The Cowboy Billionaire

by Lorana Hoopes

  Setting the bowl on the table, she hurried to the front door to let Hunter in. Determined to enjoy whatever time with him she had, she swung the door open and flashed a welcoming smile. He looked dashing in the green button-down shirt and blue jeans he wore, and Daisy found herself captivated in his gaze. “Hey.”

  “Hey, yourself,” he said, his voice low and slightly husky. “How are you?”

  The simple three words held so much more meaning as he stared down into her eyes. Daisy felt as if he could see her soul and all her insecurities. “I’m good. How about you? Did you sleep well?”

  His eyes danced as the corners of his lips lifted in a light grin. “I certainly had good dreams.”

  Daisy did not miss his insinuation that she had been in those dreams, but before she could respond, Cody barrelled into the room.

  “Mr. Hunter, you’re here. Aunt Fanny says to wash up because lunch is ready.”

  Grateful for the interruption, Daisy stepped back to allow him entry. “I guess we better not keep her waiting.”

  “I guess not,” Hunter said with a soft sigh.

  He followed her into the kitchen and they gathered around the table for lunch. Though delicious, Daisy couldn’t really focus on anything other than Hunter. When the food was gone, he helped her clear the table before following her out to the barn to finish the chores for the day.

  “I wanted to say thank you,” he said as she handed him a brush.

  “For what?”

  “For letting me come with you last night. I can’t remember the last time I had so much fun.”

  As he reached to grab the brush, their fingers touched and Daisy felt the tingle shoot up her arm. Her throat tightened and her breath stilled. “Me either.”

  The stillness settled around them like a barrier against the outside world as they stared at each other. She wondered if he would kiss her. She wondered if she wanted him to. His lips parted and he took a step closer to her.

  “Daisy, I-”

  His sentence was interrupted by Fanny’s holler from the back door. “Daisy? Daisy, where are you?” While not frantic, Fanny's voice held a note of concern that Daisy didn’t often hear in it.

  “I better go see what she needs,” Daisy said, stepping back and breaking the spell that had been around them.

  “I’ll come with you.”

  Fanny stood on the back porch, wringing her hands together. Cody stood next to her. “What is it, Aunt Fanny?”

  “There’s something wrong with the sink,” Fanny said.

  Daisy sighed and rolled her eyes. Of course. Why wouldn’t there be something wrong with the sink?

  “What’s wrong with it?” Hunter asked.

  “It won’t drain,” Cody said. “I asked her if she unplugged it, but she said it wasn’t plugged.” He stuck his chest out as if he was proud of coming up with a solution even if it didn’t work.

  “Come in and take a look for yourself.” She led the way into the house and pointed at the kitchen sink. “I was washing the dishes, but when I pulled the plug, the water just sat there.”

  Daisy peered into the sink. There was no standing water now, but she didn’t doubt Fanny’s word. The woman didn’t have a lying bone in her body, but why did it have to be a plumbing issue? She knew nothing about plumbing.

  “It sounds like you might have a clogged drain,” Hunter said. “Do you have baking soda and vinegar?”

  Fanny placed her hands on her hips. “Of course we do, but what are you going to do with it?”

  Hunter chuckled. “I’m going to fix the clog with it.”

  “You can fix a clog with baking soda and vinegar?” Cody stared at Hunter, a look of pure admiration on his face.

  Daisy shot him a questioning glance. “You know about clogged drains?”

  Hunter shrugged. “I had a roommate in college who was a health nut. He wouldn’t use chemicals of any kind. One day, the sink in our dorm room got clogged, and he whipped out this remedy.”

  “Well, I’ve never heard of fixing a clog with baking soda and vinegar,” Fanny said, “but I’ll let you try.” She pointed her finger at him and narrowed her eyes. “If you make it worse though, you have to pay for the plumber.”

  “Deal,” he said with a laugh. “Also, I need a one cup measuring cup and some boiling water.”

  “I’ll get the measuring cup,” Cody shouted, hurrying toward the drawer before anyone else could steal his claimed job.

