King's Ransom (Oil Kings Book 2)

by Marie Johnston

  I tensed. My horse’s brown and white ears flicked, and I loosened my grip on the reins. His words hit too close to home but there was no way he knew why. “Oh?”

  “Bristol Cartwright runs the ranch now, but they got the land because her grandfather tricked my grandfather—Dad’s dad—after a night of drinking. Promises were made, papers were signed.” He made a disgusted sound. “Her dad is even worse than his old man ever was. I think he drinks himself into a stupor most nights, given the way he smelled every time I’ve had the misfortune to come across him in town. He’s run off all his wives.”

  “And Bristol?” I couldn’t help but have empathy toward the unknown woman. Bristol might be just as bad as her family, but with a dad who treated his wives so bad, my experience with drunks at the bar said he probably treated her poorly too. Only, unlike the wives, she’d never known better.

  “She’s a hothead like her old man. She’s a couple years younger than Dawson, and from what I remember, she was always getting into fights and logging more than a few hours in detention. And now she’s in charge because her pops is worthless. But enough about my shitty neighbors. What were you like as a kid?”

  The pasture was wide open and Beckett rode close enough for our knees to touch.

  “Pretty tame.” I’d saved the wild for after graduation. “I worked through high school, so it’s not like I played any sports or anything. Were you and your brothers the apples of the teachers’ eyes or hell on wheels? Because I’ve seen your wheels.”

  He chuckled and that full smile was back. It was becoming a daily occurrence. “Yes to both. Mama did a lot of volunteer work once we were all in school, and Dad liked talking to everybody. We didn’t give the teachers problems and they appreciated it.”

  Had the school’s faculty taken pity on him and his family because of their mom? My school had been too large for anyone to care and I sure hadn’t talked about my heart getting ripped out of my chest and living each day with the feeling that what I had left would all get yanked away from me too. So I’d taken from others. The thrill of feeling alive. I should’ve gotten that out of my system in high school instead of working.

  I planted my gaze on the grasses in front of me. The mooing of cattle ricocheted around me. One would moo and another would answer. The light breeze was cool enough to warrant the spring jacket I’d packed, and the whole outdoor package came together to calm me.

  “I got the rundown on Dad.” Beckett’s smile had faded and he was staring straight ahead, like I had been. The only sound besides the cows was the crunch of the dried grasses beneath the horses’ hooves.

  “Does he make a good patient? You’ve said a few things that made it sound like he was a workaholic when he wasn’t screwing around.”

  “His job is stressful anyway. Then he has Grams to deal with. With both Kendall and Aiden sitting on top of him, he’ll be a good patient.” Beckett fell quiet but I got the sense he wasn’t done. “I don’t know what he’s going to tell everyone, but I doubt he’ll confess to a heart attack. He’ll want to protect his privacy as much as possible in a small town and, therefore, protect the company.” He squinted into the fading sun and wispy clouds. “Hey, I have something for you.”

  A spike of excitement hit me, but I squashed it. We’d only kissed. It wasn’t like he was going to come bearing gifts.

  But when was the last time I’d gotten a gift? It’d been two years at least. Before Adam had sunk into his depression.

  He reached into his pocket and pulled out a velvet bag. “I told them to keep the box. It was too bulky. I know it’s just for pretend, but I hope you like it.”

  He dumped a sparkling gold and diamond ring into his palm and handed it to me. My gaze was stuck on his hand.

  A ring. We were going to look legit engaged.

  He lifted a shoulder. “I know it’s not very romantic, but there’s no manual for how to fake propose to the girl you actually want to start dating.”

  His words drained the awkwardness out of the situation…until I slipped the ring on. Its band was warm from being in his pocket and the way it glittered… I frowned. “Is this real?”

  “Why wouldn’t it be?”

  I stared at him, thankful my horse followed his horse’s pace. A simple square-cut diamond sat on the band, but its clarity and shine was no cubic zirconia. “I’m sure those manuals wouldn’t recommend buying a real diamond for a fake proposal.”

  “I wanted it to be believable.”

