“Don’t even think about it,” he said gruffly as he took his place at the head of the table. “Bradford Ranch is a safe haven.”
She smiled with true gratitude because that’s exactly what this place felt like—a safe haven. Maybe it was because of Rian but she couldn’t imagine being anywhere but here at the moment. “Your ranch is amazing. What a beautiful piece of land you have.”
“Isn’t it, though?” Adeline agreed as she ladled mashed potatoes onto her plate. “When I first saw it, forty some years ago, I was in awe. Truth be told, I was a bit jealous of Cora and her good fortune. She managed to land the best man in all of Kentucky and she got this amazing property to tend. But no one deserved it more than Warren and Cora. Good people.”
CoCo smiled at Adeline’s open generosity and marveled at how easy she was with admitting her own faults, even if they were from forty years ago. Everything about Adeline was sweet and unassuming. It made her wish she’d been able to meet this legendary Cora, as well. It also made her miss Miss Plix all the more, which was interesting because before all this, she’d shamefully forgotten about the older woman.
“Tell me about this pickle you’re in, young lady,” Warren said, tucking into his steak. “Rian tells me your father is being threatened and the FBI are involved. Are they any closer to solving the case?”
She looked to Rian. “I don’t know. We’re removed from the investigation. Rian is keeping me safe while the FBI do their thing.”
“I talked with the agent in charge and he said they were close to finding who was responsible. I’m sure it won’t take long now.”
Was it bad that she was disappointed? If the feds were close to nailing the bad guy, that meant that Rian’s services wouldn’t be required for much longer. CoCo swallowed the meat stuck in her throat and realized that put a damper on her mood. Snap out of it. You set up the perimeters and you knew this was temporary. Grab your bliss, while you can. She forced a bright smile. “Tell me about Rian. What was he like growing up? Was he always such a charmer?”
Adeline hooted with laughter, eager to share. “Oh, the stories Cora would tell about this young man. Of course, don’t tell Kane but this boy right here always stole her heart! She would say, ‘Heaven help the lady who finally catches this boy’s eye because he’s worth putting up with all the shenanigans he does.’”
“Hey now, no throwing me under the bus, Miss Adeline,” Rian warned with a half-serious glower. “Can I help it that the ladies dig me?”
“Tell me more about this little country player,” teased CoCo, enjoying how Rian was beginning to squirm.
Warren decided to get in on the fun. “There was this little gal down the road who had the biggest crush on Rian. She’d come around every day and try to get his attention and boy, she finally succeeded. Next thing I know, he’s asking for extra chores so he can earn a little more. Little vixen had talked him into going to some school dance. I never seen him so determined to buy some gal a fancy bouquet for her wrist. But he did it. Earned every penny.”
“Aw, what a sweet boy,” CoCo crooned, giggling as Rian rolled his eyes and looked ready to crawl under the table with embarrassment. “But that doesn’t surprise me. Rian is quite the gentleman when he chooses to be.”
And quite the animal under the right circumstances. Rian met her gaze and a heated moment passed between them. Oh, damn. Don’t go thinking about that or you’ll never make it through dinner.
Rian effectively changed the subject, saying, “I fixed the south gate. Just needed a little adjustment on the hinge. Now it swings open easily.”
“Good, good,” Warren grunted with appreciation. “Been meaning to get out there but time got away from me. Any other problems with the fencing on that side?”
“Nope. Kane did a good job of mending it.”
“Kane’s a good man. Glad to have him around more. So you think you might be coming around more often?” Warren asked, putting Rian on the spot. “There’s plenty of acreage for another house.”