Page 30 of The Fake Girlfriend's Billionaire Match
“Mom.”
“I’m married, not blind. I swear the man walked off a shoot forCowboy Monthly.”
Winnie snickered. “I thought the same thing. He’s gorgeous.”
“Sweet and respectful too. Gracious. I wasn’t my best self when I first met him.” She hooked her arm in Winnie’s and pulled her into a walk. “I like him.”
“He’s incredibly sweet. Good kisser too.” Winnie’s eyes went wide, realizing what she’d blurted out.
“Oh, is he?”
“Uh…we were pretending to date, and he’d invited me home. It was necessary. It only happened once.” No way was she telling anyone she wished it had happened way more.
Her mom laughed. “But you wouldn’t be upset if you had to do it again.”
Pressing her hand to her cheek, Winnie groaned. “Mom.”
“Am I wrong?”
“No,” Winnie replied, needing the topic to change. Thinking about kissing Bear wouldn’t help her determination to stick to her plans. Not when she liked it so much. “Anyway, let me tell you more about the location in San Antonio.”
As long as Winnie wasn’t thinking too much about Bear, she could keep her focus on what she needed to do by honoring the obligations she’d made. Bear was a great guy, but the timing was wrong. Plus, he’d said he didn’t want a commitment. Keeping to the path she’d made was the sensible thing to do. Despite her heart’s whisper to the contrary.
Chapter 21
The ranch was a sight for sore eyes. Bear wasn’t casting aspersions on Houston, but the peace and quiet of his desert oasis was missed. He and Winnie had returned the day prior, much to his relief, a week before Christmas. Without him saying a word, she’d offered to fly back to the ranch with him. He didn’t need to read anything into it because she was honoring her agreement with him.
When the alarm went off that morning, he’d realized he’d gone soft in only two weeks. He’d had to drag himself out of bed, and now he was parked on a bale of hay in the feed room, worn out and exhausted.
“Bear?” Winnie called his name.
He lifted his head and smiled as she peeked into the room. Pulling his Stetson off, he ran his hand over his head. “I’m dragging today.”
Her eyebrows knitted together as she approached him. “You don’t look like you feel good.”
“I don’t. Not waking up for chores, I guess I got more used to sleeping in than I thought.” He held his chest as he coughed like it came from the very depths of his lungs.
“You don’t sound like you feel good either.” She palmed his forehead. “You’re running a fever.”
Shaking his head, he said, “I think your hands are just cold.” He pushed off the hay bale and stumbled back, hitting it with anoomph. “Give me a second, and I’ll finish helping.” The cough came again, and he could feel it in his ribs.
“I think you should go lie down before you fall down. If I was a gambler, I’d say you picked up something from the hospital. That’s the best way to get a bug.”
His stomach roiled, and he braced his elbows on his knees. “As much as I hate it, I think you’re right. I don’t feel so great.”
“Let’s get you inside, and I’ll come back out and take care of the rest of the chores.”
He felt terrible, but he couldn’t leave her to take on the chores all by herself. “I think I can manage helping you. I’ll go lie down after.”
Taking his face in her hands, she shook her head. “No, you’re going to go to bed.”
Whatever fight he’d half-heartedly mustered died before it could leave his lips. He hated stranding her, but the longer he sat there, the worse he felt, so he just nodded his compliance.
Winnie took his hand, pulled his arm across her shoulders, and helped him stand. They reached the doorframe, and he leaned his back against it. “I need a second.”
He’d never been dizzier in his life, and his chest hurt. He hung his head, closing his eyes. “I’m sorry.”
A moment later, Winnie said, “Hey, Caroline, Bear doesn’t feel good. I need help getting him back to the house.”
