The Truth about Billionaires (Southern Billionaires Book 2)

by Michelle Pennington

  His tone was dry but good humored, and it was too ridiculous. Laughter burst from her, annoying her that he could so easily manipulate her emotions. “There’s no such place.”

  “Around these parts? I bet there is. If that’s not what you want, you’d better let me know.” He winked at her, and his barely noticeable twang deepened for a moment. “Grilled possum would about hit the spot right now. Or maybe some squirrel and dumplings.”

  Jill elbowed him. “Stop messing with me.”

  There was a sudden gleam in his eyes as he smiled, almost imperceptibly. “Impossible. I can’t seem to help it.”

  Chapter Fourteen

  Blake found Jill in the breakfast room looking over a sad assortment of cold cereal, boiled eggs, and pre-packaged honey buns. The fact that she was just standing there, making no move to get anything, spoke volumes to him.

  “Okay, come on. I saw a diner across the street. Let’s go.”

  Jill turned, her expression hopeful. “But what about Rick and Camden?”

  “If it makes you feel better, I’ll send them a text and tell them where we’re eating.”

  They stepped outside together. Blake studied the sky, which was darker now than when he’d woken up. Clouds bunched up on the horizon, the air cool, and a stiff breeze pulled at their hair and clothes as they walked to the restaurant. Jill simultaneously fought to keep her bun from being destroyed by the wind and keep her skirt covering her legs, so when it began sprinkling, Blake wasn’t surprised when Jill took off running for the entrance. Picking up his own pace, Blake beat her to the door and held it open for her.

  “You’re pretty good at running in those things,” he said, looking down at her heels.

  Jill smiled. “It’s a good thing too. Otherwise I might have been soaking wet.”

  Sure enough, the sprinkles had turned into a full-on downpour. “The weather around here can’t make up its mind if it wants to be stormy or sunny, can it? I like the rain though.”

  “Me too, when I have a roof over my head.”

  “Let’s find a table by a window then.”

  The waitress was friendly and efficient so they soon had cups of coffee and omelets in front of them. Blake had eaten in the finest restaurants in the country, but he didn’t think he’d ever had a better omelet than this. In fact, he was well pleased with the world. A good rainstorm, Jill for company, and nothing ahead for the day but touring a candy factory. Jill was quiet though, and he wondered why. He searched his brain, trying to figure out what might be causing her strange abstraction.

  As she stared out the window sipping her coffee, she wore a somber expression that worried him. He was on the point of questioning her about it when his phone rang. He glanced at the screen and saw that it was Ivey. Barely repressing a groan, he ended the call, sending her a message that he would call her back soon.

  “You can answer your call if you’d like,” Jill said. “Don’t worry about me.”

  “It’s Ivey. She can wait till we’re done eating. Most likely, she’s just thought of another reason to ask me to come back early.”

  “Has she been doing that a lot?”

  “Several times a day for two days now.”

  “I’m sure she really does need you to come back.” There was a note of humor, maybe even a hint of mockery, in her voice.

  Blake studied her for a moment, knowing exactly what she was thinking. He thought it himself. “Just so you know, any ideas Ivey may have about us being anything more than employer and employee are all in her own head. I have never done anything to encourage her…”

  “Infatuation?”

  Blake felt heat flooding his neck and rising up to his cheeks. He fought hard to control it. “It’s tricky sometimes, working in close quarters with the opposite gender, no matter how professional you mean to be.”

  Jill’s eyes widened then narrowed. Her expression and silence worried him. But when she spoke, her words worried him even more.

  “I’m sure Ivey will be fine. You are a very attractive man, Mr. McDaniel, but no doubt she understands that you have no time in your life for relationships. Or am I the only one you’ve explained that to?”

  Blake wanted to kick himself. “That’s certainly been true, up to now. But sometimes it’s good to reevaluate things.”

  “Since we’re speaking of Ivey, I wouldn’t change your mind yet. She’s very good at her job, but I don’t think she could make you happy. No doubt, when the time comes, you’ll find a beautiful woman who wants nothing more than to devote herself to you and your inevitably adorable children.”

