Freedom to Surrender [Freedom, Colorado 4] (Siren Publishing Ménage Everlasting)

by Melody Snow Monroe

  Summer let out a slight squeal. “You got a job then?”

  Ashley was mucking this up royally. “No. I’m thinking of applying.”

  “That’s great, so what’s stopping you?”

  She didn’t get it. “I’d have to interact with Drex every day.”

  “So? You implied he pisses you off. He’ll be working on cars and you’ll be in the office. You don’t have to interact with him if you don’t want to. I don’t see the issue.”

  I might fall for him. “He thinks he’s God’s gift to women.”

  Summer laughed. “Are you projecting your own thoughts? Or have you seen women pound on his door and wait outside for his autograph?”

  She loved how Summer could lighten the mood and make her see reason. “You’re right. He is strikingly good looking and I drew the conclusion that every woman would want him.” Thank goodness she didn’t add the word too. “In reality, he’s just mysterious.”

  “So you’re good? You’re going to apply for the job?”

  Why not? She could tame a little hormonal surge each time she had to interact with him. “Yes.” Her real issues might be that he seemed like the type of man to move on when the mood struck him. There’s an easy fix for that—don’t fall for him. “I’ll concentrate on Tatum.”

  “That a girl. Let me know what happens.”

  “Will do.” She disconnected and went to her bedroom to figure out what to wear tomorrow for the interview.

  This was a garage and not an investment firm. Jeans, boots, and possibly a shirt that showed a little more cleavage would be appropriate. She wanted women to feel comfortable coming to the garage and not think they were being taken advantage of. As for the men, if she looked nice and was pleasant and even a little flirtatious, Mr. Wilkerson might get more business, especially if he wasn’t like Skeeter Carson. Not only was that man’s repair shop on the outskirts of town, his prices were rather high, mostly because his had been the only place to go. Now that was all about to change.

  She liked the idea of helping the new guy on the block, and if being a woman would bring in business, it would be win-win. This just might work.

  Chapter Four

  You can do this.

  Ashley had been to enough interviews in the past three days to last a lifetime, so why was she nervous applying for a clerk’s position at an automotive shop?

  She knew. It was because Drex worked there. It shouldn’t matter. I need this job.

  When she walked in, would he wave then go on about his business, or would he be like her brothers and strut up to her and the owner, pretending like he knew everything about her so he could get credit when she got hired?

  It doesn’t matter as long as I get the job.

  Aargh. Stop fretting. If she acted all nervous, Mr. Wilkerson wouldn’t want to hire her anyway. She’d taken Madison to Ashford and crossed Washington Street. On the right sat Wilkerson’s Automotive. The building used to be a warehouse, so there was a large loading dock on the west side of the building. Part of the area was freshly striped into parking spaces. It was early on a Monday morning and the most of the spots were empty. She pulled in and cut the engine.

  Be professional.

  She picked up her purse, slung it over her shoulder, and edged out of the car. The garage had three bays. Two had cars on lifts, but the third spot sat empty. On the door hung a Help Wanted sign and she let out a deep breath. He hadn’t hired anyone yet.

  She raised her chin and went inside, her gazing sweeping the area as she looked for someone who might be the owner.

  A tall, thin man, who she guessed was Carl Wilkerson, came out of an office and smiled. She put him in his early fifties with salt-and-pepper hair. His long nose was slightly crooked, but his face was pleasant. She plastered on a smile of her own and moved toward him.

  “What can I do for you?” He glanced over her shoulder as if to see if she had a car outside.

  “I’m Ashley Morganton and I wanted to inquire about your office position.”

  He smiled. “So you’re Ashley. Drex mentioned something about a pretty little thing needing a job. Just so happens, I need an office assistant. Come on in.”

  He spun around, and it was then she noticed his slight limp. Not wanting a Drex sighting, she followed right behind the owner and kept her gaze straight ahead.

