Page 44 of Baby for My Billionaire Rival

I smile. “It is, isn’t it?” I walk past her to the table and chairs set up at the center of the barn. “Although, I have to admit, I had some help.”

A lot of help. All my brothers pitched in to make the unused barn some picturesque moment out of a fairytale. Brody and Coop hung the lights and Sean sourced all the flowers. Eddie was in charge of sweeping the floor, which he could still use some work on, but at least it’s not as dusty in here as it once was. And, of course, Mom helped too, cooking us the mouthwatering meal.

“It’s like a little piece of heaven,” Caroline says as she steps forward into the cascade of light.

You’re like a little piece of heaven, I want to say, but that’s corny even for me. It’s not far off from the truth, though. For our first official date, Caroline has on a burgundy red dress with buttons all up the front. It hugs her curves perfectly. Matched with her simple makeup and big blonde curls, I think I could die happy in this moment.

I pull out her chair. “You want to take a seat?”

She smiles through closed lips. I’ve already snagged multiple kisses from her, so delectable I think I could survive on a steady diet of them, but dinner awaits.

“Thank you,” she murmurs as she settles into her seat.

I lift the cover off her plate to reveal the meal. “Dinner courtesy of Chef Lori Simmons. Every piece of the dish utilizes a different Simmons Sauce. I know, annoying, but –”

Caroline folds her hands up by her cheek. “Compliments to the chef.”

“You haven’t even tasted it yet,” I say with a chuckle as I take a seat across from her.

She laughs too. “If your mom made it, I know it’s going to be good.”

I beam with pride. “Um, I know it’s a little grandiose, but –” I pick up the bottle of Dom Perignon settled in the champagne bucket. “You know, special occasion.”

“Dom? You’re crazy.” Caroline holds up her empty champagne glass. “I love it.”

I smile and pour the fizzing bubbles into her glass. “You’re worth it. But of course, you don’t need me to tell you that.”

“No, I do. It’s nice to hearyousay it, Jacob.”

I blush.

“Jacob Leslie.”

“Okay, you are bad.”

Caroline leans back with laughter.

Dinner is easy. We’ve done this before, just not quite like this. On a date, just us, under the manufactured starlight of the barn. Our voices echo off the walls as we chat about anything and everything. Conversation flows as freely as a river and I can’t help but feel like all of this was somehow inevitable.

“It was nice to… meet your family,” I say toward the end of the meal. “I’m sorry I showed up out of the blue like that, but –”

“They liked you. Very much,” Caroline says with a firm nod.

I raise an eyebrow. “I got the feeling your grandmother might have thought I was a little bit of a country bumpkin.”

“Youweretalking about goats and had hay stuck to the bottom of your boot.”

“What?!”

“Kidding! Well, not the goats part, but –”

I clutch my heart. “You scared me half to death.”

Caroline’s hand shoots out across the table for mine. As soon as she takes it, I’m at a loss for words and thoughts. She is the only thing that exists and her touch is something I never want to lose. “Teasing you. I like to tease you.”

Her thumb slides over my knuckles tenderly. I watch her watching her thumb, the way she considers the touch with curiosity.

“Gram is an opinionated woman,” Caroline says.

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