The Billionaire's Convenient Bride (Billionaire Cowboys Book 3) Read online

  “Is everything okay?” Jay asked.

  “Yes, of course. I just wanted to say that whatever you’re doing…well, it’s nice to see you happier, sir.”

  Jay stared at him for a moment, and then laughed. It was a loud, jovial sound.

  “Yes, well. Must be that new protein shake I’ve started drinking,” Jay said.

  He knew, of course, what the answer should have been. He should be spreading the word far and wide about him and Marianne. There was a chance they would be getting married in the not-too-distant future.

  Dear lord, to be married to Marianne!

  They might even have a shot at a truly love-filled marriage, which he couldn’t have fathomed when they’d started this whole arrangement. Jay thought about his parents, and how deeply they had loved one another.

  He would give anything to have that connection with another person.

  “Well, whatever it is, it’s nice to have you back,” Jeff said.

  He nodded, seemingly content with saying his piece, and Jay watched with mild amusement as his assistant departed, leaving him to his own devices.

  Jay wondered how things were going on the fourth floor.

  He’d been tempted so many times to go down there. To find Marianne and sneak her into the stairwell and kiss her beyond reason. He held back, primarily because he didn’t want to overwhelm her. If it were up to him, they’d be spending every day together, but he reminded himself often that she had a family to look after.

  She had a life that he was not really a part of…at least, not yet.

  An urge pulled at him, and this time, he couldn’t resist. Chances were that she’d have left the office, anyway, so what could it hurt to pop down and check? He could always text her later to let her know that he’d stopped by, that he was sorry he missed her, and that he couldn’t wait for their family zoo outing that weekend.

  Jay stood, leaving his chair askew as he headed toward the stairwell. He felt restless, and tackling fifty stories of stairs would be just the thing to work that out of his system. Jay opened the stairwell door and plummeted down in his usual way, counting the floors as he went. When he reached the fourth floor, he stopped and worked to catch his breath.

  After a moment, he was good to go. He opened the stairwell door and, to his surprise, he saw Marianne there at her desk, her gaze intent upon her computer. She was so focused that even as he approached, she continued to type away, her green-eyed gaze glued to the screen.

  “You know, they say you should take screen breaks every hour or so,” Jay said, leaning his elbows on the desk.

  She looked up at him, her eyelashes a flurry of movement as she took him in.

  “Yes, I’ve heard that. It’s just, today, we got a little slammed…”

  “Yes, I know,” he said. “I’ve been going over the reports upstairs myself.”

  She wiped at her eyes and gazed up at him. There was something off in her stare…some kind of sadness behind her eyes. His brows narrowed as he took her in.

  “Is everything all right?” he asked.

  She glanced down, then began to shuffle some papers. She cleared her throat before she answered.

  “Yes, of course. I’m very much looking forward to this weekend,” she said, her tone professional.

  No. It was something else. She was hiding something from him, and he wanted to know what it was.

  But how to get her to trust him enough to share?

  “What are you up to tonight? Family stuff?” he asked.

  “Actually, no,” she said, piling some of the papers from her desk into her work bag. “Tuesday nights, Zoe stays at my mom’s house.”

  “You don’t say,” Jay said, his tone laced with suggestion.

  When she looked back up at him, she considered him for a moment before answering.

  “Yes. On Tuesdays, I started working at the local food pantry. I’ve been doing it for several months, now.”

  It was hardly the romantic thing that Jay had in mind, but his body ached to be near her. He stood and glanced out the windows.

  “I imagine they wouldn’t miss you for a night,” he said.

  Her eyes narrowed.

  Definitely not the right thing to say.

  “I will not turn my back on my work. I promised that I would be there to serve food, and so I will be.”

  They stared at one another, something unspoken developing a chasm that Jay couldn’t figure out how to overcome.

  “Would you like to come?” she asked.

  The words came out rushed, as though she had to work up the courage to ask. Wearing a hairnet and serving soup wasn’t exactly Jay’s idea of a date night out, but if it meant getting to enjoy Marianne’s company, he was on board.

  “Sure,” he said.

  She nodded, though she continued to avoid his gaze. When she stepped out from behind her desk and headed toward the stairwell, he placed a gentle hand against her wrist, stopping her.

  “Is something wrong?” he asked.

  She paused, and in her silence, he knew that he was right. What was off with her today? Why was she acting so strange?

  “I just don’t want to be late,” she said. “I don’t want to hold up the line.”

  “All right,” he said. “Come on.”

  Marianne led the way down the stairs, opening the door to the lobby and walking out onto the sidewalk.

  “It’s just a few blocks away,” she said. “We can walk.”

  “Is it okay if I walk next to you?” he asked.

  She was speed walking, almost as if she were trying to run away from him, even though it was she who’d invited him out.

  “Of course it is,” she said, her tone prim. “I think this will be good for you. My mother says that it’s important to judge a man by his actions, more than his words.”

  “What is that supposed to mean?” he asked.

  She didn’t answer. Instead, she turned and then pointed up a narrow street.

  “This is the place,” she said.

