It was the best thing for her. I needed her to stand on her own two feet without a scandal chasing her. It would always be there. Even if she or I moved on and into other relationships, the rumors would be there. There was chemistry between us. It might eventually go away, but I wasn’t counting on it.
I could not properly do my job and she could not do hers if we were constantly fighting the desire between us. A different time and a different place, things could have been different. Unfortunately, that wasn’t the case.
I glanced up, looking in my rearview mirror as the tall buildings that dotted the Houston skyline grew smaller and smaller.
Chapter 34
Cora
I was taking some time away from the office. I couldn’t bring myself to be in there. Everyone was looking at me, and I heard the gossip even when they didn’t think I could.
Half the staff were pissed at me and the other half were convinced Rogan and I were in a torrid love affair. I felt the looks when I walked away. I saw the people purposely walking by my office to get a glimpse of me. I didn’t know what they expected to see but they were looking.
Despite all the drama, the company was still doing very well. No investors had pulled out and no customers had fired us. All in all, things were good. Good for everyone else. I hated being in the office without Rogan there. It felt strange to walk by his empty office. I missed seeing his smile or hearing the low baritone of his voice when he was on the phone.
It hurt that he didn’t bother telling me goodbye. It hurt even more that he wouldn’t take my calls. I didn’t know if he was mad at me. I assumed he blamed me for what happened. It made sense if he did. It was my spontaneous kiss that sparked it all. I knew what it must have cost him to give up the job he worked so hard to get. I would not be the least bit surprised if he never wanted to speak to me again.
I took a deep breath, refusing to go back down that road again. I didn’t want to deal with any more negative feelings. I focused on the account I was reviewing when I heard the front door of the house open. My stomach dropped as I jumped to my feet. My first thought was I was about to be robbed.
“Cora!” Oakley’s voice called.
“Oakley?” I walked out of the living room and into the hall.
He came around the corner.
“What are you doing here?” I asked with confusion.
He smiled and gave me a hug. “I wanted to see you. I’m your big brother. I’m supposed to be checking on you.”
“I’m a grown woman,” I said with a smile. “But thank you for coming.”
“You are welcome. What are you doing home? I went to the office and they said you weren’t coming in today.”
I shrugged. “I needed a change of scenery.”
“Liar. What’s going on?”
“Rogan quit.”
He looked away. “I know.”
I didn’t miss the guilt on his face. “You know? Did they tell you?”
“Beau did.”
“Did he tell you why?”
Again, he refused to look at me. “Yes.”
I put a hand on my hip and gave him a look that told him to spill his guts. “Oakley, what is going on?”
“We should probably sit down,” he said.
I followed him into the living room. He sat down in one of the chairs while I sat on the couch. “I can’t even begin to guess what is going on.”
“I came into town last weekend,” he said.
I wrinkled my nose with confusion. “What? You did? How come you didn’t stop by?”
“It was a quick trip. A very quick trip.”
Something was not adding up. Something was not right, and I had a very strong suspicion it had something to do with Rogan leaving. “What did you do?”
“I talked to Rogan.”
The way he said it told me it was a lot more than a conversation. “I am going to ask you one more time. What did you do? Before you answer, I would suggest you tell me the truth. You see that pretty little vase right there? I will throw it at you if you lie to me.”
“I saw the picture,” he said as if that was a defense.
“And?”
“And I told him he needed to go.”
“Go?” I repeated.
“I suggested he get the hell out of town.”
“Are you serious? Please tell me you are joking.”
He slowly shook his head. “Not joking. I kind of hit him.”
My eyes bulged. “You did what?” I jumped to my feet. “What the hell is wrong with you? Why would you hit him?”
“Don’t try and tell me that kiss was the only thing that happened between you two. I know him.”
“Apparently, you don’t. Rogan has been nothing but a huge help to me. You don’t know anything about the business. He was helping me!”
“Why did he kiss you?”
“For your information, I kissed him. It was a joke. We were at the game and they turned the camera on us. It wasn’t a big deal. It’s people like you that have made something out of nothing.”
“It isn’t nothing, Cora. That wasn’t cool.”
“It is none of your fucking business!”
“It is my business. You are my little sister. I am tasked with looking out for you. I don’t want you getting taken advantage of.”
“I wasn’t being taken advantage of, you idiot. He has been such a huge help to me. Without him, I would have totally crashed and burned. The men and women at this company respect him. He introduced me to them all and made sure they welcomed me with open arms. I cannot believe you interfered.”
“I was only doing what was best for you.”
“It wasn’t best for me. It was your fucking ego.”
“Beau didn’t think it was a good idea either,” he said.
I flopped back in the chair and glared at him. “Beau knew you were in town?”
“No, but he was worried about you and the situation. He told me what was happening with the investors and that the company was at risk. I did what was best.”
“It was the wrong move,” I told him and got to my feet. “I have to go.”
“Where are you going?”
“I need to talk to someone. You do whatever it is you plan on doing.”
“Cora, don’t be mad at me. I was only trying to help.”
