Welcome To Redemption: Series Collection (Books 1-6)

by Donna Marie Rogers

  “Why's that?”

  He shrugged. “Chicks getting cut to shreds by some psycho nut? Didn’t think in a million years you’d care for it.”

  “I love blood and guts movies. Always have. Used to watch them with my Grandma Kate.”

  He stared at her for a second. “Hot Stuff, just when I think I have you figured out, you surprise the hell out of me.”

  It was Lindy’s turn to shrug, though a small smile played about her lips. She loved the fact he was finally seeing her in a new light; not just as the spoiled rich girl. Though, admittedly, she hadn't shown him much else to judge her by. “Can I get some more champagne, please?”

  He seemed to hesitate for a moment, then shrugged. “Sure.”

  After she’d drained her glass for the fourth time, Drew took it from her and declared, “I’m pretty sure you’ve had enough now.”

  “Hey, you’re the one who said to drink up, Bucko.”

  One brow rose. “Bucko? Really?”

  “Bucko...Bucko...yeah, I like it. Bu-cko. Buuu-cko. BuckoBuckoBucko.” She giggled. “I love that word. It’s my new favorite word. Seriously.”

  Drew shook his head, but a reluctant smile crooked his mouth. That perfectly perfect mouth. Man, did he have nice lips.

  “Okay, I think it’s time for me to leave and for you to get some sleep.”

  “Hel-lo.” She gestured toward the champagne bottle. “We’re not finished yet. You’re the one who said we can’t save it.” After a brief attempt to snatch her glass back, Lindy broke out into a serious case of the giggles.

  Drew laughed and set her glass on the nightstand. “Not much of a drinker, are you, Hot Stuff? Sure are entertaining, though, I’ll give you that.”

  Entertaining? She’d give the big lug entertaining... Lug. LugLugLug. Lindy grinned. The champagne had definitely gone to her head—as well as her libido. The naughty thoughts racing through her mind kick-started a slow burn in her core. She wanted him. Now. And she was almost positive he wanted her, too. Just one time. Work him out of your system so you can focus on the job you came to do and get back home to L.A.

  She hiked a leg over his lap, straddling him. Drew settled his hands at her waist, looking quite surprised by her boldness. Heck, she was plenty surprised herself. She gave an experimental wiggle, drawing a groan from him.

  “Christ, darlin’, I’m not made of stone.”

  She wiggled again, casting him a coquettish look through her lashes. “You do a pretty good imitation.”

  “You’re killing me, Hot Stuff.”

  Throwing caution to the wind, she leaned down and kissed him—just laid one on him. A low growl rumbled in his chest, and his grip tightened as he pulled her flush against his chest. He deepened the kiss, tilting his head and slanting his mouth beneath hers. Lindy’s head swam; her pulse thrummed hard with need. It had been so long since she’d been with a man. Since she’d even kissed one, until yesterday, though she’d keep that bit of news to herself. Drew’s ego was practically spilling from his ears as it was.

  Strong hands caressed and stroked the tender muscles of her back as deft fingers wove a tingling path up her spine, sending currents of sexual energy to every nerve in her body. Nestled against his hard chest, Lindy’s nipples tightened in anticipation, every inch of her aching for the incredibly sexy man she had pinned to her bed.

  Without warning, Drew broke the kiss and gently slid her off of him. He sat up with a muttered curse and pulled his cell phone from his front pocket. It must have been on vibrate because she hadn't heard it ring. He listened to a message, stared at the ceiling for a moment, then stuck it back in his pocket.

  “What is it? What’s wrong?”

  He sat up with a groan and swiped a hand through his hair. “Nothing, I...Listen, Hot Stuff, thanks for the pizza, but it’s late and I have an early day tomorrow.”

  Before she could form a thought, Drew rolled off the bed and shot to his feet. He looked uncomfortable, and Lindy felt like crawling in a hole. He didn’t want her. She’d practically thrown herself at him, and he wasn’t even interested enough to take advantage of what she offered. Tears burned her eyes.

  “I’ll call you.” With that, he left.

  She heard him call for Bo once he reached the foyer. When he shut the door, it may as well have been a cannon going off, so strong was its impact.

