Читать книгу A Date With A Billionaire - Julianna Morris, Julianna Morris - Страница 9

“You’ve just won a date with a billionaire, Miss Cox,” said the cheery voice on the phone.

Beth blinked and took a long look at the receiver, before putting it back to her ear. “Excuse me?”

“We’re KLMS, the radio station for Your Country Music. And you’ve just won a weekend in romantic Victoria, British Columbia, with Kane O’Rourke, Seattle’s most eligible bachelor!”

Stunned, Beth started to sit on a chair, missed it entirely and landed on the floor. “Ouch,” she yelped.

“Are you all right, Miss Cox?”

“I just fell…on the floor.”

A cheerful chuckle came over the line. “Hear that, folks? We should have told our prize winner to sit down first. Can you believe you just won, Miss Cox?”

“No. I…no.”

“She’s speechless, folks. Well, practically.” The man chuckled again, apparently thinking he’d cracked a great joke.

“Uh, am I on the air?” Beth asked cautiously.

“Yes, ma’am. We just drew your name from the prize barrel.”

Beth wasn’t certain luck had anything to do with it, and she was even more certain she’d never entered the contest. She knew about it, of course. Half the town worked for Kane O’Rourke; he was one of Crockett, Washington’s most prominent employers. And he was sinfully attractive. The contest was the only thing people had talked about since it was announced on the radio station.

“Do you have anything to say to our audience, Miss Cox? We’re waiting to hear how you feel about your exciting prize.”

“I think I’m…” She peered through her open door and saw her neighbor run up the walkway, waving a radio in the air.

“Oh, my God, you won,” Carol shrieked as she darted inside the house. She snatched the receiver from Beth. “Hello? I’m Carol Hoit, one of Beth’s best friends.”

While Carol chattered away, Beth tried to sort things out in her head. Carol must have entered her in the contest. Two weeks before her neighbor had bemoaned the fact she couldn’t qualify—being married—and had urged Beth to enter herself.

Lord…Beth rubbed her throbbing temples. She didn’t want to go out with anyone. She’d lost her fiancé in an accident several years before, and if her heart wasn’t exactly buried with him, there was still an empty ache in her chest.

Ignoring the thrilled chatter of her friend, Beth grabbed an old newspaper that had advertised the contest. Kane O’Rourke’s handsome features and level eyes gazed back from a publicity photo. Irish eyes, she thought idly, direct and accustomed to getting what he wanted.

The whole town would think she was crazy, but there was no way she was going on her “prize” date.