The Billionaire Cowboy's Christmas Surprise [Wives for the Western Billionaires 10] (Siren Publishing Everlasting Classic)
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Wives for the Western Billionaires 10
The Billionaire Cowboy’s Christmas Surprise
Clayton (Clay) Brodie and Suzette (Susie) Nyland’s first meeting didn’t go well. She spilled coffee on his jacket, and then they bumped heads reaching down for it. He was annoyed. She didn’t want him for a boss, even if he was handsome. Her body’s reaction to his nearness and touch worried her. She’d been warned he was a love-them-and-leave-them playboy. Then he kissed her for the first time.
Clay knows he wants her, and Susie can't deny him. But he isn’t a marrying man, and she is the marrying type of woman. As his assistant, Susie goes to Frontier City with him. She meets Clay’s family, and they like her. But when his brothers tease him regarding Susie, Clay says she is only his assistant. Clay keeps Susie on a roller coaster, appearing to care, and then he withdraws. It takes almost losing Susie to make Clay admit he loves her. But will she believe him?
Genre: Contemporary, Western/Cowboys
Length: 49,370 words
THE BILLIONAIRE COWBOY’S CHRISTMAS SURPRISE
Wives for the Western Billionaires 10
Paige Cameron
EVERLASTING CLASSIC
Siren Publishing, Inc.
www.SirenPublishing.com
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A SIREN PUBLISHING BOOK
IMPRINT: Everlasting Classic
THE BILLIONAIRE COWBOY’S CHRISTMAS SURPRISE
Copyright © 2013 by Paige Cameron
E-book ISBN: 978-1-62741-000-7
First E-book Publication: December 2013
Cover design by Les Byerley
All art and logo copyright © 2013 by Siren Publishing, Inc.
ALL RIGHTS RESERVED: This literary work may not be reproduced or transmitted in any form or by any means, including electronic or photographic reproduction, in whole or in part, without express written permission.
All characters and events in this book are fictitious. Any resemblance to actual persons living or dead is strictly coincidental.
PUBLISHER
Siren Publishing, Inc.
www.SirenPublishing.com
Letter to Readers
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DEDICATION
To my mother, she was an avid reader all her life. I wish you’d gotten to read one of my books, Mom. I miss you.
Table of Contents
Title Page
Copyright Page
Dedication
Chapter One
Chapter Two
Chapter Three
Chapter Four
Chapter Five
Chapter Six
Chapter Seven
Chapter Eight
Chapter Nine
Chapter Ten
Chapter Eleven
Chapter Twelve
Chapter Thirteen
Chapter Fourteen
Chapter Fifteen
Chapter Sixteen
Chapter Seventeen
Chapter Eighteen
Chapter Nineteen
Chapter Twenty
Chapter Twenty-One
Epilogue
About the Author
THE BILLIONAIRE COWBOY’S CHRISTMAS SURPRISE
Wives for the Western Billionaires 10
PAIGE CAMERON
Copyright © 2013
Chapter One
Clayton Brodie stared out his office window. People were hurrying along the sidewalks, and cars and taxis fought for position on the streets.
Have I made the right decision? I’ve lived in this busy world for many years and left the cowboy part of me behind. Perhaps seeing all my siblings married produced a temporary illusion for me to return home, build a house, and settle down. It’s too late to be worrying about the changes I’ve started. The house is done, all but the furnishings.
Clay rubbed his hands over his face. Today, his secretary’s sister started to work. She was going to fill in for Sondra, who’d been with him eight years. He was used to her and hated changes in his office. But if Sondra stayed any longer she might have the baby right here. That wasn’t a pleasant thought. He hoped Sondra’s sister was as good a secretary. A knock interrupted his moody thoughts.
“Come in.” Clay walked from the windows to the front of his desk. Sondra walked in first, looking ready to have the baby any moment. Another woman followed behind.
“Clay, I’d like to introduce you to my sister, Suzette Nyland. We call her Susie. Susie, this is Clayton Brodie. After eight years, he allows me to call him Clay.” Her eyes sparkled with mischief.
Clay stepped forward and shook Suzette’s hand. She was shorter than her sister by about two inches. Sondra was a blonde, her sister had midnight-black hair worn in a bun and large glasses-covered violet eyes. The softness of her skin surprised him. He let go, realizing he’d held her hand longer than necessary.
“Susie is new in town. After this temporary job with you, she’ll have a reference to help her find a permanent position,” Sondra said. “I still have difficulty believing you’re going to live in Montana.”
