Saving the Billionaire’s Daughter
Jennifer Youngblood
Introduction
Dear reader,
It is with great excitement that I present this story, which sets the stage for a new Jackson Hole Firefighter Romance Series that I’m co-writing with a group of uberly talented authors.
When the idea of a group collaboration first came to me, I immediately reached out to my good friend Daniel Banner. Not only is Daniel a wonderful author, but he’s a highly respected content editor. I was thrilled when Daniel agreed to work on this project with me. While his work is behind-the-scenes and his name won’t appear on any of the books, his fingerprints are all over every aspect of the series.
Daniel is a firefighter by profession. His input and expertise are invaluable, giving this series an authenticity that can only come from one who has truly been in the shoes of those valiant men and women who put their lives on the line on a daily basis to help others.
Now a word about the other authors—Agnes Canestri, Amelia C. Adams, Stephanie Fowers, Jewel Allen and Shanna Delaney. Each was carefully selected for their skills and unique voices. It is a pleasure working with all of them. I’m excited for you to read the stories and to get to know them as I have come to do. Not only have I found some amazing new authors to read, but I have made lifelong friends as well.
Without further ado, I present Saving the Billionaire’s Daughter where you’ll meet billionaire Judd Hoffman who will become an integral part of the firefighters’ lives.
Enjoy!
Jennifer
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Copyright © 2020 by Jennifer Youngblood
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Contents
Chapter 1
Chapter 2
Chapter 3
Chapter 4
Chapter 5
Chapter 6
Chapter 7
Chapter 8
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Books by Jennifer Youngblood
About Jennifer Youngblood
1
“I don’t want you going to that sleepover, and that’s final.” Judd Hoffman clenched his jaw, waiting for his daughter to respond, but his statement was met with stilted silence. “Ellie, are you there?”
Silence.
“Ellie,” he demanded, his voice rising.
“Mom said I can go.” There was a slight tremble in Ellie’s defiant tone.
Judd balled his fist, fighting to keep his voice even. “Your mother and I have gone over this a hundred times,” he fumed, knowing full well that it didn’t matter how many times he reiterated his concerns about his thirteen year old daughter’s fast friends and the trouble they were getting into with drugs, alcohol, and who knew what else, his words fell on deaf ears. His ex-wife Dominique just didn’t get it. The problem was that Ellie’s friends were the children of Dominique’s friends. As far as Dominique was concerned, her friends could do no wrong. “Are Tina’s parents even going to be home during the sleepover?”
“I—I think so.”
He could tell that Ellie was lying. The words tumbled out before he could even squeeze in a breath. “Wrong! I ran into Mack Hudson yesterday morning. He told me that he and his wife were leaving that very afternoon to go to Europe with Vicky and Chase.”
“It’s not a big deal, Dad,” Ellie pouted. “Tina’s nanny is looking after her and the house while Vicky and Chase are gone. Everyone else is going to the sleepover. I don’t know why you always have to make such a big thing about it.”
“It is a big deal.” Judd glanced across the kitchen and caught the concerned glance his mother threw him before she hastily turned her attention back to the stove and the dinner she was preparing. He could tell from the tight set of his mother’s shoulders that the heated conversation made her uncomfortable. His mother didn’t go in for drama. Life growing up in the Hoffman home was steady and predictable. Judd’s parents truly loved one another and had weathered the storms of life hand-in-hand as a united force. There was a time when he’d hoped to have a similar relationship with Dominique, but that went up in fiery flames, crumbling to nothing but ashes. He would say that his marriage to Dominique was a complete failure were it not for Ellie. Beautiful Ellie with her long chestnut hair and dark, soulful eyes. She was so much like her mother with her fine-boned features and fiery temperament. Judd had met Dominique two years after graduating from college when he was traveling in Paris. He was instantly smitten by her poise and refinement. Dominique was an elegant butterfly, opening up a whole new glitzy world to the sturdy-stock Wyoming boy.
Judd had been flying high then with a mega-successful business that had turned him and his partners into overnight billionaires. Judd had been naïve, believing the soft, silky whispers of love uttered on Dominique’s petulant lips to be the truth. After the marriage, when Dominique had a three-carat diamond ring on her finger and Judd firmly fixed in her pocket, things began to change. Judd wasn’t prepared to deal with Dominique’s erratic mood swings or her distaste for Judd’s salt of the earth parents who saw through Dominique’s façade and knew right away that she was marrying Judd for the money. Had Ellie not been born a year after Judd and Dominique got married, Judd would have ended the marriage years earlier. However, he felt the need to stick it out for his daughter. In hindsight, that was probably not the smartest idea. Judd and Dominique had been miserable, and Ellie had grown up seeing her parents either fighting or living separate lives. Eleven years married to the wrong woman. Dominique was still an enigma to Judd in many ways, as was his daughter. He rubbed a hand over his forehead, a feeling of hopelessness drifting over him. “Will there be boys at the sleepover?”
“No, Dad.” Ellie’s voice squeaked, a dead giveaway that she wasn’t being honest.
“How about booze?”
