Page 24 of The Fake Fiance's Billionaire Adversary
Gabby turned in her seat. “I bet it’s been hard to stand back and let someone else cook this weekend.”
Reagan nodded. “A little.” But Hunter hadn’t let her do any work. He’d barely let her lift a finger the day before. He’d mentioned the dark circles under her eyes, and he wanted to give her a break because he knew she worked hard. Just another quality she found herself enamored with.
Caroline glanced over her shoulder. “I have to tell you, Reagan. Hunter is smitten with you. He’s never brought home a woman before. You saw his love language yesterday—taking care of people. That’s why he’s so good at flipping houses. He thinks about the people who’ll be living there and does things right.”
Reagan didn’t know what to make of that. He’d never brought a woman home before? And he chose her as his first? He had taken care of her the day before too. Not only that, but on the way to Caprock Canyon, he’d offered to fix her floors. At the time, she was sure it was just him trying to weasel her home out from under her. Now she didn’t know what to think.
“I guess he’s told you about winning the lottery and being a billionaire. I don’t suspect he’d have kept that from you now that you’re engaged,” Caroline said.
What? Lottery winnings? She had assumed he was rich, but a billionaire? Reagan blinked, working hard not to choke. Good grief and gravy, she’d never bothered to learn how to count that high. What need was there when you knew you’d never be one? Wow. She took a sip of her water and gave herself a second to think.
Clearly, if she was engaged to Hunter, she’d know about the money. Thatwasthe part she’d signed up for, so she shrugged and said, “Oh, well, he doesn’t make a big deal out of it and neither do I.” That was certainly the truth.
Carrie Anne nodded. “Honestly, we’re the same people before the money. For years, my brothers had played the lottery weekly, never expecting to win. They did it for fun. Believe me, they were floored when the numbers matched.”
“They made Carrie Anne claim it with them,” Gabby added.
“Yep, they tried to get all of us to do it, but his dad and I weren’t going to do that,” his mom said.
Mrs. Fredericks nodded. “Us too, but that’s our boys.” She elbowed Caroline. “We couldn’t have better kids.”
Reagan chewed the inside of her mouth. What if they thought she was only after Hunter for his money? “Well, we have been looking into a prenuptial agreement.”
Carrie Anne’s mouth dropped open. “What? That doesn’t sound like Hunter. If he loves you enough to marry you, he’s planning on forever and whatever it takes to make that happen.”
“I just don’t want anyone thinking that’s why I’m marrying him.”
His mom waved her off. “Honey, he’d know if you were, and we trust him. My boy loves you.”
Just how skilled was he at lying?
Sheesh. She was pointing a finger at him, and four were leveled right back at her. She was just as guilty for leading them to believe they were engaged. Still, if this was fake love, she had to wonder what being really loved by him would be like.
So far, he’d shown himself to be kind, gentle, and caring. It did sting a little that he hadn’t told her about winning the lottery, but could she really blame him? Who knows how many people had tried to use him just for his money. Plus, she’d seen his hands. They were large and calloused like a man who worked for a living. He may have won the lottery, but it didn’t win him.
The real question was…did she tell him she knew or feign ignorance? If she told him, it could ruin things if there was a good reason he didn’t want her to know. If she didn’t and he found out from someone else, would he feel hurt? Reagan knew she would, and the last thing she wanted to do was hurt him. Not after he’d been so wonderful.
She took a deep breath and let it out slowly. Maybe when they toured the town, she’d tell him. They’d be alone. That way, if he was upset, they could figure out a way to deal with it without an audience. By then, the holiday would pretty much be over if he wanted to head back to Tybee.
Inwardly, she wilted. She hated the idea of him leaving early. She could tell he’d missed his family. Hers wouldn’t be back until after Christmas. Geez, how did something seemingly simple get so complicated?
Because matters of the heart, no matter how small, were always mountains. Molehills didn’t exist in romance.
Chapter 11
Sunrays stretched like fingers across the horizon as Hunter enjoyed his morning coffee. The kiss from the day before was continually playing in his mind. He’d hoped to talk to Reagan about it, but he’d let her sleep in because she’d returned to the ranch so late after shopping.
On the way out of Amarillo, the Excursion had a flat. What they thought would be a simple fix turned into a two-hour wait. By the time they got home, none of the women were in a mood to do much other than have a bite to eat and go to bed.
Instead of waking her, he practiced some patience and chose to watch the sunrise while he parked himself in a rocking chair on the front porch. Trade the flat desert for a sandy beach and the sound of rushing waves, and he’d be a happy camper. The picture was so clear he could almost smell the salt in the air.
Another thing he could envision was holding Reagan and kissing her again. At first, he’d been a little stunned that she’d planted one on him. Not that he minded. If he were honest, he’d wanted to kiss her, but he’d been a little afraid. It was an answered prayer when she touched her lips to his.
He’d found himself wanting to taste those sweet, soft, kissable lips more and more. They were even better than what he’d imagined. And now they were the only thing he could think about. No, he found himself wanting more. Way more than just a kiss. What he wanted was the two of them cuddled together, watching the sunrise and holding hands as they faced each day’s challenges. He’d never thought that way about anyone before.
The front screen door opened, and his mom, bundled in a coat and slippers, stepped onto the porch holding a steaming mug of what he assumed was coffee. “Good morning, sweetheart,” she said and kissed his cheek.
“Morning, Mom.”
