Drinks in hand, they circulated through the room as Pallas introduced Beth to her family. Cade joined them a few minutes later.
“Sorry about my mom,” he said, moving next to her.
“Don’t be. It’s fine. I’m not ashamed of what I do and if people have a problem with that, it’s not up to me to change them.”
Cade studied her for a second, as if thinking about her words, then he held out a plate with several cheese puffs. “These will make you feel better.”
“I can’t be won over with pastries,” she told him, then popped one in her mouth. An unexpected slight tang blended with the smooth cheese and the melting pastry. It was all she could do not to groan or grab the plate.
“I take it back,” she admitted. “I can be won over with pastries.”
Cade laughed, then looked at his sister. “Thanks, sis. I’ll take things from here.”
“Introduce her to Drew.” Pallas grinned. “Our cousin is very charming. He runs the bank.” She lowered her voice. “Which makes our mom crazy but you didn’t hear that from me.”
“We’ll save Drew for later,” Cade muttered, leading Bethany away.
For a second she allowed herself to hope it was because he was nervous about her meeting his successful cousin. That he might be worried about her reaction. And while that was probably wishful thinking, it still felt nice to pretend he saw her as more than the person who had accompanied his prize horse to Happily Inc.
* * *
IT WAS NEARLY ten o’clock before Bethany and Cade left for the ranch. She’d been seated with the younger cousins at dinner, at what was obviously the kids’ end of the table. Cade had started to complain to his mother, but Bethany had intervened, saying she was fine where she was. She’d had a great time talking movies and computer games with the teens and telling them about El Bahar. Years ago she’d learned that stories about her summers with the nomadic tribes often got her out of awkward conversational pauses. When in doubt, mention camping in a desert oasis.
“I’m sorry about my mom,” he said for maybe the fourth time.
She put her hand on his arm—to, ah, be nice, she told herself. Not to feel the muscles. “Stop. Seriously, I’m fine. Totally and completely fine. I had a great time. I ate enough for twenty, had champagne and talked kitten heels with three of your cousins. My evening was perfect.”
“She’s a snob.”
“Some people are, but you’re not and I’m not, so please let it go. In a few weeks I’m going to be gone. She’s your mother and there’s no reason to be mad at her. I swear.”
“Thank you. Other than that, was it okay?”
She put her hand on her very full stomach. “I’m very happy right now. Full and sleepy. Everyone was nice to me. I love your grandpa Frank. Don’t take this wrong, but if he were to ask me out, I’d probably say yes.”
Cade chuckled. “I’m not going to pass that piece of information on to him.”
“I’m crushed.”
He pulled into the long driveway and used the remote to open the gate, then drove past the house and around to the barn.
Before she could ask why he was parking here, he killed the engine and looked at her.
“You’re going to check on Rida, aren’t you?”
“Of course.”
“Now you’re closer. I’ll leave the back door open for you.”
Like she’d thought before—nice. And considerate and really, really good-looking. Those hazel eyes appealed and when he smiled, her whole body tingled.
Without thinking she leaned toward him. Mostly because she could use a few tingles in her life. It had been a long time between tingles, probably because the guys she’d been dating had been uninspiring at best. Oh, but they’d been safe. She’d made the decision to sacrifice love or even attraction for knowing she would never be hurt and at the end of the day, she’d been left with nothing. Her father had scared them all off. Worse, she hadn’t actually missed them when they’d been gone.
But Cade was different. She liked a whole lot about him, plus the tingles.
Maybe it was the cheese puffs, or the champagne or the fact that he’d driven her right up to the barn. Whatever the reason, she put her hand on his biceps and raised her chin expectantly. It was only when he hesitated that she had the awful thought that she could have misread the entire situation and he might not be interested in her at all.
Before she could scream and bolt, he slipped his hand into her hair to cup her head and brushed his mouth against hers.
That was it—a brief, almost chaste moment of contact. It should have been nothing, but it was everything. Nerve endings fired, her heart raced and her breath caught.
He did it again and she nearly moaned. On the third time, she wrapped her arms around his neck and surrendered to whatever it was he wanted from her.
He drew her as close as she could get, what with the truck console between them. Hard plastic bit into her ribs, but she didn’t care—not when Cade swept his tongue against her bottom lip. She parted for him and he deepened the kiss until she was all fire and need.
A very tiny, sensible part of her brain whispered that she should be careful, but she ignored the soft words. Just once she wanted to be like everyone else. For there not to be consequences. Only the whispering continued and she began to remember that she wasn’t like everyone else. While she liked Cade a lot, she didn’t know if she could trust him and until she was sure...
She drew back. He did the same. They stared at each other, their breathing loud in the truck cab. Finally she opened her door and stepped out.
“Thank you for everything,” she told him. “I’ll see you in the morning.”
He nodded without speaking. She walked into the stable and went to check on Rida. Partway to his stall, Harry joined her, meowing as if asking about her evening.
“It was good,” she told the cat. “I had a nice time.”
Harry’s expression was quizzical.
She smiled. “All right. Better than nice. Are you happy?”
