Her Last Billionaire Boyfriend

by Liz Isaacson

  “We’re waiting on an inspection,” she said. “So I’ve done as much as I can do until that gets signed off.” She half sighed, half exhaled as she rounded the corner and came into the arena. “Sometimes construction is nothing but waiting.”

  “I didn’t know that,” she said.

  “Oh, yeah,” Jeri said, picking up the pitchfork Carson usually used. “Then everything happens all at once, and we work fourteen-hour days.” She shook her head, her long, dark ponytail swaying with the movement. “It can be intense.”

  Adele nodded and kept working. She usually didn’t want to chat while she worked, but she liked Jeri, and besides, she’d just started expanding her horizons. Hadn’t she?

  “How’s it going, living over in the Community with all the boys?” she asked.

  “Oh, it’s fine,” Jeri said. “I’m just grateful for somewhere to lay my head.”

  “Yeah?” Adele watched her for a moment. Jeri was full of personality, and it seemed impossible that she could be unhappy. Now that she thought of it though, she did live at Last Chance Ranch, and that meant she hadn’t had anywhere else. Or maybe it didn’t.

  “Yeah,” Jeri said. “My general contractor license was put on probation after an accident at my last build site.”

  “What?” Adele asked, her heart pumping. Did Scarlett know that?

  “It wasn’t my fault,” Jeri said. “Things happen sometimes. I followed all the procedures and the rules, but yeah.” She continued moving the straw around.

  Adele watched her, her initial shock wearing away. This was Last Chance Ranch. Of course Scarlett knew about the probationary license, and she’d given Jeri a chance anyway. A chance to pay her bills. A chance to have somewhere to live.

  Jeri stood a few inches taller than Adele, and she had just as many pounds on her as Adele did. As they worked together, a sense of sisterhood bloomed, and Adele found the half an hour they speak together so enjoyable. Jeri talked more about her previous construction business, but she didn’t detail exactly what had happened to put her license on probation.

  Adele didn’t ask. There was plenty of time to get the details as their friendship grew. Finally, they finished, and Adele said, “I should probably go check on the babies.”

  “Hey, I wanted to ask you something,” Jeri said as she leaned the pitchfork against the fence.

  “Sure,” Adele said.

  “You’re not…sweet on Sawyer, are you?”

  Adele’s eyebrows flew up. “Sawyer?”

  “Yeah, he mentioned something about taking you to lunch a couple of weeks ago, but I don’t know if that ever happened.” Jeri held up both of her hands, palms out, as if she’d just said something she wanted to take back. “I just wasn’t sure. To me, it seemed like you and Carson were hitting it off, and…but yeah.”

  “Do you like Sawyer?”

  “Mm, yeah,” Jeri said right out loud. “Definitely. Mm-hm. A whole lot to like about that man.”

  Adele blinked, matched her grin to Jeri’s, and then started laughing. “He’s all yours, Jeri. I am with Carson.”

  I am with Carson.

  She couldn’t believe she’d said it so matter-of-factly. But it was true, and she didn’t want it to be untrue, nor was she embarrassed by it.

  Jeri laughed too, and then she said, “I like you, Adele. There’s no pulling punches with you.”

  “Oh, I’m too old for that,” she said.

  “You and me both,” Jeri responded. “All right. I’m going to go shower and then see if I can entice Mister Smith to ask me out.”

  “Good luck,” Adele said, heading in the opposite direction. She went into the pasture where the goats lived, all of the babies greeting her with bleats and rubs against her legs as if they were cats.

  The adults liked her too, but they approached more slowly, their crazy goat eyes scanning everything just to make sure they were safe.

  “Hey, guys,” she said, happiness radiating through her. No, this was more than being happy. This was joy, and she held onto it for dear life. She’d been so miserable for so long, she’d been sure she’d never feel anything this wonderful again.

  Her phone bleeped, a notification sound from her social media account. She usually kept it closed or off unless she was posting, but she’d forgotten she’d opened it to show it to Carson.

