Free The Rancher’s Royal Bride (BBW Romance - Billionaire Brothers 4) by Jenn Roseton Page A

silvery bells. When she told her mother what a pretty laugh she had, Katerina informed her with a smile that Ellie’s laugh sounded just like hers.
    When she wasn’t spending time with her mother, or doing ranch chores, Ellie went horse-back riding with Logan. Although they hadn’t kissed again, and sometimes she wondered if they ever would, she enjoyed the time they spent together. She appreciated his quiet strength and knew she would miss him when she returned home. More than miss him.
    What would have happened if her mother hadn’t turned up? Would Logan have invited her to stay longer at the ranch when it turned out the danger had passed? Or would he have waved goodbye to her and gone back to his quiet life? Alone.
    Ellie would always wonder if something could have developed between her and Logan. If he liked curves.
    When she’d first arrived at the ranch, she couldn’t wait to go home. Now, she didn’t want to leave. At all. But she knew she had to. She had a job to return to , for a start. Her father lived a short distance away from her apartment, and now she had a mother she was slowly getting to know.
    Since meeting Ellie, Katerina had rented a luxury apartment in Virginia, sight unseen, almost equi-distance between Ellie and her father. She planned to move in shortly after Ellie returned home. Ellie wasn’t sure if her parents had actually seen each other again since that emotional day, but every time she saw her mother, Katerina usually mentioned her father in conversation
    She guessed she’d just have to ask her dad about it when she arrived home later that day. Her mother had offered to drive her to the airport, but Logan had already informed her that he would be the one taking her to catch her plane.
    After breakfast, Logan carried her suitcase to the SUV. “Ready?”
    “Ready,” she confirmed, her eyes sweeping over the old farmhouse. She’d already said goodbye to Salt and Pepper earlier that morning.
    Logan ushered her inside the vehicle, then looked over at her before he started the engine. “You’re welcome here any time.”
    “Thanks.” A soft smile touched her lips. Things had definitely changed between them in the last two weeks. She doubted he would have said that on the first day she arrived. Now, he seemed just as reluctant to see her leave as she was. Or was it just her imagination?
    They didn’t talk much on the way to the airport. Ellie looked out the window, wondering if she would come back one day. Although she and Logan had become friends, she suspected that was all he felt toward her. Too bad she couldn’t say the same. She ached for him to take her into his arms and kiss her once more, to touch her, flirt with her, but Logan kept his eyes on the road, his driving sure and steady.
    Over the last few nights, she’d started dreaming about him. Naughty dreams. But, she guessed, that’s all they would ever be. Just night-time fantasies. Besides, he probably wasn’t into curvy girls.
    Once they arrived at the airport, Logan stayed by her side while she checked in. “Call me when you get home.”
    She looked at him in surprise.
    “I want to make sure you had a safe flight.”
    “Okay,” she replied, touched at his thoughtfulness. Over the last two weeks, he didn’t seem nearly as gruff and grumpy as he had been when they’d first met. She didn’t know if it was because of everything that had transpired with her parents, or if he just took a while to open up to people. Whatever the reason, she liked the result.
    He drew her to him. For one crazy moment, she thought he was going to kiss her. Her heartbeat accelerated from anticipation, and just from standing this close to him. His hands lightly touched her waist, and she could feel the heat of his touch through the fabric of her clothes.
    She held her breath, his dark brown eyes smoky with an emotion she couldn’t quite name.
    “Don’t forget to call me when you get home.”
    “I won’t,” she murmured, wishing she had