Page 7 of The Fake Girlfriend's Billionaire Match
“How was your flight?” asked Bear.
“It was okay. They ran out of pretzels.”
Carrie Anne’s mouth dropped open. “What? I didn’t even know that was possible.”
Winnie chuckled. “I didn’t either, but I think I’m bad luck.”
“No,” Bear said, putting his arm around her shoulders and pressing his lips to her temple. “I don’t think that’s possible.” The pop of static from the touch made his mouth tingle. He’d need to keep his lips to himself if that was going to keep happening.
Winnie hugged him around the chest. Yeah, she’d gotten his message. “You’re sweet, but now I’m craving pretzels.”
“Then we’ll stop and get you some.” He planted a kiss on the top of her head like it was the most natural thing to do. That unnerving feeling that he’d metthe onerammed him in the ribs. His head responded with,SAN ANTONIO,using a megaphone.
Carrie Anne grinned. “You two make a great couple. Momma is gonna love her.”
“Mom loves everyone.”
“That’s true.” Carrie Anne directed the statement to Winnie. “I sure wish Bandit was here to meet you. I bet you, Reagan, and Bandit could talk cooking all day long.”
As they reached the luggage area, Winnie dropped her arms to her sides. “I’m sure Reagan and I will talk about food a lot.” She paused. “You’ll be able to spot mine pretty easy.”
Bear laughed. “The one with the cheeseburgers printed on it?”
“And the one with fries and drinks. The smallest has desserts on it.”
“Ooh, I spotted one,” Carrie Anne said, running to the end and grabbing a large suitcase. She pulled it behind her and returned to the group as Bear spied a small one on its way to them.
He grabbed the handle and set it on the floor. “Did you bring your knife set?”
“Yeah, it should be in the middle-sized piece. I had a feeling they’d give me a trip to jail if I tried to bring them in my carry-on.”
As people took their luggage, Bear could see the anxiety building in Winnie. Her knives were important to her. Every chef had their preference, and from what she’d told him, she’d worked hard to afford them.
Tears glistened in her eyes as the last piece of luggage was pulled off and hers still hadn’t appeared. “My knives,” she whispered.
The hurt in her voice tugged at his heart. Putting his arm around her, he pulled her to him. “It’s okay, sweetheart, we’ll find them, and if not, we’ll get you some more. Okay?”
Those tear-filled green eyes locked with his. “I worked so hard for them.”
“I know you did. Let’s go talk to the airline and let them know.”
Carrie Anne rubbed her back. “I’m so sorry. Let’s do what Bear said and go to the lost luggage desk. I’m sure they just got on the wrong plane.”
Winnie nodded. “I bet you’re right. I’m just…attached to them, I guess.”
“Come on,” Bear said, keeping one arm around her and taking the handle of her luggage with the other. “We’ll get this taken care of and then head to the ranch.”
“Okay.” Winnie leaned into him as if soaking up his comfort.
He had to admit it felt good to be needed by someone who didn’t see him as a dollar sign. As soon as he thought it, doubts flooded his mind. He’d thought the same about Angela, and look where that got him. Heartbreak City.
Then again, wouldn’t Winnie have tried to negotiate more money right from the beginning if she knew he was a billionaire? Although, if she was really trying to pad her bank account, maybe she wanted to gain his trust. Man, he needed to stop. If this kind of argument was going to take place the entire holiday, he’d have a never-ending migraine.
Winnie was a chef, and he knew that. It was a fact. He’d done a background check on her, talked to her teacher, and done everything in his power to keep himself safe. If she was anything like Angela, she’d have pointed those big green eyes at him and asked him to replace the knives.
So far, this woman was nothing like the last one, and he’d need to keep that in mind so he didn’t treat her like she was. He’d been wronged, but it was his face he’d be looking at in the mirror each morning, and no matter how someone had treated him, he was still responsible for his own behavior.
He could be kind to Winnie without forgetting this was a business arrangement. When he’d done his research on her, he’d read several articles about chefs. There were some chefs who couldn’t function in the kitchen without their knives. His family knew him well enough to know that if he loved a woman, he’d get her a replacement.
