Page 46 of A Jilted Bride for the Cowboy

He talked faith. But did the rubber meet the road?

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“He can’t make you do it, you know.”

Cadence took a long breath and turned to face her roommate. “Can’t he?”

“Of course not. If he at least turned on the charm and pretended he loved you, I could see a girl maybe falling for that. But he tipped his hand.” Paisley snorted. “Seriously, what kind of medieval lord does he think he is, laying claim to your firstborn and then dismissing you?”

“But my parents…”

“Do you think they’d willingly give up their only grandchild to the likes of Paul and his family? No. I’m guessing they don’t know this angle. Talk to them.”

It seemed a long shot. Paul seemed to have her parents firmly in his pocket. Paisley had a point, though. Mom had hinted often enough that she’d like to spoil her grandchildren before she died of old age.

But talk to them? Lay it out? First, she’d have to get them away from Paul. And then hope and pray he hadn’t poisoned them too deeply for them to see her side. But Mom remembered being poor as the child of Icelandic immigrants. The trappings of the life she lived as Daniel Foster’s wife wouldn’t be willingly given up.

“You need legal counsel. Know any lawyers?”

Cadence managed a sharp laugh. “Graham’s mother, Bridget.”

“There you go. She’s even here right now. Seems an intimidating woman, but whatever. I guess that comes with being a lawyer.”

“Don’t you get it? Graham’s mother and Paul’s mother are sisters.”

“Right, I forgot.” Paisley deflated. “Are they close?”

“Does it matter? Blood runs thicker than water. There would be a conflict of interest at the very least.”

“Because of the interest you have in Graham.”

Cadence shook her head. “I was. I’d like to be. But this is all too complicated, and I can’t drag him into it. He’s too… trusting.”

Paisley’s eyebrows shot up. “You mean gullible? You don’t think he’d fight for you?”

“He shouldn’t have to, speaking of medieval. Women are perfectly capable of wielding their own swords these days and slaying their own dragons.”

“Then slay away already.”

“I don’t know how.” The tension in Cadence’s gut threatened to boil over.

“Do you even hear yourself?”

“What?”

“Look, the guy came to your rescue once already. He—”

“I know. I took advantage of him.”

“That’s not how you told the story initially. He made the offer. All you did was take him up on it. How’s that taking advantage of him?”

“I didn’t give him a chance to think it through. We left Chicago in the middle of the night.”

“Puh-leeze.”

“What?”

“He’s a grownup. I’ve known him for what, three months now? He’s quiet. Not very outdoorsy. But he’s genuine. I wouldn’t have bagged him as impulsive.”

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