  It was the first time I suspected he wasn’t being completely honest. Was he too proud to buy a fake rock? Beckett seemed so grounded in who he was, but then he did run in a circle of people who could sniff out imitations.

  “We should head back before it gets too dark.” He showed me how to turn Fool’s Gold around.

  On the way to the barn, the horses kicked up the pace and Beckett chatted about his dad’s treatment plan and how Dawson wanted the next few days to go down.

  “The herds in the farthest pastures will get rounded up and brought closer to the house. Some will go in this pasture, actually. And we’ll use the horses and four-wheelers.”

  It’d be cool to see but I didn’t dare ask to spectate. I would end up under hooves or in the way of an ATV. “Leave me a list of what you’d like me to do beyond the usual.”

  His penetrating gaze hit me, warming me against the bite of the wind better than my thin jacket. “You don’t have to work, you know. Most things are still on autopilot.”

  I slanted my gaze toward him. “Most things are being done by your online assistants, you mean.”

  “You’re still in your first weeks.”

  “I had a lovely conversation with David Kim about the concept behind The Bubble Game. His firstborn is due next month and I’ve already made a note to send a card. This afternoon, I asked DeShawn Gorman how the weather was where he lived and long story short, I’m invited down to Georgia next month for the launch party of his workout app.”

  “He didn’t invite me.”

  Fool’s Gold huffed at Beckett’s horse, kind of like I wanted to. “My point is that I spend more time chatting up your clients than I do actual work.”

  “That’s still important. Wilma was the personal touch in the business, not me.”

  I shot him a wry grin. “You don’t say.”

  He shook his head and chuckled. “Only she lacked the sarcasm.”

  The ride home finished quickly. Beckett took my reins and led Fool’s Gold to the barn. When they stopped, I swung my leg over the horse’s broad back and slid down. I followed Beckett’s lead, taking the tack off. The smell of horse sweat surrounded me, but it wasn’t unpleasant. It was better than many odors I’d come across in the city.

  The whole process of storing gear and brushing horses was new and interesting, and after the short ride, I could see why vacation dude ranches were a thing. Not that I’d lurked on any sites and wondered what it’d be like if I could ever afford it.

  “Go on inside,” he said. “I’ll finish up out here and see what Dawson has for supper.”

  “He mentioned throwing in a meatloaf and potatoes earlier.”

  “If he cooked, then it’ll be good. The guy could go to chef’s school if he got sick of ranching.”

  My stomach growled. Home cooked food. I should be homesick. I should be worried about Adam, but being here and working without fretting over bills, going on a quick trail ride, and getting fed was the best vacation I’d ever had.

  After the best supper I’d had in a long time, I lay in bed, staring at the ceiling. I couldn’t fall asleep. It was relatively early and I was prolonging the inevitable.

  I rolled over and grabbed my phone. It rang until voicemail picked up. The message was an old one, from when Adam had had actual inflection in his voice. I tried again.

  He picked up on the third ring, his greeting slurred. “Sh-ello?”

  My heart pounded. “What’s wrong?”

  A grunt and a sigh. “Nothing. I was sleeping.”


  “Oh.” My anxiety drained away. Without me there, he had nothing to keep him awake. “But otherwise everything is okay?”

  “Yep.”

  Silence. Well, he’d eaten when I called him earlier so even if he’d skipped dinner, he should be fine. I’d save my nagging for tomorrow. Relieved that I didn’t have to talk to him about my new direction with Beckett, I said, “I’ll let you get back to getting some rest.”

  The trip to the kitchen must’ve really taken it out of him. I chastised myself for the sarcastic thought. He was hurting. Sick. I couldn’t be bitter about the way he was acting any more than I could if he’d had a coughing fit.

  “Night.” He hung up.

  Worry snaked through me until my throat clogged with emotion. Please be all right, Adam. I couldn’t lose him too, and it had nothing to do with the guilt that was as much my fault as Beckett’s.

  Dressed in only a T-shirt and underwear, I snuggled into the blankets like I could hide from the world. For the night, I would.

  What would it be like to sleep with Beckett? To curl next to his big body, feeling safe from the world, having his support in the physical sense even if he would kick me out once he learned my secrets? After we got married, would we sleep in the same bed?

