A Very Merry Princess
Page 7
“I’ll take your luggage up to the house,” Cade told her. “You can check out your room when you’re ready.”
She looked at him. “I’ll be sleeping here for the first couple of nights, just to make sure he’s all right.”
Cade raised his brows. “You sure?”
“I am. I brought a sleeping bag and a pillow. I’m prepared.” She looked around. “I assume there’s a bathroom in the barn?”
“Toilets and sinks but no showers.”
“I’ll shower at the house. Otherwise, I’ll be hanging with this guy.”
Cade looked from her to the horse and back. “Like I said before, you’re in charge.” He glanced at his watch. “I’ll leave you two to get settled and bring you some dinner in a couple of hours. How does that sound?”
“Perfect.”
CHAPTER THREE
CADE HADN’T KNOWN what to expect from Rida’s handler. He’d never bought a horse before that he hadn’t simply gone and picked up. Beth was competent, professional and obviously knew her way around horses. He would simply have to pretend she wasn’t a stunning, curvy, blue-eyed blonde.
Close to six-thirty he carried the back patio table and two chairs to the barn, then brought dinner, along with flatware, plates, glasses and napkins. When everything was set up, he walked to the last stall on the right.
Rida and Beth were in the paddock outside Rida’s stall. She sat on the fence, the horse standing close to her. There was a young marmalade barn cat perched on a fence post nearby. Beth was speaking to Rida in a low voice, but Cade couldn’t make out her words. They were a contrast in sizes, but looked perfectly comfortable together.
He cleared his throat to get their attention. Beth turned and smiled.
“Hi. We were discussing the weather.”
Her smile hit him like a kick in the gut. Not good, he told himself. Not good at all.
“I have dinner ready, if you’re hungry.”
“I’m starving.” She jumped down and petted Rida. “I’ll be close by. If you need me, just give a shout.”
“Does he answer?” Cade asked, holding the stall door open for her.
“Sometimes.”
They walked to the middle of the barn. Beth shook her head. “This is very nice, thank you.” She studied the set table, the bowl with salad and the hot chicken and pasta casserole. “Should I be impressed with your cooking skills?”
“Not based on this. I have a housekeeper who comes in two days a week. She cleans, does laundry and leaves things like this in the freezer. A housekeeper comes with the job.”
Beth excused herself to wash her hands. Cade poured iced tea for both of them, then waited until she returned to take his seat.
“How long have you worked here?” she asked as she served herself salad.
“I moved back to Happily Inc a few months ago.” He took the salad bowl she passed him. “My grandfather owns the ranch. I’ve been coming here since I was a kid. He taught me to ride and by the time I was six, I knew I wanted to be a cowboy.”
She smiled. “It’s nice to have direction. You never strayed from your original goal?”
“Nope. I didn’t even have a firefighter phase.” He thought about his past. “My family has lived in the area for a few generations. Grandpa Frank also owns the biggest bank in town. It’s the family business. My mom wanted me to go to work with her, but that was never going to happen. My grandfather had made it clear I wasn’t going to get a job on the ranch just because I was his grandson, so when I was eighteen, I left home to learn the trade.”
He glanced at her. “You sure you want to hear this?”
“Yes. I love origination stories. Where did you go?”
“Kentucky.”
She sighed. “I’ve been a couple of times with my, ah, some friends. It’s beautiful.”
“It is and it’s horse country. I started out doing the dirty work and learned everything I could. After a few years, I moved to a ranch in Texas.”
What he didn’t bother sharing was the reason for his move. Not only was it private, it was humiliating. He’d been played by a woman in Kentucky—he’d learned his lesson and had vowed never to repeat it.
“You met the king in Texas, didn’t you?” she asked.
“Yes. I was invited to a dinner he attended. I have no idea why I was allowed to tag along, but it was a great experience. We ended up debating horses and when I heard about Rida I took a chance on him remembering me.”
She studied him for a second before looking away. “I’m glad it worked out.”
“Me, too. Rida’s amazing.”
“He is. When will you have him checked out by your vet?”
“Tomorrow, then again in a couple of weeks.” He picked up his water glass. “How did you come to work in the royal stable of El Bahar?”
