Page 17 of How to Train Your Billionaire

But she just shrugs and takes another bite, clearly enjoying it way too much.

Staring at her, I’m not sure if I’m impressed or horrified. “You’re serious.”

She grins, and I can’t help my surprised expression. “Guess I’m full of surprises.”

Damn.She’s even more of a psychopath than I ever imagined. I’ll have to keep a close eye on her. The lengths she’s willing to go to to infiltrate my uncle’s inner circle of trust know no bounds.Clearly.It’s terrifying, really.

“Don’t keep him up too late,” I say to Francesca on my way out, certain that whatever rules I put in place will immediately be broken just to spite me.

Chapter Seven

Shake Up the Status Quo

Frankie

When I complained about Hayes, Charles assured me he wasn’t so bad once you got to know him. So, I make an effort. I learn a few things. For instance, he’s twenty-nine, he has washboard abs, and he writes in perfect cursive. Oh, and he eats obscenely healthily. He’s also fairly nice to Charles. I still hate him, though.

Pretending to like liverwurst just to watch his face contort was almost worth it. It tasted like a rusty nail dipped in old pennies.

In addition to playingWordletogether, Charles and I add a few other things to our daily routine.

In the mornings, we chat over mugs of steaming coffee, and he usually gives me some type of life advice. We’ve gotten into playing Scrabble, and we went fly-fishing yesterday, which was more fun than I expected. But Charles did get tired out pretty quickly.

After dinner at 4:30 p.m. we watchJeopardy!I’m getting quite good at it. Yesterday I got four right but missed the finalJeopardy!question. Charles got eight correct. He’s best at the U.S. history questions. Any useless facts or anything pop culture related, I’m your girl.All of that to say, we’ve found our rhythm. And in even better news, Hayes flew home.

By the start of our second week in Montana, I’m beginning to wonder how long we’ll be staying here. I might need to look into joining a yoga class or something. I’ve already discovered the library, the best bakery, and the local farmers’ market, but I need something more to do. Maybe I’ll even look into the local dating scene. Living in the mountains feels very isolating. I’m not sure it’s for me.

But the same morning I’m thinking about all of these things, I head to the breakfast nook where Charles is reading a magazine calledCigar Aficionado.

“Morning,” I say.

Like every morning, he’s already made the coffee and I help myself to a cup.

“How’d you sleep?” I ask, settling into a chair across the table from him. Our game of Scrabble is still spread out on the table; he gave me a thorough beating.

“Just fine.”

“I’m still getting used to the dry mountain air. I still can’t believe I’m here, honestly ...” I take a sip of my coffee. “I’m still waiting for my life to settle down, instead of feeling like I’m on a roller coaster designed by a lunatic.” I grin over my mug of steaming coffee.

Charles chuckles, his eyes twinkling. “I’ve been on this ride long enough to know it’s full of unexpected loops.”

I grin again. “So, what’s your secret to not losing your lunch on the way?”

He leans forward. “The trick is to stop trying to drive the damn thing. Just throw your hands up and scream with the rest of us.”

I laugh, shaking my head.

He smirks. “When I was your age, I had a five-year plan. You know what happened? Life had other ideas. It gave me the middle finger and sent me on some tough detours—ones I never saw coming.”

I know he’s talking about losing Betsey so early into their marriage.

He wraps his hands around his coffee mug and leans back. “But you know what I’ve learned? Even in the toughest moments, there’s room to grow, to find strength you didn’t know you had. And sometimes, those detours lead you to places you never thought you’d go.”

I sip my coffee and give him a serious look. “So, even when it’s hard, there’s still something to take from it?”

“Exactly,” he says, his smile returning. “Life’s messy, unpredictable, and yeah, sometimes painful. But those detours—no matter how rough—can also show you just how resilient you are.”

I’m reminded of a time Mom’s phone had died and we were lost in the middle of nowhere with no GPS. She reassured me and said surprise pit stops were where you find the best roadside diners and the weirdest souvenirs. And it turned out, she was right.