Page 55 of The Billionaire and the Runaway

“Sure. I’ll talk to him, but I’m sure it’s fine. He just got back yesterday,” he says with a smile.

“Awesome. Let me know. Well, I’m off to eat lunch. Nice talking to you,” I say to him.

“Same to you, Ariana,” he says as he checks out and starts talking about some local Ultimate Frisbee league with Kingsley.

Eric pulls me into the animal barn as I walk back to the office. He pushes me up against a wall and kisses me. The strawberries nearly go flying.

“Sorry,” he says with a grin as he pulls back, “couldn’t help myself.”

I giggle. “Behave,” I whisper.

He shrugs. “What’s the fun in that, little catastrophe?”

I roll my eyes. “Lunch is here.”

“I’ll be in soon. I need to get the tractor loaded up with some hay to take out to Earl after I eat,” he says.

“OK,” I reply with a nod and a quick peck on his cheek before I turn and head to the office, grinning like a fool. How is my life this great? I have an amazing guy, a great job, and I live in the perfect place. Maybe I can get Eric to go to the beach with me this weekend. We could take Barkley.

If I can just survive telling Dad, then life might be truly perfect. I look over at the tractor, Eric is putting hay on it. He has so much to do. I decide then and there that I’m going to do it for him after I eat. He deserves a quick break and Earl taught me how to drive it last week. It isn’t really any harder than the truck.

I eat as quickly as I can. This is followed by giving Thor little belly boops. How can a kitten be this adorable?

“You spoil him,” Joy states as she looks over her computer monitor at me, her well-drawn right eyebrow raised.

I shrug as I look back down at Thor. His eyes are open now and he stares up at me.

“Just look at him. He’s so freaking cute. I can barely stand it. Aren’t you, buddy?” I say in a baby-talk voice as I kiss his big belly again. I turn to Joy. “I’m going out to help Eric. I’ll be back in a few minutes.”

“Alright,” she says, barely looking up as she types.

I head out to the guesthouse and change into some sweatpants and these big boots I bought at Heather’s thrift shop. I needed something practical, and this was all I could find. I make my way over to the tractor that’s all loaded with hay. I spot the place out in the field where it needs to go, and I climb up and find the key in the ignition. I roll my eyes. It’s so typical. I never would’ve dreamt of keeping a key in the ignition at home, but here, I know no one would touch this thing. I start it up and am pleased when I manage to get it started.

“You can do this,” I give myself a pep talk. With a nod to my nerves, I remember what I was taught and managed to start driving the beast of machinery. I smile proudly. See, I can do this. I make it to the west field and start down the dirt path in between planted fields. It needs to go along the edge down by the drainage ditch.

I get closer to the drainage ditch and start to turn. A movement to my left startles me. Eric is racing toward me, waving his arms. I wave back smiling as I finish the turn, but then I feel the left side of the tractor start to sink.

“Oh no,” I mutter as I attempt to get it moved out of what I assume is a soft spot along the ditch, but I can’t. It sinks more and more. The right side of the tractor begins to elevate. And then I feel it leave the ground. Everything happens so fast. One minute I’m inside the tractor and the next the tractor is on top of me and I’m in the ditch.

“Ariana! Ariana!” Eric’s panicked voice comes closer, and I hear him running. He slides down along the side of the top of the tractor and peers beneath it.

“I’m OK. I’m…ouch!” I yell as I try to free myself. I start to panic as I realize my leg is caught at a strange angle under the tractor.

“Earl! Get Buck! Call nine-one-one,” Eric yells and then looks back down at me. “We’re going to get you out. Can you feel your leg?”

“I—I d-don’t know,” I stammer as I feel my body begin to shiver.

“Fuck, hold on, baby,” he says, his voice laced with concern as he whips off his flannel button-down shirt, revealing a tight-fitted gray shirt underneath. He ducks under the edge of the tractor roof and covers me. “You’re in shock, Ariana. We have to keep you warm.”

“A-am I—I g-going t-to d-die?” I ask, my voice trembling. I suddenly feel so cold.

“No. You are not going to die. I won’t let you. We’re going to get you out from under there and then get you checked out and you’ll be back home in no time,” he says calmly. I reach up behind me and he grabs my hand. “Do you hear me? You are not going to die.”

“I’m s-scared,” I admit. And I mean it in all the possible ways. I’m scared I’m falling for him. I’m scared I’m going to die. I’m scared my dad won’t love me anymore if he finds out what I’ve done. I’m scared I’ll mess up and ruin everything. I’m scared that I might have already messed up everything.

His other hand comes down to caress my cheek. I feel him wipe a tear. I didn’t even know I was crying. “Don’t be scared, baby. I’m right here. I’m not going anywhere.”

“P-promise?” I ask, my bottom lip wobbling.

---