The Billionaire's Longshot: Betting on You Series: Book Three (8 page)

“I’m Tami Whitman, Roosevelt’s mother. You look very young. Are you qualified to handle this type of affair?”

“Jill is more than qualified.”

She could feel her piercing gaze. Jill unknowingly held her breath. “Hmm. We’ll see about that. Do you have a copy of your guest list with you?”

Jill nodded, and Tami put her hand out, waiting for it. How she wanted to say no, it was insulting to be asked, but there was something about Ross’s mother that made her to do exactly as Tami demanded. Reluctantly, Jill pulled the folded paper from the back pocket of her jeans and handed it to her.

Watching Tami closely as she reviewed the names, she waited for the
Oh! I’m impressed,
when she finally came across the names: Corisi, Davis, Navarro, Vinchi, Barrington, Henderson and Walton. “Thank goodness I invited some influential people, otherwise I believe this event would have been a total waste of my time and energy,” she said, tossing the paper back to Jill before walking away.

Wow.
Many choice words were on the tip of her tongue; none could be spoken, not in front of Ross. No matter what, she was his mother. How could that woman not even give her an ounce of credit for bringing in a powerful couple like the Corisis?
I don’t get it.

“You okay?”

She realized communication came in many forms, including facial expressions. No one had ever accused her of hiding her feelings well. “Fine. And you still believe not informing her about the dogs ahead of time is a good idea?”

Ross laughed. “I think us leaving now for my boat is a great idea.” Pulling her close, his lips covered hers.

I’ve missed you.
Melting in his arms, she wished she could take him up on his offer. Her hands savored the feel of his powerful body as she pressed against his chest. As his kiss deepened so did the evidence of his need for her. If there had been any doubt he found her attractive and wanted her, it quickly vanished. Unfortunately they were interrupted by the sound of someone clearing their throat.
Please don’t be his mother.
Ross lifted his head, and she wanted to bury her face in his shirt and hide.

“Son, I wanted to warn you your mother is in the guesthouse. Your friends, Trent and Elaine, have arrived. May I suggest you head there to save them while you still have them? I know the men can handle themselves, but Lizette had that deer-in-the-headlights look when I left.”

“Thanks, Dad.”

“How about I show Jill around while you attend to that?”

She’d barely survived the short time with his mother, and hopefully, being alone with his father would go better. Turning to face him, her nerves were put to rest.
Why didn’t I notice it before?
Ross had his eyes. Instantly she felt more at ease. “I would love that, thank you,” she said sincerely.

“Are you sure?” Ross whispered to her.

Nodding, she said, “Was my other option to go with you? I think I got the better deal,” she teased.

He kissed her forehead and headed to rescue their friends.

His father offered her his arm and said, “Come along, dear. Let me show you what contributes to our wines’ finesse.”

The guests would be arriving within the hour, but for now, if she couldn’t be with Ross, this was the next best thing.

‡

S
he could’ve spent
all day with his father, learning about the fine art of winemaking, not that she drank the stuff. What had her attention was the family history lesson that went along with it. Each generation introduced a flavor. Ross’s father produced a sweet blueberry wine, which was by far her favorite. Of course, the multiple samplings put her in a very relaxed mood.
A hammock would do just fine right now
. Unfortunately the guests were about to arrive, and she needed to be there.

As she turned the corner, she was relieved to find the caterers had taken care of the final setup.
Thank God.
Not that she was avoiding the work, but she wasn’t sure she could have handled working with Tami alone.

Their friends had gathered near one of the tents. Like her, they had dressed in jeans and T-shirts. Jill was about to join them when she noticed more people arriving, making their way across the vast lawn. Ross must have also noticed and headed to meet them. By their appearance, they had to be on his mother’s list.

Where is she?
Not that she was in any hurry to see Tami again, but it was going to happen eventually, and she’d rather it happened before too many people arrived.
I spoke too soon.
Out of the corner of her eye she saw Tami come around the corner, wearing an entirely new outfit, fancier than the previous one.
Oh, this is going to be bad.

Tami looked at Jill briefly then called to Ross. “Roosevelt, the guests are arriving.”

He knows. Why is she yelling to inform him of the obvious?
Very strange woman.

Ross made his way to where Jill and his mother stood, followed by the latest arrivals.

“Elizabeth, you look wonderful, and you, Richard, handsome as always. Thank you both for coming. You do remember my son, Roosevelt.”

“Mr. Bates, Mrs. Bates, we appreciate you both coming. Let me introduce you to Jill Aragao. This party wouldn’t be possible without her.”

Aw, so sweet.
Jill offered her hand, and unlike his mother, was greeted with a warm smile as their hands met. “We wouldn’t have missed this for anything. My husband and I are avid dog lovers. We had a precious Pomeranian until recently. My poor dear girl, Miss Fluffy, passed away a few months ago.”

Jill felt for her.
Loss is never easy.
“I’m very sorry.”

“Thank you. When I heard this fundraiser would sponsor dogs, which might otherwise be destroyed, and get them special training to act as therapy animals for the wounded, I told Richard this is what Miss Fluffy would want us to do.” Smiling, she reached in her purse and pulled out a check, handing it to Jill.

Jill literally had to force herself to keep her composure as her eyes read the check: $10,000. At no point had she anticipated the event to start this way. “This is very generous and appreciated. You gift will insure several dogs are given a second chance to prove why they are man and woman’s best friend. We also have several dogs here who currently are in the program, so you get to see firsthand how effective the training is.”

“What? Dogs here? No one said anything about dogs.” His mother obviously didn’t have the same opinion of them as Mrs. Bates. She looked around, searching for them as she asked, “Roosevelt, did you know of this?”

