Bossing the Cowboy (Circle B Ranch #4) - Kennedy Fox Page 0,41
older than me. As soon as he tells me how many hours he’s putting in at the hospital, I know this won’t work out between us. Between my own hectic schedule and his, we’d never get to see each other long enough to have a relationship. Regardless, I keep a smile on my face and the conversation moving. He’s an interesting guy, smart, good-looking, but there’s no real connection.
“I guess we should get going,” I finally say, looking at the time.
He gives me a grin. “We’re already late.”
“You’re right. But that won’t be why they’re lookin’ at us.” I shrug. My cousins are going to freak out.
Stephen’s a gentleman and opens the door for me to climb into his spotless Mercedes with pristine leather seats. It’s a shame it’s gonna get dusty after being on the ranch for a few hours.
The conversation continues all the way to Maize and Gavin’s house, and I’m thankful he’s easy to talk to.
“So you love it in Eldorado?” he asks, making the turn down the shell driveway. I already see cars and trucks lined up by the house.
“I really do. I love my job and being close to my family. Those two things are everything to me,” I admit.
“Ahh, so you like working with Dr. Wallen?”
I nod, hoping my cheeks don’t heat at the mention of Connor. “He’s alright.”
“He’s good at what he does,” Stephen continues. “Best in the area.”
“There’s no doubt about that. I’m lucky to have a job, considering there aren’t a lot of options,” I say as he parks. Stephen runs around the front of the car and opens my door.
I blush. “Thank you.”
“Any time.” He winks, and when we walk onto the porch, I can hear chatting inside.
I knock and am greeted by my uncle Jackson.
“Elle!” he says, grinning. “And she brought a date!”
Instantly, I’m embarrassed.
“This is Stephen,” I explain. “He works with Mom and Dad.”
Jackson slaps him on the back and chuckles. “That explains it.”
I scan the room, knowing Connor’s already here because I saw his truck outside. He’s nothing if not punctual. I’ve been thinking about how I’d act when I finally meet his girlfriend.
Though I don’t see him, I spot Maize chatting with Gavin, Rowan, and Kenzie. I lead Stephen over to them, and he greets everyone he passes.
“Hey, guys,” I say, giving Maize a hug when I’m close.
“Hey, who’s your date?” she asks.
“This is Stephen. He’s a doctor and works with my mom,” I tell them.
Maize introduces herself, and he greets Kenzie, Rowan, and Gavin. Being as polite as ever, he says, “You have a lovely home. Elizabeth informed me it was recently built.”
I see something flash behind Maize’s eyes that I can’t really make out, but she quickly grins. “Yes, well, it’s been a few months, but it took some time to finish. Plus, the Bishops love any reason for a party,” she chuckles and I do too because it’s so true.
She turns to me with wide eyes. “Can I talk to you for a quick sec?”
There’s something up but I can’t place it. “Uh—sure.”
As we turn to walk away, I spot Connor, and my eyes nearly bug out of my head when I notice the little girl standing next to him. Before Maize can explain, I know she’s his daughter because she looks just like him. Looking back and forth between the two of them, I’m at a loss for words. How did I not know he had a kid? If he can hide something as big as this, what other secrets does he have?
Thankfully, Maize breaks the growing tension. “Hey Connor,” she sweetly says. “I heard you brought a little guest with you.”
She leans down to take her hand. “I’m Maize. Thanks for coming to our party.”
“Hello, ma’am. I’m Olivia,” the little girl says. My face heats while my heart rate increases. I’m having a full-blown hot flash.
“Oh my gosh, what a sweetheart,” Rowan says, moving forward.
“How did no one know you had a child?” Kenzie blurts out, and I’m so thankful she has no filter and says what everyone’s thinking.
In typical unfazed Connor fashion, he replies, “Well, you never asked. Her mother lives in New Mexico, and we share custody. She visits over the summer and holidays. I picked her up early for our Thanksgiving celebration.”
It starts to make perfect sense, and I’m actually grateful he shared that much. Typically, he keeps information like that to himself.
I finally find some words. “She looks a lot like you.”