Page 58 of Taming the Billionaire Cowboy
“That’s great.” He sounds like he’s only half-listening. “And the ranch?”
“Everything’s running smoothly. Though the irrigation system on the south field is acting up again. I had to?—”
“Sorry,” he interrupts, “can you hold on a second? Dave’s trying to tell me something.”
Before I can respond, his voice becomes muffled again. I wait, staring at the clock on the wall, watching the second hand tick past once, twice, three times around the clock face.
“Sorry about that,” he finally says after nearly five minutes. “Dave just got some news about another potential deal. What were you saying about the irrigation?”
“It doesn’t matter,” I say, suddenly too tired to explain. “It’s handled.”
“Are you sure? I can help troubleshoot.”
“From Houston?” The words come out sharper than I intended.
There’s a beat of silence. “Carly?—”
“It’s fine, Oliver. Really. I’ve been managing the ranch just fine.”
“I know you have.” His voice softens slightly, though I can still hear that his mind’s elsewhere. “I never doubted that.”
I close my eyes, counting to ten. I don’t want to fight. Not when our conversations are already so few and far between.
“Bradley was asking when you’re coming back,” I say instead.
“I miss him. I miss you both.”
“We miss you too.” I swallow hard. “So… when are you coming back?”
The silence that follows makes my stomach twist.
“Soon,” he finally says, but there’s something in his voice that sets off alarm bells. “There’s just… something else came up.”
“What came up?”
“Another property deal. A big one.”
I grip the edge of the counter. “And that means…?”
“I need to stay in Houston longer than planned.”
“How much longer?” My voice comes out steady despite the heaviness in my chest.
“I’m not sure yet. Maybe another week. Maybe a little more.”
A week. Maybe more. I close my eyes again, trying to keep my voice level. “I see.”
He originally planned on being gone for a day or two. Now it’s been over a week. Now it might be yet another week?
“Carly, I promise I’ll be back as soon as I can wrap this up.”
“Sure.” I don’t know what else to say. What can I say? I have no claim on him, no right to demand he choose me — choose us — over his business. I knew who he was when I fell for him.
“Wait—” His voice becomes distant again. “Dave, I’m on the phone. Can it wait?” A pause. “Seriously? Right now?” Another pause. “Fine, give me one minute.”
He comes back to me with a sigh. “Carly, I’ve got to go. Something urgent just came up.”
“Of course it did,” I mutter.
