The Wedding Gift (Colorado Billionaires Book 7)

by Regina Duke

  Clayton closed his eyes and groaned. Internally, he was congratulating himself for getting out of Texas when he did.

  “Of course, you weren’t, and Plano sent them packing. So you can relax. But it piqued his curiosity and made him check the garage.”

  “Oh great.”

  Ashley set a cup of coffee in front of him.

  “Thank you, Ash.” He eyed his aunt. “Was that all?”

  Polly shook her head. “He’s trying to decide whether to call them burly boys back again. Seems someone left a Maserati in his garage.” She tilted her head and smiled knowingly at him.

  Rocky heard it first, the sound of a car approaching. He began bouncing and barking and ran to the front door.

  Little Odin waved his arms and squealed, “Daddy! Daddy!”

  Polly set him down so he could greet his father. Ashley smiled at Clayton and promised, “That’s Thor. We’ll be right back.”

  Clayton chuckled to himself. She sounded like a woman who had been left alone with Polly before and knew exactly what he was going through.

  As soon as Ashley left the room, Polly leaned close to Clayton and used a stage whisper to add, “One more thing. Plano told me not to say a word about Lulamae.”

  CHAPTER EIGHT

  Tuesday

  The next morning, Kenzie rose an hour earlier than usual to allow enough time for doing all the chores by herself. Her father was still not up to it. But he did come down to breakfast, looking tired and wan.

  Her mother was bubbling over with relief and cheer at having John hungry for breakfast, but Kenzie noted that she served him tiny amounts of food. He only ate half of that, and when he pushed the plate away, Marigold carried it to the sink and refilled his coffee cup without saying a word about it.

  John spent a lot of time staring at Kenzie. She couldn’t quite place his expression. It was new to her. As she prepared to leave the table, her dad’s eyes misted over, and Kenzie realized with guilty horror that his expression was one of gratitude. That rattled her almost as much as the texts that Todd was still sending.

  All in all, it had been an unsettling morning. She agonized again over the little deceits…big lies?…that she’d told them about Denver. Here she was, needing their support at the worst time in her life, and there they were, on the other side of the table, in desperate need of her assistance.

  It was a relief to kiss them goodbye and step out on the porch to wait for Clayton. And bless his heart, he was right on time.

  She left the porch and opened her own car door. “Good morning.” She gave him a tiny smile.

  “You look amazing,” said Clayton.

  “Thank you. This time I remembered to shower after I did the chores. You look terrible. Sleepless night?”

  Clayton shook his head. “Visited relatives until two in the morning.”

  “Oh.” She stretched the word into a very knowing singsong, up and down the scale. His hair was damp and combed straight back. He smelled delightful…not a hint of motorcycle oil or car grease…and except for the dark circles under his eyes, she had to admit that he didn’t really look terrible. In fact, he looked darn good. Maybe it was the car. Would he look this good on a tractor?

  She blurted, “Have you ever driven a tractor?”

  Clayton pretended to pound water out of his ear. “Say again? I’m not sure I heard you right.”

  Kenzie suppressed a smile. “Have you ever driven a tractor?”

  “Hmmm. That’s what I thought you said. No, I’m afraid not. Should I learn?”

  Kenzie shrugged. “It wouldn’t hurt.”

  Clayton kept his eyes on the road, but his tone was light and welcoming. “How are your parents doing?”

  Kenzie shrank into her seat. “My dad isn’t feeling so great.” She shook her head. “When I left for college, they were hale and hearty. Five years later, it’s like all the life drained out of them. Well, out of my dad. My mom still has steel in her spine when she needs it.”

  Clayton made a sympathetic noise. “Family.”

  “Exactly.” Kenzie wondered if she should be sharing all this with a man she barely knew, but he was easy to talk to. “What about your folks?”

  “Oh, well, just my dad left. And my siblings. Do you know Austin Photography?” He pointed at a small storefront as they passed. “That’s my kid brother.”

  “Was he the one you were up all hours with?”

  “No. I was at my cousin’s house. Thor Garrison? He’s my cousin on his mother’s side.”

