That decided, she went downstairs. Cade was already in the kitchen starting the coffee. He looked up as she came in and smiled.
She told herself it wasn’t even a special smile, but wow, there was something about the way he looked at her. With affection and kindness, with concern.
“How are you feeling?” he asked. “Did you sleep?”
“I’m better, thanks. I’m sorry about last night.”
“Don’t worry about it. I’m just glad you’re okay.”
She opened her mouth, then closed it. She couldn’t do it. She couldn’t have him think less of her—it would hurt too much. Which made her a coward, but she could live with that easier than seeing disdain in Cade’s eyes. However, she also couldn’t allow things to move forward between them. It would be wrong. She would keep things as they were, which was the very least he deserved.
“Thanks.” She nodded at the pot. “Coffee. My favorite.”
He chuckled and poured her a mug. “Mine, too.”
* * *
BY ELEVEN, Bethany had convinced herself everything was going to be all right. She took care of Rida, then retreated to the small office where she dealt with her email, including a note from her youngest brother complaining that he wasn’t too young to learn to drive and asking her to talk to their father. She wrote back pointing out he was only eleven and while being a prince did come with privileges, it didn’t mean their parents were idiots. No on the driving.
She was still laughing quietly when the door opened and John, the stable foreman, pushed into the office.
“He’s gone! Rida’s gone. I just went by his stall and it’s empty. I know you weren’t going to exercise him until this afternoon, so unless you gave someone else permission to take him out, he’s gone.”
Beth went cold. No one had talked to her about taking Rida. Had one of the guys in the stable tried to ride him? That wouldn’t go well—Rida was very particular about who he accepted on his back.
She hurried out of the office. Cade came running around the corner and stopped when he saw her.
“I heard,” he told her. “You didn’t let anyone take him, did you?”
“N-no.”
Fear blended with worry that something had happened to Rida. Had he escaped or had someone taken him? He was a valuable horse and could easily be ransomed for seven figures. There was no way Cade had that kind of money, which meant she would be calling her father.
“Should we phone the police?” she asked. “Or wait for them to contact us?”
“You think he was stolen?” Cade shook his head. “I have security cameras all over this place. No one came in the gate and there’s no other way for a horse trailer to get on the property without being seen. I’m sure he got out.”
“But how? I latched the door. I always latch the door.”
“You need to breathe. We’re going to find him.”
Having Rida escape was marginally better than having him kidnapped, but no less panic inducing. What if he got lost? What if he got hit by a car?
“I can’t—”
Before she could finish her sentence, Cade put his hands on her shoulders. “Look at me. We’re going to find him. I will not stop looking until we do. I give you my word.”
She was still terrified, but some of her tension eased. Cade wouldn’t lie to her. He would make sure Rida was found.
She nodded and he led her outside. Several of the stable workers gathered around. Cade gave them instructions and they began to fan out. He grabbed Rida’s bridle, then led Bethany to his truck.
“If I had to guess,” he said as he started the engine, “I would say he’s going to head downhill. That will take him directly onto the animal preserve. Let me call Carol and have her meet us at their main offices. We’ll take off from there.”
Bethany nodded because she couldn’t speak. She was too scared. Part of her hated to commit to heading one way or another, but a decision had to be made.
Fifteen minutes later, Cade pulled into the animal sanctuary parking lot. Carol and a tall, older man stood by a pair of golf carts. As soon as Bethany stepped out of the truck, Carol waved her over.
“My dad will take Cade. You come with me.” She offered a reassuring smile. “Don’t worry. If he’s on our property, we’ll find him.”
Bethany hoped that was true, but she had no way of guessing which way Rida had gone and she doubted anyone else would, either.
“We’re going to search in a grid,” Carol said as the electric golf cart moved forward silently. “My dad and I studied a map of the acreage and we think the most likely area to find Rida is in the northeast quadrant.”
“Are there any dangerous animals there?” Bethany asked anxiously. “I know you have giraffes, but what else is there around here?”
“Gazelles, zebras and a water buffalo. No one will bother him.”
Which was only a partial relief. There were a thousand other things that could go wrong. He could be heading in another direction and they would miss him completely. He could step into a gopher hole and break a leg. He could head up into the mountains and eventually starve or freeze to death.
She’d never considered herself overly dramatic, but having Rida gone was fueling the darkest side of her imagination.
Carol drove along a dirt path. “We’ll check in with the zebras first. They’re fairly skittish, so we’ll know right away if Rida’s with them. I can’t see them accepting any intruder, even a horse. The gazelles are more easygoing. Bronwen, especially.”