  Blake shook his head, trying to clear it. How had this conversation gotten so tangled? “How did we start talking about my future children?”

  “I don’t know,” Jill said, her voice tight.

  “After watching my mother’s three unhappy marriages dissolve from lack of attention, I’m quite sure I would need to carefully evaluate even the thought of getting married, much less children. But for the record, I would consider it for the right woman.”

  “Well, I’m sure you’ll be quite methodical in your deliberations. You wouldn’t be so foolish as to take a leap because your heart says to, especially for the wrong woman.”

  Blake laid his fork down. “I have no intention of even dating the wrong woman. That’s how people get themselves into trouble.”

  “Yeah, well maybe the wrong sort is exactly the right one, but you’ll never know because you don’t give her a chance.”

  “Jill, what the heck are we talking about anyway?” Blake shook his head. “I just wanted you to know that there’s nothing between me and Ivey.”

  “I’m glad to hear it because you’re a good man and I wouldn’t want you to be unhappy. Now, what do you say we end this rather awkward conversation and get on with our day?”

  Blake picked up his fork. “Sounds good to me. I think the sooner we can get you to some chocolate, the better.”

  “Agreed.”

  Ten minutes later, Rick picked them up right outside the door, but Blake still got soaked. After opening Jill’s door for her, he ran around to his. When he got the door shut, his black t-shirt was a darker black on his shoulders and water streamed from his hair. Rick drove them back to the hotel to get their things and check out. Blake quickly packed and handed his suitcase to Rick, then went to the front desk to see about getting an umbrella.

  He approached the young man at the reception desk and asked, “I would like to buy an umbrella. Could you help me?”

  “I’m sorry, sir, but we don’t sell umbrellas.”

  “I know, but if you or someone else here happened to have one they’d be willing to sell, I’d be grateful.” Then Blake pulled out his wallet and put a hundred-dollar bill down on the counter.

  “All of that for an umbrella?”

  “Yes. Can you get me one?”

  The clerk’s eyes grew wide and he stood straighter, a sense of urgency about him. “Yes. I have one. Just a moment.”

  He came back less than a minute later with a large, black umbrella. “Perfect. Thank you so much.”

  “Thank you,” the clerk said, picking up the bill.

  Jill came out of the elevator then. Her posture was stiff and her expression was tight. She barely glanced at him as she hurried toward the exit. He followed behind, calm, but hoping that before this day ended, he could figure out what was going on with her.

  It was still raining when they got to Gourmand’s factory five hours later in northern Mississippi. The storm system sweeping across the southern states was massive, and growing more volatile as the day wore on. Rick pulled up as close as he could to the entrance, but there were thirty or forty yards to go to the front door.

  “Wait till I come around for you,” Blake said to Jill. “I have an umbrella. Camden, you wait too so you can get in without your computer getting wet.”

  “Where’d you get that?”

  “I bought it off a guy at the hotel. And worth every penny.”

&nb
sp; “How many pennies?” she asked as he was closing the door. And in the commotion of getting her out of the car and under the umbrella, she didn’t press him for an answer. Once she was inside, she caught his arm as he started to take the umbrella back to Camden. “Thank you, Blake.”

  “You got it.” He strode back through the rain.

  “My mascara thanks you too,” she called to him.

  He was still smiling when he handed the umbrella over to Camden, who jumped out of the car clutching his computer bag to his chest. Blake and Rick both got soaked, but Rick didn’t even seem to notice. Blake just didn’t care. It was the least of his worries, he realized, when they walked into Trevor Walton’s office.

  The man took one look at their group, focused on Jill, and headed straight for her with his arms held out for a hug. Blake’s shoulders tensed, ready to push the guy back. Rick must have noticed because he put a hand on Blake’s shoulder and gripped tightly, just long enough to curb Blake’s impulse. Jill didn’t need any help anyway. She put one arm up, bracing against his shoulder to keep him at a distance. Because she smiled at him and offered her hand to shake, there was nothing Trevor could do but respond accordingly.

