Page 11 of The Housekeeper's Billionaire Boss
Cuttingthe engine to the truck, Josiah was thrilled to finally be sitting still. He loved his family, but the drive he could do without. He’d tried to convince Bear to put in a landing strip, and he wouldn’t go for it. It would spook the cattle.
“Hey,” Josiah said, gently shaking Molly. “We’re here.”
She slowly lifted her head and yawned. “I fell asleep on you, didn’t I?”
He smiled. “Yeah, but that’s okay. It can be a boring drive.”
“Wow. It’s so dark out here. And quiet. It’s like a vacuum almost.” She stretched her arms in front of her and rolled her neck. “I like it.”
“Yeah, I do too, but by the time the new year arrives, I’m ready to get back to Dallas.” Twisting in his seat, he unbuckled Ellie and then gave her to Molly. “You carry her, and I’ll grab the luggage.”
She nodded. “Okay. Do you think your family waited up for you to get here?”
Shrugging, he said, “It’s a tossup. If they weren’t playing cards, probably not. If they did, most likely they’re still up. We take card games very seriously.”
Molly chewed her bottom lip as she looked at the house. “I hope they don’t mind us coming.”
He hadn’t called anyone to let them know about Molly, but he also knew his family. Molly was going to fit in just fine. “You’re kidding, right? One, you have a baby. Two, I’m bringing home a woman. Three, well, just double the first two, and that should take care of the rest of your worry.” He smiled.
It didn’t seem to ease the worry etched on her face, so he took her hand. “Molly, they’re going to love you. The second you walk through that door, you’ll pretty much be a member of the family for life.”
“Okay. I just…I’m a little defective at times. I laugh at the wrong things, like the weirdest stuff…I don’t know. There’s a reason I don’t have a lot of friends.”
He grunted. “Wow, you’re pretty much perfect, then.”
In the dim dome light of the pickup cab, he could see her cheeks turn pink. Man, if he could just affect her like that all the time, it would be awesome. Even if she didn’t want to date, she needed a friend. He’d been in that zone more than once. It wasn’t the most desirable position to be in, but he could handle it. Ellie needed it too. Maybe he’d babysit from time to time so Molly could take a break and go out.
“Come on. Maybe Bandit’s baked some cookies.” Josiah shut the door, pulled the back door open, and grabbed the luggage. After slamming the door, he rounded the back of the pickup bed and stopped next to Molly.
Once they were inside the house, Josiah said, “I’ll show you—”
“Hey!” Carrie Anne said softly as she walked into the living room. She must not have seen Molly and Ellie at first because her eyes widened as she stopped a few feet from them. “Mom is going to want an explanation.”
Josiah set the luggage down. “This is a friend of mine.” He paused, trying to find a way to phrase Molly’s family situation. “Her family couldn’t make it into town, and I invited her to ours.” Smiling, he turned to Molly. “Carrie Anne, this is Molly, and the baby she’s holding is Ellie.”
His sister narrowed her eyes ever so slightly, and inwardly, Josiah cringed. The meddler-matchmaker had just set her sights on him. He’d have to make it clear that Molly didn’t want to date. They were just friends.
Carrie Anne stepped closer, taking a peek at Ellie. “Oh, she’s beautiful.”
Molly smiled. “Thanks. I think so too, but I’m biased.”
Ellie gurgled and wiggled a little. Man, he loved that. Well, he loved her. It hadn’t taken much. Not only did he want kids, but he cared about Molly, and they were a package deal.
“You might be biased, but you aren’t wrong,” Josiah said. He paused before asking, “I guess you guys weren’t playing cards?”
Carrie Anne nodded. “We were until about an hour ago. I couldn’t sleep and just came down to get something to drink really quick.”
In a way, Josiah was glad everyone was in bed. Giving Molly a chance to get settled before they descended on her seemed like a good idea. Picking up the luggage, Josiah yawned. “I think sleep sounds like a great idea.”
Molly nodded. “Yeah, I need to get Ellie changed and fed.”
They followed Carrie Anne up the stairs. When they reached the second floor, she whispered just loud enough that they could hear, “Israel and I are here on the right. Mom and Dad are across the hall. Gabby’s parents are staying with her and Wyatt at the orchard. Hunter and Reagan are in the room next to Mom and Dad. Bear built on to the house this past year, so he’s downstairs.”
Josiah’s eyebrows lifted to his hairline. “Added on?” He’d had no idea Bear was doing that, but he could kind of see Bear wanting to. While he loved having the family over for the holidays, he also loved his solitude. Plus, he woke up pretty early to take care of the animals. “Wow.”
Nodding, Carrie Anne replied, “Yeah, I was a little surprised, but not much. I kinda think he’s still mad at me for putting him on that dating website.”
“It’s like you have ESPN or something.” Josiah laughed.
