“Two weeks?” Peyton almost squealed. “I can’t be gone that long. We’ve got the final meeting on the Olwen project the first week of November. Besides, I have...plants.”
Matteo rolled his eyes. He’d have expected a better excuse from someone so smart.
“I saw that,” Peyton snapped at him.
He dipped his head to hide his grin. “I think sending her to Montana is an excellent idea,” Matteo told Vilette and Big E. “I’ll call my boss and arrange for one of our best agents to accompany her.”
“That won’t be necessary,” Vilette said. She folded her hands on top of her desk and tilted her chin up so she could smile at him. “You’ll be going with her.”
Silence roared in his ears. He couldn’t possibly have heard that right. “I’m sorry. Can you... Going with her?” Matteo could barely breathe around the knot that tightened in his stomach. “To Montana?” To a cattle ranch? “No. That’s not possible. I can’t—”
“Too many plants?” Peyton batted her lashes at him and lit a slow-burn fuse on his temper.
“No. I have a son.” A son who in the past two days had called him at least a dozen times, crying and pleading with him to stop Sylvia from shipping him off to boarding school. Every conversation had broken Matteo’s heart more and given him a good earful of Gino’s temper tantrums. There was nothing he could do at this point other than file an emergency motion with the court, but his lawyer reminded him of just how slow custody cases went these days. Especially when the child in question lived outside the country. “I need to stay in touch with him.”
“I thought Gino lives in Japan with his mother,” Peyton said with a coolness in her eyes he didn’t appreciate. “Cell phones work everywhere. Wait. Do they?” She looked to Big E, a flash of horror in her eyes. “Tell me you have cell reception and Wi-Fi out in the middle of nowhere.”
“Not to worry,” Big E said with a nod. “While we’d prefer visitors to leave their jobs and devices behind, thanks to my forewoman and granddaughter-in-law Katie, along with Hadley, who runs the visitor’s portion of the ranch, we are well in the twenty-first century. You’ll be able to connect with anyone you need to. Even someone in Japan,” he said with a sympathetic look at Matteo, who was beginning to feel a little sick.
The very idea of stepping foot on a ranch—any ranch, let alone an isolated one in the middle of Nowhere, Montana—shot Matteo straight back to a childhood that held zero appeal. “I’m sorry, but I’m afraid—”
Vilette held up her hand, a gesture Matteo had begun to associate with her having made up her mind. “I realize this is an unexpected inconvenience. I’ll double what we’re paying you,” she said. “And include a bonus once the threat against Peyton has been taken care of and she can come back here where she belongs.”
Double? The sound of Gino’s laughter, laughter he would hear every day of his life should Matteo win full custody, drowned out the cries and fears of Matteo’s past. He hated that money was all that stood between him and his son. Money that was being offered to him right here and now. Money he’d earn by walking back into his worst nightmare.
But to have the chance to bring Gino home? Matteo set his jaw against the hope ballooning in his chest. “All right.”
“I can’t do my job without Todd.” Peyton seemed to finally have an argument she believed in. “He’s my right hand. What I don’t remember or know, he does.”
“Do you expect me to ask Todd to take time off from school to come with you? Peyton.” Vilette shook her head. “I’m disappointed. You should know better.”
“Well, I can’t turn up on this ranch place with a bodyguard. That’s hardly under anyone’s radar,” she argued.
“That’s easy to fix. Matteo will go along as your assistant,” Vilette said as Big E nodded in approval. “Matteo, I’ll have Todd give you a crash course in how to work with and for Peyton. What it is she’d need help and support with. Assistant Training 101. That way, Peyton, you’ll be prepared for the Olwen meeting.”
“That better be a very substantial bonus,” Matteo said, with what he hoped was a tinge of humor. Still, he couldn’t risk completely alienating Peyton. A rebellious protectee often caused more trouble than the threat against the person.
“Look at him. No one is going to believe he’s my assistant,” Peyton muttered. “We won’t blend in at all. Neither one of us will.”
