Page 41 of Parading the Cowboy Billionaire (Bluegrass Ranch 4)

He met her eye again, and he smiled. “New things are so scary.”

Hope rose within her. Maybe he could just take her home right now. She’d start on a bread dough that would be ready to bake by the time he attended church, drove home to change, and made it back to the country house.

“Sweetheart.” He lifted one hand to his lips and kissed her wrist. “You talk to a ton of people you don’t know. Everyone is always looking at you. You can read, so you’ll look in the hymnal and sing the songs. You don’t have to pray. You just bow your head and nod along.”

She nodded now, some of her panic ebbing away. “Okay.”

“I’m gonna be right beside you. If there’s something you don’t know, just ask me. I’ll tell you.”

“Okay.” He was right; she wasn’t alone. He was with her.

He studied her for another few moments. “If you really don’t want to go in, I’ll take you home.”

She found herself shaking her head. “No, I can do it.” She looked at the church too, and it was obvious someone took very good care of it. To do that, that person had to love the building very much, and as Cayden released her hands and got out of the truck, she realized they didn’t love the building.

They loved what it stood for. They loved the Lord.

Cayden opened her door, and Ginny faced him. “With you at my side, Cay, I can do this.” She’d never said that to a man before. She’d always had to rely on her own strength and her own convictions. Mother had taught her to do exactly that.Never put your trust in a man, Ginny, she heard in her mind.They only let you down.

As she linked her arm through Cayden’s once more and they faced the church together, Ginny knew her mother was wrong.

Daddy had let Mother down, because he wasn’t trustworthy. He hadn’t married her because he loved her. He’d married her for the bounty she brought with the Winters name.

In that moment, she realized how utterly smart Cayden had been this past month or so, insisting that they eradicate the barriers between them, take off their masks, and be real with one another.

He’d wanted to build that trust that every strong relationship needed. He wanted to fall in love withher, not the idea of her. He wanted the real Ginny Winters, flaws and all, and Ginny wasn’t sure anyone—male or female—had ever allowed her to be the messy, chaotic, emotional woman that existed inside her.

“Thank you,” she whispered after he’d led her up the steps, through the door, and to a row near the back of the chapel. She wasn’t sure if he heard her or not, but the gratitude wasn’t for his escort services. It was for him being him, and for the Lord blessing her to realize that she could be herself when she was with Cayden.

If she got the song lyrics wrong, or didn’t understand what the preacher said, it wouldn’t matter. She’d already learned more about herself, Cayden, and the Lord that morning than she’d ever anticipated.

“Thank you,” she whispered again, and this time Cayden pressed his lips to her temple and tucked her into his side.

* * *

“Yes, right over here,”Ginny said, leading Ben Roth into the house. “If you need to widen these hallways, that’s fine.” She continued to talk over her shoulder, wishing she’d hired a cleaning service to come scrub the mansion from top to bottom before the construction crew showed up.

“I’m not really sure what you’ll find,” she said. “No one’s lived on the main level in about oh, four years.” She gave a laugh that was filled with nerves. She finally reached the end of the hall and went past the doorway there. “It’s right through there.”

Ben touched the brim of his ball cap as he ducked into the music room. He’d been here before, of course, and Ginny didn’t even need to meet him at the back door and show him where the construction zone was.

He’d taken measurements and pictures three weeks ago, and he’d sent over three remodel renditions for her to choose from. Ginny had sat down with Mother one evening, her favorite soup and salad on the small table between them, and they’d gone over the designs.

“I was able to get the furniture out, like we discussed,” Ginny said, following Ben into the room. Cayden and four of his brothers had come to do that, actually, but Ben didn’t need the specifics. “It’s empty and ready for you.”

“That it is,” he drawled, looking around. “Such great height in here.” He smiled at the walls like he could hear them whispering things to him that no one else could. “I’m excited to be able to work on this.” His gaze migrated to hers. “Thanks for the opportunity, Miss Winters.”

“Of course,” she said, her voice full of propriety. “Cayden said you were the best.” She smiled at him. She’d interviewed four contractors, and she’d liked Ben the best, besides.

“I’ll thank him too,” he said as his phone went off. “That’ll be my guys. We’ll be doing demo today, and every day this week. I’ll keep you abreast of everything going on.”

“I’d appreciate that.” She checked the clock on her phone and turned back toward the door. “I do have a meeting in an hour I can’t be late for.” She flashed him a smile over her shoulder. “My mother is upstairs, but she can’t get down the steps by herself. Her assistant is Sydney, and she’ll be here in an hour.”

“Right, I have her number too,” Ben said from behind her.

“Yes,” Ginny agreed. “I’ve told her not to let Mother come downstairs, but my mother does whatever she wants. Sometimes Sydney has to do something just to appease her, but she’ll usually call me first.” Worry gnawed at her as she exited the mansion through the narrow doorway at the rear of the house. “Mother can—”

“Ma’am,” Ben said. “I deal with…particular customers all the time. I can handle your mother.”

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