A Blind Date With Her Cowboy Billionaire Boss Read online

  She didn’t want to pretend his wife didn’t exist.

  “How long were you together?” she asked bravely, her tone completely casual. “With your wife?” she added.

  Colt didn’t even flinch. With little emotion, he said, “We met when we were both twenty-one, and she died when she was twenty-seven, right after having Eleanor.”

  He proceeded to tell her about his wife’s rare condition. His tone was so factual, it was like he was a doctor listing off a patient’s facts to her. She knew the game well from Andrew. This was what it was like trying to talk to a real cowboy. Impossible to get any real emotion from him.

  “That must have been hard,” she prodded.

  “It was. It is. So, as you can imagine, love isn't high on my list of priorities right now,” Colt said. “Besides, the ranch takes up so much of my time. I barely have time for my kids.” He paused, studying her face. Then he smiled and said, “As I'm sure you've noticed.”

  Shelby had noticed, but she wasn’t about to lecture her boss about childrearing. She didn’t have the right to tell anybody how to parent.

  “You have a lot of responsibility,” she said.

  “I hope Isaiah isn't too much of a handful for you.”

  Shelby smiled, reflecting on the little ball of energy she was responsible for looking after. “He was at first, but he seems to realize that I'm not going anywhere anytime soon, so I think he knows he's stuck with me,” she laughed. “We have our good days and bad.”

  “And Eleanor?”

  “She's a sweetheart,” Shelby smiled. “She misses you when you're gone.”

  “Amma wanted kids. Amma,” he explained, “that's my wife. Yeah, she was the one who wanted to try again for Eleanor. She wanted a little girl. Girl and a boy, picture-perfect family and all that.”

  “Did you like kids before you met her?”

  “Oh yeah,” Colt smiled, and she felt immediately drawn to him. “But I was raised in a big family. Six boys, one girl. Two crazy parents. So I was used to the chaos. I just didn't think I would be doing all the chaos without her.”

  “That's hard,” she sympathized.

  “It is, which is why I appreciate you being around so much. It was all just getting to be...too much. And now I feel like when I come home, I'm not so stressed. Now I actually have the headspace to really talk to them. You have no idea what these last few weeks have been like. What a good change it's been, I mean.”

  “I'm glad to hear it,” Shelby said. “Also, I can’t imagine growing up with six siblings. I have a younger brother, and that was bad enough! Did you guys all get along?”

  “Did six brothers all get along?” he said with some amusement, running his hand across his perfectly pointed lips. “Hardly! We all scrapped and fought over girls and attention and who was, you know, the biggest man and all that. But then my mom had Kennedy.”

  “Younger brother?”

  Colt chuckled and shook his head. “Little sister. She’s eighteen, so that’s a fourteen-year age difference between her and the oldest, Jett. At first, we were all horrified, right? My mom was thirty-four and pregnant, and we were like, come on, Mom! How many more do you need? But when she had Kennedy, it was like we all clicked.”

  “That’s so interesting,” Shelby said. “Why do you think things changed?”

  “It was a girl,” he said with a grin. “We had a little sister to protect. We all came together after that. I don’t know; it was weird.”

  “No, it’s adorable,” she teased.

  Colt shook his head, suddenly embarrassed. “So, what about you, Shelby? How come you were so opposed to this blind date?”

  “I mean,” she snorted, “it's a blind date. Isn't that the very definition of a bad time?”

  “Hardly!”

  Shelby’s eyes went wide with amusement. “Really?” she asked. “Name me one couple who you know—personally—who has ever had a successful blind date!”

  “Okay, um...Oh! Pam and Eddie!” he said, snapping his fingers.

  The waitress brought out the cauliflower bites and left the table. Colt didn’t wait to stab his fork into one of the faux chicken wings and pop it into his mouth.

  “You're making that up!” she insisted.

