by Erica Breyer
Falling for Carrick
Working Class Billionaires - Book 1
Erica Breyer
Copyright © 2020 Erica Breyer
All rights reserved
The characters and events portrayed in this book are fictitious. Any similarity to real persons, living or dead, is coincidental and not intended by the author.
No part of this book may be reproduced, or stored in a retrieval system, or transmitted in any form or by any means, electronic, mechanical, photocopying, recording, or otherwise, without express written permission of the publisher.
Cover design by: Mallory Crowe, Crowe Covers
Copy Editor: Kate Kennedy
To Char...
For talking me off the ledge a thousand times. You're always an inspiration.
xxx
Contents
Title Page
Copyright
Dedication
Chapter 1
Chapter 2
Chapter 3
Chapter 4
Chapter 5
Chapter 6
Chapter 7
Chapter 8
Chapter 9
Chapter 10
Chapter 11
Chapter 12
Chapter 13
Chapter 14
Chapter 15
Chapter 16
Chapter 17
Preview - Book 2
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Books By This Author
Chapter 1
“Oh snap!” muttered Kelly, brushing at the smattering of silver fluff on her navy pencil-skirt. She loved her mother’s little terrier, but Chloé had a way of leaving a trail of fur wherever she went. Today, of all days, Kelly didn’t have time for this. She fumbled through the drawer of her dressing table, looking for the lint roller she kept there.
“Kelz!” a male voice yelled from the other side of the house. Kelly rolled her eyes. “Kelly! Kellyyyy!” the call came again, more insistent this time. Kelly found the roller and began dusting at her skirt as she hurried through to the living room, where her younger brother was lounging on the sofa.
“What’s up, Jarrod?” she asked with impressive patience, considering her nerves were frayed.
“Have you seen the remote?” he asked, tugging at the hem of his t-shirt, where a thread was loose.
“It’s in your hand,” she grumbled, pointing at the instrument he was holding.
“No, the other one,” he replied, waving at the television in front of him. Kelly was still trying to remove stray dog hairs from her skirt, a frown furrowing the skin between her blue eyes. They generally sparkled, but today, the shimmer was more due to annoyance than anything else.
“What other one?” she asked. “How many flipping remotes do you need?”
“Right now, just two,” he responded, apparently oblivious to her dark mood. “One for the TV and one for my game console.”
“Dammit, Jarrod, how am I supposed to know where you keep the remote for your console?” Kelly snapped, dropping the lint roller and lifting cushions on the sofa around him. He clearly wasn’t going to stop pestering her until it was found, but he seemed unlikely to get up to look for it himself either. A sharp yap caught her attention, and she felt a light scrape against her calf. Chloé was jumping up against her leg for attention, leaving more loose fur on the hem of her newly cleaned skirt. “Oh, Chloe,” she sighed, scratching the little dog between her ears.
Pushing the dog aside gently, she rearranged the cushions she’d been digging under, flicking her hair impatiently as several empty crisp packets dislodged themselves from where Jarrod must have crammed them during one of his gaming sprees. When he was in the ‘zone’, he didn’t like to get up for any reason. Kelly shuddered at the thought of how he managed bathroom breaks.
“Found it!” Jarrod said triumphantly, extracting his hand from under his leg and waving the remote.
“Are you kidding me? You mean you’ve been sitting on it all along?” Kelly bit out, trying to dissuade Chloé from getting any closer. She bent down and gingerly lifted the small dog, holding her out at arm’s length as she left the room.
“Yo, Kelz!” Jarrod called after her. “If you’re headed for the kitchen, wanna get me a soda?” Kelly shook her head and didn’t bother to answer, making her way to her mother’s room. She set Chloé down and tapped gently on the door.
“Mom? Mom are you awake?” she called in softly.
“Hi, sweetie,” a voice replied. Kelly opened the door, and Chloé scampered in past her legs, making a beeline for the bed and leaping joyfully onto the woman resting there.
