Mia

Mia was pouting and she knew it. She didn't like that she was pouting, but she wasn't about to stop. She was committed to the pout now and there was nothing that was going to change it. It was the last day on the ranch. The sun shone as if nothing was changing. The breeze blew colder, but still, it didn't feel as if everything were coming to an end. The kids were grumpy and worked slowly as if taking more time to do their chores would make their time here last longer. They were pouting, too.

Mia wasn't going to miss having to rearrange her work schedule to fit in these trips, but she was going to miss just about everything else. She'd found herself looking forward to these visits, not for the time on the ranch, but because of Carter. He'd made these days brighter and the best parts of her week.

She wasn't sure how she was going to see him again. The kiss in the kitchen still burned in her thoughts, but it was just a kiss. After the birth of the horse, they didn't have a chance to discuss what had gone on. Now, it was a day later and she wasn't sure what to do about it now.

She wanted to see him again, but with the kids no longer working on the ranch, she didn't exactly have a good excuse to come out here and see him. So, today, she'd dressed up in the sweater that she knew made her look good, her best jeans, and took the extra time to fix her makeup before coming. If today was their last day, she was at least going to feel confident and look good. Even with a pout.

Carter was busy with work when they'd arrived, so Mia had gone to her favorite spot just outside the barn to watch the kids while she waited. She closed her eyes and tried to focus on how good the sun felt on her face. It was hard to pout when the sun felt so warm.

“You going to miss us?” Carter asked, coming up behind her. She smiled, and turned her face from the sunshine to look at him.

He wore a dark blue shirt that brought out the color of his eyes. His hair was mussed by the wind and he wore that cocky smile that she loved. She vividly remembered the way he tasted, sweet and delicious, and the way his body felt pressed up against her. It took all her willpower not to just drag him off behind the barn to finish what they'd started the other night.

“Maybe,” she teased, doing her best to give him a nonchalant shrug. He raised his eyebrows and she couldn't help but laugh. “Okay, definitely. I didn't think I'd enjoy spending my afternoons watching my kids haul horse feces around, but, I'll miss the company.”

She met his eyes and loved the way he lit up at her words.

“I was actually hoping to talk to you about that,” he said with a smile.

“About horse feces?”

Carter laughed. “Kind of. With the new foal, we can use a few more hands around here. Would your kids be interested in a job? Laura already has Lily half-trained to her position and has been asking me if we can keep them on.”

“You're offering my hooligans a job?” Mia asked.

“I'm hoping their social worker might think it's a beneficial program for them,” Carter replied. “That it will enhance their social skills and provide physical activities unavailable elsewhere.”

Mia's heart lightened. This wasn't their last day on the ranch. She looked over at the barn to see Alexander pause and sigh wistfully before continuing with his duties. He looked so sad that she wanted to run over and tell him the good news right then. Instead, she grinned at Carter.

“I think I might be able to make something work,” she said, her smiling giving away her excitement. “I might need some extra convincing, though.”

“Could I possibly convince you over dinner?” Carter asked.

Her heart fluttered and the nervous energy of a romantic encounter flooded through her. “Dinner?”

Carter nodded, his eyes fixed completely on her. “You, me... someplace that isn't a barn. Food that isn't a pizza.”

Mia's stomach was already doing excited flip-flops. “I'd like that.”

Carter's grin deepened. When he looked at her like that, the idea of going back to the kitchen for another kiss was the only thing she could think of.

“Good,” he said, turning to walk off back toward his garage. “I'll pick you up Friday at five.”

Mia stared at his back for a moment before her brain kicked in. “What should I wear? Where are we going?”

Carter glanced back over his shoulder and grinned, but didn't stop walking. “You'll see.”

“You'll see?” Mia repeated quietly as she watched his very nice backside go around the corner. “What the heck kind of answer is that?” she called out, but he was already gone and not giving her any answers.

* * *

It was Friday at four and Mia had no clue what to wear for this date.

