Page 24 of The Fake Girlfriend's Billionaire Match
Chapter 17
Bear should have known if he woke his parents, they’d wake everyone up. Perhaps it was a good thing. His family had a way of coming together in a crisis.
Hunter called a friend with a private jet, and they’d offered to let Bear and Winnie use it to fly to Houston. It had been fueled and ready to go when they arrived in Amarillo. Reagan had brewed them some coffee for the road, going so far as to pack a few thermoses with coffee and hot water in case Winnie needed some tea.
His girl had grown quiet as everyone fussed over her. He figured it was because she was overwhelmed with worry. A person could fight to the death with someone they loved and still want to hold them when they hurt.
“It’s okay. I’m sure if anything was wrong, your mom would have called again,” Bear said, taking her hand in his. “I don’t doubt your father’s in the best hands.”
Winnie turned to him, her eyes red-rimmed from crying. “We fought the last time I saw him. We haven’t talked, really talked, for a long while. We were cordial, but that was about as good as it got. He had this plan for me. It was paint-by-color, but I liked coloring outside the lines. He was suit-and-tie, and I was jeans-and-sneakers.”
“He knew you loved him. Kids fight with their parents. It’s not a measure of how much they love each other; it’s growing up.” He tucked a piece of her hair behind her ear. “I know if I had a little girl, it wouldn’t matter if she was five or fifty, she’d always be my baby. I’d always want what was best. To know she’s safe. Perhaps he just loved you so much he struggled to let you go. It’s not that he didn’t want you to fly. He just didn’t want you to fall and get hurt.”
Tears pooled in her eyes once more, and Bear wished more than anything that he could soothe her hurts. Pulling her closer, he wrapped his arms around her, rubbing her back. He didn’t say it was going to be okay. In truth, he had no idea if it would be. Mostly, he just wanted her to know he was there so she knew she wasn’t alone.
Spending the flight holding her was a treasure. The only thing he hated about it was the circumstances. In the days after their talk about dating, he’d held back. He didn’t want her to think he’d only made the deal so he could kiss her. He wanted her to know that he liked all of her. If all he got was her sitting next to him, that would be all right by him. Of course, he wouldn’t refuse a kiss. He wasn’t that stupid.
Once the plane landed, they’d been greeted by a driver. Apparently, his brother Wyatt knew someone in the area, and he’d called before they arrived. It was nice that he and Winnie didn’t have to wait for a car and that the driver knew the area. The situation was stressful enough without dealing with navigating Houston.
The closer they got to the hospital, the more relaxed Winnie became. Her mother hadn’t called once, and they took that as a good sign. Surely, her mom would have notified her if anything had changed. The other side of that was maybe the news was too bad and it was an in-person kind of thing. Bear didn’t speak that thought aloud.
Winnie’s mom greeted them at the elevator, enveloping her in a hug. “I’m so glad you’re here.”
The woman was definitely a lawyer. In a knee-length pencil skirt, soft blouse, and her hair pulled back into a braid, she looked every part the shark to take someone down in court. Bear did not want to get in this woman’s crosshairs.
She kept her arm around Winnie as her gaze raked from the top of his head to the tip of his boots. “Thank you for accompanying my daughter. I appreciate it.”
“You’re welcome,” he said, offering his hand to shake.
Her gaze dropped to his hand and then back up. “Winnie needs to be with her family right now. I’m sure you understand.” Thenot welcomesign couldn’t have been larger if she tried.
“Yes, ma’am,” he said, stepping back and pressing the down button for the elevator.
“Mom,” Winnie said, pulling away. “He’s not going anywhere. I asked him to be here.”
“It’s okay.” Bear smiled. “Your mom’s right. This is time to stick close to family.”
Shaking her head, Winnie put her arm around his waist. “Please stay.”
Now what should he do? “Mrs…I’m sorry. I don’t know if I should call you Mrs. Dawson or something else.”
“Dawson is fine.”
“Mrs. Dawson, I’m in a bit of a predicament here. I can see you’d like me to leave, and I’ve got Winnie asking me to stay. I want to be respectful to you, but if she’s asking me to stay, I’m not moving. She comes first in my world.”
Her mom crossed her arms over her chest, eyeing him. “I know about your deal with my daughter. You can save the charm for someone else.”
“This—”
“That deal is over. We’re friends,” Winnie said. “I want him to stay.”
The word friend sucked the air from his lungs. He was okay with that term until it came from Winnie. He wanted to be more than that, but that meant risking his heart, which he just couldn’t do. With that little reminder, the term friend would have to do.
Winnie’s mom seemed to have a silent standoff with her daughter. A moment later, her hands dropped to her sides and she sighed. “Okay.” She held out her hand. “I’m sorry. I wasn’t trying to be nasty.”
Shaking her hand, he replied, “Mrs. Dawson, it’s a stressful situation. No one should be expected to be on their best behavior when someone they care about is hurt. Plus, she’s your little girl. Believe me, I’d be the same way.”
She swallowed hard. “Thank you for that.”
