Mine Would Be You: A Bad Boy Rancher Love Story (The Dawson Brothers Book 3)

by Ali Parker

  I should have been worried about the company. She was now gone, we had no technical artist, and there was a project due in less than two weeks. I had a board telling me I had to work alongside her in order to keep my seat at the table. There was also the matter that she had all of our trade secrets, marching into the competitor’s hands. I wasn’t worried about any of that, though. I was only worried about making things right with her. I knew she wouldn’t sell me out or sell the company out. She loved her team too much, and she had really built something to be proud of at Truitt Marketing. She was important to me, though, so important that as I stood there watching the sun hide behind a cloud, I could feel my heart breaking. It was as if she had stabbed me in the stomach, only I had deserved it. She was doing what she had said all along, what was right for her and her family. I wanted to be part of that circle, but I never got the chance to let her know that, to show her that.

  I turned and looked down at the paper lying on the floor and bent over, slowly picking it up. I was in love with Amanda, and that was the cold, hard truth. I knew that I cared about her, but I hadn’t realized I was in love with her until I read the words on that paper. I had never been in love with a woman like this before, and I could feel my knees growing week beneath me. I put my hand over my face and sat down in the chair behind the desk, feeling as if my entire world was crashing down on top of me, and I was helpless to fix it.

  I didn’t just want Amanda in my life. I needed her in my life. Screw her position at the company, I needed her beside me, holding my hand, moving forward in life together. I couldn’t lose her. I couldn’t let what happened between us be what led to the end of a beautiful thing. Thinking back, I should have known I loved her when I sat in that hospital room, reading her mother the book, thinking about what I could do to protect Amanda from everything in life. I should have known I loved her when I showed up for an eleven-year old’s birthday party, or when I was so nervous that I changed my tie repeatedly before a date. I should have known I loved her from the start, but that didn’t matter at that point. What did matter was figuring out how to get her back in my arms.

  To be continued…

  Author Note: end of stimulate My Desire

  Chapter 47

  Elon

  Clutching the pink piece of stationary tightly in my hand. I gazed out the window at the cityscape, wondering what Amanda was doing right then, wondering if she knew I had read the letter. She had left me, and she had left the company. Though I could understand her need for the money, her need to make her and her son’s life better, I couldn’t imagine working every day without her there, leading beside me. Dalton had said he would collect her personal items from her office, and I just brushed him off, not wanting to believe she was actually serious about everything. She had worked so hard, gotten so far, and the two of us had gotten so close that it was hard to imagine making the choice to throw that all away. Her mother needed care, I knew that, but it was something that could be worked out if she wasn’t so damn stubborn all the time. I used to think it was an adorable trait, but it had become our downfall, what ended everything we had built together.

  If she would just stop and talk to me, I knew things would be better. I knew I could convince her to stay, to come back to the company and to my arms. The hardest part of all of that was getting her in front of me and forcing her to listen. I needed to go to her, not sit in my office and feel sorry for myself. She was most likely at home, taking some time off before her new job started. It was a Wednesday in the middle of the early afternoon which meant her son wouldn’t be there. He would be at school. I stood up and grabbed my coat, sliding it over my shoulders and looking down at the note. If anything was ever going to change in my life, I had to start taking the bull by the horns, going after what I wanted. The worst she could say was no, but at least there would be some closure instead of some professionally-written, impersonal note and nothing more to go off of.

  I walked to the door and flung it open, stopping in my tracks as I stared into Clayton Hayworth’s smug, round face. He had his hand up, ready to knock, and my secretary was standing as if she were protesting the intrusion. I straightened my tie and shoved the note into my pocket, sighing as I stared into his beady little eyes. It wasn’t enough that he had to try to take my company away from me, but now I had to see him standing in my doorway, coming to bother me about something useless, most likely. Possibly even some more idle threats to try to make me nervous or bully me into giving up information that was none of his business. Either way, no matter how distracted by Amanda I was, I put a front up and prepared myself for him.

  “Clayton,” I said, clearing my throat. “You know I do have a secretary for a reason, and if you can’t get to me that way, there’s the telephone as well. No need to trek up here unannounced.”

  “Does that make you nervous, Truitt?” He smirked. “Me just floating around the building talking to people, popping in unannounced?”

  “Not at all.” I smiled. “You’re a board member. You’re welcome to go wherever you please as long as you’re not disrupting the work going on in the company, though you might find the cold shoulder from this department. Most of these people have no idea who you are, and trust me, they are hard to get to. They don’t welcome just anyone into their folds.”

  “I’m sure you’re very familiar with that,” he said. “Did I catch you leaving? I figured with this big project going on, you’d be here extra hours, not trotting off in the middle of the day.”

  “Not going anywhere,” I said. “Just coming out to check on the progress of the ad.”

  “Good. Then you won’t mind sitting down for a moment,” he said, pushing past me and sitting down in the chair across from my desk.