  Mr. Wilkerson pulled his wheeled chair from behind the desk and placed it facing the garage. He tapped it. “Have a seat.” She did not want to spot Drex, but she couldn’t refuse a seat. He placed a hip on the edge of the desk and faced her.

  “Thanks.” She took care to cross her ankles and sit up straight. Her mom would be proud.

  “Drex tells me you got laid off at Bresson Investments.”

  The man would pay for this. “Yes.”

  “And what were your duties there?”

  “I confirmed settlements between the bank and the hedge fund and would make follow-up calls to see if their financial status remained the same. If their income changed, we’d have to reevaluate the mixture in their portfolio.” She realized she was babbling and that he wouldn’t care how one dealt with that kind of customer.

  “Sounds wonderful. I can’t offer you benefits until you’ve been here six months, but I can start you three dollars above minimum wage. How does that sound?” He leaned forward as if her answer was very important to him.

  It took a moment for her to realize he was actually offering her a job. “That’s sounds wonderful, but don’t you want a letter of recommendation or anything?” That was assuming Mr. Bresson would give her one, but she saw no reason why he wouldn’t.

  Carl Wilkerson stood. “Hell no. I’m just glad you want to work with a bunch of lug nuts like us.” He swiped his brow in an exaggerated manner. “I sure hated doing all that paperwork. Can’t type worth a flip either.”

  She wouldn’t be buying any stock in his company. “What kind of accounting software do you have?” She’d been trained using QuickBooks in school, though her firm had used their own software program. She glanced to his desk but didn’t spot a computer, just a cash box.

  “Honey, I use a pad and pencil.” He walked over to his desk and pulled out a leather bound notebook from his drawer. He eased back over and opened the ledger to a random page. Neatly printed names and amounts were listed. “This here is how I’ve kept books for years. My kids tell me I’m out of date, but to be honest, I don’t cotton too much to that fancy electronic stuff.”

  “What if you lost the book?” She could never live without keeping her finances on her computer—skimpy as the amounts might be.

  He clasped it to his chest. “Seal your mouth. My business would sink. I wouldn’t know who owed what.”

  Oh, boy. He didn’t have a computer but perhaps she could offer to bring her laptop to work. Then an idea struck. “What would you think of letting me select a computer for you? I’d install some accounting software on it, and even show you how to use it.” Then she’d convince him to sign up for a service to store the information in the cloud. “You could save postage by not having to mail invoices.”

  His lips pressed together and he slowly shook his head. “I’m not certain.”

  “I bet the customers, especially the young men, would like to know you have a computer at least.”

  “You have a point. How about you check out the prices now?” He glanced at his watch. “Can you be back by lunchtime?”

  She laughed. It was only a little after nine. “How about I call you when I get a price? If you agree, I can set everything up and be ready to go by lunch.”

  He stood, looking like she’d bestowed a present on him. “It’s a deal.” They shook hands.

  Ashley was a little stunned at the suddenness of it all. She’d answered one question about her job experience and got hired. That was a first. On top of that, she would be receiving health benefits soon. It was far more than she’d hoped for. And then to be given the possible green light to set up an office the way she liked was a dre
am come true.

  On her way out, she couldn’t help but glance in Drex’s direction. If they were to work together, she needed to get over her unease around him. He was bending over an engine and had a wrench in his hand. She had to admit, he had a fine ass. Working here might have its perks after all.

  * * * *

  Ashley couldn’t believe what a whirlwind these last three days had been. Wilkerson hired her on Monday, but instead of being indoctrinated on how the shop ran, she’d spent most of the day buying the computer and setting it up. Tuesday flew by because she’d had to figure out how to run the customer’s credit cards and what to put in an invoice. This morning was only slightly less hectic. It could have been because Drex hadn’t come to work until noon. She didn’t dare ask anyone where he was, though. Hammer, one of the other workers, would probably give her grief about liking Drex, and that wouldn’t do.