  “I guess that leaves me getting the water,” Daisy said with a smile. Thankfully, Fanny nearly always had some water boiling for tea. Daisy checked the kettle to make sure there was water in it and then flicked on the stove burner. With a soft click, the blue and red flame appeared, and Daisy turned the burner down to a manageable level.

  “So, how does this work?” Daisy asked as they waited for the water to boil.

  “The actual chemistry of it? I’m not really sure, but once the water boils, we’ll pour some down the sink. Then we pour a cup of baking soda and a solution of one cup water and one cup vinegar down the sink. Then we plug the drain. I figure it’s kind of like the volcano experiment we used to do in middle school science.”

  “We get to make a volcano in middle school?” This time Cody turned his incredulous expression on Daisy. She couldn’t help but smile. This was certainly turning out to be an exciting day for him.

  “It depends on your teacher, but I did,” Hunter answered.

  “Cool.”

  The kettle chose that moment to whistle and the three watched as Hunter performed his science experiment. “Okay, now just set a timer for ten minutes and when that goes off, pour some more boiling water down the drain, and the problem should be fixed.”

  “Well, thank you, Hunter,” Fanny said as she shot a look at Daisy. “I think we owe him a thank you, don’t we, Daisy?”

  Daisy could tell Aunt Fanny was hinting at something, but she had no idea what. However, if this worked, she did owe Hunter a hearty thanks as he would be saving her the cost of a plumber. A cost she couldn’t afford. “Yes, we do. Thank you, Hunter.”

  An awkward smile alighted on his lips as he looked from Daisy to Fanny. Clearly, he could tell Fanny was hinting at something as well. “Of course, you’re welcome.”

  “No, I meant a proper thank you,” Fanny said. “You should invite him out to dinner.”

  “Well, I’m not one to turn down dinner with a beautiful woman,” Hunter said, holding her gaze, “but it’s not necessary. I didn’t do anything special.”

  Daisy was about to agree - she knew what this was really about, and it wasn’t a thank you. Fanny was clearly trying to push them together, but before she could answer, Fanny shot her a pointed glare. Rolling her eyes at her aunt, she turned to Hunter. “No, she’s right. Besides, it will give you something else to write about in that piece of yours.” And give us some time together alone, she added to herself, though she wasn’t sure if that thought excited her or terrified her more.

  Hunter glanced from Daisy to Fanny and back again before nodding. “All right then, what did you have in mind?”

  There wasn’t much to have in mind. Soda Spurs certainly didn’t boast a booming restaurant life, but there was one upscale restaurant that came to mind. However, it was the same restaurant she and Ethan had always eaten at to celebrate their anniversary. Could she really go there with another man? She glanced at Fanny, but as if reading her mind, the woman nodded and urged her to continue. Daisy inhaled deeply and forced the words out. “There’s a nice restaurant downtown. It’s near the inn actually. How about I meet you at the inn at six and we go to dinner?”

  “Well, I do have to eat,” Hunter said, his lips curling up into a grin.

  “Can I come too?” Cody asked.

  “Nope, but how about I make you my special four cheese Mac N Cheese for dinner tonight?” Fanny offered in an effort to appease Cody.

  His frown immediately shifted into a smile, and he danced a little jig across the floor. “Yes. I love Mac
N Cheese.”

  Over Cody’s head, Daisy caught Hunter’s gaze. The intensity in his stare made her heart skip a beat, and she wondered just what this date tonight might mean.

  13

  Hunter

  Hunter hurried through his shower that evening. He wanted to make sure he was dressed and ready when Daisy arrived. Though he wasn’t sure if she considered it a date, there was no harm in looking presentable when having dinner with a beautiful woman.

  The image of Brittany flooded his mind, followed closely with tiny pinpricks of guilt, but Hunter brushed them aside. What he had with Brittany wasn’t serious. He had known that before he arrived in this town, but it was even more obvious now. The fact that Daisy had consumed his thoughts told him that no matter what happened between them, he’d have to break things off with Brittany as soon as he returned to the city.

