A Blind Date With Her Cowboy Billionaire Boss Page 5

  But ever since Shelby came around, he had begun healing his relationship with his children. At first, he just wanted her to think that he was a good dad, but it was slowly turning into something real.

  Just as Colt was beginning to get lost in his thoughts, he caught sight of two familiar faces.

  In the distance were two friends he hadn’t seen in forever. Whitney and James.

  They were walking arm in arm and looked as happy as ever.

  Whitney was wearing loose pink overalls and had her wild afro up in an explosive ponytail. She had a cloth grocery bag slung around her wrist, her eyes darting furiously around the market stalls.

  The pair were his and Amma’s favorite couple to hang out with.

  Whitney ran a diner where Amma spent most of her pregnancy loading up on blueberry pancakes and crispy French fries. She and James had a modest lifestyle, but if they were ever jealous of Colt’s wealth, they never let on.

  The truth was the foursome were happy to spend time in Whitney’s tiny above-diner apartment watching Netflix on her cozy couch and making homemade pasta sauce or at Colt and Amma’s ranch mini-mansion playing pool and sipping cocktails.

  “Hey, you!” Whitney said as she ran up and hugged him. “I haven’t seen you in forever!”

  “Hey!” he said excitedly. “How's the diner?”

  “Better since you stopped coming around,” she said, giving him a light slap on the shoulder.

  “Revenue has shot up six-fold!” he teased.

  She laughed. “Yeah, exactly! What have you been up to? How's life at the ranch? How are the kiddies?”

  James trailed up behind the wild-haired brunette and said, “Hey, man!”

  “Hey!” Colt said happily. “The ranch is great,” he said, answering Whitney’s question. “We have a big wedding coming up this weekend, so that's always fun.”

  “And by fun, you mean crazy,” James teased.

  “Yes, by fun, I mean rip-my-hair-out-stressful. But in a good way.”

  Whitney raised her brows and asked, “And the kids?”

  “The kids are...great, actually,” Colt concluded, surprised at the truth behind his answer. “You won't believe it, but I hired a nanny.”

  “That's so modern man of you!” Whitney teased. “No more Mama Brooks hanging around?”

  “No,” he said proudly.

  Whitney smiled. “And who was more heartbroken about that decision: you or Mama?”

  “I'm not sure,” he laughed.

  After Amma passed away, Whitney and James had been at his place almost every day before he left to go be with his parents.

  When he got back, he thought seeing them would be a painful reminder that Amma was missing. And it was the first few times. But mostly, having them around was just comforting.

  But, as the spring rolled into Carrin, Texas, the ranch exploded with tourists, and he hadn’t had two seconds to spend any time with them.

  “Geez, I miss you guys!” Colt said genuinely. “We need to make plans sometime.”

  “Definitely,” James agreed.

  “No, not just definitely,” he repeated with air quotes. “Really,” he enunciated. “Let's do something. Let's go to a movie or...or come to the wedding!”

  “You are inviting us to a stranger's wedding?” Whitney repeated.

  “That is a first,” James said with amusement.

  “I know the guy; he’s a great friend of mine. Come on! It's public property, technically. Stand back with the staff and me. We'll enjoy some of the music, eat a little, go see the horses. There's a big firework show during the reception. It'll be great.”

  “Sounds awesome,” Whitney said.

  “Yeah, I'm in!” James said.

  “When is it?” Whitney asked.

  Colt’s eyes went skyward, trying to remember the exact time. “Saturday, reception starts at six.”

  “Awesome!” Whitney cheered, brushing a hand against her dark forehead, wiping away the beads of sweat that had accumulated from standing in the sun. “And what are you doing Friday night?”

  “I'm free,” Colt said. “Why?”

  James stared at his girlfriend with a humored look on his face. “Whitney,” he said in a sing-song voice. “I know that look on your face. Don't meddle.”

  “I'm not meddling!” Whitney said in a high-pitched, guilty tone.

