Page 12 of The Fake Girlfriend's Billionaire Match
They continued through the house and onto the back porch where the four-wheeler sat not far from the steps. Taking a deep breath, he surveyed the open field in front of him. How had he ever lived anywhere else?
“I love this time of year. Taking a deep breath is like spring cleaning for your lungs,” Winnie said, inhaling deeply.
Bear brought his attention to her and studied her as she stood there with her eyes closed. The white turtleneck sweater she wore under her coat made her hair an even deeper red and her skin that much more porcelain. He could picture sitting on the deck, her in his lap, and living out his years with her next to him.
In the next breath, reality knocked. She lived in San Antonio, and she had a dream of opening a restaurant. That needed to be his mantra anytime he got any foolish notions about her. This wasn’t real, and it would never have a chance to be real. He loved his ranch, and she wanted her restaurant. Two things too far apart to ever be able to bridge.
“I feel the same way,” Bear replied.
She opened her eyes and locked gazes with him. “We have a lot in common.”
It sure seemed that way, but Angela had pretended to have things in common with him. She’d played him so well. How could he trust himself not to make the same mistake? “I’m ready for a picnic, are you?”
Nodding, she said, “Yeah. Very much so.”
Once they were seated on the four-wheeler, he took off for the spot he’d found about a mile northwest. The entire ride, he’d glance back and find her smiling. If she was faking it, she sure was good at it.
When they reached the area, he parked the four-wheeler and walked to the back, pulling off one of the blankets he’d packed on the back seat. With Winnie’s help, he spread it out and then grabbed the basket and the rest of the blankets.
He turned and caught her looking off into the distance with her hands on her hips. She faced him with a wide smile that reached her eyes, making them seem even greener.
“This is beautiful. I love it. So open and…I don’t even have words.” She took a deep breath, spread her arms out, and turned in circles. “This is what Julie Andrews must have felt like when she was singing about the hills being alive with the sound of music.”
Now that she said it, Bear had to agree. While it was vast and open, animals could be heard while a breeze rustled nearby mesquite trees. “Maybe she did.”
Winnie stumbled, and Bear dropped everything, catching her just before she hit the ground. “Whoa. You all right?”
She blinked as she looked up at him. “My boots aren’t meant for twirling, apparently.”
He chuckled. “That’s all right. I didn’t mind catching you.” The words had slid off his tongue without a second thought. They were true, though. He liked how she felt in his arms.
“Thank you,” she said and gasped. “Oh, I made you drop the basket.” She pulled away and walked to the partially spilled contents. “I shouldn’t have done mySound of Musicimpression.”
“It’s just a basket.” He closed the little bit of distance and squatted next to her. “Doesn’t look like anything spilled.”
Picking up a labeled container, she gasped. “Cinnamon hazelnut scones?”
Bear nodded. “Didn’t you say you like those?”
“I love them, but I didn’t think you’d remember that.” She hugged the container to her chest. “I absolutely love them.”
“Whew,” he said with a smile. “For a minute there, I thought I’d remembered wrong.”
Shaking her head, she cast her gaze to the ground. “No, no you didn’t.” Her voice was so soft that if he hadn’t been right next to her, he’d have missed it. “Thank you.”
“You’re welcome.” For the first time in a while, he actually trusted his gut. She wasn’t faking this. Winnie was genuinely grateful he’d listened to her.
It made him wish he hadn’t been so quick to shut down topics that had delved a little deeper when they’d talked. At the same time, the idea that he could be used and thrown away made him sick to his stomach. He couldn’t handle that again. It had been a few years, and he could still feel the deep ache that Angela left in her wake.
As nice as it was to have things in common with Winnie, it didn’t mean he could let his guard down. There was still the possibility that she knew about his wealth and she was just good at hiding it.
He needed to stick to the plan. The one that meant putting her on a plane back to San Antonio. The one that kept him safe. Maybe by next year, he’d be ready to give real dating another shot.
Chapter 10
Once the contents of the basket were picked up, Winnie and Bear got comfortable on the blanket he’d spread out. When he’d said he planned a picnic, she hadn’t expected a drive on a four-wheeler, the beautiful setting, or the contentment she felt.
Even more, she never expected him to remember a random comment in a conversation from weeks ago. But he had. He’d thought enough of her to get cinnamon scones.
