Page 36 of The Billionaire Love Match

The storm was really moving in fast. Lightning pulsed from within the thunderheads, though most of the sky was still sunny. Colt loved seeing wild weather like this. It made the sun seem brighter, all the contrast between the light and darkness. The surfers were already paddling to shore.

“I hate to say it—and believe me I’m saying this with the utmost kindness as your friend—but when you signed on, you handed over control of your life to your mother. I think now you’ve just got to do your best to ride it out. Get to know Casey more if you can. If you really fall for her, your mother couldn’t resist a happy ending. Think of the ratings! Ugh—did I just say that?”

Colt chuckled. “I know how you meant it.”

“Which is?”

“Not how my mother means it.”

“One more thing. And I hate to bring this up since you’ve already got a lot.”

“Maybe calling you was a mistake.”

“Can it, Colt. You know if you’d called me beforehand, we wouldn’t be having this conversation now. We’d probably be surfing and you never would have agreed to go on the show. Not without fighting me first. Anyway, the last thing is this: if you really are doing this to start your own studio, you need to think about integrity. You want to make family-friendly films, faith-based films. And your reputation, though not deserved, is of a bad boy billionaire. This show is just confirming that to people.”

Colt sighed. He was glad he called Ty, but he didn’t feel any better. If anything, he felt the collar around his neck tightening.

“Whether this was the best decision or not, you’ve got a stage. And the world is watching. You can’t control your mother’s spin. But as much as you can, be the man you are in private in front of those cameras.”

It felt like his chest was being squeezed into a vise. Colt struggled to breath slowly and steadily. He’d been hiding behind the fake image for so long that it had become his disguise. The idea of shattering that image, even with the truth, was terrifying.

“Well, I feel a lot better,” Colt said sarcastically.

“Sorry, bro. You got yourself in a tight jam this time. Know that I’m here. I’m praying and if I can do anything, let me know.”

Colt tossed the phone in the console and put his head down on the steering wheel. He sat there, thoughts and prayers intertwined, until the sheets of rain hammering against the windshield broke his reverie. He still didn’t have a game plan.

He sat up suddenly. This rain was supposed to stick around for a few days and threatened to wreck several of the group dates they had planned. He dialed Ty again.

“You must really miss me.”

“How’s business going?”

“What?”

“Your business. How’s it going.”

“Um, fine. We’ve got a new monthly subscription plan so people can come in and dive as often as they like. It’s still a good spot for underwater shots—”

“How would you like some free publicity? And a hefty rental fee for the day? I’ve got an idea.”

Colt could hear Ty’s smile over the phone. “I think I could be persuaded.”

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