Discovered by Her Billionaire

by Sophia Summers

  “I think I will choose the five best colts and use them for the riding stables here. Henry wants a more authentic Ranch experience for guests, and riding mustangs will be a rare experience for many.”

  “So, Dad, what do we have to do with this?” Maggie was laughing. It seemed she already knew what her father had in mind. She raised her eyebrows, looking at her father.

  He chuckled a little. “You said you were missing ranch work, Maggie. I have not seen a horse broke more gently than when you do it. If you two wouldn’t mind giving me a hand, we can get these horses broke and ready for riding.” Turning to Maggie, he said, “Jack came down to take a look at our horses, and I was thinking he might be interested in the mustangs as well. This will give him a chance to see them up close.”

  Maggie looked over at Jack, questioning.

  He took off his cowboy hat and let his air out, taking a better look at the horses. He turned to Carson. “How many of them to you want to break?” He figured they could break two a day if they spent the whole day working them.

  “About five, with your help. Let’s start early tomorrow morning before it starts heating up. Maggie, you can join in after your trip to Houston.” Carson walked back to the vehicle.

  “Okay, Dad. I think we’ll walk back up. Are you coming over for dinner?” Maggie touched her father’s arm as he turned to get in the vehicle.

  He looked down at her and smiled. “Thanks, Missy. Sure, I’ll come over for dinner.” Jack caught the look of love in Carson’s eyes as he looked down at his daughter. Once again, the obvious point hit Jack with force. Maggie was not a woman to toy with, it was all or nothing with her, and she had a father who would enforce that by any means at his disposal, which Jack figured was unlimited. He had a lot to think about. Maggie was not just a challenge to make his life more interesting. He had to decide if he was game or not. If not, he needed to walk away now before it was too late.

  Carson drove off. Jack looked down at Maggie. “Okay, the secret is out. Your Dad wants free labor to break his horses. What else could it be?” Jack smiled, raising his palm.

  Chapter 4

  Maggie and Jack walked up along the east side of the property, away from the river. There had been less traffic over here, and the grasses had grown along the roadway, allowing the wildflowers to bloom. Jack was quiet. He probably had a lot to think about. Maggie didn’t mind the quiet. She loved the wilderness of the river bottom. Granted, after a huge rain, this whole area became part of the river, but only for a couple of days until all the water ran off and the large trees soaked in as much water as they needed, which was enough to keep them healthy for a month, at least. Daniel, the feed store owner, told her that one rain was enough water to get three cuts of hay from his pastures. Maggie thought nature was pretty impressive. She and Jack walked along, taking their time. She had to admit she liked Jack more now, but she was not about to be taken in. There was a lot she wanted to know about him before she decided to move forward with their friendship. He seemed like he was persistent, but that wasn’t enough for her.

  As they walked up the hill to the road around the lake, Maggie couldn’t help remembering the beavers that had decided to live on the lake. Henry noticed they were trying to burrow a hole through the lake dam. Her father had called the state, and they came out and trapped them. It was amazing how many trees those two beavers had chopped down with their big front teeth. Henry stocked the lake each year to make fishing more exciting, but it was a waste of money. Every time the river flooded up over the lake, the fish swam down the river to some happy fisherman’s hook, closer to the gulf. Maggie loved the lake, but it wasn’t that great for fishing, and she wouldn’t swim in it with the water moccasins and occasional alligator, but it was great for canoeing and using the paddleboat. Even the small sailboat could tack back and forth. They walked up into the covered bridge, and Jack sat down on the bench. “What do you think?”

  Maggie sat down next to him. “Well, we do know one thing. My Dad wants his horses broke. You don’t have to help. I’ve done this before, and a person could get hurt out there.”

  “What? Don't you think I can break a horse? I’ve broken my fair share.” He looked troubled, and Maggie wondered what the problem was.

