Page 45 of The Best Friend's Billionaire Brother
“What? A big event?”
“No, well, I guess it could be a big event, depending on what happened. But did you ever get serious with anyone?” For some unknown reason, he was especially interested in the answer.
She shook her head. “No, I was too busy. First with college and interning at the paper, and then once I graduated, I was still busy. I kinda threw myself into my work.”
“I know you said you didn’t date, but I really find that hard to believe.”
Shrugging she said, “Well, believe it. I tried, but most of the time it was just dinner, and there never was a spark. What was the point in prolonging the inevitable? I wasn’t interested.”
“Have you ever been interested in anyone, besides Bandit, that is?”
Minute after minute ticked by as the silence in the cab grew until it was so thick he could touch it. What was taking her so long to answer? And why did it bother him that it was taking this long?
Finally, she nodded. “Yeah, there’s been one, but it didn’t work out.”
He should have felt bad for her, but instead, he felt relieved. It made him feel like a terrible person. Being glad she was miserable wasn’t right at all. “I’m sorry.”
“It’s okay.” She fidgeted with the hem of her shirt.
“I think if something’s meant to be, though, it’ll happen.” Hopefully, she wasn’t meant to be with Bandit. The second it flitted through his mind, he felt like a jerk. Bandit was his friend, and so was Gabby. He wanted them both to be happy…just not with each other.
“That’s true.” Her voice was so soft that he barely heard her.
Reaching across the seat, he covered her hand with his. “Gabby, you are a beautiful woman. Smart, funny, easy to talk to. Kind and generous to a fault. If that guy can’t see what he’s missing, he’s an idiot.”
The second it was out of his mouth, he nearly choked on his own words. Had Carrie Anne been right about Gabby having feelings for him? Had he just come out and asked? Nearly kissing her must have really messed with his head. Inwardly, he groaned. Why had his sister said anything? Everything was going great until she’d done that. He just needed to remember Gabby was family, and more than likely, she was talking about a guy in Charleston or something. The subject needed to go in a different direction before he did something stupid.
Maybe he could convince her to stay in Caprock Canyon. If that guy was in South Carolina, getting her away from him might help her. Plus, the town would need a newspaper, and it would get bigger as more people moved back to town. “Are you still going back to Charleston after the wedding?”
Her eyebrows drew together as she took a deep breath. “I don’t know. Part of me thinks it’s good for me to be out there and on my own. The other part has missed my home. It would be fun to maybe see about getting that newspaper running again. I do have a little savings. Not open-an-orchard kind of money, but maybe I could get a loan for the rest.”
He scoffed. “You don’t need a loan. I’ve got plenty. More than plenty. If you want that paper, it’s yours.”
“No, that’s not…I need to do it on my own.”
Wyatt scowled. “I don’t understand. We win this money, and no one wants it. What can one person do with a billion dollars? What’s the point in having it if all the things you want to do involve people who refuse to take it?”
She braced her hand against the seat and leaned over. “Wyatt, it’s not that people don’t want to take it. It’s that…we want to be able to say we did it. It’s not the same if someone just purchases something. How will a person know it’s a success if there’s no chance for failure?”
“Why does there need to be a chance for failure when there doesn’t have to be? What if you have the money to just do something because you love it?”
“Because…there’s also the issue of not wanting to come across as using the people we love…or care about.” She straightened as she cleared her throat. “I mean, our families are close. No amount of money is worth ruining our relationships.”
Wyatt shook his head. “I know, but that only means I want to share it even more. I want to share my good fortune with the people who mean the most to me. Gabby, you’re one of my closest friends. I want to share my good fortune with you. And we’re family.”
Crossing her arms over her chest, her lips pinched together. “I appreciate that, but that’s not a good idea.” She twisted a little in the seat until her back was nearly to him.
He placed his hand on her shoulder, and she shrugged it off. “Are you okay?”
She sniffed. “I’m getting a headache.”
“We’ve only got a few more miles to Lubbock. I can stop to get you something for the headache and a drink.”
“Thank you,” she said softly. “I appreciate that.”
From that point, Gabby didn’t speak another word to him. He wasn’t sure what had happened, but something in his gut said it was more than a headache. The feeling grew when he caught her wiping her eyes a few times. Was she crying? If she was, why?
He pulled into a gas station on the outskirts of town and parked. As she went to get out of the pickup, he caught her hand. “Gabby, did I do something to hurt you? If I did, I didn’t mean to. On my honor, I promise I didn’t.”