Her blue eyes danced with amusement. “It is unexpected, isn’t it? My parents divorced when I was little. My dad was into car racing, a lot more than he was into paying his child support, so money was tight for my mom. She was a teacher and found out about a job at the American School in El Bahar. The pay was generous and an apartment was provided, so five years there would have given her enough for a down payment on a house and a good start on a college fund.”
She leaned toward him, her thick blond braid falling over her shoulder. “She met someone and fell madly in love. We were living, um, close to the royal stables, so I started taking riding lessons. I never outgrew my love of horses and when I was old enough, I got a job there.”
Her smile faded. “I love what I do, but it’s hard when I have to give up one of my babies. I was there when Rida was born and I’m going to miss him.”
“Trying to make me feel guilty?” he asked.
She laughed. “Maybe a little. Is it working?”
“Sorry, no. He’s going to put our little ranch on the map. I have big plans for him. All good, I promise.”
Her gaze locked with his. He felt something pass between them, although he couldn’t say what it was. The beginning of trust, maybe? Or something more?
Not more, he told himself firmly. He didn’t want more. Rida was plenty. Beth’s appeal was not part of his plan.
* * *
RIDA SETTLED IN much more quickly than Bethany would have expected. He started eating right away and seemed to like spending his day out in the sun. He’d even made friends with the small marmalade barn cat.
“You won’t miss me at all,” Bethany complained as she trotted him in a circle in the exercise ring. “You’ll forget me as soon as I’m gone.”
Rida looked at her, his expression both chiding and intelligent, as if pointing out he would miss her, but he knew that he had to be here now.
“You’re trying to act like the mature one in the relationship,” she complained. “How do you think that makes me feel?”
Rida tossed his head, snorted and continued his morning exercise. Tomorrow she would ride him, but for today this was enough.
Thirty minutes later, she walked him back to the barn for his grooming session. She’d just secured him when she heard a woman calling, “Hello? Is it all right to come into the barn?”
Bethany waited for someone else to answer. When no one did, she said, “It’s okay with me, if that’s what you’re asking.”
She looked at him. “I’ll be sleeping here for the first couple of nights, just to make sure he’s all right.”
Cade raised his brows. “You sure?”
“I am. I brought a sleeping bag and a pillow. I’m prepared.” She looked around. “I assume there’s a bathroom in the barn?”
“Toilets and sinks but no showers.”
“I’ll shower at the house. Otherwise, I’ll be hanging with this guy.”
Cade looked from her to the horse and back. “Like I said before, you’re in charge.” He glanced at his watch. “I’ll leave you two to get settled and bring you some dinner in a couple of hours. How does that sound?”
“Perfect.”
CHAPTER THREE
CADE HADN’T KNOWN what to expect from Rida’s handler. He’d never bought a horse before that he hadn’t simply gone and picked up. Beth was competent, professional and obviously knew her way around horses. He would simply have to pretend she wasn’t a stunning, curvy, blue-eyed blonde.
Close to six-thirty he carried the back patio table and two chairs to the barn, then brought dinner, along with flatware, plates, glasses and napkins. When everything was set up, he walked to the last stall on the right.
Rida and Beth were in the paddock outside Rida’s stall. She sat on the fence, the horse standing close to her. There was a young marmalade barn cat perched on a fence post nearby. Beth was speaking to Rida in a low voice, but Cade couldn’t make out her words. They were a contrast in sizes, but looked perfectly comfortable together.
He cleared his throat to get their attention. Beth turned and smiled.
“Hi. We were discussing the weather.”
Her smile hit him like a kick in the gut. Not good, he told himself. Not good at all.
“I have dinner ready, if you’re hungry.”
“I’m starving.” She jumped down and petted Rida. “I’ll be close by. If you need me, just give a shout.”
“Does he answer?” Cade asked, holding the stall door open for her.
“Sometimes.”
They walked to the middle of the barn. Beth shook her head. “This is very nice, thank you.” She studied the set table, the bowl with salad and the hot chicken and pasta casserole. “Should I be impressed with your cooking skills?”