  And she had a new message—from Joey Dawson.

  Hey, Adele. Sorry I went silent for a while there. Acquired a new building for another restaurant, and I’d love to talk to you about a position.

  Her blood seemed to slow and still in her veins. “A position?” fell from her lips. What did that mean?

  Joey—the celebrity chef with three New York City restaurants—sent a picture of a room that was obviously under construction. Would love to have you out to help get the kitchen set up, if you’re interested. Call me.

  His phone number stared her back in the face, and she drew in a shuddering breath.

  She looked around, sure there would be an entire camera crew waiting to jump out from behind the goat barn. “Just kidding!” they’d yell.

  No one jumped out from anywhere.

  No one yelled anything.

  Joey’s number didn’t disappear, and he could see that she’d seen his message.

  “What do I do?” she asked the goats around her, but none of them had an answer. “Dear Lord, what do I do?”

  But God didn’t shake the Earth or otherwise indicate what she should do. She turned in a full circle, searching for someone to help her.

  Not someone.

  Carson. She wanted Carson to tell her what to do.

  At the same time, she didn’t want him to know about this chat at all, because he was obviously not a city boy, and he’d never go to New York with her.

  Would he?

  Chapter 18

  Carson sat on his back steps as the sun went down, Ted and Tony frolicking through the grass at the edge of the yard. Every so often, one of the labs would dart into the trees and bark happily.

  He loved watching them enjoy themselves, his knife moving through the soft wood and creating a pile of shavings at his feet. Adele was busy tonight, making more of her cooking videos, and now that Carson knew what she was doing in her cabin, he didn’t mind this time alone.

  Four months ago, as the sale of the ranch was being finalized, Carson had hit a low he’d never experienced before. He’d thought he’d never get out of the darkness he existed in, and while he’d been moving at a crawl, he could feel the sunlight on his face now.

  He carved with no real intention, and the wood became an overly large spoon. Something like the spoon rest sitting on the stove at Cobble Creek.

  “Not anymore,” he muttered to himself. He wasn’t even sure what Cobble Creek looked like anymore, if the homestead, barns, or stables would even be there anymore. It wasn’t his business to know, and he’d convinced himself he didn’t care.

  Because he didn’t.

  He had a new life here in California, and he was really enjoying it. New house. New weather. New girlfriend.

  Terry had texted to ask where he was, and Carson had ignored him.

  The idea of buying his own ranch with his billions in the bank wiggled around in the back of his mind, but he hadn’t paid much attention to it. It was kind of nice to just get up and go to work each day. No pressure. No hiring. No interviews. No worries.

  The thought of going to church in the morning crossed his mind. He hadn’t been in such a long time, and a sliver of guilt moved through him the same way his knife sliced through the wood in his hand, splitting the spoon rest right in half.

  He sighed and looked up, his dogs still having a great time in the back yard. Maybe he could just ask Adele to go with him. She would; she went to church every week with Scarlett and Hudson.

  As if summoned by his thoughts, the rumble of a truck engine met Carson’s ears. Only Hudson had a truck that big, and sure enough, he pulled into his driveway a moment later.Carson stood up and
went to the edge of the house just as Hudson disappeared into his cabin. He only stayed inside for a few minutes, and then he came out with Hound.

  Hound.

  Carson was supposed to be taking care of the dog until Monday, as well as Hudson’s chores. Carson didn’t see Scarlett in the front seat, and Hudson didn’t waste any time backing out of his driveway and heading down the road again.

  “Odd,” Carson said, watching the dust lifting into the air as Hudson turned right at the end of the road to leave the ranch again. He and Scarlett were supposed to be on their weekend getaway for another two days, but something had obviously happened.

  Or maybe he’d just come back for Hound and would grab dinner on his way back to the beach to meet Scarlett.

  Carson whistled to his dogs and went inside his cabin with them, filling their bowls before pulling out his phone to text Adele about church in the morning.