  “I’m so glad you’re all here. Ready to be amazed? Let me take you on a tour.”

  “Perfect,” Jill said. “But Camden needs to meet with one of your managers or accountants.”

  Blake watched as Trevor’s assurance ebbed for two seconds, but he smiled even wider than before and shook his head. “Of course. We can drop him off on the way.”

  Blake hung back as the others funneled through the door and Rick stood behind his shoulder. “I don’t like that man,” he said under his breath. “Not from the beginning, and even less now.”

  “I know, Boss. His eyes wander too freely.”

  Clenching his jaw, Blake strode through the door, determined to keep a close eye on Trevor Walton. The man’s behavior was nearly impeccable throughout the tour, though Blake did catch him staring at Jill’s chest a few times instead of her face. His rapt attention when she sampled the chocolates and licked a swirl of caramel off her bottom lips didn’t escape Blake’s attention either. But neither by word or gesture did Trevor step out of line through the whole tour. In fact, Blake rather enjoyed the fact that Jill’s continuing bad humor seemed to throw the man off balance.

  After two hours, Trevor faced their small group. “Is there anything else you’d like to see?”

  “Not today,” Jill said. “But when I come back tomorrow, I hope to have a better idea of what I want to learn. I’ll see you in the morning, Trevor.”

  “Morning?” He leaned closer and lowered his voice, but Blake still easily heard what he said. “I hoped you and I might be able to have dinner tonight.”

  Without bothering to lower her voice at all, Jill said. “Thanks, but no. I’m so tired from traveling the last few days that all I want is to go back to the hotel.”

  Trevor glanced at Blake, then angled his shoulders in an attempt to have more privacy with Jill. Blake wasn’t able to hear what he said this time, but noticed that Rick had edged forward a few feet away. Rick didn’t appear to be listening, but Blake knew he was.

  After only a few seconds, Jill shook her head firmly. “No thanks. Like I said, I’ll see you tomorrow.” She stepped away from Trevor, her eyes seeming to search for Blake’s. As he stood watching her, he nodded slightly and saw her shoulders relax. As she headed for the exit, Blake fell into step beside her.

  Outside, the only rain still falling were drips plopping down from a maple tree. Blake looked to the sky, wondering if it was just a break or if the storm had passed. He’d check the radar once they were on the road. For now, his first priority was learning what Trevor had said to Jill. After he opened her door and closed it behind her, he motioned for Rick to wait before getting into the car. Walking around to meet him, Blake asked. “What did he ask her?”

  Rick turned his back to the car windows and murmured. “He asked if he could bring dinner to her hotel room and eat there with her.”

  Not surprised, Blake pressed his lips together. Whatever Jill’s recommendations for this candy company ended up being, he had no intention of keeping Trevor Walton in his employment.

  Chapter Fifteen

  Jill wondered what Blake and Rick were talking about outside the car, but mostly she just wanted them to get in already. She had plans for the evening, and they didn’t entail sitting around in a parking lot. When they finally got in, she got straight to the point. “Okay, Rick. Take me somewhere I can buy chocolate.”

  “Yes, ma’am.”

  Blake wasn’t so compliant. “Chocolate? You do realize that you just ate some and that you have a whole bag of samples in your purse?”

  “Yes, but I need comparison chocolate. We have work to do tonight.”

  Rick found a small-town grocery store. Jill strode into the store, intent on her mission. Blake and Camden followed but kept out of her way. She grabbed a shopping cart and headed off to find the candy aisle.

  “How much chocolate do you need?” Camden asked.

  “As much as I can find. That is, as many different kinds as we can find. Let’s hope this store has a good candy section.”

  Blake disappeared while Camden helped her search out candy comparable to the samples she had in her purse. From the cheapest chocolate to the premium stuff made with more cocoa than sugar, they tossed it into the cart. After fifteen minutes, she had a good selection, including a few bags of chocolate chips. She was headed to checkout when she realized she didn’t know where Blake was. But then she saw him, waiting near the exit with two bags in his hand, staring down at his phone.