  “No, I swear!” Colt exclaimed playfully. “They were set up on a blind date by Pam's cousin. So, Pam was really broke, right? But she spent what little savings she had on a new dress. She basically raved about this dress to everybody who would listen. Then she meets Eddie at this little diner, and they have the best time. They both order the same meal, they are finishing each other's sentences, all that jazz.”

  “Uh-huh,” Shelby said as she popped one of the spicy bites into her mouth. She loved how the barbecue sauce, the ridged texture of the vegetable, and the blue cheese dipping sauce all mingled together in her mouth. This was the flavor she had been craving all day.

  Colt continued, “At the end of the night, Eddie is so head over heels for this girl already, but he works out on the water. So he says, ‘Pam, I'm in love with you.’ He tells her that if she sees any future with him, any future at all, that's she'll meet him at the docks in the morning with a packed suitcase and run away with him.”

  “No,” Shelby said, rolling her eyes, not believing a word of the story. “He didn't.”

  “He did!” Colt chuckled. “And guess who shows up the next morning with a big blue suitcase?”

  “Pam?” she asked, smiling.

  “Pam!” he repeated, smacking the table lightly.

  “And then what happened to them?”

  Colt shrugged, going back in for another bite. “Nobody knows,” he said with a mouthful of food.

  Feeling pulled into the story now, Shelby frowned and said, “What do you mean nobody knows? Did they die?”

  “They sailed off on Ole Geronimo,” he explained, using his hands to enunciate his story. “That’s a fishing boat. After that, nobody ever heard from them again.”

  “You're lying!” Shelby exclaimed, nearly rolling over with laughter. “This story isn't real!”

  “I swear!” he said. “It was my grandpa's brother. Edward Brooks! He set sail with Pamela Burton on July twelfth, nineteen-forty-six. Never to be heard from again.”

  Shelby leaned back in her chair. “You're telling me that, first of all, the only successful blind date story you've ever heard ends with the couple disappearing into the night, never to contact their friends, family, and loved ones ever again? And second, you're admitting that yes, they really could be dead?”

  Colt shrugged again, and he looked impossibly handsome. “I guess I am.”

  “I reject this story,” she said, crossing her arms.

  “You can't reject it; it's a fact!” he laughed.

  “Meet me on the docks,” she scoffed. “It's so made up!”

  To Shelby’s surprise, as the night went on, their banter was easy, charming, and entirely too flirtatious for her liking. She hadn’t come out expecting to connect with someone, let alone her boss.

  As much as she tried to push the thought to the back of her mind, the night felt like a date. And not just any date, but an amazing first date. The two had so much chemistry, it was practically lighting up their booth with a romantic glow.

  After dinner, the two went for a walk down by the water. The night was warm, but the breeze off the water was cool. When Shelby shivered, Colt put his arm around her and rubbed her arm.

  “I’m sorry I don’t have a jacket to offer you,” he lamented.

  Colt was so different from what Shelby had expected. It turned her stomach

  He turned and looked at her, towering over her, handsome and broad and perfect, and she thought for sure he would lean down and kiss her.

  She wanted to appreciate Whitney's gesture, but she couldn't help wondering what her friend was thinking, trying to set Shelby up with her own boss.

  It was wrong, and not in a naughty, fun way. Shelby was more financially stable now as Colt's nanny than she had been wh
ile working at the doctor's office. She was paying off her debts and finally felt like her life was coming back together. She couldn't risk all of that for Colt, not even for his beautiful eyes or perfect lips.

  Somehow sensing this, or perhaps having the same thoughts himself, Colt didn’t kiss her.

  “You know, for the record, nothing can happen here, right?” he said softly.

  “Oh, absolutely. You're my boss; I'm your nanny,” she said, showing her palms to him and waving them. “It’s…”

  “Inappropriate,” they said at the same time.

  Chapter Eleven

  Colt

  Colt couldn’t stop thinking about his night with Shelby the day before. The two had been out for hours, talking and laughing together. It felt nice to make a new friend.

