Free Wedding His Takeover Target by Emilie Rose Page A

We all did. Until now.” Anger flattened his lips into a thin line.
    Demanding parents and a desire to escape were two things they had in common. Her perfectionist parents had never forgiven her for failing to meet their standards. They’d considered her an embarrassment and she hadn’t spoken to them in years.
    But this wasn’t about her. “What about your mother?”
    He focused on the mug cradled in his big hands. “She died from cancer when I was four. I barely remember her.”
    Her mother may not have been the milk-and-cookies type, but she’d always been there at least physically…until Sabrina had needed her the most. “I’m sorry.”
    â€œIt happens. If we finish the repairs on time you’ll have a few days to relax before your guests arrive. What will you do with the time?”
    Relax? What was that? She’d been so busy doing her job and picking up Pops’s slack that she couldn’t remember the last day off she’d had. She shrugged. “I don’t know. I used to ride horses on the trails, but—”
    She bit off the thought. She didn’t want to imply the inn wasn’t financially secure to a shark like Gavin. Besides, her hobbies were none of his business.
    â€œI didn’t see any horses.”
    Busted. “Pops sold them after my grandmother died because they were too much work for him to manage alone and they reminded him of her.”
    â€œWe have horses at The Ridge.”
    They had everything at the resort. “Goody for you.”
    â€œThat was an invitation, not a boast. If you want to ride I’ll take you.”
    Tempting—except for the part about having to endure his company. The man irritated her like a blister forming on herheel halfway through a long hike. She just knew he wasn’t going to get better as time passed. “Thanks, but no.”
    She had to get out of there and away from him even if all she did was freeze her fanny off with an hour of window shopping. The waitress provided an opportunity when she strolled by with the coffeepot. Sabrina caught her attention with a wave. “Excuse me, could I get the check, please?”
    â€œSure.” The woman peeled off the ticket and laid it on the table.
    Sabrina reached for the bill, but Gavin moved a split-second faster. Her hand landed on the back of his. The contact uncorked something in the pit of her stomach, releasing a flood of fizzy heat that gushed through her like froth from an ineptly opened bottle of champagne.
    She snatched back her hand, severing the connection, but her palm continued tingling, and her body bubbled with excitement she never expected or wanted to experience again. “Hey, I was going to pay that.”
    He shook his head. “I’ll get the coffee. It’s the least I can do considering you’re going to be feeding me three meals a day for the next three weeks.”
    Horrified, she stared into his dark eyes in dismay. “Says who?”
    â€œHenry. He actually offered me room and board, but I already have a place to stay.”
    Thank God for small favors. “I’m sure the food will be more to your liking at Jarrod Ridge.”
    â€œI’ve been eating gourmet food for months. It’s time for a change. I’m looking forward to your good home cooking.”
    At that moment she didn’t like her grandfather very much. What had he gotten her into?

Five
    C aldwell’s old bones had been right, Gavin concluded as a cold gust of wind cut through his turtleneck, chilling the sweat he’d worked up while unloading the building supplies from the truck bed.
    He monitored Sabrina’s progress as she carefully picked her way down the brick sidewalk through the snow that had begun feathering down five minutes ago. The stubborn woman had insisted on helping him empty the truck despite the worsening weather. And while he admired her grit, as Henry called it, Gavin didn’t