  “Of course.” I closed the door and clenched my jaw. “I always have time for the board. I’m assuming you’re representing the board in this matter.”

  “It’s more of a personal visit.” He smiled, watching me walk around and sit at my desk. “Some unattended business between the two of us.”

  “I don’t remember having any personal business with you,” I said. “Unless you mean how you’re lying to the board and trying to swindle the company right out from beneath me.”

  “Oh, come now, Elon.” He chuckled. “You’re still not butthurt over the Cartier project, are you? You won. You beat me out.”

  “Right,” I said. “So, what can I do for you today?”

  “Just wanted to find out how this new project was going,” he said.

  “It’s going very well,” I replied. “Right on schedule.”

  “Even without a technical artist?” He smiled. “I knew that recommendation letter to Disney would do the trick.”

  “Of course. Why did I not realize you were behind that sooner? Your timing was impeccable,” I said.

  “Had I known you had an ace up your sleeve, I would have waited until the last possible second,” he said. “Now, where is Amanda? I would like to see how she feels the project is going.”

  “She’s not in today,” I said through gritted teeth.

  “Why not? Both of your jobs rely on her presence here at work,” he said.

  “She came down with the stomach flu.” I smiled. “Terrible thing, but we didn’t want to infect the rest of the team. We need them on the ball, ready to go at any minute. I told her to take a couple of days and get better. She works so hard with me, and I feel like it’s necessary that the team be at their best. After all, it’s for the betterment of the company, right?”

  “Right.” He smirked, trying to see through my lies.

  I stuck my hand in my pocket and squeezed the letter, knowing I needed to buy time before he found out she had no plans to come back. That would be the end of everything, the end of my operation of the company and, ultimately, the end of the company itself. I couldn’t let it go until I at least tried to get her back.

  “Even someone as good as Amanda needs a break from time to time.” I smiled. “The bullshit is thick, and i
t gets a bit overwhelming.”

  “Just cut the crap, Elon,” he said, making my stomach drop.

  “What are you talking about?” I replied.

  “You got through the Cartier account. I have to give you credit for being a bit more cunning than I thought you’d be, but you won’t continue to get through it,” he said. “I’m going to finish you off with this project. In fact, you’re going to fuck it up all on your own, and when you do, I’ll be there, waiting to vote you out.”

  “This is my company, something I built from the ground up,” I said angrily. “You wouldn’t know what to do with the place if you had my chair.”

  “Oh, sure I would,” he said with a smirk. “You know exactly what I would do with the place.”

  “Sell it off piece by piece,” I growled. “Sell my company off like it never meant a thing.”

  “Bingo.” His greasy smile widened.

  I stood up, slamming my fists on the desk, ready to tear that man from limb to limb. I closed my eyes and breathed deeply, realizing that was exactly what he wanted. He wanted me to show myself unsteady, unable to keep my cool in front of a board member. He was getting desperate, no matter how cocky or assured he came off as. I opened my eyes and stood up, straightening my tie and smiling.

  “As much as I enjoy sitting around and chatting with you,” I said, “I have a whole lot of work to get done, and you’re in the way.”

  “I’ll be going then.” He stood up and rubbed his big belly. “I’m done here anyway. Just wanted to get a view of my future office.”

  I stared at him as he walked out of the room, hating every fat step his body took. When he walked out of the room, I sat back down and rubbed my face, feeling like everything was falling apart. When I was sure he was gone, I stood up, walked out of the office, and looked out over the pit, watching everyone working.

  “They haven’t noticed Amanda’s gone yet,” Dalton said, walking up next to me. “They’re too busy trying to get through the project. I haven’t taken her things yet. I figured I’d wait until you told everyone, so there wasn’t a panic.”

  “I appreciate it,” I sighed.

  “I saw Clayton walk out,” Dalton said. “What did he want this time?”

  “To bust my balls and ask to talk to Amanda,” I said.

  “What did you tell him?”

  “What was I supposed to tell him?” I turned to Dalton. “If he knows she’s gone, we’re all screwed. I lied. I told him Amanda had the flu, that she would be back when she felt better. It was the best I could come up with on the spot.”

  “Probably for the best,” Dalton replied. “No need in having the board breathing down our throats too.”

  “What are we going to do, Dalton?” I asked, rubbing the back of my neck. “Something has to be done.”

  “Let everything ride,” he said. “For right this moment, you just need to let everything continue. I really think everything will be fine. Whether Amanda is with you or not, if this project is completed successfully, then the board can’t turn their back on you. If you can show you’re capable of producing these projects with or without the help of an ad manager, they’ll see you’re more than capable of holding your own as the head of this company.”

  “You’re right.” I faked a smile. “I just wish it didn’t have to be that way.”

  “I know you do,” Dalton said, patting me on the back.

  “I better get back to the office and get some more work done,” I said, turning. “Do me a favor and keep an eye on everything.”

  “Of course, boss,” he said with a smile. “I’ll have everyone come to me unless it’s vital for you to know.”

