Page 41 of The Best Friend's Billionaire Brother
Her dad chuckled. “Well, it’ll be nothing too wild, I hope.”
Gabby rolled her eyes. “Dad, no. Carrie Anne’s favorite thing is watching movies and eating junk food. I’ll probably have us go to dinner at a nice restaurant. Maybe we’ll go dancing or something, but that’s as wild as I’ll get.”
“That does a dad’s heart good.” He smiled.
They sat in comfortable silence a while, watching as different animals made appearances. The thought of owning the orchard tugged at her thoughts a few times. It was nice being on the ranch. The quiet beauty of the land. Having miles and miles of stars to watch and partnering with someone to give families the chance to experience it themselves. It was a nice dream, but that’s all it was.
“Daddy, do you really think I could pull off re-opening the paper?”
“I do, but like I said, it’ll be hard work.”
She nodded. “I can work hard.”
Her dad stood and pulled her up with him, putting his arms around her. “Baby girl, you’ve got a sharp mind, a strong spirit, and a kind heart. Whatever you decide, I know you’ll put your all into it. Personally, I’ll just be glad to have you home, paper or not.”
Until he hugged her, she didn’t realize how much she’d needed her dad. It was the soothing hug that said he understood all her fears, hopes, and heartaches. That he was there for her no matter what and believed in her. “Thanks, Dad.”
They stood there a moment, and then he stepped back. “It’s past my bedtime. I’ll see you in the morning, okay?”
Gabby’s smile faltered a little. “Sure.”
“What has your smile taking a dive?”
“I guess it’s hard for me to have dreams without Wyatt in them. I’ve tried to tell myself that I’m just done, but…”
“He’s been a big part of your life.” Her dad inhaled and let it out slowly. “You know, just because all the parts of a dream don’t come true when you think they should doesn’t mean they won’t ever. I’m not saying he’ll ever wise up, but don’t wait. You walk on and do what you need to do to be happy.”
“Yeah, you’re right. And thank you.”
He winked. “Go get ’em, baby girl.”
She watched as he left the living room and then sat down again, the dark outside swallowing everything but a few inches out from the house. Getting her dad’s approval of her idea had meant the world to her. If nothing else, it gave her the gusto to work even harder to make it a reality. He was always proud of her, but she wanted to give him an even better reason.
Maybe he was right about Wyatt too. She’d keep moving on, and if he ever decided to catch up, it would be great. If not and he was too late, then that was on him. She wasn’t standing still anymore. Not for him, not for anyone. She was loving someone and setting them free, and she was going to do the same for herself.
Chapter 16
“Gabby?”
The sound of her name brought her back to earth. She’d spent the last week following Carrie Anne’s plan and preparing for the date. Phase one was being unavailable to Wyatt. Apparently, making herself unavailable was supposed to drive him crazy. If it was working, he was doing a good job of hiding it. It did make it easier on Gabby. She wasn’t stuck with Wyatt every second of the day, which was what she’d envisioned when she’d went along with the whole scheme.
Carrie Anne called her name again. “Gabby? What do you think?”
Gabby blinked and took in the dress her friend was wearing. It was beautiful, but something was missing. “I like the lace and the empire waist, but it doesn’t fit your personality.”
“Where were you just now?” Carrie Anne eyed her, and the question caused everyone to stare at Gabby.
Gabby’s mom patted her on the arm. “Daydreaming, huh?”
“A little. I’m sorry.”
Mrs. West chuckled. “It’s been a pretty long day.”
“Long week,” Carrie Anne added. “I’m sorry. I thought it would be easier to find my dress, but I just haven’t found the right one.”
Gabby’s mom stood and walked to Carrie Anne. “Love, it takes time. We’re happy to be here.” She fussed with Carrie Anne’s hair. “You’re going to make a beautiful bride, and you need the perfect dress.”
Stephanie took a deep breath. “Maybe we need to go to a bigger city.” She looked around. “No offense to this store. I mean, I love that dress you have on, but if it isn’t the one, you can’t settle.”
