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

  He waited a moment, and when she didn’t elaborate, he gestured toward the front of the house.

  “Allow me to drive you home, then,” he said.

  “What about my car? It’s still in the parking garage at work.”

  “Let me worry about that. I’ll have my driver pick you up tomorrow, and your car will be perfectly safe.”

  She hesitated, and he wondered if she’d argue with him about it, but then she shrugged and followed him back out to his car.

  She opened her door and got in as Jay once again slid into the driver’s seat. The lights from his car cast the grounds in a white light as they made their way back out onto the road and down the highway. They rode in comfortable silence, holding hands across the center console, and Jay found it deeply satisfying to be able to be quiet and share a space with someone, all while feeling content in the absence of sound or conversation.

  He pulled up to her apartment and put on the brakes.

  “Thank you,” she said. “That was a wonderful experience that I’ll never forget.”

  “I certainly hope so,” he said. “I won’t forget the first time I was conned into line dancing either, so that’s a win for both of us.”

  She swatted his shoulder playfully.

  “You liked it. Admit it!”

  “I will admit to nothing, save that I enjoyed spending the evening with you, and I look forward to seeing you again in a few days.”

  “And meeting Zoe,” she said.

  “Especially that,” he said, and he meant it.

  He did look forward to meeting Marianne’s daughter, and he hoped that he could find a way to get her to like him…somehow.

  Marianne leaned over and kissed him, then, and he forgot about everything else as he reached up and cradled her chin in the palm of his hand.

  When Marianne pulled back, her eyes were gleaming, and he secretly loved that he was the reason.

  “Until this weekend, then,” she said.

  “Can’t wait,” he said.

  She stepped out of the car and he watched her all the way to the door. Once she stepped inside, he pulled away from the curb, whistling as he drove home.

  His relationship with Marianne just kept getting better and better.

  Chapter 21

  Jay

  Jay cracked open an eyelid as his alarm went off, signaling the beginning of a new day. He blinked the sleep from his eyes, his vision clearing as he realized that he’d had a decent night of sleep.

  Strange.

  He then realized that it was Saturday, and that he would be meeting with Marianne and Zoe in a couple of hours, and his mood boosted instantly.

  He tossed the blankets aside and reached for his clothing drawer, opening it up and making quick work of changing into his running shirt and shorts. As he slid into his running shoes, his thoughts drifted to Marianne and their night together.

  She’d never struck him as the mechanical bull-riding type.

  There was so much about her that he didn’t know, that he wanted to explore. Who was she before she became the provider, a mother surviving for her daughter’s sake?

  Jay slid a pair of headphones into his ears and blasted his favorite running playlist as he stretched on the way out the back door. He made his way to his usual path, picking up a pace that worked well with the beat of the music pulsing in his ears.

  Today was going to be an amazing day.

  He was going to make sure of it. This was his first impression on Zoe, and, consequently, it was a huge impression for Marianne as well. If he didn’t knock this one right out of the park…well.

  That wasn’t going to happen.

  Jay looped around the property as he mentally planned out what he would do in his mind. An idea came to him, and that had him sprinting past his usual pace and making what was probably his best time as he looped the entire property in thirty minutes.

  He noticed Logan as he walked in and nodded to him, not breaking his stride as he headed to his bedroom for a quick shower. He dressed casually in jeans and a T-shirt in preparation for a day of walking around the zoo, sliding into a pair of comfortable walking shoes for the day.

  He glanced at his side table drawer, had a thought, and slid it open. He stared at the jewelry box inside.

  It couldn’t hurt to bring it along, could it? On a whim, he slid the diamond ring into his pocket.

  His phone dinged, but he decided to leave the message alone. Today, Jay was going to spend all his time focusing on Marianne and Zoe, and leave work where it belonged—back at the office.

  He hummed a little tune as he bid a farewell to Logan and picked out a yellow sports car for his drive into town. His music transferred from his phone to his speaker system as he pulled out from the mansion and slid onto the highway, and after a while, he realized that he was actually singing.

  His phone beeped again, and it took everything in him not to look at the message, but he’d made a promise to himself, and he was going to try to keep it.

  Jay pulled up next to a jewelry shop and stepped inside. The interior was lined with glass cases that were filled with sparkling diamonds and precious gems. A blond woman walked in from out back and smiled at him.

  “Jay. It’s been quite some time since we’ve had you in here,” she said.

  He nodded to her, familiar with her face, if not her name.

  “Yes. I haven’t had a reason, until now.”

  “What are you looking for today?” she asked.

  “Something a little out of the ordinary for me,” he said.

  She lifted a curious brow as he perused the collection.

  “I’m looking for something that would be suitable for a little girl. She’s six, to be precise.”

  The woman’s other brow joined the first as she gaped at him in surprise, then quickly composed herself.

  “That certainly is different from any other purchase you’ve made. Let me think,” she said, tapping her long, manicured nail against her lower lip.

