Page 106 of The Billionaire Who Saved My Cat From The Mafia

Summer lifts an eyebrow at me.Jamie and Phyllis pretend to not have heard, bless them.

Since Jamie’s already had his breakfast he reads his newspaper and sips coffee while we dig in.Phyllis puts a can of sardines on the table in front of Summer while the two of us enjoy eggs and bacon, mine accompanied by a slice of white toast and jam.

Summer goes through the sardines and almost immediately complains about indigestion.“You probably think I’m weird,” she says looking down at the empty can.

“Not at all,” I say.

“If you knew how I got married, you wouldn’t say that.”

“Oh, you mean how you got married by Beyonce at the Mariah Carey Chapel of Love on the Vegas Strip while falling-down drunk?”

Phyllis laughs.“Special K told you all that?”

“Normally the boy can’t string two words together,” Jamie adds.

“I remember this one time,” Summer says, already laughing.“We were out on the range for an entire week, just me and K.And that man didn’t say one word to me—and I mean nothing—until the sixth night.We were sitting around the campfire eating when he raises his head, blinks, and says, ‘There’s too much salt in the beans.’I almost had a heart attack at the sound of another human voice.”

We all laugh.Jamie shakes his head and goes back to reading.Summer burps.But Phyllis… she’s sitting very still, studying me, as a sweet, knowing smile spreads across her face.

I smile back.

I think she’s pleased to learn that Special K’s opened up to me.Maybe it’s true that I’m special to him.Maybe that’s why he’s told me so much about his family.And why he’s shared stuff about himself that he’s never shared with them.

The question is why.Is he falling in love with me?

Could that be what’s happening?

I stare down at my plate, suddenly feeling nervous.This is insane.One week I’m running for my life and the next the most beautiful, protective man I’ve ever met is falling for me?

I should be overjoyed, but a sadness settles over my heart.I can’t allow myself to love him back.I can’t allow myself to have him.

It’s not even an option for me.

I need to hit the road before I start making the kind of stupid decisions that will put these wonderful people at risk.

He needs to get me out of here before it’s too late.

CHAPTER 52

Special K

I race back to my house at noon and find Frankie sitting out on the deck.She’s found a book, and she’s reading so intently that she doesn’t hear me come in the front door and move through the house.

I stand in the doorway, just looking at her.

Frankie sits in the same chaise lounge, her legs tucked beneath her.She’s not wearing a speck of makeup.Her hair is all over the place.

She’s the most stunning natural beauty I’ve ever laid eyes on.

Emma must have loaned her the yellow sundress she’s wearing.I think I recognize it… vaguely.But I sure as hell never had this kind of reaction to it.

On Frankie,you’re sunshine itself.

I’m going to buy her all the yellow dresses she wants.And yellow flowers.And a dainty necklace of the finest gold.

Slowly, she looks up from her book and smiles at me.“Are you spying on me, Kevin MacLaine?”

“If I were spying you’d never know I was here.This is just looking.I’mlookingat you.”