Disillusioned Billionaire

by Jill Snow

  “Yeah, one of those you Americans mangle. She was the prettiest girl in the school. You know the type. We don’t have cheerleaders in Ireland but if we had, she’d have been one.”

  “So did you get your wish?” she asked.

  “Me? Are you crazy? You should have seen me as a teenager. I didn’t have spots, my spots had spots. I was short as well. A skinny little runt. I would have had more luck asking Julia Roberts to kiss me than Siobhan Walsh.”

  “Bet she wouldn’t mind kissing you now.”

  He didn’t care about what Siobhan wanted, he wouldn’t mind kissing Ashley again. Now. “Who, Julia?”

  Ashley nudged him with her elbow. “So did she?”

  “No, but she made herself available when I came home after the first Grammy awards. She told the local bar she was my girlfriend and got her and her mates into the private party we were holding for all those who supported the band in the early days. She was quite embarrassing really.”

  “Sounds like she had a thing for you.”

  Was that a hint of jealousy he heard in her voice? He wanted to tell her she had no reason to be jealous, his focus was on her and her alone. But he couldn’t. He would seem big-headed. “Not me. My wallet or my connections, or maybe both. She wanted Bono’s autograph.”

  “Really? I prefer Larry myself.”

  “You know U2?” He couldn’t have been more shocked than if she sang the Irish anthem in Gaelic.

  “Sure. They were really popular over here too, you know.”

  “Were? They are an icon.”

  “Nope. Simple Minds are an icon.”

  He put his hand around her waist, tickling her trying to get her to admit U2 was better than Simple Minds.

  “Haven’t you seen the Breakfast club? The Simple Minds song at the end just rocks,” she protested, her breathing quickened by his teasing. But looking at her, he wondered if that was the only reason. Her eyes kept glancing at his lips. Would she kiss him?

  He tickled her even more until she begged him to stop. They were both laughing. He kissed her quickly before he could think about it. Instead of pushing him away, she kissed him back.

  Chapter 33

  The stars twinkled in the night sky as he walked her back to her car, his arm wrapped around her shoulders. Although it wasn’t cold, he liked being close to her.

  “Ashley, thank you. I had the best evening in a long time.” He didn’t want it to end but to go on forever.

  “Me too,” she whispered.

  “Maybe we could do something tomorrow. If you’re not busy I mean?” He tried to sound casual.

  “We could do a bit of sightseeing afterward. I could show you a real mining town. Well, what’s left of it.”

  “I’d love that. What time?”

  “Pick you up about ten?”

  “Great see you then.” He leaned over and kissed her on the cheek, conscious that they may have an audience with the ranch hands. The last thing he wanted to do was cause her embarrassment.

  The morning couldn’t come fast enough for him. He tossed and turned thinking about Ashley. He liked her. A lot. She wasn’t a bit like any other girl he had gone out with. She was funny, but practical. She didn’t suffer fools and she wasn’t going to win any awards for patience, at least not with the guests of the ranch. She could spend hours with a horse or a child and not lose it at all. He sensed she had trust issues just like he did. She seemed close to her dad but her relationship with her mom didn’t sound as healthy.

  He was up, showered and changed before Loretta arrived in the kitchen.

  “You are keen this morning. Are you coming to church with us?”

  “No. I got to go somewhere.”

  “With who? You know you aren’t allowed to go off gallivanting alone.”

  “I know. Ashley is taking me to see the old mining town.”

  “Aha. I knew there was something brewing between you two. She’s a wonderful girl. Now, don’t you go breaking her heart.”

  “Loretta. She’s taking me to see a mining town. It’s not like it’s a date.”

  “She’s giving up her free time to take you somewhere and you don’t want me to see it as anything other than her good deed of the day?”

  Adam didn’t want to look at Loretta’s face. She was way too good a judge of character and would see he was excited.

  “Anyway, have a good time at church. I best start walking down to meet her.”