  “Thank you,” I said, heading into my office and shutting the door.

  I walked straight to the window and crossed my arms over my chest, thinking about what Clayton had said. The note from Amanda crinkled in my pocket, and I pulled it out, staring down at the handwriting. My concern wasn’t for the company, even though I knew it should be. My concern was for Amanda, the fact that I wanted her back in my life. I didn’t care about whether she came back at that point. I just wanted her to know the company had nothing to do with the way I felt about her.

  I folded the paper and walked over to put it in the top drawer of my desk. I would deal with the board later, no matter the outcome. Dalton was right. If I could manage to get the project done successfully without Amanda, they wouldn’t vote me out over a technicality, or at least, I hoped not. The company was important to me, sure, but I had fallen for Amanda hard, and I felt that without her by my side, there was nothing that would make me happy.

  Chapter 48

  Amanda

  It was Wednesday, and I was already starting to get restless. My body was still waking up at the crack of dawn, even though I couldn’t sleep the night before. My mind was still whirling around everything that had happened with Elon and my mother. I cared about Elon. I wanted him to be in my life, but after everything that happened, I didn’t think I could trust him again. I didn’t think my mind would let me lean on a man for anything, no matter whether it was good for me or not. Besides, after leaving the company with nothing more than a note sent in by my best friend like we were kids, I was pretty sure he wouldn’t have any interest in even speaking to me. I hadn’t realized until I was gone from Truitt just how much I actually enjoyed my job.

  I was really hoping Diamond would bring that satisfaction back on Monday. I had high hopes that I would love that job even more than Truitt Marketing. It was a fresh start with no drama, and it especially helped that they were going to double my salary. That was going to lift a huge amount of stress off my shoulders, being able to afford to take care of my mother, take care of my son, and be more comfortable.

  “Good morning,” Mikey said, walking out of his room and smiling. “What time is it? My alarm never went off.”

  “I know. I turned it off.” I returned the smile. “I thought that maybe today you would take the day off from school. Maybe go somewhere with me and have a nice day. What do you think?”

  “Uh, yes!” He giggled. “But why?”

  “Do I have to have a reason to want to spend the day with my son?” I laughed, bending down and hugging him. “Go get dressed and we will start our day.”

  He ran off into his room. Sure, keeping him from school was probably not the most responsible thing I could have ever done, but I missed him. I was also finding myself feeling incredibly alone, like there was no one in my life anymore. I wanted to have company today so maybe I could remember exactly why I was fighting so hard for a better future. There was no one better to do that for me than my son since he was the most important person in the world to me. This would be a good day for both of us, building my motivation back up and giving him some much needed and wanted time with his mom.

  “All right, I’m ready,” he said, running out. “What are we going to do?”

  “Well, I figured we would start by getting some pancakes from the diner and then going to the park with a picnic lunch. How does that sound?”

  “Perfect.” He threw his arms out and hugged me.

  “All right, let’s get this show on the road, then.” I laughed, grabbing my wallet.

  We walked to the diner since it wasn’t far from the house, and he got his normal blueberry pancakes and chocolate milk. I got the same, feeling like it was okay to splurge for one day. We talked about school, the kids at school, and what he was looking forward to during summer vacation. It was nice just talking to him without worrying about anything other than him and me. After breakfast, we went to the market and had sandwiches made and then headed to the park. I got on the swings next to him, and we had a contest on who could go higher. His laughter warmed my heart, giving me exactly what I needed to remember why I was working so hard for a better life. It wasn’t for me, but it was for him.

  “I win,” he said as I gave up, laughing.

  “You win,” I groaned. “I’m bigger than you.”

  “Not by mu
ch. I grew an inch this month,” he said proudly.

  “You are practically an adult then.” I laughed.

  As he swung higher and higher, I looked around, watching my view go from the ground to the sky as I soared through the air on my swing. I thought about my mother and how she’d helped my father build a swing set in our own backyard when I was a child. They’d wanted me to be able to play anytime I wanted, not just when my mother could take me to the park. I could remember my mother looking out the window when I was little, watching me play by myself. She would always come out before my father got home from work and swing on the set with me. I could still remember the way she would close her eyes and lean forward as she soared through the air, the sun glistening off her golden hair. Her laugh rang out in my ears like she was right there with me. It was a beautiful memory that I had and that made me realize how important it was that I spent as much time with Mikey that I could. I couldn’t tell you what my father’s salary was when I was a girl or if I ever really wanted something we couldn’t afford, but I could remember the game nights and the laughter, and that was what was really important.

  We got off the swings and raced each other toward the blanket with our stuff on it. I grabbed Mikey around the waist and hugged him tightly as I fell onto the blanket. We lay there on our backs, staring up at the clouds overhead, still holding hands. He smiled and pointed up at a cloud.

  “That looks like a hippo,” he said.

  “That one looks like an old lady with a giant meatball,” I said.