Page 62 of Falling Hard for the Billionaire Cowboy

"Congratulations, Mr. Austin," the head of the Japanese team says as we shake hands. "Your work is very impressive."

"Thank you," I reply, mustering a smile despite my fatigue. "I look forward to seeing the project completed."

"Yes. We shall see."

Slowly, everyone begins to leave the boardroom, until finally, I'm the only one left. Sighing, I run a hand over my face. My mind drifts back to that hurried trip home a week ago. It feels like a fever dream now – Hayley's surprised face, the brief kiss on my cheek, the words left unspoken between us.

I have also not been able to quickly answer Hayley's messages over the past week. The time difference hasn't helped, and I couldn't bring myself to call when I knew she'd be asleep. I know she's working hard, and the last thing I want is to disturb her rest. Still, it feels like an eternity since I last saw her.

Suddenly there's a knock on the door, Wei's head popping through the cracked door. "Boss," he calls out.

"Come in," I say, motioning for him to come in. "Is something wrong?" I ask.

"No, no. The team and I are going out to have some fun. We were wondering if you would like to come with us boss," Wei says.

I shake my head, unable to hide my amused smile. "Not this time. You guys deserve the break. And trust me, no employee wants their boss hovering close to them after working non-stop for days," I shrug.

"Boss –"

"Hold on," I cut in. "Here," I add, handing over a credit card. "It's on me."

"Wow, Boss, thanks!"

"Tell them not to go too wild," I tease.

As Wei leaves the room, I can't help but chuckle. As he walks out, there's a bounce to his step.

I run a hand through my hair, sighing. Two more days. That's all I need to tie up the loose ends here, and then I won't have to come back to China until the final launch of the hotel.

From then on, two days slowly pass. But man, it feels more like an eternity.

Compared to how fast-paced the Headquarters had been, these two days are the opposite. I force myself to focus on the tasks at hand, since the sooner I finish here, the sooner I can get back home. Back to Hayley.

Finally, finally, it's time to go home.

The flight back to Texas is already booked, and by the time I land, it's the dead of night in Redstone.

I let myself into the main residence, the familiar scents of the old house welcoming me home. Before I can take another step, I hear the scrabbling of paws on hardwood. My dogs, picking up my scent, come bounding towards me, tails wagging furiously.

Arf! Arf!

"Come on buddies, come on," I click my tongue, kneeling down so we are on the same height. Guilt washes over me as Iscratch their heads to greet them. The last time I sneaked back to Redstone, I hadn't even had time to see them. I shower them with affection now, trying to make up for lost time.

Suddenly, a movement at the top of the staircase catches my eye. A woman in a white dress, with her face in a white face mask is standing at the top of the stairs. "You nearly gave me a heart attack," I say, falling backward.

"Tch, you act like this is the first time you've seen me wear these," she mumbles, pulling off the face mask and waving it toward me.

It is Sarah, looking sleepy but unsurprised to see me. "You're back," she says, stopping her words with a yawn.

I nod, still petting the dogs. "Thanks for staying over."

Sarah grins, a mischievous glint in her eye as she shrugs. "You owe me sixty bucks."

I can't help but chuckle, the joke reminding me of our childhood summers spent at my aunt's house. "Put it on my tab."

Sarah yawns again, waving a hand dismissively. "I'm going back to sleep. We'll catch up in the morning."

As she disappears back upstairs, I turn my attention back to the dogs. I'm extremely exhausted too, and I can feel the sleep starting to close in on me. I need to sleep if I want to make the most of the day ahead – a day that, with any luck, will include seeing Hayley.

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