Page 24 of The Best Friend's Billionaire Brother
“What?” Carrie Anne huffed. “You said you were almost done last night.”
“I-I-I said I thought I c-c-could finish. B-b-bear walked in on me, and I had to s-s-stop.”
“Okay, I’ll help you finish it up after this.” Carrie Anne grumbled under her breath. “Back to Gabby and Wyatt. Would you help us?”
When Bandit didn’t immediately respond, Carrie Anne stood and walked to him, taking his hand. “Please, Bandit, you’re our only hope.”
Gabby rolled her eyes. “You arenotPrincess Leia.”
Waving her off, Carrie Anne worked her puppy dog eyes. “Please.”
He pointed at her face. “Th-th-that’s not f-f-fair. Y-y-you stop that!”
“Please.”
As he took a big breath, he closed his eyes. “I’m g-g-goin’ to regret this, but a-a-all right.”
Carrie Anne squealed and hugged him around the neck, kissing his cheek. “You are the best, Bandit! Just the absolute best!”
Gabby wilted sideways on the bed. “We’re both doomed.”
More than doomed. It would be all kinds of painful, but it would also mean Gabby was done wishing and hoping and pining. Wyatt would be a past crush, and Gabby would have to face that reality. As much as she’d tried to convince herself that she was over Wyatt, she wasn’t. Maybe Carrie Anne’s harebrained idea would help Gabby move on once and for all.
Then she could look to the future with a sharper focus. With Bear starting the ranch again, Caprock Canyon would have people coming back. They’d need a newspaper. Gabby could have the best of both worlds. She could have her family and her career.
She sure had missed home. The day spent shopping had made her realize just how much, too. Her mom and sister laughing and teasing. Carrie Anne talking a mile a minute about everything from what she was getting Israel for their wedding to the names they were debating for their first child. She’d missed Mrs. West too—how much her relationship with Gabby’s mom resembled Carrie Anne’s and Gabby’s.
Staying away from her home because she wanted something she couldn’t have was ridiculous. The time away, on her own, had helped her grow up and taught her to face her challenges, and deal with life when it handed her lemons. Like thinking she was getting a promotion when she was actually being let go. Yes, it hurt, but she wasn’t crushed, and she didn’t need to let her infatuation with Wyatt crush her either. She couldn’t let him keep her away from home any longer.
The bed moved as Carrie Anne sat down again, going over her plan with Bandit. “Okay, so, you’ll plan things with Gabby and either be hung up with something or just not show up. I’ll make sure Wyatt knows about them and see that he’s the one filling in.”
“Carrie Anne, I s-s-sure hope you know what you’re d-d-doing. If he really gets j-j-jealous, he’ll knock m-m-my lights out.”
Gabby used her hand and pushed herself back up. “That’s not going to happen because he’s not jealous. You know how he gets when he thinks he’s been left out of the loop. That’s all that was earlier.”
“Hush,” Carrie Anne said. “That’s not what it was.”
“Was too.” Gabby pinched her lips together. “I can be just as stubborn as you are.”
Bandit held up his hands. “Ladies, j-j-just tell me what to do, and we’ll g-g-get this plan in m-m-motion. If he knocks my t-t-teeth loose, you’re p-p-paying for the dentist, Carrie Anne.”
“I’ll get you the best set of false teeth this state’s ever seen.” She winked.
Bandit gave her one last look and left, mumbling something about women and weird.
Carrie Anne faced Gabby. “Okay, so let’s talk strategy.”
Gabby shoulders sagged. It was more likestragedy…a strategy of tragedy. Doomed. This whole thing was doomed.
Chapter 10
Barefoot and still in pajamas, Wyatt slowly walked into the kitchen, rubbing his eyes. He’d struggled to go to sleep after watching Gabby and Bandit being all snuggly with each other the evening before. Add to it all the talk of feelings about Gabby. Plus, he was still trying to decide if he wanted his rodeo career back. It was enough to drive him bonkers.
“B-b-breakfast is about over,” Bandit said with a laugh.
“I’m not hungry.” Wyatt’s irk flag was already at half-mast, and Bandit hadn’t done anything wrong. “I’m sorry. I didn’t sleep well. You got any coffee left?”
Bandit took a cup from one of the cabinets and handed it to him. “Pot’s got a l-l-little left.”