  When she left work at five, Drex had his head under the hood of a Ford Explorer, so she’d been able to escape without conversing with him. She knew her response to him was a little ridiculous. He was Tatum’s roommate and had never hinted that he even wanted to go out with her. He’d agreed to go bowling with them only because if he didn’t, Tatum would probably raze him to death over it.

  Ashley quickly changed for her date tonight at Bowlerama. Good thing she’d laid out her clothes this morning. Tatum had said he’d pick her up at 6:30 p.m., but Ashley told him she’d meet him there even though the men lived only about a mile from her house. If he and Drex drove together, she didn’t want to be squished between them in Drex’s truck. Her brothers and father had taught her to be cautious on first dates. It didn’t matter she was going out with the town deputy or with a man she worked with. She recalled all too well how the last Freedom law officer had taken bribes to pay for his gambling debts and had even killed a man. That whole situation had been such a shame, as she’d liked Derek.

  It was now close to six, and she needed to hurry. Ashley had spent more time picking out her outfit last night than she had researching which computer to buy for Wilkerson. She wanted to wear something that allowed her to bend over so she could deliver the ball smoothly, but not so loose that her pants would make her look like she had a baggy butt. While she wasn’t concerned what Drex thought, she wanted to look hot for Tatum.

  Liar.

  In high school, she had her own bowling shoes, but the soles had cracked a few years ago and she’d had to toss them. She stuffed a pair of socks in her purse and headed out. The air was a bit crisp, but still nice. She loved late summer as it gave her time to ride and enjoy the outside.

  She wanted to get to the bowling alley ahead of the men so she could take her time to find a ball. With it being ladies’ night, she figured the ten-pounders would go fast.

  On the trip over, she couldn’t help but smile as she recalled Mr. Wilkerson’s change of heart about the benefits of technology after she’d delivered the laptop. There was no question he’d balked at first when she told him the price since she’d thrown in the software program, warranty, and online back-up service, but after she’d installed the programs and entered some data of new customers, he was quite taken by it all.

  Drex had stopped in once to ask the boss a question, but for the most part he kept his distance, for which she was grateful.

  Bowlerama was only ten minutes from her house, and while she’d arrived fifteen minutes early, a police cruiser sat in the lot. Damn. Either the sheriff, Lucas, and Dani were here, or the men had gotten a jump on her.

  She took a final look in her rearview mirror to make sure her makeup hadn’t smudged before exiting her car. Once outside, a quick blast of cold air had her wrapping her arms around her chest, so she hurried inside and was greeted by a hint of beer, wax, carpet mildew, and the crashing of pins. Memories of some good times flooded back.

  The fifteen-lane establishment had computers above each of the lanes, but none of them were lit. She’d heard rumors that when a few went out, the new owner hadn’t bothered to get them fixed, so he’d turned all of them off.

  Tatum and Drex were on lane four. Tatum stood next to Drex, apparently showing him how to bowl. How cute was that? She would have thought Drex wouldn’t have cared one bit if he bowled twenty gutter balls in a row. Instead of announcing she’d arrived early, she went in search of a ball. Two of her friends from high school were on lanes with their husbands, laughing and cheering. That was what she liked the best about the game. Everyone celebrated good throws and bad.

  She stepped up to the counter. “Size seven.”

  The young clerk returned with a red-and-green pair that looked a lot like the ones she’d first rented in high school. “Thanks. I’ll be on lane four.”

  He glanced over at them. “Good luck.”

  She didn’t recognize the kid, but he must have been watching Drex and Tatum. Now was the time of reckoning. She was pretty sure Tatum would be a good sport, whether he won or lost. Drex would probably come in last. It would say a lot about him if he took it well.

  With ball and rented shoes in hand, she stepped past the pool table and the cluster of small tables, and stepped down into the bowling lane area. “Hi.”

  Drex’s ball was halfway down the lane headed toward the headpin when it began to curve. By the time the ball hit the pins, he’d only knocked down two. Drex turned around. “Hey!”

  All right. That greeting was friendlier than she expected. “Not bad.” She could have suggested he step to the right and aim between the three and six pin, but she figured he wouldn’t take direction from a woman very well.

