Page 67 of A Jilted Bride for the Cowboy

Took Graham a minute to remember what he was talking about. Mothers. That had been the topic. “You wanting to get back to Chicago soon? Over the winter?”

“Man, I don’t know. I never thought I wanted to leave Chi-Town, but after everything came apart with Madison, and we broke up, I didn’t much care anymore. You know what I mean?”

No, Graham did not know. He’d never had a long-term relationship. “What happened with Madison?” There’d been some talk last spring, but he’d never quite figured it out. Not that it was any of his business, but he felt like he knew his cousins better now than he had back then.

“She wanted to get serious, and I didn’t. She… went kind of weird and wouldn’t leave me alone about it.”

“Madison wanted to get married, and you didn’t?”

Bryce sighed. “I messed up, okay? Like, really messed up. I was ignoring my faith, and we got physically involved. Then she figured she owned me and wanted me to put a ring on it. And I panicked.”

Well. Graham slumped back in his chair. Had everyone had sex but him? And why did his mind even go there, like virginity was something to regret? “So, you didn’t love her?”

“I don’t know, man.” Bryce shoved his hand through his hair in a motion very like Graham’s. Did their fathers do it, too? Grandfather did.

“So, you had sex with someone you didn’t love.”

Bryce glared. “Why would I expect you to understand? I thought I was headed that way with Madison, but when you put the cart before the horse, so to speak, it’s a little more difficult to figure out. I have regrets.”

Who had last said that? Besides Graham himself, of course. Grandfather. Graham studied his cousin. “Did she get pregnant?”

Bryce shook his head. “She was on the pill. Which should have told me something right there.”

No point in agreeing too heartily. It wasn’t like Graham could offer any advice out of his own vast wisdom. “You never mentioned what you wanted with Grandfather this late.”

“And you never told me who you’re hiding from by being in the office this late.”

“Hiding? I’m not hiding.”

“Cadence, right?”

Was he an open book everyone could read? “She hates me.”

Bryce snorted. “I doubt it. Maybe all she needs is some time.”

Time was running out. Soon Cadence would find out about the pending foreclosure, if she didn’t already. Was she keeping in touch with her parents? Were they still applying pressure?

How could he know the answers if she kept avoiding him?

* * *

Cadence could snap her fingers and make everything better. She could get Paul off her back, she could save her parents’ financial difficulties, she could… what? What was in it for her?

All she needed to do was tell Graham she’d marry him. Would it be so terrible? He was a nice guy, if a little awkward. He was trying to live out his faith. Paul wasn’t a nice guy, and he was definitely not trying to live like Jesus.

She should make the call and get rid of his pressure once and for all.

But Graham and Paul were cousins, so if she married Graham, she’d still wind up seeing Paul at family functions, at least occasionally. Paul wasn’t that easy to be rid of.

So, her best bet was starting over even further from Chicago than Jewel Lake, Montana. This ranch had seemed like the distant ends of the earth only two months ago. Now it wasn’t nearly far enough away.

California?

She couldn’t see herself as a California girl, but one of her college friends lived in Sacramento and seemed to like it. Cadence should see if Judith knew of any job openings.

But she might need to buy a car if she were venturing so far. In Chicago, she’d taken the L everywhere.

And she had stuff still stored in her parents’ garage, unless Mom, in a fit of pique, had gotten rid of Cadence’s winter clothes and Christmas decorations and the last couple of boxes of paperbacks. Good thing she’d started reading on her tablet. And maybe in California she wouldn’t need her parka or snow boots.

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