Free The Rancher’s Royal Bride (BBW Romance - Billionaire Brothers 4) by Jenn Roseton Page B
Authors: Jenn Roseton
the courage to touch his face. They hadn’t had a moment like this since that kiss eons ago. Telling herself not to get carried away, she kept her hands at her sides.
“I guess you better go in.” Reluctance crossed his face and appeared at odds with his words.
“I guess so,” she echoed, not wanting to be the first one to break the moment.
“Go.” He pressed a kiss to her forehead and stepped back.
Ellie picked up the handle of her suitcase. Why did this suddenly seem one of the hardest things she’d ever done?
“Goodbye.” She stared at him for one more moment, then turned toward the departure lounge.
“Goodbye.” His voice sounded gruff once more.
***
It had been a wrench to see her go. It still amazed him how she’d handled the whole situation with her mother. With grace and maturity. Just being around Ellie made him feel lighter inside. When she’d first arrived, he’d still felt burned out from his career as a SEAL. Now, he found himself looking at life from a slightly different perspective. And he liked it.
But she didn’t need him anymore. The situation had been resolved.
His gut clenched. He didn’t want to say goodbye.
***
Ellie spent the next couple of days settling back into her old life. She had dinner with her parents, and although it was strange to see her dad and her newly found mother together, it also gave her a warm glow.
When she was at the office, concentrating on a complex design task, she still found her mind drifting back to the ranch, especially the time she spent with Logan after she met her mother. Those last few days in Wyoming had taken on a whole new quality compared to when she’d first arrived. And she realized that although it had only been two days, she missed Logan already.
The night she’d arrived home, she’d called Logan, as instructed. To her surprise, he’d seemed in a talkative mood. When they finally ended the call, she wished they’d talked even longer.
The next day, Logan texted her. Just to say hello.
Ellie returned his text.
That night, he called her. She relaxed on the sofa, holding the phone in one hand, and started twisting her hair with her other hand, before she realized what she was doing. Dropping the fingers touching her hair, she still enjoyed her call with Logan, although she was glad he hadn’t seen her act like that.
From her limited past experience, she knew that was a sign she had feelings for him.
She just wished she knew if Logan returned those feelings.
He must feel something for her, even if it was just on a friendship level. Otherwise, why had he called her two days in a row? But if he did have feelings for her that ran deeper than friendship, then why hadn’t he made a move on her? Besides that kiss when the PI turned up at the ranch.
Ellie decided to try and put it all out of her mind for a couple of hours at least, while she focused on finishing the painting of Salt and Pepper. She’d sketched the two horses at the ranch, and now she was home, had decided to turn that sketch into a painting. And it was coming along quite nicely.
The following day, she hung the finished painting of Salt and Pepper in her living room. Stepping back, she admired her work, wishing, not for the first time, that she could make a living from her painting, rather than work a day job as a cover designer and illustrator and paint on the side.
The phone rang, interrupting her musing. It was Logan.
Ellie curled up on the sofa once more, his deep rumbly voice making her feel as if he were sitting next to her and not nearly two thousand miles away in Wyoming. Pulling out her sketchpad from behind a cushion as she listened to him, she gazed at the portrait she’d drawn of Logan the night she arrived home. If she couldn’t be at the ranch, this was the next best thing.
Until the following day.
CHAPTER 9
Ellie woke up gradually, squinting her eyes against the sunlight seeping in around the edges of the lavender curtains.
“I guess you better go in.” Reluctance crossed his face and appeared at odds with his words.
“I guess so,” she echoed, not wanting to be the first one to break the moment.
“Go.” He pressed a kiss to her forehead and stepped back.
Ellie picked up the handle of her suitcase. Why did this suddenly seem one of the hardest things she’d ever done?
“Goodbye.” She stared at him for one more moment, then turned toward the departure lounge.
“Goodbye.” His voice sounded gruff once more.
***
It had been a wrench to see her go. It still amazed him how she’d handled the whole situation with her mother. With grace and maturity. Just being around Ellie made him feel lighter inside. When she’d first arrived, he’d still felt burned out from his career as a SEAL. Now, he found himself looking at life from a slightly different perspective. And he liked it.
But she didn’t need him anymore. The situation had been resolved.
His gut clenched. He didn’t want to say goodbye.
***
Ellie spent the next couple of days settling back into her old life. She had dinner with her parents, and although it was strange to see her dad and her newly found mother together, it also gave her a warm glow.
When she was at the office, concentrating on a complex design task, she still found her mind drifting back to the ranch, especially the time she spent with Logan after she met her mother. Those last few days in Wyoming had taken on a whole new quality compared to when she’d first arrived. And she realized that although it had only been two days, she missed Logan already.
The night she’d arrived home, she’d called Logan, as instructed. To her surprise, he’d seemed in a talkative mood. When they finally ended the call, she wished they’d talked even longer.
The next day, Logan texted her. Just to say hello.
Ellie returned his text.
That night, he called her. She relaxed on the sofa, holding the phone in one hand, and started twisting her hair with her other hand, before she realized what she was doing. Dropping the fingers touching her hair, she still enjoyed her call with Logan, although she was glad he hadn’t seen her act like that.
From her limited past experience, she knew that was a sign she had feelings for him.
She just wished she knew if Logan returned those feelings.
He must feel something for her, even if it was just on a friendship level. Otherwise, why had he called her two days in a row? But if he did have feelings for her that ran deeper than friendship, then why hadn’t he made a move on her? Besides that kiss when the PI turned up at the ranch.
Ellie decided to try and put it all out of her mind for a couple of hours at least, while she focused on finishing the painting of Salt and Pepper. She’d sketched the two horses at the ranch, and now she was home, had decided to turn that sketch into a painting. And it was coming along quite nicely.
The following day, she hung the finished painting of Salt and Pepper in her living room. Stepping back, she admired her work, wishing, not for the first time, that she could make a living from her painting, rather than work a day job as a cover designer and illustrator and paint on the side.
The phone rang, interrupting her musing. It was Logan.
Ellie curled up on the sofa once more, his deep rumbly voice making her feel as if he were sitting next to her and not nearly two thousand miles away in Wyoming. Pulling out her sketchpad from behind a cushion as she listened to him, she gazed at the portrait she’d drawn of Logan the night she arrived home. If she couldn’t be at the ranch, this was the next best thing.
Until the following day.
CHAPTER 9
Ellie woke up gradually, squinting her eyes against the sunlight seeping in around the edges of the lavender curtains.
Similar Books
Torchworld: Outsiders Collection
Dannielle Levan
Losing Faith
Scotty Cade
The Midnight Hour
Neil Davies
The Willard
LeAnne Burnett Morse
Green Ace
Stuart Palmer
Seven Kisses: A Beauty and the Beast Dark Romance
Giselle Renarde
Noble Destiny
Katie MacAlister
Daniel
Henning Mankell
Bringing Down the Krays
Bobby Teale