“It’s where I grew up. All my family settled in the same small town. But I’ll be back every two weeks or so. Once you get back from maternity leave, I’ll expect you to keep me updated. In the meantime, your sister can help me with my move to an office in Frontier City.” He studied Suzette and raised his eyebrow. “Let’s hope she’s as good as you.”
“She was the bank president’s personal secretary in our hometown in New Mexico.”
&nbs
p; “We’ll see how it goes. It’s ten. I have a business lunch at noon. We’d better get started. Suzette, can you take dictation?”
“Yes, sir.”
“Good. Join me when you’re ready to start.”
* * * *
Susie Nyland followed Sondra to her desk. Her heart was thumping a mile a minute. Clayton Brodie was exactly as her sister had warned her, handsome, aloof, and a taskmaster. But Sondra had added that once he knew and trusted you, his demeanor changed.
“What did you think?” Sondra asked.
“He’s gorgeous. His blue eyes are mesmerizing, but he also fits the rest of your description.”
Sondra handed her a pencil and stenographer pad. “He doesn’t like to use a recorder unless absolutely necessary. He’ll pace the floor as he dictates to you. Go on in before he gets impatient. Wait. Pour him a cup of the coffee I made earlier.”
Taking a deep breath, Susie filled a large mug and knocked on his door. When she heard his voice, she went right in and almost knocked him down. The coffee splashed across his suit coat.
“I said I’d get the door. Didn’t you hear me?” he asked as he jerked off his jacket and threw it down.
“I’m sorry. Did you get burned?”
“No. But have my suit coat taken to the cleaners immediately. I need it back by noon.” He bent down to pick up his coat at the same time Susie reached for it, and they bumped heads.
He straightened and hollered for Sondra. “Have this cleaned,” he said when she came running. “You didn’t warn me your sister was a danger to anyone in her vicinity.” He strode out and over to the coffeepot and poured himself a new cup.
Sondra pulled a stunned Susie out of the room. “Are you all right?” she whispered.
“I made a terrible first impression.” Susie rubbed the spot where their heads had connected. “Besides the coat, we bumped heads.”
“Here, take a deep breath, and go in and show how smart you are,” Sondra said.
He sat at his desk, sipping his coffee. When she entered and shut the door, he gave her a wary look.
“Don’t come close. Sit in the chair on the right.” He motioned to one of the matching gray chairs in front of his desk.
Susie was grateful to sink into the soft leather chair. Her legs were weak. “I’m ready, sir.”
“Hmmm, I usually like to walk around the room as I dictate. You won’t put out a foot and trip me, will you?”
In spite of trying to control her expression, she failed, and her mouth quirked up on one side. Did he have a sense of humor? Under her eyelashes she tried to sense his mood. He’d walked to the other side of the room and started dictating.
Susie concentrated on getting every word. There wasn’t time to worry about what he thought of her. Dictation and grammar were her forte. He spoke quickly, but she had no problem following him. When he stopped abruptly, she leaned against the back of her chair and looked up.
“Did you get all of that?”
“I did.”
“I want it typed and on my desk before twelve.”
She nodded and had walked toward the door when he asked, “Where did you learn to take dictation?”
“I took it as an extra credit when I got my degree in English and Literature.” She walked out and closed the door behind her.
“He’s testing me by talking as fast as he can to trip me up,” Susie said to Sondra.
Sondra laughed. “He’s in for a surprise. I can’t wait to see his face. When it comes to dictation and typing letters you’re better than me.”
Susie put the man out of her mind and finished the letters. When she looked at the clock, it was eleven thirty. The man from the cleaners had brought his suit jacket. She waited until he left before gathering the letters for Mr. Brodie to sign.
He’d put his jacket on and turned when he heard the door. “Don’t get near me. There isn’t time to clean my suit again.”
“I have your letters.”
Clay looked surprised. He reached across his desk and took them. Then he carefully read each one before signing.
“They’re perfect. No words missing and no mistakes.”
“Thank you.” Susie whirled around and marched to the door. What did the infuriating man think? That’d I’d hand him letters with mistakes? Just because I drowned him in coffee and hit his head isn’t a good reason to expect inferior work. Then the funny side of their confrontation hit her and she giggled.
“Are you laughing at me?” His stern voice was much closer than she’d expected. She turned and took a deep breath. A citrusy fragrance with a hint of sandalwood and musk clouded her thinking. He stood right in front of her. His compelling cobalt-blue eyes held her as firmly as if he had hold of her hand. She studied his face, his high cheekbones, his firm mouth and jaw, and his wide shoulders. There was an inherent confidence and strength in him.
