Christmas With the Billionaire Rancher by Mandy Baxter Page B

drive back to Dallas was torture. One hundred and twenty minutes of time alone with her thoughts. Chloe went over, and over, and over the events of the past several days. Wishing she’d done or said something differently. It wasn’t like she’d scammed Nate or any of his brothers. And as far as dishonesty, her only mistake was not telling him before she had Hailey reach out to Travis.
    Way to fuck yourself over, Chloe .
    Her cell rang and Chloe’s heart stuttered in her chest. For the barest of seconds, she dared to hope that it was Nate calling. That he’d apologize and beg her to come back. It would take more than an apology though, wouldn’t it? No one had ever spoken such hurtful words to her. So it was a relief that Hailey’s name popped up on the caller ID and not Nate’s. At least, that’s what she told herself.
    â€œHey, Hailey. I can’t talk right now—”
    â€œI hate to interrupt your wild sex romp of a week, but we have a problem.”
    Great . Her eyes drifted heavenward. Pile it on, why don’t you! “What’s the problem?”
    â€œOh, about three feet, ten inches, and sixty-five pounds of trouble,” Hailey replied wryly. “He was picked up for shoplifting and he told the cops that his foster mom worked here.”
    Derrick. That little shit. “Can you drive him to his actual foster parents’ house?”
    â€œI tried,” Hailey said in a near-whisper. “He told me he’d bolt if I took him back there.”
    â€œI’m on my way back to the city.” She might as well deal with Derrick. What was one more disaster today? “Can you hang around for another half hour or so?”
    â€œSure. Why are you coming home early?”
    Chloe didn’t acknowledge the concern in Hailey’s voice. If she did, she’d start bawling and wouldn’t stop until she rolled into Dallas. “I need to get some work done and Nate’s got ranch issues to deal with. No biggie.”
    â€œAll right,” Hailey said slowly. “I’ll see you in a bit. Drive safe.”
    â€œOkay. Bye.”
    A fresh wave of tears threatened, but Chloe swallowed them down. After what had happened between her and Nate tonight, there was no way she could move forward with Travis. She’d have Hailey call him tomorrow and cancel. With Christmas a week away, the chances of finding another donor were slim. She thought about Derrick. That cute, freckled pain in the ass deserved every leg up in life that he could get. Without the sports programs the foundation offered, it would only give him—and so many at-risk kids—more free time. More opportunities to find trouble.
    Her love life had crashed and burned in glorious fashion tonight. Chloe would be damned if she let her professional life follow the same path. Tonight she’d get Derrick situated. Tomorrow, she’d hit the pavement and she wasn’t going to stop until she found someone—anyone—to help bail her foundation out. And then…? Then, she’d try to do something about mending her shattered heart.

Eleven
    â€œJesus, Nate. Why in the hell didn’t you tell me?”
    Nate sat at the kitchen table, a bottle of beer clutched in his fist. Acid ate away at his stomach, burned a path up his throat. He’d really fucked up this time.
    â€œTell you what? That I hooked up with someone at Dad’s memorial service and have been fucking her ever since?”
    Travis cut him a look. “I probably wouldn’t have put it that way, but yeah! You’re not an island for shit’s sake. It’s like you forget that any of us are around. Did you ever consider calling? Coming out to visit? Hell, inviting us out here? We don’t only have to talk when shit goes south, Nate.”
    He knew that. But he’d been through so much shit over the past few years that he couldn’t ever seem to get out of his own headspace. Being with