Always On My Mind: A Bad Boy Rancher Love Story (The Dawson Brothers Book 1)

by Ali Parker

The darkness tucked in around her, and she let herself imagine a more grown up Kade, his body filled out, with strong muscles cording down his arms and down the length of his back. His sandy brown hair was a little long, his smile still wide and welcoming, and his sky blue eyes were filled with promises she could only hope to enjoy. She chuckled at herself as the visions of a first date, their wedding day and a white picket fence swam through her mind’s eye.

  “Slow down there … you haven’t even found him again.” Found him again?

  Was she going to look for him? No, she couldn’t do that. That would appear desperate, and if she were being honest with herself, she knew he was most likely happily married to some hippy chick he’d met in California, and they probably had a band and a house and four boys they were raising.

  She exhaled slowly, her mind moving through various scenarios fast enough to give her heartburn. If he was in the world somewhere, one thing was for sure, she needed to find him. Rebecca just needed to know why he never saw her the way she saw him. She needed to see him to make sure that whatever had existed between them, at least in her mind, was gone.

  Then she could get on with her life. Then she could date other guys and not compare them to Kade. He hadn’t been a part of her existence for sixteen years, and yet he was still haunting her almost daily. She turned onto her side and tried to swallow the sadness that moved in swiftly and hung over her. She just wanted to be happy. To have a husband and a few kids, like all her friends did. Here she was, mid-thirties and still single, with no romantic prospects.

  “Pathetic,” she whispered as a tear fell onto her waiting pillow.

  Chapter 2

  “There you are. I was starting to think someone snatched you up at the bar last night, but then I remembered that Trisha was there.” Parker looked up from the reception area as Rebecca rushed in, out of breath.

  She stopped and let her briefcase land in a nearby plush crimson chair, their waiting room quite impressive for the small operation they ran. Appearances were everything, or so Parker always reminded her.

  “I got home late last night and meant to shower and didn’t, so I promised myself I’d get up this morning—”

  He cut her off. “But you didn’t, or you did, but late.”

  She rolled her eyes, collected her bag and walked toward her office, the small hall that led from the front lobby to all of the offices decorated in St. Patrick’s Day paraphernalia. “Is our receptionist missing in action too?”

  “She quit.”

  “She what?” Rebecca slipped into her small office, depositing her stuff and walking back out to stand beside Parker. She put her hands on her hips, her black pencil skirt getting a little snug, which meant less beer and more treadmill.

  “You heard me. She called in this morning and quit.”

  “Why? She’s the third one in the last few months. Why on earth would someone not want to work here?” She threw her hands in the air to accentuate how ridiculous the situation was getting.

  “It’s because we don’t pay enough and”—he lifted his finger in the air, stopping her from making a quick rebuttal—”… and because we don’t offer a gym membership or a housing allowance.”

  “Housing allowance? We’re not a freaking church, and we don’t have a parsonage. Even if we did, you and I would be the ones living there. We’re the bosses!”

  He laughed and shook his head. “Yes, we are, but calm down. It really isn’t that big of a deal. It’s unfortunate, but we’ll find another one. We always do.”

  “We need to hire someone who has a more professional demeanor this time. The women we’ve had up here have been ridiculous, always filing their nails or bitching on the phone. This is a professional environment, and we need someone who can put that image forward. There are plenty of qualified women out there … or maybe we should even consider hiring a man.”

  “You called for a man?” Jason walked down the hall, the young man smiling like a tomcat.

  Rebecca stifled the need to roll her eyes; his perfectly starched navy suit fit him well and his brown hair was combed in a very businesslike manner. He really was the epitome of professionalism, but he was young, and his innocence sat on him like a bright neon sign.

  She pointed to the chair just behind Parker and smiled at Jason. “I did call. You’ve been promoted.”

  His eyebrows lifted as he moved a few feet from her, wise enough to leave some distance between them. “Oh yeah? To what?”

  “To receptionist.” She smiled back and reached for Parker, grabbing his arm and tugging him toward her office before Jason could throw in a rebuttal.

  “He can’t be the receptionist, Becca. He’s taking the last part of his CPA exam. He’s brilliant and answering the ph—”

  She put her finger to his face, her expression filled with the angst that pulsed through her. “Shut it. I know he’s not the new receptionist. I was just getting him to fill in until you and I can find someone else. He’s going to be great for this firm, and you need to find him a girlfriend.”

  “A girlfriend? He doesn’t have one?”

  “I don’t think so, but you need to get busy locating one.”

  “And why would I need to do that?”

  “Help him settle down a little. He needs a reason to stick around the area, otherwise he’ll be off to bigger and better things as soon as he finishes that exam.”

  She glared at her partner as he leaned back out of her office door, his eyes gazing out into the lobby. “He’s such a good looking kid. He’s got everything going for him. What woman wouldn’t want that?” He gave her a pointed stare.

  She crossed her arms over her chest and growled softly. “Me. I don’t want that.”

  He laughed and moved into the office, closing the door behind him and sitting down in the open chair in front of her desk. “Oh, that’s right. You’d rather not have anyone. What was I thinking?”

