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Eloise
Surprisingly, not much happened in the days or even weeks following Madeline’s arrest. Eloise couldn’t believe how easy it was for the town to accept what had been going on under their noses. It wasn’t like they had much of a choice, but even the known gossipers turned to something else rather quickly.
Maybe there was something to be said about that.
Rather than discuss Shane’s strange and failed business partnership with his cousin, the ladies shifted their focus to his newest interest.
They wandered along a trail, side by side, as they led their horses behind them. Today was a day to relax and be grateful that their plan hadn’t backfired. There was still no indication that Madeline would use her trump card against them. Last they’d heard, she was due for her court appearance and had been on her best behavior.
Eloise leaned into Shane, a contented sigh escaping her lips. “This is nice.”
He turned and pressed a kiss to the crown of her head. “Yeah, it is.”
“You know, we could have been doing this a lot sooner if you had been more open about what Madeline was up to.”
The warm chuckle that reverberated out of his chest gave her pleasant shivers. “And how do you suppose that would have gone? Would you have even believed me?”
She scoffed, stopping so he was forced to do the same and face her. “I would have believed you.”
He arched a brow, though a smile tugged at his lips. “Really? Because I’m pretty sure that you ignored my recommendations to stay away from Marc.”
Eloise made that sound again as she poked Shane firmly in the chest. “Well, maybe that was meant to be. He seems to have grown because of it. And, to be fair, Marc turned out to be a better ally than you expected.”
“Yeah, that was a… surprise.”
“Why is it so hard to accept that he’s a good guy?”
Shane shrugged. “He wasn’t always agood guy. But I will say that he seems to be reformed. I guess I never got over how he was pursuing you. You probably would have started dating him if everything had gone according to Madeline’s plans.”
Eloise cocked her head to the side, studying him. This was a side of him that he rarely showed her. He was usually so closed off—unwilling to open his heart to her. Lately, he’d made great strides in making those connections that had been so hard at first. He told her about growing up without his parents and what had happened when his grandfather passed. It would have been easy to hate Madeline even more after what he’d told her, but she didn’t. If it weren’t for Madeline and Marc, he might not have ended up in Copper Creek. Everything he’d experienced had brought him to her.
Which only made his statement about Marc that much sweeter. If she hadn’t gone on those few dates with the man Shane despised, then they wouldn’t have ended up together.
Eloise reached up to touch his face, tracing his jawline with her fingers. “Well, even if he hadn’t gone to prison, you still wouldn’t have to worry about me dating him. Because I’m in love withyou.”
Shane wrapped his hand around her fingers and brought them to his lips. He brushed a soft kiss to her fingertips, sending fresh waves of electricity through her body. “Good. Because I have something to talk to you about.”
He stepped back and pointed east. “Do you know what’s out that way, just over the crest of the hill?”
She laughed. “I don’t think I’ve explored that much of your property. I mean, has anyone at the club even gone riding out this far? The trail looks like it’s barely been used.”
Shane pulled her close, one arm around her waist as he leaned his face closer to her ear. “Just over that hill is a ranch property that I bought.”
Eloise’s brows pulled together. “The country club already sits on the biggest piece of land other than my father’s ranch. Why are you expanding?”
“You want to go see it?”
“I guess. But what does this have to do with our discussion?”
“You’ll see.” His arm still around her waist, he guided her back to their horses and helped her into the saddle.
She stared down at him as he double-checked the straps for the saddle bags they’d filled for their picnic. His hands made quick and sure work of his task. They weren’t large or calloused like her father’s hands, nor like the hands of any ranch hand that resided in Copper Creek. But they were his, and they fit perfectly with her own. Those were the hands that could set her on fire with a single touch. They were the hands of a man she loved.
He glanced up at her and grinned. “I can’t wait for you to see it. I have a feeling you’re gonna like it.”
“I’m sure I will.”
“No.Reallylike it.”