  “Why?” Colt asked curiously. “What's goin’ on?”

  Whitney’s lips curled into a side-smirk, and she tapped her chin thoughtfully as she began, “Well, I know this girl—”

  Was she…trying to set him up on a date?

  Colt’s stomach flipped at the implication of her smile. He should have seen this coming, but the idea of starting up a romance with someone new was such a wildly impossibly idea; he didn’t even think about it.

  “Nope!” Colt announced, trying to smile.

  James agreed, laughing awkwardly as he said, “No, Whit!”

  “No, seriously!” Whitney said with a smile on her face as though she hadn’t just asked him to move on from the love of his life in less than twelve months. “Don't write it off yet! She's super beautiful, new in town, and she's so much fun to be around.”

  Colt adjusted his cowboy hat and teased, “You seem to like her so much; why don't you date her?”

  “I'm already shackled, practically,” she said with a grin, nudging James.

  Colt grabbed Whitney’s left hand and raised it to eye-level before turning to James with mock-accusation. “Yeah, I don't see a ring yet, buddy.”

  “Hey, don't try to change the subject!” James chuckled.

  “I'm serious, Colt,” Whitney insisted. “You'll have fun. I promise.”

  Whitney was usually up for a good jab at James about his lack of proposal in the years they’ve been together. To see her ignore Colt’s comment showed him that she meant business.

  “You want to set me up on a blind date, and you're seriously trying to convince me that it's going to be a blast?” Colt asked incredulously. “We must be getting old.”

  “It'll be completely relaxed,” she said.

  “N-no. I…” he stammered awkwardly. Colt looked at James, giving him pleading eyes. “I don't know,” he continued. “I'm not there yet, you know? It's only been eight months.”

  “I know,” she said.

  “Dating is...” he shook his head. “It's the last thing I'm looking to do. Not now. Not ever, I don't think.”

  Whitney’s brows cupped into a U-shape. Sympathetic. But James, who had been on his side up until two seconds ago, looked shocked.

  “Not ever?” James repeated with surprise. “I mean, Colt, we all miss Amma. But that's it? Twenty-eight years and you're calling it quits? Forever?”

  Colt shrugged. “Geez, James. Tell me how you really feel. Look, I already found the one. I found the one,” he repeated with emphasis.

  They didn’t get it.

  Whitney and James were a great couple. They had been so good to Colt and Amma over the years. But they didn’t get it. He already chose the love of his life. Decision made.

  They were soulmates, and it was physically and spiritually impossible to find another one. It went against the very core of believing in soulmates.

  “I picked the girl,” he said, trying not to sound too upset. “I got married. I started a family. That's it! You don't just pick again.”

  “You're right. I'm sorry, Colt,” Whitney said sweetly, bouncing up to kiss him on the cheek. “I was just trying to—” she said before her eyes darted across the farmer’s market. “Pineapple!”

  With that, Whitney let go of James’ hand and raced off into the market crowds.

  Colt let out a bright laugh and looked at James. “Pineapple?” he asked.

  “Ah, she's been waiting for this one pineapple lady. She's from Guam or something, and she grows these amazing pineapples in this weird greenhouse she built. I know it sounds stupid, right? It's just a pineapple, but Whitney is obsessed with them. And I'm not gonn
a lie,” James smiled, “they're really good pineapples.”

  “I'll take your word for it.”

  “So...” James trailed off, crossing his arms. “You're really never going to date again?”

  “It's only been eight months. Maybe some guys are ready to hop into a relationship again after that, but Amma wasn't my high-school girlfriend. She was my wife.”

  “I know. I'm sorry, man. I can't imagine losing Whitney, and we don't have nearly the history you and Amma did. It just surprised me is all,” James said.

  “Why?”

  James offered a one-shoulder shrug. “Well, because you're not even thirty yet. You know? That's a lot of life you're planning on living by yourself.”

  “I have my kids,” Colt corrected.