“You didn’t answer my question.”
Did she see a flicker of amusement in his eyes? No way. “I forgot the question.” Ah, yes, a flash of humor, but it was quickly suppressed.
Susie opened the door, but before leaving, she added, “I think you may need more laughter in your life.” Then she closed the door in his face.
“I may lose your job for you before you get back, maybe today.”
“Weren’t your letters correct?” Sondra asked.
“To quote the master, they were perfect.”
“Then what’s the matter?”
“I giggled when I thought about the earlier fiasco. He doesn’t have a funny side. I don’t care how handsome he is, I’d never be interested in a man with no sense of humor.”
“Thank goodness that leaves me out,” Clay said in a cold voice from his doorway.
Susie’s face flashed hot with heat. Clay strode past her, frowned at Sondra, and walked out.
“I knew this would never work. I’m used to working in a small town bank. This is very uptown. He needs someone else to fill in for you, like a woman much more sophisticated and not clumsy.”
“Is my son in his office, Sondra?”
A slim, medium-height woman with a lovely smile stood by Sondra’s desk. She nodded at Susie. “Is this your sister? Clay said she’d be your replacement while you’re out.”
“Yes, Mrs. Brodie. My sister, Suzette Nyland, but we call her Susie.”
“I’m glad to meet you, my dear. Sondra, you must know Clay plans to move home. I hope he’s not making a mistake. I’m thrilled to have all my family close. But he’s lived in this place”—she spread out her hands—“so long. I wouldn’t come here at all except my daughter dragged me with her this time.”
“Don’t worry, Mrs. Brodie. Clay usually thinks out his moves long before he tells the rest of us. You just missed him. I expect his elevator was going down when you were coming up.”
“I know to call. It was an impulsive decision. Grace is busy, and I was bored.”
“Why don’t you and Susie go to lunch? We can’t both go at once. You’d be doing us a favor. It’s her first day. I hate for her to eat alone.”
Susie wanted to hit her sister over the head. The last thing she needed was to have lunch with the boss’s mother. She had planned to relax before facing Clay Brodie this afternoon.
“What a wonderful idea. Do you mind?” Mrs. Brodie smiled at Susie.
“Of course not. It’ll be pleasant to have company. Sondra said there was a nice restaurant on the west corner from this building.”
“Clay’s taken me there. I like it. Can you go now?”
“Go on. I’ll get the letters and put them in envelopes to go out.” Sondra almost pushed them out the door.
Mrs. Brodie kept up a casual conversation about New York on their walk to the restaurant. Once seated, she turned to Susie. “Tell me about yourself.”
“There’s nothing special to tell.” Susie took her time placing the napkin on her lap. She hoped what she said would end Mrs. Brodie’s questions.
“Are you married?”
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bsp; It didn’t work. She’d keep her answers short. “No, I’m not.”
“You’re lovely. I can’t imagine why.”
“I haven’t been ready, and I’m a bit clumsy when I get nervous. I don’t make a good impression on my dates.” Darn, too much information.
“I remember when I met Clay’s dad. He was the most handsome man I’d ever seen. Or at least he was to me. Clay resembles him the most in looks, although his father was more easygoing. Sam, my youngest son, is more like his father in personality. But right after Clay graduated from college, his dad died. He had to accept the reins of taking care of the ranch business and helping me with his five siblings. It changed him.” Mrs. Brodie smiled. “I’m sorry, Susie. I didn’t mean to talk about my family. I want to hear about you.”
She saw no way to not answer Mrs. Brodie’s questions without being impolite. She took a drink of water and said, “I grew up in a small town in New Mexico. I got my degree in English and Literature. Then I went to work for the bank president. He’s my uncle, and he needed a temporary secretary. The job fit me so I stayed. My sister has been insisting I move to New York, but I’m not sure I’m the type for the big city.”
“Some people are, but others, like me, aren’t. You need to do what makes you happy. Clay said you’d be traveling with him to our town, Frontier City, to help him set up an office. He’s planning for you to stay with me. I’m glad we got to meet.”
“My sister did say he might want me to go with him. I was sort of hoping he’d employ someone local to help him. I don’t want to impose on you.”
“It won’t be an imposition. I like to have company. Why don’t you want to come with him to Frontier City? You’ll know more than a stranger would about what he wants.” She gave Susie a curious look. When Susie squirmed in her seat, Mrs. Brodie smiled. “Ah, I know. My son was not on his best behavior this morning.”