Not The Billionaire

by Noorman, Krista

  “Really?” She followed along to the other side of the barn, thinking they’d be picking up a horse, but she noticed the trailer wasn’t attached to his truck. “We’re not going to get a horse?”

  “Making a house call,” he explained.

  “Oh, all right.”

  Cal drove about ten miles down the road and turned into a long driveway with wide open fields on either side, surrounded by fences. A few horses were roaming around, nibbling on grass. He stopped the truck in front of a barn and climbed out.

  A teenage girl emerged from within.

  “Hey, Libby,” Cal said. “This is Genevieve.”

  “Hi,” Libby replied. “Perfect timing. We’re just in from a ride.” She spun on her heel and headed back into the barn.

  Genevieve followed along behind the young girl, who reminded her a lot of her younger self with her long blonde braids and petite frame.

  “Here he is.” Libby patted her horse on the side.

  “He’s beautiful.” Genevieve’s eyes traveled over his shiny brown coat and black mane to his face. Her gaze suddenly locked on a small white patch in the middle of his forehead shaped like a perfect heart, and she gasped. “Wait, is this …” Her mouth fell open and her eyes shot to Cal, who was grinning ear to ear. “This isn’t Roman, is it?”

  “One and the same,” Cal replied with a nod.

  Her hands covered her mouth and unexpected tears threatened. “Oh my gosh.” She slowly moved closer. “I can’t believe it. He looks amazing. Like nothing ever happened to him.”

  “My parents adopted him from the rescue when I was a baby, and he’s been my horse since I was old enough to ride,” Libby explained.

  Genevieve moved closer to the strong, healthy horse before her, remembering him struggling to survive, not an ounce of fat on him, mane ratted and falling out.

  She turned toward Cal as she choked back tears. “Thank you for bringing me here.”

  “You’re welcome.” He gave her an understanding smile.

  “Thank you for helping take care of him,” Libby said, “and for not letting him die.”

  Genevieve smiled then turned back to Roman. As she stood there with tears streaming down her cheeks, running her hand over the muscles of his back, along his full mane, and up to the heart shape on his head, she knew in her heart that Montana was exactly the place she was meant to be.

  “Ready for lunch?”

  Genevieve glanced up from her desk. “You heard my stomach growling, didn’t you?”

  Her new friend and coworker, Marianne, chuckled.

  Genevieve grabbed her purse and walked out of the tiny office she now called her own. She didn’t mind that it was small or that she was making far less than she had been at Schultz Chocolate. This job had come at just the right time in her life, and she considered every part of it a blessing.

  Marianne was older than her by about ten years, but they had become instant friends and were quickly making their twice weekly lunches at Sit A Spell, the local diner, a tradition.

  “The usual?” The waitress called out when they walked in, and they each answered with a nod. They’d only been coming there together for a couple weeks, and already they were considered regulars. It was one of the things Genevieve loved about living in this city.

  “The kids are excited about going on the Red Bus Tour this weekend,” Marianne said as she took a seat at their usual table. “We’ve lived here our whole lives and never done it.”

  “Thanks for going with me. It’ll be fun.” The mountains of Glacier National Park were basically Kalispell’s backyard, and Genevieve was excited to explore their beauty. Marianne had mentioned the Red Buses were a good way to see portions of the park without having to drive themselves, and Genevieve loved the history of the buses, many having been in service since the 1930s.

  “I’m so glad you came to work here,” Marianne told her as the waitress placed a Sprite in front of her and a Coke in front of Genevieve. “I liked working at the rescue before you came, but I’ve always wanted a best friend, and I feel like God placed you in my life for a reason.”

  Genevieve smiled. “I feel the same. My sister and I are very close, and we’ve never lived this far away from each other, so I was praying that I’d find a good friend when I came here to help with missing her.”

  “I’m sure it’s hard to be away from your family. What made you come all the way to Montana instead of finding work in Michigan?”

