Her Billionaire in Hiding (Texas Ranch Romance Book 3)

by Sophia Summers

  “What about my job? I want to continue working if that’s possible.” Coop dropped Jessie’s hand and ran his fingers gingerly over his ribs.

  Henry seemed to consider him for a moment. “You came here first as a guest, and you do need some recovery time. So we will lift the fraternizing ban. You can be our Australian ranch hand specialist.” He laughed and patted Coop on the shoulder.

  Coop had to admit, the ranch house beds would be much kinder to his ribs than those bunkhouse mats. Jessie and Coop went up to their rooms to change. Coop wanted to unpack his belongings again and enjoy one of those amazing showers.

  Chapter 14

  When Jessie got back downstairs, she headed out to the wraparound porch. She loved looking out at the lake and the tree-lined path that surrounded it. She sat in the porch swing, with the dogs resting at her feet, and found herself humming. Mary came out to the porch to hang a banner.

  “Hello, Mary, let me help you with that.” Jessie held it to one side while Mary tacked it up. They stood back and surveyed their work. “Fowl Liberation Day.”

  Coop came out. “So what’s this?” The other guests were gathering around.

  Mary smiled. “Come on over to our barbecue and find out.”

  Both Jessie and Coop were intrigued. Picnic tables were set up, and some Texas barbecue was on its way. The smoker had been going since early morning. The brisket’s sweet aroma drifted over to the ranch house, catching the interest of all the guests. All the tables had red and white checkered tablecloths. Piñatas were hanging from the trees along with festive lighting. The front table was full of southern dishes: tomato pie, black-eyed peas, turnip greens and bacon, a big pot of shrimp creole, Louisiana red beans and rice, and a variety of salads and desserts. All set out to embellish the main dish—smoked brisket.

  “Wow, this is great!” Coop exclaimed as they walked by the tables full of food. Jessie smiled. Most men were impressed with a good spread, and she had to admit this was impressive!

  She was thrilled with her new-found love. Her mother was right; she was definitely in love. But it was a love that could crumble the minute he came face to face with the sordid tales her label was spreading.

  “I have never seen so much food, Coop.” Jessie was trying to be sociable, but her mind was on the tenuous state of her happiness. How would he respond? The magazine pictures flashed across her mind. How could anyone not be offended by those?

  Henry called everyone to order. “Welcome to our annual Fowl Liberation Day! Each year we try to add some variety to the wildlife of these woods.” Henry pointed at the trees around him. “We raise wild turkeys and pheasants and then celebrate their release into the wild. We tried Canadian geese, but they took over the pool.”

  Everyone chuckled.

  “Okay, Carson, do the honors.”

  Carson walked over to two sheds and opened the doors. The pheasants burst through the opening the minute it widened enough. They flew out and away from the group and over the tops of the trees.

  “Ingrates,” Mary muttered. But the twinkle in her eye made Jessie grin.

  Coop smirked. “They will never see those birds again.”

  The turkeys came out one at a time, pecking at the ground as they made their way to the pasture.

  The meal was wonderful. Henry and Mary made their way around to the tables, talking with each of the guests as they finished eating. The staff was busy gathering up the dishes. A large gust of wind blew across the lake and hit the tables. Plates were blown off, and everyone made a dash for the ranch house.

  It looked like rain was coming. The temperature had dropped at least twenty degrees.

  “This looks like it’s going to be a wild one. I love the rain.” Coop and Jessie ran up to the porch and got a chair to watch the storm.

  “So, tell me about Australia. Does the weather get this hot? Do you have storms?” Jessie passed him a soft drink.

  “Thanks. Well, yes, it does get this hot. We have a rainy season, and then we have a long hot season. I think you learn to love what you grow up with. What was your home like?”

  “I grew up a couple hours east of Houston on the Texas-Louisiana border, in the bayous.”

  “Bayous?”