“You name your animals?” Bethany asked, more to distract herself than because she cared.
“I do. They’re not pets, but we still have a bond.”
They slowed at the top of a rise. Bethany could see several zebras grazing in the distance. Had she not been so worried, she would have appreciated the incongruity of the animals living in the middle of the California desert. As it was, she only scanned for Rida, then shook her head.
“He’s not here.”
“No problem. We’ll keep looking.”
Bethany nodded. “Thank you for your help. I’m sure you had a different day planned.”
“I’m happy to help. I know he means a lot to you.”
They drove for five or six minutes, then passed through a grove of thick trees into an open grassy area. She saw four gazelles and right in the middle of the field, a tall, black horse nibbling on grass.
Relief rushed through her, leaving her slightly light-headed. She smiled at Carol. “I’m so giving him a talking-to when I get him back home.”
“I’ll radio my dad and Cade. You go get your boy.”
“Thank you.”
Bethany got out of the golf cart and walked toward her horse. She was careful to move at a normal pace and keep her body language comfortable. She didn’t want Rida to sense any tension or get spooked.
He raised his head and watched her approach. After a couple of seconds, he started toward her, his head and tail high as if he was pleased with himself.
“Annoying twit horse,” she murmured in a soft voice. “You scared me to death.”
He stopped in front of her. She wrapped her arms around his neck and he lowered his head as if hugging her back.
“How did you get out? Did I forget to lock the gate or do you have mad skills?”
Rida snorted in response.
A few minutes later, Carol’s father and Cade drove up. Cade walked over with the bridle. Bethany slipped it on.
“Can you give me a hand up?” she asked, standing on the horse’s left side.
“You’re going to ride him bareback with just a bridle?”
“It’ll be faster than bringing a trailer out here. Plus the trailer would startle the other animals. I’ve done it before. He’ll be fine.”
“If you’re sure.”
Cade linked his
fingers together, forming a step. Bethany put her left foot on his hands, counted to three, then pushed off the ground with her right foot. She swung onto Rida’s back and settled into place.
“Do you know where you’re going?” Cade asked.
She waved her phone. “I have the ranch’s address on my GPS. I’ll use the app to guide me.”
“If you’re sure.”
“We’ll be fine.”
Carol joined them. “There’s a gate at the north end of the property.” She handed over a key. “This is for the lock. Just bring it back when you can.”
“Thank you for everything.”
“That’s what friends are for,” she said easily.
* * *
BETHANY GOT RIDA back to the ranch and into his stall. John discovered that two of the screws had come loose in the latching system, allowing Rida to jiggle the door open. The problem explained and solved meant she could relax. She groomed Rida, then left him in his stall with Harry sunning himself nearby. She retreated to the small office and sent thank-you flowers to Carol before making a sizable donation to the animal preserve. Then she went in search of Cade.
She found him with John. They were checking all the stalls for loose screws.
“How’s our guy?” he asked as Bethany approached.
“He’s fine. I’m still feeling a little shaky. Thank you so much for your help and for staying calm. I was totally freaked.”
“You were on edge, but it’s not surprising. We were lucky to have found him so quickly. John and I are going to go over all security procedures to make sure nothing like this ever happens again.”
She nodded, confident he would take care of things. Between not sleeping and the stress of the morning, she was ready for a quiet afternoon and an early night.
“Pallas texted me,” Cade said. “She’s invited us over for dinner tomorrow, if you’re interested. I thought maybe you could help me pick out a Christmas tree before we meet them.” He flashed that sexy smile of his. “I’d like a woman’s opinion so I get the right one.”
Hope, need and just plain liking smacked her upside the head. She’d promised not to get involved with him, to take a step back and retreat to the safety of the friendship zone. Only she really, really wanted to go to dinner with him and his sister and her fiancé and she wanted to pick out a Christmas tree even more.
Was it wrong to want to create a few memories before she headed home? Was she totally horrible for not simply blurting out the truth and letting the chips fall and all that?
“Beth, it wasn’t supposed to be a difficult question.”
“Technically it was two questions,” she said lightly. “Cade, I really want to go with you.”
“But?”
“But I’m leaving and...” And I’m scared to tell you the truth because then you won’t like me anymore and I really need you to keep liking me.
“I have a feeling you’re not worrying about my delicate sensibilities,” he teased, then his humor faded. “I get it. You’re going home and I’m staying here. As it’s only a couple of weeks, a case could be made to go for it. On the other hand, it’s easy for a situation to get out of control, and then someone gets hurt.”
