Page 38 of Parading the Cowboy Billionaire (Bluegrass Ranch 4)

Spur’s horse was tied out front, but his oldest brother came out of the front door as Cayden got out of his truck. “Morning,” he called, and Spur wore a smile as he came toward him.

“Morning yourself,” Spur said. He grabbed onto Cayden and hugged him. “It’s good to see others coming to see Mom and Daddy.”

Cayden hugged his brother back, knowing full-well that his toxic feelings toward Spur had nothing to do with the man himself. He’d never done anything wrong. It was simply trying to live up to him that sometimes sent Cayden into a tailspin. He’d always been able to get himself out, and he’d never said anything to Spur.

“You said to,” he said. “I just haven’t quite known how.” He still didn’t, but as the two brothers separated, Cayden looked toward the front of the house to find Mom leaning into the doorjamb.

“Just say whatever comes to mind,” Spur said. “She really is a lot better these days. She listens.”

Cayden nodded and swallowed. “I didn’t run you off, did I?”

“Nope.” Spur grinned at him, and he seemed abnormally happy this morning. Cayden narrowed his eyes at him, but Spur only laughed. He clapped Cayden on the shoulder and said, “I’m not telling yet. See you at church,” and walked away.

He swung onto his horse and got it moving into a trot as he headed back to the property adjacent to Bluegrass, where he now lived with his wife, Olli.

“Mornin’, baby,” Mom drawled in her Kentucky accent, and Cayden turned toward her.

“Mornin’, Momma,” he said, and he set his feet moving in that direction. He’d always gotten along with his parents, even through his teenage years. Daddy expected everyone to work around the ranch, and Cayden hadn’t cared about sports or football. He had participated in FFA, and since that hadn’t taken him from the ranch very often, he’d never had an issue the way some of the other boys had.

He went up the steps, where his mom greeted him with a hug. “You haven’t been here in a while,” she said. “Come see my new coffee maker.”

“Okay,” he said, wondering if her comment was meant to be a jab or not. She smiled, her eyes bright and happy, so he concluded she hadn’t meant anything by saying he hadn’t been there in a while.

Sometimes the truth was pointed anyway.

Inside, he listened as she detailed how she could program the coffee maker to come on when she wanted, and she and Daddy had been waking up to fresh, hot coffee for a couple of weeks now.

“That’s great,” he said, pouring himself a cup.

“You didn’t come to listen to me gush about appliances,” she said, taking her cup to the counter. Cayden joined her, where he spooned in a lot of sugar and stirred everything around.

“Momma,” he said. “I guess I just want you to know a few things.”

She didn’t even speak then. Her eyes stayed wide and clear as he searched for the right thing to say. She sipped her coffee, the silence between them deafening.

“You made me feel really stupid for wanting to go to college,” he said, unable to maintain eye contact with her. “You dismissed my feelings, and because of that, I stopped coming to you for advice.”

A huge burden lifted with just those few words, and he nodded. “I guess that’s the only thing I needed to say. I want to come to you and talk about things, but I’m worried I’ll just get written off again.”

“I’m so sorry,” Mom said, her voice barely more than air. “I didn’t realize I’d done that.”

He looked up and right into those light brown eyes he could see in Blaine’s face when he faced his brother. “Do you realize it now?”

“Yes,” she said. “I didn’t mean to do that. I suppose I was trying to tell you that you were already good enough, but I can see how it just drove you away.” She swiped at her eyes. “I apologize.” She pressed her palm over her pulse. “Sincerely.”

“Thank you,” he murmured, dropping his gaze back to the dark liquid in his mug. “I’m seeing Virginia Winters.” He cleared his throat and ignored the gasp that came from his mom’s throat. “Her mother doesn’t approve of us, because she does not like you.”

He raised his head again, focusing out the window on the other side of the bar. He wasn’t sure how to ask his mom if she’d ever had an affair with Harvey Winters.

Digging down into a deep well of bravery, he swallowed only to find his throat bone dry. “She thinks you may have cheated with her husband.”

“I did not,” Mom said instantly. “They were not married when Harvey and I dated.”

Cayden nodded, relieved at the indignation and strength in his mother’s voice. “He didn’t…I don’t know, Mom. You tell me.” He barely dared to glance at her, and when he did, he found that familiar fire blazing in her eyes.

“Harvey and I dated a little in high school,” she said. “It wasn’t anything serious. We dated after he returned from his brief service in the military. It got serious, but then I found out he was also dating Wendy Winters. I broke up with him and told him to never call me again.” She scoffed and set her mug down a little too hard. “Harvey was the kind of man who did whatever he wanted. He called. He kept coming over. The night before he and Wendy were to be married, he took me on a long drive and said he still wanted me in his life. He could have mistresses. Wendy wouldn’t know.”

Cayden said nothing as his mind whirred.

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