Page 45 of Captured by the Billionaire Cowboy (The Secret Billionaires #7)
“ D escribe how a horse views the world.”
The boisterous audience erupted in conversation, as the question appeared on the large screen. Several hands rose, then more and more, as Rowan traversed the stage. He waited a few moments, then pointed to a little girl with a bright purple dress and blond pig tails.
“With his eyes?” she ventured in a voice as sweet as the cotton candy she clutched.
So cute. “That’s true.” He handed her a small stuffed animal shaped like a horse, then turned to the rest of the audience. “Can anyone be a little more specific?”
The audience conversed louder, and a few called out educated and/or humorous guesses.
When all was quiet, he continued, “Horses have bigger eyes than any other land mammal. Because their eyes are located on the sides of their head, they can see nearly 360 degrees – almost all the way around them. Ironically, the only places they can’t see are straight ahead and right behind them.
” He grinned at the little girl. “Would you like your mom to see behind her?”
“No way!” the little girl’s brother shouted before the girl could respond. “I’d be grounded forever.”
The crowd laughed. Good humor abound, amidst the successful fair, the elated crowd, the horses that would soon be going to new, loving homes.
Rowan had never felt so part of something, even at his own ranch.
In a roomful of people, he’d always been alone.
Not anymore. He connected with people, forming new relationships, redefining old ones.
The entire town had come out to support the horse rescue – and Ciara.
He slid a glance to his co-host. She was laughing at something the little girl said, her natural affinity for children sparkling. For just a moment, he allowed himself to imagine what it would be like to be part of the sea of happy families, to have a wife and kids.
No. He couldn’t be a part of that, not when he was so like his father. Yet as his gaze returned to Ciara, for a sliver of a second, a voice whispered, What if?
Ciara asked the next question for the trivia game, snagging his attention from impossible dreams. “Do horses have emotions?”
This time, the whole audience shouted “Yes!”
Ciara tossed half a dozen plush horses to excited children. “That’s right. Very strong ones, actually, and they respond to human emotion. That’s why it’s important to always be gentle, kind and patient with them.”
It was now Rowan’s turn, but he’d run out of questions. The crowd was still excited, and they had a few minutes before the next activity. He spoke into the microphone, “You did so well with the trivia, you mastered all my questions. Does anyone have a question for us?”
Several hands shot up. He pointed to a boy in the back, who shyly asked, “What do horses eat?”
“Horses are herbivores and eat vegetation,” Rowan answered. “They enjoy hay, bran and rolled oats as well as treats like apples and carrots.”
“So no pizza?” the boy joked.
Rowan laughed. “I’m afraid not.”
Several other people raised their hands, and Rowan and Ciara took turns answering. Ciara gravitated closer to him, and they frequently brushed sides. He doubted she even noticed. He couldn’t stop noticing.
After several more horse-related questions, the little girl with the purple dress raised her hand again. “Are you two married?”
Rowan smiled as Ciara’s cheeks tinged pink. “I’m afraid not,” he said lowly.
The little girl pouted. “Why not?”
Rowan chuckled as the girl’s mother hurriedly shushed her. The crowd laughed, but interest sparked in their features, speculation and knowing smiles. Ciara’s blush deepened.
There were a hundred ways he could respond, a witty response, a lighthearted joke or nothing at all. Instead, he lowered his voice as if telling a secret, even as it reverberated through the speakers. “I really can’t think of a good reason why not.” Then, he winked.
The crowd laughed, but Ciara stared at him. Was she trying to interpret his response? Did she know what it meant?
He did.
“Isn’t it amazing?” Ciara whispered, as the little girl caressed the horse’s flank, gazing at her with pure adoration.
Soon she would be taking the horse home, a wonderful journey that would change both equine and human.
Her family was one of several that commenced the adoption process, and more were inquiring every hour.
“Today has been more successful than I ever dreamed, and it’s not even over.
So many horses are going to loving families. ”
“You did this.” Rowan edged closer, gently tucking a lock of hair behind her ear. “With the horses that have been adopted, we can take new rescues soon. You should have no problem filling the stables.”
“I’ll do my best,” she promised. “There are hundreds of horses in need. The most important thing is getting them adopted quickly so we can save new ones. We only have limited space.”