The cat began to purr.
* * *
CADE HAD TO admit so far this was shaping up to be the best November ever. First Rida, and then last night, he’d kissed Beth. He grinned as he checked his email. Sure it was just a kiss, but it had been a really good kiss.
He liked her. She could have been upset about his mother’s ridiculous behavior, but she’d handled the situation with grace and charm. She was professional with the horses, friendly with the staff and easy to be around.
He hadn’t allowed himself to get involved since the debacle with Lynette, the girl in Kentucky. Oh, there had been women, but only casually. He’d vowed to be more careful, to stick with women who were more like himself—hardworking, regular kind of people. He didn’t need a show horse—at least not the human kind.
His phone buzzed, letting him know someone was at the gate. He activated the camera and saw a delivery truck.
“Come on in,” Cade said as he pushed the button to open the gate, then went out to meet the driver.
There were a handful of deliveries, including a good-sized box for Beth. He signed for them all, then left the rest in the office and went in search of her.
He found her in the stable, cleaning out a stall. Judging by the nearly full wheelbarrow nearby, she’d been at it for a while.
“What are you doing?” he asked without thinking. “You don’t work here.”
He immediately wanted to call back the words. Not only did the statement sound hostile, this was the first time he’d seen her since last night and their kiss.
She looked good. A little sweaty and dusty but still pretty. Instead of getting upset, she grinned.
“See, questions like that make me wonder if you’re really ready to be a horse owner. News flash, horses poop about fifty pounds of manure a day. That’s per horse. Of course cows poop abo
ut three times that, so we have it easy by comparison. Still, someone has to clean it up. I’m really surprised you didn’t know that.”
“Sorry. I meant why are you cleaning out stalls?”
“One of your guys had car trouble and with the holiday weekend, I figured you were already shorthanded. I’m just helping.”
“You don’t have to.”
“I don’t mind. I’m trying to figure out a few things in my life. Nothing clears the mind like honest, manual labor.”
“You got that right. Thank you for helping.” He remembered the box he’d brought. “You got a package.”
Her mouth straightened and emotions flashed through her blue eyes. “I wasn’t expecting anything.” She sounded more wary than excited.
He handed over the box. She took it and read the label, then smiled.
“It’s from my mom. Liana Smith.” Her smile broadened. “Knowing her, it’s clothes. She told me to pack more than I did, but would I listen?”
“She sounds like a good mom.”
“She is.” She set the package outside the stall, then nodded at the rakes and shovels by the door. “You could help.”
“I could and I will.”
They made quick work of the last two stalls, then put their tools away. Cade took the manure to the composting shed before joining her in the break room. She’d already pulled out a soda for him and put it on the table.
He opened the can. “Thanks, Beth. I mean it. You aren’t expected to pitch in.”
“No big deal.” Her eyes brightened with humor. “Your barn foreman was very excited that I volunteered.”
“If you hadn’t stepped in, it would have been up to him.”
She picked up her soda. “Don’t you dare tell him it’s not okay to put me to work.”
“I wouldn’t think of it.”
“I’m not sure if I believe you, but all right.” She took a sip. “You run a very efficient barn. I’m impressed.”
“Remember that when you fill out my report card.”
“I will.”
“I’m not used to auditioning,” he admitted. “It’s not a comfortable position to be in.”
“Rida’s worth it,” she told him.
“I agree. I’m just saying you have all the power.”
She flushed, then ducked her head. “I wouldn’t say that,” she murmured.
Words that were nice to hear. “I liked it, too.”
She raised her chin and stared at him. “I wasn’t... If you’re...”
He waited until she was done sputtering. “So you liked the kissing?”
More color stained her cheeks. “We are not having this conversation.”
“All evidence to the contrary. Come on, Beth. It’s an easy question.”
She scrunched up her face, then relaxed. “Fine. Yes, I liked it.”
“Good. Me, too. But just to be clear, I have no expectations. A few wishes and dreams, but no expectations. You strike me as the kind of woman who takes things slow. I respect that.”
She cleared her throat. “Good. I mean, thank you. I do. It’s just, you know, better that way.”
She was so confident and in charge when she was with Rida, and she’d handled his family like a professional diplomat. It was nice to see her squirming a little now.
He heard the sound of crickets. Beth pulled her cell phone out of her pocket. “That’s weird. Who would be texting me? It’s night in El Bahar.” She glanced at the screen, then beamed at him.
“It’s your sister. She’s inviting me to lunch with her and her friends next week.”
“Sounds like you want to go.”
“I do. Pallas is great and I’d love to meet her friends.” She quickly typed her response, then smiled at him. “You think she’ll serve those cheese puffs?”
He laughed. “You should ask her to.”
CHAPTER FIVE
BETHANY HADN’T KNOWN what to expect when she first heard her father was selling Rida to some guy in America. She’d been devastated at the idea of losing her horse, but more than that, confused by the choice of buyers. Now that she’d met Cade, she was more comfortable with her father’s decision. Yes, she would miss Rida, but he would be happy in his new home. Cade ran his ranch the way she would—with a lot of attention to detail. He was careful and smart and a pretty great kisser.