  “It’s about the opposite of your bush. The forest is swampland, and everything is green all year long. You really can’t dig a hole anywhere without running into water.” Jessie stopped to drink the rest of her soda. “I love my small town. I grew up knowing everyone there. It’s like you have all these parents looking out for all these kids. Everyone chipped in to help everyone else. If someone had a problem, it was a town problem. I love that, mostly.”

  The next five days were magical. Jessie extended her vacation at the ranch, and she spent those extra days with Coop. They took regular walks with the dogs each morning back along the river. They went horseback riding around the lake each sunset. During the day, they helped with ranch chores. Coop felt good enough to get back to full capacity helping Carson. Each night they relaxed in the front lounge, eating Mary’s cookies with milk. These were the times they seriously considered their futures.

  Another Texas thunderstorm was forecasted. The thunder and rain started in full Texas-style torrents. The wind was blowing the rain sideways, and they had to move inside. Mary was smiling and humming a tune. “It looks like we are going to get a flood again tomorrow.”

  Jessie asked, “Why are you happy about a flood?”

  Mary laughed. “Just you wait and see. This places turns into a wonderland when it floods through the forest.”

  The sky was black, and Jessie could see lightning in the distance.

  Henry came in. “Coop, could we use Chase to get the cows up to the front pasture? It’s getting dark, and the river is going to back up and flood the whole area down there.”

  Henry handed Coop some rain gear, and they both went out with the dogs.

  Jessie went upstairs to continue her search for a lawyer. Finally she had it narrowed down to a firm out of Houston who had offices in Sugarland. She had called them earlier and talked to one of the lawyers. She’d been lucky to get an appointment for the next day at 4 p.m.

  A FedEx package arrived for her after dinner. Now she had the complete contract and all the other paperwork pertaining to the record company set out before her on the bed. She decided it was high time to read the whole thing. She climbed up on the bed, and after moving the pillows around for comfort, she started to take notes.

  As she read, she discovered that if the contract was broken for any reason, the record company would give her fifty thousand dollars or ten percent of her projected income for the year. She would also retain all rights to any recordings made to-date. That was good news. She would need the money for the lawyers.

  She climbed off the bed and walked over to the window. The rain was coming down in buckets. She could already see the side pasture filling up with water. She had to admit this was pretty exciting, but canoeing through a forest was something she could do any day of the week back home. Maybe Coop would want to try it tomorrow morning.

  She climbed back over the pillows and throws to the head of the bed and started softly singing the song Coop loved as she drifted off to sleep. Patch jumped up on the bed beside her. Jessie stirred, reaching out her hand to touch Patch’s soft fur and slept soundly

  Henry and Coop walked back along the river road, fighting the wind as they went. Chase stayed close, his ears perked up and tail wagging. They opened the back pasture gate, Coop gave Chase the command, and off he went rounding up the cattle and driving them up to the horse pasture.

  “Now, that is a great dog! I don’t suppose you would consider selling him? Ranchers around here would pay a few thousand for a dog like that.” Henry let the water run off of his cowboy hat and put it back on.

  “No, Chase and I are buddies, but if you have a female, he could do the honors. I have been offered a lot of money for his stud services.” Coop was very proud of Chase. That dog loved his work. Some
dogs obeyed commands for approval, but with Chase, his love of the work was intrinsic. When ranchers saw that quality, they tried to keep the breed flourishing.

  “I will think about that. Let me have Mary check around for good females.”

  As they watched Chase herd the cattle, Coop stretched and winced in pain. “I guess I’m still a little tender.”

  “Have you tried the spa yet? You can get a massage that is out of this world. Any pains you have, they will know how to fix them. We do a lot of physical therapy in the spa. The clinicians we have are the best.”

  A little later, Coop grabbed a snack and headed for the spa. Mary had to take him downstairs to the basement and unlock the door with a master room key. He was surprised by the tunnel and glad he didn’t have to slog through the rain.

  “Why do you keep this place a secret? I would think it would be a feature of the resort.”

  Mary explained that guests paid differing fees for the type of vacation they needed. The top-tier vacation came with access to everything the resort offered, including the spa.

