“Makes sense.”
“Maybe, but it makes me feel like a coward. I’m genuinely lost when it comes to my future. Return to college? Start a business? Move somewhere? I like my work, but I should be doing more with my life. I hate to give up horses, though. I’ve thought of breeding and working on bloodlines. I don’t know.”
His hazel eyes were unreadable. “Have you come to any decisions?”
“Not really.”
She thought longingly of Cade’s ranch. She would live there with him, if he asked her to. If he wanted her in his life. Because she could do good there—working with the horses she loved while improving the bloodlines.
The image of their future was so clear she was surprised he couldn’t see it, too. Only it was all in her head. Cade didn’t even know who she was.
“Okay, this is not Christmas talk,” she said with a laugh. “Let’s go to your sister’s now. On the way we’ll sing ‘Jingle Bells’ and get back in the mood.”
For a second Cade didn’t move. Then he reached for her hand, drew her close and kissed her lightly on the mouth.
“Do you know the words to ‘Jingle Bells’?”
“I know the first verse.”
“Then that’s what we’ll sing.”
CHAPTER SEVEN
SEVERAL HOURS LATER, Cade drove them back to the ranch. Dinner with Pallas and Nick had gone well. Cade enjoyed his sister and her fiancé and liked how Beth fit in with them so easily. She and Pallas had brainstormed ideas for an upcoming wedding while he and Nick had talked sports.
He and his sister had always been close. He’d missed her while he’d lived out of state. Coming home to the ranch had been its own reward, but being near Pallas again was a nice bonus. Nick was a good guy and he appreciated knowing Pallas was with someone who loved and respected her.
Beth leaned back in her seat with her eyes closed. As he glanced at her, she smiled.
“What?” he asked.
“Just enjoying the moment. I had a good day. Shopping for the tree was fun, dinner was great, the company was even better. Plus there was that second glass of wine.” She opened her eyes and looked at him. “I appreciate you driving.”
“Happy to stick to one beer.”
“When do you want to decorate the tree?”
“How’s tomorrow night? We’ll leave it out in the garage until then. I’ll get out the lights and ornaments and we can have at it.”
“It’s a date.”
He liked the sound of that, along with having her close by. She was easy to be with, good with his horses. An unexpected find, and he was going to miss her when she returned to El Bahar.
Thoughts formed in the back of his mind. No, not thoughts, questions. Would she be willing to stay? She hadn’t jumped at his hint of a job offer—and hiring someone he wanted to date seemed too weird anyway —but there had to be something to keep her here. She wasn’t sure about what to do with her life—couldn’t she be thinking about that here as easily as back in El Bahar? And most important of all, was it too soon to be having that conversation?
He pulled into the driveway and hit the remote for the gate. When they reached the house, he drove around to the garage. Beth got out of the truck and began unfastening the ropes holding the tree in place. Once the tree was untied, they carried it inside. It was only when they were halfway to the garage that Cade realized she was carrying the heavy end.
Beth, being Beth, hadn’t said a word about it. She was certainly strong enough—you couldn’t work around horses the way she did without developing muscle, but still. His mother would slap him upside the head if she knew.
Once they had the tree in the garage, she held it steady while he cut a couple of inches off the trunk, then put it in the tree stand before going into the house.
At the bottom of the stairs, they looked at each other. She smiled.
“I had a really nice time today. Thank you.”
“You’re welcome. I did, too.”
There was a lot more he wanted to say—like how much he was going to miss her and how he wanted to talk to her about maybe staying. Only the words suddenly didn’t seem all that important, not when he could lean over and kiss her.
Her mouth was soft and yielding. When he drew her close, she sank into him and kissed him back. They stood there at the base of the stairs, holding on to each other, tongues tangling in the soft light of the living room lamp.
After a few minutes, need threatened to overwhelm common sense and he drew back.
“You should go up to bed,” he said, his voice husky. “I’m going to take care of some paperwork in my office.”
Because if he went upstairs with her, he knew exactly what was going to happen.
She stared at him, her blue eyes dark with passion. He read the indecision on her face and knew the right thing to say and do.
“Go to bed.”
She raised herself on tiptoe and pressed a chaste kiss to his mouth, then hurried up the stairs.
He watched her go before retreating to the relative safety of his office. Once he was behind his desk, he leaned back in his chair and tried to figure out what to do next.
Beth was an unexpected complication. Ever since the disaster that was Lynette, he’d avoided entanglements and had kept his relationships short and uncomplicated. Since returning to Happily Inc, he hadn’t dated anyone.
In his head he knew that one day he was going to have to get over what had happened if he wanted to settle down and have a wife and family. In his heart, he’d been unwilling to take a chance. Until Beth...
*
“YOU LOOK BEAUTIFUL, MOM,” Bethany said as she smiled at her computer.
“I look old and tired,” Queen Liana said. “I usually enjoy a state dinner, but one of my tablemates was especially tedious tonight. International monetary policy has its place, but after two hours, one should learn to speak about something else.”
“I’m sure you tried,” Bethany told her mother.
“At least six times. He was not getting the hint.” Her mother pulled off her tiara and began to unfasten her earrings. “How are you doing, darling? Is everything all right?”
“Rida threw Cade again.”
“That horse. You spoiled him and now everyone has to pay the price.”
“I know. I should have been more firm with him, but he never threw me.”
“Yes, and he’s also not your horse, is he?”
“Ouch.”
Her mother looked contrite. “I’m sorry. That came out more harshly than I’d intended. I’m going to blame the monetary discussion. By the way, I spoke with your aunt Dora yesterday. The University of El Bahar is starting an International Women’s Studies program in the fall that goes through to the doctorate level.” Her mother paused expectantly.
“That is very like Aunt Dora. Tell her congratulations.”
“I did already, but that’s not the point.”
Bethany pretended surprise. “It’s not?”
Liana sighed. “You do love being difficult.”
“I do. Very much. It’s fun.”