Read Just Gettin' Started: BWWM Interracial Cowboy/Western Romance (Westbury Ranch Book 1) for Free Online Page B

understand and difficult to explain.
    Almost as if on cue, he strolled out from the kitchen with Jackie in tow. Had they been there for a long time? Did they overhear her conversation with Max? Cullen realized she didn’t care. Max wasn’t a part of her life anymore, and she wasn’t about to give him more attention than he deserved. No way, no how was she going to give him the leeway to become involved with her decision-making process.
    “Ready?” Graeme asked.
    “Yes.” Much to her surprise, he lifted her hand to his mouth. The lingering feel of his lips against her skin sent a lance of desire careening through her nerves. She exchanged a glance with Jackie and was amused to see a gleam of approval in her eyes. Her mother never liked Max, but she appeared to have accepted Graeme wholeheartedly.
    It said something about the man’s character. He was a hit with the ladies, including her.
    “You look lovely,” he said.
    Cullen laughed. “Hardly words I’d used to describe myself, but thank you.” She glanced at the older woman. “Good night, Mom.” She felt like a high school kid who was going out on her first date under her mother’s watchful eyes. It’d been quite a long time since she’d gone out with a man. She felt nervous, sure, but also excited.
    After they strolled out, Graeme opened the door of his car. “It would’ve been more appropriate if we’d gone to the barn dance on horses,” he joked.
    She laughed. “Funny. That’s exactly what I was thinking, but I doubt we would get parking for horses over there.”
    “For sure,” he agreed as he reversed the car and drove out of the farm.
    They drove in silence for a while, but it wasn’t awkward. She felt more than comfortable with Graeme, as comfortable as she could be with a man to whom she was attracted beyond measure.
    “Have you always loved horses?” He broke the silence.
    “I guess I inherited the love for them from my father. He longed to see me on horseback, and put me on one as soon as I was old enough to sit. I was junior equestrian in many races and won many ribbons, but then I realized that I liked working with horses. Sure, I enjoyed riding with them for races and stuff, but it wasn’t as delightful as being hands on in a ranch.”
    “Your father was disappointed?” he asked.
    She could see the lights of the pub that was hosting the barn dance. Many cars were already parked in the lot. Although it was a week night, people enjoyed a good event every chance they got. Now that they were here, she felt glad that they came. It would be a fun outing and a good break from their hectic pace at work. Ever since she started the expansion, Cullen hardly took time out to do anything personal for herself.
    Nothing was more personal than a date.
    “On the contrary; he was quite happy I was willing to take over farm work.”
    Graeme smiled. “You have siblings?”
    “Shayne and Paige, my two sisters. Shayne, always a city girl at heart, lives in New York and works in a fancy public relations office. And then there’s the youngest, Paige, who’s in college.”
    “She also wants to take up work in a big city?”
    “No, she wants to come back home and be at the ranch, but my mother insisted we all get college degrees, so she’s studying. She’ll be back soon enough.”
    He parked the car and he helped her out. “It would be nice for you to have family support in the ranch.”
    “Oh yes, and now that we’re expanding, we can do with a lot of help.” While they walked towards the pub, Cullen felt nervous. It was a long time since she showed her face in town with a date. What would people say? Everyone knew her. Gossip would spread like wild fire, but then she straightened her shoulders. She’d never been one to cower away from the truth. This was her life, and she chose to live it her way.
    Graeme held her hand as they strolled inside. It felt strange to leave her fingers in his grasp. Every nerve in her body ignited at the contact,