clawed at itself. “I was one of the marketing execs for the Smash.”

That got him to really glow. “Of course. Mariah…Barker.” He snapped his fingers, obviously proud of himself. Lawrence obviously didn’t talk about his private life with this particular brother, or he wouldn’t be smiling at her like that.

“Yes.” She returned the smile, wishing she wasn’t quite so far into her professional voice. “Listen, I haven’t heard from Lawrence for a while. Is he one of the guys out in the fields?”

“Yes, ma’am,” Conrad said, looking at his clipboard. “He’s on peaches this morning.”

Perfect, Mariah thought. “I think I want to pick some peaches,” she said.

“Great.” He started telling her where to go, and where to park once she got there. He said he’d radio ahead to “the guys” in the peach orchard and let them know they had a customer coming in.

Mariah employed every ounce of patience she had while he went on and on, finally taking the tag with a peach printed on it and tossing it onto her dashboard like he’d told her to. She went down the lane he’d indicated, and she found the parking area easily.

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