“Yes, mother, I did. As you recall, I am co-hosting this event.” His tone was matter-of-fact.

Mrs. Bates’s face beamed with joy. “How very exciting. I can’t wait to see them. Miss Fluffy would have loved this,” she said to Ross. Turning to his mother she said, “Until then, I believe Richard and I will sample your latest wines. Your husband never disappoints us.”

With that they headed to the tent where their friends still lingered, leaving Ross and Jill alone with his now-fuming mother, muttering under her breath, “Unlike a certain son of mine.” Even though her face was red with anger, Ross seemed to be enjoying every moment. Jill wasn’t about to ruin her wonderful mood by listening to her rant.
This is all on you, Ross.
She knew Ross could handle himself but she didn’t want to witness it. For now she wanted to focus on positive things only.

More people were arriving, and it was time to get the party underway. “Excuse me, but I should see to the other guests,” Jill said, thankful to have any reason to walk away from what was about to blow.

Even from a distance, she could hear his mother’s accusations. She really should’ve listened to Ross when he told her his mother was difficult.
Understatement.

The crowd was growing faster than she expected. There was a nice blend of people from all walks of life. As expected, several people arrived with their precious pups—from purebred to mutts—and all were well-behaved excepted for a few barks. For now. It was the funniest thing to see: a miniature pinscher barking a challenge at a fully grown Newfoundland with all the confidence to win in a fight. Jill smiled.
Today was going to require all hands on deck.
Thankfully her friends were picking up the slack and tossing balls for the dogs to chase.

“It looks like you have a good turnout,” Ross’s father said from behind her.

Turning to face him, Jill was filled with surprise to find him holding a small pug in his arms. She scanned for Tami who, unfortunately, was still on her rant, but now with staff members.

His father seemed content holding the dog, which was yet another difference with the married couple. “Mr. Whitman, I’m taking pictures for their website. Would you mind?” she asked, batting her brown eyes.

“Only if you stop calling me Mr. Whitman. My name is Jefferson.”

“Okay, Jefferson it is.”

He boosted the dog higher in his arms so they were face to face, looking at her iPhone as she snapped the photo.
Amazing.
She showed him the picture. “You will need to send me this so I can post in on the vineyard’s website, too.”

They were as different as night and day. Whether in a crowd, or a small intimate group, no one would ever consider them husband and wife. Jefferson was so laid-back. Tami was high-strung, to say the least. Ross definitely took after his father.
Thank God
.

“I hope you don’t mind all the dogs here today. It was my mistake for not asking permission.” Even though he hadn’t seemed to mind, she knew she should apologize.

Shaking his head, he replied, “Ross told me, and I thought it was a great idea. My wife’s parties are all too stuffy. This is a welcomed change.”

Not for all.
As they were chatting, a bullmastiff approached Jill, looking more like a small horse than a dog. It must have weighed close to two hundred pounds yet was dressed in a light pink T-shirt saying “Size doesn’t matter.” She also wore a large pink bow around her neck. On the other end of the leash was a woman who looked tiny in comparison. She wore a matching outfit.
Too damn cute.

“Hello; welcome to the event. I’m Jill Aragao, and this is Jefferson Whitman. Who do we have here?” Jill asked.

“This is Blossom,” the woman said, patting her dog, who instantly sat by her side when she stopped walking. “My name is Katherine O’Malley, but please call me KJ. I’m a trauma nurse and served in the Marines for twelve years. What you are doing is a wonderful thing. I know what Blossom has done for me.”

Jill could hear her strength as she spoke but hadn’t missed the pain in her eyes. The huge dog may have intimidated her before, but now she sat looking at her owner as though she understood what KJ was talking about. “We really appreciate you and Blossom coming to join us today. I hope you both enjoy all the activities.”

“I’m sure we will,” KJ said and made her way toward the refreshments.

“Sorry, I better keep mingling,” Jill said to Jefferson and gave the pug a scratch behind the ear before heading into the crowd.

As she walked and greeted her guests, more of them handed her checks. This was turning out better than she planned.
What do you have to say now, Donna?
Everyone appeared to be enjoying themselves, except for one. There was no changing that.

The trainer, a stocky forty-five-year-old woman, arrived and began her demonstration on some of the obedience skills each therapy dog is taught. Everyone seemed to be paying close attention, some of the owners even taking notes. That is when she saw them: Abby and Lil, both in shorts, were on the opposite side of the crowd, also watching.
They came. Yes!
She searched the crowd to see if their security force had also made an appearance. If they were there, they were not as obvious as before.

Jill was going to make a point to see them once the demonstration was finished, but this time, she would keep her distance. For now, she wanted to find Ross and give him an update.

Somehow asking Ross to help by tossing the ball around for the dogs had been misunderstood as she located him now playing football with the other the guys.
I should’ve known.
It was strange to see Ross relax with his friends in such a casual atmosphere. He looked like a normal man, albeit a really sexy normal man, but his whole body was relaxed, and it was nice to see. However, this meant she was on her own.

As the demonstration ended, she gave Abby a quick wave and made her way over. “This is amazing. I fell in love with the little Shih Tzu she had.” Looking at Lil, Abby continued, “Do you think Dom would notice her on the plane?”

Both women burst out laughing. “I can’t picture Dominic with a fancy lap dog. How about that one?” Lil pointed to the Chinese Shar-Pei.

“I think Judy would get lost in all those wrinkles. Let’s keep looking,” Abby commented. “What about you, Jill; do you have a dog?”

Oh how I wish!
They were all so adorable. “Not now, but there was a Boxer giving me the take-me-home eye. The owner said he does that to everyone, just a big mush. Did your husband come as well?” She hoped he had, as it would show Ross’s mother her list was not as inadequate as she first thought.