  Being rejected by the arrogant man once was one thing. But after yesterday’s aborted kiss, my God, she must be the biggest fool on the planet. He’d probably been waiting since last summer for a chance to knock her off her pedestal. And fine—touché. But Lindy had been foolish enough to let him get to her. Much as she hated to admit it, her heart ached. She’d started to fall for him, and now he knew it. The humiliation of it nearly choked her.

  “I’ll call you.”

  Flipping onto her back, she pressed the heels of her hands to her eyes, desperate to stem the flow of her tears. The faint crunch of gravel reached her as he pulled out of her driveway. A sob nearly escaped, but she choked it back, along with her vulnerability. She’d die before she’d let that man make her feel like dirt. No one could hear the ache in her chest; feel the burn of her shame. And no one needed to know just how deeply she’d fallen for the jerk.

  A feminine howl of complaint penetrated Lindy’s depressing thoughts, and she glanced down to see Bianca gazing soulfully up at her. Binks leapt onto the bed, purring her little heart out as she butted her head against Lindy’s hand. Lindy swiped away her tears, then gave Bianca the petting of a lifetime, needing the comfort only her furry best friend could provide.

  “Three more months, Bianca. Then it’s back home to L.A. For good.”

  Chapter Eight

  “So where are you off to?” Matt asked as he set Lindy’s nonfat espresso macchiato to-go on the counter. Lindy pitched a five dollar bill down and snatched up her drink.

  “I have to make an appearance at the plant, meet the new manager, and give dad a progress report.”

  Knowing better than to argue with her, Matt accepted the money and rang up her coffee. “Someone’s in a mood this morning. What’s up?”

  “Nothing.” She hooked her purse over her shoulder, careful to avoid eye contact with her perceptive older brother. Not that anyone could’ve missed her pissy attitude. Lord, she couldn’t wait to get back to real life—which thankfully was on the other side of the country. Mayberry’s small town charm and appeal had definitely started to wear off.

  He eyeballed her in that annoying, ‘you never could lie to me’ brotherly way. The look that had never failed to draw the truth from her. “Something happen with Drew last night? You two seemed to be getting along when I left. Which, by the way, is why I left.”

  “Mind your own business.”

  “PMS?”

  “Do you want to get slapped?”

  Matt chuckled. “Okay, okay, I’ll quit. I’m just worried about you, Lin.”

  She softened. “I’m fine, really. I woke up with a killer headache, and the ibuprofen hasn't kicked in yet.”

  “Do you want me to drive you to the plant? Jenny’ll be here in half an hour and Carrie can handle this place by herself blindfolded.”

  “I appreciate the offer, but no. Again, I’m fine.”

  “Do you remember how to get there?” he pressed.

  “I do. But if I forget, the new Caddy has built-in navigation.”

  “Good. Just remember to watch for that first left after the bridge. It’s a little difficult to spot the first time. And give me a call after you meet with the plant manager. I’m curious to know what you think of him.”

  Matt’s smile was oddly self-satisfied.

  “I will,” she promised. “See you later.”

  The plant was roughly a twenty minute ride north of Redemption, and Lindy used that time to focus on business and exorcise a certain jackass from her mind. She’d cried a few tears, tossed and turned most of the night, and now she was done. Period.

  The lot sat nearly empty si
nce they only had a skeleton crew working at the moment. Once the plant reopened, which they estimated to be May 1st, it would take over three hundred employees to run it twenty four hours a day, seven days a week. Matt had hired most of the upper management team, and as soon as Lindy made sure everything was running on course, she’d hire a full personnel team to help her fill the rest of the positions. Already, she had close to five hundred applicants, many who’d sent their resumes via email.

  Lindy parked in the small lot next to the offices and glanced around with reluctant admiration as she carefully made her way across the snow-packed blacktop. Clear blue skies blanketed snow-covered pine trees for as far as the eye could see, giving the area an almost storybook enchantment. And that fresh air...she took a deep breath, let it out slowly, and frowned. Damn, she was going to miss fresh air when she headed back to the city of smog.

