Page 9 of The Billionaire and the Runaway

“Really?” she asks, her voice rising an octave.

“Yes. When can you start?” I ask.

She grins so wide I can see her back teeth. “Uh, now,” she squeaks.

Everyone laughs. “OK. Well, let’s get your paperwork filled out, then,” I add. I turn to my staff. “Do you all need something?”

“Lunch?” Earl asks.

“In the crockpot in the kitchen,” I mutter as I motion for him to go inside my house. I always cook for everyone on Tuesdays. It was a tradition started by my mom and dad and I guess I liked it.

I turn back to Ariana. “Let’s get your paperwork filled out,” I state as I grab my laptop and settle it on the desk next to me.

“Do you need my help?” Joy asks.

“Nope. Go grab food. I got this,” I reply, pulling up the documents we need. We hire seasonal workers, so I know the drill. Although it’s been a few years since I hired a full-time or even part-time employee.

“OK, let’s get this done,” I state as I pat the chair closest to me. Ariana sits down, her knee grazes mine. She quickly pulls it away. I look over at her fair, freckled skin. She is very beautiful. And based on what she was wearing before, I’m guessing she’s not used to country life. This is going to either work out great or be a huge mistake.

CHAPTERFIVE

Ariana

I can hear the other employees talking in the kitchen down the hall. It all seems so casual. No separate offices. No cubicles. No formalities at all. I smile as I watch Eric pull up an employment form. I love it here already, except for Petunia, she seems a little…scary.

“Here we go,” Eric says as he adjusts his chair. “Name…Ariana Harlow. Address?”

I go still. Shit. I can’t give him my father’s address. I try to remember if I put an address on the application. No. I just said the city and state. I could use one of Dad’s other houses. Definitely not the one here. If Dad sees I accessed his condo here, then I’m screwed.

“Ariana, address?” Eric repeats.

“I…uh, don’t have one yet. I just moved to town,” I say as I realize I’m an idiot. I was so focused on getting out of the city, I didn’t even think about where the hell I would stay tonight. Is there even a hotel here? Maybe there’s a bed-and-breakfast, like in the movies?

“She could stay here,” Joy interjects. We both turn to find her standing in the doorway with a half-eaten muffin in her hand.

“Oh, no, that’s not necessary,” I say way too quickly.

“Have you even looked for a place yet?” Eric calls my bluff. Shit.

I feel my cheeks turning pink. “N-no?” I stammer and it comes out as a question rather than a statement.

“I do have a guesthouse here. Kingsley was in it, but he’s found an apartment by school when he’s not staying with his mom, so it’s vacant right now. It’s yours if you want it,” Eric offers.

I stare at him in shock. He’s giving me a job and a place to stay. People like this actually exist.

“So…would you like to stay in the guesthouse?” Eric asks, his words slow as if I’m cognitively impaired.

“I couldn’t. I don’t want to be an inconvenience,” I squeak.

Eric looks me over and types in the farm’s address. “You can and you will. There, all done,” he states as he finishes that text box on the screen.

He stands abruptly and I shrink back. I’m so used to my father yelling, that my body just naturally takes over when a big male looms overhead.

Eric steps back and I see his jaw clench before he speaks. “Please use it, Ariana. It’ll be helping me out. I need to get it redone and maybe you’ll have some ideas,” he states. “I’ll show you to it now. We can finish the paperwork later.”

“If you leave your driver’s license here or your social security card, I can start filling out the rest,” Joy says.

Panic washes over me. My father’s address is on that license and my full name is on my social security card. “I left them in the car. I’ll have to grab them in a bit,” I say quickly.

---