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All three of Bill’s brothers still live in Chicago, where they originally grew up. Just like Bill does. It’s his nephews that he’s scattered around the Continental US.
“And you grew up in Chicago?”
A slight smile crosses Timothy’s handsome face. “I did. I still love the city. I try to get back there twice a year, at least.”
“But you’d still live in San Diego, even if you had the choice,” I tease him.
This time, the smile that tugs at his lips is anything but slight. “I would. It’s no Paris, but it’s a hell of a nice place to live.”
“Well, only Paris is Paris.”
He laughs outright at my lame saying. Timothy has a pleasant laugh. Rich and warm. Just like him, I smirk. Of all Bill’s nephews, Timothy is the only one who has been nothing but nice to me. Even on the first night, he was polite and treated me like any other guest. Maybe that’s the reason I’m crushing on him.
“True,” Timothy agrees, guiding Jasper, so we move off the main path onto a rougher one between the trees. “Have you ever been?”
“To Paris?” I clarify, sighing when he nods. “Twice. The first time was just after I started working for your uncle. I fell in love and never wanted to come home. Of course, I had a return ticket that made me leave after two weeks.”
“And the second?” Timothy prompts, his eyebrows raised.
I wrinkle my nose. “Decidedly less magical. I was there for work, andnothingwent to plan that trip.”
It was a shit show from start to finish. Bill was going to propose to Moira, but let’s just say that vacationing with her in Paris was an eye-opener for Bill. He called time on their relationship about three weeks after they got back. I had to run all over Paris to return the ridiculously expensive engagement ring he had bought her.
Timothy tilts his head towards me. “I’m sorry that a trip to your favorite place was ruined. I hope you have another trip that makes up for it soon.”
“As do I,” I drawl wryly, which has him smirking.
The weak sunlight is filtering through the trees here, and it’s so quiet and peaceful that I can’t help but sigh.
“Horseback riding growing on you?” Timothy laughs. I roll my eyes.
“Listen here, Timothy Brooks Westerhaven,” I tell him sternly, but he snorts and cuts me off.
“It’s just Tim. Whenever I hear my full name, I have flashbacks to being punished for being a naughty kid.”
I pause for a beat and shrug. “Well, you listen here,Tim. I actually don’t mind it. But don’t think you’ll find me on a horse without you around to look out for me.”
A look flashes over his face at that, and I’m not one hundred percent certain, but it looked kind of smug and triumphant. Whatever that means.
“Why was Colorado traumatic?” he asks out of the blue. If I had been walking, I would have stumbled.
Since I’m not, I jerk at the reins, and Buttercup snorts unhappily at me. Tim reaches over, resting his hand on mine to make sure Buttercup isn’t about to bolt.
His hand is still on mine, and I realize just how close he is riding to me when he speaks again, in a low voice. “Seriously, why was it traumatic?”
With a sigh, I tip my head back to look at the heavy sky through the leafless branches. Where to start? How wasn’t it traumatic?
“It was supposed to be a romantic getaway with my ex,” I confess, and Tim’s hand squeezes mine briefly before he draws away.
“Supposed to be?” he hits the nail on the head.
“Yeah, well, it didn’t exactly go according to plan. Bill had something of an emergency that required my attention. I had to leave for two days, and when I got back, well….” I blow out a breath. “Finding your boyfriend in bed with another woman does not make a happy Christmas morning.”
Complete silence meets my statement, and I risk glancing at Tim, who looks furious on my behalf.
“What a fucking asshole,” he hisses. I nod in complete agreement with his assessment.
“He said it was my fault. I was a workaholic, and when Bill said ‘jump,’ I jumped, but when he wanted time with me, well, I was too busy jumping for Bill.”