  “You look like a squirrel just before it enters a trap full of delicious nuts.” She laughed. He looked a little surprised at her comment. Maggie figured she was right on. It was hard to read Jack, and she wasn’t sure how he felt. He could just be a flirt and not have any serious intentions toward her. Right now, he looked like he was deciding if she was worth pursuing. Well, in her opinion, the big question was, is he worth it? He must be interested if he’s willing to be here and get involved in her efforts to teach her Dad a lesson. Her whole life, he had been messing around with who her friends were and who she could date. Maggie sighed.

  “I have an idea. While I’m in Houston tomorrow, I’ll look up one of my father’s friends. He has access to a lot of information, and maybe I can come up with something. It’s worth a try anyway.”

  “Okay, that sounds good. I want to talk with your Dad, and with you away, it will be easier man-to-man.”

  “Well, think about what you say. My Dad analyzes everything. I asked him why he invited you here, and he said he wanted you to take a look at some stallions he was planning to sell.”

  “Has your father ever tried to set you up previously?” Jack stood up and stretched.

  “No, in fact, my father didn’t really like most of the boys I wanted to date, and he did what he could to chase them away. This is the first time he has stepped in to promote a relationship and its maddening that he thinks he can.” Maggie stood, and they both walked through the bridge.

  Jack stopped and looked over at her face-to-face. “What is it exactly that you don’t like about this?

  “I don’t like that he doesn’t trust I can make good decisions in this area.” Maggie looked up to avoid looking into Jack’s eyes.

  She could see mud swallow nests in the rafters of the bridge. They could eat an amazing number of mosquitos and other flying bugs. The problem with them was when they ate the mulberries. They dropped purple stain all over the wraparound porches at the ranch house and this bridge.

  The next morning Maggie was up early to make her way to Houston. Her father had to shut Timber up in the barn, or he would have tried to follow her. She had walked him over to the stable and given him his special treats, but she didn’t have time to play, and that was what he was missing. People who didn’t have dogs were not necessarily people who didn’t like animals; sometimes, they liked them too much, but it was too much of an emotional strain to have a pet. Maggie felt tied to Timber, and it would be hard for her to find suitable work because of her love for him. But the love of the wolf was an important part of her life at this time. Her mind was busy as she drove with the rest of the commuters.

  This traffic is the pits. Maggie was certainly glad she didn’t have to drive into Houston every day. She didn’t know how the commuters did it. The stop-and-go traffic jams were so frustrating when she had been living in an area of the country where you never had to wait for anyone. Finally, she took an exit off of the freeway and used her phone maps to find the university. Maggie was a little nervous. The department head whom she had worked with was on sabbatical, but the professor on the committee she would be seeing was nationally known for his research in oceanography. He was also on a congressional committee for ocean safety and traveled internationally to lecture at universities around the world. She wasn’t sure he would appreciate her research. She didn’t come out and condemn anyone in her thesis but just added to the knowledge of the scientific community. A lot of universities expected you to push an agenda.

  Maggie smiled. I wonder how Jack is getting along with my Dad. She hated to miss the first attempts at breaking the horses. She had seen mustangs in the ring before. They were fighters.

  As she drove into the University, the small Cape Cod cottages provided the per
fect environment for a small college town even though they were close to downtown Houston. They all looked upgraded. University real estate seemed to hold its value. The trees were all older, and the streets she drove through were lovely. At last, she pulled into the administration parking lot. She was early and didn’t want to get out of her car yet. Maggie looked around to see if she could imagine herself coming to a university each day and teaching. She wasn’t sure. After the total freedom she had at the cabin, she felt a little like a hermit coming out of its lair into the jungle of regimentation. She took a large breath and opened her door. Grabbing her briefcase, she straightened her shoulders and put one foot in front of the other toward the steps to the front door.

