Million Dollar Cowboy (Cupid, Texas #5)(92)

He met her gaze, sent her all the love he was feeling in that glance. "I will be back," he said firmly. "We'll talk this through."

"Okay." She smiled a gentle smile, soft and full of sadness. A smile that said she didn't believe him.

Not for a second.





Chapter 26




After Ridge left, Kaia was devastated. She'd given him her heart on a platter and he had rejected it.

We'll talk this through.

Those four words gave her hope. But was it false hope? Was she stupid to keep holding on?

One thing was for sure. She would make herself crazy with second-guessing if she stayed here by herself. She had to get out of the house.

Aimlessly, she drove by Tara's place, trying to decide if she should confide in her most nurturing sister. She spied Aria's and Ember's cars parked in her driveway and pulled in.

Tara answered the door on her second knock.

"What's up?" she asked.

"We're planning a welcome home dinner for Archer and Casey for Monday night. C'mon in."

"How come I wasn't invited to the powwow?"

"We thought you had plans with Ridge." Tara ushered her into the living room, where her sisters were seated on the sofa, glasses of wine on the coffee table in front of them.

"Why would you think that?" Kaia said.

"Aria saw you with him at the dog clinic."

"You were there?" Kaia shot her youngest sister a look.

"I stopped by to see if you wanted to come hang out with us, but you and Ridge looked pretty cozy, so I backed off."

"Sounds like you two are working things out," Ember said, and patted the cushion beside her. "Come sit down and tell all."

"Nothing to tell," Kaia denied, but she sat beside her sister. "Ridge was helping out at the dog clinic. That's all. After Duke's heart surgery and the complications of the last two weeks, he is finally getting out of the hospital fifteen days after he went in. Ridge left to go pick him up and fly him home."

"When I took a peek, Ridge was rubbing his chest all over yours," Aria snickered. "What was that about?"

Wisely, Kaia chose to ignore her.

"Want a glass of wine?" Tara asked, waggling the bottle of chardonnay that was almost empty.

Kaia raised a hand, wished she'd kept driving. Apparently she was in the hot seat over Ridge. Had Ember blabbed about the Song of the Soul Mate? "No thanks, I'm good."

"Don't be shy because it's almost empty. Aria brought two bottles."

"Oh?" Kaia shifted the attention to her youngest sister. "To what are we drinking?"



       
         
       
        

"I got a job," Aria said.

"Congratulations!"

"Thanks. I'm jazzed!"

Tara left the room and came back with the second bottle of wine, a corkscrew, and a glass for Kaia. Even though she didn't want the wine, she accepted the glass. She would be polite and toast her sister's new job, but then she'd be on her way.

"Doing what?" Kaia asked.

Aria grinned and tossed her head. "I'm working for Vivi."

"Huh? In what capacity?"

"As a wedding planner. At Archer's wedding, we got to talking. Archer and Casey had hired an outside wedding planner, and Vivi realized she was losing money by not including wedding planning along with the venue. But she can't do it alone, so she asked me if I'd be interested since I have a degree in public relations and, I quote, 'have a bubbly personality.'"

"Good luck," Kaia said.

Aria wrinkled her nose. "What does that mean?"

"It means good luck."

"You got a look on your face. It means something more."

"Pay no attention to my face," Kaia said. "I'm soured on Vivi because of the way she treated Ridge, that's all. I'm sure you'll love working for her. She's lucky to have you. Not only do you have a bubbly personality, but you're passionate about things that interest you. I can see you making a success of this."

"That means a lot." Aria grinned.

Sadie, a sassy Siamese that Kaia had coerced Tara into adopting last year, sauntered into the living room to see what was going on. Kaia's heart melted the way it always did whenever she was around animals.

Her sisters all ignored the cat because they knew if you went to Sadie and tried to pet her or pick her up when she wasn't ready, she would nip with her sharp little teeth. But if you waited and let her come to you, then you'd be rewarded with purrs and cuddles. Generally, Sadie's affections were random, unless Kaia was in the room.

"Watch how Kaia seduces Sadie," Aria whispered. "We're deep in conversation and without even being consciously aware of it Kaia started moving her fingers the minute Sadie appeared. Slow little scratching motions."