The Rancher Meets His Match (The Millers of Morgan Valley #4) - Kate Pearce Page 0,102
you’re going to doubt my word about that as well, aren’t you? Because God knows you can’t trust a woman to tell the truth.” She smiled even though it hurt. “I have to get back to my father. We obviously have a lot to talk about.”
“Don’t—just walk away from me,” Kaiden said urgently. “If I’m wrong about this—I apologize, but can’t we talk it out?”
“What reason would I have to talk to a man who leapt to a million wrong conclusions and doesn’t trust me?” Julia blinked back tears. “Please don’t come to the ranch again, or at least wait until I’m gone.”
“Julia . . . this isn’t what I want at all.” Kaiden attempted to step in her path. “I told you I’d screw up. I wanted to make things right with you.”
“Too late.” She couldn’t bring herself to look at him. “Have a great life, Kaiden. Maybe you should make up with your dad and family because God knows why anyone would want to trust or care about you when you’re incapable of reciprocating. Maybe you’re far more like your father than you realize.”
She pushed past him, headed for the lobby, and went straight to the restrooms. Nancy was just coming out of the door, but she took one look at Julia and reversed course.
“What’s happened?”
“Nothing.” Julia sat down on one of the chairs in the anteroom and took the tissue Nancy held out to her. “Just my whole life imploding.”
Nancy sat beside her and put a comforting arm around her shoulders as Julia finally started to cry.
“I guess Kaiden Miller is being an ass?” Nancy asked eventually.
“When is he not?” Julia swallowed hard.
“That’s my girl.” Nancy squeezed her shoulder. “Any chance he can grovel sufficiently to make things better?”
“I don’t think so.”
“Well, that’s his loss. He definitely doesn’t deserve you.”
The door opened and Silver came in wearing a short, pink, shiny dress that would make most women look like Barbie, but somehow worked on the movie star.
“Oh, no!” She sank to her knees on the carpet in front of Julia. “Did he make you cry? I’m so sorry, I thought I was helping.”
Even though she had no idea what Silver was talking about, Julia automatically tried to think of something comforting to say. “It’s fine.”
“No, it’s not!”
Nancy stood and glanced down at Julia. “I’ll go and check on your dad, okay? I’ll tell him you’re not feeling great and that you might need to go home.”
“Thanks,” Julia said. “I really mean that.”
Nancy blew her a kiss. “That’s what friends are for, right? And if I see Kaiden I’ll kick him in the nuts for you.”
Silver took Nancy’s vacated seat, her gaze anxious, her hands clenched together in her lap. “This is all my fault. Ben told me I shouldn’t have interfered. I thought that if Kaiden knew about Brooksmiths, then he’d be better prepared to understand what you and Miguel might decide to do.”
Julia sucked in a breath. “You told Kaiden I was forcing Mr. Evans to sell his land to a developer who would cut me in on the deal?”
“No!” Silver looked aghast. “Is that what Kaiden said to you?”
“Among other things. I only told you about Brooksmiths because I thought it might be of interest to your foundation.” Julia blew her nose one last time. “Look, I appreciate you trying to help, but maybe you could go back to your party? I have to take my father home.”
“But I feel terrible . . . I was worried about what Miguel was up to with Blaine, and I added two and two and made five,” Silver confessed.
“Kaiden told you about Blaine and Miguel and yet he didn’t bother to tell me?” Julia looked up.
“Yes, he didn’t know what to do, because—”
“He assumed that the only way Miguel would know Blaine was if I put them in touch.” Julia stowed her last tissue in her purse and put on her flat shoes. “I can see why that would’ve worried him. It’s a shame he didn’t think to ask me about it rather than you.”
“We told him to call you and ask,” Silver said earnestly. “But he didn’t want to bother you because he really didn’t believe you’d do such a thing and he thought your father would’ve clued you in about everything.”
Julia stood and smoothed her skirts. “It’s a pity he didn’t keep believing that, isn’t it?” She smiled even though her face didn’t want to. “I need to go.”