Page 40 of Falling Hard for the Billionaire Cowboy

"Sure thing, boss," Sebastian nods, immediately switching to his foreman operations.

Assured that everything will be taken care of, I return to the house, clean up, and get ready to go to town. As I pass my dogs, I ruffle their fur.

"Hold down the fort, boys," I tell them. "I'll be back soon."

This time, rather than going straight to town, I decide to go the long way, passing the second gate. As I drive past the cottage, I can't help but look towards the front. Hayley's car isn't in the driveway.

"She probably went to town," I mumble to myself.

The thought of running into her in town crosses my mind. It's a small town, after all.

At the feed store, the manager, Geoffrey, greets me. "Austin! What brings you in today?"

"Need to place an order for that special feed for our new bulls," I explain.

As Geoffrey jots down the order, he casually mentions, "Say, you know that new girl, Hayley? Heard she opened up a law firm in town. Brave move, if you ask me. Not much legal work around here beyond simple disputes."

I raise an eyebrow, surprised. "Is that so? I wasn't aware."

My mind races. Should I go see her? But if she didn't tell me about the firm, wouldn't she find it strange?

Fate, it seems, has other plans. As I leave the feed store, I spot Hayley across the street. My heart skips a beat. She looks beautiful, her hair catching the sunlight in that moment.

"Hayley," I call out, unable to stop myself from smiling. "Fancy meeting you here."

She turns, a smile lighting up her face. "Austin! What a surprise."

As she talks, I can't take my eyes off her face. She's as beautiful as ever, her eyes sparkling with enthusiasm.

"I just opened a law firm," she says excitedly. "Want to see it?"

I nod, following her lead as she unlocks the front door. I’m so impressed as we enter a spacious reception area. The wide plank oak floors sparkle as if they were just waxed and buffed (probably were). A reception desk sits just inside the door, empty as yet. I’m sure she’ll need help when she gets more established.

I realize I’m lost in thought for a few moments as I take in the large space instead of listening to my tour guide. She snaps my attention back as she gestures grandly at two small glass-fronted offices and what looks like a conference room that could fit about six or eight people.

I hear her ask what I think of the pale blue and tan décor, and when I tell her quite honestly how beautiful it is, she beams. Her corner office is a combination of rustic and chic - lovely, just like her. A small kitchen, an even smaller copy room, and a good-size bathroom complete the tour, or so I think.

But she’s not done. Pushing the button for the elevator that I hadn’t even noticed, she takes me upstairs where one large office sits – front and center. The wide windows overlook Main Street where she can “watch all the goings-on” she explains. The office is quite bare, which surprises me. But it makes sense when she explains that she’ll need to be on the ground floor until she can hire a receptionist or legal aide. Makes sense.

Throughout the tour, I'm captivated by her animated eyes, her expressions, the passion in her voice as she talks about her plans.

Remembering Geoffrey's words about client inflow, I feel a twinge of concern.

"And so yeah, that's about it," she says wistfully.

For some reason, whenever I'm with her, time seems to fly so fast – and each time I have to leave, I wish I could stay.

"It’s really great, Hayley." I say, tipping my hat. I finally leave her place, and for the first time in my life, I find myself actively seeking out one person - Mrs. Beatrice.

There's only one place she would be at this time – the bar.

The moment she spots me, her eyes glisten with curiosity. "Well, well, Austin Hawkins seeking me out? The world must be ending," she teases.

I chuckle. "Hello, Mrs. Beatrice. How are you today?"

"Oh, cut the pleasantries, young man," she waves her hand. "I heard you went on a date with Martha's girl. Spill the beans!"

I feel my cheeks warm. "News travels fast, doesn't it?"

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