Page 27 of Captured by the Billionaire Cowboy (The Secret Billionaires #7)

“ T he horse rescue is a go.”

Caught between confusion and a dare to dream, Ciara stared, as the words echoed in her mind.

The men’s widening smiles gave credence to Davey’s claim, but how could it be true?

What could they possibly know that she didn’t, something so tremendous it made the horse rescue tenable?

“What do you mean?” she asked cautiously.

“The horse rescue is happening!” Davey exclaimed. “It’s going to work.”

She exchanged a glance with Rowan, whose obvious confusion mirrored her own. “I don’t understand. Of course, we hope to open the rescue, but there are still obstacles.” Mainly the lack of capital and little opportunity to gain it. It was not impossible, but the chances never seemed so slim.

Davey frowned at his brother. Spencer nodded encouragingly. “Tell her about the contest.”

“Oh yeah. The contest is a success!”

Ciara blinked, as the tiniest sliver of excitement sparked. “It is?”

“It is,” he confirmed with a big smile. “We went viral.”

“Viral?” The implications slowly churned, kindling the spark. “You mean the contest spread on social media?”

Spencer nodded. “Because traditional advertising is expensive and limited by market, we focused on social media.” He opened his laptop.

“I hope you don’t mind, but we shared the story of how you rescued the horses.

Our family has a wide network of contacts, and we asked everyone to share the story on social media, and they asked their friends and so forth.

We hoped it would spread through the Internet.

” He smiled widely. “It worked. Guess how many times it’s been viewed? ”

“A few hundred?”

“Try thousands.” Spencer beamed. “Hundreds of thousands and growing.”

Hundreds of thousands? “Oh my goodness. How many horses we can now save. Thank you, thank you, thank you! Even if only a small fraction actually donated, it would be enough.”

“That’s right.” Spencer winked. “And a lot of people donated while they entered to win an amazing retreat. The money added up.”

“And added up.” Quinn grinned.

“And added up.” Davey laughed.

“And now this is the number.” Spencer handed her a small piece of paper. “Or was, as of a few hours ago. It’s probably more now, and it will definitely grow before the contest closes tomorrow.”

Rowan stood over her shoulder, brushing against her as she read the amount. And read it again. And once more, just to be sure. “Oh. My. Goodness,” she repeated, but nothing else was appropriate. She looked up, waited for them to reveal the punch line to what had to be a jest.

But instead they just smiled widely. Davey gave a thumbs up as Uncail Frank congratulated her. “Mrs. Murphy won’t be able to deny you that loan now.”

“If you even need it.”

She still needed it, but not like she did before. Davey was correct: Her dream was indeed coming true.

“You can even buy your own ranch.”

Ciara froze. For a moment, her mind reeled, a facet to the success she hadn’t considered. With the combination of contest money and a loan, she could indeed purchase her own stables. She was no longer tied to Rowan’s ranch.

No longer tied to Rowan.

Rowan stared at her with a tight expression.

Would he argue if she announced her intention to leave?

Would he try to change her mind? Although it would be wise to consider other options, something in her so firmly rejected the notion of moving, the thought so patently wrong, she couldn’t even consider it.

She shook her head. “I won’t find something as perfect as this. With Rowan’s generosity, I’ll help the most horses here.”

And remain tied to Rowan.

Rowan nodded, his satisfaction as stark as her success.

Something unspoken passed between them, as if a monumental decision had been made.

Spencer, Quinn and Frank all sobered, clearly noticing it, too.

Only Davey was still focused on the excitement from the contest. “You should get to the bank right away! Can I come? Can we have ice cream?”

Ciara dragged her gaze away from Rowan, smiled and held up her hands. Now she had to focus on the rescue. “Hold on just a minute. I made a mistake by not being prepared the first time I went to the bank. This time I’m going to be ready.”

“That money will go a long way.” Frank tilted his head towards the earnings report. “She couldn’t possibly deny you now.”

“It’s a start, but money wasn’t her only concern.” Ciara rubbed her hands together. “She said I had to possess the right experience and skills – or employees with them – to make the operation a success. And she was right.”

“Those resources are vital,” Rowan agreed. “We need a business plan. We should create a comprehensive proposal for every aspect of the operation, including both the rescue and retreat.”