  “I’m not in the mood.” Rebecca dropped her arms, walked to her chair and sat down, turning to poke at various buttons on her computer to bring it to life.

  “You’re never in the mood. Here you are, trying to get me to hook up the twenty-two-year-old kid in our lobby with someone, and you’re headed into your forties and not even looking.”

  “Forties?” She looked over at him and gasped at his words. She was only thirty-four. Surely you had to at least be thirty-seven to be on the downhill slide to forty, but there was no reasoning with him. He was right, of course, but she’d rather dunk her head in acid with her mouth opened than tell him that.

  “You know what I mean.” He huffed and slouched in his chair. “Becca, you’re beautiful and successful. A million great guys would be knocking down your door if you’d just let them.”

  She turned back to her computer, wanting to be done with the conversation that they seemed to have every other day. “I’m not stopping anyone from knocking down my door.”

  “Yes you are.”

  She looked over to glare at him with pseudo-intensity. “Name one guy I’m stopping.”

  “Jason.” Parker laughed and covered his face with his hands, and Rebecca grabbed a rubber band and let it loose in his direction.

  “Find him a girl. Now.”

  “Why not give the guy a chance?”

  “The boy.”

  “He’s in his twenties, Becca. He’s not a boy, he’s a man.”

  “He’s a boy. Get out. I have things to do.”

  “And I don’t?” Parker stood, feigning hurt feelings.

  She smiled over at him and nodded. “You sure do. You have a boy who needs help finding a girl.”

  He nodded and opened the door. “You’re right, and I have just the girl for him.”

  She stopped what she was doing, a little surprised by his sudden moment of clarity. “You do? Who?”

  He laughed and moved into the hallway. “You.”

  Rebecca worked without interruption for a few hours, a small sound of reminder coming from her computer right before lunch
. She was meeting with a client for an introductory consultation and then getting on a call on her way back from work with the new contractor that was coming out to inspect the work on her new house. She’d fired the last one a few weeks back, not able to put up with their sliding fees and jacked up timetable. Moving into the house was important to her, but not so much so that she was willing to give up quality or extra dollars.

  She was wealthy for a reason.

  “I hope your appointment with Mr. Vandenbilt goes well.”

  Rebecca stood, turning to smile at Jason over her shoulder. “Me too. Thanks for watching the front this morning. You know I was just kidding about the promotion.”

  He smiled and nodded, tugging at the light blue tie that sat perfectly around his muscular neck. “I figured as much. I can’t understand why someone wouldn’t want to work here with us. Everyone is so pleasant, and the location is just fantastic.”

  She unplugged a few cables and picked up her computer bag, nodding at him and wondering if he’d politely get the hint that the conversation was over. He didn’t, which was exactly why she considered him a boy. He was still staring at her expectantly. She zipped her bag and sighed, moving her long red hair behind her shoulder. “It is a great location. So, you’re good for the rest of the day on workload?”

  He nodded and pointed to her bag. “You want me to carry that? I don’t mind walking you to your car.”

  She bit back a response that wouldn’t have been exactly professional. Did he not realize that he was stepping over the line of professionalism, or did he just not care? Ignorance or too much testosterone?

  “No, but thank you. I’m good.” She picked up her bag, pulled her coat over her arm and walked toward the door, Jason moving back and smiling at her. She smiled back and turned to walk toward the reception area. The feeling of his eyes following her made her resolve to have a conversation with him. One he wasn’t going to particularly enjoy.

  She touched her fingers to her brow, rubbing it and trying to think through why she was so put off by his attention. Most women would love to be the object of a younger man’s appreciation, especially one that looked like Jason. That was it … he was attractive, and she was concerned about feelings beginning to grow between them.

  She’d worked far too hard to build up her company to watch it crumble due to the effects of tainted lust.

  “No thank you,” she whispered and put the thought behind her.

  “Tell me again why we should hire your firm, Mrs. Martin?” Mr. Vandenbilt sat across the table from her in the swank and flashy restaurant.

  “I really think that focusing on the reasons that you shouldn’t would be much easier and less time consuming.” Rebecca pulled her black napkin into her lap, her legs crossed and back stiff as a board. If working in the public forum for a few years had done anything, it had given her a sense of confidence that was almost unbreakable. She wasn’t cocky, but she was damn close.

  He smiled, his hands coming to rest in his lap. He was most likely in his mid-sixties. The company made various specialized parts for oil and gas rigs—one-of-a-kind parts, which made him very rich. He waited a few moments and then spoke, which was a power play of sorts, but she just sat with supreme confidence, knowing that the only way to gain the respect of someone like Mr. Vandenbilt was to match him head-to-head.

  “Please, do enlighten me.”

  The server walked toward them, only to stop as Rebecca’s male companion lifted his hand and waved the young girl off. Rebecca paid the girl no attention, her eyes only for the tycoon in front of her. His account on their payroll would bring in a cool half a million dollars a year, and that was just for starters.

