Page 44 of A Baby for the Billionaire Cowboy

“Stop it!” The words burst out of her. “Don’t say it again. Nothing is your fault.”

His mouth opened and closed a couple of times. “Okay, I’m—I’ll go.”

And then he was gone. Suddenly Daisy could barely stand. She stumbled to her room to throw herself on her bed and cry.

Chapter Eighteen

Daisy regretted herplan to come into the office every day that week, but since she’d insisted she was ready to work, she could hardly back down.

Well, shecould. Make up an excuse about how she still ached more than she’d expected. Or tell them she hadn’t slept well after William’s visit, which was true. Or simply say she wasn’t coming in after all. They’d encouraged her to take a longer maternity leave, so why would they complain?

Unfortunately, even if she stayed home an extra day or week or month, eventually she had to go back into the office and face Xander again. Putting it off wouldn’t help. She’d just have more time to worry about it and obsess over potential scenarios. The worst she’d imagined to date was not only getting fired but being sued for sexual harassment, enabling William to get custody of Avery. Surely the reality would be a relief in comparison.

She did have one option to avoid ever seeing Xander again after her humiliation. She could quit her job and move. Ideally someplace far away. Timbuktu maybe. Or Alaska. But she didn’t enjoy snow.

No way would she go back to William. She didn’t want to return to her parents’ home, where they would scold her about her many mistakes and pressure her to reconcile with William, if they let her in at all.

Auntie Rhonda would take her in, as she had before. That would keep Daisy and Avery in Last Stand, so they could stay in touch with Ava, and Daisy might be able to deepen her friendships with Carly, Hallie, and Mallory. But it would also mean the constant chance of running into Xander somewhere. Besides, Daisy had a feeling her aunt would find it exhausting to live with a baby full time, no matter how much she enjoyed their visits.

And Daisy would find it exhausting to live with her aunt again.

She didn’t want to go anywhere. She loved her little cottage. She loved living on the ranch, where she could cuddle rabbits or play with the dogs or pet horses—maybe even ride horses someday, after certain body parts completely healed. She wanted to stay there, and she wanted Avery to grow up surrounded by animals and the green rolling hills. She wanted him to have a loving extended family. The Tomlinsons had welcomed her and Avery with wide open arms and generous hearts. She couldn’t take that away from her baby.

So she had to go back to the office and face Xander. The embarrassment would fade. She’d be professional and work her hardest and pretend the kiss had never happened, so they’d have no reason to ask her to leave. Things would return to normal. If she couldn’t have Xander, at least she could keep the job she enjoyed and the home she loved. She might be living among billionaires, but she was ordinary. Her reach shouldn’t exceed her grasp.

It would be enough. It had to be. It was still better than she ever imagined she might have, six months ago.

Daisy took longer than she should have to get herself ready, trying on several outfits before finding one that fit her new body reasonably well and then fixing her hair.

Of course, after that, Avery started crying and Daisy’s breasts started leaking, and she’d forgotten to insert her nursing pads, so she nursed Avery again and had to change her outfitagain. The alternate didn’t look as good on her, but it was passably professional, and it wasn’t as if she was trying to look gorgeous.

She checked the diaper bag that had been waiting for her when they gave her the cottage. It was filled with more items than Daisy had ever imagined a baby might need, so she could probably manage to be a few minutes away from home for two hours.

At last she put Avery into his stroller and made the short walk to the office. Even walking slowly so Avery could look around and she could enjoy the early winter sun, the trip took less than five minutes. She patted her hair in case the slight breeze had pulled any tendrils loose. Finally she took a deep breath and went in.

Ava greeted her, but Xander wasn’t there. Daisy couldn’t even decide if she was relieved or annoyed after all her preparation.

They got the baby settled in the cute rocking crib from the attic. “It’s hard to believe my boys were ever small enough to fit in here, isn’t it?” Ava knelt by the crib and made faces at Avery.

“Uh-huh. Speaking of your boys, where’s Xander today?” That was an awkward segue, but it might be the best opening she’d get. “I thought he’d be done with chores by now, since things are a bit quieter this time of year.”

“The boys decided to do the annual check and overhaul of all the equipment.” Ava leaned back. “Oof. Help me up. My knees aren’t what they once were.” She held out a hand.

Daisy helped her to her feet. “So he’ll be out all day?”

“Well, most of our machines and vehicles are less than a year old now, so I doubt it will take long. I’m not even sure the check is necessary, but I guess it doesn’t hurt to keep up the habit.”

Great. Daisy’s nerves were already in tatters from preparing to see Xander. Now she’d be on edge the whole time she was in the office, knowing he might appear at any minute.

Ava was studying her. “Okay, what’s wrong?”

“Nothing.” Daisy glanced all around, avoiding Ava’s gaze.

Ava tucked her arm through Daisy’s and led her toward the kitchenette counter. “Let’s get a nice cup of tea, and you can tell me all about it.”

Daisy let out a weak laugh. “All about nothing?”

Ava’s sideways glance revealed a woman far shrewder than Ava usually let on. “You’re as skittish as a long-tailed cat in a roomful of rocking chairs. Xander was moping all last night, and he found an excuse to be away from the office on your first day back instead of here holding the baby all day. I’m pretty sure he’s not avoiding Avery, sosomethingis wrong between you two.”

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