Page 45 of Flirting With My Brother's Billionaire Best Friend

“Would you like to go?” I ask. “Because I happen to love camping, and Langston has a lot of land. There’s even a cool camping spot we like to go to. Usually, he goes with my brother Ronnie, but sometimes they let me tag along too.”

Hayden’s eyes get big and round. “Really? Do you think my mom would let me?”

“We can ask her,” Langston says. “But if she says no, we can’t argue with her.”

Wow. I respect a man who can get along with his ex. But if it were me, I’d be wanting to stir up drama with her. I’m ready to pull out the boxing gloves with this woman. She drives me nuts. But Langston is a bigger person than I am, apparently. “But if she does say yes, we can take the horses to the campsite.”

Fear sweeps across his features. “Well…I’m not sure… I mean...”

“Do you want to try it out with Daisy?” Langston offers.

“You’re not scared, are you?” I ask. “I thought you were just saying you want a fast horse.” It’s like he was being all bravado a minute ago, but now that he’s actually facing riding to the camp out, the fear is sinking in.

“Maybe a little,” he admits, pulling his shoulders up to his ears.

“Well, let’s give it a shot,” Langston says. “But you’re wearing a helmet.” He pulls out one of the kid ones he keeps around from when he has friends with kids come over to ride. They swap the cowboy hat for the helmet and strap it under his chin.

Once Daisy is saddled up, Langston lifts Hayden onto her back.

Seeing him together with his son like this is doing funny things to my insides, and I realize I want to be a part of this. I fit with them. Flashes of Hayden growing older with Langston and me standing side by side watching go through my mind. We could go on so many adventures, make so many memories.

Instead of mounting Marshmallow, I lead Daisy around the field, walking in front slowly, so Hayden can get used to the feel of the horse under him. The kid is a natural.

“This isn’t as scary as I thought it would be,” Hayden says. “Can we go a little faster?”

“How about you try walking a bit on your own?” Langston says.

“Oh, alright,” Hayden complains.

I show him how to control the horse, and he takes off on his own, Langston following at a safe distance with Dash.

I head back to where I’d left Marshmallow tied up and climb on his back, riding over to where Langston is.

“Where’d you find the cowboy hat for him?” I ask after pulling alongside him.

“We went out shopping today and found it at Anna’s Gift Shop.”

“That place has the cutest stuff.” Once I’d gotten my mom a tea set from there. “I thought you’d had Maggie go out and find it for you.”

“No, we just kind of stumbled across it when we were out. I was showing him around Blue Mountain with my mom. And you know how she is. She has to go in that gift shop every time she’s in town.”

I laugh because I do know. She probably provides half that store’s revenue. “So whose idea was it to buy Hayden the hat?” I ask.

Langston arches a brow at me. “Do you really have to ask that?”

I laugh. “Your mom?”

“Bingo. She’s dying to get that boy to feel welcome in our family.”

“There’s nothing wrong with that.”

“Didn’t say there was. I just don’t want to push him too fast.” He’s keeping his voice down, and Hayden is far enough ahead of us to be out of earshot.

“But he was wearing the hat earlier,” I point out. “That’s a good sign, right?”

“I suppose.” He takes off his own hat and runs a hand through his hair. “I just don’t want to mess this up. I’m not exactly ready for all this dad stuff. I have no idea what I’m doing here.”

“Hey.” I want to reach over to put a comforting hand on him, but he’s too far away. “Is anyone ever ready to be a parent?”

---