Page 59 of A Jilted Bride for the Cowboy

A week had gone by. Sweet River Ranch was mercifully free of the Fosters and Paul Bradley, but it was a small consolation to Graham when Cadence still avoided him as though he had the plague.

If he was in the office, she wasn’t. Evidence proved she’d been through from time to time. Social media pages were updated, and new photos of the ranch’s landscape sprouted up on the website.

“You’re going to Harper and Eli’s wedding tomorrow, right? I saw your name on the list of who’s going from up here.”

Graham turned to study his cousin Tate. “I’m reconsidering. I’m not much in the mood for weddings, and I don’t know either of them all that well.”

Eli Bryson was the youth pastor at Creekside Fellowship in town, and he was marrying Tate’s wife’s previous roommate. Also, hadn’t Stephanie once dated Eli? The whole thing sounded awkward from the get-go.

“Aw, you should go anyway and get to know some of the townsfolk. Besides, everyone deserves a day off, and we’ve got everything covered across the ranch already. What would you do if you stayed back? Read a book?”

Graham glowered at Tate. “Maybe? I’m in the midst of a thriller trilogy.”

“If I thought you’d take a horse or a kayak out, I might leave you be, but not if you’re going to mope.”

“I’m not moping.”

Tate studied him.

Graham narrowed his gaze and stared back.

“Uh, yeah, I think that’s what you’ve been doing ever since your other cousin, the dumbhead, showed up along with Cadence’s parents. Don’t let them take all the wind out of your sails.”

“I have no sails,” he replied stiffly.

“Obviously. But you did there for a while. The smiling Graham was fun to be around.”

“Sorry for not meeting your expectations.”

“Now you’re sounding as grumpy as Weston.”

“Stuff it.”

“You know what, Graham? You’re a good guy. I honestly never knew that before the past few months, so I’m thankful for Grandfather pushing us here for that, at least.”

“To say nothing of Stephanie.”

A wide grin creased Tate’s face and lit his eyes. “Well, she’s not part of the equation between you and me, but you’re right. She’s made all the difference in many ways.”

Graham turned away. He wanted what Tate had, only with Cadence. And minus the toddler. The joy and contentment on his cousin’s face jabbed deep into his own discomfort and twisted. Why had Cadence turned him down? Why didn’t she see that he loved her and would help her solve the problems that had overtaken her? He could extricate her from any financial difficulties she found herself in. He’d do anything for her.

“We’ll be staying late. Stephanie is Harper’s matron-of-honor, so her parents are keeping Jamie overnight, but you could get a ride down with Bryce and Maxwell if you didn’t want to drive down yourself.”

The Creekside Fellowship parking lot was sure to be jammed. Everyone in Jewel Lake would be present to see the youth pastor tie the knot, and Harper came from enough money that the size of the wedding was no issue.

Graham preferred the Sundays Eli preached over Pastor Marshall Smith, truth be told. The younger man had a way of presenting God’s truth that resonated with him. Like all the teaching on treasure during the church’s annual Pot of Gold Geocaching Hunt over the summer.

Pastor Smith would be handling the wedding, and the man had been married for probably forty years. He might have some insights Graham could use.

If Graham ever married.

If Cadence would have him someday.

Someone else? His innermost being rejected that question. Cadence was it for him after all they’d shared in the past six weeks. Look at his history since college. Whenever he’d thought to ask a girl out, he’d compared her to Cadence, and any allure had dissipated. And that was before they’d reconnected. Before she noticed him at all.

He was a fool to have moved slowly at first, thinking she needed time to get over Paul. And he was a fool to have jumped straight to a proposal last week. See? He was socially inept.

Cadence was better off without him.

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