  We were engaged and in different rooms.

  This was confusing on so many levels. Would it hurt his dad to know the engagement was fake? Beckett was oddly protective of how his dad felt on this subject.

  My eyelids grew heavy and I must’ve drifted off because the next sound I heard was the snick of a door. A slit of light shone briefly across the room and disappeared when the door shut. Without city lights surrounding the building, the room was dark, nearly pitch black.

  Bold move, Beckett.

  I’d just been dreaming of how nice it would be to snuggle with him, but I wasn’t ready for him to come on in. Was I? Guess I was going to find out.

  Soft footsteps padded toward the bed. Clothing rustled and hit the floor. He wasn’t going to neatly fold them and set them on the dresser? Beckett didn’t do messy, but then I’d never seen his bedroom.

  Should I say something or did he want this to be a surprise? Did I even like that he assumed he was welcome?

  The covers lifted and the bed dipped under the weight of a solid body. I stayed under the blanket but rolled toward him. His scent hit me and…that was different. Being from Colorado, I knew the difference between patchouli and pot, and at least the sheets weren’t going to smell like weed. Before the wrongness of the odor registered, an unfamiliar voice cut through the night, only inches from my face.

  “Well, now,” he drawled. “I’d surely like to snuggle, but I’m guessing you’re expecting one of my brothers.”

  I let out a shriek and rolled back, sliding through the covers until I hit the floor with a thunk.

  “Whoa now.” He soothed me like Beckett did the horses. More bedding shifted like he was hopping out of bed. “No need to be scared. I imagine my surprise is a little more pleasant than the one you got.”

  The smile in his voice became real as he flipped the bedside lamp on.

  A man as tall as Beckett, a little lankier, with just as many abs, grinned at me. All he wore was a pair of navy-blue boxer briefs. His dark hair hung nearly to his shoulders, but his features were all King.

  “Nice,” he said as he got a good look at me. His dark brows waggled. “To meet you. Nice to meet you.” His grin was unrepentant.

  The door burst open. Beckett rushed through and stopped when he saw his brother. He swept his gaze around the room. I was on the floor between the bed and wall, my head sticking above the mattress, my hair probably in all different directions.

  “Xander, what the hell?” Beckett slept in the same attire. Boxer briefs. My adrenaline was still pumping. Being caught in bed with a strange man was a new experience and now I was facing off with two very hot guys, both with their shirts off.

  “I swear I didn’t know she was in here. Dawson’s texts said you brought a woman, but I thought she would be in your room.”

  I stayed down, my legs out to my side like I was the Little Mermaid. But I was also braless and pantless, so here I’d stay until Xander turned around.

  “Did you get hurt, Eva?” Beckett rounded the bed, holding his hand out to help me up. He stopped when he saw my bare legs. “Wanna give us a minute?” he asked Xander.

  “I ain’t had a proper introduction yet.” He acted like he was taking off a cowboy hat to bow. “I’m Xander King, wayward third child of Gentry and Sarah King. You would’ve figured out I wasn’t Beck as soon as I blew you away with our first kiss.”

  “Xander,” Beckett barked.

  Xander’s grin widened. “The girls always said I was better than you.”

  “That was Emily, and she was drunk when she slept with you.”

  “Doesn’t mean I wasn’t better.” His smile turned lopsided. “And she wasn’t drunk. She just wanted to get away with sleeping with both of us.

  My mortification should be turning to awkwardness, but I was enjoying Xander’s teasing. “Nice to meet you, Xander. I’m Eva, Beckett’s assistant and fake fiancée.”

  “Fake is the best kind of fiancée.” He glanced at Beckett. “Pretending for Dad’s sake?”

  Beckett nodded and they exchanged a knowing look. “You saw how he was with Aiden. But Grams is relentless.”

  Xander shook his head. “I see what I have to look forward to for the next year. Anyway, I’ll wait outside so she can grab some pants.”

  We both watched him saunter out the door.

  “He’s not like you or Dawson,” I said.

  “God, no. And he smells like weed.”

