Page 3 of Her Wild Cowboy Billionaire

She’d given him the heel, his favorite piece, because the butter melted and formed a little lake in the bread. Incredibly decadent.

Then she put homemade chokecherry jelly on the second piece. She also gave him a cup of strong black coffee, a small glass of orange juice, and one of milk.

“Ah,” he picked up the coffee. “Breakfast of champions.”

“How did you bandage your wound after you showered?”

“I didn’t.” Travis didn’t look at her but concentrated on his bread. He knew what he’d see if he looked up, but he couldn’t help himself.

She’d placed a hand on her hip and pointed at him with the other. “You know,” she said, pointing with the index finger on her other hand. “You can’t do anything if that wound gets infected. I mean, really, Travis. What if it gets infected? Do you want to go to the hospital?”

He sighed. “Of course I don’t, but I can’t take care of the wound by myself. It’s not like it just needs a Band-Aid and it’s all good. And with these broken ribs, I can’t reach it.”

“Grace called. I know you’re getting a full-time nurse. She’ll be able to take care of the wound, keep it clean and probably do it without hurting you more. I can’t do that. I’m not a nurse. Besides, I can’t stand to look at it. And she can give you the pain shots when you need them. Also something I’m not happy to do.”

He set down his bread. Suddenly, it tasted like sawdust in his mouth. “I know.” He pointed at Claudia. “But don’t you dare tell Grace I think she’s right in getting someone to help me. I don’t really need a full-time nurse, but living out here, it’s more practical if she lives here, too. I’d be paying to fly her back and forth anyway, plus the fuel and wear and tear on the helo.”

“Well, if you don’t like her, you can always send her away.”

He leaned forward and then groaned. “I can’t do anything but sit up straight, or my chest hurts like someone is stabbing me. To say nothing of my back which feels like needles are constantly burrowing under my skin.”

She crossed her arms over her chest and lifted one brow. “That’s just proof you need help. It’s a good thing she’s arriving tomorrow.”

He shrugged and then winced. “I suppose. I’ll have her treat my wound and give me a shot as the first of her new duties.”

Claudia picked up his plate, wiped off the table and then walked to the dishwasher. “Yeah, that’s probably the best thing. I’ll see that Shelley has two guest rooms ready. Grace said the woman has a ten-year-old daughter. That should be interesting. We’ve never had a child here. I think she’ll add some needed energy to our dreary existence.”

“What makes you call our life here dreary?” He couldn’t help but feel she was most likely right, but danged, if he’d admit it. “We have the horses, the helo, and we can go where we want anytime.”

“We don’t have any laughter. No kids playing tag in the yard.” She pointed toward the back door and then toward the stables. “Or riding those horses. Learning about taking care of them and telling silly jokes and just the energy that children bring. We need that.”

He moved to cross his arms over his chest and stopped halfway with a groan. “Well, the way I feel right now, tomorrow can’t come soon enough.”

Willow didn’t want to leave her car at the airport and called an Uber to take her from the condo to Broomfield FBO. She and Mindy arrived at just before noon and found a tall, fit man waiting for them. He wore a crisp, dark blue uniform with silver wings on his shoulders and two white stripes at his wrists.

“Ms. Willow Adams?”

“Yes, I’m Willow, and this is my daughter, Mindy.”

“Hi.” He held out his right hand. “I’m Tom Shafter, your pilot. If you’ll come with me, we’ll get you both settled on the plane.”

Willow shook his hand. She’d brought two large rolling suitcases.

Mindy had one large rolling case and a backpack.

The suitcases were all part of a set that Alex gave her for their last Christmas together.

“I’ll take two of those for you.” He took Mindy’s full-size suitcase and one from Willow.

Following Tom, they made their way to the jet outside.

The beauty of the private jet surprised Willow, who had never been on one before. The morning sun illuminated the freshly washed plane, white with blue stripes, which amazed Willow with its beauty.

Mindy pulled Willow’s hand. “Mom, look how big it is. Are there lots of other people coming?”

Willow patted her daughter’s hand. “I think we’re the only ones on this flight, sweetie.”

“Will the bad man come after us?”