The Luxury of Being Stubborn (The Stubborn Series Book 4)

by Jeanne Arnold

  “That’s why I’m back. Can you get away?” he asked and touched my leg with his free hand.

  “I guess. I’ll leave a note for Gabe. He doesn’t check his phone. We hardly get reception.” I crossed my arms and willed his hand off me. “What happened with Judson last night? Did Joel say anything to him about what Gabe told him about Barrett?”

  “Haven’t heard a lick. I went home and changed the locks.”

  “You did not,” I said as I studied his face. He was wearing glasses.

  “Caleb can sleep on your roof for all I care.”

  I stood up and reached for the door handle. “I’ll go change and we can go.”

  I snuck into the bedroom and found a clean sundress hanging from the door. Since my mother and Deliah had been sewing clothes, my choices were endless. I yanked off my T-shirt and slipped the dress over my head. Two strong hands wrapped around my middle just as I was about to pull down the skirt.

  “Good morning,” Gabe whispered into my ear. I could tell he had a pair of shorts on, but his chest was warm to my back.

  “I didn’t mean to wake you.”

  He pressed his body against me. I managed to turn around in his arms, and he took my hands and held them down so I couldn’t push him away. He smelled like morning and peppermint Tic Tacs.

  “I’m going to work. I’m changing.”

  “I see that,” he said as he kissed my mouth and then stepped back. I moved sideways thinking I could escape and pull down my dress, but he tackled me. We fell to the bed, and he quickly rolled off my chest so I could breathe.

  “Gabe, I need to go. You got me the stupid job.”

  “Quit,” he said as he dropped his leg over mine. His hand skated up my side and continued its heavenly assault until he raised the dress to where it was over my head and I was completely exposed. “I’ll hire you to stay here like this all day.”

  “I’m glad you feel better, but I’m—”

  “I gotta use the can,” Lane announced from the hall. He glanced through the half-open door and caught my eye and the image of my completely naked body barring the dress jumbled at my hands. “Holy shit.” He laughed and walked into the bathroom. “Y’all carry on as you were.”

  “Gabe—oh my god! Get off me,” I said as I tried to kick him.

  He jumped up and slammed the door. “What the frick is he doing here? Who let him in? Christ, Av’ry, you’re bare-ass-naked!”

  “You were asleep. He was outside waiting,” I said as I put on my underwear. How could he not see how he played a major part of the last two minutes?

  Gabe watched me finish dressing. He was blocking the door when I was ready to leave.

  “You’re not going with him.”

  “He’s giving me a ride.”

  “No, he ain’t,” he said childishly.

  I took his hand off the doorknob, and he put it right back. “I’m not hiding in here for the rest of my life. I need something to eat. He’s seen boobs before.”

  Gabe scowled and stared me down. He didn’t move. I couldn’t tell what he was planning to do apart from killing his brother. I reached for his neck and ran my thumbs over his jaw. Slowly, a grin spread across his face.

  “He’s never seen anything like these,” he said smugly and tugged at the top of my dress.

  We waited for Lane to go outside. Gabe followed me to his brother’s truck. He walked barefoot through the mud puddles and opened the door for me to climb up. I finished my slice of apple so he could kiss me goodbye. The kiss was for show, but he left me wanting to follow him back into the house.

  “I’ll be back before you know it.”

  He shot an evil glare at his brother and shut the door.

  Lane didn’t say anything for a few minutes. There was nothing I could do to erase the image from his brain.

  “I’m sorry you had to see that.”

  “I’m not,” he said with a straight face.

  “Can you please forget about it?”

  “No can do.”

  “Lane, please?”

  He shook his head and headed to the main highway.

  “So now what? You’re going to act weird around me because of what you saw? That’s just what Gabe needs.” I curled into my door and stared out the window.

  “I won’t lie, Avery. I want you.” He accelerated in front of a truck carrying oil pipes. “But you don’t have to worry. I had some time to think while I was away. I’m gonna do right by my family and leave the past in the past.”

