My Grumpy Cowboy Boss

My Grumpy Cowboy Boss A Billionaire Stuck Together Sweet Romance Desiree Hammond Ollie Boy Publishing Copyright My Grumpy Cowboy Boss This is a work of fiction. Any reference to historical events, real people, or real places is used fictitiously. Names, characters, places, and incidents are the product of the author’s imagination, and any resemblance to actual persons, living or dead, is entirely coincidental. Copyright © 2023 by Desiree Hammond All rights reserved. No part of this book may be reproduced in any form or by electronic or mechanical means, including information storage and retrieval systems, without written permission from the author, except for the use of brief quotations in a book review. If you have questions and need to contact the author, please message [email protected]. Dedication To my girls. May you always have the courage to try new things, the imagination to not see limits to your potential, and the stamina to never give up. Contents 1. Chapter One 2. Chapter Two 3. Chapter Three 4. Chapter Four 5. Chapter Five 6. Chapter Six 7. Chapter Seven 8. Chapter Eight 9. Chapter Nine 10. Chapter Ten 11. Chapter Eleven 12. Chapter Twelve 13. Chapter Thirteen 14. Chapter Fourteen 15. Chapter Fifteen 16. Chapter Sixteen 17. Chapter Seventeen 18. Chapter Eighteen 19. Chapter Nineteen 20. Chapter Twenty 21. Chapter Twenty One 22. Chapter Twenty Two 23. Chapter Twenty Three 24. Chapter Twenty Four 25. Chapter Twenty Five 26. Chapter Twenty Six 27. Chapter Twenty Seven 28. Chapter Twenty Eight 29. Chapter Twenty Nine 30. Chapter Thirty Epilogue A Note from Desiree Acknowledgments What's Next? About the Author Chapter One Avery “A re you heading home?” I smile as I pass the security guard. “I am. Can you believe it? I can’t remember the last time I left while it was still daylight.” “That fiance of yours isn’t going to know what to do.” He grins. “Have a good night, Avery.” I slide into the driver’s seat and consider calling Nick to let him know I’m on my way home. Instead, I decided to surprise him with our favorite Chinese take-out. Half an hour later, I pull into the parking lot for our building and head upstairs. I can’t believe that in just a few short weeks, I’ll be Mrs. Nick Martino. It has been a long road to get here. As I unlock the door, I realize instantly that something’s not right. The apartment is too quiet. I expect him to be watching a movie or gaming with friends. I put my keys on the wooden table beside the door, set the food on the kitchen counter, and head to the living room. I’m halfway there when a sickening feeling punches me in the gut as I hear giggling from the other room. He’s in there with someone, and since I’m out here, that someone isn’t me. My mind flashes back to six months ago, the first time I caught him with another woman. Not just any woman, but one of my best friends, Sheila. He’d sworn then that he would never cheat again as long as I agreed to marry him. It wasn’t the most romantic proposal ever, but we’d been together since our freshman year of high school. I wasn’t sure who I even was without him, so I forgave him and accepted. But, as I round the corner I see Nick making out on the sectional with someone. I clear my throat, and they jump back, looking shocked to find me in my own apartment. She jumps up and squeals like a rat caught in a trap; then scurries into the other room and closes MY bedroom door. I push the door open it ricochets off the wall and bounces back toward me. As I step into it, taking the hit with my backside she is trying to hide behind the quilt my grandmother gave me before she passed away. Nick pushes past me to check on the woman and attempts to console her. “Avery? What are you doing here?” Nick says looking like a deer in headlights. A stupid, no-good cheating deer in headlights! I want to say so many bad words right now, but the betrayal is overwhelming. “Are you kidding? What am I doing here? Here in my own apartment, here?” I point at Sheila, who has now pulled the quilt down from her face – the same Sheila he had been with the first time. “You said this would NEVER ever happen again! You promised!” I yell. He shakes his head, “I just needed to make sure.” “To make sure? To make sure of what; that I am still a fool? We were supposed to get married in three weeks.” “And we still will. We will be married for the rest of our lives. This one little blip in time shouldn’t really matter.” “One little blip in time? Is that what we’re calling this? I guess the first blip didn’t matter?” I look over at Sheila and she looks angry. I guess being called a “blip” isn’t sitting right with her. Oh. Well. Not my problem. My blood is boiling. He’s lucky I don’t have anything to throw at him. I stare at my so-called friend as she pulls the quilt back up to cover her face. I walk over and grab it. “This is mine.” I wad it up and throw it into to hall. I’m not sure I will ever use it again, but there’s no way I’m leaving it here with Nick and the Blip. “Avery. Can we talk about this?” Nick groans. “Not right now, we can’t. I am done,” I reply, trying to hold it together as I quickly pack a few of my things. Fifteen minutes later, I’m back in the parking lot, tossing things in my backseat including the takeout that I don’t think I will be able to eat. I’m certain I look like a crazy person. I know I feel like one. Starting the car,