Page 40 of A Rancher's Bride
“Kelli, there’s someone over here you need to meet.” Diane had her by the hand, tugging her away from Luke without a by-her-leave, yet that was fine.
Kelli wiggled her fingers at an obviously amused pair of men.
“Take care of her for me,” Luke called after them.
“It’s okay. I’ve got bail money set aside,” Jack announced, their laughter fading in the distance as Diane dragged her away.
The whirlwind began. For the next four hours Kelli was enticed from one set of people to the next. Diane introduced her at times, Luke shuffling back into the mix to stand beside her and bring her into conversation with the people he already knew from his years travelling to deliver sales or while supervising stud services.
It was exciting to be in a place with so many people who honestly loved the industry. Before long, Kelli found any lingering anxiety she had over chatting with the big-wigs had vanished like dandelion fluff in a strong wind. She felt swept away to places unknown as she settled in a chair opposite a woman with hair that was teased to the heavens, her Texas drawl making Kelli smile.
Her friends from Heart Falls Girls’ Night Out would have rolled their eyes if they could see her now, because the evening had turned into a little bit of Kelli-heaven. Talking horses non-stop and hearing what was going on in a world that was far beyond her reach—perfect.
Not even the sensation that she was being watched closely by more than just Luke was enough to send her tumbling from her euphoria. The watchers weren’t scary. They were just…
Curious about her? Wondering about Luke’s new partner?
Timothy Carlyn was one. The older man had that distinguished look about him, with the grey hair and neatly trimmed beard and moustache; he could’ve been a poster boy forhorseracing billionaire of the month.
His attention wasn’t really creepy, but he definitely stared at her more often than seemed right.
Sweet, caring,bossyDiane was keeping an eye on her too, which made Kelli feel all kinds of happy and curious. After being pulled into a few conversations by her new bestie, it had become clear from the way others reacted that Ms. Jakarta was someonebigin the industry. Kelli itched to break out her phone and do a Google search, but she decided it would be far too rude.
So instead, Kelli buckled down and schmoozed.
The room held little clusters of seating arrangements and small tables where people could grab a drink and a bite to eat. They would chat for a while then move into a new setting with new people.
The setup was simple and, as it turned out, immensely enjoyable for Kelli because she had two wonderful things going on.
Bragging about Silver Stone was easy. She loved the place, loved everything about it. Add in the fact that Luke couldn’t seem to keep his eyes off her—
Concentrate, Kelli warned herself, dragging her gaze away from where she’d gotten stuck staring at him. She focused deliberately on the Texas woman in front of her.
Sadie Petrie paused to take a sip of her tea, a knowing smile curling her lips as her gaze darted between Kelli and Luke. “It’s nice to see two young people so obviously in love.”
Kelli wasn’t about to point out the difference between love and awakening lust.
The heat scalding her cheeks must’ve been enough of an answer to satisfy Mrs. Petrie because the woman laughed, patting Kelli’s fingers. “I won’t tease. Come. Let’s grab your young man, and the two of you can sit with me during dinner. I’ll introduce you to my husband.”
Nice people, Kelli decided. Diane and Jack and the Petries, and many more. She’d been wrong to assume just because they had money in their pockets that the entire group were going to be terrible or stuffy.
Then again, she’d made that assumption based on the only truly rich person she’d had much contact with. AndPenny’spast behavior meant Kelli couldn’t really be blamed for having jumped to some conclusions.
Through the rest of the evening, both dinner and the time afterward where, to her great surprise, everyone broke into groups and the cards came out for some family-friendly games, the sensation of Luke’s gaze upon her grew stronger. As if he were actually touching her.
She thought she was doing a good job at the gala, but as much fun and as important as the entire event was she couldn’t help but hope a little of the magic spilled over to the rest of their evening.
What would happen when they left and went up to their room?
* * *
Luke wasn’tsure what he was doing anymore.
The gala—fantastic. That part he had zero doubts about. As he suspected, Kelli was in her element as soon as she’d forgotten to be nervous. Watching her work her magic as she chatted excitedly about anything and everything related to their horses, well, after a while he hadn’t bothered doing anything more than run interference to make sure she didn’t get monopolized for too long. People seemed to want to take her home and adopt her as a pet.
There were a few couples to avoid, but Diane had also taken Kelli under her wing, which meant there were two of them running interference. It was awesome.
Speaking of Diane—Luke’s jaw had nearly hit the floor when he’d realized exactly who they’d fallen in with. The Jarkatas were partners in, or outright owned, a half a dozen of the top breeding stables in the south.
