Page 18 of Captured by the Billionaire Cowboy (The Secret Billionaires #7)

“ H ow about a contest?”

“Sure, Davey.”

“The proceeds can help the horses.”

“Sure, Davey.”

“So it’s okay if we do it?”

“Sure, Davey.”

“We’re going to auction off your hand in marriage.”

“Sure, Davey.”

“He didn’t hear you, Davey,” Spencer drawled. “He’s too busy spying on Ciara.”

“That’s not true.” Rowan jerked his head away from the window where he’d been, well, spying on Ciara. He sat back in the firm chair and fought the urge to look out the window again. Failed.

He focused his attention back to the parlor and its bemused inhabitants.

The air that drifted through the window was warm and pure, sweetened by the roses that bordered the estate.

The room was decorated as an extension of the natural world, with emerald and sapphire brocade sofas that emulated the lakes and shores of Ireland.

The wood furnishings were sustainably sourced, a natural dark shade the perfect complement to the majestic outdoors.

Inside and out, the world was peaceful and calm, set to soft Celtic music playing through crisp speakers, a sweet backdrop to the bluebirds’ melodic tweets.

Unfortunately, his brothers were not quite as taken by the scene, or his excuse. Quinn smirked. “Then what were you looking at?”

Rowan gave in to his urges and looked outside again. But only because he had to formulate an excuse. Unfortunately, besides Ciara looking beautiful in a white eyelet blouse and curvy blue jeans, the view showed little more than an open field under a flawless cerulean sky. “The grass.”

Spencer snorted, Quinn chuckled and even Davey grinned. “The grass?”

“Precisely. I was deciding whether we should water it today.”

“Really?” Spencer grinned wider. “Even though it rained all day yesterday and half the night?”

“So I’d say the answer is no. You were saying something about a contest?” He frowned. “Did you say you were going to auction me off?”

Before his brother could answer, his true focus walked through the door and once more stole his attention. Ciara gave a smile as bright as the Irish sunshine. “Hi guys! I was just outside.”

“We noticed,” Spencer remarked.

“Some of us more than others,” Quinn added.

“He was spying on you,” Davey shared.

Ciara’s eyes widened.

“Davey has something to tell us,” Rowan quickly interjected. “I mean something else .”

Ciara’s gaze turned speculative, mirroring his own feelings, rare vulnerability, loss of control, uncertainty for the person who affected him more every single day.

After her phone call with her sister earlier, she’d rushed out on some clearly made-up errand.

Sooner or later, she’d have to face him.

He wouldn’t let her get away. Not again.

“You should run a contest.” Davey repeated his earlier proposal.

“A contest?” Ciara dragged her gaze away to regard the youngest brother. “A contest for what?”

“A contest to earn money.” Davey smiled broadly. “I heard you and Frank talking about the rescue center. You could sell raffle tickets to raise money. I bet tons of people would donate to such a great cause.”

Ciara gave him a warm smile. “Oh, sweetie, that’s a great idea, but I’m afraid I don’t have anything to offer as a prize.”

“What about Rowan?” Spencer grinned. “He’s real popular. You could offer a date with an actual cowboy. Or why stop at one date? You could offer him as a boyfriend or as a–”

“Absolutely not!” Everyone stared at Ciara.

Her mouth was agape, her eyebrows angry slashes.

Well, how about that? Clearly, she didn’t like the idea of other women dating him.

“I mean, I don’t think that’s a good idea.

” She blushed, yet a slight edge belied the words.

“Although I can see you were joking. Of course, so was I.”

Untrue. By her pink cheeks, she meant every single word. Spencer tried again, “What about a date with you?”

This time, Rowan interjected, “Not going to happen.” He didn’t apologize. Didn’t explain. Instead he stared boldly at her.

Her blush deepened.

“Maybe you could offer something else as a prize, like a horse,” Davey suggested.

“I’m afraid we can’t do that.” Ciara’s voice was kind. “It’s important to find responsible owners for every horse, especially those who endured trauma. We couldn’t just give a horse to whoever had the winning ticket.”

Davey wrinkled his nose, sighing loudly. “What about something else? It could be something fancy like a television or a gaming system. Maybe a big stuffed horse. Oh, I know! What about giving away a free vacation to the retreat?”

Ciara paused, before shaking her head. “I’m afraid it still wouldn’t work. We don’t even know if the horse rescue will open. I can’t promise a prize I might not be able to deliver.”

