Redeemed by the Cowgirl (Mills & Boon Desire)

by Silver James

  As if Cash recognized where her thoughts had turned, he pushed back from the table and stood. “Bridger, take Roxanne back to my office. Cheri can babysit her until I’m done with my father.”

  Roxanne also stood. “I don’t need a babysitter. I’m sure your assistant has far more important work—” She cut off her sentence when she felt the eyes of the other patrons drilling into her back. “We’ll discuss this on the way to your office. How much do I owe you for lunch?”

  Cash dismissed her question with an insolent wave of his hand. “More than you want to pay, Red.”

  His cryptic answer stunned her enough that she almost missed Harley, but this time, when the dog stuck his head out from under the table, Roxie managed to snap the leash on his collar and wipe his muzzle. She reached within for a false sense of calm and forced a nonchalant expression on her face. Head high, the dog’s leash tight in her hand, she followed Cash out, Bridger right behind her.

  When Cash kept walking, Bridger very gently circled her biceps with his hand and tugged her to a stop. “We’re going down.”

  “But—”

  Cash raised one hand in the air right before he disappeared around the corner.

  “He needs to deal with Uncle Cyrus before he can do anything else. C’mon. I’ll take you down to Cheri before I get back to work.”

  She was still arguing with Bridger when the elevator doors opened on the thirty-fourth floor. “Look, I don’t need someone—” She clamped her mouth shut as the receptionist’s head came up. The woman gave Roxie a steely-eyed stare. Waiting until they were in the common area between Cash’s office and Bridger’s, she started in once more.

  “See? Cheri isn’t even here. She’s probably at lunch and despite her near-OCD need to keep her desk pristine, I’m betting she’s a very busy woman. And you said yourself that you have your own work to do. In fact, I don’t even know why I’m here. I could be at my own very busy office doing the work my employer is paying me to do but that isn’t getting done because I’m standing here arguing with you about why I can’t go back to my apartment, my job and my life.”

  She paused to take a breath and noticed Bridger staring at her, his expression bemused. “I can tell you aren’t from around here originally.”

  “What’s that supposed to mean?”

  “It means you said a whole mouthful of things, bouncing from one topic to the one that’s really stuck in your craw, all in one breath. I’m amazed, country boy that I am, that I could keep up.”

  “Har-dee-har-har. You’re a real comedian. Why can’t I go home?” Bridger frowned so she rushed on, “Or least to my own office. I have projects due, Bridger, and I can’t afford to lose my job. Besides, I like my job.”

  “You need to be where we can keep an eye on you.”

  Roxie blew out an angry breath, counted to ten and worked on putting a patient smile on her face. From Bridger’s wry grin, that last ploy didn’t work. “Why? Why do you need to keep an eye on me? If you’ll remember, I’m the one who called you people. I’m the one who offered to help.” Harley tugged against the leash and she dropped it. He wandered over to a leather couch, climbed up and flopped down.

  “Let’s just say we haven’t figured out your long game.”

  “My long game?” Roxie gave him a hard stare but remembered to keep her mouth closed so she wasn’t gaping. “This isn’t a game, Bridger. This is my life. I’ve worked hard to separate from my family. I don’t want to be like them.”

  “So you say.”

  Bridger stood there, calm, collected, looking perfectly reasonable as he accused her of...dishonesty. Double-dealing. Being untrustworthy. Cash had spent the weekend seducing her and now his top henchman was insinuating that she was...unworthy. Roxie didn’t know whether to be angry or hurt.

  “Wow.” She said the word with no inflection but she was shaking inside. “Guess I know exactly where I stand with you and Cash...er, Mr. Barron. Fine. I’ll need to walk Harley soon. Can you arrange for one of your minions to accompany us?”

  “I’ll have someone come up.”

  “Awesome.” Now she let the sarcasm loose. She moved to the couch and dropped down beside the Newf. The big dog lolled over on his side, his head plopping on her thigh in search of petting. She rubbed his ears, pointedly ignoring the big jerk who was using Cheri’s desk phone to call her prison guard to duty.

