Page 128 of The Guy Who Stole My Ranch

My first inclination was to deny it, but I was trying not to give in to the urge to be self-deprecating. “If you say so.”

“I do.” He pulled us onto the street. “We’re probably thirty minutes away from the party.”

“I guess we get to make awkward conversation then.”

“Nope. William asked me to have you call him in five minutes so he can get out of whatever he’s doing.”

“He’s using me?” I put a hand on my chest.

“He is.”

“I approve.”

We both laughed. Then Patrick’s handsome face turned serious.

“Brooke, you’re an amazing woman. Don’t let anyone at this party make you feel less than you are.”

I knew exactly what he was talking about. “I appreciate that, Patrick, but I did two years at Harvard law school. I know how to deal with rich snobs.” It had felt good to tell that story to William.

“You went to Harvard Law?”

“I did.”

“But you don’t practice?”

“Nope. I found my heart wasn’t in it.” Not after Adam Fowler had told me why he’d hired me for an internship.

“Well, maybe you’ll be okay.”

It may take a few minutes to kick the dust off of my Harvard days, but I could do this. “Trust me, darlin’, I’ll be fine.”

Chapter 34

-William-

“Nice play using your girl to call you out of the meeting,” Courtney said. I could smell the alcohol on her breath. This might be a long night.

I didn’t divert my eyes from the cars coming up the massive driveway. “You mean the meeting that never happened?” My father and I had scheduled a private audience with Matthew Grant to follow up on our earlier discussion, but he hadn’t bothered to show up. Still, Brooke had gotten me away from my parents.

That brought me back to Carlotta’s accusations. Even though she’d never been the woman for me, I wondered if I’d misbehaved in some way while we were together.

“Stop that.” Courtney moved next to me. “You’re not like him.”

As usual, my sister could tell what I was thinking. “I hope not,” I said quietly. I prayed she was right, because looking back, I had quickly given up on Carlotta and had likely been searching for the spark I now felt with Brooke.

“You’re not.” Courtney turned me toward her, brushed off the shoulders of my dark blazer, adjusted the fit, then nodded as if I’d passed inspection. I marveled that she could wear a dress that short and not be cold. She caught the eye of everyone she passed with the bold floral print that couldn’t be more than a yard of fabric in total.

“Your hair looks nice,” I said, referring to the updo she’d adopted for this event.

“No one but you is looking at my hair.” She slipped her hand through the crook of my elbow.

I smiled at her and shook my head. “You make it difficult when you dress like that.”

“I like dressing like this.” She pouted.

“I know.” I didn’t add that she’d just tossed yet another respectable young man aside. Courtney wasn’t prepared to change, and until she was, she’d be the same slightly horrible person I’d been best friends with since we were kids.

“Mom is going to eat this woman alive,” Courtney said.

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