  “Patchouli,” I said and rose. “Thanks for coming to my rescue. I might be too wired to sleep now. Um,” I tugged my shirt down and hunched my shoulders as I went to my suitcase, feeling exposed in the soft lamplight. Digging out a pair of sweats, I wished it wouldn’t be so awkward to put my bra on with him in the room. “Where should I sleep?”

  Beckett’s gaze drifted down to my breasts and back up. “You can have my bed. I’ll go down and take the couch.”

  “Doesn’t Dawson have an old room up here?”

  His features went taut. “It’s full of Mama’s stuff.”

  Her artwork was all over the house, but her personal items were too much for him? Had he avoided coming home because of her? If that was the case, sleeping in Dawson’s room would be torture. I hated displacing him. “I can stay in there.”

  “I doubt the bedding is fresher than my high school jockstrap. Don’t worry about it.”

  When was the last time Beckett King slept on a couch? He was willing to do it for me. My next suggestion was only spurred by the fright of my life a moment ago. “We can just share a bed. I’m sure we can be…adult about it.”

  Beckett’s gaze turned molten, sending the flush from my face down to ignite a throb between my legs. “I’d be way too adult about sharing a bed with you.”

  He grabbed my suitcase and hauled it next door. I slipped out behind him. Xander was good to his word and nowhere to be seen. Darting into a room that was nearly identical to the one I’d just left, the first thing I saw was the rumpled sheets and the blankets flung back. He’d rushed out of bed to come check on me.

  “Good night, Eva.” Beckett pressed a kiss to my temple. I refused to look at him. He was so close and so shirtless, and those boxers…

  “Sleep tight, Beckett.”

  He was gone, clicking the door shut behind him. I stared at the bed. I didn’t want to be alone. How could I go from a kiss to wanting to sleep with him so quickly? Crawling into bed, I burrowed into sheets that smelled like him and all I could think about was how he was sleeping on a couch in a cavernous open-concept living room for me.

  Chapter 14

  Beckett

  Talk about a rough night’s sleep. Hearing Eva scream as I was drifting off hadn’t accelerated my pulse as much as seeing her in nothing but
a T-shirt and pale blue underwear had.

  I’m sure we can be…adults about it.

  Oh, dear Eva. My thoughts about sharing a bed with her were so adult.

  Somehow I had kept my wits about me. Keeping this growing relationship between us from everyone else would be a lot harder if we shared a room. But it was sweet of her to offer.

  So damn sweet, like how she’d taste if I pulled down those panties…

  Groaning, I opened my eyes and made sure the blanket was still over me. The couch wasn’t half bad and I usually slept on my side anyway. It was almost long enough so I didn’t have to do an hour of yoga to straighten myself out.

  My gaze landed on a pair of assessing eyes and I jerked. “Aiden, what the fuck, dude? Have you been watching me sleep?” I should be honored. He never even put down his laptop to gaze at Kate.

  “What the hell is this engagement about?” he snapped.

  Yep, he’d figured it out. No way would he believe any one of us could fall madly in love within days. “You know exactly what it’s about and it’s for Dad.”

  “Grams was the one trying to set you up. Why pretend and not just tell him this woman will marry you for the payout?”

  I bristled at his tone. Yes, I’d told Eva she’d get half, but unlike Kate, I wanted her to know she had an out. “So I can keep my status as less disappointing son.”

  That got nothing more than an eye twitch. “Gooder.”

  I ignored the use of my old nickname. “Besides, I heard Grams threaten both him and Kendall. This way, Grams is off his back and he doesn’t blame himself.”

  Aiden’s matter-of-fact nod shouldn’t piss me off. He was so analytical. Like a sense of humor had skipped the firstborn. “You don’t want to stress him.”

  Like you did. Dad loved Kate and probably thought she’d be able to chisel down to Aiden’s gooey center. Hadn’t happened. “How bad was his heart attack? Really?”

  I caught a glimpse of the pressure Aiden was under. Fatigue gathered in the corner of his eyes and his black suit was rumpled from his bedside duty. His tie was loose to the point of why bother keeping it on and his short hair had been run through a few times. “If it hadn’t been for Kendall, he’d be gone.”