  * * *

  Roxie sighed and ripped the earbuds from her ears. Three weeks she’d been stuck in this office. Granted, it was bigger than her own, but she had things to do back at RCM. Files to scan, research to be done, items to be preserved and cataloged. Here, she had an empty desk and her cell phone. And a love seat, which Harley currently occupied as he snored contentedly.

  She needed to be busy, because idle thoughts? They led to trouble. The first week had been an adventure—getting to know Cash both publicly and in private. Oh, yeah, especially in private. She’d given up any pretense of believing she was staying in his guest room. Her clothes maybe, but not her. Sleeping with him—and yes that was a euphemism for some very good times between the sheets—was becoming much too necessary to her well-being.

  Life had settled into a routine. Cash ran every morning, taking Harley with him. She slept in and was happily awakened to 150 pounds of exuberant dog, 180 pounds of sexy man and something sweet for breakfast. Then they came to the office. Where she spent endless hours being bored to tears—and daydreaming about Cash and all the things she wanted to have with him but couldn’t.

  She tried to explain her need to stay busy to Cash but he brushed her off. How could a man be so attentive when they were alone and so adamantly stubborn and recalcitrant when it came to her getting back to her job? She’d suggested picking up her work and bringing it to his office. Nope. He even stood there listening whenever she had to call her office to explain things to her assistants.

  It wasn’t like they’d made headway in the search for her family. The investigation was stalled and every morning, she figured that would be the moment when he said, “We need to talk.” And that would be the end of it.

  Harley groaned and stretched. It was time for his midafternoon walk. She stuck her head out of her temporary cell. Cheri was talking to the receptionist but Roxie caught the older woman’s attention. “It’s that time.”

  “I’ll take care of it, hon.”

  Roxie huffed out a disgruntled sigh. “Tell whoever’s coming that I really want to stretch my legs. Harley and I are going to Bricktown to walk the canal.”

  Ten minutes later, a man in the requisite dark suit knocked on the door. He looked fit, dangerous and highly capable. Which made her want to laugh. She was tied by the leash to a 150-pound dog that ambled. She couldn’t outrun Cheri in her stylish suit and elegant pumps, much less a trained security...agent? Guard? Private cop? Whatever. She never knew what to call the parade of men who escorted her on these outings.

  “C’mon, Harley. Let’s go do your business.”

  The receptionist was back at her desk as Roxie and her tagalong arrived. The woman looked up from her phone, gave Roxie a spiteful look and then resumed texting as the doors closed, hiding her from sight. They had a straight, express-level ride to the first floor. Still ignoring her escort, Roxie headed out. Harley needed the exercise; she needed away from the tower looming behind her and all the people in it, so she set out on the four-block hike to the Bricktown Canal.

  She’d just descended from street level to the canal, her shadow trailing her by a few feet, when three women walked toward her. Roxie shortened Harley’s leash and scooted over to give them room to pass. They didn’t. They stopped right in front of her.

  “Miz Beth is right,” the brown-haired woman in scrubs said. “He is a monster.”

  The blonde laughed and ruffled Harley’s fur. “Naw. Not a monster. A big ol’ teddy bear.” She bent over to cup Harley’s head and croon, “Who’s a good boy? You. You’re a good boy.”

  Roxie stood there dumbfounded before rea
lizing that the third woman—a very attractive Native American with gorgeous black hair—remained aloof while giving Roxie the once-over.

  “Huh,” the raven-haired woman said. “There’s no accounting for some people’s taste.”

  Roxie didn’t know what she was referring to. “Who the heck are you people?”

  The first two laughed, the blonde flashing a wink directed toward the guard at Roxie’s back. “I’m Cassidy Barron,” she said.

  “Jolie Barron.” That from the dark-haired nurse.

  “Savannah Barron. I’m married to Cash’s twin brother.”

  Roxie backed up a step and bumped into the large man behind her. From the way she spat out Cash’s name, there was evidently no love lost between Savannah and her brother-in-law. She wondered what Cash had done to earn that sort of scorn.