  “What time is she coming?” Loretta made a show of looking at the clock.

  “Ten-ish.”

  “Then you have plenty of time to sit down and get a good breakfast.”

  Adam sighed under his breath. He couldn’t say no, he would hurt Loretta’s feelings. But he wasn’t in the mood for her insinuations either. Thankfully Bill, Henry and a few of the guests arrived so breakfast became a rather noisy affair. He caught Loretta glancing at him a few times, but he pretended not to see her. He was nervous enough without her making it out to be the date of the century.

  Chapter 34

  Ashley drove slowly up the drive to the Double R. Why had she agreed to this date? It was one thing being alone with Adam when Mack or one of the other ranch hands was nearby, but for the two of them to be out completely on their own? That had to spell trouble. He was lovely, kind and gentlemanly. If she were honest, it wasn’t his behavior she was worried about but her own. She had to keep a clamp on her feelings or they would spiral out of control. She was already physically attracted to him, but the emotional attachment was more worrying.

  She couldn’t sleep for thinking about him and wondering how he came to be at the Double R. She wished she knew his secret. He had told her he wasn’t involved in drugs and despite Scott and Kayleigh, she believed him. She couldn’t reconcile the guy she knew, the one the animals and kids liked and trusted, with someone who smuggled drugs. But he must have been involved in some way to be here at the ranch. To be able to help the police as he seemed to have hinted. He was too normal to be a drug smuggler. Ordinary. Well, maybe not ordinary. He was an absolutely gorgeous billionaire. What was she doing? She could barely afford the tank of gas to take him to see the Baker Hill mining town yet here she was spending her Sunday doing just that.

  She spotted him waiting for her. At least she was saved the interrogation from Mack and Loretta over where they were going. He looked pleased to see her, but nervous too. Was he having second thoughts?

  “Hi there. Am I late?”

  “No, just on time. I had to get away from the kitchen.”

  “Loretta asking questions?”

  “That would be an understatement. She lost her calling. She should work for the CIA or the FBI.”

  Ashley giggled at the thought of Loretta being involved in anything like that.

  “So you still want to go or have you had second thoughts?” She didn’t know whether she wanted him to say yes or no. It might be safer for everyone if he stayed at the ranch.

  “No, let’s go. Unless of course, it is not convenient for you?”

  “I’m cool. Okay get in and put your seatbelt on. I don’t drive too fast.”

  “Okay, maybe this wasn’t a good idea,” Adam said as she spun the truck around and started back down the drive.

  She giggled again before telling him to stop being a wuss. “Life is supposed to be lived.”

  “I’d like to see Mack and Loretta again.”

  She stopped messing around once they got to the main road. Whatever else she was, she wasn’t a careless driver. She couldn’t afford to be. Her parents needed her.

  “You look beautiful. That color pink really suits you.”

  “Thank you,” she said, not sure if he meant her shirt or the flush of embarrassment and excitement on her cheeks. “So what do you want to see most at Baker Hill? You can take a trip on the train or you can go panning for gold like they used to do in the old days.”

  Chapter 35

  “I don’t mind. Whatever. So long as I’m spending time with you, I�
��m happy.” Oh no, did that sound as wimpy to her as it did to him?

  He waited for an answer but she remained silent. He hoped she hadn’t had second thoughts. She’d believed him last night about not being involved with drugs. Otherwise she wouldn’t have kissed him.

  “Let’s pretend the drugs thing didn’t happen. For today let’s just be two twenty-something’s out to have fun. Deal?” he asked.

  “Deal!” She grinned back at him.

  The ghost town was like something out of Hollywood. They parked the car and walked around checking everything out. Adam wanted to go panning for gold, telling Ashley he was going to find her a nugget. They giggled and splashed each other but neither found anything of monetary value. Then they went on the escorted tour of the old mine. Thick beams supported the walls, but it was still a bit freaky walking inside. Ashley held onto Adam’s arm tightly. She wasn’t about to admit she didn’t like being underground. The time for saying that was before they had gotten into the elevator. The dust clung to her hair, or was that the spider webs?