  The professor’s room number was listed on the wall, and so she took the stairs up to the second floor, avoiding the elevator. As she came around the corner, she heard a woman yelp. She looked into a classroom doorway to see a man with his arms around a young woman, pressing her up against the blackboard. “Excuse me, I’m looking for Dr. Brickson’s office.” The man released the woman, and she gathered up her books and quickly walked toward the door, passing close to Maggie. The girl looked up at Maggie, mouthing the words “thank you” as she walked out.

  The man looked up, irritated, but then smiled as he looked her up and down. The lust in his eyes was evident. “It’s around the corner to the right.”

  Maggie gave him her best-disgusted look and walked down the hall. She found building offices situated in a group with a secretary’s desk in the middle of the pod. “Hello, I’m Maggie Colby. I have an appointment with Dr. Brickson. I understand Dr. Henderson is out of town.”

  The secretary smiled, but then her countenance fell at the mention of Professor Brickson. Maggie started getting a really bad feeling when the same man walked in.

  “I’m Dr. Brickson, come this way.” He stepped back and pointed the way with his outstretched arm. Great, this is just great. I’m meeting with a world-renowned oceanographer who happens to be a slimeball, to discuss my thesis. She walked into his office and took the chair he designated. He shut the door and sat behind his desk. Her first instinct was to open the door again but figured she could take him out with a few moves her father showed her, if necessary.

  “I’m sorry you had to walk in on something that I am sure looked worse than it was.” He smiled and raised his palms, looking over at her to see her reaction to his blatant lie.

  “I know exactly what I walked in on, Dr. Brickson.” Maggie gave him an unflinching cold stare.

  “May I see your thesis?” He reached his hand out, ignoring her last comment. Maggie reached into her briefcase and pulled out the file, handing it across the desk to him. She was sick at heart. It’s just my luck to run into a predator my first moments here.

  Dr. Brickson should have already read her paper, but he scanned through it again, stopping to read here and there. He finally looked up and dropped the thesis on his desk. “Miss Colby I am sorry to say, this research isn’t unique to the field. I don’t even think I should take it to the committee to evaluate.” Then he looked down and added, “Are you planning to take this incident you witnessed further?” So, he also commits blackmail. I say nothing, and he approves the thesis. Maggie was getting hot under the collar as she imagined the people he probably hurt as he wielded his power in what he believed was his little kingdom at this university. The looks from the secretary said enough to prove this was not a one-time occurrence.

  “It’s up to the young woman how far she wants to take that incident. However, if you so much as look in her direction again, I will personally introduce her to my attorney. I plan to find her and give her my card in case she ever needs it. As for my doctorate thesis, I took the liberty of sending an electronic copy to everyone on the committee. I have already received complimentary reviews from Dr. Henderson and several of the committee members. My trip into Houston to see you was simply a courtesy since you are standing in for Dr. Henderson, the department head.” Maggie stood up and left his office. She smiled at the secretary as she went out. She breathed a sigh of relief. Her knees were a little shaky and she had to grab the railing as she walked down the stairs.

  Once outside, the young woman stood up from a bench where she had been waiting for her. “Thank you so much. That’s not the first time he has tried to corner me.”

  Maggie opened her purse and handed her a card. “This is my number. I told him that if he so much as looked in your direction again, I would set you up with my lawyer. I think you should be okay now.” She looked up at the building windows and saw Dr. Brickson watching her.

  The young woman hugged her and thanked her again. Maggie looked over at the building. It was a beautiful old brick building representing a chance for higher education to those who walked inside. It made her sick to think the building also had predators and others who may not have their student’s best interests at heart. Maggie sighed again and walked to her truck. This is one university where I do not want to teach.

  She got out her phone and mapped the route she could take to visit Jeffrey, her father’s friend. She had no idea what she might learn about her father by talking to him, but it would be nice to see him again as he was one of the men who had taught her how to play poker. She smiled, thinking what fun it was to be with those good men, knowing they would do anything to protect her. She felt depressed after the visit with Dr. Brickson but thinking of those good men lifted her spirits.