  “Of course.” She paused, reaching to take a sip of the water glass in front of her. The restaurant was completely full, and yet the respectful silence was almost puzzling. “Vandenbilt is not in need of another company to support them in the specialization of their products. You know your business and you do it well. What you need is a strong accounting and marketing presence. Your sales were down 18.4 percent last quarter, and this was namely due to a restructuring of your debt portfolio that could have been avoided. The lack of marketing talent in your organization is, I’m sure, a concern to you, but I would simply tell you that it shouldn’t be. Your specialty is the ring-gasket parts that you make so well. You shouldn’t put your energy and effort into the back office business functions, which would cause you to waste time and lose efficiency. So, what you don’t need is someone like you.”

  He nodded, his eyebrow raising. “And what do I need, then?”

  “Me.” She smiled and waved for the server to come back toward them.

  They ordered lunch and spent the next few hours going over various graphs and charts, Rebecca moving her dish so she could bring out her laptop to show her hopeful client the projections that she and Parker had worked up earlier that week to wow the older man. He asked plenty of great questions, and she fed off of his brilliance, excitement bubbling up inside of her at being challenged in such a way. The account would be great for the firm, but the relationship she was creating would be fruitful for her as well. She thrived on difficulty and the demand for proof of excellence.

  They’d both relaxed, but only a little, by the time dessert was offered. He ordered a crème brûlée and she simply requested coffee.

  He sat back, a smile on his face and more welcome in his tone. “How about this? How about I don’t hire your firm and just pay you twice as much as what you’re making to come work for me?”

  She smiled and sat back as well, her posture a little more casual, but if she remembered one thing, it was that there were no friendships in business. Everything was an interview, and she was smack dab in the middle of one.

  “I think that sounds like a lovely idea, but my entrepreneurial spirit would be quickly suffocated, and you’d be looking to hire another two firms to take the place of what my one firm is offering you.” She winked and he laughed.

  “Well, you have to give an old man credit for trying.”

  Rebecca welcomed her coffee and a few minutes to gather her final thoughts. She needed to close the deal in the next few minutes, or chances were, it wouldn’t close. You had to lure them in, hook ’em and then reel fast and hard, or you’d be out a meal ticket. She waited until Mr. Vandenbilt finished eating before she hit him one more time.

  “So, tell me what it’s going to take to have Vandenbilt Enterprises contract my firm’s expertise and make your life easier, your numbers better and your business more liquid.”

  He reached for his wallet and shook his head. “I’m sold. Draw up the papers and I’ll sign them. All that will be left is a presentation to the board in a week or so on the new partnership we’ve created. You will give that presentation.”

  She agreed to the presentation, reaching for her briefcase and pulling out a file. “I already drew the papers up. I always come prepared for the best. Optimism to a fault.”

  He laughed and accepted her offer, signing and leaving room for a sign-on bonus should their numbers increase within the first few months.

  “I was brilliant. You should’ve been there,” Rebecca said quickly and with excitement into the phone.

  Parker gave her a few accolades before lecturing her on preparing the deals before the final agreement was discussed with the client.

  She suffered through his lecture, finding complete validity in it and yet wanting to ignore him. He had to go shortly thereafter, and she had to admit that she was relieved. She hung up the phone and sighed loudly. Why couldn’t he just be thrilled alongside her for once? Always being a negative ninny.

  Her phone buzzed in her hand and she jumped a little, not expecting it. The number wasn’t one she knew, but she was more than used to that.

  She reached over to turn the radio off and answered it. “This is Rebecca.”

  “Hi, Mrs. Martin?” an elderly female inquired.

  “It’s Miss, and who is this, please?”

&nb
sp; “This is Wayland Contractors. I just wanted to verify that you’re going to be meeting one of our new owners in the morning at 1244 Lake Woods Drive?”

  “Oh, yes, I sure am. I’ll be there a little early, but I’ll be meeting him or her at ten on the dot.”

  “It’s a man, and he’s new to our part of town, but he’s working his way up in the company. Great guy.”

  She smiled, thinking about how much the little old lady sounded like someone’s mother, beefing them up for a first day. “Sounds great. Thanks for calling.”

  They hung up and Rebecca couldn’t help but smile as warmth ran through her. A great sale for the company and the thought of being one step closer to moving into her own home, which she’d almost paid for in advance. This new deal would help her finish making those payments and move her closer to having a pool in time for summer.

  Chapter 3

  “You know, if you’re not busy, some of us are grabbing a drink in a few minutes at O’Malley’s down the street.” Jason moved into her doorway, Rebecca looking up from her stack of papers on Vandenbilt, a smile on her face.

  “Oh yeah?” She looked over at the clock on her computer, leaning back a little and then realizing the position jutted her chest out. She corrected it quickly, blush touching her cheeks. She stood up and smoothed down her skirt, her eyes remaining on Jason. “I think I’ll probably just work late and then head to the house. It’s been a long day, and I’m hoping to make some serious progress on my new house this weekend.”

  He leaned against the doorframe, a smile on his handsome face. Crossing his arms, he lifted his eyebrow. “You’re going to work on your house this weekend? As in decorating it or building parts of it?”

  For a younger man, he had the confidence of one a few years older than her. It was none of his business what she was doing for the weekend, and yet without a doubt, he had something else he wanted to add to the end of his questions. If he were just five years older, she wouldn’t think twice about getting drinks with just him. But he wasn’t.