Page 27 of The Fake Girlfriend's Billionaire Match
They hadn’t wasted time while waiting for the appointment. Winnie had shown him around Houston. He’d been there before, but it was fun to see things from her perspective. When they weren’t sight-seeing, he was doing his best to stay out of her way so she could work on her restaurant.
Bear slipped his hands into his pajama pockets and stared out the window of Mrs. Dawson’s high-rise apartment. When Winnie said house, he wasn’t thinking a penthouse in the Galleria area of Houston. It shouldn’t have surprised him since her mom was a lawyer and her stepfather was an accountant for an oil company that took him all over the world. According to Mrs. Dawson, he was in Dubai until Christmas.
The sun was barely peeking on the horizon, but he’d been up most of the night. Between the new bed and wondering if Winnie would stay in Houston now that she’d made up with her dad, it had been next to impossible to sleep. While it made his heart happy for her, it made him wonder if she didn’t need him anymore.
Footsteps behind him caused him to turn around to find Mrs. Dawson hurrying as she slipped on her high heels. The night before, she’d let Winnie and Bear know she’d be going in to the office until Jim’s doctor appointment. She stopped short. “Oh, I’m sorry. I didn’t mean to wake anyone.”
“You didn’t. I’ve been awake a while.”
“I bet you’re anxious, not being on your ranch.”
Sure, that’s the excuse he’d use. “A little, but my family can handle it until I get back.”
Mrs. Dawson opened her briefcase sitting on the entry table by the door, rifled through it a second, and then closed it. “I’ll see you and Winnie later today.”
“It’s nice you’re friends with Jim.”
A smile quirked on her lips. “We are better as friends. I always love him, but we didn’t need to live together.”
“I can understand that.”
She joined Bear at the window, crossing her arms. “You know, when Winnie told me about your deal with her, I was worried. I even tried to talk her out of it.”
Chuckling, he nodded. “I’d take issue if my kids ever did what I did. I didn’t like lying to my parents, but…”
“But…”
“I couldn’t handle another year of being the odd man out. My siblings are all married now with kids running around. I just didn’t want sad looks pointed in my direction.” He’d keep the rest of the reason to himself. If he was telling anyone, Winnie would be first.
“I think I can understand that. I went to my high school reunion not long after having Winnie. Most of my old classmates had two point five kids, white picket fences, and minivans.” Her posture relaxed, and she sighed. “There was a little envy, but I love my life. I had Winnie and my career, and I was happy with that.”
Having Winnie was a win in his book. “Thank you for that. She’s a sweet, talented woman. I wouldn’t tell my best friend this because he’s the best cook in Caprock Canyon, but she’s a fantastic chef. She pours her heart into it.”
“You have real feelings for her.”
Admitting that would mean an even worse heartache later. “We’re friends. She has a dream, and I support that.”
Winnie’s mom eyed him until the silence turned awkward. “Denying it isn’t going to make it hurt less. When Jim and I went through the divorce, I tried to deny that I still cared about him. Once your heart’s involved, reason goes out the window.”
“I’ll think on that, but she comes first.”
“As her mom, I appreciate that. As her friend, between you and me, the only reason she’s so set on opening a restaurant in San Antonio is to get Jim’s approval. She’ll deny it until she’s blue in the face. If there’s one thing she has in common with him, it’s his stubbornness. She’d rather eat a rusty nail than fail.”
Taking his hands from his pockets, he crossed his arms. “That might be, but it would need to be something she decided. You can’t build on something born from manipulation. I’d rather see her dreams come true than be the one who dashed them.”
Nodding, she smiled and crossed the room to the front door. “Wisdom isn’t a character trait easily found these days. I’ll see you later, Bear.”
“Yes, ma’am.”
“Henrietta, please.”
Dropping his arms to his sides, he nodded. “Henrietta.”
The door clicked shut as she left, and Bear faced the window again. During his chat with Henrietta, the sun had inched its way higher.
He rubbed his face with his hands as his thoughts turned chaotic. It was true. His heart was most definitely involved now. He’d fallen for Winnie, but he didn’t want to talk her into being with him. Spending the years wondering if she would have chosen him of her own free will would haunt him.
That’s not the kind of love he wanted. It’s not what he wanted for her. How long would it take for the resentment to build before she left too? Angela had destroyed him when she left, and the feelings he had for Winnie went so much deeper. He wouldn’t recover from her absence.