  “I’m sure I could’ve found a job closer to home, but I think I needed the distance.”

  “From what?”

  Genevieve paused. It hurt to think about, let alone to say it aloud. “From a guy who hurt me.”

  “Ah, I had a feeling.”

  “But that’s not the only reason. I loved volunteering here when I was in high school, and I wanted this job. And after seeing Roman this morning, I know I made the right decision.”

  “Well, I want you to know that if you ever need to talk, I’m here for you. I’m a pretty good listener. My hubby will tell you it’s one of the reasons he fell in love with me. He likes to talk, and I like to listen.” She chuckled.

  “It’s kind of a strange story. I’m not sure I’m quite ready to talk about it yet, but I will tell you one day, Marianne. Because I know one of these days this whole thing is going to come crashing down on me, and even though I seem okay right now, I know I’m not completely done crying over Sebastian Schultz.”

  Marianne looked up from taking a sip of her drink. “Did you say Sebastian Schultz?”

  “Yeah, from the chocolate company. That’s the guy.”

  “Huh.” Marianne had a funny look on her face. “I didn’t realize ...”

  “Didn’t realize what?”

  “Sebastian Schultz is the reason you got the job here.”

  Genevieve nearly spit a chunk of french fry out of her mouth. “What do you mean?”

  “He sent Cal a glowing letter of recommendation. Ruby showed it to me. He went on about your love for horses, how you’d worked here when you were younger, and he gushed about all your accomplishments at his company. He told all about the regatta you put on and all the money the fundraiser brought in. He said this was the job you were meant to do, and Cal would be a fool not to hire you.”

  “But I sent my résumé to the rescue months ago, before I even got the Schultz Chocolate job. I thought that’s why Cal called.”

  “Your résumé was filed away after they filled that position. Sebastian’s letter arrived the day after the position became available again.”

  Genevieve stared at her plate, letting Marianne’s words sink in. She couldn’t believe he’d done that, and her heart began to ache.

  “God has such a wonderful way of working things out, doesn’t He?”

  She looked up at Marianne, who was smiling at her.

  “Yeah.” Her lips were beginning to turn up in a smile too. “He sure does.”

  TWENTY-SIX

  On a perfect Labor Day Monday, with puffy clouds floating across a blue sky and a perfect warm breeze coming in off of Lake Michigan, Sebastian sat on the bottom step of the stairs leading up to his family’s beach house. Boats dotted the lake, but his eyes weren’t on the water, they were fixed on the spot on the beach just yards away where he had kissed Genevieve for the first time.

  He felt her absence every day. She’d left Schultz Chocolate weeks ago, without a word to him. He had respected her wishes and left her alone, even though everything within him wanted to pick up the phone and call or text, or better yet, show up at her apartment to take her in his arms and kiss it all away.

  August had been the longest month of his life. The days had crawled by so slowly, he swore the clock was mocking him. He’d tried to concentrate on work, but all he could do was stare at the screen or out the window at the river below. He’d stopped by her old office a few times and stared at the empty chair, remembering her sitting in that seat with her feet up on the desk, looking so stunningly beautiful.
From day one, she had taken his breath away. He had tried going up on the roof to clear his head, but he pictured her sitting under the pergola, writing in her notepad, making lists, and crossing things off. He thought he’d smelled her scent floating toward him on the wind that day. It had probably been the flowers in the garden, but he could’ve sworn it was her.

  He hated summer. This season was both the beginning and end of the most wonderful relationship of his life. It had brought the most amazing woman into his life, the one he truly wanted to spend forever with, but now she was gone.

  It was his fault. He knew that and took complete responsibility for it.

  Skylar, Gus, and Franky had accepted his apology for asking them to lie for him. Even Ida Willis understood his reasons for keeping the truth from her daughter and had forgiven him. But the person he wanted forgiveness from the most wanted nothing to do with him.

