Page 57 of Taming the Billionaire Cowboy
“No,” I repeat, more convincingly this time. “Let’s not miss a good opportunity.”
“Good.” Dave grins, raising his glass again. “To good opportunities then.”
“To good opportunities,” I echo, clinking my bottle against his.
CHAPTER 25
CARLY
“Mom, when’s Oliver coming back?” Bradley asks for what feels like the hundredth time this week as I tuck him into bed.
“I told you, honey. He’s working on some important business in Houston.” I smooth his hair back from his forehead, willing my voice to stay steady. “He’ll be back as soon as he can.”
“But it’s been forever.”
“It’s only been ten days.”
Ten days that have felt like ten years. Ten days of increasingly shorter phone calls. Ten days of texts that take hours, sometimes even a full day, to be answered. Ten days of trying not to check my phone every five minutes like some lovesick teenager.
“Does he miss us?” Bradley’s eyes are wide, reflecting the glow of his dinosaur nightlight.
“Of course he does.” I press a kiss to his forehead. “Now, go to sleep. It’s getting late, and we have trail rides to lead tomorrow.”
After Bradley falls asleep, I head to the kitchen to clean up the mess from dinner. My phone sits silent on the counter. Oliver was supposed to call two hours ago, but I’m not surprised that he hasn’t. This is becoming a pattern.
I scrub harder at a spot on a plate, trying to channel my frustration into something productive. The ranch is running fine without him. Miles is working out great as our second hand. I should be able to run things fine without Oliver, too.
But it’s not just about the ranch, is it?
My phone finally buzzes, and I practically lunge for it, hating myself a little for being so eager.
“Hey,” I answer, trying to sound casual.
“Carly,” Oliver’s voice sounds distant, distracted.
There’s a cacophony of voices and clinking glasses in the background. “Sorry I’m late calling. Things have been absolutely insane here.”
“It’s fine,” I lie, cradling the phone between my ear and shoulder as I finish rinsing the dishes. “How was your day?”
“Productive. We closed the Mason deal.”
“Congratulations,” I say, trying to pretend like I remember which one that is.
“Thanks.” There’s a pause, and I can hear someone calling his name. “One second, Carly?—”
His voice becomes muffled as he speaks to someone else, and I’m left waiting, listening to the background noise of what sounds like a celebration.
A full minute passes before he returns. “Sorry about that. Where were we?”
“The Mason deal,” I prompt, trying to keep the irritation out of my voice.
“Right. It was a tough negotiation, but we pulled it off.” He sounds pleased with himself, energized in a way I haven’t heard since he left the ranch. “Dave thinks we should celebrate tonight, which is where I am now. The whole team’s here.”
“That sounds fun.” I don’t mean it, but what else can I say?
“How’s everything there? Bradley doing okay?”
“He’s good. He helped me with the horses today.” I feel a swell of pride, momentarily forgetting my frustration. “He’s getting really confident with Thunder, even though that horse is twice his size.”
