Page 36 of At the Rancher's Pleasure

“Please tell me we are going to talk about something other than shoes and fashions,” Ross groaned.

Gina placed her chin in her hand and her smile turned wicked. “We can. Maybe mom could explain why Brett Harston decked our father in the TCC bar yesterday.”

Ross’s eyes narrowed. “I heard from someone who was there why he punched Rusty and, had I been there, I would’ve decked him too,” he stated, his voice as cold and hard as concrete. “Goddammit, but our father can be an utter prick occasionally.”

Gina raised her eyebrows. “Only occasionally?”

Ross acknowledged her quip with a small grin before shaking his head. “Let’s not spoil our dinner by talking about him,” he suggested.

“But I want to know—”

Sarabeth caught the infinitesimal shake of Ross’s head and Gina’s equally small nod in return. Message sent and received, she thought, relieved.

“Okay,” Gina continued, her eyes full of mischief, “Then let’s talk about mom’s relationship with Brett instead.”

“Let’s not,” Sarabeth retorted.

Ross groaned and rubbed his hands over his face. “Ugh. Mom, you have to know that the whole town is gossiping about you and Brett. He recently dumped his fianceé, you returned and within a few hours fell into his arms—”

Okay, hold on a second, she wasn’t liking Ross’s judgmental tone. She opened her mouth to defend her relationship with Brett, but Charlotte beat her to it. “Hold on there, sunshine, you’re way out of line.”

When Ross started to interrupt, she scowled at him and lifted her index finger. “Your mom is an adult and single, and she has a right to do what she wants with whoever she wants to.”

Oh, she really did like Charlotte. In fact, she was starting to love her future daughter-in-law.

“But—” Ross spluttered.

“No, darling, your mom’s relationship has nothing to do with any of us.” Charlotte picked up her wine glass and winked at Sarabeth. “Though I have to say, I admire your taste. Brett Harston is hot.”

“Here, here!” Gina raised her glass as well.

“I’m sitting right here!” Ross protested.

“I’m engaged, not dead, darling,” Charlotte informed him, her dark eyes laughing. “But, just to make sure that Ross’s head doesn’t explode, let’s change the subject. I love Gina’s shoes but I adore your perfume, Sarabeth. What is it?”

“Men, clothes, shoes and perfume,” Ross muttered. “I’m in hell.”

Sarabeth couldn’t help it; she reached out to clasp his hand. She gently squeezed his fingers and was relieved to feel him squeezing hers back. Yeah, they were getting there.

Sarabeth released his hand and wondered if this was the perfect segue into telling them about the sale of the company. She had to tell them some time, so she might as well use the opportunity that had been presented to her.

“It’s a scent I developed called Bold,” she answered and waited for one of her daughters, one old and one new, to make the connection.

“Bold, like the oneSarabeths!sells?” Gina asked.

“Notlike, it is the oneSarabeths!sells.”

She waited for the penny to drop and it didn’t, not for a little while. Surprisingly, Ross was the first one to get it and he leaned forward. “What’s your connection to the online cosmetic retailer, Mom?”

“You know the company?”

“Charlotte orders their products,” he explained. “Did you work for them when you lived in California?”

“Sorta, kinda.” Sarabeth blushed and allowed the words to rush out. “It’s my company,wasmy company.”

Sarabeth gave them a brief rundown of how she started her company and how she built it into the influential company it was today.

Gina held up her hand. “Mom, are you saying thatSarabeths!is yours?”

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