  “Oh, yeah. He put in some security lights for my folks.”

  “Funny,” said Clayton, pulling up to the curb of the Feed and Grain. “Thor and I are the same age, but he’s got a great wife and two adorable kids. I feel…unproductive.”

  Kenzie’s hand was on the door handle. “By the way, have you heard any more gossip about the wreck at the quarry?” Her heart pounded as she asked the question. She hoped she sounded casual.

  “Actually, Austin called Thor’s place last night and told us the whole thing was a false alarm. Turns out the wreck the watchman spotted had been there for years but the wind blew off the tarp that used to cover it.”

  Kenzie felt like a huge weight had been lifted. “Well, that’s good. I mean, I’m glad no one was hurt. You know.” She stumbled over her words, getting out of the car. She thought she might float into the Feed and Grain.

  Before she closed the car door, Clayton leaned toward her. “But the sheriff is going to take a look, just to be on the safe side, either today or tomorrow. Can I take you home after work?”

  Kenzie’s knees turned to jelly. “Yes, please,” she mumbled.

  “Great. See you at four.” He drove away.

  Kenzie turned and trudged toward the Feed and Grain. She felt like a death row inmate whose request for a pardon had been denied.

  * * *

  Clayton wasn’t sure what he’d said wrong, but whatever it was, it had knocked the breath out of Kenzie. What on Earth could be that terrifying? He decided it was time for a private chat with Thor.

  He parked the Mercedes in the Cattleman’s lot and walked to Thor Security. The brisk morning air carried a hint of moisture although for the moment only friendly white clouds floated lazily across the sky. He spied Thor through the glass front of his store. His cousin was lifting weights, concentrating on his reps. He was facing away from the window, so Clayton just watched for a few moments.

  How strange that they could be so much alike and yet so different. Clayton was sure that Thor would have the same muscle development if all he did was lift his kids up and down during the day. Clayton had the same gene for muscle, but he had never been a fan of organized workouts. He preferred hiking, skiing, and swimming, anything that could pass for recreation.

  He figured Thor had an inner drive that he lacked. He had more in common with Ulysses, whose laid-back attitude was more Clayton’s style. Where the heck was Ulysses anyway? Thor would know. He entered the store.

  The bell over the door tinkled and Thor responded by reluctantly setting his barbell aside.

  “Oh Clayton! Come on in. I was just getting in some reps. Have a seat.” He indicated a wingback chair on the client side of his desk.

  Rocky was sleeping on his bed in the corner. He barely lifted his head in greeting. They were old friends now. Clayton had fed the dog so many French fries and Milk Bone biscuits, Rocky had actually turned his head away and stretched out under the kitchen table somewhere around midnight. Now when he lifted his head long enough for a glance at the visitor, Clayton could swear it was the doggy equivalent of a guy with a hangover saying, “Yo, bro.”

  He grinned at his own mental image.

  Thor took the chair behind the desk and leaned back on two legs. “What’s up? You didn’t get enough of Thor World last night?” His eyes sparkled.

  Clayton crossed an ankle over his knee. “You have a great family. Ashley is amazing. How does she juggle all of that?”

  “She runs a business,
too. She and Mina from the Boutique are partners in the art gallery next door.”

  “No way!”

  “Way.” Thor let his chair drop to four legs. “Coffee?”

  “Sure. Thanks.”

  Thor poured for both of them and confessed, “She also has a nanny and an employee or two at the gallery. And we have a housekeeper who comes three times a week.”

  Clayton took the offered coffee. “Well, thank God. The thought of her trying to do all of that and keeping you happy besides was too much to get my mind around.” He sipped coffee.

  Thor settled on his chair again. “And thanks to you, my dog is in a coma.”

  “You’re welcome,” quipped Clayton. “Aunt Polly sure bowed out early.”

  “She probably figured if you started feeding the Chihuahuas, they’d explode. Besides, she and Ashley enjoy having their own space.”

  Clayton lifted a knowing brow. “Nice little place you built for her.”