“Of course not,” she spouted with an indignant tone.
Like Dominique, Ellie’s usual reaction was to come out swinging when backed into a corner. Judd let out a long breath. He wanted desperately to protect his daughter, but how could he protect her from herself? He was fighting a losing battle. During times like this, he second-guessed himself for divorcing Dominique. Sure, their relationship had been awful with her having affairs, first with her tennis coach and then her therapist, but at least Judd had been in the home with Ellie and had more control over her comings and goings. Now, he was the outsider. “Is your mother there?”
“Yeah,” Ellie spouted in a snarky tone.
“Put her on the phone.”
Ellie pushed out an annoyed breath. “Seriously, Dad? She doesn’t wanna talk to you.”
The hair on the back of Judd’s neck rose. “Put her on the phone!” he thundered.
“Fine!” There was some rustling before Ellie yelled, “Mom, Dad wants to talk to you. I told him you have no desire whatsoever to speak to him, but he insists.” Disgust coated her voice.
“Bonjour, darling.”
There was a time when Dominique’s smooth, sophisticated tone had drawn Judd in, as sure as a helpless fly getting caught in the crafty, elaborate web of an adept spider. However, now Dominique’s voice and everything about her grated on his nerves. “I don’t wa
nt Ellie going to the sleepover at Tina Kennedy’s house, especially with Vicky and Chase Kennedy being gone.”
Dominique paused. “Are Vicky and Chase out of town?” Her words held the defense of plausible deniability. “I wasn’t aware …”
Judd heard Ellie talking in the background. Ellie’s voice was high-pitched, insistent. Dominique’s fluid and appeasing.
Dominique came back on the line. “The nanny will be there.”
“Exactly!” he boomed. “I don’t feel comfortable with Ellie being in that house with only a nanny. Tina Kennedy and the rest of those girls Ellie has been hanging out with are wild as bucks.”
Derisive laughter flowed like tinkling chimes from Dominique’s throat. “You and all of your sayings. That’s a bit melodramatic, don’t you think?”
The condescension in her tone caused the hair on the back of his neck to stand as blood rushed to his face. “No, I don’t,” he countered in a hard tone. “I’m only trying to keep our daughter safe.”
“It’s a sleepover. Ellie will be fine,” she countered in a bored tone. Judd could imagine her holding out her hand and examining her long, manicured nails, an unconscious gesture Dominique often did when she was growing tired of a conversation. Judd heard the low rumble of a male talking.
Dominique’s voice picked up its pace. “Vance is here. I need to let you go. We’ve got dinner reservations at the club.”
Her voice held a breathless edge of nervousness, probably because she didn’t want Vance to know that she was talking to her ex. Portly with receding hair, Vance lived in perpetual fear that Dominique would go back to Judd. Of course, there was no danger of that happening. Even on the rare chance that Dominique might have a change of heart, no way would Judd ever take her back. He’d learned his lesson the hard way. All he cared about at this point was keeping Ellie safe. “The reservations can wait. Our daughter is more important.”
Vance Faulk, Dominique’s new husband, was a hotshot software developer who was proud of the fact that his net worth totaled 3.2 billion as opposed to Judd’s 2.8 billion. Jackson Hole, Wyoming was a hotbed for billionaires, and it didn’t take long for Dominique to snag husband number two. She’d started dating Vance even before her and Judd’s divorce was finalized. They built a monstrosity of a home a mere mile and a half away from Judd’s ranch.
“Au revoir,” Dominique chirped.
“This conversation’s not over,” Judd inserted as Dominique ended the call. He swallowed the silent scream of frustration building in his throat as he dialed Ellie’s number. It went to voicemail. He called a few more times—same scenario. He slammed the phone down on the kitchen table. His mother’s eyes met his, and he could feel her compassion and pity. His mother Bev would never be one to say I told you so, but she’d practically begged Judd not to marry Dominique.
Wiping her hands on her apron, his mother came over and sat down across from him. “Are you okay?” She gave him a searching look.
His lips formed hard lines as he nodded. “Yeah.” No, he wasn’t okay! He’d give up his business and every material possession he owned a thousand times over if it would bring him back his daughter.
She touched his arm, offering a sympathetic smile. “Ellie’s a good girl. She’ll come around. Just don’t give up on her.”
“I won’t,” he said vehemently. Easy silence flowed from the walls around them. It was the comforting kind from Judd’s childhood, the one that gave him space to clear a measure of the commotion from his head.
“I’m glad you’re here and spending the weekend with us. We’ve missed you.”
Judd caught the reproving tone of her voice. He had a private jet and could fly anywhere he wanted, and yet, it had been over a month since he’d come home to Laramie to visit his parents. Driving time between Jackson Hole and Laramie was just over six hours. Flight time was a little over two hours.
Work was what kept him away. The company was growing by leaps and bounds, which was fantastic. However, Judd felt like he could work 24/7 and still not keep up. Nearly two decades after its inception, Judd’s company Homestay was gaining significant market share. The business model was similar to Airbnb and Vrbo. However, the difference was that rather than acting as a broker between lessees and individual owners, Homestay actually owned the homes and apartments they rented. The past several years, they’d expanded into resorts and entire neighborhoods, substantially increasing the workload.