Or that, she thought, preferring his line of reasoning to her own.
He touched the side of her face. “I’m willing to risk it if you are. And if you’re not, come to dinner with me as my friend simply because we enjoy each other’s company.”
“You are very good company,” she admitted.
“And a great kisser.”
“There is that.”
“So yes to dinner?”
“Yes to dinner and the tree,” she said, promising herself that whatever happened she would have no regrets.
* * *
HAPPILY INC’S CHRISTMAS tree lot was amazing. Not only did it smell like heaven, but there was a snow machine in one corner, producing a pretty impressive dusting of snow. If Bethany ignored the warm temperature, she could pretend she was in a forest, maybe in Germany or Colorado. She wanted to run from end to end, inhaling as deeply as she could, and maybe make an angel in the snow. Everything was magical and transported her back to her childhood when she and her mother had waited until the trees were marked down to buy one.
“You okay?” Cade asked, sounding worried.
“I’m giddy.” She spun in a circle, listening to the Christmas carols. “I love this. I’d forgotten what it was like to pick out a tree. My mom and I did it every year, of course, but when we moved to El Bahar, everything changed.”
“Don’t they celebrate Christmas?”
“A lot of people do.” She touched the branches on the nearest tree and felt the firm needles. The snow was cold and damp. “But at the palace, trees are delivered and decorated professionally. It’s not like I got to do anything.”
Cade stared at her. “Did you just say ‘at the palace’?”
Crap! Double crap! She closed her eyes, then opened them. “I have a small apartment on the palace grounds. It’s near the stables.”
“They’d probably frown on you dragging in a tree of your own,” he said easily.
“They would.” Talk about a close call! She reminded herself to be more careful. “What about that one?”
Cade shook his head. “Too small. We’ve got that spot at the house where we’re open a good two stories. Let’s get the biggest tree we can.”
“Men are obsessed with size,” she murmured.
He laughed. “With good reason.”
They wandered around the tree lot, picking then discarding options. Eventually Cade admitted that the tallest trees had the fewest branches and they settled on one that was just over ten feet.
“Do you have decorations?” she asked.
“I have a couple of boxes of them. My mom gave me all the ones I made when I was a kid.” He grinned. “She said it was so I could start my own traditions, but I’m pretty sure it was more about them not fitting in with her classy decor.”
“What other family traditions do you have?”
“We pick a name out of a hat and that’s the only family member we buy a gift for. It has to be less than twenty bucks and if it’s funny, that helps.”
“Your grandfather’s idea?” she asked.
“Yeah. I like it. We take the rest of the money we would have spent on gifts and donate it to the charity of our choice.”
He paid for the tree, then helped the guy carry it to his truck. Once it was secure in the bed, he turned to Bethany.
“What’s your story? To quote you, why isn’t there a Mr. Beth Smith?”
“Oh, that.” The truth, she told herself. She would stick to the truth. “I have trouble picking the right guy.”
“What kind of trouble?”
It was just after six and already dark. Christmas carols played from tinny speakers. The temperature was in the fifties, the night clear with the first of the evening stars making their appearance. Not exactly the time and place for her great confession, but she wanted to be as honest as she could, within reason.
“I had a serious boyfriend in college. I thought I was in love with him and I’d sort of been saving myself for the in love thing, so he was my first, well, everything.”
Cade’s gaze was steady. “How did he let you down?”
“What makes you think he did?”
“If he didn’t, you’d still be with him. There’s no way he was stupid enough to let you go.”
She wasn’t sure how Cade meant what he said, but she chose to read it as the sweetest thing a man had ever said to her. Somewhere deep in her chest, her heart crossed the line from maybe to yes.
“The first night we made love, he took pictures of me and put them up on the internet.” She shook her head. “You couldn’t really see anything but it was clear I was naked.”
Cade
’s body tensed. “Tell me who he is and I’ll go beat the crap out of him.”
“Thanks, but my father already flew into a rage.”
She hadn’t wanted the king to find out, but there was no way to keep the information from him—or anyone. Her parents had flown out the same day and she’d gone home with them. She still didn’t know what her father had said to the guy, but Bethany had never heard from him again. Still, the pictures lived on as all things internet related did.
“Since then I’ve chosen relatively quiet, meek men who would never dream of doing anything like that.”
“I don’t see you as liking the meek type.”
“I don’t, which is a problem. They can’t stand up to me and they certainly can’t deal with my father so it all becomes a disaster fairly quickly. I know I’m afraid,” she added quickly, before she could stop herself, “of trusting again.”
“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’?”
Meant to Be Yours Page 35
