Page 13 of Falling Hard for the Billionaire Cowboy

"The girls in town are gonna cry tonight!"

"Aw, heck, I was gonna matchmake my sister with him."

"Dream on!" another yells, causing everyone to laugh.

Everyone except me, that is.

"It's not true," I say firmly, causing multiple heads to turn. "There's no lady involved."

"But Ma'am Beatrice said she dropped her off at your place," one of them insists.

"That old lady," I mutter under my breath. Beatrice is the town's number one gossip. It all makes sense now - how these guys found out, and how the rumors have blown out of proportion.

Before I can say anything else, I spot a car coming up the path to the house. I frown, wondering if it is her. But as I recognize the vehicle, I feel a mix of relief and maybe disappointment.

It’s Russell, my horse guy.

As he approaches, I wipe my hands on my jeans. "Russell? Wasn't expecting you 'til the weekend."

"Howdy, Austin," he greets, tipping his hat. "I was in town for something else and thought I'd swing by. Say, you interested in that car show next month?"

I shrug. "Not sure. Haven't given it much thought."

Russell grins. "Well, you can bring your missus if you want."

I freeze for the second time that morning, raising an eyebrow at him. Russell clears his throat, looking away.

"That old lady," I mutter again. If someone from the next town knows, then I’m sure everyone in this town 'knows' about it too.

I groan inwardly, wondering if Hayley is also being bombarded with questions. She probably thinks I’m involved in spreading these rumors somehow.

With a sigh, I look at Russell. "There's no missus, Russell."

He nods, already heading back to his truck. "Well, think about it. If you're coming, let me know."

"Wait, that's it?" I call after him.

"I'll see you this weekend," he waves, driving off without another word.

I turn around to find the guys all staring, clearly expecting more information.

"There's no missus! And get back to work!" I yell, feeling the beginning of a headache.

The next day goes smoothly, and we manage to get one of the barns back up by sunset. The strange thing is, throughout the day, I keep remembering snippets of conversations I've had with Hayley, causing me to smirk at odd moments.

Some of the ranch hands catch me grinning to myself, which only fuels their suspicions. But I’m just amused. That's all.

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Back home I shower and stretch out on my long-enough-for a tall-guy sofa for a short snooze/

As that lazy thought crosses my mind, one of my golden retrievers looks up at me, tail wagging.

"What is it, Rusty?" I mumble, stroking his head. As soon as I call out to him, the other pushes at my other hand, demanding equal attention, of course.

Giving up on the nap, I stand up to feed them, chuckling at their enthusiasm. Just then, I hear a knock at the main door.

A sense of déjà vu washes over me like I've witnessed this moment before. But I know I only feel that way because I've been interrupted while feeding the dogs twice in a row now.

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