Page 19 of Taming the Billionaire Cowboy (The Billionaire’s Bidding #3)
CARLY
S tepping into Ramblin’ Roses, the familiar smell of polish and gin greets me.
It’s still early - the bar’s not open yet - but Oliver and I finished everything around the ranch in record time, and I didn’t want to keep Bradley waiting longer than he had to, so I figured I would pick him up and take him to a movie.
Oliver has some computer work to do, anyway.
Not that I’m planning my schedule around his.
Or, at least, not I’m trying not to.
“Carly,” my aunt calls. “Over here!”
“Hey, Mom,” I say, squeezing past stacks of new glassware and bags of lemons. “Hey, Aunt Gina. Where’s Bradley?”
“In the back, drawing.” My mom moves a pile of boxes, trying to make room for me. “How you doing, honey?”
“I’m okay.” I glance around, taking it all in, realizing how strange it feels to be here after so much time on the ranch.
I haven’t worked at the bar in weeks, and I would be lying if I said I missed it. I much prefer the company of animals to people. Well… except for a select few people.
“You’re more than okay,” Gina says. “Looks like a certain newbie cowboy brightened you up. Even if you’re not saying so.”
My face warms and part of me wants to spill everything — I already have with Ferris — but another part feels that even mentioning my good fortune will jinx it. “You’re one to talk,” I tease, instead. “Who was that guy you were with last week?”
“Oh, don’t change the subject,” she says, laughing. “Everyone in town knows about you two.”
“And everyone is saying he’s a real-life billionaire,” my mom adds. “Well, everyone but me.”
“It’s not what you think,” I say, but I’m not sure I believe it. I want to think it is, and that’s what scares me most.
They both raise their eyebrows like they’re just waiting to see how long I can go on lying to myself. Like they already know it’s not long at all.
“You know how rumors are in this town,” I say. “He bought the ranch. We’re working together. That’s all.”
“So serious, huh?” Aunt Gina teases. “Well, I’m glad to see it’s not just business, even if you won’t admit it.”
“You two were cute at the Fourth of July parade,” my mom says.
I think about that afternoon, how easy it was to be together. I didn’t expect that. I didn’t expect any of it.
The memory softens me, makes me want to be honest. Makes me want to stop pretending.
“We haven’t been seeing each other long,” I admit. “Not even a week. It’s too early to know anything.”
“So it is serious,” my aunt says, and I can tell she’s enjoying how she has me in a corner.
“Gina.” My mom gives her a gentle scolding. “Leave the girl alone.”
My aunt holds her hands up like she’s innocent. “I’m just saying it’s nice.”
My mom turns back to me, a glint in her eyes that tells me I’m not getting out of this. “Oliver seems to fit right in. A perfect match.”
I don’t know if she means a match for me or a match for Miralena, but either way, I really hope she’s right. Things have been wonderful between us since that day in the old stable, and that alone terrifies me.
The laughter all day long. The stolen kisses here and there. The way he just fits in with me and Bradley. Life isn’t supposed to feel this amazing, which means the other shoe should be dropping right about now.
“Oliver’s enjoying the slower pace, but I don’t know how long it will last,” I tell her. “You know his whole life is in the city.”
“He seems to like it here,” Aunt Gina says. “Bet he’ll stick around longer than you think.”
I twist my lips anxiously. Sure, he said that he’ll be around here more, but how can I know that’s really the plan? He’s clearly an impulsive person; buying a whole ranch on a whim just to get some relaxation proved that.
“Or maybe he’ll change his mind,” I say. “He could leave anytime.”
I try to sound casual, like I wouldn’t care if he did, but my mom hears what I’m not saying.
“And maybe he won’t,” she says, hope in her voice and her eyes, like she’s already in love with him.
I want to believe her. I want to trust that this is more real than my fear. I want to let go of everything holding me back, but if I do, I might fall too hard and too fast. I’m deep in this thing already, and I don’t know if it’s the best feeling or the worst.
The door to the back room swings open, and Bradley bursts out, his face lighting up when he sees me.
