Page 32 of The Rancher’s Ecstasy

Daisy’s head lifted as she sat behind the front desk when the front bell rang. She watched as a man in a suit walked in. She frowned and looked down into the reservation book already knowing they didn’t have someone new checking in. Every cabin was full. She didn’t understand how someone would want to be out in the stormy weather.

“Hello, welcome to Knight Ranch. How can I help you?”

The man drifted to the high desk, but his gaze continued to move around the room. A look of slight disdain on his face.

“Yes, sweetheart. Can you tell me which cabin my wife is in?”

Daisy frowned at the man’s arrogance.

“Certainly. Who is your wife?”

“Emily Holmes.”

Before the name registered, Daisy heard a sharp inhale from behind her and turned to see Cole. Daisy’s heart tore at the devastation on her uncle’s face. She blinked back the tears that burned her eyes before turning back to the man.

“You’re her husband?”

Winston frowned at the young woman. “Yes. Now can you please give me her cabin? She’s expecting me.” Daisy turned again toward Cole before facing the man yet again.

“Um, okay, she’s in cabin five. I can show y—”

“No, I’ll take him to the cabin, Daisy.”

“But Uncle Cole. I can do it.”

“No, I need to do it. I was going that way already.”

Daisy stuttered. “But...” She wanted to be the one to see Emily’s face when she saw this man. She just couldn’t believe Emily had been lying this whole time about being divorced.

“Listen, I don’t care who takes me. I just need to be with Emily. I know she has missed me. It’s been so long.” The man’s impatience interrupted them.

****

“Follow me, please.” A massive roll of emotions ran through Cole. The disbelief, the will to fight for her, the distrust, and the grief.

Winston followed Cole out of the house and down the front steps and into the rain that was steadily coming down.

“I don’t think I caught your name?”

“I’m Cole Knight,” he said gruffly without stopping.

“You’re the owner of this place?”

“Yes,” Cole bit out.

“It must bring in a lot of money?”

Cole’s hands balled until his knuckles turned white. “Her cabin is over here.”

Cole stood for a brief moment before knocking at Emily’s door, acutely aware her husband stood right behind him.

His heart flipped at the ecstatic look on her face when she caught sight of him.

“Hi, Cole. Why’d you knock?”

Cole couldn’t form any words through the tightness of his throat, so he moved to the side to show her the man behind him.

He watched as pure, unadulterated shock crossed her face.