Page 20 of A Jilted Bride for the Cowboy

The Fourth of July was never like this in Chicago. There, Cadence would be dolling up for tonight’s gala. Oh… not this year.

“It won’t last much longer. Need a lift? I’ve got one of the golf carts today. Hop on.”

Cadence took a quick scan of the grassy area beside the lodge. The sun was angling just right…

Paisley grabbed her arm. “Come on!”

Okay, fine. She clambered aboard. “How long have you been working for Sweet River?”

Paisley zipped down the road toward the stables. “This is my second summer. Working for the Sullivans is way better than with the Smiths last year. They tried. They did, but they simply didn’t know how to run a resort like this.”

The golf cart veered down a branch in the road, and Cadence caught a glimpse of the signpost. “Pegasus Lane?” she asked in disbelief.

“I know, right? That was the Smiths’ idea. All the roads are named for something with wings, like staff housing is on Hummingbird Lane. I don’t know why Mr. Sullivan didn’t change the names, but he seems amused by them.” Paisley hit the brakes beside the corral. “Come on!”

Cadence scrambled off the golf cart and turned her camera on. Paisley might think the shots should be candid and immediate, but that wasn’t how she wanted to roll for the most part.

A girl of about ten or eleven ambled a horse around a set of barrels. She wasn’t going to win any prizes for speed, but she’d be an easy target for photos.

“Go, Twyla!” Paisley yelled.

The girl smiled, waved, and picked up the pace slightly.

Cadence shot a few photos. More kids followed. She captured them, too. She panned the camera toward the stable doors where a cowboy leaned against the wall with his arms crossed.

As though he heard the click, his glowering gaze fixed on her. Uh oh. No one had told her to avoid any of the staff. She knew she needed parental permission to upload definable photos of kids, but staff?

His frown turned to a cool smirk.

Cadence lowered the camera and stared back, letting her disapproval show. Graham’s cousin Weston couldn’t scare her. And if the expression he’d morphed to was supposed to be flirting, forget it, buster.

His eyebrows tipped up.

Weston kind of reminded her of Paul right now. So sure of himself that he believed everyone believed the front he put on. That no one could possibly perceive him differently.

“Joke’s on you, Weston,” she muttered, turning away. “I see right through you.”

Paisley elbowed her. “Who’re you talking to?”

Oops. “Myself.”

“Right.” Now it was Paisley doing the disbelieving eyebrow thing.

Cadence turned her back fully on the cowboy and kept her voice low. “That grump is Weston, right? Doesn’t he scare the kids away from horseback riding?” Knowing he was in charge of the stables didn’t make Cadence want to ride anytime soon.

Paisley rolled her eyes. “It’s like he’s carrying around his own little storm cloud all the time. Sometimes there’s even a little funnel cloud and lightning.” She gave a mock shudder. “So terrifying.”

Cadence couldn’t help chuckling. “I’d ask why they keep him around, but I think I know the answer.”

“Nailed it. He’s one of the boss’s ‘new’ grandsons, so of course, he won’t be canned for being rude to our visitors. He might get demoted, though. Night watchman would be perfect. He’d make any intruders think twice.”

The mental picture made Cadence laugh out loud. “He’s probably a nice guy under there somewhere.”

“I wouldn’t bet on it.”

“Oh, come on. You’re so upbeat. If anyone could make him smile, it would be you.”

“You’re full of it.” Paisley grabbed her arm and pointed. “Did you catch that?”

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