  Tatum gave her a hug and the brief contact had her heart racing. Being nervous would not help her rusty form.

  “Change your shoes.” He lifted her ball from her fingers and placed it on the ball return tray.

  Once she slipped on her socks and donned her shoes, Tatum filled out the score sheet. “I hope I remember how to do this.”

  “I know, right? I’ve heard these monitors haven’t worked in years.”

  He looked up and smiled. “Between the two of us, we’ll figure it out. Why don’t you go first?”

  Wonderful. A quick stab of nerves filled her. Now she wished she’d worn the shirt that covered her butt. No you don’t.

  When she stepped to the line, she could feel their gazes on her back. With her left foot forward, she leaned over, made her three-step approach, and let the ball go. She didn’t put much oomph behind the swing because she was more interested in accuracy than power. The ball headed right down the middle. Ugh. She swiped her hand to the left, urging it to curve a little. It was not her lucky day. The ball slammed into the headpin and she made a split.

  With her hands on her head, she turned around and grimaced. Tatum smiled, but Drex actually looked impressed.

  “That was really good,” Drex said.

  She was about to say it was only a six, but perhaps he hadn’t knocked down that many pins. “Yup. Only four to go.”

  The ball wobbled its way back to her. Her goal was to knock down two. She aimed for the four pin and let go. “Go left. No the other left.” In the end, she nicked one pin and ended with a seven.

  Tatum pushed back his chair. “Let the master show you how it’s done.”

  She was thankful he was in a playful mood. It would make the final scores less important. With great fanfare, Tatum picked up his ball, squared his shoulders, and then waited for the bowler in the next lane to go, acting as if he needed to concentrate. With a fluidity usually reserved for more experienced bowlers, he threw the ball hard but with control. The ball teetered on the edge and then made a hard cut left. It struck right of the headpin and knocked down nine pins.

  Ashley raised her hands and clapped. “Nice throw.”

  “I am so out of my league,” Drex shouted over the pin noise.

  Then he laughed and the sound swirled inside her. Not good, Ashley.

  Tatum turned around and polished his knuckles. “Not bad for not having bowled in years.”
<
br />   “Now you’re just showing off,” she tossed back.

  “I’m just getting started, angel.” When he winked, she knew she was in trouble.

  When his ball returned, he took careful aim and then threw it. He missed the pin by a hair.

  “Good try, Tatum. Next time.” She swallowed hard and broke eye contact. “You’re up, Drex.”

  “How about getting us a pitcher, Tatum, while I show off?”

  “Sure thing.” He faced her. “You good with beer, or do you want me to get you a glass of wine? I doubt they make a decent margarita in this place.”

  She laughed to cover her embarrassment. He actually remembered what she’d been drinking last week when he stopped by at the bar. “Beer is fine.”

  It wasn’t her first choice, but she didn’t want him to spend his hard-earned money on her.

  Drex picked up his ball and stepped to the line. He wiggled his butt then looked over his shoulder at her. She’d never expected him to act so silly. “It’s okay if you throw a gutter ball,” she said. “I won’t judge.”

  He grinned and his cheeks actually dimpled. Look away. You want Tatum and only Tatum.

  “Let me warn you. If you tell Carl, Hammer, or George that I suck, I’ll never let you live it down.”

  “Hmm. Then you better be kind to me.” The instant those words were out of her mouth, she regretted flirting with him.

  As Drex turned around, she swore she caught his lip hitch upward. He took an exaggerated inhalation, and with a slow grace, tossed the ball down the lane without using a lot of force. It was as if he understood that control trumped power.

  Instead of watching the ball thump down the lane, the image of him being in control had her panties dampening. Pay attention to the game. The toss headed toward the center arrow but curved to the left of the headpin at the last minute. Eight pins crashed down.

  She was impressed. “Not bad, cowboy.”

  He turned around and smiled. She was so going to lose the battle of her heart.