  She unlocked the security door and stepped inside the office foyer, anxious to meet the plant manager Matt was so proud of himself for hiring. She tossed back the last swallow of her espresso macchiato, dropped the cup in the lobby trash can, and stopped to take another deep breath—this one to calm her frazzled nerves. She wondered if the plant manager was even in yet. Funny, Matt forgot to mention the guy’s name, and she’d been too preoccupied to ask.

  “Lindy?”

  The familiar, high-pitched feminine voice came from her right. Lindy spun around and racked her brain as a gorgeous brunette strode her way, hand outstretched, smiling from ear to ear. Suddenly, it dawned on her. “Bernie?”

  “I wasn’t expecting you until next week!” Bernadette Mitchell, Lindy's new executive assistant, clasped her hand and nearly pumped her arm off. “It’s so great to finally meet you in person.”

  Lindy smiled with genuine pleasure, liking the spunky woman immediately. Bernie didn’t look anything like she’d imagined. Somehow she’d pictured a blonde with a beehive hairdo and big glasses.

  “It’s nice to meet you, too. And I’m sorry I didn’t tell you I was arriving early. It was sort of a last minute decision.”

  Her worries were quickly waved away. "Please, no problem at all. So, what are your plans for today? Want me to start setting up interviews?”

  “I'd be grateful if you did, thank you. But first I need to hire you a couple of assistants, so set those up first.”

  Bernie grinned. “Much appreciated.”

  “I'm about to go meet with the plant manager, then I have some running around to do. Any chance we can meet for dinner tonight? My treat.”

  “I’d love that, though you don’t have to buy. Nino’s has wonderful pizza and pasta. And their cannoli is the best you’ll ever taste.”

  Lindy almost laughed aloud. These Mayberrians sure did love Italian food. You'd think Nino's was the only restaurant in town. “Sounds good. Seven o’clock work for you? We can meet there. And I’m buying; no arguments.”

  Bernie's smile was appreciative. “Thanks. And FYI, Andy hasn’t come out of his office since I arrived almost two hours ago.”

  “Andy?”

  “Your plant manager.”

  “Oh.” Lindy grimaced sheepishly. “Guess I should’ve known that.”

  Bernie did a one-shoulder shrug. “You have a lot on your mind. I’m going to start setting up those interviews for you. If I don’t catch you before you leave, see you tonight.”

  “Looking forward to it.”

  The vivacious brunette turned and strode purposefully back into her office. Lindy made a quick stop in the restroom on the way, strangely anxious to meet...Andy. Geez, she still couldn’t believe she’d forgotten to ask the guy’s name.

  The door to his office stood slightly ajar. Lindy grasped the knob just as a string of loud curses rent the air. Something struck the door with such force it slammed shut, startling her. The distinct crunch of shattering glass was quickly followed by the pungent smell of...booze?

  Lindy leaned off to the side before throwing the door open. Getting beaned in the head with something wasn’t exactly high on her priority list. She took a cautious peek inside, her gaze zeroing in on the middle-aged man leaning over the desk, palms braced, chest heaving. He looked up suddenly, brow raised as if startled to see her.

  “What the hell is going on in here?” she demanded, nose wrinkled in disgust. She stepped gingerly around the broken glass, not wanting to slip in her high heels. This was Matt’s brilliant plant manager? A stinking drunk?

  “Who are you? Get the hell out of my office!”

  Infuriated, Lindy didn’t even ask for an explanation. “No, you get out. You’re fired, effective immediately.”

  When he simply stood there, gaping at her in bleary-eyed silence, Lindy added, “Please don’t make me call the police to escort you out of here, because if I have to, I will. Just grab your personal items and leave.”

  Realization dawned on who had witnessed his drunken meltdown; remorse flared in his red-rimmed blue eyes. “I’m sorry...I know how this looks, but...”

  His face crumbled as he tried to explain, his demeanor having done a complete one-eighty. But Lindy didn’t need to hear his excuses. What did it matter anyway? No way could she keep him in their employ after what she’d witnessed. She couldn’t think of a bigger no-no, as far as Spalding Industries was concerned, than drinking on the job. Luckily for Andy it hadn't been her father who’d walked in on his little tantrum; he’d have called the police immediately and asked questions later.

