Page 19 of The Billionaire's Baby Betrayal

The corners of Piper’s lips turned upwards as she thought of their humorous, almost flirtatious repartee. Her head came back up swiftly, and her forehead was wrinkled in a frown.

“No, no, no. It wasn’t flirtatious. Andrés has a playful sense of humor… a sharp wit, that’s all. And so do I, which makes for lively conversation.”

In trying to make herself believe that, Piper didn’t admit her anticipation of riding by his side the following day.

CHAPTER9

PIPER

Having fallen asleep in her sweats on top of the bed, Piper awakened early the next morning feeling rested, hungry, and ready to settle in fully. She first made an espresso from the machine in the kitchen and wondered what breakfast foods had been stocked. There were eggs, cheese, and red peppers in the fridge, and she decided to make an omelet. With a little more investigation of the cupboards and the pantry, a fresh loaf of homemade bread and a toaster were discovered. The omelet was cooked, and Piper cut a slice of a ripe melon she found sitting in a fruit bowl on the kitchen island.

It was a cool but sunny morning, and eating on the patio seemed like a good idea. Piper pulled on a pair of fur-lined calf boots and took her plate and espresso to the patio table. Looking out at the hills, she felt relaxed and calm for the first time in days until she remembered the reason she was working for Andrés.

“Stop it!” she scolded herself. “You’re being paid generously to do a job. Concentrate on doing it well, not on Felix and his scheme.”

Piper made another espresso while she cleaned up the kitchen. Afterward, further unpacking and organizing were undertaken. Her plans were to spend the hours before meeting Andrés visiting the stables and making the acquaintance of the horses. By ten a.m., she was dressed in jeans, a black T-shirt, boots, and the customary ponytail. The favored black felt cowboy hat rounded out the look.

When Piper came out of the casita, she noticed Gregorio waiting by the limo, and he waved to her. She tipped her hat, which she could see made him laugh. In only a few seconds, Andrés appeared with a man dressed in a Catholic bishop’s cassock. Not wanting him to see her, Piper stepped behind a flowering bright pink hibiscus bush and peered through the branches. They shook hands, and Gregorio opened the passenger door for the gentleman. Andrés waved as the car drove away and retreated into the house. The only time she had heard of a priest coming to a home was to perform last rites. She hoped no one in the hacienda was ill.

Piper continued on to the stables and picked up a bucket of oats near the door. She first went to Señor Alberto Luis’ stall and stepped closer to hold out her hand, which was filled with oats. He came to the door, sniffed her outstretched hand, and hung his head outside the yoke. He immediately began to gobble up the treat. Piper massaged his neck and shoulder as he ate.

“Hello, Señor Alberto Luis. That’s some name you have. I’ll have to ask Andrés how he came up with it.” She endeared herself further to him by giving him another handful of oats.

Piper left Señor and made her way to the other horses. She hadn’t looked for their names the day before but saw them written on slate boards hung on copper plates above the stalls as she approached each one. She first came to a beautiful Arabian filly named Lilyana, who turned away from Piper’s hand. Then there was Alvarado; Gran Dama, with her foal, Cantante; Picante; and Señor Roca, and all happily took the oats from Piper.

Piper frowned. “I counted five horses and two foals yesterday.”

She found a stall with the names Belleza and Fútbol and laughed. “Who named the foal ‘football’? Must have been a soccer player. The second question is where are you two?”

Piper returned the bucket to where she had found it and walked out the far doors. The missing horses were grazing in one of the corrals. “There you are.”

She ran back into the stables to get the oats, came back and stepped up on the bottom rail, and held out a handful. Mother and son lazily made their way toward her, and Belleza came forward first while Piper spoke softly to her. It was as if the mare gave Fútbol permission to eat from Piper’s hand as he tentatively moved toward the rail.

“Hello, Fútbol,” said Piper. “Who was it who brought you and mama out here? Emmett has the day off.”

“I did after breakfast,” Andrés said as he came around the corner. “I’m here to give Gran Dama and Cantante their turn grazing.”

Piper was surprised to see him dressed in a suit and tie, freshly shaven, and his curly hair slicked back from his forehead.

“Good morning,” Piper said as she jumped down from the rail and wiped her hands on her jeans. “I came out to formally introduce myself to the horses.”

“Good idea. Why don’t you get these two back in their stall while I bring out the others?”

“Glad to do it.” Piper had no trouble with the horses and led them into the stables as Andrés came out with Gran Dama and her foal.

After he closed the corral, Andrés joined Piper at Belleza’s stall. “I hope our one o’clock ride is still in your plans?”

“Yes, and I’m looking forward to seeing the property. If it’s all right with you, I would like to visit the barn and meet the Arabian before our ride,” she said.

“Of course it’s fine with me.” Andrés spread his arms out. “This is your workplace now, and you’re one of the team. You will find your horse in the stall not marked with a name. When you come up with the name, write it above the stall.”

“Thank you.” Piper looked at her watch and smiled at him. “I’ll see you in a little over an hour.”

“You will.” He flashed a smile and started toward the hacienda.

“Oh, Andrés, wait.” She took several steps to stand in front of him as he turned. “I saw a bishop leaving when I came out this morning. I hope no one is ill in the hacienda.”

She thought he seemed surprised at her question, and it took him a few seconds before he answered.

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