“No one’s asking you to play Annie Oakley,” Vilette said. “As far as anyone who works and lives on the ranch is concerned, you’re there to get to know the family business and explore opportunities for Electryone. And maybe relax a little.”
Peyton started to respond, then stopped short when Vilette held up one finger.
“I don’t think you understand the situation, Peyton. Let me spell it out for you.” Vilette clasped her hands together once more and leaned her arms on the table. The woman reminded Matteo of a general leading her troops into battle. “You will either go to Montana with Matteo and hole up until the police find out who is threatening you and why, or you can resign. Right now.” Vilette inclined her head. “It’s your choice.”
Peyton didn’t look entirely convinced. In fact, she looked ready to call her boss’s bluff. “You can’t close this Olwen deal without me. I’m the only one—”
“You’re the only one currently focused primarily on Olwen,” Vilette said. “That can change. I have no doubt Belinda would love the opportunity to get her hands on the project more fully.”
Having spent quite a bit of time around the office these past weeks where he’d heard more gossip and gathered enough behind-the-scenes dirt to build his own island, Matteo wasn’t surprised in the least when Vilette’s suggestion hit its target. Peyton couldn’t have looked more sour if Vilette had pushed a lemon into her mouth.
“Peyton.” Vilette’s tone gentled. “The fact I’m willing to risk Olwen at all should tell you my mind is made up. Deals come and go. Your safety, your well-being, that of any of my employees, is always my top priority. What happens moving forward is now up to you.”
Sympathy tugged at Matteo’s heart as Peyton’s expression went slack. She looked stricken, devastated. And seriously ticked off. It didn’t matter what got thrown at her, that fire of determination didn’t dim. She was a woman who knew what she wanted, and she’d get there no matter what, even if that meant taking a less desirable road to get there. One more reminder that, no matter how appealing Peyton Harrison was, there could never be anything between them other than professional and mutual respect.
The silence stretched, and Peyton looked at Vilette, a silent plea in her beautiful, sharp eyes. Then she looked to her grandfather, who, despite Big E’s obvious affection for his recently discovered granddaughter, didn’t so much as blink. When she turned her eyes on Matteo, he wanted nothing more than to remove that expression of betrayal from her face. But he couldn’t. Not when he knew that going to Montana—however much he personally hated the idea—was the best solution.
“Fine. I’ll go.” She pushed to her feet and faced down her grandfather. “And stop smiling like you won the gold medal in barrel racing, Big E. I might be going to Montana, but I’m not going to like it.”
Big E watched her leave, then looked back at Matteo and grinned. “That’s what they all say.”
* * *
“YOU CAN STOP laughing anytime, Fiona.” Peyton sat curled up in the corner of her sofa, legs tucked in, an oversize wineglass in her hand, and listened to her baby sister cackle on the other end of the phone.
Even though she was irritated, her lips twitched at the sound of her sister’s chuckles. Peyton had missed this—the late-night conversations, the endless nonsensical talks she and her sisters had carried on over the years. Being the topic of said conversation, however, put a whole new spin on it.
“Your boss is shipping you off to Montana because she thinks you’re overworked?” Fiona
snorted. “And Big E helped? Okay, I’m done.” She sighed. “I think.” She sputtered again. “How bad have you really gotten that your own workaholic boss has taken you to task?”
Peyton winced. She hated lying to Fiona. Again. But no way was she going to tell any of her sisters that her exile was an attempt to protect her from someone who quite possibly meant to do her harm.
Using Vilette as her excuse made things easier and, as Peyton planned to tell Big E in the morning when she and Matteo met him at the airport, a nonnegotiable side-deal. Her sisters had enough to deal with these days; she didn’t want them worrying unnecessarily about her.
Besides, after getting the rundown of how many Blackwells there were in Falcon Creek, she didn’t want anyone who didn’t have to be involved in any way. As far as she was concerned, she, Big E and Matteo were the only ones who knew why she was at the ranch: to hide.
