by Eliza Boyd
His mother grinned. “Hopefully not too much.” Then she patted him on the chest and shooed him off. “I’ve got your daughter covered. Get out of here.” She punctuated her request with a wink.
Evan took a deep breath. “Okay. I’ll see you later.” After raising a hand in a wave, he left the living room and took his coat off the rack. Once it was on, he walked out the front door, hoping he actually enjoyed the evening and remembered how to have the fun his mother thought he should have.
It was a chilly winter night in Cherry Hills Village. He needed the Jeep in order to venture out to Denver and avoid snow and ice damage to his Aston Martin. That was the one frivolous purchase he’d allowed himself when he’d inherited his father’s wealth. After that, he’d gotten down to business, sticking with only the necessities and making that money grow. He wanted his daughter to be taken care of when she was old enough to be on her own, so he worked as hard as he could.
Apparently, he’d earned one night off. He didn’t want to waste it on beer and pool with his high school friends, but he didn’t exactly have anything else to spend it on. That reminder tugged at his heart, but he needed to stay focused on his daughter. She needed at least one parent who wouldn’t let her down.
When he pulled up at the bar, Jude and Roger were standing outside, blowing into their hands for warmth. It reminded him of all the times they’d met there in college. For Jude’s bachelor party. Even after his father’s funeral. The place, though old and in need of some major upkeep, had sentimental value to him.
Once Evan had approached, Roger went in for the man hug.
“So glad you could take time out of your busy billionaire schedule to come party with the rest of us common folk,” he teased, grinning as he pulled out of the embrace.
“Yeah, yeah,” Evan replied, his breath painting the air white. He rolled his eyes, but inwardly, he hated that Roger always made his money a big deal. It wasn’t his, so he wished he’d quit. “My daughter keeps me busier than any business does.”
“How’s she doing?” Jude asked as he held the door open for them. “Still wanting to get into Pemhall Prep?”
Evan nodded, passing Jude to head inside. When all three of them were in the bar, he raised his voice to be heard over the music thrumming overhead. “Yeah. I’m running into a few snags, but I’ll figure it out for her.”
Roger looked at him in disbelief. “What kind of snags could there be? You have a kid who wants to go to school there and the money to send her there.”
He slipped his hands into his coat pockets—mostly to hide the frustrated fists he’d made with his hands—and shrugged. “Apparently, it’s not as easy as that.”
Jude nodded knowingly. “Yeah, Josephine and I had to jump through a few hoops to get Makayla in there. But it’s worth it when it’s over.” He slapped Evan on the shoulder. “Stick with it.”
Evan gave Jude a tight smile. “Thanks. But we’re not here to talk kids and school, are we?” He eyed Roger. “That’ll come for you later, my man.”
A sly grin formed on Roger’s mouth. “Definitely after the wedding,” he said before marching toward the bartender. “Which I can’t believe is next weekend. How did the time fly so fast?”
Evan and Jude trailed behind him, and once Evan reached the bar, he ordered their first round of drinks. “They’re on me tonight,” he told the guys, sliding his credit card across the smooth wood.
“Thanks, man,” Roger said, slapping Evan on the back. “I’ll go get the pool table all the way in the back.”
Jude jutted his thumb toward Roger’s retreating frame. “I’ll go make sure he doesn’t get into any trouble. You got this?”
“Yeah.” Evan waved for him to follow Roger. “Be a good best man. Keep the groom safe,” he chuckled.
As Jude headed off to follow Roger, Evan breathed deep. So far, so good. A little ribbing between friends had been expected, and he hadn’t had to go into details about why things weren’t smooth sailing with the private school. But he’d have to figure out something soon. He’d have to explain it soon enough, and that was the last thing he was looking forward to.
The bartender snapped him out of his thoughts by setting three bottles in front of him. The smack of glass against the wood was a good enough reminder that Evan was supposed to be letting loose. Having fun. Not letting the crap from the day get to him. Not letting his failed marriage ruin the celebration of Roger’s upcoming one.
He balanced the bottles in both hands, the rims between his fingers. As he spun away from the bar, his mind whirled. How in the world was he going to look like a “family man” without a spouse? He hadn’t wanted to explain what had happened to Hadley’s mother in fear of that causing an automatic rejection before he’d even officially applied. But he had no clue what to do about it, and that worried him.
