Page 11 of Parading the Cowboy Billionaire (Bluegrass Ranch 4)

“She does not approve of you,” she said.

“I got that.”

“Because my father dated your mother in high school.”

Cayden took a breath and then started laughing. “You’re kidding.”

“I wish I was,” she said. “Mother can hold a grudge for a lifetime.”

Cayden quieted, because Ginny had not joined him in his laughter. “That’s insane.”

“Apparently, your mother kissed Daddy the night before he married Mother. And, uh.” She cleared her throat. “My father stepped out on Mother several times. Apparently, one of those times was with your mother.”

Cayden’s fingers tightened on the wheel. “No,” he said harshly. “I don’t believe that. My mom didn’t cheat on my dad.” He looked at Ginny, pure shock moving through him. That couldn’t be true. It just couldn’t.

Ginny rubbed her eyes with one hand. “Mother said…you’re probably right. She said ‘not for lack of trying.’ Perhaps my dad just wanted to have an affair with your mom, and she said no.” She sighed, the sound full of exhaustion. “Either way, she refuses to budge on this. She does not like your mother, and she will not concede her only daughter to her.”

Cayden’s mind raced now. He needed to talk to his mother immediately. He hadn’t spoken with her much recently, and his guilt ate at him. He’d been meaning to get over there and make amends the way Spur had advised them all to do.

Cayden had enough experience with his mother to know that his feelings would be dismissed. He’d gone to her after college, after he’d finished his degree in business management with a minor in public relations. He was the only Chappell to go to and graduate from college, and she’d dismissed his accomplishments.

Later, he’d made the mistake of telling her that he wanted his life to matter. He wanted to be someone important, to someone. She’d said, “You are important, Cayden.”

“To who?” he’d asked. Spur and Ian had been married at the time. Blaine and Trey engaged. Cayden had always felt two steps behind, and two degrees away from truly belonging in his family.

His mother had said, “To me,” and waved her hand like his concerns and ambitions were frivolous. “Now, come on,” she’d said. “Let’s get over to Marianne before she buys the wrong horse.”

That had been that.

Cayden hadn’t ever gone to his mother for advice or comfort again. She didn’t even listen to him, let alone try to help him through his thoughts to a place of clarity.

He lost the drive to his thoughts, and before he knew it, he drove down the lane that led to the homestead. It came into view, lights winking in the darkness from the porch and along the garage. He parked next to Blaine and got out of the truck.

He helped Ginny down and walked at her side into the house. Down the hall they went, and he stayed in the doorway of the master suite where she’d stayed last time. “You know where the towels and everything are,” he said. “Right?”

“I can manage,” she said, her voice little more than a whisper. “Thank you, Cayden.” She came toward him, and he received her into his arms.

He held her tight, breathing in the soft, floral scent of her hair. “What are you going to do?”

“I don’t know.” She sniffed and stepped back, averting her eyes. “She said if I chose you, I’d be walking away from Sweet Rose. Everything at Sweet Rose.”

A new brand of horror filled Cayden, and he suddenly understood why Ginny had been out on that road, driving away from Dreamsville.

He didn’t want to challenge her, so he took another breath and made his voice as kind as possible. “I suppose this is it for us, then.”

Ginny shrugged, nodded, then shook her head. “I don’t know.”

“You need some rest,” he said. “We can talk more in the morning.”

She nodded again, and Cayden backed out of the doorway. “Good-night, Ginny.” He wasn’t sure if she said it back, because he closed the door and walked away quickly. His bedroom was upstairs, and he went that way, his cowboy boots making a lot of noise on the stairs.

Only he and Blaine lived here now, and come the first weekend in June, Blaine and Tam would get married, and then Blaine would be gone too. Cayden couldn’t imagine living in this homestead alone, and he had no idea how Ginny had managed to exist in her mansion all by herself for as long as she had.

Upstairs, Cayden stripped off his clothes, brushed his teeth, and got in bed. He closed his eyes, but sleep would not come. All he could think about was the woman downstairs and what the morning would bring—heartache when she said she couldn’t see him again? Or happiness if she said she didn’t care about her mother’s threats?

* * *

The next morning,Cayden smelled coffee as he went into the bathroom to shower. Twenty minutes later, he looked somewhat presentable, and he went downstairs to the kitchen, where the scent of bacon now filled the air too.

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