Her small bedroom looked like a tornado hit it. Clothes were scattered and flung in all directions, with at least four different outfits currently on her bed. Fancy, casual, sporty, fun? There were a million “not pizza” places that would require vastly different outfits. Mia groaned and tried not to think about what she was going to do with shoes.

She wondered if FEMA helped with disasters like this.

The doorbell rang. Mia shot daggers at the front door and sighed with frustration. It was too early to be Carter, but she wasn't in the mood to deal with solicitors or neighbors. She huffed and stomped to the front door to find it was the package delivery guy.

“Sign here,” he said, holding out an electronic signature device. She scribbled something that vaguely resembled her signature and took the box. She wasn't expecting anything, especially not something that she had to sign for.

After thanking the delivery man, she went back inside and closed the door to her apartment. As soon as it latched, she ripped open the box. She pulled out a layer of tissue paper and tossed it to the side with a gasp. Inside was a gown made of purple sparkles. She pulled it out and batted off the tissue paper nestling it the box. It was floor length and absolutely stunning.

But that wasn't all that was in the box. Tucked beneath the tissue paper was a set of matching purple heels. She pulled them out and read the designer label on them. Jimmy Choo. She nearly dropped them, and then felt bad. The shoes were worth more than two months of rent. She was almost afraid of what the dress was worth.

She searched for a note to explain the dress and the shoes, but there wasn't one. There was only one person she knew that had the money to send her something like this. Carter's words floated into her mind.

“You'll see,” he had said. Well, she definitely knew what she was wearing now.

“Oh, Carter,” she whispered, shaking her head. This was above and beyond what she had even thought possible. She played with the fabric, running her fingers over the beautiful iridescent purple dress. “Where in the world are you taking me?”

She grinned and went to her bedroom to put on the dress. It fit like it was made for her and she tried not to think about how he had gotten her size so perfectly. She went to the full-length mirror hanging on her closet door and gasped.

The dress was magic. It made her look like something out of a fashion magazine. It hugged exactly the curves that needed to be hugged and hid the curves that didn't. She didn't know her boobs could look that amazing. She stared at the mirror.

“I really could be on a billionaire's arm,” she whispered. She wouldn't even feel out of place or like she didn't belong there. For the first time, she could actually see herself being with him, and not just at the ranch. She could be a billionaire's girlfriend.

She did a little turn and checked her watch. She had just enough time to do her makeup and put her hair up into something that better matched the dress's formality. She paused at the mirror one more time before heading to the bathroom, and a flicker of uncertainty went through her.

“Where the heck are you taking me?” she asked the mirror. A dress this nice deserved something amazing. She grinned. Wherever it was, she was going to look fabulous.

* * *

The doorbell chimed. This time, it made Mia grin and race to the door to get it. She opened the door, fully expecting to see Carter. She had a feeling he'd be wearing some sort of fancy suit and look like a million bucks. She was rather excited to see how he cleaned up.

But, he wasn't at the door. She tried not to show her disappointment to the uniformed man standing at her door.

“Ms. Amesworth?” the man asked. He wore a crisp blue uniform with matching hat. “Your transportation, ma'am.”

He turned and motioned to a huge stretch limo taking up half the apartment complex's parking. Mia's eyebrows went up in surprise.

“Just let me grab my purse,” she told him, reaching inside and picking up her small handbag. It was the nicest one she owned. It was a knock-off, but it looked real enough that she hoped it wouldn't look too strange with the dress.

She followed the uniformed driver out to the limo. As she walked, she could hear blinds going up as people peeked out of their windows to take a look at who the limo was for. The neighbors were going to be talking about this for weeks. Her cheeks heated slightly, but she carried herself proudly. She'd learned a long time ago it was better to fake it than look nervous. Especially in heels.

The driver held her door open, and she did her best to get inside gracefully. She opted for sitting first and swinging her legs into the car after her since that seemed to be the easiest way not to rip the dress or flash the neighbors.