  Halden Tower projected from the landscape when we crested a steep hill. The HalRem compound was a massive mirrored structure fenced by a stone and wrought iron wall. The tower was soaring. It was a reflection of the sky, yet I could see how tall and contrasting it was to the countryside.

  “I thought we were going to your office to work.”

  He grinned out of the corner of his mouth. “We are.”

  Lane stopped at a gate and waited for the doors to swing open. He drove inside the walls and pulled his truck up to a security booth where a man in a HalRem shirt and hat stepped out onto the driveway. The sign on the building behind him said Halden-Remington Corporate Headquarters Security Station.

  “Morning, Mr. Halden,” he said to Lane.

  “Have you had any problems on the perimeter?”

  “No, sir. Two media outlets sat here all night. When your father arrived, he ordered them to leave. Do you have identification for your passenger?”

  “Almost forgot the new tags.” Lane reached over my leg and opened the glove box. He pulled out two badges and flashed them at the man. He clipped one to his shirt, then slipped his finger behind the strap of my dress and fixed a badge to my shoulder. I didn’t swat his hand away, but I wanted to. “I registered her vehicle this morning. She’s in the system. This is Avery Ross.”

  “Very well, sir. Please check in at the front desk.” He leaned into the window and greeted me. “Welcome, ma’am. Have a nice day.”

  Lane drove ahead. The driveway was about a half mile long. The entire drive was lined with flagpoles waving the Texas flag, the American flag, and the HalRem flag. The landscaping along the drive had a Texas quality.

  “Why do I feel like we’re entering a military fortress?”

  “Dad’s big on security. You’ll get used to it. We get fingerprinted inside.” He set his hand behind me on the seat. Gabe always did that.

  “Is this all open? Is it running now?”

  “Everyone essential reports today. It’s a soft opening. He’s not inviting the public for months. But the main offices are cleared for business, and orientation starts next week.”

  “Even with what’s going on with Judson?” I asked.

  “Especially because of that. Draws attention away.”

  “I can’t believe he could build this so fast. We broke ground in the winter.”

  “That was all for show, Avery. That ceremony wasn’t even on this land.”

  I leaned into the window so I could stare at him. “No way.”

  “He started building late spring—last year. Nobody noticed he was filing permits because he’s always filing permits for wells and whatnot. The main roads didn’t exist so the only way anyone could see the construction was from a plane. The tower didn’t go up until late winter. He monitored flights and headed off anyone who could potentially figure out what he was building.”

  “You knew all of this?”

  Lane slowed down as a large truck passed us. “None of the family knew he was coordinating the relocation from Texas to North Dakota.”

  “That must have been way before the tornado.”

  “When Eli died, my dad had a change of heart about his future.”

  We passed parking lots full of pickup trucks and HalRem utility trucks.

  Lane took a turn onto a circle as we approached the building. I was mesmerized by the vast amount of windows and glass walls on the tower. It was out of this world. I looked up and couldn’t even see the top.

 
“Where are we going?”

  “Underground parking.”

  We stopped at a gate around the corner from the impressive entrance where the name Halden-Remington Global Holdings and International Trading Corporation Headquarters was spelled out above the words Halden-Remington Oilfield Services in all capital letters. The gate opened, and a man waved us through.

  “Dad’s here,” Lane said as he drove down an incline. We parked beside Mr. Halden’s silver Bentley. There was an elevator door in front of us.

  “Private parking,” I read. “Lane Halden.” I looked around. Gabe had a parking spot with his name on it. So did Caleb and Josh and Mrs. Joel Halden. I didn’t see a spot for Uncle Judson.

  “There’s another bunker on the back of the building. This here’s the family parking lot. You can use Gabe’s spot for work. He’s pretty damn adamant he’s not stepping foot in here.”

  The elevator opened. There was no button. Lane signaled for me to get in. The walls were made of mirrors and tiny lights that looked like stars.

  “Are we working here from now on?”