  “Very helpful,” she said after paying and walking over to him.

  “No problem. I do what I can.”

  “I was being sarcastic.”

  “No way,” Blake said, a teasing light in his eyes. “But you were right. I was being helpful. I got a supply of drinks and salty snacks to help us survive the evening. I have this crazy feeling you’re going to make us eat all that chocolate you just bought.”

  “I’m just going to make you taste it. That’s not too bad, right?”

  “No. I’ve faced worse in my life. But I just can’t eat too much sugar without something savory to balance it out.”

  Back at the hotel, they checked in, and Camden grabbed a candy bar. “You have two of these, so do you mind if I have one?”

  “Not at all.”

  “Thanks. I’ll say goodnight. I have some phone calls to make.”

  Jill smiled, knowing he meant his fiancé. He was lucky his relationship had worked out so easily. Why couldn’t her life be like that?

  After dropping her bag off in her room, Jill headed across the hall to Blake’s room with the chocolate. Rick opened the door for her, stepping to the side to let her pass in the narrow space. Blake had his back to her, checking out the view through the dark glass.

  “There can’t be much to see out there,” Jill told him. She dumped the candy out on the large coffee table in front of the couch and began organizing it.

  “There’s a gas station with a dubious name and strip mall with half the signs burned out.”

  “Well, it’s time to get to work. Stop slacking off.”

  Blake sat across from her, looking at the spread of chocolate with apprehension. “Why don’t you tell me exactly what it is we’re doing here.”

  Jill picked up a chocolate turtle from Gourmand’s Fine Candy and one from a national chain. “We are going to see if there is an obvious difference in quality. Because when we ate Elysian’s ice cream, there was an obvious difference between their product and the national brands. Taste, texture, weight. I’m not sure there is here.”

  Peeling open both packages, she broke both pieces of chocolate in half and handed one of each to Blake. He took them, and together they took bites.

  After a moment, they looked at each other, and Jill tried to gauge Blake’s reaction. “About the same, isn’t
it?”

  “Maybe not even as good.”

  Jill sighed. “Let’s do some more comparisons.” She reached for more chocolate. Twenty minutes later, she looked up from the pile of chocolate wrappers and partially eaten chocolates, leaned back on the couch, and groaned. “I’m done. Everything is starting to taste the same.”

  Blake sat beside her with an open bag of potato chips. “Here. This will help, I promise.”

  Jill reached into the bag and grabbed out a few chips. “Thanks.” She munched them for a minute then said, “Nate raved about this chocolate to me. He said his grandpa always gave it to his grandma as a special treat, and it was such a luxury that she would only eat a little at a time. That’s why he bought the company when it was going under. He couldn’t stand to see quality product and a family recipe go under just because they needed backing. But this just tastes like your average supermarket chocolate.”

  Blake shrugged. “I only bought it from Nate because it sold the overall deal with Nate. Honestly, I have no attachment to it like Nate did. I hate to close businesses, but with their profits down and their underwhelming product, I don’t know what else to do. I can’t float it forever.”

  Jill turned her head and looked up at him. “I understand. Nate has better judgement than this though. There’s something I’m missing.”

  Blake put the bag of chips down on the pile of candy wrappers and picked up a white chocolate truffle. “I’m ready to fire Trevor now.”

  “No, you can’t do that.”

  “I certainly can. Or, maybe I’ll just dispose of the whole thing and let it be someone else’s headache.”

  “The brand would be ruined if you did that.” A note of panic crept into her voice. “I have more time. Wait just a week and half longer before you do anything.”

  “Okay, I’ll wait. Unless there’s a compelling reason why I shouldn’t.” Blake reached for a wrapped truffle.

  “I can’t believe you’re eating more chocolate.”

  He turned on the couch so that he was facing her. “I have to find that balance. A little sweet. A little savory. It’s tricky.”