“Actually, I’ve been meaning to talk to you about that.”
She stiffened. They barely had enough room for the horses as it was.
Still, it was his ranch, and she couldn’t protest if he decided to repurpose some of the stalls.
Yet decreasing the space wasn’t what he had in mind.
“We could use a few more stalls, don’t you think? ” He handed her a piece of paper.
She unfolded the crisp white sheet to reveal a detailed drawing, including blueprints and a map. She flipped the page over and read, “Ranch Expansion Plan.” She looked into brilliant blue eyes. “I don’t understand.”
“Well, you see–” He pointed to a shape depicting a large, long building in the center. “These are the new stables. The paddocks will be adjacent and stretch to the west. And this is where the additional residences will stand.”
Ciara blinked at the paper. “You can’t be serious.”
“I can’t?” He folded his arms across his chest, stood tall.
“Well, I mean you can, because you own it, but still…” She fought for focus, amidst a thousand images of what the extra space would mean. How many more horses they could save. “This is going to cost a fortune, and we don’t even know if the rescue will be successful.”
“I’d say this is a pretty good indication.” He gestured to the bustling fair. The sounds of delighted conversation played perfect melody to the hometown affair. Before she could protest further, he leaned down. “Just say yes and be happy. I can afford it.”
Yes, he could. Wealth and power defined Rowan Byrne. “I am happy,” she said softly. “Ecstatic, elated, but also stunned. I can’t believe this is happening.”
So true, and yet a whisper of sadness threaded through the perfection.
Would she actually see any of the improvements?
If she proceeded with her plans, she’d be long gone by the time they broke ground, tracking the progress through grainy cell phone photos and secondhand retellings.
She’d have another job in America, and barely any time for the horse rescue that had redefined her world.
Unless she didn’t leave…
Oblivious to her thoughts, Rowan glanced around, before slowly leaning down and bestowing a brief, yet oh-so-sweet kiss. She licked her lips, fought the urge to ask for more. With him, it was never enough.
His eyes mirrored her desire. “I want to do this for you. And for the horses that deserve new lives.”
She reread the plans, as her heart skipped ahead like a prancing mare. Not only could they rescue more horses, but additional retreat beds meant more revenue to help the animals recuperate. “Thank you.” she whispered, edging closer to his solid form. “You don’t know how much this means to me.”
“Someone is excited.” Teara strolled up with Chelsea, entering the conversation with a brilliant smile, which widened as Ciara jumped back from Rowan. Yeah, they were fooling no one. Teara winked. “And I haven’t even given you my good news.”
Rowan grasped Ciara’s hand, keeping her close. “Do tell.”
Teara held up her tablet, which displayed dozens of names in an organized digital spreadsheet.
“People have been inquiring about the retreat all day, both in person and over the Internet. We’re booked for months.
Several visitors even talked about making it an annual trip, meaning repeat guests after the opening hype. ”
“Everyone loves the fair,” Chelsea added. “We’ve had more people submit adoption papers than we have horses, even with the new batch. Soon, the only horses remaining will be the ones in recovery.”
Which meant it was time to save more horses.
Ciara closed and opened her eyes. “I can’t tell you how grateful I am for your hard work.
Thank you so much.” She held up the blueprints to the ladies.
“It’ll be even more important now that Rowan is expanding the ranch with new stables and additional lodgings. ”
“That’s amazing.” Teara clapped her hands. “We just started, and already we’re growing.”
All the happy people, the joyful horses.
A hundred possibilities, as Ciara paced next to Rowan.
“I was thinking we could do this again. Maybe make it a regular event. Well, not this exactly,” she clarified as the others gaped at her.
“Obviously, we don’t have the money or time to put on something of this magnitude every month.
But what if we plan a little get-together with a couple of bounce houses, a complimentary barbeque and several vendors?
We could introduce people to the newest horses, offer free classes, that sort of thing. ”
Rowan nodded. “That’s a great idea. It will remind people of our presence, and it’s a nice way to give back to the community.”
“Precisely.”
In the distance, one of the workers called to her, just as some ranch hands beckoned to Chelsea and Teara. “We’d better get back to it. Two more hours until the grand finale.”