Inside, blue neon lights filled the spacious interior. The seats were leather, and there was a single rose in a small vase. She sat primly, with her hands and purse in her lap as the driver started the car and maneuvered out of the apartment complex.

“Where are we going?” she asked the driver as he pulled out onto the highway leading out of town.

“I've been instructed not to tell you, ma'am,” the driver replied with a small tip of his head. “It's not far, though.”

“Okay.” She smiled at him and just tried to take everything in. The last time she'd been in a limo was for a fundraiser several years ago. Although then, she'd had to share it with six other people, so it hadn't been quite this comfortable. She looked around, trying to take in all the details so she could tell her kids and answer their questions about what it was like to be in a limo. She knew they would want to know what color the seats were, if the windows rolled down, and what all the buttons did.

The driver was right; the drive wasn't long at all, and soon he pulled into what Mia assumed was an empty field. She frowned as she looked out and didn't recognize anything.

“We're here, ma'am,” the driver told her, opening her door. She slid forward to the edge of her seat, and there was a hand waiting to help her out.

She took it and stood up, only to find that the hand belonged to Carter. She nearly fell on her face he looked so handsome. She was used to seeing him in jeans and t-shirts with his hair windblown and face scruffy. Today, he was wearing a soft, dark blue suit and his hair was brushed neatly in place. He'd shaved, so there wasn't even a hint of a five-o'clock shadow on his perfect face.

“You ready?” he asked, smiling as he helped her steady herself. High heels on the dirt of the field didn't help with her balance.

“Sure,” she replied with a grin. She looked around and didn't see a building for them to go in. “What are we doing?”

Carter chuckled and nodded to something behind the limo. She turned around to see a small plane waiting in the empty field. She nearly fell down again.

“Something amazing,” he promised, helping her navigate the field toward the runway. “And don't worry, I already cleared it with your boss.”

“My boss?” Mia asked, confused. “What does my boss have to do with this?”

Carter grinned, his eyes sparkling mischievously. “Didn't I tell you this was an overnight adventure?”

“No, no you didn't,” she replied. She gave him a gentle push on his shoulder. “And how did you find out my boss's number?”

His grin got wider. “I'm a billionaire. I can find anything out.”

She laughed at his pride and then focused on navigating the field in her heels. He helped her up into the stairs into the airplane. Mia felt like a celebrity walking up the steps to the door where a stewardess in a fashionable dark blue uniform greeted her.

The inside of the private jet was not what she expected. Instead of rows of utilitarian seats, there was a white leather couch, two reclining chairs with a table, and from what she could see, a full bar in the back. It wasn't a plane as much as it was a flying apartment.

“This is unbelievable,” Mia said, looking around.

“I wanted to take the helicopter, but it just doesn't have the fuel range. This is faster.” Carter squeezed her shoulders as he passed her to sit on the couch. The flight attendant handed him a flute of champagne before he even had time to get comfortable.

“Fuel range? How far are we going?” Mia asked. She had no idea how far a helicopter could go, but she figured it was a long way. Just how far were they going?

Carter just smiled at her, keeping his secrets.

“Champagne?” the attendant asked, offering Mia a glass.

“Um, sure.” Mia accepted the glass and sat next to Carter. Close, but not so close that the flight attendant would get any ideas.

“Cheers,” Carter said, holding up his glass. Mia tapped hers gently against his and took a sip of the bubbly liquid. This all felt so surreal, she was sure that she was imagining things. She heard the engines start to purr and the plane moved onto the runway.

“You don't have to worry about the kids or work tomorrow,” Carter told her over his champagne. “I made sure they were all taken care of. I want you to have fun.”

“I'm in a private jet,” Mia replied with an excited giggle. “I'm already having fun! Thank you, Carter.”

She reached out and touched his hand. He grinned and held her hands in his. She giggled and laughed, feeling as if she were already flying. She was grateful for his hand, since she was still a little nervous. This was her first time on a private jet, after all.

“You ain't seen nothing yet,” he promised. And with that, the plane took into the sky.