Page 11 of Taming the Billionaire Cowboy (The Billionaire’s Bidding #3)

CARLY

I move around the kitchen, my hands flying as I make a sandwich, chop veggie sticks, and pop some mini cookies in a sandwich baggie.

Usually, I pack Bradley’s camp lunch the night before, but last night was chaotic with grocery shopping and troubleshooting the leaking dishwasher, and I didn’t get the chance to.

“We’re leaving in five minutes!” I call out to Bradley.

“Okay!” he shouts back, and I can hear the excitement in his voice.

He loves this music camp, which he went to last year. Since I can only afford one week of it per summer, it’s a special treat for him, a break from hanging out with his grandma (though he does love her).

My phone buzzes in my pocket, and immediately my mind goes to Oliver. Is he texting to give me some sort of heads-up about today?

An image from yesterday, which hasn’t been far from my mind, revives itself. He was carrying a kid goat across the field, biceps popping and hair shining in the sun. Watching him, I felt like I might melt right then and there.

I need to be careful, though. A crush on a boss is a disaster waiting to happen, and I don’t want to lose my job at the ranch a second time.

Taking a deep breath, I pull my phone from my pocket and find a text from the camp provider. A quick glance at it and my stomach drops.

“We’re going now?” Bradley says from behind me, and I turn around to find him standing in the doorway wearing his rain boots, a camo hat with a mosquito net over it, and his plastic binoculars hanging around his neck. He looks prepared for anything, and it kills me.

“Buddy, I’m sorry, but a water pipe burst at camp. There’s water all over the floor, so camp is canceled today.”

He blinks, trying to comprehend the situation. “Oh. For the whole day?”

“Yeah. For the whole day.” I chew my bottom lip. Shoot. What am I gonna do with him now?

I have to get to work, but Ferris is working her shift at the hospital and can’t watch him, and my mom and aunt are out of town doing a supply run for the bar, and they won’t be back till this afternoon.

“You’ll need to come to work with me,” I tell him.

He immediately lights up. “Okay! I’ll go get Rusty the picture I drew for him!”

He dashes into his room, and I add his lunchbox to my backpack with my own. This wasn’t part of the plan, but if I’m good at anything, it’s pivoting.

He comes back wearing his normal shoes, which I appreciate. The ranch is not exactly the easiest place to move around in rain boots.

“Let’s go!” he says and grabs his bag of colored pencils. But as we’re about to leave, he says, “Wait! I almost forgot.”

Without further explanation, he rushes back into his room and reemerges with last night’s masterpiece.

He stayed up last night coloring the picture of Rusty, the friendliest horse at the ranch.

In the picture, Rusty is purple. Bradley insists it’s his favorite color, even though we have no way of knowing that.

“Got it,” he announces dramatically, holding up the folded paper like it’s a trophy.

I smile at him and try not to worry about Oliver’s reaction when I show up with a six-year-old in tow. Will he be mad? I mean, it’s not like I had much of a choice.

At the ranch, Bradley can’t contain his excitement. He dashes around the stables, checking everything out and saying hi to the animals.

“Remember the first rule,” I tell him.

“Stay where I can see you.”

“And the second rule?”

“Don’t go into animals’ pens.”

Oliver is making his way out of the house when he spots us, a look of surprise crossing his face. I stand a little taller, feeling like I’m about to have to present my case and hating that fact.

“You brought a friend,” Oliver says, kneeling down to Bradley’s level.

“This is my son, Bradley. Bradley, this is Mr. Greer.”

Oliver glances at me but then quickly hides his shock. “Nice to meet you, Bradley. You can call me Oliver.”

Bradley nods shyly before gluing himself to my leg.

“His camp was canceled today,” I explain. “A burst water pipe.”

“Oh,” Oliver says, standing back up. He looks from me to Bradley, then back to me. “Well, welcome to the ranch, Bradley.”

Bradley peeks at him from behind my leg, giving Oliver a shy wave with one hand as he clings to me with the other.

“You like animals?” Oliver asks.

Bradley nods, peeking out from behind me and rummaging in his pocket for his folded drawing. Wordlessly, he hands out the picture he so carefully decorated last night.

There’s something irresistibly adorable about the way he says, “I drew Rusty.”

Oliver gingerly takes the drawing between thumb and forefinger. “This is great work! Rusty would be proud. Want to come show him?”

I can almost see Bradley’s heart leap as Oliver reaches out his hand. Bradley grabs onto it, beaming up at the city boy turned farmer, his shyness momentarily forgotten.

“All right, let’s go,” Oliver says, leading Bradley in the direction of where Rusty is grazing.

Their voices fade into the distance as I’m left standing there, watching them walk away. Admittedly, seeing Oliver with Bradley makes my heart flutter, but I quickly shake off the feeling.

They’re only at the fence for a few seconds before Bradley takes off, running for the house.

“Where’s he going?” I ask Oliver, the two of us meeting in the grass.

“I told him there are popsicles in the freezer. Hope that’s okay.”

“Sure. Thanks.” I bite back my smile. “You like popsicles?”

“Hey, they’re not just for kids!”

“I know.” I laugh. “We’ll see if you’re still smiling when he eats them all and leaves none for you.”

His face grows serious. “You have, uh, one kid or?—”

He clears his throat.

“Just one.” I tuck my hands into my jeans’ pockets. “He’ll be seven this month.”

His eyelashes flutter as he stares at the house, and I can tell he’s processing something. Is he wondering where Bradley’s dad is?

Well… join the club.

We hear Bradley thundering back from the house, a rainbow popsicle clutched in his small hand, the other arm behind his back.

“Only one?” Oliver asks him.

Bradley shakes his head, grinning as he reveals the two other popsicles from behind his back. “I brought one for you… and for Mom.”

Oliver chuckles, ruffling Bradley’s hair in gratitude as he takes the offered treat. After Bradley runs off to where Rusty grazes, we’re left standing side by side, both trying to avoid getting any drips on ourselves.

“Bradley seems like a good kid,” Oliver says.

“He is,” I say, casting my gaze fondly towards Bradley, where he’s sitting on the ground drawing again with the colors from his pocket.

“He’s been asking me about the horses almost non-stop since his last time here.

I, uh, I’m sorry about springing him on you like this.

There really was nowhere else for him to go, and he knows to stay close, and he even helps out some?—”

“Hey, it’s fine.” That probing gaze is back on me again, and heat rushes through me.

I clear my throat, desperately looking for a joke to break the mood that shouldn’t be here. “Also, he can probably teach you a thing or two about riding horses.”

Oliver chuckles, running his free hand through his hair. “What, me?”

“Absolutely,” I confirm with a teasing grin. “He’s pretty much an expert in horse riding compared to you.”

“Now that, I believe.” He grins back at me, licking his popsicle thoughtfully.

The way he does it is far too distracting for my peace of mind. My stomach starts flipping all over the place, and it’s like electricity is popping between my legs.

“I, uh, I’ll get started with feeding the goats,” I say, quickly turning away.

“I’ll get the horses. Maybe Bradley would like to help.”

“I’m sure he would.”

I keep walking, not looking back at him, not wanting to risk growing these feelings, not wanting to risk losing control. With so little to hold onto in life — just Bradley, this job — I need to protect what I can at all costs.

Oliver isn’t the enemy, but he’s also not mine for the taking, and I’d do well to remember that.