  After tucking his shirt into his designer jeans, he ran a little gel through his hair, moving the strands until they fell in the exact place he wanted them. Then he brushed his teeth, gave himself one more glance in the mirror, and turned out the light. A check of his watch showed that he still had five minutes to spare.

  “Well, aren’t you looking dapper,” Dixie said as he passed the check-in desk. “You got a hot date tonight?” Though the question sounded innocent, he could see the hungry desire for information flashing in her brown eyes. No doubt she would take whatever he told her and turn it into town gossip to be disseminated by word of mouth faster than a fleeting summer shower. Daisy had confirmed that while not always gossipy, the town definitely had a rumor mill.

  “Not a date, but I am meeting Daisy Keller for dinner.” He left it there, hoping she would drop the subject, but it was not to be.

  “Dinner?” She lifted one eyebrow. “That sounds like a date to me.”

  “No, she simply wanted to thank me for fixing a clogged sink today. Besides, I need all the material I can get on small town life to do my article justice.”

  Dixie took a step toward him and placed a hand on his arm. “If it’s more of the town you need to see, I’d be happy to show you around.”

  Hunter didn’t want to upset the woman - he still wanted to stay here a few more days - but the touch of her hand sent unwanted chills up his arm. “Thank you, Dixie. Perhaps when I finish my research at the ranch, I’ll take you up on that offer.” He had no intention of doing anything of the sort, but it appeared to appease the woman though she did not drop her hand from his arm until the front door opened.

  “Knock, knock,” Daisy said, poking her head inside.

  Relief flooded Hunter’s body, and he stepped toward Daisy and away from the desperate clinging touch of Dixie. “I’m here and ready to go.”

  Daisy flashed a smile before waving to Dixie. “Good to see you, Dixie.”

  “You too,” Dixie replied, but the brightness in her tone felt forced to Hunter. “Have fun and don’t stay out too late. We do have a curfew here.”

  A curfew? Seriously? How had he missed that on the agreement? He turned to say something to her, but Daisy took his elbow and ushered him out the door. When it was firmly closed behind them, she shook her head and laughed. “No use arguing with Dixie. It’s clear she’s got her sights set on you. I bet you get the third degree when you get back tonight.”

  Hunter chuckled as he followed her down the steps. “I think I got a preview of that before you arrived, but how can you tell she’s got her sights set on me?”

  Daisy stopped and stared at him with wide eyes. “Are you serious? She looked at you like you were a piece of steak in the middle of a beef ration.”

  Hunter wasn’t sure whether to laugh or be disgusted at that image. He opened his mouth to reply but no words would come.

  “Are you telling me you didn’t pick up on her vibes?” Daisy shook her head as she resumed walking. Obviously, that had been a rhetorical question. “Are men always so clueless?”

  “About women? Yeah, most of the time. In my experience, women rarely say what they mean and change their minds constantly.” He chuckled as he remembered the many women he had dated over the years, and how, no matter why they officially broke up, miscommunication was always at the heart of it.

  “That’s not true.” She folded her arms across her chest. “Some of us know exactly what we want.”

  “Do you?” He wondered if she really did. There’d been enough moments between them that he thought she felt an attraction to him, but she’d made no move. Of course, he hadn’t either, but that’s because he still needed to tell her the truth.

  Her eyes shifted to the side. “About most things I do.”

  Hunter could have pushed the issue, but he could sense that, like him, she wasn’t sure what was happening between them or how to proceed, so he decided to let it go. “Somehow, I can see that about you. It’s actually kind of refreshing.”

  “It is.” The cloud lifted from her face and her smile returned. “It’s another thing I love about living in a small town. People here don’t need to lie or cover things up. Life is simple and even if they tried, someone would see whatever they were hiding and it would be out in the open soon enough.”

  Her words stirred up the sensation of guilt in Hunter’s stomach again. He hated that he was lying to her. He needed to come clean and soon. Before someone else found out who he was. “Daisy-” he began, but before he could continue, she stopped.