  Coop made his way to the reception desk, where they took an inventory of his needs and showed him back into one of the rooms. Soft music was playing, and the air was moist and smelled of basil and mint. The lights were low. His massage therapist was actually a physical therapist who worked for a professional sports team out of Dallas. Coop was very impressed with his credentials. Apparently he was a family friend and worked for Henry on his off weeks. He took a look at Coop’s back. “Looks like you were punched in the back with a cement truck.”

  “Curly, the bull, rammed me into a tree.”

  The therapist worked each muscle carefully, not putting too much pressure on the ribs. “You might consider getting your back aligned as well. Curly pushed a few vertebrae out of position. They might not bother you now, but they for sure will later as the rest of the back tries to balance out the pressure.”

  “Do you do that here?” Coop did not want to go to any office where his name would find its way onto a computer.

  “Sure, I can do it. I am a licensed chiropractor as well. These athletes throw everything out of alignment when they play. I am the one who puts them back together.”

  Coop was determined to keep Jessie in his life. But he knew the media would have a heyday if they got wind of a marriage so soon after Clara’s death. But he wanted a marriage. If she was willing. He couldn’t let her go, not now that he’d found her. There had to be a way to marry Jessie without outside interference.

  Once he made that decision, he relaxed and fell asleep on the table. An assistant came in, dimmed the lights, and covered him with a blanket.

  He woke up about an hour later feeling great. As he walked out of the room, the assistant handed him a smoothie made with cranberry juice and strawberries. It was delicious. He drank it as he headed back over to the ranch house. He wanted to talk with Henry.

  He found him on the front porch. The storm had settled into a steady rain.

  “How was it, Coop?” Henry glanced at the smoothie.

  “It was fantastic! I feel so much better now, even without pain pills. My back was out of alignment, and he said that was aggravating the ribs.”

  Coop stretched and sat down by Henry. “This past week, Jessie and I have been talking about our future. I feel we’re meant to be together. I’ve fallen in love. This is crazy, but I want to propose tomorrow night and need to get a ring. Where would you suggest I go?”

  “I can do better than that, Coop. We have an arrangement with a top-notch jeweler. We’ll have them bring out some rings for you to choose from.” Henry seemed thrilled. “She’s a wonderful girl; you would be lucky to get her.”

  “I would like to have a special dinner tomorrow out here on the porch for just the two of us. Can you do that?”

  Henry’s smile and spring in his step as he hurried to make plans with Mary made Coop Chuckle.

  On his way up to his room, Cooper grabbed a cookie from the kitchen. Henry and Mary were already talking about the dinner.

  When he got to his room, he called his mother. “Hi, Mom! Are you still in Sweden?” His mother asked if he was okay. “Yes, I’m fine. I just wanted to give you some good news. I’m in love. I’m planning to propose to Jessie tomorrow evening—I don’t know if you met her, she’s staying here at the ranch.” He was waiting for her to accuse him of moving too quickly, of not respecting Clara’s memory. But his mother was thrilled for him. “So, Mom, what is the deal—no questions or anything?”

  “I’m just so happy for you, Coop. I met Jessie when she visited you in the hospital. I knew I had a good feeling about her.”

  “Thanks, Mom. That means a lot. It’s another confirmation that I’m not crazy to do this.”

  Jessie was up later than normal—the rain had lulled her into a deep sleep. She stepped out onto the porch, the dogs on her heels, and was surprised to see that the whole place was under about a foot or two of water, from the porch steps over to the lake. It was such a difference from the day before.

  Before she could stop them, all three dogs across the porch and lunged into the water. They chased after the large carp that were swimming around on what used to be the front lawn. They were easy to see in the shallow water. The dogs sent sheets of water everywhere as they jumped after the carp.

  Coop came downstairs. As he stepped out onto the porch. he laughed and sat down to watch the show. Jessie looked over at him. “It really is fun when this place floods. Look at the dogs! Who knew there were so many carp in that river? I almost feel like going fishing, except—look, Chase already has one.”

