Page 5 of A Jilted Bride for the Cowboy

Cadence’s jaw trembled as she looked down. Then her long, dark hair cascaded in front of her face, hiding her expression.

How could he just sit there and watch someone going through heartbreak as though it were a clinical observation? He couldn’t. Graham crouched beside her chair and ran his hand lightly over her heaving shoulders.

He caught his breath at the sensation of her T-shirt beneath his fingers. The fragrant floral scent of her. Graham steeled himself. He’d thought he was over his crush on her — it had been years since he’d allowed his indulgent thoughts free rein — but tonight crashed the gates wide open again.

“You don’t have a job?”

She laughed, a bitter sound. “I quit mine because I was going to work for Paul’s dad after the honeymoon.”

He wasn’t going to think about her and Paul on a honeymoon. It was off. “And a place to live?” But wouldn’t it be the same answer?

“My roommate got married a couple of weeks ago. It was her lease, and of course, she wanted to share the place with her husband, not me. That was fine. I didn’t need it. I was—”

“You were moving in with Paul.” He sighed.

“Yeah. So, I’ve been here—” she waved a hand toward the stately house “—for the interim. My stuff is in boxes in the garage.”

She really was at an impasse. “I… I might have a solution.”

Shut up, Graham. It’s a terrible idea given your crush.

No, you shut up.

“What do you mean?” A glimmer of hope entered her voice.

If he were like Tate, he’d offer to elope with her on the spot. Gallant, confident Tate.

Graham was not like Tate. But maybe… maybe all was not lost. “I’ve been in Montana for the past few months.”

Confusion clouded her brow.

Touching her wasn’t helping. He backed up into his chair again and met her gaze. “It’s a long story, but my Grandfather Sullivan bought a failing dude ranch out there and summoned all of us to turn it around.”

“I see?”

She didn’t see.

“My cousin Tate… you remember him?”

Cadence nodded.

“He’s acting as Chief Operating Officer, and Grandfather assigned me CFO.”

“Chief Financial Officer.”

Graham nodded. “So, I… uh, I happen to know we have job vacancies. We also have available staff housing, partly furnished.”

“You’re offering me a job? On a ranch in Montana?” Disbelief colored her voice.

“Yeah, sorry. It’s all I can think of. I flew west in April at Grandfather’s command, but I’m planning on driving back next week. It’s been a pain not having my car there, even though there’s no place to go. Jewel Lake is about a half hour out, and I can catch a ride to church with one of the cousins, but sometimes a guy needs…” He cut off his rambling in mid-sentence.

She stared at him. “A dude ranch?”

“I know. It’s the last place I expected to land up, myself. Grandfather says it will take two or three years, but I’m hoping to come back to Chicago by fall and do the ranch books remotely.”

“A ranch.”

Hadn’t he said that like five times? “Yes, but I work in the office. It’s a full resort with cabin rentals and an RV park and a lodge. People can ride horses or take kayaks out on the little lake or go hiking or fishing.” The thought of all that outdoorsiness made him shudder.

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