“I’m not mad, Oakley. I’m furious.”
I snatched my purse, not caring I was not in my usual boss-girl attire. I was wearing a pair of cutoffs and one of my favorite frilly shirts. I hopped in my car and headed out to the railyard. I knew I wasn’t going to find Rogan, but I knew who might know where he was.
I popped into the office. “Hi, Vida.”
“Well, hello there. This is a surprise.”
“I was hoping I could talk to Granger,” I said. “Is he working?”
She gave me a funny look. “He is.”
“Good. I’ll just head out there then.”
“Okay,” she said as I walked out.
I strolled across the gravel lot, realizing I looked very unprofessional when I caught the men staring at me. They could look all they wanted. I had legs. Big fucking deal.
“Granger?” I called, not immediately seeing him.
He pulled off the hat he was wearing and walked toward me. “I didn’t recognize you, boss lady.”
I smiled and gestured to the side of the building where we could stand in the shade. “Hi, Granger,” I said with a smile.
“Did you come out here just to talk to me?”
“I did.”
“What can I do for you?”
“I know you are friends with Rogan.”
“I am.”
I chewed my lower lip. “Where is he?”
He kicked at the dirt with his boot. “I’m sorry, but I can’t tell.”
“You can’t tell, or you won’t tell?”
“Oh, now, you are trying to confuse me.”
I smiled, loving his simplicity. “I promise I don’t want to confuse you.
I just want to talk to Rogan.”
“Did you call him?”
“I did.”
“Did you go to his house?”
I nodded. “I did.”
“I think you have your answer.”
“Granger, I’m not sure what you know—”
“I know.”
“Then I need to tell you I didn’t know about my brother. I didn’t know about any of it.”
“I get it, but Rogan? Well, I don’t think he wants to be found.”
“Did he leave? Like leave, leave?”
“Aww, man, you’re killing me here.”
“Granger, please, tell me where he is.”
“I can’t just give up that kind of information, but I might not be opposed to a bribe.”
I grinned, knowing he would never ask for money. He was probably angling for tacos. “What would you like?”
He shrugged and gave a boyish grin. “I have a newfound fondness for something called Sweet and Spicy Skittles.”
I wrinkled my nose. “Gross. Is that a thing?”
“It is, and sweet, baby Jesus, they are so good.”
I nodded, understanding what my next move was. “Okay, you know what? I am suddenly very thirsty. I think I’m going to run down to the store and grab a soda.”
He grinned. “As it turns out, we have a nice little assortment of beverages in our new fancy breakroom. I heard it was courtesy of a certain someone.”
“I prefer fountain soda,” I told him, not admitting to the breakroom upgrade.
“All right then, I won’t keep you.”
I headed for my car, hoping I could find the Skittles. I would drive to every store in a ten-mile radius to find the damn things. Lucky for me, I found them at the first convenience store I stopped at. I grabbed myself some iced tea and three packs of the requested Skittles. I couldn’t imagine a kid wanting the damn things.
I went back to the yard and found Granger sitting at one of the picnic tables. He claimed it was his break. I sat down at the table and handed him the Skittles. “I’m not sure how this works. This is my first foray into blackmailing. I give you the goods and you tell me what I want to know, right?”
He grinned, grabbing the bags and ripping one open. He offered me a handful, which I promptly declined with a shake of my head.
“Rogan is my best friend,” he said.
“Congratulations. Where is he?”
“I told him you would follow him.”
“I’m not following him because I don’t know where he is. Where is he?”
“He said you couldn’t follow him because you didn’t know where he would be.”
“Granger, I will reach my hand into your mouth and take out every one of those candies if you don’t tell me.”
He made a big show of swallowing. “Dallas.”
“Dallas?”
“That’s where he went.”
I held up my hands. “Dallas is a big city. Can you give me a little more than that?”
“I can’t.”
I sighed. “I just gave you three bags. I should get three bits of information.”
“I mean, I can’t tell you because I don’t know. He said he had an apartment. That’s all I know.”
I let out a sigh. “Fine. I guess I’ll have to go full stalker.”
He smiled again. “I was hoping you would say that. Rogan is a good guy. He’s an honorable man. Too honorable for his own good.”
“I think I’m going to agree with you on that.”
“He put his house up for sale,” he said in a somber tone.
“Oh,” I whispered. “I didn’t know.”
“I don’t think he plans on coming back.”
Hearing his friend say the words confirmed my suspicion. I had hoped it was him blowing off some steam. I hoped he was taking a long road trip and would be back soon. I was so going to kick Oakley’s ass when I got home.
“I’m going to try to change that,” I told him.
“I know you will. Good luck. Tell him I say hi when you find him.”
I got up from the table. “I’ll do that.”
I walked back to my car, my heart heavy. I hated to think I had caused him so much pain and suffering. He was suffering. He could say he wasn’t and try to say it was for the good of the company, but I was going to call bullshit on that.