  She surveyed the store for a moment before she waved him over to a corner display.

  He joined her there and watched as she pulled out a series of tiny rings.

  “These are particularly for children. The sapphires are popular with little girls, as are the rubies,” she said, gesturing toward the display she’d pulled out.

  Jay considered them a moment, then shook his head.

  “They’re lovely, but I don’t know her ring size,” he said.

  The woman nodded, already another step ahead.

  “Understood. You know, we just got a new series in as part of our wildlife conservation project. Come over here,” she said, walking toward another section of the store.

  Jay followed, and when he glanced down, he knew he was in the right area.

  The display was made entirely of animal necklaces and earrings, and the woman pulled out a series of necklaces that were shaped like animals.

  “These are made from a variety of diamonds or gemstones. You could go for the flamingo, which is made entirely of pink diamonds,” she said.

  Jay considered the lot, then his gaze landed on the perfect choice.

  “That one,” he said, pointing to a panda shaped necklace.

  The woman nodded in approval.

  “Perfect choice. This is made of black and white diamonds, and the panda would make a perfect addition to any little girl’s collection.”

  “I hope so,” he said.

  “Would you like it wrapped?” she asked.

  He shook his head.

  “That’s all right. I’ll just keep it in my pocket. You can charge my account and I’ll have someone get back to you.”

  “Very good. I hope it’s a big hit,” she said.

  In that moment, Jay’s phone rang.

  He was annoyed at this point. Here he was, trying to have a normal weekend day like a normal human being, and his phone was off the hook. He nodded to the saleswoman in farewell and then looked at his phone as he stepped out the doo
r, sliding Zoe’s necklace into his pocket.

  It was his lawyer.

  He slid across his phone screen to answer the call as he stopped cold.

  “You’re calling me on a Saturday,” Jay said.

  “Finally,” Grant breathed. “Did you not get my text messages?”

  “I’m trying to have a normal day,” Jay said.

  “Well stop trying, because today is going to be anything but normal. The investigation is finished. We have the information we need. How soon can you get to the office?”

  Jay stared out at the street as he realized that a 5k race had closed off both roads on either side of him. He was going to have to run for it.

  “I can be there in ten minutes,” he said.

  “Good. I’m in your office.”

  Jay didn’t bother ending the call with pleasantries. He slid the phone into his back pocket and then started running, his muscles already warm from his morning jog. He bolted past tourists and folks out for a morning stroll, doing his best not to collide with anyone.

  Nothing could delay him from getting this news.

  He reached the corner of his office building, and when he ran inside, he headed straight up the stairs, unwilling to wait for an elevator. He was buzzing with the desperate need to know what his lawyer had to say. When he reached the fiftieth floor, he finally stopped to catch his breath.

  After a moment, he stepped into the office, which was empty, being the weekend and all, and strode right to his office where Grant sat, the door open behind him.

  Jay walked in and closed the door, his whole body hot from the run and from the anticipation of finally getting information he’d been dying to hear for what felt like eternity. He didn’t bother to sit. Instead, he stared at Grant with wild eyes as the man stared up at him in stunned surprise.

  “Did you…run here?” Grant asked.

  Jay nodded.

  “Road race…blocked…my car…” he huffed.

  Grant considered him another moment and then nodded, sliding a pile of papers onto his desk.

  “You might want to sit down and take a read,” Grant said.

  “What do they say?” Jay asked.

  Grant stared up at him a moment, and then he inhaled and released the breath.

  “The retirement fund loss wasn’t your fault. One of the private equity firms you deal with mishandled the money in one of their investments, and that spiraled until the entirety of the funds were lost. The whole report is right here, but you’re absolved, Jay.”

  He thought he’d feel more relief, hearing those words. Instead, he just realized how much more there was to know, how much more there was to do.

  “We need to recompense those people,” Jay said.

  Grant nodded, pulling out another pile of papers.

  “Yes, we do. I’ve worked out an agreement that I believe they will have no choice but to sign, given the results of this investigation. I think it’s more than fair, given what these people have gone through.”

  Jay finally sat, then, and flipped open the manila folder to read through the documentation. Grant had been thorough in his deliberate use of speech and the calculations for what compensation would entail. Together, they worked out the details as Jay fought back strong emotions.

  He was acquitted of all blame for this entire fiasco.

  He was going to get a chance to make it up to Marianne and show her the kind of man he truly was. There could be no doubt in her mind that he…

  Jay froze mid-thought.

  “What time is it?” he asked.

  Grant glanced down at his watch.

  “Just a little past noon.”

  Jay cursed and pulled out his phone. They were in so deep and there was so much he needed to do. The last thing he wanted to do was let Marianne down, but he hoped that she would understand. He tapped out a quick text, the most he could think of in the chaos of the moment, and hit the send button, hoping she wouldn’t be too disappointed.

  He would make it up to her. He had to.

  “Okay, now where were we?” he asked.

  Grant continued to pore over the paperwork with him. Once they were done, Jay sat back in his seat and stared out into space.

