Rancher Untamed. Katherine Garbera

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      “Oh, well, then the charity wouldn’t have made as much tonight. Somehow, I think that makes it all worth it,” she said.

      There was something different about her tonight. She was more confident. She’d always seemed to be a little bit on edge, her eyes frequently going to the door of the café where they’d met. It used to bother him when he’d first started running into her in town, but now he’d gotten used to it.

      “Was that what brought out your wallet? The charity?”

      She flushed again. “It is a very good cause. Children are so vulnerable and really at the mercy of the adults in their lives.”

      “Were you?” he asked. He couldn’t help but be curious about her past. And how could a nanny afford the generous bid she’d placed? Maybe it was because she didn’t really have any expenses living in her own house on the Rockin’ C ranch. And she’d told him at the coffee shop that her daily lattes were her only indulgence. But still. No one knew much about her. She never mentioned her last name, and he knew from Nathan—Kinley’s husband—that Pippa had met Kinley on a bus in Las Vegas, of all places.

      But she was a British woman with no apparent connection to her homeland. And Diego, who was proud of being American, didn’t understand that.

      “I had everything a child could wish for,” Pippa said. “The best toys, a first-class education and a stable with horses that even the legendary Diego Velasquez would envy.”

      “Legendary?” he asked, ignoring the sadness that underpinned her words. So she had been born with money, but when she’d come to the United States, she’d left that behind. He’d seen the way she lived. Frugal was one word for it. But it was deliberate.

      “Don’t let it go to your head, but you are sort of a superstar with horses. I mean, when I’ve brought Pippa out to your stables to ride, I’ve seen the way the rowdiest stallion settles down for you.”

      “I get horses,” Diego said.

      “But not people?”

      “Some people,” he admitted. Mo had warned him to not talk about his horses or breeding program around women and bore them when he was in his early twenties. Diego had seen his success with the ladies increase after his brother’s advice and still followed it now.

      The DJ had gotten set up, and as the drinks from the open bar flowed, more people were moving toward the dance floor. Pippa finished her margarita.

      “Do you want another drink?” he asked.

      She shrugged. “I’m not a huge fan of tequila.”

      “What would you prefer?” he asked.

      “Something sparkling. I want to celebrate.”

      He raised one eyebrow and took the margarita glass from her. “I’ll be right back.”

      He went to get them both some prosecco and then returned. “How’s that?”

      “Much better,” she said, lifting her glass toward his.

      “What are we celebrating?” he asked.

      “My birthday,” she said. “I’m twenty-five today.”

      “Happy birthday, Pippa.”

      Twenty-five. She was five years younger than him, but the way she said it made him realize there was a lot more to the story. She took a sip of her drink and he did the same, making small talk until they had finished. The band was playing “Despacito” and Pippa was swaying to the music.

      “So, Pippa, what are we going to do?”

      She tipped her head to the side. “I’m not sure what you mean. What are we going to do about what?”

      “This night,” he said. He put his hand on her waist and drew her closer to him.

      “I’m not sure,” she said softly.

      Her breath smelled sweet like the prosecco, and her face was so close that his lips tingled. He remembered how soft and succulent they had been beneath his earlier.

      “Well, I’m yours...for tonight,” he said out loud to remind himself that it was only for this night. “Tell me what it is you want me to do.”

      She tipped her head back and their eyes met. Her lips parted and he felt her hand come to rest on his shoulder. “Show me a good time, cowboy.”

       Two

      Once the auction was over and the winners collected their bachelors, it was as if all the tension left the room. Pippa felt freer than she’d felt since...well, ever. Her whole life she’d felt the burden of her inheritance and knew that she’d have to make the right choices when she became an adult. Her mother had coached her and told her to take her time. Not to marry young, as she had, because even though she loved her family she felt she’d missed out on so much of life.

      Her father was a different story. Having married into the House of Hamilton fortune, he had wanted to do everything to make his own mark on the legacy jewelry company. But instead he’d always come up short. She knew this from a frank discussion two of her cousins had had with her when she’d turned twenty-one. She had been at that odd age where she was both an adult and also not yet allowed to take over her inheritance, which she couldn’t do until she was twenty-five. Her father had full power over many things including voting her shares and her position on the board.

      “Another prosecco?” Diego asked, interrupting her thoughts.

      “Uh, that, or champagne will do. I’m a sucker for anything sparkling,” she said. Now that she’d won the man she’d been eyeing around town for the past two years she had to admit that she didn’t know what to do with him.

      Her life with Kinley and Penny had been quiet and sheltered. She knew all of Dora the Explorer’s little friends but really felt awkward with a man. That was sad. She aimed to fix that tonight.

      He snagged two champagne glasses from a passing waiter and handed one to her. “To a glittering night.”

      She clinked her glass to his and then took a sip. She loved the bubbles in champagne and how they felt on her tongue. She closed her eyes and let the sip stay in her mouth awhile before she swallowed. When she opened her eyes, Diego was watching her and the look in his eyes made her feel...well, not awkward anymore.

      The DJ was playing a good mix of dance tunes and slower ballads, along with some standards that got the older generations up on the dance floor, but all Pippa could think about was that she was free. After staying hidden so long, and that being the focus of her every day. Hoping she wouldn’t be found before she could claim her inheritance...and now that fear was gone. She’d known her father had private detectives searching for her. And she’d been careful to keep the Hamilton-Hoff name hidden. Not that she couldn’t trust Kinley, but if she had to lie, that was her responsibility. Lying was her choice and not one she wanted to force her friends into. All she had to do was wait for her claim to be validated and then...her new life would begin.

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