  “Here we are. The Black Stallion. The best steak in Soda Spurs.” She turned to him, her face serious. “I hope you like steak. I probably should have asked, but really, this is not only one of the only restaurants in town, but it’s definitely got the best food.”

  He smiled at her ramblings. She was even cuter when she rambled. “Don’t worry, I love steak.”

  “Good.”

  Her hand stole to her face and tucked a strand of hair behind her ears. It was a gesture he hadn’t seen her do before and one that definitely displayed her nervousness. The question was why. Was it because it was their first time being truly alone? “Shall we go in?” He pulled open the door and stepped back, allowing her to enter first.

  “Yes, of course. Hard to eat if we aren’t inside.” Her voice trailed up at the end, almost as if she were asking a question and he bit back a smile when he saw her shake her head as if mentally berating herself for sounding so silly.

  The hostess, clad in dark pants and a white shirt, led them to a table. The room was not fancy, not compared to the places he ate in the city, but it had a certain charm. A small vase of flowers sat at the edge of every table and the silverware had been wrapped in white cloth napkins. There were no candles, but the lights over the tables were hung low enough that the dim light they provided felt almost like a cocoon around the tables.

  “Your waiter will be right with you,” the hostess said, setting down two black folders that Hunter assumed held the menu.

  Hunter held Daisy’s chair out for her, earning a pleasantly shocked expression, before taking his own seat. “So, this is where you go when you want to class it up, huh?”

  There were only a few other people in the restaurant, but none of them were dressed as nicely as himself. Or Daisy for that matter. She looked beautiful in the yellow skirt and white shirt she was wearing, an altogether different look from her normal jeans and flannel shirt attire.

  “Well, I haven’t been here in ages, but yeah, there aren’t many other opportunities here. Some people go to the next town over when they want something more elegant.”

  “Do you ever miss it?” he asked suddenly, the words spilling out of his mouth before he had a chance to stop them.

  “The city?” she asked.

  He nodded. “Yeah, the city, the opportunities, the entertainment.”

  Daisy tilted her head as she thought. “I guess a little, every now and then, but there’s so much more here. I don’t have to worry about Cody’s safety if he goes outside without me. I know what is being taught in his classroom because most of his teachers attend my church. Pl
us, there’s less noise, less traffic, less crime. It’s a tradeoff, but one I think I’m happy with.”

  As he listened to her rattle off her reasons, he wondered if he could find contentment here as she had. The city had a lot to offer, but the one thing it didn’t have was the woman sitting across from him who seemed to have stolen his heart.

  14

  Daisy

  It was still early when they finished dinner and paid the bill, and Daisy didn’t really want the night to end yet. She couldn’t remember the last time she’d had a nice dinner out without Cody. “Would you like to go for a walk? There’s not much to see, but the downtown is peaceful at night, and we could visit the park again.”

  Hunter smiled at her. “I’d like that.”

  As Daisy’s heart fluttered in her chest, she reminded herself again that this wasn’t a date and she didn’t have feelings for Hunter, but it was getting harder to ignore his wonderful traits. First, he’d sucked up whatever “city boy” pride he’d had the first day and really thrown himself into the work. Second, he’d been amazing with Cody. She didn’t know if he had kids, but it was obvious he’d had some practice interacting with them. Not everyone had that skill. Then, he’d won them all trinkets at the carnival, and finally, he had fixed her sink with MacGyver-like skills and pulled out her chair for her at dinner. Other than the fact that he didn’t live here and she wasn’t sure he was a believer, he was marking off all her requirements for a man.

  “Tell me about your life back home.” She said as they stepped out into the warm summer air. “What do you do for fun?” They’d spoken often of what she did for fun, but she suddenly realized she didn’t know as much about his life back home.

  The muscles in his strong jaw tensed, and he pressed his lips into a thin line. Had she crossed some hidden line? Or was he just thinking? “You know,” he finally said, his words coming out like a sigh, “before coming here, I loved my life. Or rather, I thought I did. I make decent money, I have a job I enjoy, and I live in a large beautiful apartment. Most people in the city would envy my life.”