  Lane tipped his HalRem cap. He was staring at me in my reflection. The elevator lit up as we reached the first floor. I could see out of the walls. We were riding in a tube. He stepped out first once the doors opened.

  “Howdy,” Lane said to the woman at the desk.

  We were inside the main lobby. Men and women in hard hats were using the space as a concourse. When I looked up, I could see all the way up an atrium at least twenty-floors high. The company names were written on the wall below a Texas flag that was three-stories high and made of glass panels. I could see through it to the front driveway, but the flag wasn’t visible in the mirrors looking in.

  “This here’s Avery.”

  “Good morning. Y’all will want to follow me this way,” she said with a noticeable Texas drawl.

  I followed Lane down a corridor that reminded me of an airport. He pointed to a round plaque on the wall but didn’t explain. “Platinum LEED certified,” I said aloud. “Should I know what that means?”

  “Green building. Environmentally accountable,” he replied over his shoulder. “No need to go waving your signs.”

  I didn’t laugh at his joke.

  Farther along, there was a digital display on the wall explaining the different divisions of the company. Health and Human Services was set up on the fourth floor of the tower. Environmental and Conservation was in the east wing of the compound, and Research and Development was housed in the west wing.

  Inside a minimally decorated office, the receptionist opened a cabinet and pulled out two hard hats. “Orange for visitors and employees,” she said. “Can I get you coffee or breakfast?”

  “No thanks,” I told her.

  Lane set the hat on my head and grinned.

  We followed the woman back to the desk. “Have you toured the runway?” she asked.

  I drew my attention to Lane. “Runway? You never said anything about an airport.”

  “We have helicopter pads, one on the roof, one on the north side,” answered the receptionist. “The runway is out back.”

  “We’ll be able to see from the office,” Lane replied. “Are you sure you don’t want to eat? One of the shops is open for the contractors. They do made-to-order breakfast.”

  “How many are there?” I whispered.

  “We’ll have five smaller cafés. I think there will be two cafeterias and a restaurant. The lieutenant wanted that for his overnight guests.”

  “Is there a hotel in here?”

  “The twenty-first floor will be guest apartments.”

  I covered my mouth. I had no words. I was happy for the distraction. I didn’t think Lane was thinking about me naked anymore.

  “Penthouse,” Lane said with a sly twinkle in his eye as the doors closed on the glass elevator.

  “Did you just tell the elevator where to go?” I asked in my quietest voice.

  He answered with his hazel eyes, then crossed his arms over his shirt and glared at me. I turned my chin and ignored him. I understood the non-verbal conversation. It was foolish of me to believe he would have memory loss so soon.

  I tried not to look out as we climbed into the sky. I was relieved when the doors opened. Lane stepped out. I followed.

  “Good morning, Miss Ross,” said Mr. Halden. He was leaning on a desk in a lobby staring at the tablet in his hand. I noticed the desk behind him was piled high with wedding presents. He wore jeans and a Williston T-shirt. I expected to see him in a suit and tie. He finished what he was doing and looked up. “Welcome to Halden Tower. You can lose the hard hat.”

  “Thanks,” I said as I stepped closer. He set his hand on my shoulder and squeezed.

  “What’s the verdict? I value your opinion.”

  The shiny white floor under my feet was incredible. It made the room look as if it was bigger than a football field. There was a conference table long enough to hold two dozen people. Screens hung from beams that ran across the ceiling. Couches and swivel chairs and round tables were placed strategically to make the office appear cozy amidst the construction. In the center of the space was a spiral staircase that disappeared into the ceiling.

  “It’s…it’s wonderful,” I said tongue-tied and nearly speechless.

  “Sir, you have a call waiting,” said a woman holding a cellphone for Mr. Halden. “It’s urgent.”

  “Take Miss Ross upstairs. Show her around,” he told Lane. He stepped away to address the phone and two men wearing orange hard hats who were carrying blueprints. “You could see Canada if it weren’t for the clouds.”