“Exactly,” Ciara continued, not protesting that he said we and not you . She also wouldn’t mention the satisfaction it wrought.

“That was another benefit of the contest.” Spencer tapped the kitchen counter. “It’s generated a great deal of interest in the rescue. Dozens of people asked when we’d be open for business, and others inquired about the horses available for adoption. You’re off to a great start.”

“We should highlight that to Ms. Murphy,” Rowan pointed out. “We’ll add it to the business plan.”

“I have a lot to do.” Ciara flexed her fingers as excitement buoyed her, along with the unease of overwhelming responsibility. She never expected matters to move this quickly. Her to-do list had just quadrupled in size, and of course her first priority would remain the horses.

As if Rowan sensed her disquiet, he moved closer, put a hand on her arm. “We’ll get through it together. Why don’t we start the business plan right away? If we work today, we should be able to visit the bank tomorrow.”

“I can reply to people who inquired about the retreat,” Spencer offered. “I’ll thank them for their interest and promise to contact them when we have more information.”

Rowan’s brother had already done so much for her cause. “Are you certain, Spencer? You have your own work.”

“I don’t mind.” He gave a mischievous smile. “I’ll do it whether you tell me to or not, so you might as well say thank you.”

Ciara laughed softly. “Thank you. That would be great.”

“We should start taking reservations as soon as we get approval from the bank. That way we won’t lose the interest the contest generated.” Rowan opened a notes app on his smartphone. “Travelers make plans months in advance. We should start scheduling the moment we know our opening date.”

Ciara gestured to the field, where several horses strolled with trainers. “A more pressing need is to process the families interested in adoption. The ultimate goal is to get these beauties into safe, comfortable homes.”

“We already have more people interested than horses available.” Rowan swiped through files.

“Of course, not everyone who inquires about a horse can or will adopt, but the numbers are promising. We should give all serious applicants a phone interview, even if there are too many eligible families. That way we’ll be ready when we obtain more animals. ”

Of all the good news, that was the best. If they placed the horses, they could help others in need. “I still check my rescue websites daily, and there are many in dire situations. I’d like to pursue more as soon as possible.”

“I can take care of calling people,” Frank offered. “Tomorrow is my day off, and I don’t have any plans.”

Ciara nodded eagerly. Frank knew more about horses than anyone, and he was excellent at reading people. He’d be great at vetting the applicants.

“If you want to do it today during work hours, go for it,” Rowan extended. “With all the extra people at the ranch, we can spare you.”

Ciara smiled at Rowan. “Thank you,” she said simply.

“You’re welcome.”

For a moment, silence reigned as they locked eyes. Then someone cleared their throat. “We’d better get to it.” Rowan gestured towards the door. “If you want, we can work in the stables so you can be near the horses.”

She nodded, amidst a bloom of satisfaction. Few people would suggest doing business in a stable just to keep the horses company. “That would be great.”

They split up, each embarking on the promised tasks.

While the brothers and Frank set off to contact customers, Ciara and Rowan traveled to the stables, where they spent the next six hours forming a comprehensive business plan that would impress an MBA.

They touched on every aspect of the plan, adding scrupulous details and methodical explanations.

Through it all they kept mainly to business.

Well, expect for the two kisses Rowan stole.

And the three she stole.

By his obvious satisfaction, Rowan was well-aware of his effect on her. Her effect on him could not be denied. And, for once, she simply couldn’t convince herself that was a bad thing.

“Hi Sweetheart. You’re looking mighty pretty today,” Rowan cooed.

Yes, actually cooed. The horse whinnied softly as she pranced around the large paddock, happily munching apple slices.

By her behavior, no one would guess the trauma she’d endured at Old Man Darton’s ranch of horrors.

Now she was friendly and active, socializing well with both humans and horses.

She’d make a nice permanent addition to their horse rescue.

Their horse rescue. Somehow, he already considered it a certainty.

Of course, he could’ve financed it himself, or simply created his own, yet he wanted to be part of this rescue, with Ciara.

He loved her drive, her independence, even as it interfered with his instinct to take control.

When they learned of the contest’s success, allowing her to build the horse rescue on her own terms, he worried she would reject his offer of the stables.

Yet she hadn’t seemed to consider it. He’d been pleased, surprised and immensely satisfied.