Judd and his two business partners met in college at the University of Wyoming. Steve was his roommate and Lester lived in the same building. Judd had a friend who was trying to unload an apartment. He was willing to let it go for a song. The three men scraped together enough money for a down payment to purchase the apartment and started renting it on a short-term basis to family members and friends of college students. Before long, they had several properties. The business took off from there.
Three years prior, Steve and Lester opted to take more passive roles in the business so they could spend more time with their wives and children. They urged Judd to do the same, but he wasn’t ready to do that yet. He enjoyed being in the trenches. Running the business gave Judd a sense of purpose and direction. Homestay was Judd’s baby, and he didn’t trust it to anyone else, especially right now during this critical phase of growth. Also, work gave Judd a welcome distraction from his personal life turmoil.
Judd’s mother was always urging him to develop new hobbies and interests outside the business. “I’ll make a point of coming home more often,” he assured her.
“Good,” his mother quipped, like the matter was settled in her mind. A sparkle kindled in her light eyes. “Are you looking forward to tonight?”
“I can hardly wait,” he said dryly, then felt a stab of guilt when his mother’s face fell.
Tonight was Judd’s twenty year high school reunion. He’d been asked to be the keynote speaker at the dinner, which was laughable considering how quiet and shy he’d been in high school. Now that he was a billionaire, he was a highly sought-after celebrity, of sorts. Out of necessity, Judd had found his voice, especially in business matters. His partners and colleagues would never describe him as shy. Judd was the mover and shaker of the bunch, the one who’d masterminded the Homestay business plan. However, deep down, Judd was still the same understated guy who preferred to stand quietly on the sidelines rather than being the center of attention. Still, after much cajoling from his brother, who happened to be the principal of Westside High, Judd had agreed to come to the reunion and speak. Now, he was regretting his decision.
“Whitney Fox will be there,” his mother cooed in a juicy tone. “And, I heard that she’s coming alone.”
“I suppose,” he responded with an indifferent shrug. His heart picked up its beat. Whitney was coming alone? That was news to him.
His mother raised an eyebrow. “Judd Allen Hoffman you can sit there wearing that I don’t give a flying flip attitude all you want, but you don’t fool me for one second. I’m your mother and can see right through you. You’ve always had a thing for Whitney.”
He swallowed, shifting in his seat. “Yeah, when I was sixteen. It was an insignificant crush.” Back in high school, Judd had idolized Whitney Fox. Then again, so did three-fourths of the male population. Whitney was the homecoming queen, head cheerleader, and a member of the student body government. With her long red hair, peaches and cream complexion, and winning smile, she stole a lot of hearts.
“Whitney’s still a looker … even more so now than she was when y’all were younger.”
Judd grinned a little at his mother’s use of y’all. Originally from Tennessee, his mother Beverly or Bev as most people called her had a touch of a Southern accent, even after living in Wyoming most of her adult life. Her short silver hair was stylishly spiky, accentuating her thin face and smooth olive skin. Her wire-rimmed glasses were round like the John Lennon style. Bev Hoffman had never been what most people would consider beautiful, but her tall, willowy frame and regal demeanor
made her very striking.
Bev’s voice turned gossipy as she leaned forward. “I ran into Lisa Cloverdale at the grocery store the other day, and she told me that Whitney is living in Jackson.” She gave him a meaningful look. “That’s convenient.”
He grunted. “Did Lisa Cloverdale also tell you that Whitney is involved with the mayor?”
Bev’s eyes shimmered with amusement. “So, you’ve been keeping up with her.”
He tugged at the collar of his shirt. Busted! “No, I just happened to run into a mutual friend who mentioned something about it.” So, he’d been curious about where Whitney had ended up. Was that such a crime?
“I see.” She paused, studying him. “You know, a girl like Whitney could do wonders for you. There’s something to be said for marrying a woman from your same background. You and Whitney have a lot of common ground.”
A short laugh rattled in his throat. “I hardly know Whitney. How do you know if we have anything in common?”
She cast him a sharp look. “Because you’re from the same town. Your families share similar values. Peggy and Huck Fox are great people. They’ve raised their children to be good citizens. I’m telling you, Judd, Whitney is a good woman. You should make a point of talking to her tonight.” Her eyes cut into his. “Do it for me?”
A smile crept over Judd’s lips as he shook his head. “You just can’t help but play matchmaker, can you?”
She shrugged her shoulders. “I guess not.” Her eyes took on a soft glint. “I just want you to be happy.” She reached out and squeezed his hand.
“I know, Mom.” His heart clutched. “I want that too. More than you realize,” he muttered under his breath. Judd wanted to find someone. This time, he intended to make sure that the someone loved him for himself, not his money. He needed someone who, like his mother so aptly pointed out, shared his same values. Judd had grown up in a God-fearing home, attending church every week. He’d been shortsighted when he married Dominique. He should have looked past his heady attraction for her and contemplated what sort of mother Dominique would be to his children.
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