“Mom!” he shouts, running across the bar with crayons in one hand and a drawing in the other. “I didn’t know you were here.”
“I got off work early. Would you like to go to the movies?”
He doesn’t display his usual excitement for the movie theater, which is odd. “Uh… can we go see the horses?”
“Not today. I just left for the day, and?—”
“Oliver can show them to me.”
“He’s busy, buddy. Another day. Soon.”
“Aww, okay. Look what I made.”
He hands over a drawing of two people standing next to a stable with horses all around them.
“It’s you and Oliver working,” he explains.
“Looks just like me,” I say, my chest feeling weirdly tight. “I love it.”
He’s really into Oliver… Was that whole outing on the Fourth of July a mistake? If Bradley gets too attached, and then Oliver leaves…
“Guess what,” I say, needing to think about something else before I start to cry. “I ordered the cake for your birthday party. It’s beach-themed like you wanted.”
“And Oliver’s coming, right?” my mom asks.
I hesitate, not sure how to answer, but Bradley speaks up before I have a chance.
“Oliver has to come,” he says.
I bite my lip. Sure, Oliver said he would come, but… there are a whole lot of ’buts’. Like, what if he decides to skip town before then? Gets tired of Miralena, tired of me, and makes another impulsive move.
“You should ask him to dinner, too,” my mom says, “before then, so we can all get to know him.”
“Hey,” I glance at Bradley. “Go get the rest of your stuff.”
“Okay.” He runs back through the swinging door.
“We don’t need to invite him to dinner,” I tell my mom and aunt. “Okay?”
“Why not?” My aunt frowns as she polishes pint glasses.
But my mom is watching me with a frown. “What’s really going on, Carly?”
“Nothing,” I snap. “We just… Oliver and I… it’s not a serious thing. He might decide to sell the ranch for all I know and leave here for good.”
I look away from them, feeling like a petulant teenager but also resenting them for constantly pushing. This is exactly why I didn’t want everyone to know about me and Oliver. Once people get into your business, they never get out of it.
Bradley is back, his little backpack on, which means the conversation is over.
“Ready to go?” I ask him.
“I guess,” he says. He holds out his picture. “I want Oliver to see.”
“He’s gonna love it,” I promise, but my chest aches.
His face falls, a sad little frown. “Is Oliver selling the ranch?”
My stomach drops. Oh, no. I didn’t realize he overheard that.
“Uh, I… no.” I clear my throat, wanting to make him feel better but also not wanting to sugarcoat things. “Not now, anyway. Don’t worry about it, honey.”
“Okay.” His frown slowly dissolves, but I can tell he’s still worried. I guess that makes two of us.
I squeeze his hand reassuringly. “Ready to go have fun?”
His face brightens only the slightest bit. “Yeah.”
I offer quick goodbyes to my mother and aunt and try to put the conversation out of my mind as Bradley and I leave Ramblin’ Roses behind, but the thoughts keep niggling the back of my brain.
When we’re safely strapped into the car and heading for the theater, Bradley breaks the silence again. “Mom, are you mad at Oliver?”
“No, baby.” My hands tighten around the steering wheel as I glance in the mirror at him, his worried eyes staring back at me. “Why do you ask that?”
“Because he’s your friend, right? But you seem upset.”
“Yeah.” I nod, trying to figure out how to explain this to him in a way he’ll understand. “Oliver is a good friend.”
“And friends are supposed to be happy about each other,” he insists.
“That’s right.”
“So why aren’t you happy about Oliver?”
The question catches me off guard because I didn’t realize that’s what it looked like. “What makes you think I’m not?”
He shrugs, looking down at his lap. “Remember when you said he might leave?”
I inhale sharply, trying to figure out how to answer this. My first instinct is to comfort him, to assure him that Oliver isn’t going anywhere. But can I really say that with certainty?
“Yes, I remember,” I say softly.
“Well… maybe he won’t.” He shrugs again and looks back up at me, his eyes full of trust and hope. “And if he does, we’ll still be okay, right?”
His words, so mature for his age, hit me like a punch to the gut.
“You’re absolutely right, Bradley. We’ll be okay no matter what.”