  He thought about it so much that he felt like he was under a constant state of distraction that day at work. He was supposed to be running one of the horseback riding activities and was so caught up thinking about his nanny that he’d led twenty people off in the absolute wrong direction and off the trail.

  Thankfully, he knew his ranch well enough to pass it off as a special excursion to the ponds, instead of along the usual dirt trail.

  When the activity was over, guests raved about the extra thirty minutes they’d gotten with no charge.

  Colt got back to his office in the main lodge and caught up on some e-mails before looking at the clock. It was two hours until his friend’s wedding.

  Against his better judgment, he picked up the office phone and called Shelby.

  “Hello?” she greeted.

  “Hey, stranger,” he said in a nervous cowboy twang.

  “Oh, hey,” she said, sounding pleasantly surprised. “Is everything okay?”

  “What? Oh yeah, of course,” he dismissed quickly. “I was just wondering if you wanted to come out with Whitney, James, and myself tonight?”

  Shelby was quiet. “You mean like a date?” she asked.

  “No, like a friendly hangout. There's this big wedding at Brookside. Very casual. I was hoping you might want to join us for the festivities. It's a buddy of mine getting married, and I know he won't mind a few familiar faces there. I'm bringing the kids. There's going to be great food from our restaurant; should be a lot of fun.”

  He felt like he was rambling. His did this often when he was nervous, though why he should be nervous he didn't know.

  “And Whitney and James are definitely going to be there this time?” she asked with a laugh.

  Colt snorted. “They'd better be.”

  “Alright, it sounds like fun,” she said casually. “What should I wear?”

  “Cowboy boots,” he said playfully. “And a nice dress.”

  Colt told her he’d send a car to pick up her, Whitney, James, and the kids. She seemed to be under the impression that he was inviting her to watch the children for him and suddenly he wondered if she was expecting to get paid for this. He supposed he should explain to her when he saw her that this would not be the case, though that whole conversation in itself seemed like an awkward one to have.

  Maybe he would just bite the bullet and pay her.

  The next two hours dragged on, and Colt couldn’t wait until the festivities started.

  Khayr and Marina were the couple getting married. Colt had known Khayr for a couple of years. When they had come to do the consultation for the venue, both Khayr and his wife-to-be decided that they wanted the natural beauty of the ranch to shine through. While they had created a rustic archway for them to be married under, the rest was simple.

  No flowers were lining the walkway, no decorated chairs for the guests. There was just the rolling green of the ranch and the beautiful blue summer sky behind them.

  The reception would be a different story. It was being held in a clearing designed for big events, and they'd pulled out a dance floor and thousands of string lights to hang across the sky like stars.

  Eventually, Colt’s secretary informed him that his children had arrived and that it was almost time for the wedding.

  “Welcome to the ranch,” Colt said as he welcomed his guests.

  James greeted him with a hello, and Shelby just nodded in his direction and offered him a shy smirk. He had to hand it to her: for giving her such short notice, she looked stunning.

  She wore her pale blonde hair up in an intricately braided style, and she wore a long, gauzy emerald-green dress and white cowgirl boots. She must have been wearing contacts because this was the first time he'd ever seen her without her oversized glasses on. He'd never noticed how blue her eyes were before.

  “Hey, buddy,” he said to his son, giving him a fist-bump.

  “Well, if it isn't our little star-crossed lovers,” Whitney said with a proud smile on her face as she gestured to the pair as he took Eleanor from Shelby's arms.

  “Yeah, real funny Whitney,” he snorted. Do you know I almost—”

  “Save it,” Whitney laughed heartily. “Shelby already gave me a talking to when she got home, okay? I've learned my lesson. I am the Wicked Witch of the North, or whatever! Never again will I meddle in your business.” She set her hand on her heart and promised, “This I swear.”

  “Wow, she really must have given it to you,” Colt said with a bright smile.

  “I spared no insult,” Shelby laughed.

  “Really, Colt. You wouldn’t believe the mouth on this one,” Whitney teased. “You shouldn't let her around your precious little munchkins.”