  By the time ten o’clock came the next day, Carson felt like he’d swallowed a beehive. He shouldn’t have texted Adele about it so early, because his mind had been rotating around his options for hours. He could pretend to be sick. Pretend to forget he’d said he’d go. Say one of the dogs was sick.

  Anything, really.

  By the time Adele pulled up to his cabin, Carson stood on the front steps. But he wasn’t ready for church. She got out of the sedan at the same time he went down the stairs. “I don’t have anything to wear,” he said.

  “What do you mean?”

  Carson felt like shouting. Maybe then his nerves would settle, and he’d be able to think

  “You look great.” Adele flashed him a smile as she moved her gaze down to his cowboy boots and back to his face.

  “I’m wearing jeans and a T-shirt.” He hadn’t brought slacks, a tie, or white shirt. He’d thrown them all away while he packed up his whole life at Cobble Creek.

  “You’re a cowboy,” she said. “Pastor Williams won’t mind.”

  “I might have a collared shirt,” he said. “Just a second.” He took the steps two at a time back up to the porch and yanked open the front door. In his bedroom, he looked through the dozen hangers holding shirts in his closet. He did have a blue and white checkered shirt with a collar, and he whipped it down to put it on.

  He couldn’t believe he was even considering going to church. Especially looking like this. “My mother would die.”

  He stilled. His mother. His mother had left him over twenty-five years ago. He couldn’t believe she was still in his mind, still influencing him at all. He supposed some lessons died hard, and this was one of them.

  He’d always worn a white shirt and tie to church, even the week after the ranch had sold, and he was still begging God for a different solution.

  “Carson?” Adele’s voice came down the hall, and he spun away from his closet, wishing it was just as easy to get away from his thoughts.

  “Coming,” he said, appearing in the hall only a few steps from her.

  “Why are you so nervous?” she asked, sliding her hands up his chest to finish closing the remaining buttons on his shirt. He looked down at her, finding a sense of peace in her that didn’t exist inside himself.

  “I haven’t been to church in a while,” he admitted. “I, uh, have blamed God for the loss of my ranch.”

  Adele nodded a few times, her gaze on his now done-up buttons. “Understandable.”

  “Really?” he asked. “Your ex-husband racked up thousands of dollars of debt and disappeared. Did you blame God?” He cocked his eyebrows. “Stop going to church?”

  She didn’t answer, which was the answer Carson needed. He fell back a step. “I don’t know if I can go.” He swallowed, but his throat was so dry, it scratched.

  “Of course, you can,” she said, reaching for him. She wrapped her fingers around his and tugged gently. “Just come sit in the back. I won’t even sit by you.”

  “If I’m going, I’m not sitting alone.” He couldn’t even believe he was considering going. His heart tap danced in his chest, and he couldn’t get it to stop.

  “Then let’s go.” She tugged again, and Carson found himself going with her. He tucked in his shirt as he went, and by the time he settled in the passenger seat, he felt like he might survive just sitting in the back row.

  By the time they made it to the church, the lot was full and the bell had stopped ringing. They were late, and his fantasies of going unnoticed in the back went up like smoke. When they went inside, the chapel was fairly full, and Adele guided him to a row on the side, which was still very near the back. Thankfully.

  He scooted over against the wall, wiping his palms down his thighs. Adele placed herself right next to him and took his hand in hers. “There.” She smiled, but she didn’t look at him.

  Carson took in a deep breath and tried to find his center. The core of his faith. He’d felt a few things at Last Chance Ranch over the past few weeks, and as he settled and started to listen to the pastor’s voice, that same sense of peace came over him.

  He didn’t know Pastor Williams. Had never met the man. But he had a large personality that filled the small chapel, and his smile radiated into the corners of the room. The words he said slipped through Carson’s ears, though Carson was sure they’d be good.

  At that moment, though, the love and comfort flowing through him were enough.

  After church, he strolled with Adele along a walking path at the base of the bluff. Above them, Last Chance Ranch loomed, but he couldn’t see it. No one could. People probably didn’t even know it was there.