“Chloé! Quit that!” Kelly tried to stop her, but her mother smiled and waved her off.
“It’s okay, darling,” Bonnie Hanson said, smiling indulgently at the bundle of fur that was trying to lick her face. “I let her out earlier to ‘go potty’. Jarrod said he’d let her back in.” Kelly rolled her eyes again. It was an expression she used a lot when it came to her brother. In fact, her eyeball muscles had probably attained Schwarzenegger status. Her mother was ruffling Chloé’s fur affectionately, and Kelly’s expression changed.
“You’re looking better today, Mom,” she said, smiling. Her mother had been diagnosed with an inoperable brain tumor several months before and had been receiving treatment in the hopes of shrinking it. Kelly felt a lump form in her throat as she looked at the woman now.
Still beautiful in her mid-fifties, her ash-blonde hair – not yet affected by the treatments – mirrored Kelly’s own, aside from streaks of silver, which Bonnie liked to call ‘racing stripes’. Kelly had her mother’s eyes too; sky-blue and sparkling, they betrayed every expression from joy to sorrow. Right now, Bonnie’s eyes were dancing with delight as she played with the little dog, although the lines of her face were gaunt.
“I’m feeling good today, darling,” her mother said, as if to break Kelly’s train of thought. “I think I might get into the garden after breakfast.” Her words thrilled her daughter, who’d often sat at her mother’s bedside, watching as she slept. The persistent pain had left her frail, and while she had never been a big woman, now she seemed almost painfully petite. Kelly stepped to the edge of the bed and brushed a silver curl from her mother’s forehead, then leaned down to press a gentle kiss there.
“I’m heading out in a few minutes, Mom, can I get you anything before I go?” she asked. Bonnie smiled up at her.
“Oh, goodness, no, dear. I’m quite capable of looking after myself.” She reached up and stroked her daughter’s cheek. “You look quite lovely today,” she continued. “You’re off to that job interview?” Kelly nodded. “I know you’re going to knock their socks off, darling,” her mother assured her. “You certainly look the part, and I happen to know that you’re the best office administrator in town!”
“Well, I guess we’ll find out soon enough,” Kelly smiled as she answered. Although her mother was determined to show that she was getting stronger, Kelly could see that she was already breathless. If Jarrod saw their mom up and about, he’d probably have her running a dozen chores. ‘Selfish jerk!’ she thought to herself. “I’m going to make myself a cup of tea before I go,” she told her mother. “I’ll make one for you while I’m at it.”
“That would be lovely, darling...but only if you have time,” said Bonnie, looking up. Chloé had rolled over onto her back and was demanding tummy tickles. “Oh, you’re so cheeky,” Bonnie chuckled, as she rubbed the dog’s belly. Kelly gave the pair an affectionate glance as she left the room. She was going to get this job. She had to get this job. The illness had taken its toll on Bonnie’s little bookkeeping
consultancy, and money was getting increasingly scarce. Kelly was determined to make sure that her mother would get the care she needed.
∞∞∞
Kelly sat back in the leather seat and crossed her legs, trying not to betray her nervousness. She’d arrived fifteen minutes early and introduced herself to the polished young receptionist who had handed her a form to fill out, before directing her to take a seat. The offices of Cross Construction were a little overwhelming. The elevator had taken her to the eighteenth floor, and through the window, she could see a vista over the entire city.
Shining chrome fittings gleamed as if they were polished daily, and modern black furnishings gave an edginess to the décor. It was an edginess that didn’t allow for much in the way of comfort, as she was discovering now. She uncrossed and crossed her legs yet again, fiddling with the pages in the folder that contained her resumé.
“Miss Hanson?” a cool voice caught her attention. The woman behind the reception desk was looking over at her, a telephone receiver pressed against her ear. “Ms. Parker will be here to take you to your interview in a moment.” Kelly glanced at her watch. It was almost exactly 10am. Ms. Parker was clearly a stickler for punctuality. As if to prove a point, the sharp clicking of heels echoed down the corridor leading off the reception area. An impeccably groomed woman appeared in the entranceway, dark hair pulled back into a sleek bun, her crisp white shirt stark against an immaculate black jacket and matching tailored trousers.