  She picked up the pace enough that Jay had to lengthen his stride to keep up with her. Before he could say anything else, she opened the door to the food pantry, and Jay was rendered speechless.

  Long tables were filled with people of all ages, from the elderly to young men and women and even children. Jay glanced around, and something in him snapped. A sense of panic rose to his chest as he fought for composure.

  “Hey, Shannon,” Marianne said.

  She walked over to a long counter, where hot plates filled with warm food were being placed. A middle-aged woman with blond hair glanced up and waved.

  “Hi, Marianne! Good to see you.”

  “I’ve brought a friend,” Marianne said, gesturing at Jay, who stood frozen in front of the door.

  When she glanced back at him, there was a challenge in her eyes. Would he be the spoiled rich boy she’d originally taken him for, or would he be willing to get into the trenches and help?

  Jay inhaled and took a few more steps inside, until he was next to Marianne. He reached down and gripped her hand.

  She had no idea what she had triggered.

  “Welcome, Marianne’s friend!” Shannon said, jovial. “We can always use help in the kitchen. Come on back.”

  Marianne led the way behind the counter, and Jay silently followed. She pulled out two hair nets and held one out to him.

  “Here you go. Can’t contaminate the food. Let’s wash our hands, too,” she said.

  Jay plucked the hairnet from her hand and considered it for a moment, then slid it over his short blond hair. They washed their hands at a large silver basin sink, and then Shannon guided them over to two stations along the line.

  “You get to be on steamed carrot duty,” Shannon told him.

  “Okay,” he said, feeling completely out of his element.

  Once all the workers were at their stations, Shannon addressed the room.

  “Thank you all for joining us tonight for dinner! We will be having turkey, ma
shed potatoes, steamed carrots, and a beautiful chocolate cake for dessert. Let’s please line up one table at a time.”

  The folks at the table closest to Jay shot up and rushed to line up, and from that moment on, everything was a complete frenzy. He grabbed his serving spoon and started scooping as each person made their way down the line.

  “Thank you,” a woman said, her eyes lowered.

  “You’re most welcome,” Jay said, his heart squeezing.

  A pair of older men were next, and one of them peered at Jay with narrowed eyes.

  “Son, I’m really sorry to say this, but you have the same coloring as that Jay Parish fellow,”

  Jay kept his face perfectly neutral as he looked up at the man.

  “You think so?”

  His friend nodded.

  “From the papers, sure. Though he always seems to find a way to avoid getting a picture straight-on. Probably because he’s a crook.”

  The back of Jay’s neck prickled.

  “You think he’s pretty bad, huh?” he asked.

  His question garnered more suspicion from both men, but after a moment, they relaxed.

  After all, who would ever think that Jay Parish could be found serving the poor, selfish monster that he was?

  “He’s sitting on a pile of money while we’re forced to eat here, isn’t he?” the first man said. “I’d give anything to give that man a piece of my mind. After all we did for his company, for him to just stiff us like that…”

  They both shook their heads.

  “Ahem!”

  A young man standing behind them gestured ahead, where the line was clearly being held up. The two old men nodded to Jay.

  “Well bless you anyway, sir. Enjoy your evening.”

  And with that, they moved forward, leaving Jay stunned and hollow.

  He continued to scoop the carrots, providing a good heap for every person that passed him by. His arm was sore by the time the last person went through, and he stood back and watched as the whole room was filled with conversation, laughter, and a generally amiable atmosphere.

  In spite of all their worries and all their troubles, a good meal and good conversation could be had among this group of people.

  “Are you all right?” Marianne asked.

  She walked up and stood next to him, and together they gazed out at the sea of people, seeking a moment of peace in a turbulent world.

  “Why did you bring me here?” he asked, his voice hushed.

  “Because I wanted you to see firsthand what I see. You can sit at as many fancy dinners as you want. You can fund science and reach toward lofty goals. But the need is here, right down the block from your ivory tower. I wanted you to see that.”

  He gazed down at her, confused. On one hand, he was angry. She had no right to drag him in here to serve him up to the people he had wronged.

  On the other hand, and the voice was much quieter in his head, he knew that she was absolutely right.

  “Come on,” she said, reaching for his hand.

  She walked him over to a table in the middle, where there was enough room for two more to sit. An older woman waved at Marianne, and she took a seat on the hard bench across from her, Jay sliding in at her side.

  “Marianne! It’s always such a treat to see how much you’ve grown. You know, you used to run around the halls of Brunscorp when you were a little girl, and you’d have us in stitches laughing with your little songs.”

  “Kids were allowed in the workplace, then?” Jay asked.

  The woman glanced over at him, giving him the same narrow-eyed stare the other two men did.

  “Hey, has anyone ever told you that you are the spitting image of…”

  “Jay Parish,” he said. “I know. My name is Sam.”

  He reached across the table, and the woman shook his hand, still a little wary of him.

  “It really is uncanny. The man came to our floor to give a speech not too long ago—of course, my retirement was fairly recent. Who knew I’d have it all swept away, huh? Life is funny like that.”