  “Whitney!” Shelby said, looking horrified.

  “What?” she giggled wickedly. “I'm only kidding!”

  “If anybody asks,” Colt half-teased, “you work here, got it?”

  His group of friends nodded, and it was the first time he wondered if he shouldn’t have invited so many people. Then again, he knew Khayr and Marina wouldn’t mind. They were a ‘more the merrier’ type of couple. Besides, he wasn’t just at the wedding to oversee it; he was a guest here. And if he wanted to bring his children, nanny, and two best friends along as his plus ones, he felt entitled to that.

  The friends took their seats at the back as the procession began.

  The groom was at the end of the walkway, looking enamored and nervous as the bride began coming down the aisle on a white horse. The train of her white dress draped off the horse as she rode side-saddle.

  Khayr helped her down, his first gentlemanly gesture as a soon-to-be newlywed, and the couple immediately embraced.

  Colt sat with Eleanor in his arms, and she was cooing contentedly. Every so often, she would look up at him in wonder, and he would be reminded of Amma. Shelby was to his left in the aisle seat. She was watching the couple intensely as they exchanged their vows.

  “I, Marina Allen, take you, Khayr Antoun, to be my lawfully wedded husband. To have and to hold, in sickness and in health, from this day forward I do swear. I take you to be my friend and partner, my closest confidant, and my only lover—”

  Colt smiled as he watched his friends express their love for one another, though part of him couldn’t help but reflect on his relationship with Amma.

  There was something bittersweet about watching two people commit their lives to one another when you were alone.

  Colt glanced at Shelby. She looked upset. Her eyes filled with tears, though whether this was just a natural reaction to weddings or if she was thinking of her own experiences in love, he couldn’t say.

  Before long, Shelby excused herself from the ceremony, and Colt’s eyes followed her along the back where she escaped into the distance.

  He felt antsy but knew he had to wait until they had finished their vows before he could check on her.

  When the couples finished saying ‘I do,’ Colt excused himself, asking James to watch Isaiah and Eleanor while he went to find Shelby.

  He found Shelby, but it took a while. She was inside the luxury stables.

  The outside of the stables looked like a giant cottage mansion. The front had a stone façade and stone
pillars. It had a thatched roof and a large walkway leading up to the building.

  Inside, there was an immense utility room and tack room. There was seating, washing stations, an immense sink, and anything else one could ever need to take care of the horses.

  He stepped further into the stables to where the horses were kept. There was faux marble brick flooring and stylish wood beams lining the ceiling along with chandelier lighting and oval-topped doors. He had made sure he spared no expense when it came to his horses.

  Outside the massive stables was an immense outdoor all-weather arena for the horses.

  Colt saw Shelby near the dark stable gate of his favorite horse.

  “That’s midnight,” he said with ease as he walked up next to her.

  Shelby wiped a tear from her eye. She kept her gaze fixed on the horse as she said, “He’s beautiful.”

  Colt nodded. “He is,” he said. “Want a closer look?”

  “Sure,” she said quietly.

  He stepped beside her and unlatched the gate to Midnight’s stable. She walked in behind him and Midnight connected with them immediately. He pushed his nose against Colt’s hands and let out a contented breath.

  “He's a wild one,” he said, nodding toward the beast.

  Colt didn’t want to completely ignore the fact that she was crying, but he knew she was probably embarrassed. If their roles were reversed, he wouldn’t want a near-stranger—let alone his boss—prying for personal details about why he was crying. He would want someone to distract him.

  “Does he ride out with the guests much?” she asked.

  “If he feels like it. Midnight does what midnight wants, so we work around his mood, if you can believe it. Never says no to me, though.”

  “I'm sure that's a common thing for you,” she teased lightly.

  “To have a horse's undying loyalty or to have lackeys who are unable to say no to me due to my wealth and power?” he chuckled.

  Shelby laughed. “I wouldn’t exactly phrase it that way.”