  “So?” she asked. “What did you think?”

  “It was…nice,” he said.

  “Gonna go again?”

  “Probably,” he said, more content than he’d felt in a long time.

  They walked for a few steps in silence, and then Adele said, “I have something I want to talk to you about.” She sounded serious and a little nervous, and Carson glanced at her. She didn’t look at him, which only confirmed that this was a conversation he probably wouldn’t like much.

  “Shoot,” he said casually, hoping some of his earlier anxiety over going to church had just hung around.

  “Have you looked at my video account?”

  “I tried,” he said. “But I couldn’t figure it out. I had to join, and well, I…no.” Foolishness ran through him. Her cooking and videos were very important to her, and he should’ve tried harder before retreating back to whittling—his comfort zone. “Sorry. I’ll do it this afternoon.”

  “It’s fine,” she said. “I was just wondering what you knew about it, and it seems like not much.” She nudged him with her hip, and he caught the smile on her face before she glanced away. Flirting was good, so maybe this conversation would be fine.

  “I’m teachable,” he said.

  “I’m sure you are,” she said. “Anyway, it’s been gaining in popularity, and I’ve had this big-time chef messaging me.”

  “Wow,” Carson said.

  “Yeah, he lives in New York City and has three restaurants there. Well, four now, but anyway.”

  He noticed that her voice had gone up in pitch and volume, and her arm had tightened on his.

  “Anyway, he’s opening a new restaurant, and he wants me to come help him.” She laughed, but it sounded halfway maniacal. “Me. I don’t even have a culinary degree. He probably doesn’t even know that. He probably assumes I do, though he never asked, and I never said I did. Anyway, he wants to offer me a position. Have me come to New York and help him set up the kitchen. All of it.”

  Carson wasn’t sure what she was saying, but he seized onto a couple of key phrases.

  Offer me a position.

  Come to New York.

  Adele wasn’t going to stay at Last Chance Ranch, keep training baby goats to jump on people’s backs, and make her family recipes into videos.

  “So,” she said. “What do you think?”

  What did he think?

  He thought he was going to lose her and get his heart broken
all over again. But he couldn’t say that to her. So he said, “I don’t know.”

  “You don’t know?”

  “No, I don’t know.”

  “Well.” She released his arm and danced in front of him. She paused, forcing him to stop walking too. She put her hands on his shoulders and flattened his already flat collar. “Would you come with me? I mean, if I go. You could—I’d want you to come with me.”

  Carson blinked, his mind blank. “Sure,” he heard himself say. “Sure, I could go with you.”

  Chapter 19

  Adele sat with Scarlett at her island, the homemade, five-cheese macaroni and cheese bubbling away on her single burner. “So did you break up?”

  “I don’t know,” Scarlett said, her voice somewhat of a monotone. Hudson had brought her back on Saturday sometime, and she’d been hiding in the homestead until she’d shown up at goat yoga that night. Adele had asked her if they’d broken up then, but Scarlett hadn’t known that either. She said she didn’t want to talk about it, and then she’d taken Gramps to dinner.

  Adele had wanted to tell her about showing Carson the food videos, and Joey, and telling Carson about Joey. She had finally confessed to kissing Carson, and Scarlett had been nothing but supportive. So Adele needed to put her news beneath her tongue, and be there for her friend now.

  “What did he say?”

  “It happened fast,” Scarlett said. “I’m pretty sure he’s serious about me, but I’m just…I don’t know.” She sighed. “He said he already told me something, but I’m not sure what he meant.”

  Adele patted her hand. “You always do get a little too far inside your head.”

  “I know.” Scarlett moaned and ducked her head, wiping her face when she lifted it again. “How long on the mac and cheese?”

  “Just a few more minutes,” Adele said, getting up. She crossed to the burner and took the lid off, stirring the ooey gooey, cheesy mixture around. It smelled rich and delicious, exactly how heaven better smell when she got there.