LITMIR.BIZ

       CHAPTER TWO

      BEFORE AINSLEY LEFT HER, Livie promised she would tell Cooper about the baby. “I just don’t want to do it tonight at the party.”

      “He’s going to find out and wonder why you haven’t told him.”

      Just as Ainsley wondered why Olivia hadn’t told anyone. As she left to find her other sisters, she couldn’t help worrying. How would Cooper take it? And why did she suspect there was more going on than just the pregnancy?

      “The vultures are circling,” Kat Hamilton said as Ainsley joined her sisters.

      “Pardon?” Ainsley said, realizing she’d missed something.

      Kat motioned with her head to a spot across the dance floor. “Until that wedding band is on Livie’s finger, all’s fair in love and war, right?” She shook her head. “Why can’t our sister see it? That woman is trouble.”

      Ainsley spotted Delia Rollins working her way through the crowd toward Cooper. Delia had been Livie’s best friend. She had lived down the road at a small hardscrabble place when they were kids. Buckmaster had seen her one day reaching through the fence to pet one of the horses. He’d insisted that the skinny little thing come down to the ranch so she could learn to ride. She was told she could ride whenever she liked.

      She and Livie had hit it off because they both loved horses. They spent most of their childhood on the back of one. They’d made a pact when they were eleven that no matter where their lives took them, they would each be the maid or matron of honor in each other’s weddings.

      So come the wedding day, Delia would be Livie’s maid of honor. Livie had been determined to honor the pact even though she and Delia hadn’t been that close since Livie went away to college and Delia stayed to take over her father’s lumberyard when he died.

      To make the situation worse, Cooper and Delia had dated for a short time before he’d come to work at the ranch—and fallen for Livie.

      “Livie says that Delia and Cooper are just good friends,” Ainsley said.

      Kat mugged a face. “Well, if I was Livie I’d be watching that woman like a hawk.”

      Bo shook her head. “Livie and Cooper aren’t married yet. I say let Delia give it her best shot.”

      “You can’t be serious?” Harper and Cassidy cried almost in unison.

      “I’m trying to save our sister any more heartache,” Bo said. “Come on, do any of you really think she should marry Cooper Barnett?”

      Ainsley followed Bo’s gaze across the ballroom to the stand of trees where Livie still sat alone. This was Livie’s engagement party and yet she and Cooper hadn’t spent five minutes together. Earlier he’d been talking to one of the ranchers, clearly in a heated discussion about buffalo versus cattle. It was a discussion he and their father had knocked heads over many times.

      “Let’s not forget that he is making her live in that little old cabin of his until he can afford to finish the house he’s building,” Bo said. “He can’t expect her to wait just because his stubborn pride won’t allow anyone to help him.”

      “He’s working on the house night and day,” Ainsley said. “It won’t be that long before they’re moved in.”

      “If they do get married, I give them six months max,” Kat said.

      “I’m betting they never reach the altar,” Bo said.

      They looked to Ainsley, the one they all seemed to think was the most levelheaded of them. If they only knew, she thought.

      “Olivia has loved Cooper since the first day he hired on at the ranch,” she said, even though she’d be the first to admit Livie didn’t seem happy.

      “That doesn’t mean she should marry him,” Kat said reasonably. “She’s been acting odder than usual lately. Don’t tell me you haven’t noticed.” She glanced at Ainsley. “Has she said anything to you?”

      Ainsley shook her head. Livie had always been good at keeping secrets. Ainsley was even better.

      She looked to the edge of the party. The old Livie would have been glowing with excitement tonight and kicking up her heels on the dance floor—even with morning sickness. She’d waited for so long to marry Cooper. Even pregnant, she should have been radiant with happiness since this was her engagement party and the wedding wasn’t that far off now.

      “Maybe she’s getting cold feet,” Cassidy suggested.

      “Not a chance. She’s crazy about him,” Harper said.

      “Did you know Daddy offered Cooper three hundred and sixty acres of prime land on the creek for a wedding present,” Bo said as she took a sip of her champagne.

      “Let me guess,” Ainsley said. “Cooper turned him down flat.”

      “Yep,” Bo said.

      “I think Dad admires Cooper for standing up to him,” Ainsley said.

      Kat shook her head. “Well, I think Cooper’s pride will be his downfall.”

      “If we all don’t think they’ll ever get married, then why are we here tonight?” Cassidy demanded. The party had been put off until now because their stepmother wanted it outside.

      “Because Livie wants to believe she can change Cooper,” Bo said. “We’re the only ones who know she can’t. The wedding isn’t going to happen, so I wouldn’t get too attached to your bridesmaid dresses if I were you.”

      “Maybe Cooper will change his mind and make things easier for Livie by taking Daddy’s offer of help on the house,” Harper suggested.

      Ainsley shook her head. “I know Cooper pretty well. He doesn’t say something unless he means it. I wouldn’t count on him changing his mind.”

      “Then we should try to talk some sense into her,” Harper said. “Maybe if we tell her how we all—”

      “It’s Livie’s engagement party,” Ainsley interrupted. “Let her enjoy the night. We can preach to her tomorrow.” The others laughed.

      “I’ll drink to that,” Bo said as she flagged down one of the waiters for more champagne. Shoving a glass into each of their hands, she lifted hers. “To Livie, the first to take the plunge. Maybe.” They all laughed and drank.

      “If they don’t get married, it will break Daddy’s heart,” Harper said. “Look how happy he is tonight.”

      “Speaking of Daddy,” Kat said. “Does he know yet that you’ve dropped out of law school?”

      All of them looked

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