Page 15 of The Housekeeper's Billionaire Boss
He shook his head. “No, I don’t want to put that kind of pressure on her. She’s a new mom, and that’s enough to deal with as it is. As great as Ellie is, I’m not ready to be a full-time dad.”
Shaking her head, his sister rolled her eyes. “You just don’t want to take a risk. You’ve never liked taking risks.”
Yeah, because any time he did, they backfired. His last relationship was a testament to that. He’d not meant to mention his lottery winnings, but he had. Instead of backing away slowly at the sign of red flags, he’d excused some of the things she said under the guise of taking a risk. “They don’t work for me.”
“You back down too quickly. Stand up for yourself. You have a lot to offer a woman. Just stop being so…”
“Me? The guy who just takes the lumps and doesn’t say anything?” That’s exactly what he was. The nice guy. The good friend. The sweet man. All great things that lead to friendships with women that went nowhere.
His sister’s posture softened. “I didn’t mean it like that.”
Shrugging, he said, “Yeah, I know.” Except she did mean it. It was always him backing down or taking the blame for things. He was stuck in the middle. All he needed was jokers to the right and clowns to the left.
Just as he was feeling sorry for himself, Josiah glanced at Ellie on his shoulder to find her sleeping peacefully. She wasn’t his, but, man, how could he feel sorry for himself when such a small human being needed him. Granted, it was temporary, but he was glad to give Molly a decent break before they returned to Dallas.
He brushed his fingers down her little head and touched her cheek. How could Molly’s brother not want her? Of course, that would mean that Molly wouldn’t have her, but Josiah struggled to understand how any man wouldn’t want this sweet baby.
Carrie Anne moved the edge of the sofa. “I’m going to get something to drink. Can I get you something?”
He shook his head. “I’m fine.”
His sister hesitated and touched his knee. “You are a great guy. I…I just want to see you happy.”
“I know, and I am. Molly needs a friend, and I’m okay with that.” But he was less okay the more he was around her. She used movie quotes, loved animated shows and things he liked.
He’d never met a woman like that before, but he also knew she wanted someone focused on her and Ellie. Until the year was over, his goal was winning Realtor of the Year and Commercial Transaction of the Year. Once he had those, he’d be free to have a relationship.
* * *
Later that afternoon,Josiah pushed his plate away. “No more. I’ll explode.”
Just an hour ago, all the Thanksgiving dishes were piping hot and plates were piled high. Josiah and Molly were seated next to each other, and Ellie was in the living room, snoozing in a bassinette Gabby let them borrow.
Molly finished the last bite of green bean casserole on her plate and wiped her mouth. “Bandit, you make a mean green casserole.”
“Th-th-thank you, but R-R-Reagan gave me some tips,” Bandit replied.
Reagan shook her head. “It was delicious even before the tips.”
Josiah’s dad, King, sat back, rubbing his stomach. “Bud, you seem to outdo yourself every time you cook.”
“He needs to open the restaurant again. Two more families moved to Caprock Canyon just last week,” Bear said. “You just need to do it.”
Bandit shook his head. “N-n-no.”
“Stubborn. Most stubborn man I’ve ever met,” Bear grumbled.
With a snort, Josiah said, “Yeah, have you looked in the mirror?”
The whole family chuckled as Bear gave Josiah a dirty look.
“Shut it,” Bear growled.
Molly leaned in. “This is the best Thanksgiving I’ve ever had.”
“So, you’re admitting my use of the Flynn-Ryder smolder was a good move?” Josiah chuckled.
She grinned. “No, that was still wrong, but Iamglad you talked me into coming.”