  Funny was not the word that Jay would have chosen.

  “I hear that the investigating team should have an answer any day now. Then, everyone can get compensated and go back to normal.”

  The woman scoffed.

  “You must be wearing some rose-colored glasses, Sam,” she said. “In the real world, the rich take what they want and leave nothing in their wake. That’s the way it’s always been, and the way it will always be.”

  “That’s not true,” he said, a little too passionately.

  The woman cast him a curious glance, and Marianne placed a hand on his arm.

  “Sam and I have to get going, but it was lovely to see you, Nora.”

  She stood, and it took everything Jay had to stand with her. He was dazed and angry and confused…and he had no idea where exactly he could attribute those emotions.

  “So long,” Nora said, turning back to her food.

  Marianne pulled off her hairnet, then reached up and slid Jay’s off as well.

  “You ready to go?” she asked.

  “Yes,” he said, absently.

  He was ready for a lot of things. First things first, he needed to get out of that kitchen and collect his thoughts.

  Chapter 18

  Marianne

  Was that guilt?

  Marianne couldn’t tell. Obviously, Jay was deeply impacted by the experience she’d just put him through, but another part of her, perhaps a little more heartless, didn’t fully care.

  He needed to see what he had done.

  Right?

  Marianne was torn in two over her feelings for Jay. Her mother’s words had been pounding against the back of her brain ever since she’d left her house on Saturday. While Jay had proven himself to be caring and considerate, in the greater scheme of things, Marianne couldn’t really be sure that his motives were entirely pure.

  He was getting something out of the marriage. She wanted to know what he would do when there was nothing to gain. Even a charity gala involved a certain level of flattery, of self-congratulation over one’s ability to be so generous over a fancy piece of steak.

  No. Marianne wanted him to come face-to-face with the reality. She wanted him to see what she saw, so that if the time came and he met her mother, he would understand her anger.

  “Why did you do that?” he asked, his voice whisper soft.

  Her resolve wobbled.

  “Do what? I told you I was going to the food pantry, and you agreed to come along. I already told you why.”

  They were standing in the alley out front, Jay’s eyes wide and haunted as he stared at the brick wall across the narrow road. Then, all of a sudden, he started walking at a brisk pace toward the main road.

  Marianne blinked, then had to jog to keep up.

  “What’s the matter?” she asked.

  His gaze was hard when he cast her a sideways glance.

  “How can you even ask that?” he said. “You know what I’ve been through.”

  Marianne frowned, trying to piece together his mood. It certainly wasn’t easy.

  “What you’ve been through? I’m sorry, are you making yourself the victim here?”

  Her whirled and faced her then, stopping dead in his tracks. She nearly crashed into him, but managed to find her balance in time.

  “I told you how agonized I am over this. I told you how little I could do to prevent it.”

  “And I think that’s an excuse,” she countered. “I thought you might be able to find an avenue to make this right once you saw the faces of the very people you have harmed.”

  “I haven’t harmed them!” he said. “I gave them jobs! I provided a full retirement plan! None of this is my fault. I’m the one trying to push forward the investigation so that this can be resolved. They’ve threatened me with legal action if I push any harder to speed up the process.”

  Marianne stared at him, her mouth agape. She’d never seen him like this—his hair
was in complete disarray from the hair net. His eyes were wild, and his gaze darted around the alley as if he were a caged animal desperate for an escape.

  When his gaze finally landed on her, Marianne shivered.

  His eyes were like ice. Hard, cold, frozen ice.

  “Come with me,” he said.

  “Where?” she asked.

  “I need to show you something.”

  His gaze softened then, and he held out his hand to her.

  “Please,” he said.

  She looked down at his open palm, then back up at his face, which was a mask of despair. How could she turn him down, when he was clearly in agony? She ignored her mother’s protesting voice in the back of her mind, where it usually lived, and placed her hand in his. His grip was firm as he led the way a few blocks back toward the office, turning into the parking garage.

  When they reached a black sports car, he pulled a set of keys from his pocket and pressed the button to unlock the car. Marianne jumped into the passenger side as he slid into the driver’s seat, revving the engine and tearing out of the garage like some kind of speed racer.

  “I’m a big advocate of safe driving,” Marianne said, gripping her seat.

  He glanced at the speedometer and slowed down, casting her an apologetic glance.

  “I’m sorry,” he mumbled.

  Marianne gazed out at the glowing streetlights. Jay pulled onto the highway, and she wondered if she should ask where they were headed. She had absolutely no idea what he was planning on showing her, but deep down, she hoped that whatever it was, it would be enough to quell her doubts about him.

  Her mother was a good judge of character. The last time Marianne didn’t listen to her, she’d been left pregnant and alone. If she listened this time, she could avoid getting her heart broken a second time.

  On the other hand, all her mother knew was Jay’s reputation. She suffered because of his company’s mistake. If she knew him a little better…met him, even…

  Jay turned off the highway and pulled into a forested drive that Marianne had barely noticed. When he reached a gate, he stopped to key in a code, then sped inside the grounds.