  Skylar had confessed that she’d spilled his engagement-gone-wrong story to Genevieve, which upset him at first. He wished he’d been the one to tell her, but he understood that his sister was only trying to help Genevieve understand his thought process.

  But still, she had left. She hadn’t reached out to him in any way since she’d gone. He knew he had hurt her deeply, but it broke his heart all over again.

  He thought back to his engagement to Serena. There was simply no comparison. Even in the early days, when he believed she truly loved him, the feelings he had for her were only the slightest hum in comparison to the resounding chorus that was his love for Genevieve.

  He loved her so much that he had let her go. So she could move on with her life. But there was no way he ever could. He would always love her. There would be no one else for him.

  His eyes closed as he basked in the warmth of the sun. The lake made him feel calm during a time when he felt anything but. He breathed in the fresh air, ignoring the sound of footsteps coming down the stairs behind him.

  “Tommy Turtle?” A sweet voice sounded in his ear.

  His eyes shot open, and he looked up at the most beautiful face on earth holding a cup of ice cream. “Genevieve?”

  She stepped down and took a seat next to him, handing him the cup with a spoon sticking out the top.

  “How did you know where to find me?”

  “Skylar.” She took a bite of her Peanut Pirate and glanced over at him. “That’s gonna melt.”

  He took a bite just for her, but all he wanted was to hear her voice.

  “I had to find you,” she said finally.

  His heart surged with hope. “Gen, I’m so sorry. I just—”

  “I moved to Montana,” she spit out.

  “Montana?” He pretended not to know what she was talking about and took a bite instead.

  “Remember that horse rescue I told you about? They had an opening, and they offered me the job.”

  His heart soared for her. “That’s wonderful. I’m so happy for you.” He swallowed a chunk of ice cream and pecan, feeling her eyes on him.

  She wasn’t saying anything, so he looked over at her. She’d seemed so lighthearted since she arrived, that he didn’t expect to see tears streaming down her face.

  “Gen, don’t cry.” He set the cup down and put his arm around her, wiping a tear from her cheek.

  She looked over at him. “I know it was because of you. I know it was your letter of recommendation that got me the job.”

  He rested his forehead against hers. “I hoped it would help. It’s the perfect job for you. I know how much you wanted it.”

  She wiped at her face, moving her head away from his. “My mom told me you apologized to her.”

  He nodded. “I didn’t deserve her forgiveness or her kindness.”

  “Look, I know why you did it. Skylar told me about Serena.”

  “Yeah, she said she told you.”

  “I’ve thought a lot about it, and I’ll never know what it’s like to have someone only care about me for my money, but I tried to put myself in your shoes. To see it all from your perspective. I know you wanted to make sure I wasn’t after your money, and for once in your life, you didn’t want a woman to have any preconceived notions about you before you dated her.”

  “Yes.”

  “I understand. I do. But it still hurts, Sebastian.”

  He closed his eyes and sighed. “Say it again.”

  “It still hurts,” she repeated.

  His eyes opened, and he looked deep into hers. “My name.”

  Her lips curved into a little smile. “Sebastian,” she whispered.

  His hand moved up to cup her cheek, and without hesitation, he leaned in and pressed his lips to hers. He was scared she’d pull away at first, but she did the opposite. She rested her hand on his chest and sank into the kiss.

  He slid his fingers into the hair at the base of her neck and pulled her toward him, needing to be closer. Her lips were so soft against his as they kissed for long minutes, their breaths mingling, their hearts beating together. It felt so good, he was afraid he would suddenly awaken from a dream. But she was real. He could see her, feel her, taste her. She was right there with him, her hand sliding up into his hair, pressing her body closer as she moved her lips against his.

  It was arguably the best kiss of his life.

  Until he felt something cold in his lap and yanked his mouth away to discover her cup had tipped and was now pouring melted Peanut Pirate Sundae into his lap.