“Kelly Hanson?” the woman spoke to her, removing dark-rimmed spectacles and meeting her eyes across the room. Kelly nodded and quickly got to her feet, suddenly aware that she hadn’t done a great job of removing Chloé’s fur from her own dark jacket. She brushed at her sleeve self-consciously. The woman was standing in front of her.
“I’m Patricia Parker, Executive Assistant to Mr. Cross. It’s a pleasure to meet you.” Kelly smiled back at her and mumbled a response that she hoped seemed marginally professional. “Please come with me,” Patricia said, turning smartly to return down the corridor from which she’d come. Kelly fell into step beside her, trying not to appear as if she was hurrying. At 5’8”, she wasn’t short, but the woman beside her covered the ground with an efficiency that made her want to jog to keep up.
They moved down the corridor without conversation, until Patricia reached a door, opening it into an expansive boardroom. It was dominated by a long, glass and chrome table surrounded by more of the uncomfortable leather chairs Kelly had been seated in at reception. A man and a woman were already sitting at the table, and both looked up as the pair entered the room. They got to their feet, and the woman stepped forward to introduce herself. She was a little shorter than Kelly with a warm, open face and a ready smile that helped ease some of the tension she’d been feeling.
“Hi there,” she addressed Kelly. “I’m Jackie Watkins, head of Human Resources.”
“Lovely to meet you, Ms. Watkins,” Kelly responded, glancing over at the man, who had yet to speak. Dressed in a beautifully cut gray suit, he was tall, and quite distinguished-looking, with dark hair flecked with silver and a gray beard that showed signs it had once been dark too. This must be the famous John Cross she’d heard all about. Self-made billionaire, construction mogul, he’d cut a swathe through the building sector in the past few years.
He was a little older than she’d expected. The articles she’d read about the company in preparation for the interview made it sound like he’d been really young when he made it big. She had assumed he would be around thirty. She shrugged it off and turned to face him, smiling broadly to cover her nerves.
“Miss Hanson,” he spoke briskly. His voice was not as deep as she’d imagined it would be. “Forgive me if I forgo the customary handshake – I’ve been adhering to the social distancing protocols implemented since the pandemic. I’ve had some trouble with asthma, so I’m probably a bit paranoid.”
Kelly gave a sympathetic nod. The Covid outbreak had been the reason she’d lost her job. The busy little design company she’d worked for had floundered, and she’d been one of many unfortunate employees to find herself out of work when it closed.
“I understand completely; we’ve all been affected. It’s a pleasure to meet you, Mr. Cross,” she said.
“Oh, pardon me,” Patricia interrupted. “Mr. Cross isn’t able to join us today. Allow me to introduce our COO, William Randall.” For a second, Kelly wanted the floor to open beneath her so she could drop out of the room. She felt her cheeks flush at her faux pas, but the others were already taking their seats, seemingly unfazed. She quickly joined them, setting her purse on the seat beside her and organizing her resumé neatly in front of her.
“So, Miss Hanson,” William began, “or, would you mind if we call you Kelly?”
“Not at all, William,” she smiled, determined to regain her composure.
He returned her smile. “Bill…please. Perhaps you can tell us a little more about yourself and why you feel you’d be suitable as our administrative manager?”
∞∞∞
An hour later, the group finally concluded the interview. Kelly’s throat was parched, in spite of a round of cappuccinos that had been brought in halfway by the receptionist. She’d been asked so many questions about her background and qualifications that she felt like her entire life had been laid out on that boardroom table. William and Patricia said their goodbyes and then headed back into the office area, while Jackie paused with Kelly.