“What if you can deliver it?” Rowan turned to Ciara. “Even if the horse rescue isn’t open yet, or if it never opens, they can still stay here. As Grandma Leigh said, this is a real horse rescue. They can still enjoy a week working with the horses.”

She bit her lower lip. “But there won’t be any rooms to accommodate guests.”

“We have tons of rooms.” Rowan gestured to the hallways, which led to multiple chambers. “It wouldn’t be difficult to set up lodgings for the winner.”

“It could work,” Quinn broke in. “People will pay a lot for the chance to win a great prize. You could highlight the work you’re doing with the horses so they know their money is going to a good cause. It could also double as marketing for the center.”

“But aren’t there laws and regulations about this sort of thing?”

“That could be an issue.” Rowan tapped his chin.

“Instead of selling raffle tickets, we could make it free to enter, however, we could make a big pitch for donations on the page. Hopefully, people will donate at the same time they enter. I’ve done something similar with my charitable organizations.

” He cringed. He hadn’t meant to mention his philanthropy.

His brothers displayed various shades of surprise. Quinn regarded him carefully. “I knew you donated to worthy causes, but you never said you ran any organizations. What do they benefit?”

Rowan’s chest tightened. Only his accountants knew the extent of his charitable endeavors. “Different things.” He waved his hand. “Some benefit horses, others kids. A few for international causes, rare diseases–” He stopped. Why had he shared so much?

“Wow.” Both Spencer and Quinn stared. Davey didn’t seem surprised. Neither did Ciara.

“How many are there?” Quinn asked.

“Oh, I don’t know. Somewhere around a dozen, I think.

” Actually, there were at least two dozen, and double that when he counted partnerships.

At his brothers’ sharpened scrutiny, he fought to maintain his neutral expression.

“Anyways, my accountants know the rules to conduct the raffle, and the donation money can go to the horse rescue.”

Even though Ciara’s tone remained cautious, growing excitement edged her features. “But what if it isn’t enough? What if we raise money, but still can’t get the loan?”

“Then we donate the money to a different horse charity.” He had three . “No matter what, it will be used as it was intended.”

Ciara’s grin widened until it was pure sunshine. “That might actually work.” She grabbed Davey’s hand, spreading her contagious smile. “Thank you.”

Davey looked down shyly. “No problem.”

Even as Rowan succumbed to the good humor, with a broad smile that was as wonderful as it was unfamiliar, he couldn’t stop the excitement. Somewhere along the way, her dream had become his dream, too.

He would make it come true.

“Tell me the truth. Did you hide my phone?”

The suspect remained stoic, betraying no indication of guilt.

“Are you covering for someone?” Despite the harsh words, her tone was light, soft. “Be honest.”

“You shouldn’t be questioning him without a lawyer.” Rowan suddenly appeared behind her, his entrance stealthy and graceful, like a prowling predator. “He has a right to legal counsel.”

“Does he?” She eyed King with feigned suspicion. “I think he’s taking the fall for the real perpetrator. Have you seen my phone?”

Amusement glittered as he held up both hands. “I’m innocent.”

“Are you so sure about that?”

“Perhaps not.” He winked, then chuckled softly.

A moment later, so did she. How swiftly they had fallen back into their old camaraderie, almost as if no time had passed since they were two friends enjoying the endless summers of youth.

His smile was just as wide as hers. “You seem to be in a good mood, especially for someone whose phone is missing.” He straightened, stretching the clothing taut against sculpted muscles.

Now she was in an even better mood. “Not only has Davey’s idea given us a great way to raise funds, but we might have found the perfect person with hospitality experience.

I actually have a chance to make this happen.

” And, also, I am really enjoying the view.

Can you stretch like that again? Yes, perfect.

She cleared her throat. “After I find my phone, I’m meeting Teara to discuss a position at the retreat. ”

“That’s great.” Rowan nodded. “Want me to join?”

She bit back a wave of satisfaction. She’d wanted to ask him, but the risk of getting more attached stopped her. Of course, it would be rude to say no. “Sure.” She resumed her search for her missing device. “I know my phone is here somewhere. I just can’t remember where I put it.”

“That’s easy enough to solve.” He grabbed his own phone and started dialing.

“That’s a good ide– Actually that’s not a good idea. A terrible idea really. Stop!” This was bad. Really, really bad.

“What?” His finger hovered above the last number. “Why?”

“I can find it on my own. If you wait by the car, I’ll meet you in a minute.” Did she sound frantic? It didn’t matter. If he didn’t leave soon…

Intelligent eyes narrowed. “This will be much quicker.” He pushed the last button.