Page 47 of Her Bachelor Cowboy Billionaire
“All right. I understand, and I’ll try to control myself and not push you.”
They were both quiet for a few minutes.
She laid her head on his chest, then sat up. “Aren’t you worried about the rustling?”
“I am.”
“And?”
“And I believe it’s well in hand.”
“I think Mannie has something to do with it, and so does Alice. I think she’s getting information from him and sending it to her rustler buddies. I also think Mannie is aware of what she’s doing.”
He cocked an eyebrow. “You could be a detective. Do you put in all your novels some suspense? I noticed one in the novel I read.”
“Whether it’s my historical and contemporary novels, I always put a bit of suspense in them, so I do research. I can’t be a detective, but I get a feeling sometimes for…” She shrugged. “Who knows what?”
“Okay, I think you should let this one go.”
She sat up straight and turned toward Roark. “But, I can help. Really—”
He held up a hand. “Stop. Let me explain.”
“When he realized after she moved in that Alice was using him, he came to me, and we went to see the Gallatin County Sheriff. They’re getting very close to arresting all the rustlers.”
“I got the distinct feeling Mannie doesn’t like me and that was before any mention of rustling cattle was made.”
“When all this is over, we’ll find out how he really feels. He’s a good foreman. I would hate to let him go.”
She was aghast. “Why on Earth would you let him go? Because of me? No. I won’t have it. I’ll feel guilty for the rest of my life if you do that.”
“I’ll keep Mannie on.”
“He’s doing a good thing for you, your ranch and all the other ranches this gang has hit.”
“He is, and that should be rewarded. I’m glad we see things like this the same.”
She sat up straight and then scooted away from him before angling her body back toward him. “You were testing me? That’s a terrible thing to do to me.” She stood. “I’d like to go to bed now. Maybe I’ll see things differently in the morning.”
He stood and picked her up. “Okay. I had planned for us to go camping tomorrow, but you’re injured, and I don’t want to go without you.”
“I’m sorry I can’t go with you.”
They entered the kitchen, and he set her down next to her crutches. “Thank you. Goodnight, Roark.”
“Goodnight. Would you like some help to bed?”
“No, thank you. I’m getting good at navigating from the kitchen to the den.” She made her way down the hall to the den. Sitting on the sofa, she removed her shoes and then laid back on the blankets.What am I getting into? Are my feelings for Roark real? How could he feel the same as I do? And yet I feel like he does. He’s in love with me. Am I really in love with him? Or am I letting the electricity I feel when we touch cloud my common sense?
