Page 294 of Cowboys & Navy SEALs

The silence that settled between them was so awkward Brooke felt compelled to carry on a semblance of conversation. “Rigby Bros. Ranch is quite a ways off the beaten path. Is it hard living so far from the city?”

“Not especially. We have everything we need here.”

“Really?” That was a laugh! The ranch was falling down around them, hence the arranged marriage. “Don’t you miss having a shopping plaza nearby? Or restaurants? Or a fitness center? You know, those amenities that make a person feel whole.”

Cynthia chuckled. “Not everyone has to be surrounded by the superficial in order to feel whole.”

Unaccustomed to being on the receiving end of a tongue-lashing, Brooke had her fill of this drab woman, who had a much higher opinion of herself than she deserved. She was starting to second-guess her decision to bite her tongue. It was obvious Cynthia had no intention of accepting her into the family circle. She’d stood silent like a mute, while Cynthia leveled jab after jab. Time to even the score a little because she wasn’t about to walk on eggshells for the next eighteen months. “So, how long have you and Luther been married?”

“A year this coming fall.”

“Wow, that was fast.”

Cynthia’s voice grew strained as she instantly rose to the bait. “What do you mean?”

“Sylvia’s only been gone two years.” She paused for effect.

“Your point?” Cynthia snapped as she finished undoing the last set of buttons.

Brooke shimmied out of the dress and took a deep breath, relieved to be free of the tight thing. “Thank you, that feels so much better.” She tossed it on the bed and strode over to her suitcase where she unzipped it and pulled out a robe. Quickly, she wrapped it around her. “My point is that I can’t imagine that it has been easy on Nash for his father to remarry so quickly.”

Cynthia’s eyes went hard. “Nash’s feelings are none of your concern.”

“On the contrary, everything that involves Nash is now my concern. He is my husband.”

Cynthia’s face turned an ugly red that made her hair look even whiter. “In name only!”

“Contractually, we are bound together.” She studied Cynthia. “Let’s cut to the chase. You don’t approve of me, do you?”

Her chin jiggled as she clenched her teeth. “I certainly don’t approve of people marrying for money.”

“Oh, so you’re against marrying for money, but you had no scruples about marrying a poor widowed man, while his wife’s body was still warm.” She clucked her tongue. “Now that’s a bit of a double standard, don’t you think?”

Cynthia gasped like she’d been slapped. “You’re a horrible person.” Her eyes flashed with anger. “And I won’t let you use Nash to suit your selfish purposes.”

She couldn’t believe what she was hearing. “My selfish purposes?” She let out a humorless laugh. “My father’s money is being used to keep this miserable ranch afloat. Luther’s profiting from it. Nash’s profiting from it.” She looked at Cynthia. “And you’re profiting from it. So while you’re accusing me of being so horrible, you might want to take a look in the mirror.”

Rage filled Cynthia’s eyes as she shook her head and then turned on her heel, slamming the bedroom door behind her.

Chapter 12

A hot shower and change of clothes did wonders to improve Brooke’s mood. Thankfully, she’d not seen hide nor hair of Cynthia since their encounter. She made her way into the large kitchen, her stomach rumbling. There was fresh fruit in a bowl on the island. She selected an orange and then opened the refrigerator, hoping to find some sliced turkey or the like to make a sandwich. She was tempted to hire a personal chef for the duration of her stay at the ranch, because she suspected that most of the meals would be heavy on fat and carbs. Also, she was going to have to find some way to work out. At the very least, she would bring in a treadmill and elliptical machine.

“Well, hello there,” a voice boomed from behind her.

Brooke jumped, startled, as she turned to see a petite woman with short, spiky red hair. “Hi,” she stammered.

“I see you’re finding your way around the kitchen.” She pointed to the bags of ham and cheese that Brooke was holding.

“Yeah … I hope you don’t mind. I slept through breakfast.” Her voice dribbled off, and she felt intensely awkward.

“Not in the slightest. You have to get up pretty early around here to catch breakfast. It’s at 6 a.m.”

“6 a.m.? That’s early.” She must look a slob for sleeping in until 8:30.

The woman laughed. “Yep, those are ranch hours, for ya. Don’t worry, you’ll get used to it.” She held out her hand. “Myrna Flores.”

Brooke took her hand and was surprised by the strength of it as Myrna gave her a hearty shake.

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