Chapter 35
Rogan
I grabbed the laptop and sat down on the couch that was lumpy and ugly as hell. It was part of the furnished apartment. The single bedroom with the worn, stained mattress was unappealing and, to be honest, a little stinky. As soon as I got a job, I was getting something else.
The apartment was rented by the week and was my best option for a quick place to stay. It was a step above gross. When I responded to the ad, I had no idea what I was getting into. The pictures I saw on the online ad were very different than the reality.
I opened my laptop, checking my email with the hopes one of the jobs I’d applied to had responded. There was nothing. I wasn’t exactly desperate to find a job, but the longer I went without work, the more I thought about everything I’d lost.
I needed to find something to do with my time, besides check up on Cora and the company. My savings account was healthy enough and I didn’t need to live in squalor, but if I was being honest with myself, it was my penance. I was living in a shitty apartment because I felt shitty.
I pulled up the railroad news forum and looked for anything new on the company. I smiled when I read the news. An anonymous insider, AKA a planned drop of information, claimed the company was seeing an increase in profits. That made me very happy, even if I wasn’t there to be a part of it. One of the investors released a statement as well. It was very supportive of Cora. Apparently, she called a meeting and met with them.
“That’s my girl,” I said, nodding as I read.
There was nothing but positive news. That made my banishment a little easier to tolerate. My leaving was a good thing. She was thriving. I expected as much. I knew there was a chance she would struggle a bit in the beginning, but I knew she would get the hang of it.
I did a little more light stalking, checking on the other news and happenings in my hometown. I missed Houston. I missed the vibe and my favorite places to eat.
Most of all, I missed my job. I missed feeling like I was a part of something important. I missed feeling like I was making a difference. I needed purpose in life. Every man did. I was not the kind of man that could sit and marinate. I needed to move.
I closed the laptop and got up to look out the window. My apartment overlooked an empty parking lot. It was ugly as hell. I couldn’t wait to get out. I couldn’t wait to put down new roots and start over. I was already looking for a house to scoop up for cheap—assuming I got a job.
My phone rang. The only people that had been calling were Granger and Cora. I wasn’t taking Cora’s calls. I couldn’t talk to her. I was planning on talking to her one day but not until there was some time and distance between us. Not until I knew she wouldn’t come looking for me.
I grabbed my phone and saw it was Beau. “Now what?” I mumbled. I gave up everything. What more could he want from me?
“Hello,” I answered, hiding my frustration.
“Rogan, it’s good to hear your voice,” he said, sounding very cheery. I was glad he was happy and carrying on with his life.
I bit back a retort. I couldn’t really be mad at Beau, but I did harbor a touch of anger toward him. Toward everyone that got to keep living their lives while I was banished.
“It’s nice to hear from you,” I said. I left out the part he could have called earlier to check on me.
“How are you?” he asked.
“Fine. As good as can be expected, I suppose.”
“Where did you land?”
“Dallas. Is that far enough away?” I winced, realizing that was uncalled for. “I’m sorry.”
“Don’t be. You have every right to be upset. This whole thing has
just been a mess.”
“It sounds like things are getting better,” I told him.
“Yes, they are. She’s doing great. She’s working hard and taking charge.”
“Good.”
He cleared his throat. “Rogan, I think we are making good strides. She’s made it clear she’s capable. The investors are growing more confident with every passing day.”
I closed my eyes, releasing a breath. “Thank god.”
“I think in another week or two, it would be safe for you to come back. No one is going to have any doubts with the numbers we are pulling in.”
I scoffed. “That ship has sailed Beau. My house has an offer and will sell soon. I’m homeless.”
“You can buy a new house,” he replied.
“I don’t think so. It’s best I stay away.”
“She needs you here,” he said. “You have a way with the customers that I don’t. You have a way with the team. They want you back. I want you back and you know she wants you back.”
“Beau, I think you know why I can’t come back,” I said, hoping I didn’t have to spell it out for him.
I heard his soft chuckle. “I’m not so old. I see things.”
“Then you know it isn’t a good idea. I don’t want to risk this happening again. I would never be able to live with myself if I compromised the company. I can’t do that to Ben or her.”
Beau was quiet for a few seconds. “I understand. So, how are you doing?”
“I’m doing all right,” I lied. “I’ve got a little apartment for now and am looking for a job.”
“I can put in a good word for you,” he offered.
“I’ll let you know if I need a reference. I need to do this on my own.”
“You don’t have to do it on your own. I know I’m not Ben, but I don’t mind looking out for you.”
It was a sweet offer, but I didn’t need any more looking after. “Thanks, but I’m good. You did a lot for me. I appreciate everything you did for me. You and I were a good team.”
“We certainly were.”
“Look out for her,” I said, feeling a little pinch in my heart.
“You know I will. She’s going to be all right. I don’t think she needs my old ass anymore. She’s got her daddy’s chops for the business. Those guys thought they were going to bully her, but boy did she show them. I talked with a few of the investors after the meeting she made sure I wasn’t there for. I think she might have intimidated them a little. None of them are going to mess with her.”
Backing You Up Page 21