  “I can call you a cab if you need one, but that’s the limit of my patience.” Lindy glanced down at the broken glass and shook her head with regret. She met Andy’s gaze, reluctant to have to explain things to Matt. He’d really been proud of this hire.

  Andy straightened and dug into his front pocket. “I have my car.”

  “I don’t think you’re in any condition to drive.”

  Belligerence bubbled back to the surface and a scowl darkened his otherwise handsome face. Andy must have been at least in his fifties considering he’d ran the plant all those years ago, though he didn’t look a day over forty. “`Course I can drive! I only had a few—” he hiccupped “—mouthfuls.”

  Lindy was doubtful of his ability to drive, and she certainly wasn’t going to let him risk hurting himself or someone else. “Either I call you a cab or I’ll call the police to escort you home. Your choice.”

  He eyed her with utter contempt. Not that Lindy didn’t understand his anger, but once he sobered up he’d realize he had no one to blame but himself and his disgraceful behavior.

  “I’ll call my son.”

  She nodded and eyed the broken glass one last time. “I’ll make sure your last paycheck is sent directly to your home.” With that, Lindy shut the door behind her and stormed from the building.

  * * *

  “You what?” Matt looked up in surprise.

  “I fired him.”

  “You fired him?”

  “Yes, I fired him. I found the man drinking on the job.”

  “He was drinking?”

  Lindy rolled her eyes. “Good Lord, Matt, are you going to repeat everything I say?”

  Matt swiped his fingers through his hair and gave a cautious look around before leading Lindy to the table in the corner near some book shelves. “I’m sorry, it’s just...are you sure you didn’t misinterpret things? You do have a habit of jumping to conclusions.”

  Lindy slapped her purse on the table and dropped onto a chair. “I do not. And no, I didn’t jump to anything. I was about to enter the office when he threw a bottle against the door. The odor was unmistakable, but yes, I checked the label just to be sure. Whiskey. I didn’t misinterpret shit—your wonderful plant manager was drinking on the job. I did what I had to do, Matt. Exactly what you or dad would have done under the circumstances.”

  “Damn.” He blew out a hard breath. “Did he at least try to explain himself?”

  She shrugged. “He was clearly angry about something, not that it mattered. He was lit up like a Christmas tree and smashe
d a bottle against the door. If I’d walked in a second earlier, I'd be at the hospital right now getting stitches in my head. Which reminds me, I need to call Bernie and have maintenance—”

  “There has to be some kind of reason for his behavior. His work record is impeccable. He ran the old plant like a well-oiled machine for over twenty years. Started when he was just out of high school, and worked his way up to operational manager by the time he was twenty eight.”

  “You seem to know a lot about this guy. It’s almost as if you know him personally, like he’s a friend or—”

  “He’s Drew’s father.”

  Chapter Nine

  “All right, Pop, you wanna tell me what’s going on?”

  Andrew Porter Sr. climbed hesitantly into the passenger side of Drew’s pickup and leaned his head back, closing his eyes as if to shut out the world. Drew knew something major had to have happened for his father to have gotten himself fired.

  He put the truck in park and waited for his old man to speak. When he didn’t, Drew said, “Look, whatever it is, we can fix it. Lindy can be a little...intense at first. But once you get to know—”

  “I opened that bottle of bourbon Kurt gave me for Christmas and drank...quite a bit of it. That’s how Miss Spalding found me.”

  Drew was quiet for a moment as he processed that bit of info. His father wasn’t much of a drinker, never had been. A couple of beers during a ball game or when bowling with the guys, but that was about it. “Why? Pop, what happened?”

  Andy swiveled his head and met Drew’s gaze. The misery Drew saw nearly took his breath. “Son, I have something to tell you. I...Jesus, I have no idea how to say the words.”

  Scared, Drew murmured, “Just say it. What the hell’s going on?”

  “It’s your mother. She...Drew, I’m so sorry. Yesterday...your mother took her own life.”

  The hairs on the back of Drew’s neck stood up as his father’s words sank in. He struggled to suck air into his lungs as gut-wrenching sorrow filled his chest, stealing his breath. The text he’d received last night had been from Hannah reminding him of their mother’s birthday, wanting to know if he’d remembered to send roses to the hospital, as they did every year.