Page 32 of The Housekeeper's Billionaire Boss
“No.” His voice went up an octave.
She looked around and then spotted exactly what she needed. “There’s a pie-eating contest in an hour. I win; you spill. You win; you still spill.”
His eyebrows knitted together. “How does that help me?”
“One way or another, you’re going to tell me.”
“Fine, but if I’m going to tell you, it’ll be after the contest. Maybe the sugar high will work in my favor.”
Her eyebrows lifted to her hairline. “That’s where you’re wrong!”
“I guess we’ll see, huh?” He flashed a goofy smile, and she nearly sighed.
Sheesh, if she fell any harder for the guy, she’d need medical attention. What was happening to her? Just a few weeks ago, she was a single mom with zero thoughts of romance or interest. Now, she was staring down the shaft of Cupid’s stupid arrow and peeking through her fingers as she waited for it to nail her right between the eyes.
She just needed to hold herself together until they got back to Dallas. Then she could have a little space, let things with Ellie settle down, and then see where she was. As she looked at him, though, the idea of a little space made her chest constrict. This was about as much space as she wanted. She was epically doomed.
Chapter 14
“Iwon fair and square,” Josiah said, staring down Molly after the pie-eating contest was over. He hadn’t won the contest, but he’d beat her by half a pie, and that was his only goal.
They’d gone back and forth while they were at the farmer’s market, and the second they’d returned to the house, Molly had asked his mom to watch Ellie so she could “have a private word with him.” It was like getting the look his dad would give if they were goofing off during church. Once he trained his gaze on you, you were done for.
What hadn’t been part of his plan was to face down a fiery Molly Hines who had been clear what the rules were from the very beginning. Never mind that he’d not actually agreed to said rules.
Crossing her arms over her chest, she held his gaze. “Tell me now.”
He raked his hand through his hair. It had been a wild millisecond thought. One that he didn’t want to share and should never have mentioned. Granted, that was the second time he’d had the thought, but that only equaled two milliseconds. In his book, it still counted as not fully thought out. Definitely not to the point that he could share it.
She dropped her arms, crossed the room, and stopped in front of him, taking his face in her hands. “You are quite possibly the kindest, sweetest man I’ve ever known. Just tell me. It can’t be that bad.”
“I was just trying to figure out a way to get us in a better position to keep Ellie. It was an errant thought. Something neither of us is ready for.” And he wasn’t. More than anything, he knew Molly wasn’t. Sharing a stupid, idle thought wasn’t worth the risk of driving her away and losing her. “It was nothing.”
Her eyes narrowed, and she balled his shirt in her hands. “Not nothing. Spill it, pie breath.”
He pulled away and crossed the room. “I…I wondered if getting married would help. You could be a stay-at-home mom if you wanted. I definitely have the money to provide for both you and Ellie. We could buy a house in one of the suburbs of Dallas. I could even adopt Ellie with you.”
Glancing at her, seeing the wide-eyed, horrified look on her face, made him cringe. He shouldn’t have said anything. Why did he have to be the one West that couldn’t play poker? “See? That’s why I didn’t want to tell you.”
Molly palmed her forehead and took a deep breath. Josiah wondered if she would pass out at any moment. His idea wasn’t just bad; it was something that shouldn’t have been spoken aloud. It was the Voldemort of ideas.
“Wow,” was all that came out of her mouth.
“I knew I shouldn’t have said anything. Why can’t I lie like a normal person? It would have made my life so much easier. Do you know how many times I was pummeled by my brothers and sister?” Sometimes, he wondered if there were lasting consequences. More than once, he’d chalked up his ability to remember useless trivia to the head trauma sustained as a child. That many poundings had to shake a wire loose.
Her hand dropped to her side, and she chewed her lip. “Actually, that idea kinda makes sense.”
Now it was his turn to be floored. “What?”
“It’s a good idea,” she replied and then began pacing. “Well, other than the part where you adopt Ellie. I mean, you’d be on the hook for child support.” She stopped mid-stride and looked at him. “Otherwise, it’s a pretty sound argument in favor of tying the knot.”
Josiah shook his head and blinked. “Are you serious?”
“Are you?”
“Well, yeah, but how serious is your serious? Because my serious is extra serious.” Then it caught up to him what he’d just proposed. Odd word choice for his brain to pick, but it fit.
She closed the distance between them and stopped in front of him. “I will do anything to keep Ellie.” Her gaze drifted to the floor. “Anything,” she whispered.
