Christmas With the Billionaire Rancher by Mandy Baxter

slow, sweet smile spread across her face. “You make me happy, too. And you’d make me happy whether you had ten or ten million dollars.”
    He made her happy. Nate felt as though his chest might burst. She wanted him and it wasn’t because of the money.
    â€œYou were right earlier when you said that I didn’t know anything about your relationship with your dad,” Chloe continued. “It’s not my decision to make for you. The only reason I wanted you to keep it in the first place was because of the good it could do for you. Your life could be easy if you wanted it to be. And I truly do believe that your inheritance is your father’s apology to you and your brothers. I think it was his way of telling you that he cared about you. Loved you. I just don’t want you to throw that away.”
    Maybe Chloe was right. Nate couldn’t help but wonder if he’d been so insistent that he off-load his inheritance because he didn’t want the headache, or because he wanted to spite his father. Sort of one last middle-finger to the old man for the way he’d betrayed him. The more Nate thought about it, the more childish it seemed. He wasn’t spiting his father. He was spiting himself. Nate would be the only one hurt by giving it all away.
    â€œI think I want to keep it. Maybe you can help me figure out what to do with it.”
    Chloe gave him a blinding smile. “I could probably do that.”
    â€œNow that that’s settled, what did you want to talk to me about? The foundation, right?”
    From the counter, Chloe’s phone rang. Nate leaned back in his chair, reaching to the counter to retrieve it for her. He caught the number on the caller ID from the corner of his eye and the chair came back down on its front legs with a snap as he lent his full attention to the screen. “Why is my brother calling you?”
    Chloe’s expression fell and her cheeks bloomed with color. “I can explain.”
    What in the hell was there to explain? Nate swiped his finger across the screen and brought the phone up to his ear. “Travis?”
    â€œNate?” A pregnant pause filled the space between Nate and his brother. “Did I dial the wrong number?”
    â€œDepends,” he said. “Who are you trying to call?”
    â€œChloe Benson from the Youth Sports Foundation of Dallas.”
    Nate’s heart sunk like a stone to the bottoms of his feet. “You dialed the right number.”
    Travis gave a nervous laugh. “She must’ve changed her mind about hitting you up for a big fat donation, huh? But dude, why are you answering her phone? Does a cool three million get you access to her iPhone or some shit?”
    The hand clutching the phone went numb as Nate’s grip tightened. His eyes met Chloe’s and he knew everything he needed to by the guilt that pinched her usually soft expression. “Travis, can I call you back?”
    Travis gave a nervous laugh. “Sure, but uh, could you have Chloe give me a call? My financial manager has a few questions that I need answered before I can green light this donation. She needs a commitment by Christmas and it’s going to be tough to finalize everything in time.”
    â€œSure. Talk to you later.” Nate ended the call and set the phone down on the table. Hurt and suspicion sliced through him and he tried to swallow it down, but his throat was already so goddamned clogged with betrayal that he couldn’t get the knot in his throat to budge.
    â€œNate, before you jump to conclusions, you need to let me explain.” Chloe’s voice quavered. Her green eyes glistened with an emotion pretty damned close to fear and she pushed her chair slowly away from the table.
    â€œDid you fuck my brother, too?” The words spilled out in an angry rush. Chloe’s jaw dropped and Nate shot out of the chair. He braced his hands on the table and leaned over it, his entire body