Page 7 of At the Rancher's Pleasure

She wished. And no, because she never had custody of their kids, her alimony from Rusty was a paltry figure. But she’d made her own money and a lot of it.

Sarabeth decided to keep it simple. “I worked for a cosmetic house, then started to make soaps and creams, selling them at a market. That led to me forming a company and taking the business online. I recently sold it.”

She felt Brett’s penetrating stare but didn’t look at him. When he eventually replied, it was with a few heartfelt, simple words. “Good for you.”

Sarabeth saw they were approaching the outskirts of Royal and slowed her car to below the speed limit. She did not need a ticket on her first week back in town.

At the first red traffic light, one of the few in Royal, she turned to look at Brett, who was relaxing in the passenger seat of her vehicle. Rusty, and many of the men she dated, would have either insisted on driving or criticized her handling of the car.

Points for the younger guy, Sarabeth thought wryly. “I was planning on meeting my old friend Jaynie Prince for coffee. Then I need to visit the pharmacy and buy a couple of things from the store. What are your plans for today?”

“I need to have a quick word with Billy Holmes about the Soiree on the Bay festival...” Brett tipped his head to the side. “Have you met him?”

Sarabeth shook her head. “Nope. First time back in Royal in twenty years, remember?”

“Yeah, sorry. Well, Billy seems to be Rusty’s protégé, for want of a better word.”

She heard a note of hesitancy in his voice that had her curiosity spiking. “You don’t like him?”

“He’s fine,” Brett shrugged. “I didn’t click with him but that means nothing—” a brief flash of amusement hit his eyes “—since I’m not the most sociable of guys at the best of times. You might find him charming.”

Sarabeth shrugged. “Honestly? I’ll take taciturn and grumpy over slick and charming any day of the week.”

Brett’s smile, natural and full, revealed straight white teeth and made his eyes sparkle. Warmth curled through her, and she felt her breasts tingle in response. That smile should come with a warning...preferably in flashing purple neon.

“I also need to pick up some documents from my lawyer,” Brett continued, “so I’ll be about an hour. Does that suit you?”

“Perfect,” Sarabeth replied, happy that the light turned green so she had an excuse to wrench her eyes off his gorgeous green eyes. Really, it was so unfair that she spent a ton of money on mascara and his eyelashes were longer and thicker than hers.

“I also need a couple of items from the store. Shall I meet you there?”

Sarabeth nodded and, seeing a vacant parking space outside the diner, whipped into it, idly noticing three women standing on the sidewalk. They were around her age, perhaps a little older, had attended her wedding and were dinner guests in what used to be her home. None of them bothered to contact her when she left Royal and they were, as per Jaynie’s information, a source of some of the wilder rumors about her.

They hadn’t liked her back then—too blond, slim and pretty—and, judging by their narrowed eyes and the slight curl to their bright lips, nothing much had changed.

Sarabeth, knowing a devil was sitting on her shoulder, climbed out of the driver’s seat and walked to the hood of her car, placing her booted foot on the bumper behind her. She pushed her sunglasses up into her hair and made eye contact with her once, so-called friends. “Dale, Flora, Hattie...”

She received two frigid nods and an ice-cool “Sarabeth.”

An awkward silence dropped between them as their eyes, bright with malicious curiosity, darted between her and Brett, who strolled over to join her. He shoved his phone into the back pocket of his well-fitting jeans and pushed two fingers into the brim of his Stetson, lifting it a fraction. “Ladies, good morning.”

“We didn’t expect you to show your face in town, Brett Harston,” Flora told him with a righteous sniff.

Sarabeth didn’t try to hold back her eye roll.

“I live, work and shop in Royal, ladies, so why shouldn’t I be here?” he asked, his tone genial but Sarabeth noticed the sparks of annoyance flickering in his eyes. Like her, she suspected that he’d far prefer the town gossips to acknowledge his nonwedding—the glittery elephant on the sidewalk—than keep making vague allusions to it.

“I think they are trying to say that you should be keeping a low profile because you left Lexi Alderidge almost at the altar, Brett,” Sarabeth said, deliberately sounding super cheerful and helpful.

Brett’s eyes met hers and she caught the quick lift of his eyebrow, the flash of amusement causing his lips to twitch. “Thank you, honey.”

Their eyes widened at his casual use of the endearment, and she could mentally imagine the three witches of Royal, Texas, adding two plus two and reaching sixty-billion. Oh, yeah, marvelous, juicy gossip would be flying later.

“You two look to be on very good terms,” Dale commented with a trill of laughter that was as fake as her smile.

Three sets of malicious eyes bored into hers, and Sarabeth fought the urge to explain that she and Brett had only recently met, and thatnothinghad happened between them.Then the devil on her shoulder prodded her with the pointy end of its pitchfork, reminding her that she no longer owed anyone any explanations, and that these women had no power over her.

Sarabeth ran her hand down Brett’s arm, enjoying the feel of hard muscles under the cool cotton of his shirt, rolled back to his elbows. “Oh, we are,” she cooed. “As I’m sure you’ve heard, we are living together.”

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