“I’m Lucy Renner.”
“Pleased to make your acquaintance, Miss Lucy.” He took a step back and gave her a courtly bow. “If you need anything while you’re here, just let me know.” He straightened again and wiggled his brows. “I do mean anything.”
Lucy heard something that sounded like a growl from Caden, but Chad’s grin only widened. “How long are you staying at the ranch?”
She shrugged. “The plan is for me to stay through the wedding. Garrett has asked me to go over the books and—”
“Not necessary,” Caden interrupted, stepping forward.
She bristled at his dismissive tone. Lucy had spent too much time being dismissed to ever let it pass without a fight. “That’s not what your father seems to think.”
“We have a financial manager who’s taken over the accounting since...” He paused, then said, “For the past couple of years. He’s immensely qualified.”
He didn’t add the words unlike you, but Lucy felt them linger in the air just the same.
“You can hang out with me,” Chad offered. “It’s quiet around here in the winter but there’s plenty of work to go around. You know how to ride a horse?”
“Not really,” Lucy admitted.
“Then I can teach you.”
“She’s not learning to ride with you,” Caden said, his voice pitched low.
“Listen to Mr. Party Pooper back there.” Chad hitched a thumb in Caden’s direction. “Speaking of parties, I’m meeting some friends in town tonight for a little pre-Christmas bash. Why don’t you join us?”
Lucy shook her head. “I don’t think—”
“Come on,” Chad coaxed. “You’ll have more fun with me than stuck out here with Caden.” He threw a glance over his shoulder. “No offense, boss, but you’re about as much fun as mucking a hog pen.”
“She’s not going with you. Grab a cup of coffee and let’s finish fixing the heater before the water freezes.”
“As in, we won’t have running water?” Lucy asked, trying not to sound panicked. She was by no means spoiled but definitely enjoyed a hot shower on a cold morning.
Chad winked. “We have to keep the water troughs heated for the cattle.”
“Can’t they eat snow?”
“No, darlin’. One of the biggest threats to livestock in the winter is the cold. The snow lowers their body temperature, which could be deadly. Our job is to keep them warm and safe.”
“Oh.”
Caden folded his arms over his big chest. “Your job is not standing in the house jawing all afternoon, Chad. You wanted a cup of coffee. Get it and let’s go.”
“If you change your mind about tonight, I’ll be leaving here around seven.” Chad pointed out the window toward a smaller structure about ten feet behind the main barn. “I’m out in the bunkhouse.” Another wink. “For your information.”
“She’s not going,” Caden repeated, glaring at Lucy over Chad’s shoulder.
If there was one thing Lucy hated, it was being told what to do. By anyone. It had led to some monumentally stupid decisions on her part, but it was a part of herself she couldn’t seem to rein in.
“I’d love to go to your Christmas party,” she told Chad, offering a slight smile.
“Hot damn,” the young cowboy said, slapping his knee. “I’ve got me a date.”
He shot Caden a gloating smile. “You hear that, old man? Miss Lucy here is going to be my date for the evening.”
Caden said nothing, but Lucy could almost see the smoke curling from his ears.
“I’ll see you later, darlin’,” Chad crooned before leaving the room.
Caden didn’t move, just continued staring at Lucy.
“Of course it’s not a date,” she said after a moment, pulling at the hem of the pale pink sweater she wore. Having lived in Florida for so many years, she had very little in the way of warm clothes and wondered if there was any discount shopping to be found in Crimson. “He’s far too young for me.”
“That won’t matter to Chad.” Caden spoke through clenched teeth. “Don’t let the aw-shucks act fool you. That boy is a player.”
Lucy wasn’t sure whether to be offended that he hadn’t denied she was too old for Chad or flattered that Caden was, in his own awkward way, trying to protect her from being hurt. “I’m not in the market for getting played. You don’t need to worry about me.”
He looked as though he wanted to argue, but said, “I wasn’t kidding about the ranch finances. One of Tyson’s friends from high school who’s a CPA has taken over since...”
“Since your brother died?” she asked gently.
“Yeah.”
“My mom told me it was a rock climbing accident. I’m sorry.”
Once again, Caden’s silence stretched so long she thought he might not respond. He looked past her, out the window into the darkening night. His green eyes filled with so much sorrow that Lucy felt an answering pull of sadness in her chest.
“I’m the one who’s sorry,” he said finally. “His accident was my fault.”
Lucy gasped, and Caden’s gaze shot to hers. All the vulnerability that had been there moments before was gone, his expression carefully blank.
“You don’t belong here,” he said, his voice so low she had to strain to make out the words. “I’ll hurt you whether I want to or not. It’s what I do.”
Then he turned and walked away.
Caden pulled open the door of Elevation Brewery later that night, the heat and noise of a festive bar crowd spilling out into the cold. He took a deep breath, then walked in, scanning the faces of the people without making eye contact with any of them.
“Caden!”
He stifled an amused sigh and turned to the dark-haired, dark-eyed woman waving to him like mad from a seat at the bar.
“Caden, over here!” she shouted as if he hadn’t heard her the first time.
Out of the corner of his eye, he saw Lucy Renner glance over her shoulder. But he ignored both Lucy and Chad, who were huddled together near the pool tables at the far corner of the bar, and moved toward the woman still feverishly waving at him.
“He sees you,” David McCay, the bar’s owner, told Erin MacDonald as Caden approached. The tall brewer with the overly long blond hair and a good two weeks of beard leaned forward to plant a kiss on the mouth of his fiancée.
“I didn’t think he’d come,” Erin said against David’s lips before swiveling her chair to face Caden. “I’m so glad you finally took me up on my offer.”
Caden blinked, looking around like one of the other bar patrons might be able to shed some light on what the sweet-tempered schoolteacher was talking about. Because he sure as hell had no idea.
David gave a soft chuckle. “He’s not here for you, darlin’.”
“I texted you about meeting here to talk about the animal-adoption open house next weekend.” Erin pointed a finger at him. “You’ve ignored my invitations to hang out with David and me for weeks. I figured bringing the animals into it might motivate you