Page 21 of Falling Hard for the Billionaire Cowboy

Sebastian's brow furrows. "She seemed angry, but... boss, is there another Mrs. Tanya? Because this one is real pretty."

I turn my gaze towards the gate, and suddenly it clicks. That car – I've seen it before, by the side of the road on the day of the fire. There's only one person it could be: Hayley.

"Not again," I mumble.

Another misunderstanding.

Both Russell and Sebastian are looking at me now, clearly expecting an explanation.

"Was that your girl?" Russell asks, a sly grin spreading across his face.

"What the…" I start, but Sebastian cuts me off.

"The boss wouldn't be so terrible as to turn his girl away at the gate. Right? Must have been someone else."

I pause, caught between amusement and exasperation as they wait for my response. Finally, I turn to Sebastian. "Can you take charge of the horses? I'll see you later, Russell."

Before either of them can say another word, I'm jogging towards the gate, leaving them to their speculation. As I round the corner, I see Hayley's car pulling away, kicking up a cloud of dust.

"Hayley!" I call out, waving my arms. "Wait!" I yell, running after the car.

Suddenly, the car stops, and for a moment, I think she might drive off, but she doesn't. The engine is still running though, and from where I stand, I can hear the low rumble coming from the motor.

Taking off my hat, I’m immediately grateful as a gust of wind blows in. This time it isn’t the humid hot air I had been feeling earlier, but a gentle breeze - cooling the sweat that's formed around the hat band on my head. I run a hand through my hair, lengthening my pace as I walk towards her car.

I can see her face in the side mirror, but the sunglasses perched on her nose make it impossible to read her expression.

Before I reach the driver's side, the car suddenly jolts forward, leaving me dumbfounded as I stare at its rear bumper. There are now a few feet between us, and I find myself looking from the back of the car to her face in the side mirror, trying to make sense of what just happened.

She pokes her head out the window, removing her sunglasses. "Oh, I'm so sorry! I seem to have pressed down on the wrong thing. Are you okay?" She says in a slow, honeyed voice.

The expression on her face seems innocent, and if I didn't know better, I'd be taken in by it. Knowing her as the feisty cat she is, I'm certain she did it intentionally. But it's okay, I had mistaken her car for another – I deserved that.

I shake my head, a smile tugging at my lips despite myself. As I approach the driver's side once again, she drives off, this time not stopping until she's a good distance away.

She pauses, then pokes her head out the window and yells, "How does that feel?" before speeding away, leaving nothing but a cloud of dust in her wake.

I look in the direction she heads, and after a few seconds, I can't help but chuckle, shaking my head in amusement. I put my hat back on, still grinning.

As I turn around to walk back to the ranch, I see that a crowd has gathered – my ranch hands observing it all from the gate. "Isn't this the perfect play," I say sarcastically, walking towards them.

As I get closer, I have three things in mind.

One: I'm going to put on the thickest-skinned mask possible as I walk between them.

Two: I'm going to see Little Miss Feisty later on.

Three: I really need to get back to work for now.

Chapter nine

HAYLEY

“Muhahahaha!” As I drive away, my best attempt at a villainous laugh spills out, echoing inside the car. The sound makes me laugh even harder since it sounds like a perfect mix between a cackle and a snort that would make any B-movie villain proud. I can also feel a cheesy grin spreading across my face, my cheeks almost aching with the effort of containing it.

"Take that, Austin," I mutter, still grinning like a fool. "Let's see how you like being left in the dust for once."

The extra drive to the cottage doesn't even bother me now. The satisfaction of seeing Austin's shocked face as I drove away is worth every additional mile. I replay the moment in my head, savoring it like a fine wine.

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