“It’s been lovely getting to know you, Kelly,” she said. “We’ll be assessing several resumés and candidates in addition to you, but I’ll give you a call shortly.” She raised her hand as if to pat Kelly on the shoulder, then quickly stopped herself. Kelly smiled back at her, then headed in the direction of the reception area. She stopped at the water cooler on her way, pouring a cold drink and swallowing thirstily. She felt a little flushed after the meeting, but something in her felt elated. Although the others had kept their opinions to themselves, she got the impression they’d been pleased with her responses.
A persistent vibration from her purse caught her attention. She was relieved she’d switched her phone to silent for the meeting, but had been aware that the little device had been alive in her bag. She reached in for it now, dismayed to see she’d missed a string of calls and messages from her brother. The last was from her mother. She knew how important this meeting was – Kelly was sure she would never have called if it wasn’t urgent.
“Mom?” she said anxiously as soon as her mother answered the call.
“Don’t panic, dear,” her mother replied, immediately causing Kelly to panic.
“What’s happened, Mom?” Kelly asked, trying to keep the edge out of her voice.
“Now, I don’t want you to be angry, darling, but...” Bonnie took a deep breath, then continued. “Your brother crashed my car.”
“Oh, fudge buckets,” Kelly groaned.
∞∞∞
Two days later, Kelly was standing in the kitchen, wrist-deep in soapy dishwater. Bonnie was sitting at the small kitchen table, flipping through the mail. She heaved a deep sigh, rubbing her eyes as she opened yet another bill.
“Don’t worry, Mom, we’re going to get through this, you’ll see,” Kelly assured her mother, wishing she believed her own words. Her retrenchment package hadn’t been large, and she would reach the end of her meager savings soon. The repairs to her mother’s car would put a big dent in them. Her expression must have betrayed her because her mother’s voice interrupted her thoughts.
“I’m sorry to be such a burden, darling. I’ll be back on my feet soon, I promise. I’ve already been in touch with some of my regular clients.” Her face was enough to break Kelly’s heart.
“Oh, Mom, you could never be a burden!” she said vehemently. At that point, a less charitable part of her didn’t want to say the same about her brother. She’d returned from her interview to learn that he’d crushed the front end of her mother’s little Toyota. The cost to fix it wa
s bad enough, but the fact that her mother needed to get to the hospital for regular treatments added more stress to the mix. As it was, Kelly had already been fretting about Bonnie making the trip herself. Her health had deteriorated to the stage that Jarrod might have to drive her there.
After this recent episode, Kelly was less than happy to hand the responsibility to him. But if she got this job...or any job, for that matter, she wouldn’t have any option. She met her mother’s eyes and saw the sorrow there. She could only imagine how hard it must be to feel so helpless.
“We’re going to be fine, Mom, I promise!” She injected as much determination into her voice as she could. Before her mother could reply, a ringtone interrupted her. Kelly wiped her hands on a cloth and reached for her phone.
“Kelly Hanson speaking,” she said in reply.
“Kelly, it’s Jackie Watkins from Cross Construction,” the voice on the other end said. “How are you doing today?” Kelly’s heart skipped a beat.
“I’m great, thanks. It’s lovely to hear from you,” she answered.
“Kelly, we’ve spent a couple of days deliberating, and we’ve all agreed that your credentials are excellent. I also think you’d fit in really well with our team. We’d be delighted to offer you the position,” Jackie said. For a second, Kelly was speechless.
“Oh my goodness,” she finally gushed, “that’s amazing! I’m so pleased to hear that.” Part of her wanted to remain calm and professional, but after the conversation she’d just been having, this call felt like the answer to her prayers. Fortunately, Jackie was the kind of person who seemed to understand.
“I know, right?” Jackie replied. “I knew it right away...we just ‘clicked’! But of course, there are protocols, and it was necessary to see that we met all the requirements.” Kelly could hear the smile in her voice. “Are you able to come in tomorrow to finalize the paperwork and sign your contract? We’d like you to get started as soon as possible.” They made the necessary arrangements and then ended the call. Kelly looked over at her mother, who was sitting silently at the table. She nodded, and then a grin spread across her face.