  She giggled as he grabbed the cup and tossed it in the sand, swiping the sticky ice cream away. “Sorry.” Her giggles turned to laughter, and it was the best sound he’d ever heard.

  “What am I gonna do with you?” He shook his head and stood.

  She joined him, and he suddenly grabbed her around the waist and lifted her up over his shoulder.

  She let out a loud whoop. “What are you doing?”

  “Rinsing off.”

  “I don’t have ice cream on my lap,” she cried as she beat on his lower back with her fists, laughing the whole time.

  He walked down the beach with her over his shoulder and into the water, dropping her next to him.

  He reached down and wetted his hands, wiping at the mess on his shorts. A sudden splash soaked his front side, and he looked up at Genevieve with a devious smile, then proceeded to kick water at her. “Payback, darling.”

  They splashed and splashed, like they had almost three months before when they’d first come to the lake together.

  When they were sufficiently soaked, she stepped closer. “Say it again,” she said.

  “Payback.” He smirked.

  She shook her head. “The other.”

  He slid his arms around her waist and pulled her close again, leaning his forehead against hers. “Darling,” he whispered.

  She kissed him this time. Soft and slow. Slick from the water.

  He hoped this meant that she had forgiven him, but he really wanted to hear her say it.

  They walked together onto the beach and continued along the shore. He looked over at her and sighed. She was so pretty. He’d always thought so. But after the thought of never being with her had crushed him, he thought she was even prettier than before.

  They walked along in silence for a while, and he was just enjoying being next to her again.

  “Montana’s far,” he finally said.

  “Not too far for someone with a fancy private jet.” Her eyes met his.

  “Are you saying you’d want me to visit you?” The hope was back, racing forward faster than Charisma’s gallop.

  Her fingers suddenly slid between his and curled around his hand, and he thought his heart might burst with happiness. “Does that answer your question?”

  He smiled. “I might need to hear you say it.”

  “Say what?” she asked.

  He stopped walking, causing her to stop as well. “That you forgive me. Because I need to know you do. I need to know that you forgive me for making the stupidest mistake of my life. I’m not a liar, Gen, and I don’t k
now what made me think deceiving you was a good idea. I know I had reasons, which I thought were legitimate at the time, but I know it’s never okay to be dishonest, especially about who you really are. And even worse, I got others involved. I would understand if you were never able to trust me again, and I—”

  “Shhh.” Genevieve stepped forward and lay her finger against his lips.

  His heartbeat stuttered at her touch.

  “In case you didn’t already know … I’m in love with you, Sebastian Schultz.”

  His lips fell open at the enormity of her admission. Had he heard her right? This couldn’t be happening. Not after all he’d put her through.

  “Did you hear me?” She had so much love in her eyes. “All I wanted to do when I got the job was call and tell you, because I knew how happy you’d be for me. I was excited to be in Montana, doing what I always wanted to do, but it felt like I left part of my heart behind. And when I heard about your letter, I realized that I’d already forgiven you, and I had to tell you.”

  “I don’t deserve it,” he managed.

  “After everything you’ve been through in the past, you absolutely do.”

  His eyes began to sting as tears surfaced.

  “Bass.” She gazed up at him adoringly.

  He looked at her through blurry eyes. “Nobody’s ever called me that before.”

  “Well, I know your family calls you Bash, and I thought I should have something only I call you, but I didn’t think you’d want me to call you Sea Bass.”

  He shook with laughter, and a tear slid down his cheek.

  She gave him a sweet smile and gently wiped his tear away. “Bass,” she whispered as she stood on her tiptoes and pressed her lips to his.

  He gathered her closer to him, cementing their relationship with his kisses, wanting her to know that he loved her more than ever and would always be there for her.

  “I love you,” he whispered.

  She made a sweet little cooing sound, and he deepened the kiss until they were both breathless.

  He took her face in his hands and looked her in the eyes as seriously as he could. “I will never lie to you again. I promise you.”