Page 79 of A Jilted Bride for the Cowboy

And now she was ready for Graham. Her heart pounded. How was she going to get him in his natural habitat and looking happier than Weston had? Because there was a distinct resemblance between the two cousins’ resting expressions these days.

Sadness, tinged with despair.

Why couldn’t Graham see who was right in front of him, looking for the love of a lifetime?

And maybe… ditto for Weston, but who was she to figure that out? She was having enough trouble with her own love life to try to interfere in other peoples’.

Much.

Chapter Twenty-Two

Graham pulled up the year-to-date spreadsheets for all of the Sullivan Enterprises hotels. Grandfather would be asking for the numbers through the end of August by sometime tomorrow, and Graham’s job was to make sure everything was collated.

“Heading to the dining room?” Tate stretched at his desk.

“In a few.” Graham stared at his screen, though his eyes blurred. His contacts had been bugging him lately, but things weren’t much clearer with his glasses. Maybe he should see his optometrist next time he was in Chicago. Whenever that would be.

“See you there.” Tate exited the space, leaving Graham in peace.

Cadence hadn’t been at her desk lately when he was present, and there was no evidence she’d cruised through in the off hours. He glanced at her darkened corner, wishing against wish that he knew what to do, that they could get past this awkward spot.

The door cracked open, and she breezed in, carrying her camera. “Ah, Tate said I’d find you here.”

Graham blinked. Tate told her? That was a laugh. Where else did she think he’d be during office hours?

“Can I get a couple of shots for social media? I’m doing a series of behind-the-scenes posts so our followers can see there’s more than the glitz.”

Glitz? People thought a ranch was glamorous? He leaned back in his chair and studied her face. There was nothing to see. No passion. Nothing personal at all. His heart plummeted in his chest. Had he read too much into everything? Maybe he’d misunderstood all along, and she’d only been messing with him.

“Uh, I guess so. What do you want me to be doing?” Kissing her wasn’t out of the question, though a photo of that might be awkward on social media. Whatever. Bring it.

“Just focus on your screen. I promise I won’t capture anything on it that should be kept private.”

Good thing the spreadsheets were up, not the Sweet River Ranch social pages, or she’d know he’d been stalking her.

He forced a smile. “You mean, focus on work like I always do.”

“Exactly.” She raised her camera.

Fine. They could get this out of the way, and then they’d talk. Or kiss. Or both. In either order.

He managed an impassive stare at the monitor while she clicked away.

“Now look at me as though you just noticed me.”

Graham turned slightly, and his eyes drank in the sight of her as she raised her camera again. “You’re beautiful,” he blurted out.

“Thanks.” But her voice was muffled. “There, that will do for now. Thank you.”

He surged to his feet. “Cadence.”

She paused by the door, her back to him. “What?”

Here went nothing. “I lo—”

The door swung open and crashed into her, breaking what might have been a moment… but probably wouldn’t have been.

Grandfather stopped in midstride, his shrewd gaze swinging from one of them to the other. “Am I interrupting something?”

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