Page 53 of Seaside Cowboy's Marriage of Convenience

“Oh, it’s not about hotels.” She smiled sheepishly. “Some people have already sent their festival videos. I divided them up with Rachel. Yeah, she offered to go through them all. But I got impatient.”

So it wasn’t about the job. She was still desperate to find her cousin, no doubt. Even if they were searching for a needle in a haystack and that needle might not exist to start with.

“Anything useful so far? And I can look through photos, too.” They were in this together, and he wanted to help. But sometimes he felt left on the outskirts of the castle her heart seemed to be.

“Nothing useful yet.” Her eyes dimmed. “And thank you for the offer to help, but... It’s not just about facial recognition. Or knowing the placement of birthmarks. It’s about soul recognition, as well. I might be naïve, but I feel that, if I see her again, I’ll somehowknowit’s her.”

He was about to say Rachel couldn’t claim the same vision of the heart, but then Rachel did seem to have an X-ray vision that could pierce one’s soul.

His throat felt parched. He didn’t even have time to say anything as Rachel appeared in front of them with a tray of drinks. His eyes widened. Did she read his mind? He drained his glass fast and put it back on the tray. Then Rachel disappeared just as silently.

Kennedy closed her laptop and put it away, then sipped her sparkling water. “Growing up, I always blamed myself for my parents not loving me. You’re helping me see I might not be to blame.”

He squeezed her fingers, praying for the right words. “Of course, you’re not. First, from what I know, you were a perfect child. And second, if parents’ love depended on their children’s behavior, Mom would’ve stopped loving us a long time ago. Several of us were mischievous. And I bumped into things and knocked them over even without trying to cause mischief.”

She chuckled, the sound a welcome contrast to the worried line on her forehead. She drank the rest of her water and put the glass aside. “I can imagine. And... thank you.”

Unlike humans, pets always gave unconditional love, one of many reasons he loved working with them. He brushed the back of his hand against her smooth skin, his heart beating faster when she leaned into his touch instead of moving away.

He paused. Should he say the next words? He was used to saying things out loud in his family, but despite a strong icy front, she had a fragile core. No wonder she tried to protect it so much.

“I think, in you, your mom saw the man she didn’t love but couldn’t leave. It wasn’t your fault, and I’m so sorry you had to suffer for it.” His hand dropped back onto his lap. He’d never want Kennedy to look at him and see the man she couldn’t love.

“Those words help a lot.” Her intense gaze lingered on him, infusing him with heat. “My parents fought a lot. It’s like... Mom was torturing herself and torturing Dad. I usually hid somewhere and covered my ears when they screamed at each other.”

His heart went out to her, and he drew her to him. He stroked her back, praying for her. “I so wish that didn’t happen to you.”

After a few moments, she eased out of his embrace. Her lower lip trembled, but her eyes were dry. “It’s good to talk to someone. Someone who understands.” She hesitated. “I wonder if Dad ever thought I... I wasn’t his.” The last words were a mere whisper.

Oh no. He winced. The implications of that would be enormous for her.

But before he could say anything, her eyes darkened, and she shook her head fervently. “No. I can’t even think that. I need my uncle to be, well, my uncle. He was my only family.” Then her gaze warmed. “But now I have you.”

The plane shook, and he flinched. Her world could be shaken up much more than turbulence could cause. He was grateful she’d done that DNA test and they couldn’t be brother and sister.

“You have me,” he echoed. He meant those words. “And my entire family is yours now, too.”

The dogs barked as if offended he omitted them.

Her lips curved up. “And Smiley and Caramel, as well.”

He asked the question he ached to have answered. “What do you want in life? Truly, fervently, desperately.”

“I’m no different from anyone else. Something I always wanted and never had.To be loved.You?”

“Same.” He was about to say there was only one person he wanted to love him.

Truly, fervently, desperately.

She straightened in her seat. “I keep talking, but... Are you hungry? I’m not going to offer caviar. I promise.”

He chuckled. “I appreciate that.” He was much hungrier for her kiss and touch than food, but her question might mean she was hungry. So he said, “Sure. Let’s have lunch if you’d like to.”

Her gaze searched his eyes. “The novelty of the private jet is wearing off, isn’t it? You’re not looking out the window or around you with the same wonder and awe as you did before.” Then she looked away. “I don’t blame you. It often happens. In life and in relationships, too.”

Something cold squeezed his rib cage. “I see it a lot with puppies and kittens. People take them in, but when it’s not as new or fun anymore, they abandon the poor pets.”

Was the novelty of this relationship wearing out forher? She was still a mystery to him, one he loved discovering. But he’d always been an open book, and she might be getting bored already after reading all the pages.

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