It worried him so much that he didn’t pay attention to where he was going.
And he ran smack-dab into a waitress with a huge tray full of drinks.
Suddenly, his daughter’s prep school was the last thing on his mind. His full attention went straight to the woman he’d crashed into as the glasses and bottles on her tray smashed into pieces against the hardwood floor.
The one he’d swooped up into his arms to keep her from falling to the ground.
The entire front half of the bar went silent, the crowd watching the two of them like eagles. Not that Evan noticed. The woman in front of him—the one in his arms—was mesmerizing.
He stared into her big, round eyes, lost in their depths. Her front was flush with his, and his arm around her back held her tight. Both of their chests rose rapidly with their surprised breaths, and it wasn’t until a customer next to them asked if she was okay that he was able to shake the stupor off.
“I’m so sorry. I didn’t mean to run into you like that…” He read the name tag attached to her shirt as he dropped his arm and stepped away. “Nicole.”
She stayed painfully silent as she backed away from him. Her black half-apron tied around her waist appeared drenched with alcohol. Her shirt was wet too, and even some of her hair looked damp as she used her forearm to wipe her bangs from her face.
“Are you okay?” he asked her. But even as the words were coming out of his mouth, he knew that was a stupid question.
“I’m fine,” she grumbled, bending to reach for the tray. Once she had it in her hand, she picked it up. “I just have to refill all these orders now and hope I don’t get fired.”
He reached into his back pocket for his wallet. “Here,” he said, nabbing a hundred-dollar bill from the fold. “I’ll pay for these.”
When she looked him straight in the eye again, the world paused for a moment. The sadness in her hazel gaze knocked him in the gut, and he wondered if she needed something more than he was offering. Maybe a shoulder to cry on or an ear to listen. She stared at him as if one hundred dollars was the least likely solution to her problems. Something about that drew him to her in a way he couldn’t explain.
“Don’t worry about it,” she said, sounding calmer, less irritated than she had a moment before. Perhaps people didn’t normally fix their mistakes when under the influence. “Thanks for offering though.” She brushed her apron down with her free hand, straightening her shoulders.
Then she rushed past him, leaving Evan more confused than he’d been when he’d walked in.
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To The Reader
Thank you for picking this book up. I know you have a lot to choose from out there, and I’m probably unknown to you. So I can’t tell you how much it means to me that you’ve chosen this one. I truly hope you’ve enjoyed it.
The idea for this book came to me when I got stuck writing a different bill
ionaire book. I loved that other story, but it wasn’t coming together like I wanted it to. So I went with Alexis and Maxwell’s story instead and it flew right out of my fingertips. That’s how I knew I was supposed to tell theirs.
This is the third in my series of sweet billionaire romance books. I have ideas for more, so if you end up liking my billionaires, please let me know. I’m happy to add to this collection as it finds more readers. Until then, I’ll go back to True Love, AZ, my small town romance series where everyone finds their true love. :)
Hope to see you there too.
-EB
Acknowledgments
As always, this book took a team to make happen. I may have written the words, but I couldn’t have done it without so many people.
My husband is my biggest cheerleader. He supports me so fully on my path to becoming a successful sweet romance writer, and I wouldn’t have been able to do this without him. I love him so much.
Kat and Kellie, as always your encouragement means so much to me. All of our sprints and goal chats have pushed me to this point, and I’m so thankful!
I also have my ARC readers, whose eagle eyes are SO helpful in making this book shine. Their feedback is encouraging, and each review helps so much! Thank you!
To my FB group and my newsletter subscribers, thanks for sticking with me! It’s been such a dream come true to have so many people supporting me. I can’t thank you enough.
And, again, a big thank-you shout-out to the kind authors who’ve promoted me in their newsletters. This series wouldn’t be a success without your help. Thank you!
About the Author
Eliza Boyd is a sweet contemporary romance author. Born and raised in Northern Illinois, she now lives in sunny Arizona with her husband and her plethora of animals. When she's not reading, writing, or working, she can be found walking around her neighborhood (for exercise, not for stalking), taking photos of her pets, or catching up on her favorite shows. Catching up really means binge-watching.
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