  “Okay then. Well, nice to sort of bump into you.” Roxie tugged on Harley’s leash and moved to duck around the women. Two things happened—Harley refused to move and the women stepped forward to cut her off.

  “So,” Jolie drawled. “You’re living with Cash now.”

  What? Roxie frowned at them. “No. I’m not.”

  “And he took you to the ranch,” Cassidy added. “Several times.”

  “So?”

  She looked at Savannah, waiting for her comment. Savannah just stared back.

  “Look, you three might have time for fun and games but I don’t. You want to know why I’m staying with Cash, you ask him. Now, if you’ll excuse me, I need to walk my dog so I can get back to the Tower of Doom and relieve the Hulk here of his duties.”

  This time she jerked Harley’s leash and he lumbered after her. If she thought she was getting away, she was wrong. The trio fell into step with her.

  “So,” Cassidy coaxed, “it’s been almost a month since you moved in?”

  Roxie kept walking, head down, doing her best to ignore them. Knowing Cash and Bridger, they’d probably arranged this little tête-à-tête as way to trap Roxie into revealing something. What, she had no idea.

  “I can’t believe he’d take her to the ranch,” Savannah said from behind her. “In fact, I can’t believe he went out there, especially knowing you and CJ were there, Jolie.”

  Harley stopped, sniffed a bush next to the walkway and did his thing. Roxie pulled a plastic sack out of her messenger bag and cleaned up after him. Still ignoring her entourage, she walked to the nearest trash can and dropped the refuse inside. Pivoting, she headed back the way she’d come.

  “Aren’t very friendly, are you?” Savannah stood right in front of Roxie, blocking her way.

  “Look, I don’t know any of you. The three of you swoop down like crows on fresh roadkill and ask questions that are none of your business.” She pointed at Savannah. “I get the distinct impression you don’t even like Cash, so why do you care what he does, what I do and what we might or might not do together? I repeat, it is none of your business. And your little crack about taste? Yeah, I’m not rich. I’m not gorgeous. But I’m not a bimbo either. Here, I’ll make it easy on you. Call your brother-in-law if you want gossip.” She glared at Savannah and felt her temper rise. “Now get out of my way.”

  Harley picked that moment to bark loudly and jerk against the leash. He yanked it out of her hand and bounded down the sidewalk, stopping when he reached the angry man striding toward the group. Cash. And he looked like he wanted to kill Roxie.

  Thirteen

  Cash wasn’t sure who he was mad at. His fingers curled into Harley’s ruff while he attempted to regain control. When a text had come in from his security guard Alan, he’d just finished up another round with his father and was feeling the stress. According to the old man, he’d done nothing right in the past month. Despite the lack of incidents. Despite the new security contracts the company had signed. Despite Cash himself doing everything his father demanded.

  And now this.

  “You know, Roxanne, you look like a nice girl. Why would you hook up with someone like Cash?”

  He watched Roxie blanch at Savannah’s question, her eyes glued to his face.

  “Roxanne.” At his voice, his sisters-in-law whirled.

  At least Cassidy and Jolie looked a little guilty. Savannah just looked resentful. A part of him understood why they disliked him. Another bit mourned the division between him and his brothers because of his actions against these women. He hadn’t even known his twin was in town. But this was his reality. Cash had doubted each one of them and their motives for being with his brothers. And he was still trying to wrap his head around Clay giving up a chance to be president to be with Georgie.

  Then there was the part of him that was jealous his siblings had found such happiness. The cynical part kept waiting for shoes to drop and cracks in their relationships to widen and drive them apart. Besides, their father hadn’t been a great role model when it came to relationships.

  “If you three have questions, ask me, not Roxanne.”

  “She’s living with you and you haven’t bothered to introduce her to the family.” Cassidy was never one to back down.

  “She’s staying with me because she’s part of an ongoing investigation.”

  “So...you aren’t sleeping together?” Savannah threw him a skeptical look.

  “That’s hardly your concern, Savannah.” Cash stared at each of the three women—catching and holding their gazes for a long moment. “The only thing between Ms. Rowland and me is business. Once the investigation is concluded, she’ll be returning to her own residence.”

