Page 41 of Breaking the Cowboy's Rules

It was so sweet.

And scary.

Has anyone ever worried about me?

“Don’t give her Bluebell.” Granddad was out of the car. “She’s going to want some spirit to get her to where you’re going.”

“But, sir, I thought…” Bodhi followed his granddad into the barn after giving her a quick but questioning smile.

Nico climbed out of the car and put the copper-colored box of chocolates on the roof along with the faux leather gift bag of whiskey.

Bodhi reappeared with a different horse—this one a gleaming black, tossing his head and dancing sideways.

“Invite her to dinner this week,” he said to Bodhi. “Wednesday. The girls will be here. We’ll have a family dinner.”

“Yes, sir.”

Ben scooped up the box of chocolates and rifled through it. Nico was hyper aware of the few condoms she’d secreted in her cross-body bag.

She walked toward Bodhi, not sure how to act.

“Thank you for inviting me,” she said softly, drinking him in.

“My pleasure.” The way he said the word zapped through her body like electricity. “You bring all that chocolate for Granddad?”

“And whiskey,” she said.

He whistled under his breath and stepped closer to her. He cupped her cheek for a second and then leaned down and brushed his lips against her forehead.

“Granddad, you going to share?”

“Maybe.” His eyes glinted with humor and something else. Almost smug, but when his searching gaze met hers, his expression smoothed out. Nico remembered something about him playing poker.

“You got an eye for color and detail?” Ben asked her. “Ever plan a party?”

“Yes,” she said simply.

Usually the event planners and their staff planned and executed an event or party, or the assistants or marketing team if it were a corporate event, but she’d certainly been to many so it couldn’t be that hard.

“Good. Need some help with the Bash. Bodhi can fill you in. You and Bodhi can work on getting the barn and other outbuildings on Plum Hill ready for the Bash if you’ve got the time this week.”

“Yes, sir, I do,” Nico said, feeling like she’d passed some test.

Triumph flared, but once again guilt poked up its scraggly head, too. Bodhi’s Rodeo Bride Game had seemed just one big adventure, but now that she’d met his granddad, the deception didn’t sit well.

Not like you haven’t done worse for family.

But she wasn’t that person anymore.

“You two have fun now,” Ben said turning away with the entire box of chocolates tucked under his arm. He rubbed his palms together. “Things are sure getting interesting this week.”

“A little bribery to soften up Granddad,” he murmured in her ear as they watched Ben walk away. “What about something for me?”

“I don’t want you soft,” she said, stomping on her doubt.

His warm chuckle heated her.

“What did you tell Granddad so that he wanted me to saddle Midnight for you?”

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