Page 37 of The Billionaire's Hire (The Venture Capital Trilogy)

I loved Audrey. But I did not love doing that shit.

“I grew up rough, too,” I admitted. “I have an alcoholic brother, an alcoholic father, and a mom that disappeared when I was a kid. I’ve been homeless since I was sixteen.” I left about the part about the aunt that took me in and the shit show that tuned into.

Audrey’s eyes were wide in her face. “I didn’t know that, Jenny.”

“S’okay,” I said. “But nobody ever took care of me except for myself. And I get what you’re saying, but I don’t know if I could ever live any other way. I don’t know if I have it in me to rely on someone, you know?”

Audrey nodded. “Of course, I know. But there’s this thing; have you ever heard of it? It’s called baby steps.”

I arched an eyebrow. “What d’you mean?”

“It means you just take things one tiny step at a time and don’t worry about what happens next—just one tiny step at a time, one happy day at a time. Like, you enjoyed today with Cole, and you don’t need to worry about anything else. It’s a baby step. What about that?”

“I’ll make you a deal. I will baby step my ass through this trip. Then, I will try to baby step through your wedding. Does that sound okay?” I asked.

Audrey smiled and nudged me playfully. “That sounds great. This trip is going to be fun.”

“What the heck are we doing in Wyoming, anyway?” I asked her. I still had no idea what this trip was about.

Audrey grinned at me. “Two words: dude ranch.”

I gaped at her. “I’m sorry.What?”

Audrey laughed. “Ha! I’m the one who’s sorry. Remember that when you’re lassoing a cow!”

CHAPTER NINETEEN

cole

“A dude ranch?What the hell is up with that?” I asked James.

He handed me his phone, which showed a website for a luxury resort in Jackson.Silver River Ranch, it read.

“It looks like a Ritz, not a ranch,” I said.

“It is a ranch, though. We’re going horseback riding. And fly-fishing. And we’ll eat big steaks in front of a roaring fire.” James looked excited.

“I don’t know how to fly fish. Don’t you have to wear big, ugly rubber boots?”

“Yep—they’re called waders.” James grinned. “And I don’t know how to fly fish, either. So we can look like asses together.”

I scrubbed a hand across my face. “Sounds like a plan.”

Once we landed, my phone pinged with a text from my father.

Ramos is still being difficult.

These are not the results I’m looking for.

I’ll take care of it.

Sighing, I turned my phone off. There was nothing I could do for my father at the moment. Ramos was being difficult, it was true. He’d asked me, in no uncertain terms, to pay him off. I wasn’t going to do that. If something happened with the property and it ever came out that our approvals were shady, we’d be liable. That wasn’t going to happen. I wasn’t sure how to handle the situation, but I vowed to deal with it while we were on the trip. I’d figure out a way to make my father happy. Then, when Jenny and I returned to Boston, I could talk to him about my plans for the future.

Which centered aroundher.

Jenny and Audrey had been thick as thieves with their bridal magazines for the entire flight. I was relieved when we landed, and Jenny finally looked my way. “Hey there.” She gave me a warm smile that made my skin flush.

“Hey, yourself.”

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