Page 42 of The Fake Girlfriend's Billionaire Match
Bear continued to hold Travis, and the overwhelming need to have what his siblings had dug its way into his chest. He wanted love and a family.
The thought to ask Winnie to stay floated to mind, this time stronger than it had ever felt.
Then he looked at her, and his heart folded in on itself like it was origami paper. What if he asked and she said no? Could he handle that? He wanted to emphatically say yes, but he couldn’t. He didn’t want to be hurt like that again, and it would be a heap worse this time. She dreamed of being a chef. Had the location, contractors, all of it. Why would she give all that up for him? No, he couldn’t risk that. Besides, he wanted her to have the things she dreamed of, even if that dream didn’t include him.
Hunter stopped in front of Bear and handed him a gift before leaving the room. “From Winnie.”
Bear side-eyed her and smiled. “Now what on earth could you have gotten me?”
She shrugged. “Guess you’ll have to open it and find out.”
He put his cheek next to Travis’s. “You want to help Uncle Bear open it?”
His nephew giggled, touched Bear’s face, and said, “Hep.” It was two-year-old for yes. Travis pulled at the paper, and with Bear’s help, they unwrapped it. Puppy-training lessons?
“Winnie.” His heart swelled. “You didn’t.”
“I had a little help from Hunter.” She smiled as she looked at Bear’s brother. “I would have picked the cutest one and not thought about behavior or anything.”
He’d only mentioned in passing that he wanted a dog. That he’d get one when the ranch was running smoothly, but he’d not had the time to even think about getting one.
Hunter returned, and a squirming Australian Shepherd was in his arms. The puppy licked Hunter on the face, and Hunter tried to stop him. “He comes from quality, competitive herding lines. He’s food-motivated, and I’ve already got him to sit a little. We asked Captain’s breeder to find us a good one.”
Bear took the puppy as Hunter took Travis. “Hey, little fella.”
The puppy licked his face, and his whole body moved as he wagged his tail.
“He’s cute.” Putting his arm around Winnie, Bear kissed her. “Thank you. And thank you, Hunter, for helping her.”
“Reagan helped with the temperament testing. She hired a professional trainer to do it.”
“When did you manage to get him?” Bear asked.
“Josiah picked him up at the airport yesterday.”
Molly sucked in a sharp breath. “Is that where you went?”
Shrugging, Josiah said, “I had to keep it a secret because I was picking up your present.”
“My present?”
A grin spread on his face. “Tomorrow.”
She narrowed one eye. “Josiah.”
“Just wait until tomorrow.” He picked Ellie up and set her on her feet. “We’re not telling mommy, are we?” He raspberried her neck, and she giggled, grabbing his cheeks and babbling.
The only thing missing for Bear was his best friend. He leaned over. “Would you mind taking…I don’t have a name for him yet. I want to call Bandit, wish him a Merry Christmas, and just talk a minute.”
Taking the puppy, Winnie nodded. “He probably needs to use the restroom. I’ll do that while you call Bandit. Take your time.”
“Thank you, sweetheart.”
Standing, he wove his way through the living room and into his room before dialing Bandit’s number. It rang a few times before he picked up, and when he did, it was noisy.
“H-h-hey, Bear.”
“I hope I’m not interrupting, but I wanted to call and wish you a Merry Christmas. You doing okay?”