  “Don’t be scared. Nothing is going to happen. See those?” Adam pointed to some old rails. “I guess they used to run the carts on those.”

  She just nodded, not capable of opening her mouth. The scream was in her throat just waiting to escape. It was cold down there but, more than that, the place gave her the shivers. She imagined she could feel the miners who had died down there. Watching her, waiting for her.

  “I’m sorry I’ve got to get out of here. I don’t like it,” she whimpered.

  “Okay, don’t breathe so fast or you’ll pass out. Take it slowly. Come on. We’ll go back this way.” Adam led the way to a dark chamber. She hung back.

  “How do you know the way to go?”

  “It says so right here, look.” He pointed at the directions on the wall.

  Their feet scuffed on the rocks, causing loose stones to slither down the sides of the mine. Convinced the mine was going to collapse on top of them, she walked faster. She would have run but he held her back.

  “Ashley, be careful. You could turn your ankle or something. It’s safe. Don’t worry, I won’t let anything happen to you. Trust me, okay?”

  She wanted to but the dripping water and shifting timber amplified her fear. She was terrified. Why had she tried to be brave? She closed her eyes, stumbling over some rocks. Bending lower due to the tight spaces, her heart raced faster and faster. The sweat dripped down the back of her neck, she cut her hands on the out-jutting rocks. Faster and faster went her heart.

  “Breathe slowly. We’re nearly there. Can you see the light?

  She couldn’t see anything but the darkness, but the smell was different. The air wasn’t as stagnant as it had been farther underground.

  “Stay with me, Ashley. Steady now. Almost there.”

  The sunlight warmed her skin. Relieved, she looked up to the sun hoping its rays would stop the chills running through her. She was shaking. She was mortified when she couldn’t stop. He held her rubbing her back gently, soothing her like she would Gracie. Then, he gave her some water. “Sip it slowly. Don’t gulp.”

  Great, she was so attractive having behaved like a scared kid. Some date this had turned out to be.

  “Here, wash your face with this.” He had taken off the T-shirt he’d been wearing under his shirt and wet it. She put it to her face, inhaling his scent. “Come on, let's get you sitting down.” Before she knew what he intended he had picked her up in his arms and carried her over to a seating area. A medic came to check on her.

  “I’m fine,” Ashley insisted, wishing she could disappear.

  “Your partner is doing a great job of looking after you.” The medic did a quick check of her oxygen levels and pulse. He seemed satisfied she was okay. “If you need us call okay?”

  She just wanted to curl up and die of embarrassment. He had only seen her at work when she was cool, calm and collected, not this quivering wreck.

  “So are you afraid of enclosed spaces or is it just the dark?” Adam asked.

  “No, the dark is fine. I hate being underground,” she said.

  “So why come down the mine shaft?”

  “You looked like you were having so much fun and I didn’t want to ruin it for you. That worked out well, didn’t it?”’

  “So long as you’re okay, I don’t care. I have to say, I was worried back there. I wasn’t sure how I could get you through some of those tiny spaces without hurting you. But we’re out now. Are you sure you’re okay? Do you want to go home?”

  She did. She wanted to shower and change her clothes and get the smell of the mine out of her hair. But that would curtail his day too.

  “No, I’m okay. I would love to take the train trip. It goes up into the mountains so the air will be clear.”

  “Are you sure? We could go home and come back another day. When you feel better?”

  She glanced at him. He seemed sincere. “Okay then, yes please.”

  “Do you trust me to drive?”

  She nodded. She’d trust him to do just about anything. She was the one falling apart. Her hands still shook. She gave him the keys and kept quiet the whole way home, apart from giving him directions.

  “I can wait in the car while you take a shower,” he said when they’d reached her house. “You will have to drop me back. I have curfew remember.”

