A Very Merry Princess
Page 14

Even standing still, Rida was powerful. He could feel the controlled energy, the potential. Running flat out with him would be—
One second he was comfortably seated, the next he was flying through the air. The ground rushed up to meet him and he landed flat on his back with a thud. Rida casually trotted to the far side of the ring while Beth hurried to Cade’s side.
“Don’t move,” she said as she dropped to her knees. Concern darkened her blue eyes. “You’ve had the wind knocked out of you. It’s going to seem like you can’t breathe, but you’re fine. Just take it slow. Let your body relax for a second, then inhale. Shallow at first but deeper with each breath.”
While the words were designed to be comforting, this was not his first rodeo. He waited until he’d caught his breath to say, “I’ve been thrown a time or two.”
He shifted on the ground to make sure all the moving parts were still working, then sat up and looked at the horse.
“I didn’t see that coming.”
She sighed. “I had a feeling.”
“You didn’t want to warn me?”
“I told you we’d had trouble with him before. What do you think that meant? That he’d been pouty?”
Cade felt himself start to smile. “You have some attitude on you.”
“Well, yeah. I’m not the one who was just thrown by a horse. How are you feeling?”
“Nothing’s broken and you only have one head, so I’d say I’m fine.”
She scrambled to her feet and held out her hand, as if to help him to his feet. Seriously? Of course it was an excuse to touch her, even for a second, so he took it and stood.
She released him, but stayed close. “Still okay?”
“Never better.” He glanced at Rida. “Although he and I are going to be having a conversation, man-to-man.”
“Good luck with that.”
She whistled. Rida’s ears perked up, then he turned and walked directly toward her.
“Show-off,” Cade grumbled.
“I know. I can’t help it.” She reached for the reins. “He’s really sorry.”
“No, he’s not. Does he let anyone ride him but you?”
“My father’s been on him and he wasn’t thrown.”
“Good. I just need to know I stand a chance.”
Rida would have to get used to multiple riders. It might take a while, but Cade knew the horse could be trained. He was intelligent and had a good temperament, and both would work in Cade’s favor.
He returned his attention to Beth. “You know what you’re doing. Let me know if you’re ever looking for work.”
Her eyebrows rose as a dozen different expressions chased across her face. “You’re offering me a job?”
“Would you take it if I did?”
“I would be tempted, but it’s...complicated.”
What did that mean? Her family in El Bahar, or was there a man waiting for her? He considered the latter, then decided that Beth wasn’t the type to kiss him while involved with someone.
“How about dinner?” he asked impulsively. “Tonight.”
She smiled. “That I can say yes to.”
* * *
BETHANY WOULD MAKE a point to thank her mother when next they spoke. The box of clothing she’d sent contained a couple of dresses from Bethany’s wardrobe, including a pretty pale pink sleeveless A-line dress that had always been one of her favorites.
Her mother had sent along high-heeled sandals, a curling iron and plenty of makeup and hair product, all taken from Bethany’s bathroom. She was too grateful to be exasperated. Plus it was her own fault—she was the one who hadn’t moved out of the palace.
Not that she wanted to. She liked living close to her family. She spent a couple of afternoons a week with her brothers and had dinner with her parents just as often. She had independence and yet was still with her family. It was great—only every now and then she wanted something more. Something of her own.
She was nearly twenty-seven. Shouldn’t she have a life plan in place, or at least some goals? Her family situation was, as she hinted to Cade, a complication, but she was starting to think the bigger problem was that she was using it as an excuse. And if so, shame on her.
She checked her appearance in the mirror. Her hair had curled nicely and she liked how the dress fit. She slipped on her sandals and picked up her small clutch, then went downstairs to meet Cade.
He was standing in the living room, looking out the window. He’d put on khakis and a light green, long-sleeved shirt. When he turned and looked at her, she felt her heart give a little flutter. The flutter increased as his eyes widened.
“You look great,” he told her. “No one would ever guess you can carry a hundred-pound sack of grain with the best of them.”
She laughed. “I’m more comfortable with forty-pound sacks, but I can lift a hundred-pound one in a pinch.”
They walked outside to the truck. Cade looked concerned when he spotted her shoes, but before he could say anything, she stepped expertly on the running board and eased into the passenger seat.
“I’m a girl,” she told him primly. “We’re all multitalented.”
“I see that and I won’t question you again.”
Cade drove them to a steak house in town. He put his hand on the small of her back as they walked inside. His mother might not approve of Bethany but she’d raised her children well. Cade had excellent manners.
“Why are you smiling?” he asked as they were shown to a table by the window.
She waited until they were seated to say, “I was just thinking your mother raised you right. You take charge, but in a polite way, yet you must have a wild streak. You told me you left home when you were eighteen.”
“I have my moments,” he said. “It was an easy decision when I didn’t have any responsibilities. It would be more difficult now.” He hesitated, then added, “I’m buying into the ranch. Every year I earn ten percent ownership. I want to expand the breeding program, which is why Rida’s so important to me. I’ve been talking with my old boss in Texas and we’re going to work together. Right now I have to run a lot of the big decisions past my grandfather, but once I’m the majority owner, it will be on me.”
She saw the passion in his eyes, along with determination and confidence. “You can’t wait,” she said.
He raised a shoulder. “I like working with Grandpa Frank, but yeah, I’m ready to be in charge. You’ve been around horses enough to know that you have to take the long view of things. It can take years to know if a gamble is going to pay off. I’ve learned to be patient. I’ve got a lot of years ahead of me and I’m going to make it all happen.”
“I don’t doubt you for a second. You never would have been happy in the family bank.”
“It took a while for my mom to figure that out, but she’s finally stopped asking me to reconsider my career choices.”
“What about your dad? You never mention him.”
Cade’s expression tightened. “He died when Pallas and I were kids. He’s the one who first brought me to the ranch. We were close.” He hesitated. “When I was little, I idolized him. As I got older, I began to wonder if he’d married my mom to get an in with my grandfather and the bank.” He shrugged again. “I can’t know for sure without talking to my mom and that’s not a conversation I want to have with her.”