A Billionaire for Christmas

The gentleman cowboy

*Aria*

I take a moment to hide my face in my hands. I should never have gone on a date, what had I expected? I had naively thought that Steven was different from the men I so often see online… Clearly he was not, instead he turned out to be one of the worst types.

Breathing in deeply I keep telling myself that he doesn’t get to determine my value, he doesn’t get to tell me I have no worth. It is merely his opinion, not everyone thinks like him. But my experience again and again is, that most men agree with him, at least to a degree.

And not only was the date a complete disaster, he has also left me with a rather large check to pay and with no way of getting home.

All I really long for is love, someone to love and be loved by, beside my kids. But apparently I do not deserve love. Seems it is true when they claim being over forty, and a single mother too, makes me unwanted by men.

“Are you okay sweetheart?” A warm voice says, and I feel a gentle touch on my arm.

I remove my hands from my face, only now realizing that I have started to cry, how embarrassing. Crouched in front of me is that guy, Ryder Cassidy. He looks kinda like a cowboy with jeans, and a plaid shirt. His face is tan, and rather handsome, with kind hazel eyes, dark hair and a well kept beard.

He pulls a soft handkerchief from his chest pocket and hands it to me with an understanding smile.

“Yeah, I am okay, or I will be” I nod as I accept the handkerchief, dubbing my eyes. “I am really sorry about his behavior.”

“Sweetheart you have nothing to apologize for, his bad behavior is his alone,” he says softly, giving me an encouraging smile. “And please do not let trash like him make you feel less, you deserve so much better.”

I dry my eyes and shake my head, “You should not have thrown him out… I am not sure I have enough money to pay for the food.”

“No worries, you are not to pay a cent,” he tells me, shaking his head. “That would be very ungentlemanly of me.”

“It’s very kind of you, but that is a lot of money though…” I do not feel it is fair that he should pay. “I can’t…”

He holds up his hand, his eyes twinkling. “You are giving me too much credit here, we have your date’s information from he booked, he will get to pay.”

“Oh,” I say, feeling slightly stupid. “He deserves that.”

“He deserved a lot more than that,” he says with a small huff. “But he was not worth getting in legal trouble over.”

I can’t help but smile, “definitely not worth it.” To be honest, while I appreciate him standing up for me and the waitress, I also like that he did not use violence.

“Did you come in your own car?” He suddenly says, as he stands up. He is rather tall, I suddenly realize.

I shake my head. “I know it was dumb, but I let him pick me up… he insisted. I better call an Uber.”

“You know what, if you can wait about fifteen minutes, I can give you a ride… you should not have to spend money getting home.” He says softly.

I think for a moment, maybe I should say no… I mean it doesn’t seem the best idea to trust another man. But then I look into his warm eyes, and I somehow feel I can trust him. “That would be great, Thank you… if it is not a bother.”

“Not at all darling,” he says with a nod. “Coffee or tea? I will have the waitress bring you a cup, on the house, while you wait.”

“Here in the evening, tea,” I say, almost not knowing what to say to his kindness. “Thank you.”

He just smile, “Nothing to thank for, I want you to have nice memories of this place in case someone asks.”

But I can hear in his voice it is not a marketing strategy, he is simply being kind. Which is further proved when the waitress brings me not only a cup of tea but also a piece of homemade apple pie.

*Ryder*

I finish up as quickly as I can, the bustling sounds of the restaurant fading into the background as my focus narrows on the clock. I don’t want her to wait too long, not after the night she’s had.

As I reach for my jacket, JR, my daily manager and confidant, sidles up beside me with a knowing smirk. “I hear you played the hero tonight, Ryder. Taking the damsel home, are we?”

I chuckle, shaking my head and correct him. “Just ensuring she gets home safe after I had to toss her lousy date out on his ear. It’s what any man… or decent business owner… should do.”

JR scans the room, his eyes landing on the woman in the bottle green dress, her shoulders slightly hunched as if guarding her thoughts. “Ah, the one in green? She's a looker, for sure.”

I nod, a reluctant smile tugging at my lips as JR lets out a low whistle. I give him a playful slap on the back of his head. “Keep your mind on your duties, buster. This is strictly about getting her home.”

“Sure,” He laughs, darting away to attend to customers. I shake my head, and pull on the jacket,

Yeah okay, so she is attractive in that warm, wholesome kinda way, and her smile is one of those that lights up a room. But I am not really looking for a relationship, and the last thing I want is for her to feel like I’m exploiting her vulnerability after such a dreadful evening.

Taking a deep breath, I stride over to her table, offering a reassuring smile. “Ready?” I ask gently, hoping to convey that she’s safe with me. Her eyes meet mine, and for a moment, the chaos of the restaurant fades away, leaving just the two of us in our own little world.