Page 15 of The Runaway Billionaire's Inconvenient Baby
I smile and reach out to take her hand. She holds it for a long second, the comforting warmth of her palm giving me the strength to do what I need to do. I can stop Jacob. I will.
We’re not going to lose this town.
“Let me make dinner,” I say suddenly.
She shakes her head. “I’m the one who’s meant to look after you,” she says with a laugh. “I need my girl well-fed and rested if she’s going to take on a billionaire.”
“Tomorrow,” I say, accepting defeat. “I don’t think there’s anything else I can do tonight. I need a distraction.”
“Then let’s cook together,” says my mother, getting to her feet. “And tomorrow we’ll take on the world.”
“Sounds good.” I smile, even though it doesn’t reach my eyes.
Nothing about this feels good at all. Even as my mother and I cook together and laugh, I can’t quite shake the feeling that the whole world is ending.
I’m going to fight as hard as I can to stop it, but I won’t sleep tonight. I’ll be too busy worrying. I’ll be too busy trying to absorb every last second of being here. Because every second could be one of the last, whether I want it to be or not.
CHAPTER 8
JACOB
Isleep badly.
When I wake up, my back hurts and my neck aches. These mattresses are probably a thousand years old, and the pillows might as well be rocks. At least the toilets are clean.
Yesterday, when I checked in, the landlady asked if I wanted breakfast. I declined, politely of course. I don’t particularly feel like eating whatever the locals eat. I want something good and a strong, strong coffee.
Neither of those are things I think I’m going to find here.
What I want to do is go back to sleep, but now I’m awake and it feels like I’m lying on a concrete floor, so I decide to get up and go on a coffee hunt. There must be a cafe or something in this stupid town somewhere.
The landlady beams when she sees me yawn my way over to the front desk. “Are you enjoying your stay?” she asks when I get in range.
“I guess so,” I agree, deciding now is not the time to be rude. Then another impulse overtakes me. “I’ll stay a few more nights.”
“Wonderful,” she says, clapping her hands together. “How many?”
I shrug. “Two or three. Just put it on my tab. I’ll pay for it when I’m checking out.”
“That’s not really our process, sir. We do like people to pay upfront.”
My mouth opens and closes again. I want to get these people on my side. “Okay… put me down for another two nights, but I might stay more.”
“All right, sir.” She smiles. “Though I must say, it’s a popular room, so if you could give us some advance notice, that would be wonderful.”
“All right.”
I smile falsely, not enjoying how she’s talking to me. I’m not entirely sure whether she’s being rude or not. She’s a big woman with a jolly face, and I’ve never seen her not smiling. But just because she’s always polite doesn’t mean she’s not hiding meanings behind what she’s saying.
“And can I interest you in breakfast on any of those days, sir?” she asks.
I shake my head. “No, I’ll be okay.”
“Very good, sir.” She hands me the card machine, and I swipe my credit card. I’m glad that they do credit cards here. It would be so annoying to have to carry cash.
“Say, where can I get the best cup of coffee around here?” I ask. “I need something strong and sweet.”
“Just like you.” She giggles. I chuckle back without any humor. “You’ll want to go to Coffee Haven. It’s on the beachfront. You can’t miss it. Everyone goes there because it’s just that good. They do a great breakfast there too, unless it’s Tuesday or Sunday, or if the chef’s having a day off, or?—”