  “I know,” his friend nodded. “But what about when they leave? I mean, they'll probably go off to college or find their own way. And then what? Besides, I'm sure they would love having someone around too, you know what I mean?”

  Colt took a moment to let that sink in. James was probably right. Eleanor never met her mother, but Isaiah was old enough to remember her—to miss her. He said it all the time.

  “Yeah. I guess that's probably true,” he admitted.

  No one could replace Amma but having a female around would probably be beneficial for the kids.

  But then again, now that he had hired Shelby, the kids already had that.

  James threw his palms up. “Hey, I'm not saying you have to jump back in the dating game tomorrow. I'm just saying, keep an open mind. When was the last time you went out and had fun?” he asked.

  Colt tried to think of the real answer to that question.

  “A year ago?” he asked rhetorically. “Maybe more. Before Amma got pregnant again, I guess. After that, it was all worry and doctor's appointments.”

  “That's a long time, my friend,” James said casually.

  It was a long time. After being with someone for so many years, it was hard being alone.

  Losing Amma was hard, of course. Not having her spirit light up their house. Not having her expertise in their business. Not being able to watch her mother their children. Not seeing her smile or talking to her.

  Having something to say, questions to ask, or witnessing something strange or funny and not being able to tell her about it wrenched his whole body.

  But beyond missing Amma, it was difficult to be alone. Colt missed the way he used to feel when he came home after a long day. He missed the companionship and always having someone to go somewhere with.

  He missed the small things, like having someone cook for you or sleeping close to another warm body.

  With more curiosity in his tone than he had anticipated, he asked, “So, you've met this mystery girl?”

  “Yep,” James nodded. “Very well acquainted with her. She and Whitney have been friends for a long time.”

  “Yeah? Me and Whitney have been friends for a long time, too. Do I know this girl?”

  “Well, she moved away so…” James trailed off.

  Colt nodded, embarrassed to continue asking questions for fear that he might sound interested. “Is she...?”

  “Hot?” James asked.

  Colt nodded, and his friend scanned the crowds for any sign of Whitney. He brought his pointer finger and thumb together in a circle and nodded.

  “Yeah, man,” James confirmed. “She's really good looking. Funny. All that good stuff.”

  Silence filled the space between them once more as Colt thought on this.

  “Am I selling you on her?” James asked.

  “Not as a date. The last thing I want is to start dating someone.”

  James nodded. “But as a...fun night out?”

  “Maybe,” Colt said, noncommittal.

  “If it makes you feel any better, I think Amma would want you to do this.”

  Colt scoffed. “Amma would want me to go on a date with another woman? Kiss her goodnight? Have…” he cleared his throat humorously. “Ungentlemanly thoughts about her?”

  His friend laughed. “She'd want you to be happy.”

  Chapter Eight

  Shelby

  In the weeks that she had been working as a nanny for Colt’s children, Shelby had worked Monday through Friday, and sometimes Saturday mornings. She got her nights and most weekends to herself to do whatever she pleased.

  This mid-week night she chose to spend at home with Whitney.

  Her best friend had invited her boyfriend James over, and the three of them were going to spend the evening watching a movie about a missing person. This genre was about as close as Shelby ever got to any kind of horror or spooky thriller.

  James was in the small kitchen getting a feast of snacks ready for the girls. They had kettle chips, gummy worms, sour keys, and three different kinds of popcorn—caramel, butter, and sour cream and onion.

  Shelby wasn’t sure how well the palette of flavors would work together, but she was game to try.

  Whitney was bundled up on one half of the couch with a blanket, waiting for James to come back. Shelby was on the other side of the couch with her own blanket, her legs crossed on the couch cushion.

  “How’s life at the ranch?” James called from the kitchen before emerging with a platter of food.

  “It's good,” Shelby nodded, her eyes wide with delight as she reached a hand up to steal a gummy worm from the plate. “Isaiah's been getting pretty busy. Colt signed him up for a bunch of classes.”

  “Classes?” Whitney asked absent-mindedly as she pulled the movie up on the television screen. “Like, learning French?”

