Page 18 of The Billionaire's Housekeeper

“You did? Why?” Chad said, after he and Abbi greeted Jessica.

“Because Jessica got this little guy here, Lucky, from the hospital that treated her. And well, as you probably know, the old owners of this ranch resort used to have a no pets allowed policy though we tried to tell them that Lucky was part of our family. Anyway, thank God the Belmonts took over the ranch. They changed it so that pets can vacation along with the family.”

Chad looked as if emotion was climbing into his throat. His gorgeous blue eyes flashed hurt and pain for the woman and her daughter and at the same time his jaw was clenched. “Glad the Belmonts were able to help out in this situation, ma’am.”

“Me, too. We had our little girl late in life, her father and I. But we wanted to give her everything. Well, anyway, he went to be with the Lord and we basically wanted to still come here as our family tradition. We brought the camera because I wanted to keep the memories and walk around here and just be free. I thought it would be neat to prop up the camera on the branch since we walk around out here a lot and play games with Lucky. I didn’t think I’d be infringing on anyone’s privacy.”

“Hey, listen, forget what I said earlier. You guys just have fun out here, okay? And let me know if there’s anything I can do to help make your stay much better.”

“Oh, you’re so kind, Chad.” Lizzy beamed with relief. “I most certainly will. You guys do really good work around here. I’ll be sure to put in a good word for you with the managers.”

Chad seemed caught off guard for a minute then responded in his deep, silky voice. “Thank you.”

Chad and Abbi continued their walk after Lizzy and her daughter left them and went back into the woods with their little puppy. Abbi guessed they were going to continue with their adventure and filming of their blog video. How sweet, Abbi thought. And how sad, at the same time, that the little girl had an illness and no daddy.

Moments later, a couple was walking along the trail chatting to themselves happily. It was a man who looked as if he was in his sixties and probably his wife, Abbi guessed. The man and woman, who looked like tourists from out of the country, were holding hands. As the man walked closer to Abbi and Chad, the man gave Chad a funny look and kept gazing at him, scrutinizing him, over the rims of his glasses.

This made Abbi nervous for some reason. It was as if the guest recognized Chad from somewhere. The man then stopped in front of them. Abbi and Chad also stopped strolling.

“Excuse me,” the man said in an accent Abbi did not recognize. He was probably European. “Are you an actor?” the man asked Chad, after he casually greeted them both. His companion stood by his side and politely smiled; she had binoculars on a strap wrapped around her. It looked as if they’d been sightseeing or probably birdwatching in the area.

“An actor?” Chad repeated in his deep voice, looking completely puzzled. Of course, he didn’t have his name tag on since it was his day off. Neither was Chad in his usual maintenance shirt and pants uniform.

“Yes. You look so familiar.”

“I do?”

“Yes.”

“Well, I can assure you, I’m just a regular guy. I’m not famous or anything,” Chad answered coolly.

Abbi could see why the man would think Chad was a movie star or maybe a male model. He certainly had the GQ A-list appeal. Or, more like the appeal of a sex god. He was fit in every sense of the word and clearly over six foot tall. Abbi guessed Chad must be at least six foot three inches or so. He had broad shoulders, firm muscles, and perfect skin that had a delicious healthy tan to it. His cheekbones could probably dodge a bullet, being so chiseled and perfect. His eyes were mesmerizing, dreamy and as blue as the ocean. Who would believe he’d be destined to be a maintenance worker? Not that there’s anything wrong with an honorable job like that. But back in the day, an average worker with Chad’s sex appeal would probably have a talent scout scoop him up and cast him in the next Hollywood blockbuster. An unknown catapulted to fame. Abbi felt giddy inside for Chad, just thinking about it. Later, she was going to suggest to him to get his 8 x 10 photos done and get an agent. Who knew where this could lead? Then again, where would this leave them? She wouldn’t want to date a celebrity. Not that they were dating or even involved, of course.

The man’s expression looked so puzzled as he surveyed Chad’s features. As if Chad must be an actor. As if he couldn’t have gotten it wrong.

“You must forgive my husband,” the woman said. “He’s got this impeccable memory for faces. He’s probably seen you around somewhere but not on the big screen.”