And that, Peyton thought as she downed the rest of her wine, was what irritated her the most.
“How long will you be at the ranch?” Fiona finally asked.
“Through Halloween, so about two weeks.” Peyton examined the skyline from her top-floor apartment overlooking the marina. She’d only just moved in six months ago and, well, honestly? Peyton ducked her head. The place acted more as a pit stop than a home. “Exactly what am I supposed to do on a guest ranch, anyway?”
“I’m so glad you asked!” Fiona gushed. “Lily’s been telling me all about it. Besides all the fall activities they’ve got planned like hayrides, a giant corn maze, and an apple and corn festival, they’ve got the usual like hiking and trail rides. Lots of outdoor activities from barbecues to—”
“Fiona, stop.” Her sister was not helping the situation. In fact, all that information only made her want to call Vilette’s bluff. “Does any of that sound like me?”
There was silence for a moment. “You used to like horses when we were kids, remember?”
“Barely.” But deep inside, in a place she hadn’t let herself acknowledge in a very long time, something broke open. A memory of a day, a day bright with sunshine and a laughing Peyton who, along with her father, her real father, had spent the day riding through a green forest. A day so perfect it hurt her heart to think about it.
“Oh, come on, Pey. You used to have all those horse pictures in your room. You scavenged through Mom’s magazines taking everything you could—”
“That was a long time ago.” Peyton uncurled from the sofa and returned to the kitchen to refill her wine. There was nothing so personal as horse images hanging on her walls now. Other than the few framed photographs she had of her sisters and her mother and stepfather settled on the hall table, the entire one-bedroom loft apartment looked like a sterile showroom.
“I’m sure when you get bored with your research and reports, Lily will give you a job to do to help with the wedding. Have you talked to her yet? Does she know you’re coming?”
“I haven’t had a chance to call her.” Peyton emptied the bottle. Why was she such a coward? “I’m worried she might tell me not to come.”
“She wouldn’t do that,” Fiona said, but her tone made Peyton wonder if that was true. “Amanda might have, but Lily won’t. You’re going to have to face all of us in person at some point, Peyton.”
“All the more reason to not reach out until I’m standing in front of her.” Peyton knew she had the reputation of not leading with her heart. A reputation that had only been solidified by the revelation she’d kept the identity of their real father a secret. She was tough, probably even cold by some people’s standards, but that was her safe place. She knew better than most, certainly better than her sisters, that the more you closed yourself off to people, the less chance you had of getting hurt. And nothing held the propensity for emotional pain—especially self-inflicted pain—like the siblings she’d helped to raise. “I guess I’ll see her tomorrow, and whatever happens, happens.”
“On the bright side, from what I hear there will be plenty of space for you and your assistant out on that ranch. Let me know what you think about Conner. I’m dying to meet him. I’m hoping to get some time off soon so I can visit before the wedding in December.”
It still baffled Peyton how Lily had gone from nearly marrying one of their best childhood friends to settling down in Montana with a cowboy. How did something like that even happen? Then again, unpredictability had pretty much defined Lily since the day she’d been born. That girl had never met a challenge she didn’t rise to, before or after a childhood injury had left her with dexterity issues.
After assuring Fiona she’d keep in touch, Peyton hung up and cleaned up the kitchen before she resumed packing. Her soft-sided briefcase was filled to capacity with her laptop, files and various other items she’d convinced herself she couldn’t do without. She’d loaded herself up with all the I’ll get to it later ideas she’d been collecting over the past few years. If she was going to be stuck on a ranch in the middle of nowhere, she might as well make productive use of the time.
She probably should have taken Todd out for dinner, given all he’d done to get her ready and to bring Matteo up to speed on what was expected of an executive assistant. She’d purposely stayed out of both their ways but had kept an ear open just to get an idea of how Matteo was acclimating to his new role.
