Page 3 of Her Royal Cowboy Billionaire

He nodded and placed his hands in his jeans pockets. “That is very good. She is learning good values early. I have read that many parents today want to leave it to the teachers to teach the children right from wrong, which is wrong, in my opinion. Good moral values can only be taught at home.”

“I agree.”

Erin pulled on Michele’s jacket. “Mommy, can we go now? I’m hungry.”

Michele patted Erin’s hand. “Oh, I’m sorry, sweetie. Of course, it’s been a long time since breakfast, hasn’t it?”

Erin nodded.

Michele looked up at Alex. “You’ll have to excuse us. I have a hungry rider to feed. We’ll see you tomorrow at two.”

Alex bowed his head. “Until tomorrow.” He turned away.

Michele took Erin’s hand and turned toward the arena exit, where their horse waited. “We’ll put Royal away and then get lunch. I’ve got some snacks in a cooler in the truck. I’ll take care of Royal and get him into the trailer to go home.”

“Okay.”

Michele walked Erin to the truck and helped her into the back seat with the cooler. “There you go, sweet pea. Lock the doors until I get back, okay?”

Erin looked in the cooler, not at her mother. “Okay.”

“And we’ll have lunch when I get back. You may have string cheese or yogurt for a snack to hold you over. Both are in the cooler.”

Erin nodded. “’kay.”

Michele walked Royal to his assigned stall, unsaddled him and then wiped him down with a towel, curried him and brushed him until his gold coat shone like the sun at midday. Then she put him in the horse trailer.

She thought of Alex Fedorov. He was the most attractive man she’d met in a long while.I wonder why I’ve never seen him before?

Her ex-husband always seemed to show up and scare away any man she might show an interest in. Would Ed scare Alex off, too,ifhe showed any interest in her, or would he have some staying power?

* * *

Standingat King Gregor’s trailer while a groom led the spirited animal inside, it surprised Alex how taken he was with Michele Williams. He’d known lots of beautiful women in his life, but none as unaware of it as she appeared to be. And little Erin was a carbon copy of her mother. She, too, had almost black hair and her eyes reminded him of the perfect sapphire in his father’s crown—dark and sparkling. He definitely wanted to get to know this pair of lovely ladies much better.

He looked at his prize Arabian stallion, King Gregor, named in honor of Alex’s father. The beautiful, solid black horse was his pride and joy. This was the last time he would show him. Now, he would be put out to pasture to stud. The annual stud fees alone would pay for the upkeep on his ranch.

Alex took his phone from the pocket of his jacket. He hadn’t talked to his father in over a week and it was past time to call home to Batrovia. He wanted to share his good news with his father. He pressed the speed dial.

“Hello, my son.”

Alex laughed. “Am I interrupting your dinner?”

“No. What news do you have?”

“What makes you think I have news? May I not simply call my sire to speak to him?”

His father chuckled. “Of course you may, but you rarely do.”

Alex smiled even though his father could not see it.

“Stop smiling and tell me why you called so excited.”

Alex shook his head, always amazed that his father knew him so well he could even tell when he was smiling or when he was piqued without seeing him. “Oh, very well. King Gregor took Best in Show today at the Bozeman Horse Show.”

“This is not news. What else?”

Alex rolled his eyes. “I met the most remarkable woman today.”