  Maggie smiled. She would enjoy seeing Jeffrey again, and it would be fun if he shared more experiences about her father. Her anger at her Dad’s interference was simmering down, and truthfully, she had to admit she was happy to see Jack again. When she compared her father with some of the men in the world like Dr. Brickson, he came off as a saint. She took the exit off of the freeway and drove south toward Galveston on Highway 45. Twenty minutes later, she took a left toward Galveston Bay. Along the water, there were boathouses lined up one after the other. When she reached the last one, she parked and got out, looking around.

  Large trees shaded the water’s edge, and men were sitting on their docks fishing. It looked like a happy, lazy community. No one answered when she knocked on the door of the boathouse. She called out and walked around the side to the shore. There was a man out in a small Tracker fishing boat, not too far from shore. He waved and started up his engines, and the front of the boat rose up out of the water and almost flew to shore. Maggie knew it was Jeffrey. These guys all had amazing tools and gadgets. She waved back and sat down on a log by the shore to wait for him to get back.

  “Hey, Maggie, what’s up?” Jeffrey tied his boat up to the side of his boathouse and walked around to the side.

  “I was in Houston handing in my dissertation and thought I would stop by.” Jeffrey raised his eyebrows and gave her a look. She knew better than to try and hide anything from these guys.

  “Okay, I am looking for something I can use on Dad. He is trying to run my life again, and …”

  Jeffrey interrupted, laughing. “Okay, come on in and tell me all about it.”

  Jeffrey got them drinks, and BBQed some shrimp for snacks. They both sat out on the deck, looking over the bay. After Maggie finished giving him the lowdown on her father and his interfering plans, he smiled and leaned back in his chair. “I think he thinks it’s time you got married, and frankly, I agree.”

  “Well, what makes him think he can be the one to choose?” Maggie gave her most peeved look, and it rolled right off Jeffrey like it didn’t happen. These men were tight. She probably made a mistake thinking he would take her side.

  “You know, about half the world has arranged marriages, and they do pretty well with it.” Maggie sighed loudly and wanted to rebut that idea.

  “Missy, listen. You know your father loves you more than anyone on earth. He would do anything for you. Don’t you think he would be a good person to advise on a subject this important?” Maggie rolled her eyes. Of course, he was right, but it just irritated her that her
Dad was taking over her life again.

  “I know that’s true. On another subject, why didn’t Dad ever remarry after my Mom died?”

  “I don’t know. Your Mom and Dad were very close.” He stretched his arms behind his head. “Your Dad did come close once.”

  Maggie perked up. “Really? Can you tell me about it?”

  Jeffrey hesitated, but then leaned forward. “There was a woman in the business.”

  She knew what business that was.

  “They had a few assignments together and were seeing each other on the side. Something happened, she got transferred to Brazil, and I didn’t hear any more about her after that.”

  “Is she still down there do you think?” This was very interesting. Maggie started getting pretty excited. What if she could turn the tables on her father? She had to laugh about how it would be the coup of all coups.

  “Let me check on that.” Jeffrey excused himself and went inside to his computer. These men never just retired; they continued to keep their noses in on all the action.

  A few minutes later, he came back out with a piece of paper which he handed to her. “Here is her address in Rio. She is working at an international school. She is single, and here are a couple of pictures.” He handed it to Maggie.

  “Wow, she’s beautiful.” The woman had long silver-white hair pulled back into a bun. She was tan and had intelligent piercing blue eyes and a teasing smile. She could easily see her father with someone like that. The second picture was one with her father and the woman, whose name is Raelyn. He looked so happy. Maggie stopped and looked at Jeffrey, questioning.

  “Okay, I won’t tell him you were here. Good luck.” He pulled her up out of the chair and gave her a kiss on the cheek and a hug. “You come to visit me more often, ya hear?”

  “Well, maybe we will have a reason for you to come to the ranch?”