Much to her disappointment, but not to her surprise, her bodyguard was rolling perfectly with the punches. Funnily enough, he seemed as enamored with the idea of an extended stay in Montana as she was. Having that in common, however, didn’t endear him to her. Especially since she hadn’t been able to talk him out of the idea. And she’d tried. Multiple times. The last opportunity was only a few hours ago when he’d driven her home and locked her in for the night, leaving behind one of his security officers in a car across the street.
She rinsed out her wineglass, wiped down the barren counters and did a quick emptying of the meager contents of her fridge. Leftover take-out containers had piled up over the past few weeks, turning most of them into unintended science experiments. She took the trash out to the chute and returned to her echoing apartment.
That odd pang she often felt these days struck sharply. At least she’d finally get the chance to have a face-to-face conversation with one of her sisters. So far, she and Fiona had mostly gotten back on the same page, and Georgie had been the only sister to actually answer her email in a way that offered a glimmer of forgiveness. Until she’d also righted things with Lily and Amanda, Peyton wouldn’t feel as hopeful they could all move past the recent family revelation.
Climbing the stairs to her loft bedroom and bath, she resigned herself to the fact that for the next few weeks her life was in someone else’s hands quite literally.
She couldn’t get home and back to work fast enough.
CHAPTER FIVE
“HANG ON, I’M COMING!” Matteo kicked his way free of his covers and cast a surly look at the clock that told him he’d managed a whole two and a half hours of sleep. This was so not how he wanted to start the day. He needed to pick Peyton up at seven thirty so they could get to the airport by eight. More than that, he needed to be alert and ready for anything—not just to protect Peyton, but to deal with what would no doubt be her difficult attitude.
The bell rang again, jangling his fraying temper.
Having lived on the other end of angry raised voices for most of his upbringing, he’d made the decision a long time ago that there was no purpose in losing control. His determination to maintain calm, however, did not extend to a 4:00 a.m. wake-up call in the form of what was certain to be some drunk idiot ringing his doorbell.
After a completely unproductive night spent running background checks on every Electryone employee, the thread maintaining his temper had already been stretched spiderweb thin. Other than a few misdemeanors and traffic violations, he didn’t find any reason for an employee to have a grudge against Peyton Harrison.
&nbs
p; With his unexpected trip to Montana robbing him of much-needed time, he had two security officers checking Electryone’s clients. Maybe, hopefully, a connection would pop there. But for now, he had to strangle someone.
He yanked open the door and glared at the unfamiliar, short, bespectacled man on the threshold. Somewhere in his early thirties, his visitor gave off a vibe of responsibility, and respect. Matteo had made it his career sizing people up at a glance; there was nothing threatening about the stranger, other than the fact that the man’s tailored suit probably cost twice as much as Matteo’s rent.
“Mr. Rossi.” The man’s dark hair glistened as he bowed his head slightly. “Please forgive the early-morning intrusion. I am Taro Shinko, personal assistant to Jiro Tadeshi.”
“Ah, okay?” Matteo leaned against the door and waited for the punch line. What was his ex-wife’s new husband’s assistant doing at his apartment? “Nice to meet you.”
Taro’s mouth quirked in a slight smile. “And you. I have a delivery for you, Mr. Rossi.”
“A delivery?” Matteo scrubbed his fingers into his eyes. Was he still dreaming?
Taro held out his arm and stepped back. The familiar little boy who came forward offered an uncertain smile.
“Hi, Dad.”
“Gino?” Matteo crouched in front of him, hands reaching for him, skimming up his arms, to capture his sweet face between his palms. “What are you doing here?” He didn’t wait for an answer, just swung Gino up and into his arms, ignoring the heavy backpack as it slammed against him. He wrapped his arms tightly around his son, hugging him so fiercely he almost scared himself. The years that had passed since he’d last held him, last felt his heartbeat pound, vanished in the blink of an eye. He tilted his head back to look at his boy, pride, love and relief surging through him. “Are you all right?”
Montana Dreams Page 6