  “No,” Shelby said. “Like swimming.”

  “Ah,” James said. “Does Isaiah like it?”

  Shelby shrugged. “I mean, he's learning to swim. He also goes on these little hikes. It's this program Hikes for Tikes. So they're trying to promote exercise in four- to seven-year-olds.”

  “Meaning you get exercise,” Whitney said with a laugh, emphasizing the word ‘you.’

  “I am definitely getting my steps in regularly,” Shelby mused.

  “I think my little cousin is in that program, too,” James piped up, staring at the black screen in front of them, the movie set to pause. “They're trying to encourage kids to get out an explore instead of staying on their tablets all day long.”

  “Well, it isn't working,” Shelby snorted. “Half of these kids bring phones or games with them anyway.”

  “Darn kids,” Whitney teased.

  Shelby knew her friend was only joking, but it was a shame. Shelby may have grown up in the internet age, but she wasn’t allowed on a computer outside of school until she was fourteen. She remembered the joys of spending time outside growing up. She remembered jump rope on the playground, hopscotch, going out in her dad’s boat, and riding horses.

  She wished she could give Isaiah and baby Eleanor those same joys one day—to be able to experience the wild like you were absolutely free.

  “Honestly, I think Colt just signed him up for this so that he doesn't have to spend any time with him,” Shelby admitted with more attitude than she meant to.

  Whitney grimaced at the information, exchanging a pointed look with James.

  “That's not a nice thing to say,” Whitney said.

  “Well, Colt's not a very nice guy,” she replied.

  “What?” Whitney said, her brows shooting up her forehead. “I thought you liked him!”

  James looked over at Shelby, clearly feeling left out of the loop. “She does?” he asked.

  “I don’t 'like him' like him,” she snapped quickly. “He’s alright. Nice enough and all that. But he doesn't seem even remotely interested in being around those kids.”

  “I mean, the guy lost his wife. I'm sure the kids…” Whitney trailed off, unsure whether her train of thought was going to offend Shelby. After a moment of silence, the brunette continued, “I'm sure the kids bring back some painful memories right now.”

  “I understand that,” Shelby said. S
he wrinkled her nose and then quickly corrected, “Actually no, I don't. He should be head over heels for those kids! They should remind him of his wife, and he should take joy in that.”

  James went to say something, but Whitney cut him off, “Well, who knows what’s going through his mind. Everybody handles grief differently. He’s probably not as bad as you think.”

  “I wish he were just a little more attentive to them,” Shelby said stubbornly.

  She knew to Whitney and James it probably seemed like she was making a big deal out of nothing. But she spent day in and day out with those kids and it was only natural that she become protective of them. She saw the separation anxiety Eleanor had when her father left. She watched Isaiah dance around his father, practically begging for his attention.

  Colt was busy, she understood that. In fact, she could probably never understand the pressure he was under, running his business alone. But she did know what it felt like to have a child. And she knew what it felt like to lose your spouse. Maybe not in the same way that Colt did, but her heart was broken just the same.

  And even knowing how angry Andrew had made her and how he irreparably he had shattered her ability to love, she would never have taken those feelings out on Powell.

  She would do anything to have one more hour with her baby. But she didn’t have that option. Colt did.

  “They're just like these little figurines in his picture-perfect mansion. He's all about money. You can tell,” Shelby continued, unable to let the subject go.

  “But I thought you had dinner there a few nights ago?” Whitney asked.

  Shelby felt her face go pink with embarrassment. “I mean, it's not like I think he's a monster. He's a nice guy, just...” she finished with a shrug, unsure what else to say.

  “So, nothing's going on there?” James asked before tossing a handful of popcorn into his mouth.

  Shelby blinked in surprise and waited to see if he was kidding. He wasn’t.

  “What?” she exclaimed with a laugh. “No! He's my boss!”

  “Good,” Whitney said with a grin. “Because we want you to come out with us on Friday night. You're not working, right?”