Page 31 of Taming the Billionaire Cowboy
“So.” She leans against the porch railings, folding her hands behind her back as she looks out at the darkened yard. After a moment of silence, she turns to me and raises an eyebrow. “You think there might be something more to him?”
“What?” I stumble over the word as heat floods my cheeks. “No. Not at all. He’s my boss, Ferris. Nothing more. And he’s unbearable.”
“A man fixing your car doesn’t sound unbearable to me.”
I let that sink in. She’s right. Ever since Oliver hired me, he’s been slowly turning over a new page. He’s been listening to my expertise, working hard, and today was full of new surprises.
His sweetness with Bradley. His ability and willingness to fix my car.
Maybe I don’t know my new boss at all. Maybe I’ve read him all wrong.
So why am I still holding on to my initial impression? Insisting on butting heads with him? Could it be I’m trying to protect myself?
I don’t know, but I don’t have time to dive deep into this sort of contemplation. I need to make dinner and get Bradley in the bathtub — assuming he’s even still awake.
“Thank you for the ride.” I give Ferris a hug.
She squeezes me hard. “How are you getting to work tomorrow?”
Good question. I already know Ferris has an early shift. “I’ll see if Mom can take me.”
We say goodnight, and I head inside. Sure enough, Bradley is passed out on the couch, spread out, his cheek squashed against a throw pillow. I gently shake him awake and guide him toward his room.
“Your bed’s much comfier, kiddo,” I say, stifling a yawn of my own.
He mumbles, rubbing at his eyes as he shuffles along. “Mom, can Oliver come to my birthday?”
I feel like I’ve been punched in the gut. “What?”
“My birthday,” he repeats groggily. “Can Oliver come?”
“I… don’t know, honey,” I finally manage to reply. “I guess we’ll have to see.”
He seems satisfied with that and lets me tuck him into bed without any further discussion. But as I turn out his light and leave his room, his question hangs in the air around me like a ghost.
Could we invite Oliver? Should we?
Is that toeing the line of propriety? Is it okay to invite my boss — who I have a crush on — to a family event? Or am I seriously overthinking this?
Oliver isn’t all that bad. In fact, he’s more than okay. He’s…
I don’t want to think about it anymore, don’t want to go there. Everything in my life is working fine. It’s a well-oiled machine — me, Bradley, my job, my family. I haven’t dated since Aaron, and there’s no reason to start now.
Do I get lonely sometimes? Yes. Sure.
But I’m fine. Because I have to be. Because there is no other choice. And letting my walls down and allowing a person I barely know into our lives in such an intimate way would be a risk, and the last time I took a risk, things didn’t turn out well.
Better safe than sorry. Even if it leaves me with a hollow ache in my chest.
CHAPTER 14
OLIVER
Carly stands at the front door of her house as I pull up in the truck I bought a few days ago to use around the ranch. My stomach does a little jig, unsure of what to expect as I climb out and move up the path. She tucks her hair behind her ear, watching me.
“You found us,” she says. She sounds more nervous than sarcastic, and I think that might be a good thing.
“And without a GPS.”