  “So the two of you aren’t involved?” Jolie looked thoughtful as she asked.

  “Beyond the investigation? No. We aren’t involved.”

  Cash caught a glimpse of Roxie but he couldn’t read the emotion flitting across her face. Consternation? Misery? She glanced away and a wooden facade settled in its place. Only then did he recognize that he might have hurt her feelings. He’d explain himself later. Right now, he needed to get her away from the wives.

  “Look, I know y’all enjoy these little sneak attacks but Roxie is not my girlfriend so leave her out of your schemes.”

  Cassidy and Jolie exchanged a guilty look and Savannah scuffed the toe of her cowboy boot against the sidewalk. He was just glad that Clay and Georgie were in Washington so he didn’t have all four wives ganging up on him. As he watched the women, he saw discomfort morph into alarm as they all looked past him.

  He heard three sets of footsteps coming their way, footsteps he recognized.

  “Cassie.” Chance appeared on Cord’s right but didn’t approach his wife.

  “Oh, hi, darlin’.”

  Jolie pasted a big smile on her face. “What are you doin’ here, Cord?”

  Cash glanced at his older brother, who’d halted on his left. “I thought you said you couldn’t get away for lunch, Jolie.” Was that humor in Cord’s voice or was he chiding his wife?

  Savannah pasted a stony expression on her face and glared at the man who’d once been Cash’s mirror image. After the incident that almost separated his twin and his wife, Cash had started wearing scruff instead of shaving daily.

  “Savvie?” Chase brushed past Chance and approached his wife. “Want to explain what’s going on?”

  Savannah didn’t back down. “What? Did he call you to come rescue him?”

  “No, Cash didn’t. So why are y’all here?”

  “I’d like the answer to that, too,” Chance chimed in.

  “I don’t know about Cass and Jolie but I wanted to find out what kind of woman would fall for him. We kinda...got a text saying she’d be here,” Savannah said.

  “We were just curious,” Jolie chimed in. “After seeing them at the ranch and then finding out they’re living together...”

  That caused his brothers to scrutinize him. “She’s part of my investigation,” Cash reiterated. “Those incidents with the hotels and casinos.”

  “Using that for an excuse again—”

  “Enough, Savannah.” Chase jumped
to Cash’s defense, surprising him. “Cash is handling some serious problems that threaten the family business.” Chase studied Roxie and that perturbed Cash for some reason he couldn’t pinpoint. His twin offered his hand. “Ms. Rowland? You don’t look much like the woman I saw on the security cameras. Barron Entertainment appreciates your assistance with this matter.”

  Roxie pinkened and ducked her chin but she shook Chase’s proffered hand. “I just want to help so I can get back to my life.”

  “Understood.” Chase released Roxie’s hand and snagged Savannah’s. “You and I will talk later, Savvie.”

  “I still don’t know how y’all knew we were here,” Cassidy threw in.

  Alan cleared his throat. “That would be my doing. After I notified Mr. Barron, I notified your husbands.”

  Cassidy linked her arm through Chance’s and winked at Jolie. “Busted!” She pushed up on the toes of her boots to kiss her husband. “You can’t blame us for trying. We were curious about the woman in Cash’s life.”

  “Speak for yourself,” Savannah muttered darkly.

  Cord snagged Jolie and dropped a kiss on her head. “Don’t play matchmaker, sunshine.”

  “We were concerned, since he’d moved her into his place but hadn’t introduced her to anyone.” Now his three brothers all exchanged looks and Jolie elbowed Cord in the stomach. “Y’all knew?”

  While the three couples devolved into a teasing argument, Cash approached Roxie, Harley’s leash in his hand. “C’mon. I’ll walk you back to the office.”

  She executed a precise about-face and marched back the way she’d come without comment. Cash had no trouble matching her stride. They’d climbed the steps to street level and were halfway to Barron Tower before he spoke.

  “Don’t pay them any mind.”

  “Why does your twin’s wife hate you?”

  “She has her reasons.”

  “That’s not an answer.”