  Thor nodded. “She loves being near the grandkids. She just doesn’t want to actually help out in any meaningful way.” He put a finger to his lips. “Please don’t tell her I said that.”

  Clayton chuckled. “No worries. Where is Ulysses? I thought he had a place here, too.”

  “He does. He and Belle are in Vegas, visiting Lulamae. Belle adores her.”

  “They have any kids yet?”

  “Belle can’t, so they’re working on adoption.”

  “Cool.” Clayton shook his head slowly. “Your babies are sure cute. I mean, once you get past the shriek factor.”

  “Sounds of life and joy,” said Thor. “But um, that’s why we have a nanny.” He looked slightly uncomfortable. “And that’s why I can’t offer you a place to stay. She lives in.”

  Clayton brushed it away. “No worries. I’m staying at the Cattleman’s. Turns out the owner is giving Austin a special price.” He looked around. “Nice place. Lots of wall displays. An information video. Do you get much foot traffic?”

  “Mostly by appointment,” said Thor. “But a guy needs to go to work. If you get my drift.”

  “Speaking of which,” said Clayton, shifting from family mode to the reason he’d stopped by, “I was wondering if you could help me out with something.”

  An hour later, Clayton emerged from Thor Security with great faith that his cousin knew more about security than just installing alarm systems. He was impressed. In fact, before he left, Thor had already made a phone call—Clayton didn’t know who could provide an answer that fast—and discovered that Mackenzie Shane had never owned property in Denver, and she’d never registered a car in the state of Colorado.

  CHAPTER NINE

  Wednesday and Thursday, Kenzie found herself becoming more and more accustomed to riding in Clayton’s Mercedes. Okay, his father’s Mercedes. But that didn’t matter to her.

  He started bringing her little gifts. On Wednesday, it was hot coffee and croissants for the drive to work, and a sweet little cowgirl figurine on her way home. He had blushed and confessed, “She’s dressed just like you. Except for the cowboy hat. I couldn’t resist.”

  Kenzie found herself being more and more charmed by Clayton.

  On Thursday morning, he brought coffee and donuts from The Muffin Man, and he offered to help her paint her parents’ house.

  “That would be wonderful.” Gratitude filled her voice. “You wouldn’t mind? I mean, don’t you have a job to get back to? Am I going to come out some morning and discover you’ve headed back to Texas?”

  He lifted a pastry and shook his head. “Once you discover The Muffin Man, there’s no going back to Texas. And painting seems like an obvious way to help.”

  Thursday afternoon, he brought her a porcelain horse. “Your little cowgirl needs a ride. Do you like it?”

  The figurine was the perfect size for the porcelain cowgirl. The horse was a pinto, black and white, with an arched neck and a fancy set of tack molded in great detail. “Oh my gosh, I love it.” On impulse, she leaned over and planted a kiss on his cheek. Then she said, “Sorry. I have no right to do that.”

  “Sure, you do. I hereby give you blanket permission to kiss me any time you want.”

  Kenzie had tucked the little figurines under her pillow that night, and her dreams had been so sweet. She was a tiny cowgirl riding her porcelain pinto all around her bedroom.

  Friday morning, Kenzie seriously considered smashing her cell phone with a hammer. If she wasn’t still paying the monthly bill, she would have done it. She calculated that she would get a weeks salary from Taylor just in time to pay the bill. She was feeding the pigs when she realized her phone bill was going to the empty house in Denver. She sat down heavily on a bale of hay. The thought of calling the company and changing her address felt overwhelming. It was just one too many things to deal with.

  She still hadn’t heard anything about the sheriff checking out the quarry. A watchman might make a mistake, but she feared that a lawman would take a very close and thorough look at every inch of that quarry. And the threat of the Mustang being discovered hung darkly over her head. It filled her with gloom, and she moved among the barn animals without her usual banter.

