Page 172 of Her Boss, Her Rancher: Sunrise On The Ranch

“To asking if you’re in love with Bella. Because Lauren is sure she’s in love with you.”

“Cooper!” Lauren shot Coop a hot glare.

“God, you two. Of course I love her. Why else would I be so damn—”

“Idiotic?” Cooper’s brows lifted.

“Hurt?” Lauren suggested.

“Pissed off. Yeah, I’m pissed off, because...damn it. She broke up with me and left.”

“You didn’t stop her.”

“How could I? She betrayed me.”

“That again,” Cooper grumbled.

“If you really believe she betrayed you, then there’s no sense talking any more about it,” Lauren said. “But if there’s wiggle room inside your head, maybe you should rethink it.”

That’s all he had been doing lately...thinking. God, he missed Bella and that kid of hers. His house was like a morgue and it’d only been a few days.

Cooper’s cell phone rang and he answered it. “Hi, Mom.”

Jared began shaking his head. He didn’t need a tongue-lashing from his mother tonight. But Cooper looked straight at him and smiled. “Yeah, he’s right here.” He tossed him the phone. “Mom wants to talk to you.”

Jared mouthed a curse at Coop and then answered the phone. He was in for it. His mother wouldn’t mince words. She’d been on his case since the first accident. It didn’t matter that he was a grown man, worth millions, he was still her little boy worthy of a scolding. Crap. He got up from the sofa and walked out of the room. Seeing his brother gloating was too damn much to take right now.

An hour later, after downing two cups of coffee at Coop’s house, Jared drove home at a snail’s pace, needing the time to gather his thoughts. When he pulled into the garage, he cut the engine on his Jeep and sat there. Thinking. Special white-tile flooring and all the tools he’d ever need to work on his cars made this a very special place. His vehicles had all the bells and whistles, the finest money could buy. Though his Harley was being repaired and his Lamborghini was gone, all the rest of his collection shone sterling-bright, beckoning him to take them out.

Pick me and I’ll give you the thrill of your life.

His phone rang. It was Blake again, manager of his speedboat race team, and Jared knew what he wanted. It was time to pay the entry fees for the upcoming spring races.

Jared let the call go to voice mail for the third time today.

Then an idea popped into his head and he strode over to his hot red Corvette.

Bella finished wrapping Sienna’s final Christmas present and hid it in her bedroom closet. Her daughter understood that Santa would be arriving first thing tomorrow morning, with his special gifts to her, as much as a twenty-three-month-old child could understand. Yet she delighted in the spirit of the holiday, the decorations, the holly and a Christmas tree with lights that changed colors with the click of a remote control.

Bella and Yvonne baked cookies and fudge with Sienna’s help. Her daughter mostly licked the spoons and grinned like a monkey afterward. Seeing Sienna enjoy herself so much, a tiny bit of holiday cheer seeped into Bella. Things weren’t perfect, but her father had really come around and, for now, she would take it as a small miracle.

Bella descended the stairs and found her father in the parlor, playing blocks on the floor with Sienna. Yvonne had just come in holding a wrapped Christmas box. “This was just delivered. It’s something for you, Francesca.” She handed her the box.

“Thanks.”

She sat on the sofa and turned the box around on all sides, shaking it a bit, curious who had sent it. She lifted the lid carefully and moved the wrapping paper aside. A copy of theDallas Tribunewas inside. She shook her head and lifted it out. “See Page Three” was written diagonally across the front page in big, bold letters.

“What is this?” she muttered, turning the pages. And then she found the headline: Dallas Tycoon Jared Stone’s Charity Auction.

She blinked, her hands trembling. She continued to read on.

“What is it?” Yvonne asked after a few impatient moments.

“It’s an article about how Jared is auctioning off all his cars and motorcycles and will be developing a new foundation to benefit children’s causes. All of the proceeds of the auction will go to the foundation.”

Bella continued reading and then she gasped. “Oh!”

“What is it?” Yvonne asked. Her father’s eyes were on her, too.