Page 1 of Her Bachelor Cowboy Billionaire

CHAPTER1

Jessica Kirby sat at the table in her mother’s sunny yellow kitchen, trying her best to ignore the woman’s words. She was at her mother’s for her weekly tea or, in Jessica’s case, coffee. Her drink was in her favorite coffee cup.

Sally Kirby was shorter than Jessica by several inches. She sat next to her, wearing a nice day dress with full makeup, earrings, and a necklace. She was only fifty-two and her hair had been blonde ever since Jessica could remember. Now, though, she dyed it to cover the gray coming in, alike between them. Otherwise, Jessica looked exactly like her father, right down to her icy blue eyes. She could always tell when he was happy because his eyes would literally sparkle. And there were times they grew dark when he and her mother were feeling frisky. Of course, Jessica didn’t know that then, but she knew it now.

“Jessi, when are you going to get married? I’d like grandchildren before I die.”

Jessica rolled her eyes. “You’re not dying anytime soon, Mom. You’re only fifty-two.”

“You don’t know that. Your father was only fifty-three when he died, and your Uncle Larry was only forty-nine.”

“They were brothers and had bad genes. Grandma Ruby is eighty and still going strong.”

Her mother huffed and crossed her arms over her ample chest. “You are twenty-seven years old and not even interested in men now.”

Jessica gritted her teeth and had to let her cup go lest she break it. She put her hands in her lap. “It’s not that I’m not interested in men. I love men. I write about good men finding good women and living happily ever after. I want that. Do you really think I could write those things if I hated them?”I write books over and over again about what I dream of. A man sweeping me off my feet. A man that I love and can marry and have children with.

Her mother leaned over and put an arm around Jessica’s shoulders. “My darling daughter, not all men are like Joseph. He was a pig. I told you—”

“Mom, no ‘I told you so’. You promised.”

“Fine. But you were head over heels for that man and look at you. He’s left you a quivering mound of Jell-O. Afraid to try again. Plenty of men out there are like your father. Good, kind men. You just need to find one.” She reached into the pocket of her dress and took out a business card. “To that end, I set you up with Mrs. Madison at Love International. She’s found you someone already. You’ll go on a date to see if you’re compatible.”

Jessica squinted her eyes shut. “Mom, please.” She sat up again. “I don’t want to go on a blind date. Wait, a minute. How can she have set me up on a date? I haven’t even talked to her.”

Sally sat back and rolled her eyes toward the ceiling. “I might have pretended to be you.” Then she lowered her gaze back to Jessica’s. “Look at it as research for your books. Take a notebook and make notes if you have to. Just make it a small one that will fit inside your evening bag.”

“What evening bag? I don’t own an evening bag. And why would I need an evening bag?”

“For your first date, of course. I’ll loan you one.” She sighed, and her lips formed a small smile. “Your father used to take me dancing on Saturday nights, and then sometimes we’d go on a picnic on Sunday afternoon.”

Jessica heard the wistfulness in her mother’s voice and felt a tug of guilt. “I miss him, too, Mama.” She leaned over and hugged her mother.

Sally wiped her eyes with her palms. “Not a day in the last ten years goes by that I don’t miss him. We didn’t get enough time together. Twenty years was not nearly enough time.”

Jessica put her head on her mother’s shoulder. “I know, Mama, I know.”

She placed her arm around Jessica’s shoulders. “Do this for me, Jessica. I’ve got a good feeling about this arrangement. Please, just once. Just for me. And if you like the man, all the better, but if you don’t, you can decide if you want to try again or not.”

Jessica let out a long sigh. “All right, Mama. I’ll do it. When do I meet this person?”

Sally squeezed Jessica’s shoulders. “Thank you, Jessi. I know you won’t regret this. This man will change your life. I know it.”

Jessica sat straight and sipped her now-cold coffee. “You don’t even know who he is.” She turned to her mother and lifted a brow. “Do you?”

Sally looked at the ceiling. “Well, I might have…sort of…maybe taken a peek…” She lifted her arms into the air. “All right, I looked at his profile. His name is Roark Sullivan, and it says he’s a corporate executive. He’s six feet, two inches, with dark brown hair and green eyes, and he’s forty years old.”

“Don’t you think forty is a bit old for me? A thirteen year age difference—” She didn’t really think the age difference was a problem, but if she could convince her mother…

“Might be just perfect. Goodness knows you didn’t do well with the men your age. You’re too smart for them. They are still little boys. Joseph is a good example. He was happy to spread his—oats, rather than ready himself for married life. Besides, your father was ten years older than me and we had a wonderful marriage.”

Jessica stood and paced the kitchen from the double sink to the four-burner gas stove and back. “I try not to think about Joseph and Mandy. They deserved each other…but not to die like they did.”I never told Mom that they were leaving to get married. At least Joseph had been decent enough to send me a letter explaining what they were doing. He even told me to keep the engagement ring…like I would give it back. I’ll have it broken down and made into a dinner ring or necklace.

Sally came close and took her in her arms. “I know, my darling. I try not to think about it, because I am a vengeful person where my daughter is concerned.”

She laid her head on her mother’s shoulder. “I love you, Mama.”

“And I love you, my darling girl. Now, why don’t you go home and get ready to go see Mrs. Madison at Love International? She’s on the Sixteenth Street Mall in downtown Denver. Just a short walk from your loft in LoDo. Your appointment is at eleven o’clock.”