Page 21 of Baby for My Billionaire Rival

As we wander out of the experimental greenhouse, my curiosity gets the best of me. “Jacob Junior, huh?”

“Well, Junior was my father. I’m the third one. So Junior Junior.”

“Shoulda called you Tripp,” I say with a smile.

Jake gives me a sidelong glance. “Is that one of those city people things?”

“No, that’s like athing. Look it up.”

He smirks. “Sure, Gladstone.”

My belly warms. However, I’m caught on something he said. “Your dad…”

Jacob’s humor fades from his face and he stares at the toes of his boots as we walk. “Passed about a year ago.”

“I’m sorry, Jake.”

“S’alright.”

We settle back into the cart. I can’t help feeling I’ve made it painfully awkward asking about his dad.

However, as we pull away from the greenhouses, Jake opens up just a bit more. “It was unexpected. I have a lot of catching up to do to make up for his absence. Big shoes to fill, you know?”

“My grandmother has little shoes, but I think I know what you mean.”

Jake laughs. Like really laughs. A deep rumble from his gut and a crinkle at the corners of his eyes. I worry for a second he might run the golf cart right off the road.

I start laughing at him because he’s laughing so hard. We both continue to laugh and I’m not sure what we’re even laughing at anymore.

We laugh all the way down the third road, to the pastures where there are cows, horses, pigs, and chickens. Here, I meet two more of his brothers, Brody and Cooper. They’re just as strapping and handsome as Jake.

“Surprise is this way,” Jake says, and leads me to a smaller enclosure in the pasture.

That’s when I hear the bleating of goats. My heart soars when I lay eyes on them. Little baby goats all prancing around, chasing each other, trying to climb things that shouldn’t be climbed. “Oh my gosh! Baby goats!”

Jake opens the gate for me.

“You want me to go in?”

“Yeah, they’re friendly, they’ll want to play.”

I nervously step in through the gate. The second Jake joins me, one baby goat bleating sets off a chain reaction. At least ten stampede in our direction.

“Now, careful, they like to roughhouse. Just tell them, ‘No’ and leave them alone,” Jake says as he gets onto his knees. Three kids leap into his arms, tumbling and bleating. “Hey guys!”

One goat mashes up against my calf and I can’t help but laugh. “You want some attention?” I bend down, following Jake’s lead. The second I’m low enough, a caramel-colored kid circles me, puts his hooves on my back and crawls up it. “Oh my God!” I scream.

“Yeah… they do that.”

I look over at Jake, who is currently fielding two kids in his lap and three fighting for position on his back as king of the hill.

I can’t stop smiling.

“They’re cute though, right?”

“Adorable,” I say.

Jake gives me a closed-mouthed smile. Like… like he actually likes me. Maybe I’m not the city girl he thought I was.

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