“Not based on this. I have a housekeeper who comes in two days a week. She cleans, does laundry and leaves things like this in the freezer. A housekeeper comes with the job.”
Beth excused herself to wash her hands. Cade poured iced tea for both of them, then waited until she returned to take his seat.
“How long have you worked here?” she asked as she served herself salad.
“I moved back to Happily Inc a few months ago.” He took the salad bowl she passed him. “My grandfather owns the ranch. I’ve been coming here since I was a kid. He taught me to ride and by the time I was six, I knew I wanted to be a cowboy.”
She smiled. “It’s nice to have direction. You never strayed from your original goal?”
“Nope. I didn’t even have a firefighter phase.” He thought about his past. “My family has lived in the area for a few generations. Grandpa Frank also owns the biggest bank in town. It’s the family business. My mom wanted me to go to work with her, but that was never going to happen. My grandfather had made it clear I wasn’t going to get a job on the ranch just because I was his grandson, so when I was eighteen, I left home to learn the trade.”
He glanced at her. “You sure you want to hear this?”
“Yes. I love origination stories. Where did you go?”
“Kentucky.”
She sighed. “I’ve been a couple of times with my, ah, some friends. It’s beautiful.”
“It is and it’s horse country. I started out doing the dirty work and learned everything I could. After a few years, I moved to a ranch in Texas.”
What he didn’t bother sharing was the reason for his move. Not only was it private, it was humiliating. He’d been played by a woman in Kentucky—he’d learned his lesson and had vowed never to repeat it.
“You met the king in Texas, didn’t you?” she asked.
“Yes. I was invited to a dinner he attended. I have no idea why I was allowed to tag along, but it was a great experience. We ended up debating horses and when I heard about Rida I took a chance on him remembering me.”
She studied him for a second before looking away. “I’m glad it worked out.”
“Me, too. Rida’s amazing.”
“He is. When will you have him checked out by your vet?”
“Tomorrow, then again in a couple of weeks.” He picked up his water glass. “How did you come to work in the royal stable of El Bahar?”
Her blue eyes danced with amusement. “It is unexpected, isn’t it? My parents divorced when I was little. My dad was into car racing, a lot more than he was into paying his child support, so money was tight for my mom. She was a teacher and found out about a job at the American School in El Bahar. The pay was generous and an apartment was provided, so five years there would have given her enough for a down payment on a house and a good start on a college fund.”
She leaned toward him, her thick blond braid falling over her shoulder. “She met someone and fell madly in love. We were living, um, close to the royal stables, so I started taking riding lessons. I never outgrew my love of horses and when I was old enough, I got a job there.”
Her smile faded. “I love what I do, but it’s hard when I have to give up one of my babies. I was there when Rida was born and I’m going to miss him.”
“Trying to make me feel guilty?” he asked.
She laughed. “Maybe a little. Is it working?”
“Sorry, no. He’s going to put our little ranch on the map. I have big plans for him. All good, I promise.”
Her gaze locked with his. He felt something pass between them, although he couldn’t say what it was. The beginning of trust, maybe? Or something more?
Not more, he told himself firmly. He didn’t want more. Rida was plenty. Beth’s appeal was not part of his plan.
* * *
RIDA SETTLED IN much more quickly than Bethany would have expected. He started eating right away and seemed to like spending his day out in the sun. He’d even made friends with the small marmalade barn cat.
“You won’t miss me at all,” Bethany complained as she trotted him in a circle in the exercise ring. “You’ll forget me as soon as I’m gone.”
Rida looked at her, his expression both chiding and intelligent, as if pointing out he would miss her, but he knew that he had to be here now.
“You’re trying to act like the mature one in the relationship,” she complained. “How do you think that makes me feel?”
Rida tossed his head, snorted and continued his morning exercise. Tomorrow she would ride him, but for today this was enough.
Thirty minutes later, she walked him back to the barn for his grooming session. She’d just secured him when she heard a woman calling, “Hello? Is it all right to come into the barn?”
Bethany waited for someone else to answer. When no one did, she said, “It’s okay with me, if that’s what you’re asking.”
