Page 29 of The Billionaire's Christmas Baby Surprise

“Congratulations to your sister.” Max glanced at Billie out of the corner of his eye. She was smiling, but there was something a little sad behind her expression. Perhaps it was hard for her to see all her siblings married with children when she was still single — or maybe she was happy on her own. Max didn’t really know.

“Thanks. Shall we try another prediction?”

“Sure. How about we see how many cars pass us on the left in the next mile.”

“Sounds good. I’ll say… five.”

This time, Billie won. After some consideration, she asked Max, “If you didn’t run Bluebell Diner, what would you do?”

“I honestly have no idea. I’ve never even thought about doing anything else.”

“Think about it now.”

“All right. Maybe… maybe I would be a chef.”

“Really?” Billie looked interested. “Do you like to cook?”

“I do. I don’t have a lot of time to make elaborate meals, because I’m mostly at work, but I do love to cook, and my food seems to be edible.”

“That’s very cool. I wish I could cook, but I’m just as likely to leave something half raw as I am to burn it.”

Max opened his mouth to tell Billie that she needed to come over so that he could cook for her, then closed it. Once again, he was veering dangerously close to date territory. He needed to keep things professional — or as professional as they could be when they were playing a car game.

“What’s our next challenge?”

As they played, the scenery outside changed from the suburbs of Denver to rolling plains marked by the occasional gas station or town. A few flakes of snow drifted down from the sky and melted onto the windscreen, which even Max had to admit looked very Christmassy. When they arrived at the Bluebell Diner, there was already a crowd of excited patrons waiting to be seated. Max held out his arm for Billie, who took it, and led them to the front of the line. After a quick ribbon-cutting ceremony, the branch manager let them in with a smile and a few words of welcome.

Inside, the diner was already decorated for Christmas. A large, fragrant Christmas tree decked with white and red baubles stood in the entryway, each table was decorated with a miniature tree,and strands of lights ran around the edges of the room. “Holly Jolly Christmas”played softly in the background.

“For someone who doesn’t like Christmas, your restaurant is very Christmassy,” Billie said to Max in a low voice as a server led them to a small booth by the window.

“People like Christmas,” Max replied with a shrug. He slid into the seat across from Billie.

“Welcome to Bluebell Diner,” the waitress said. She smiled at Max and Billie. “Here are a few menus for you, and I’ll be back in a jiffy to take your drink orders.”

“Thank you,” Max and Billie said in unison. The waitress smiled again, then turned to lead another group of diners to a nearby table. Billie picked up her menu and began to peruse it. Max tried not to watch her too closely. After a few minutes, she set it down again.

“Everything looks amazing. What do you recommend?”

“Well, I think our breakfasts are a highlight. The Farmer’s Plate is a big hit, and so is the Chocolate Tower, but my personal favorite is the three-by-two.”

“Two pancakes with your choice of toppings, two eggs your way, and two bacon links or sausages, served with hash browns and fruit.” Billie looked up and grinned. “We have a clear winner. I don’t remember the last time I had breakfast for dinner.”

“It’s the best meal of the day,” Max told her. “Next time, you should try the Reuben, though. It’s also great. So is the bagel grilled cheese. And?—”

“Okay, okay.” Billie held up her hands with a laugh. “I’ve already picked something, so you’ve got to stop suggesting more options or I’ll get confused.”

“Sorry.” Max grinned back. “I’m just pleased that you’re here.”

“I’m happy to be here, too. It seems like a lovely restaurant.”

“Thanks. I hoped that if you could come here yourself, you’d see another side to the restaurant business beyond my focus on profit. There are real people who get to enjoy good food because of my work.”

Billie looked up. “I do see that. I know I disparaged your work when we first met, but I can see that this place is special. And people seem really excited to be eating here. I can’t wait to try the food.”

Just then, the waitress reappeared, and Billie and Max gave their drink orders — coffee for Max, water for Billie — and ordered their food.

“If I drink coffee this late, I’ll never sleep,” Billie said.

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