  “This is amazing,” I whispered to Lane when he and I were alone on what appeared to be a staircase made of gold. “Do I really get to work here?”

  “In my office across the hall,” he said. “We haven’t exactly worked out your title. Or mine for that matter.”

  I stopped walking, and he bumped into me. “I’ll do anything.”

  Lane’s hands rested on my hips. I shot a glimpse over my shoulder.

  “Be careful,” he said as he gave me those hazel eyes that made him look sort of sad and sort of lost and sort of mischievous all at the same time. “The stairs are highly polished.”

  “I didn’t mean I’d do anything, anything. I mean, I’m happy to have the job here.”

  “I know what ya meant.”

  “Where are we going?”

  “The real penthouse,” he said. “In case you ever wanted to know what it was like to rule the world.”

  The ceiling in the penthouse was glass. We emerged into the space overlooking the entire back lawn. The airstrip was visible. I walked all the way to the wall of windows without seeing anything else and gawked at the view. In front of me, through the clearing drizzle, was Williston and hundreds of oil derricks and burn off flames and truck traffic. I wanted to stretch my arms out and lean into the glass.

  “We look out at the front lawn,” said Lane as he stepped beside me.

  “This is unbelievable,” I said.

  Mr. Halden stood behind me, his voice startling. He looked up from his phone. “I have three private elevators in different sections of the tower. Margareta can sneak in from the parking garage without anyone seeing her.”

  “Has Meggie been up here?”

  Mr. Halden nodded. I could have sworn he blushed. “She’s coming by later.”

  “Has my father been up here?”

  “He’ll be moving in this week. His office is on the fifth floor. SSE—Seismic Sonar Exploration.”

  “Oil dowsing department,” said Lane. “He’s out preforming his witchcraft in Montana today.”

  “Miss Ross,” Mr. Halden started.

  “It’s still Avery,” I said.

  “Avery. Not only is Margareta thrilled to have your family in North Dakota, but your father is a valuable asset to our sonar team. This is going to be a family affair.”

  “Lieutenant,” someone beckoned from a large arched doorway that led to
a conference room with a screen the size of the wall. I could see a USAF jet fighter pilot helmet hanging on the adjacent wall. “Sir, can I pull you away for a moment?”

  “Excuse me,” said Mr. Halden. “My team is starting to arrive.”

  Lane touched my elbow, and I studied his face.

  “Does that have something to do with Judson? Do you think he took it serious when Gabe shouted in the police station?”

  Lane shook his head slowly. “I’m sure he’s handling it.”

  “He’s trying to butter me up so I’ll get Gabe to come back to work, isn’t he?”

  The grin on Lane’s face irritated me. “Do you want to see his private office? The one he’s not going to let anyone in once it’s done?”

  “Sure,” I said reluctantly as I scanned the enormous top level.

  Lane headed to a wall of curved doors that were hiding something special as the elevator dinged and opened behind me. I twisted my neck to spy a woman and man step out. They were both dressed in business suits and looked like staunch professionals. I watched the woman as she waddled into the open space in her three-inch heels, balancing an armful of binders. Her hair was pulled back into a tight bun, and she carried a leather briefcase over her shoulder while struggling to keep from dropping her belongings.

  I couldn’t move my feet fast enough to help her. I was beginning to think I was stuck in some twisted dream. When she got a look at me, I swallowed against the lump in my throat. I felt a touch of relief when she gave the impression that she couldn’t place my face.

  Quite the opposite, I was getting good at placing her face, her blue eyes, and her striking red hair.

  “Elizabeth,” exclaimed Mr. Halden as he returned. “You’re looking well.”

  “Elizabeth?” I muttered under my breath.

  She must have heard me. She set her pile of paperwork on the table with a thud and offered me her hand. “I’m the new girl—Elizabeth Meigs—international oil and gas transactional attorney for Halden-Remington.”

  Ten

  “You might consider getting yourself a North Dakota driver license,” Lane told me after he watched me get my photo taken for the HalRem directory.