Page 77 of Captured By the Billionaire Cowboy
And that was the most telling of all.
CHAPTER 15
It was time.
The day of the grand opening, the day the horse rescue officially commenced, the day her dreams became a reality. Ciara had been waiting for this her entire life, and now it was finally happening.
She woke far before her alarm. She jumped out of bed and smiled widely at the sunshine streaming through the window, the flawless setting for her new venture. She’d already chosen her clothing – a royal blue blouse with ruffle sleeves and dark blue jeans embroidered with shimmery flowers. She let her hair flow freely down her back, held at the front by two silver clips with crystal embellishments. Grabbing a granola bar, she bounced out of the room.
The tantalizing scent of pancakes teased her as she approached the country kitchen. She loved the Irish version of her favorite breakfast food, thinner than its American counterpart, almost crepelike in appearance, and topped with sugar and lemons. She walked in just as Rowan removed a pancake from the griddle, the slim, moist cake steaming with delicious promise. He placed it on a plate and topped it with a hearty lemon compote. Even in her rushed state, Ciara stoppedshort. By the raw ingredients in the kitchen, these were not from a mix.
“Good morning.” He carried the plate to the wooden table and placed it directly in front of her. He pointed to her foil-wrapped would-be breakfast. “I knew you would try to escape with just a snack. You need energy for today.”
She should say no, should gobble her granola bar and head straight to the horses. But the pancakes smelled divine, and he’d gone to so much trouble. She sat down, grasped the utensils he offered. Biting into the steaming cake, she sighed. “Your cooking is amazing. Is there anything you can’t do?”
He stopped, tapped his chin. “No, I don’t believe there is.
“And so modest, too.” She grinned.
“Absolutely.” He stood to his full, impressive height, and she gulped. There was nothing modest about the sexy cowboy.
She quickly wolfed down two pancakes, then drank a tall glass of freshly-squeezed orange juice from a cut crystal goblet. He took double the amount, leaning against the counter as they conversed. It was decidedly domestic, and far too comfortable. When they finished, she sat back and sighed.
“Are you sure you don’t want more?” He appeared beside her, in his usual stealthy way. He smelled as delicious as the pancakes, and suddenly she wantedmore.
But not pancakes.
Pushing aside traitorous thoughts, she picked up the empty dishes and brought them to the sink. She ran tap water over them. “I couldn’t eat another bite, but thank you. I probably wouldn’t have eaten a single meal today otherwise.”
“I know.” He nodded. “Which is why I made these.”
Warmth infused her. He’d cooked a whole breakfast just to make sure she ate well. He truly was a good man.
“You’ll be busy this afternoon.” He touched her arm, spreading electric tingles. “Promise me you’ll take a few minutes to eat.”
“I have so much to do–”
“Ciara,” he warned.
“All right.” She lifted her hands in mock surrender. Of course, if he was going to have a say in her life, she would take care of him, too. “Make sure you don’t overdo it either. I saw you carrying that heavy equipment yesterday. It was too much.”
“Too much?” Sapphire eyes narrowed precipitously. “Are you saying I’m not strong enough to carry equipment?” The powerful man edged closer, surrounding her in strength. His eyes glinted danger.
Desire hit, fast and hard and all-encompassing. “I know you’re strong. Really, really strong.” She wet her lips.
He flexed his biceps, his gaze darkening. “If you want to leave this kitchen sometime today, you may want to stop licking those luscious lips. Now.”
Passion-filled features proved he was only half-joking, firing the inescapable urge to test it. However, she could steal no more time. Workers, vendors and her first official guests would soon arrive, and a massive amount of work remained to be done. She jumped up. “I’ll see you later!”
He made a playful swipe for her as she darted away, and she laughed. His words chased her. “Next time, I’ll catch you.”
She couldn’t wait.
She devoted herself to last minute preparations, double- and triple-checking the arrangements to ensure everything was progressing smoothly. During the day, visitors would interact with the horses and learn about the rescue center’s mission and accomplishments. Workshops would provide details on the animals and their care, and experts and professionals wouldanswer questions. Families interested in adoption could request more information.
Guests would also have the opportunity to ride the horses – ponies and smaller horses for the children and standard horses for the adults. They would enjoy horse-themed games and activities, such as a game show where contestants could win prizes. Bounce houses and an obstacle course would provide additional entertainment for the kids.
There would be plenty of food, from typical festival fare – fluffy cotton candy, doughy pretzels and buttered popcorn – to Irish treats like chocolate pie. Lunch was from The Bread Bowl, and in the evening, they would host an old-fashioned country party catered by Grandma Leigh. They would announce the winners of the raffle and the name contest then, both live and online. All the winners of the smaller prizes, of which there were many thanks to the generous donations of the townspeople, would be listed online. Spencer had also offered to post regular updates throughout the day on the website and social media sites.