  Her phone was almost useless to her. She was afraid to read Todd’s texts, and yet she felt compelled to do so. What if he reported the car stolen? He might not know exactly where her family lived—he wasn’t the kind of guy you took home to meet Mom and Dad—but any competent police force would have her location pinpointed in a heartbeat. Every time her parents’ phone rang, she would jump out of her skin and hold her breath until her mom greeted the person on the other end. Then and only then could she breathe easy. So far there had been no calls from police or the sheriff’s office. But with every passing day, she grew more and more anxious about it.

  In Todd’s text of the night before, he had threatened suicide if she didn’t tell him where to find the car. She still hadn’t sent him a picture of the destruction.

  At first, his threat set off all kinds of deep feelings inside. Sympathy, worry, guilt, and even a shadow of the affection she’d felt for him when they first met.

  But she shook them off. After all, he had threatened suicide before. The first time, six months ago, she had treated him with kid gloves and promised to stop asking about the mortgage for the house.

  The second time, three months later, she realized he was using his threats as a tool. If he really felt suicidal, he was perfectly capable of acting on that impulse. He could swerve his motorcycle into oncoming traffic or slit his wrists with the Bowie knife he carried hidden in his boot. Even so, he’d been extremely upset about something, so when he insisted they go on a road trip for a few days, she had agreed. She didn’t even question him when he packed all their clothes into the Mustang. The car could barely run at that point in time, and the hood was a different color because he’d had to replace it. The weird thing was, they didn’t go anywhere. At first, he said they would go camping in the mountains. But they had no equipment. They spent their nights in an isolated cabin in the woods. He claimed it belonged to one of his “associates.”

  Three days later, she informed him that she would lose her job if she didn’t get back when she’d promised. So they went back to Denver. She literally got out of the car and had to change for work in the restaurant bathroom. She dropped three different orders that day because she was so distracted and nearly got fired anyway.

  When he picked her up from work—he usually let her walk home, so that was suspicious, too—he was all smiles and had groceries in the trunk. He announced it was time to go back home.

  That episode had raised so many questions in her mind. She should have left that very day.

  But she didn’t want to tell her parents her life was a sham. And there was still a flicker of the original fire she’d felt for Todd burning inside. So she stayed.

  Emma the pig nudged her with a dirty snout.

  “That’s all there is, Emma. Just piggy kibble today. Mom has been too worried about Dad to do
much cooking.”

  Marigold kept a bowl on the counter as she cooked, and into it went vegetable peelings and leftovers and an occasional Fig Newton for the pigs, to supplement their commercial pig chow.

  “Maybe there’s something left in the garden,” said Kenzie. “I’ll check after work, okay?” She stroked the pig’s head, its sparse hairs bending like wire beneath her palm.

  As she showered and dressed for work, she wondered if she had enough change in the bottom of her purse to buy Emma a package of Fig Newtons.

  Then she had a great idea. On her break, she would stop in at the Itty Bitty cafe and see if Mrs. McAvoy would save some kitchen scraps for her pigs. Her plan filled her with purpose and she clung to it as she said goodbye to her folks. Her dad was still unable to help with chores, but he did seem to look a little better. Her mother, however, looked more worn and haggard every day.

  That’s what worry does, she thought as she stood on the porch waiting for Clayton. I wonder how long it’ll be before I start looking like that.

  Right on time, the black Mercedes pulled up in front of the house. The sight of it lifted her spirits. Clayton was turning out to be such a wonderful person. And he was so darned cute. Well, handsome really. But he knew how to turn on the boyish charm. He seemed really interested in her. She pretended she hadn’t noticed, but he had been flirting like mad on their drives to and from the Feed and Grain. Maybe she could share some of her worries with him.

  * * *

  “Good morning,” said Clayton cheerfully. It earned him a fleeting smile. “How is your dad today?”

  “Still resting.” She tilted her head and teased, “Are you still unemployed?”

  “I’m sort of on vacation.” He let his hand waffle in the air. “Right now, I’m the chauffeur for a fantastic woman.”

  “Oh? Who?”

  Clayton laughed. “You, silly.”

  “Ah. The ‘fantastic’ part threw me. I’m not feeling so awesome recently.” She clutched her purse as her phone dinged.

  “Is that for you?”