She smiled as she drove into town in her borrowed truck. The day was sunny, the temperature warm, the scenery pleasant, and everywhere she looked she saw signs of the upcoming holidays.
At a large intersection by the river, there was a huge faux chimney sitting on the sidewalk, the bottom half of Santa spilling out of the top as if the man was stuck. As she waited at the light, she saw his mechanized boots waving oh so slowly. On the opposite corner was an equally impressive menorah. The shops all had wreaths on their doors and twinkle lights in the windows. Thanksgiving was over, and the rest of the holiday season had begun in earnest. Maybe she should take an afternoon off and do some shopping for her family. It would be fun to have gifts under the tree from Happily Inc.
But before all that, she was off to have lunch with Pallas and her friends. A “girls’ lunch” was a rarity for her and one she was looking forward to.
She followed the directions Cade had given her and found herself in front of an interesting building. From one side it looked like a castle and from the other, it seemed to be a villa. The Christmas decorations reflected the architecture—traditional on the castle side and more airy and whimsical on the villa side. The structure itself was large, with a high roofline and a cute balcony. She pulled into the huge parking lot just as a red truck drove up next to hers.
There were two women inside—one a platinum blonde, the other a brunette. They both waved at her.
“You must be Beth,” the blonde said as she climbed out of her truck. She was tall, slender and gorgeous—all of which was slightly intimidating to Bethany. “I’m Silver and this is Natalie.”
The other woman was shorter, with brown eyes to match her hair. She wore red glasses and had an easy air about her. “Hi, Beth. Pallas told us you were joining us. You’re really from El Bahar?”
“I am, although I was born in California.”
They collected big tote bags from the truck, then all three of them walked toward the building together.
“Do you know anything about us?” Natalie asked. “Pallas didn’t say.”
“Not really. She just invited me to lunch. She’s been very sweet to me since I arrived.”
“That’s our Pallas,” Natalie said as she held open the front door. “Okay, so I’ll make this super easy. This is Pallas’s place. Weddings Out of the Box. Theme weddings of all kinds. Silver here owns a business called AlcoHaul. It’s a cool trailer-slash-bar that she hires out for events and various venues.”
“I’m a party on the move,” Silver said with a laugh.
“Carol and Wynn are coming. Carol works at the local animal preserve. We’re in the process of getting more giraffes, which is very cool. Millie was by herself for too long. A girl needs her peeps, right?” She flashed a grin. “Wynn owns a graphics and printing company. And then there’s me.” Natalie sighed dramatically. “I’m an office manager at a gallery by day and a struggling artist by night.”
“Don’t let her fool you,” Silver said as they walked down a wide hallway. “She’s incredibly gifted. One day she’s going to be famous and leave all this behind.”
“I won’t be leaving anything,” Natalie corrected, “but I’m happy to deal with the famous part. As long as the fame comes with nice-sized checks. This girl has rent to pay.”
They passed through an open doorway that led to a grassy courtyard. Pallas was there, setting up a table and chairs in the shade. She looked up and hurried over to them.
“You made it,” she said excitedly as she
gave Bethany a hug. “I’m so glad. I see you’ve already met Natalie and Silver.”
“I explained our very complex relationships,” Natalie said with a laugh.
“You did well,” Bethany said. “This is a lovely setup.”
“Thanks. It’s fun rotating locations for our lunches. If it had been Carol’s turn, we would have been picnicking on the Happily Inc savanna out at the animal preserve,” Pallas said. “It’s beautiful, but can take a bit of getting used to.”
“I like having semiwild animals stroll by,” Natalie said.
“They’re great until one of them poops.” Silver wrinkled her nose. “If you’re downwind, it’s not pretty.”
Bethany grinned. “I’m around horses all day. I’m not easily offended by that sort of thing.”
Carol and Wynn arrived and more introductions were made. Bethany saw that everyone brought something to the lunch while Pallas provided a chicken and pasta main course.
Once they were all seated, dishes were passed around.
“So,” Natalie said, leaning toward Bethany. “Tell us what it’s like in El Bahar. Where do you live? Do you really work in the royal stables? What’s that like? Have you ever seen the king in person? Oooh, what about the princes? Are they cute like William and Harry?”
“That’s a lot of questions,” Bethany said, wondering how many she could answer without actually lying. She liked these women and didn’t want to deceive them.
“You don’t have to answer any of them,” Carol told her. “We’re all just so curious about you. You’re so exotic, while our lives are ordinary.”
Silver rolled her eyes. “Don’t listen to her. She’s madly in love and that’s never ordinary. Oh, and that one, too.” She pointed at Pallas.
Pallas waved her left hand, showing off her engagement ring.
Bethany wondered if her envy showed. Finding the right guy and falling in love was what most women wanted at some point in their lives, including her. Being who she was added a whole layer of complications she had yet to navigate successfully.
Natalie turned to Bethany. “So... El Bahar. Tell us.”
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