Cougar in Texas (Rugged and Risque 3)

Caleb laughed. “I don’t know. This is a strange moral dilemma.”

Sam seemed to give the situation some thought, then nodded and said, “I agree. On the other hand, we’re not doing something reckless or frivolous. This isn’t about our social and economic status. It’s about horses and people. And dreams.”

“True. And I feel very strongly we’re doing the right thing. With the inn too. Reese has already booked a wedding, a vow renewal ceremony and three parties, all scheduled in late spring. She’s going to start interviewing for her staff and has a number of prospects she’s excited about. I’m really looking forward to her pulling it all together.”

“She has great instinct and insight. She’s a hard worker too.”

“I think this is exactly the project she needed. Something bigger and more challenging than her B&B. She lost her passion for it because of her ex, but this inn has her undivided attention.”

“Almost,” Sam joked.

Caleb grinned. “Thankfully she can juggle the inn and me.”

Sam was quiet as he put more thought into the situation, then said, “You need to take her to Dallas on Saturday. Let her meet Dad and Judith.”

With a shake of his head, Caleb said, “Not a chance in hell. They’d chew her up and spit her out. Look at her. I’m not sending a lamb into the lion’s den no matter how crazy I am about her.”

“That’s your problem right there,” Sam said with the stern, older-brother voice he only used when needing to drill a point into Caleb’s sometimes stubborn head. “You keep her under wraps and it’ll be hell to pay when everyone finds out about her.”

He groaned. “I know. But it’s not fair to subject her to our family.”

“I’ve seen the way the two of you look at each other. And you practically feed off the other’s ideas. There’s something there, Caleb. Don’t fuck it up by trying to shield her. You’ve seen Judith go to work before. Don’t make my mistake by thinking you can ‘eventually’ spring her on our parents. It’ll never happen.”

Caleb removed his hat and raked a hand through his hair. Sam was perpetually single because the only woman he’d ever loved had caved under the pressure of Dallas—and Bennett—society when he’d finally brought her around.

“Reese seems resilient. And don’t forget…I’ll be there to help run interference.”

Caleb groaned. Of course he wanted to take her to the party. But he didn’t want her tangled in family politics.

Giving more thought to what Sam said though, Caleb knew if he was truly serious about Reese—and he was—he had to let her presence in his life known.

Sooner rather than later.

So that night, as he and Reese lay in bed, he said, “Sam and I are going to a party in Dallas on Saturday. Interested in attending?”

“What’s the occasion? New Year’s Eve isn’t until next Monday.”

He didn’t bother mentioning the new jewelry bestowed upon his mother at Thanksgiving, just said, “There typically isn’t one. It’ll be a quaint shindig of two or three hundred of our parents’ closest friends and relatives.”

She whistled under her breath. “They call that a quaint shindig?”

“It won’t be without ulterior motives from both my mother and my father. But I’d like to introduce you around.”

With a smile, she asked, “As what? New manager of your imaginary inn?”

“Well, there is that.” He reached for her and pulled her into his arms. “But I was thinking more along the lines of my girlfriend.”

Her brow crooked. “Girlfriend?”

“Yeah.” He kissed her. “You have a problem with that?”

“Not in theory. But the label seems kind of youthful for a thirty-one-year-old divorcee.”

“I’d introduce you as my sex goddess, but that might not go over too well.”

“Ha, ha.”

He grinned. “What would you prefer, darlin’? Significant other? I’m more than okay with that.”