  Mary came out then and called to Chase. “Bring him here, boy, that’s a good boy.” She looked over to Coop and Jessie, and laughed at their incredulous expressions. “I bury the carp in the garden. It’s great fertilizer. You should have seen the size of my zucchini this summer; the nectarines outdid themselves.”

  As she headed back into the house, she called back to them. “I’ll have Carson bring over a canoe for you. The water all goes downstream by early afternoon, so it’s now or never.”

  Coop pulled Jessie into his arms for a hug. She was so happy to see him this morning. All her worries seemed to diminish when she was with him. This could work, she thought. “Let’s test out that canoe.”

  Jessie reluctantly let go of Coop. Today was the day she would start the process to fight against her bad publicity. She was nervous but determined and glad to have Coop by her side. “This will be fun, Coop, I can’t wait.”

  Carson paddled over, dragging a canoe behind him.

  “The flooding comes pretty close to the house. I’m surprised they’re not more concerned.” Jessie stepped in, and it started to tip. But Coop climbed in and balanced the weight.

  Coop grabbed one of the paddles. “I’m not too sure-footed, if that is what you say about being on the water. But I’m game, let’s try this.” Coop leaned out as they pushed off.

  They made it to the bridge and looked back. Chase and Patch were swimming behind them. “Go back, Patch!” Jessie called. But they kept on following until Henry called them back over to the porch. The dogs turned back, sniffing the air.

  “Don’t worry,” Henry called to them. “I have some good rib bones here for them.”

  They paddled slowly, enjoying the atmosphere of the forest. There were a few squirrels barking at them in the trees.

  “The flood’s not our fault, little fellow,” Jessie called to a particularly vocal squirrel.

  As they continued through the woods, Jessie saw something swimming toward the river. “Look, Coop, what is that? Let’s go see.”

  They paddled over to see a baby pig paddling furiously but not making much headway. Coop paddled alongside and scooped it out of the water. The little thing was half-drowned.

  “We found a litter the other day; this must be one we missed.” She wrapped it up in her shirt. The cute little piglet nestled against her warmth and promptly fell asleep. “Oh, look, isn’
t that cute?” She hummed one of her songs.

  “You sing when you’re worried?”

  She smiled. “Yeah, I suppose I do.”

  He looked at the little pig. “And to help others.” His eyes held so much caring, so much love, she felt a lump grow in her throat.

  Coop looked a little nervous. “Jessie, would you care to join me for a nice dinner tonight? How about seven o’clock on the porch—just the two of us?”

  “I would love to. I have an appointment in the afternoon, but I should be back in plenty of time.” Jessie was excited but hesitant to be totally happy. She had to settle this problem with the record label first. It continued to weigh on her mind. She was also scared to tell Coop about it. But she was determined to tell him what had happened, maybe after dinner. It was something she had to do.

  As they paddled into the cypress grove, she felt more at home. ”This is what the forest near my home looks like. We have these big, old cypress trees with Spanish moss hanging everywhere. It’s kind of spooky really.” Jessie looked around carefully. This was just the kind of place where an alligator would want to hang out. She spotted one under one of the low-hanging branches. She pointed him out to Coop. “There’s a gator.”

  Just as he looked, the gator swished back under the water. “Well, we won’t want to swim here. We have crocodiles in Australia; not where I live, but I have had experience with them going after cattle.”

  “Tell me more about your home.” Jessie was so interested in hearing about his life. She was fascinated by everything about him.

  “The house has trees planted all around it. So, even though it’s an arid place, we have our own oasis. My mother has a fenced acre around the house. She planted trees so thick all around the perimeter that when you go out there, you can’t see anything but green. There are paths cutting through the thick foliage, flowers everywhere, and a pond with a creek running into it. On the side of the house, she had my father build a greenhouse so she can have vegetables all year long. Mom’s from the States, and so she made her own little haven in the middle of the bush.”