  She had almost forgotten. She couldn’t leave him in the car, but bringing him inside meant introducing him to her parents. So be it. Her dad would kill her if she were rude and left her date in the car.

  “Come in. You can sit with my parents while I have a shower. Then I can make us something to eat before we head back, if that’s okay.”

  “Sounds great.” He bounded out of the car and held the door open for her. When she let them both into the house, it seemed her parents had gone out. Walking into the kitchen, she saw the note from her dad. He and mom had gone out for dinner over to their friends who lived on the outskirts of town. They wouldn’t be home until late.

  “Can you amuse yourself for a while? I need to go change.”

  “Sure. Pass me the remote and I will try to understand baseball or football. Neither of them makes any sense to me at the moment.”

  Laughing she headed upstairs. She looked even more of a mess than she could have imagined. How could he bear to be within a foot of her?

  Chapter 36

  Adam waited, trying to find something on the TV to take his mind off Ashley. He’d been terrified when he realized her fear of enclosed spaces. He couldn’t believe he’d managed to get her outside without her being hurt. He was sure she would bang her head on a low rock or trip over something. Thankfully she was fine, other than embarrassed. He’d had a fabulous day and, selfishly, he didn’t want it to end. She was some girl. If that had been Camilla she would have freaked out completely. It was hard to imagine Camilla anywhere near some local historic site.

  When she’d cleaned up, she cooked him a delicious dinner and they laughed and joked their way through it. He insisted she sit down while he washed up.

  “Your mom certainly did train you properly, didn’t she?”

  “Mam said Irish boys were a disgrace if they thought they could get through life being waited on hand and foot by a girl.”

  “I like your mom.”

  He didn’t comment. His ma and da were furious with him over the drugs.

  They didn’t hang around the house for long. He guessed she wasn’t ready to introduce him to her parents. She drove him back and parked her car far away from the guest house. They walked back to the river and sat there kissing for a while, enjoying the peace and quiet.

  When it was time to head in, he took her hand and led the way back to the ranch house. As soon as it came into view, he dropped her hand. He guessed she wouldn’t want to be seen with one of the guests. He watched as she gave him a half smile before heading toward the barn. He really liked her but he would have to be careful. She was vulnerable and he didn't want to tak
e advantage of that. He turned into the house to find Mack staring at him.

  “You better not start something you can’t finish.”

  “Mack, it’s not like that. I like her. A lot.”

  “I ain’t her pa but I won’t stand by and see her hurt. Understand.”

  Adam didn’t answer. He knew what the man meant. He moved on to the house thinking about her, the feel of her lips against him, her body in his arms. He couldn’t believe the amount of stuff she had to deal with in her life and yet she got up every day and came to work smiling.

  Chapter 37

  Ashley had the day off. She usually went to work anyway, since it got her out of the house and took her mind off her problems. But today was different. She was going to take Adam’s advice and see if she could help her parents. She hadn’t asked Mack for his help—he would only worry about her. She had lived in the area for long enough to go and find help herself.

  She drove to see the accountant. She had picked him out of the phone book. He was relatively new to town but maybe that would be to her advantage. He wouldn’t be caught up in small-town loyalties, having to please one person perhaps at the expense of another.

  To her surprise, Jake the accountant turned out to be a very attractive thirty-something year old. He didn’t even wear glasses. He made her feel comfortable and was easy to talk to. She outlined her problem and understood most of what he said. He clarified the points she had issues with.

  “Any chance you want to share lunch?” Jake asked. “My treat. I’m new to the area and I hate eating alone.”

  “Sure, there is a lovely pasta place down the road.”

  “Perfect. Just let me lock up.”

  “Don’t you have a secretary?" she asked, looking around the office.

  “I do but her kid is sick so she’s at home today. Right, let’s go.”

  They chatted as they walked. He told her about his wife who was still back in Texas with their two small children. She was staying with her parents while he got things sorted out here.