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“Or maybe she just doesn’t like strangers petting her.” Cloe held out her hand. “Cloe Remington.”

He took her hand. “Pleasure.”

“So you’re the one who adopted Taylor Swift,” Mrs. Stokes said.

“Not me. I’m just cat-sitting for a friend. I didn’t plan on bringing her this morning, but she’s taken to slipping out the door whenever I open it.”

“Cats do have minds of their own. I’m Fiona Stokes, by the way.” Mrs. Stokes looked over at Liberty. “That’s Liberty Holiday.”

Jesse glanced at her. His normal cocky smile was missing. “Liberty and I have already met.”

“Is that so?”

Liberty could hear the sly curiosity in Mrs. Stokes’s voice and she tried to squelch it before the woman got the wrong idea. “We met yesterday at a business meeting.”

Jesse’s eyebrows lifted and for a second she thought he was going to mention their first meeting at Cooper Springs. Instead, he nodded. “Purely business.”

Mrs. Stokes looked between them. “I’ve had quite a few . . . business meetings myself over the years.” She returned her attention to Jesse. “Cates. You wouldn’t be related to the Cateses who own C-Corp, would you?”

Jesse hesitated before he answered. “As a matter of fact, I am.”

“Then I guess you do know business. And speaking of business, I need to get to mine.” She nodded at Sweetie and Cloe. “Congratulations, girls. It’s about time we started repopulating this town.” After adjusting her stole around her shoulders, she headed down the street.

When she was gone, Jesse looked at Cloe and Sweetie. “It was nice meeting y’all.” He gave Liberty a brief nod before he turned to the door.

She stopped him. “Sheryl Ann doesn’t allow animals in the café after Milford Riddle brought in his goat and she ate the chair cushions.”

He didn’t smile. Liberty was annoyed by how much she missed his cocky grin. “Then I guess I’ll leave Tay-Tay in the truck.” He started for his truck, but again she stopped him.

“I’ll hold her for you.”

He blinked, his eyes confused and distrusting. And she really couldn’t blame him. She’d been all vinegar and now she was all sugar. He probably thought she had lost her mind. But talking with her sisters had made her reestablish her goal. If sucking up to a redneck kept her grandmother in her beloved home, she was willing to do some sucking. Which caused her to remember sucking his bottom lip into her mouth.

Her gaze lowered to his lips. By the time she realized what she was doing and glanced up, his eyes had darkened. The heated look made her tingle all over. She knew if they were alone, she’d be pressing herself against his hard body just like Tay-Tay was. He seemed to know it too because he looked away and cleared his throat.

“That’s okay. Tay-Tay can stay in the truck. I won’t be that long.”

Maybe it was her need to succeed at her goal of saving the ranch. Or maybe it was her annoyance at being so easily brushed off. Whatever it was, Liberty couldn’t let him refuse her offer.

“Don’t be an irresponsible pet owner. It’s too hot to leave her in the truck.” She walked around the picnic table and took the kitten from him, ignoring the hard heat of his chest and the sharpness of Tay-Tay’s teeth.

Jesse didn’t say anything. All he did was give her one more confused look before he headed inside. When he was gone, Cloe patted her on the back.

“Now was that so hard?”

It was a lot harder than she’d thought. Mostly because she couldn’t seem to control her body when he was around. “He’s still one of the most annoying men I’ve ever met.”

“You didn’t seem that annoyed with him today.” Sweetie smiled knowingly. “In fact, you looked like you were about to melt into the cement like a crayon left out in the sun too long.”

Liberty scowled. “Very funny.”

“Sweetie does have a point,” Cloe said. “I think you’re a little more taken with Jesse than you let us believe. And he must know something about business if Mrs. Stokes knows who his family is.” She pulled out her cellphone and started tapping the screen. “C-Corp.” Only a few seconds later, her eyes widened. “Oh my goodness.”

“What?” Sweetie leaned over her shoulder and looked at her phone. Her eyes widened too. “Holy crap.”

“Okay,” Liberty said. “What’s going on? Does C-Corp own carnivals? Because it would make sense.” She glanced at the huge truck. “Jesse’s a carnie if ever I saw one.”

Cloe looked up from her phone and shook her head. “No, his family aren’t carnies . . . they’re billionaires.”