“No. No. I know I’ve seen him on TV, or on the computer, or something,” the man said to his wife then turned back to face Chad.

“Elroy, really now,” the woman chastised her husband, both hands on her hips. “Leave the poor guy alone. He’s not an actor. And even if he is, he probably doesn’t want to be bothered by fans. He probably came out here to escape the unwanted attention.”

Abbi couldn’t help but giggle. The couple was so cute and Chad looked positively mortified in a humorous way. Chad certainly had a way with his facial expressions. And he looked cute no matter what expression he wore on his handsome face.

The man looked unconvinced and crestfallen. “Very well,” he sighed, then proceeded to walk off. “Good day to you both.”

“Thank you,” Chad said. “You, too.”

“Oh, wait!” The man snapped his fingers as he spun around. “I know where I might have seen you.” He seemed to have had an aha moment and was thrilled he’d finally been able to place where he’d seen Chad. “You were in some amateur video, right? On the Internet?”

Chad’s entire body stiffened. His jaw was set. “Excuse me?”

“A…what do you call it? A viral video. I know I’ve seen you somewhere.” The man then froze himself as if embarrassed by where he’d seen Chad. He started to shift his weight on his feet. For some peculiar reason his gaze dropped to Chad’s crotch and his eyes widened as if impressed.

“What kind of viral video, darling?” his wife asked, her curiosity obviously piqued.

“Um…uh…n-never mind, dear. I…I forgot now.”

The man’s wife rolled her eyes and shook her head. “I told you not to bother the young man and his wife. Let’s leave this nice couple alone.”

The woman playfully pinched her husband and practically dragged him away. “Sorry to have bothered your honeymoon. You two have fun,” the woman said to Chad and Abbi.

Chad seemed mortified.

Abbi was equally puzzled and thought that was the weirdest encounter she’d had there yet. Though she thought it was quite a nice touch that they thought she and Chad were a couple. Was the chemistry between them evident to onlookers?

“Wow, do you always get that?” Abbi asked Chad.

He ran his fingers through his dark, luscious, short-cropped hair. For some reason, Abbi wished she could be running her fingers through his silky dark hair. Would she ever get a chance? She dreamed about repeating that romantic kiss they’d shared a few weeks ago on the rooftop under the moon. It looked as if that would only be a one-off because Chad had not made a move on her since, not that she was around him much in the last few weeks.

“No,” Chad said, with little emotion in his voice. His eyes, however, were on the man and his wife as they walked away. He held his chin up, a defiant look in his eyes and his lips were pressed into a thin line. Abbi could see he was pondering something, but what, she had no idea.

Why on earth would that man think Chad was in a viral video? Clearly, it must be a case of mistaken identity.

Chapter 11

“The breakfast, or should I say, brunch, was delicious, Chad,” Abbi gushed a little later. He seemed very quiet since their encounter in the woods near the guest cottages about an hour earlier.

She thought it was probably best not to bring up the tourist encounter since Chad did not look impressed at all.

They’d recently finished a scrumptious midmorning brunch on the ranch. There was an area where guests could cook meals themselves on the outdoor grill. It was delicious. She had no idea Chad would be such a great cook! Was there anything he wasn’t good at?

“Nothing to it.”

“Nothing to it? Are you kidding me? I’ve never tasted fluffy scrambled eggs so mouthwatering. What did you put in them?”

“Just my secret ingredients.” His grin appeared on his face again. She was happy to see that. He was a complex man, she noted. She was sure there was an ocean of mystery hiding behind his sexy blue eyes.

“Hmm…well, let me guess. Mozzarella cheese sprinkles, a tasty seasoning, and something else I’m not even sure of…Well, you got me,” Abbi said, dreamily looking into his eyes.

“I’m just glad you enjoyed it.”

“I did. Thank you.”

“You seemed really emotional in the woods when you saw the little girl,” she continued. “That was really sweet what you did for Lizzy and her daughter.”

He sighed heavily. “Yeah, I was a little emotional,” he admitted. “My dad…” he said, a lump climbing in his throat. “My father’s battling pancreatic cancer. So yeah, it’s pretty messed up for me right now and it kills me to see younger ones ill, too.”

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