Page 83 of A Rancher's Bride
A burst of laughter escaped him. “God, you know too many secrets. No, there were no double-done chores because I slacked off the first time. I was with Ashton, though. And Caleb.”
She nodded knowingly. “Business meeting.”
“Yeah, definitely. We were talking about Nemo. And you.”
Kelli curled her legs under her, sitting at his side. “Me?”
“How you’re good at your job. How you were the one who convinced us to keep him all those years ago.”
And then he proceeded to blow her mind.
By the time he was done explaining what the ranch had decided to do in terms of ownership and percentages, her mind was whirling. “I…I don’t know what to say.”
Luke stroked a hair behind her ear, his gaze fixed on her face. “Not much you have to say. If anything, we’re sorry it took this long to figure out you deserved more credit.”
“But Silver Stone—”
“Will be fine,” he promised. “Nemo is still here, part of the operation. And he’s not the only one up and coming. Also, we’re waiting to hear back from Jack, and the Petries, and a bunch of other contacts from the gala. You and I both know those are diamonds in the rough just waiting to happen.”
“But they haven’t happened yet,” she warned.
He shrugged. “We’re ranchers, Kelli. We know there are no guarantees. You deserve the credit, and that’s what this is. Plain and simple. It’s only logical.”
Kelli was tempted to keep arguing, but the expression on his face and that final comment were enough to dissuade her. “Thank you.”
It wasn’t enough, but it was all she could say.
Luke grinned. “It’s too late to go out and celebrate, but I did have something tucked away for a surprise. Got any room in that bottomless pit you call a stomach?”
Now he was talking. “Does it involve chocolate?”
Luke had made it to his feet, holding down a hand to pull her up as well. “Do I look like the kind of man who wouldnotprovide you chocolate when it’s time for a celebration?”
“Nope, you’re too smart to try that nonsense.” She followed him into the kitchen and waited as he pulled something from the freezer. He unwrapped a set of small circles and a small pot of dark brown sauce and popped it all in the microwave. She started to drool. “Oh my God, those are Tansy’s orgasm bites.”
Luke blinked in surprise before he laughed loud and hard. “Jeez, when I bought them they were called doughnut holes with raspberry chocolate dip, but your name is better.”
“That’s what I told Tansy, but she said the stuffier of her clientele would have kittens if she postedthaton the menu board.”
“Everyone else would buy the stock off her shelves the instant the doors opened.”
Five minutes later, he put the piping hot chocolate dip and a stack of doughnut holes and Oreo cookies on a plate, and they sat side by side at the island and demolished a million calories in celebration.
Thirty minutes later, he had her stripped naked under him in bed for the next stage of the celebration.
The evening did not suck for so many reasons.
Kelli stayed on a high for days. She trained Chili Pepper and worked beside Ashton and the guys. Familiar tasks, but somehow the days were shinier because she spent her evenings with Luke enjoying hours of lazy conversation and laughter that inevitably ended in bed.
Tuesday she used her coffee break to climb into the loft after one of the barn cats. She ended up following the creature to the side where a stream of sunlight pooled on the hay bales, forming a perfect bed to lie on her back, stare into the rafters, and daydream about Luke.
Tansy had been right. Giving their relationship time to grow was not a hardship.
It was warm and cozy, and the scents of the barn had lulled her close to sleep before voices brought her to full attention. Caleb’s deep rumble and Dustin’s younger version echoed off the quiet walls.
She debated calling out to let them know she was there, but the sun on her limbs weighed her down and made her slow to react.
“You okay?” Caleb asked.
