Page 28 of The Thing About My Secret Billionaire

Miller pauses with the second slice of buttered toast halfway to his mouth. “You mean you saw that?”

Now I allow myself to laugh. “I did, yes. Sorry.”

“I can’t even imagine how it must have looked.”

“Hilarious, is how it looked.” He can take it—I know he can take it. You don’t get that level of swagger without being able to let things roll off your back. “You looked like you were trying to outrun a race car, not a sweet little animal.”

“Sweet?” He straightens his spine and pulls back his broad shoulders in mock outrage, pointing the remaining toast toward Harley. “That thing headbutted my ass and almost sent me face-first into the shit bucket.”

My head involuntarily drops back as laughter rolls out of me. “I wish I’d seen that part.”

“Then he came after me like a creature possessed. I had to flee for my life.” He shoves the remainder of the toast into his mouth. It leaves a buttery sheen on his full lips.

“It’s my fault. I should have warned you. Tomorrow, just wait till he’s outside before mucking out and you’ll be fine.”

“Any other potentially deadly quirks I need to know about?”

“They all have their little ways. They’re just like people—you have to get to know them andfigure them out.”

“Any of them do anythingreallybad?” he asks, his voice softer. “Anything unforgivable?”

“Isn’t almost everything forgivable?”

“You’re a forgiving person then?” He has an unexpected hopeful tone in his voice.

“I am when it comes to an animal that might not have had the greatest start in life.”

“And when it comes to people?”

My mind shoots back to Brandon and the lies he spun me about his fantasy life. “I’m probably not the most trusting.”

Miller nods his head slowly like he’s pondering a deep, meaningful concept.

“You?” I ask.

“Ha.” He smirks and sucks on his teeth as he shakes his head. “I bear grudges. I am most definitely a grudge-bearer.”

“Wow. That sounds like a sad way to live.”

“I’m not sad at all. I love life.” He flings his arms wide. “Look at me. I’m my own boss. I can go wherever I want, when I want. Life isgood.”

“Grudges can eat you alive, though. Destroy your own life, while the person you hate goes merrily on with theirs completely unaffected.”

“I just think of how sweet the justice will taste when I get revenge.”

“Whoa. Remind me to never get on your bad side.” I jump off the table and gather up the toast container.

He shrugs and grunts derisively. “It’s way more likely me who’ll get on yours.” He takes a long draw from the coffee mug, then holds it up. “Thanks for breakfast. Where should I put the shit?”

“On the pile around the back of the shed. We leave it there to cure, then sell it to gardeners in the spring.”

“Cure?” Miller’s eyes widen. “Like you’d age meat, you mean?”

“I wouldn’t really compare the two. But you do need to leave it for a few weeks before you can put it on plants or it’ll burn them.”

“I’ll add that to the list of donkey facts I’d never thought I’d learn.”

“Oh, that’s actually a good idea for a post.”