  “It’s over,” he breathed.

  Grant leaned over the desk and gripped Jay’s shoulder with a grin.

  “You bet it is. There will be a process to get through all of this, but I think we’re going to come out relatively unscathed.”

  Jay considered that.

  “We should go to the press. Right now,” he said.

  Grant thought for a moment, then nodded, opening up his laptop as he worked out a statement that he could send to the local papers. Together, they collaborated on how to best express what had happened, and hopefully bring comfort to all those who had struggled for so long.

  “That should cover the basics. It’s short and to the point, which they’ll like,” Grant said.

  In that moment, a thought occurred to Jay.

  He didn’t need a green card marriage anymore, that much was true. Or, at least, it would be if he could act in time.

  “Can you wait to go to press on this? There’s something I have to do.”

  “Sure,” Grant said. “It’s your news to share.”

  Jay patted his friend on the shoulder as he stood, ready to run to his next location.

  If he could secure the one thing he needed, he would have the perfect way to make it up to Marianne.

  He just hoped it would work.

  Jay left Grant in his office and once again made quick work of plummeting down the stairs until he reached the lobby. For so many months, it had been the only way to calm his frustration. Now, it was his only way to contain his excitement.

  Jay had a big plan, and he hoped he could execute it in time.

  He pulled out his phone and opened the phone contact for the city mayor.

  “This is Bill.”

  Jay continued to walk at a quick pace as he crossed the street and headed through Benson Park.

  “Mayor Jameson, I was hoping I might be able to trouble you on this Saturday with something pressing,” Jay said.

  “Jay Parish, is that you?” Bill asked.

  “Yes,” Jay said.

  “You sound like you’re in the middle of a marathon,” Bill said.

  Jay reached the other end of the park and crossed one more street until he stood at the gate just outside the mayoral mansion.

  “I kind of am. Would you be willing to meet with me about something that involves sensitive information?”

  “That’s pretty much every day for me. What can I do for you?” Bill said.

  “You can open your front gate.”

  There was a silence on the other end of the line, and then Bill laughed.

  “I don’t know what this is about, but you should clean yourself up, Jay. I’ll have the front doorman buzz you in.”

  “Thanks,” Jay said.

  He didn’t care what he looked like. He needed something from the mayor, something that no one else could help him get, and he needed it by the end of the day.

  It was going to involve pulling some strings, but Jay was a man on a mission. He had a plan, and he was going to see it through.

  The doors buzzed as he was granted entry to the front door of the house, where Mayor Jameson personally answered.

  “Now, I’m just curious,” the mayor said, his brows raised as he took in the bedraggled form of the usually well-put-together Jay Parish.

  “Can I come in?” Jay asked.

  The mayor stood aside and Jay brushed past him and into the historic manor home. Bill gestured toward a room.

  “Would you like some water? You know what? I’m not even going to ask. Marge, can we get this man a glass of water?”

  The assistant nodded and left the room.

  Jay waited a moment, catching his breath, until she returned with the water. Once she did, he waited for her to leave. After a weighted pause, she nodded, understanding his
silent request for privacy, and stepped out of the room, closing the door behind her.

  “Now, what is it that has you in such a tizzy?” the mayor asked.

  Jay stared at him, hoping against hope that this would work.

  “It’s kind of a long story, but here it goes.”

  And Jay began putting his plan into action.

  Chapter 22

  Marianne

  Marianne shifted from one foot to the other as she stood at the entrance to the Brunswood Zoo. She cast her gaze all around them as families and couples and all varieties of visitors passed them by, purchasing tickets for entry.

  “Mama, I want to go see the giraffes!” Zoe said.

  Marianne glanced down as Zoe stared longingly at the black gates that served as the barrier to entry. Once again, she craned her neck to see if she could catch sight of a tall, handsome blond gentleman.

  Just the man she’d fallen in love with. No big deal.

  It had taken her a little while to fully realize what her feelings for Jay really were. After so many nights of dreaming about being wrapped in the circle of his arms, she had come to the conclusion once he’d dropped her back home after their horse-riding excursion.

  All Marianne could imagine at the time was the beautiful wedding they could have right there on that lawn. Since it was her imagination, she pictured her mother there, smiling and happy for her. She could just see Zoe in her little flower girl dress, and at the end of the aisle…

  Him.

  Where was he?

  “Mama, how much longer do we have to wait? I’m excited to meet your friend!”

  Marianne had chosen her words carefully when she’d approached Zoe with the idea of meeting Jay. She had told her daughter that she would like Zoe to meet the man she’d been going out with, and Zoe had jumped at the opportunity.

  “I can’t wait!” she squealed.

  “I know honey, I know,” Marianne said, her voice distant as she continued her search.

  Her phone buzzed in her pocket, signaling a text. Marianne’s heart fluttered as she reached into her purse and pulled out her phone to check the screen.

  Can’t make it. So sorry. Will explain later.