Page 64 of Falling Hard for the Billionaire Cowboy

I'm even more nervous about opening our message thread. If I do, I'll be able to see if he's read it or not. If he hasn't, I can tell myself he's just busy. But if he has...

"Gadzooks!" I squeal, burying my hot face in my arm. "What are you doing Hayley?" I groan.

The very thought of that possibility makes the knots in my stomach twist tighter. I'm so lost in my thoughts that when the toaster suddenly pops, I let out a startled shriek.

"It's just the toaster," I mutter to myself, shaking my head. "Get a grip, Hayley."

I set my phone down on the kitchen island as if it might protect me from my swirling thoughts. Walking to the plate rack, I select a dish and return to the toaster. As I reach for the first piece of bread, my fingertips are instantly scalded by the heat.

"Ouch!" I yelp, flicking my hand rapidly to cool it off.

More cautiously, I grab the second piece, managing to transfer it to the plate without further incident. As I spread jam on the bread, my mind wanders again.

"Austin gave me this jam," I murmur, then pause as I realize my thoughts have circled right back to where I've been trying not to go.

I take a bite of toast, savoring the sweet-tart flavor of the jam—just then, my phone pings with an incoming video call. Without thinking, I fly across the kitchen to grab it. My heart leaps as I see the foreign number on the screen. Could it be Austin?

Giddiness wells up inside me as I hurriedly adjust my hair. For a split second, I consider dashing back to my room to put on some lipstick, but what if the call drops? I can't risk missing it.

And what do I say – like, "Hello Austin-y, I yay!" I say aloud in a high-pitched nasal voice.

Pooh.

After one final hair check, I swipe to answer. "Hey-hi!" I say, a little too enthusiastically.

And yes, in the same nasal voice as earlier.

"Hayley!!!" Familiar voices and faces fill the screen, but they're not the one I was expecting. It's my parents.

"Hey, hi, Dad, Mom," I rush out, trying to mask my disappointment. On one hand, I'm genuinely happy to see their faces - it's been a while since we last spoke. But on the other hand, I thought it was Austin.

My mom's brow furrows slightly. "Is everything okay, honey? You looked a little stressed when you answered."

"Oh, no, it's fine," I assure her quickly. "Just the glare from the sun. It's pretty bright this morning." It's a weak excuse, considering the sun isn't even fully up yet, but they don't question it.

Dad chimes in. "We just wanted to check in. You won't believe where we are!"

"Where?" I ask, genuinely curious now.

Mom's face lights up. "Nepal! Oh, Hayley, you would absolutely love it here. The mountains, the culture - it's breathtaking."

As Mom launches into a detailed description of their travels, I can't help but notice Dad's expression. His eyes never leave Mom's face, a soft smile playing on his lips. There's such love and adoration in his gaze - it's the look I've grown up seeing, the kind of love I've always hoped to find for myself. And when I think back to the time when we almost lost the ranch, how my mom had stepped up, taking multiple jobs to help out… everything.

My heart aches a little but for a different reason now. Will I ever have my own person … someone who looks at me the way Dad looks at Mom?

"Well, we should probably get going," Dad says, breaking into my thoughts. "We've got a busy day ahead of us."

"Okay," I nod, pushing away my melancholy. "It’s great to see you both. Love you!"

"Love you too, sweetheart," they chorus before the call disconnects.

As the screen goes dark, I catch my reflection and sigh. I return to my abandoned toast, but now it feels like the driest thing I've ever eaten. "I need coffee," I mutter, pouring myself a steaming mug.

Just as I take my first sip, my actual alarm goes off. I groan, "Right, I need to get to work."

***

The day at work is hectic, to say the least. I barely have time to breathe, let alone take a lunch break. I survive on sweets and coffee, darting from one task to the next without pause.

---