Page 40 of Breaking the Cowboy's Rules

She actually wanted something more concrete. Nico looked at the plain bag from the pharmacy. Looked like she was prepared to make at least one decision.

*

Bodhi had textedher to meet him at the barn, but when she drove down the long gravel road that led to the ranch, kicking up more dirt than her Audi had seen in its year of squiring her around, she passed a large, sprawling ranch house. An older man had been mounting the steps to the porch, and he turned around as she neared and held up a hand.

Nico slowed. Stopped wincing at the dust cloud.

“Can I help you?” He approached her car. Tall, rangy, and with a full head of salt-and-pepper hair, he didn’t look like the elderly, perhaps infirm rancher she’d been expecting. His voice was low and slow, but his eyes were sharp and so startlingly like Bodhi’s that she practically gaped.

“Good afternoon, Mr. Ballantyne.” She scrambled for her manners. “I’m Nico Steel. I’m heading to meet Bodhi. He was going to take me for a ride on your property.”

His eyes looked her over, then her car. He saw the bag of chocolates in the passenger seat along with a gift bag of local top-shelf whiskey.

“You ridden before?” He took in her lacy tank, western shirt, dark jeans, and new sage-green boots with silver accents.

“Yes, sir.”

“That chocolate might melt if you leave it in the car.”

She laughed. “That chocolate is actually for you, along with the whiskey. Shall I leave it here at the house?”

“I’ll take care of it. I’ll lead you to the barn.”

The barn was already visible, but Nico lifted the gift bags and unlocked the door.

“Never been in one of these. Surprised your engine didn’t drop out. Bodhi should have picked you up.”

“He said he’d be busy working on the ranch, so I thought to save him time.”

Ben Ballantyne settled into the seat and tucked the whiskey off to the side. “Sage called and said she’d included her new whiskey-flavored truffles. I’m one of her official taste testers.”

“Right on top. I wasn’t going to let Bodhi scoop you.”

Bodhi was already outside the barn watching them drive up.

“You said you’ve ridden before. Was that real trail riding, or you sat on a pony at a petting zoo once, or was the ride on the ranch merely a euphemism?” Ben bit calmly into a chocolate while Nico bit back a laugh.

“I have ridden,” she admitted. Maybe he was worried about liability. “Not western. But I grew up jumping and competed in dressage in college. I can sign a waiver if you’d like.”

“You a lawyer?”

Dumb mistake. She hadn’t talked about her life or profession with Bodhi, and she hadn’t had any intention of bringing it up unless he asked. She wanted to be anonymous. Rebuild her life without a mile-long streamer of tabloids, depositions, lawsuits and scandals trailing after her.

“Guilty.”

He laughed. “Good. Every family needs one. Chocolate?”

And Nico found herself biting into the most delicious combination of whiskey and chocolate and orange liquor she’d ever tasted.

She stopped the car several yards from the barn and closed her eyes.

“This is religious,” she moaned.

“That it is.” Ben seemed to savor the chocolate while Bodhi stood holding the reins for two horses, his gaze wary.

“Nice to meet you, Nico,” Ben said. “Go easy on my boy. There’s more than meets the eye with him. Always was.”

“Yes, sir.” Nico’s eyes unexpectedly pricked with heat, and she had to blink a couple of times. Bodhi’s grandfather was worried about him. A grown man, a rodeo champion, a man willing to play a deceptive game to help his granddad and cousin.

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