Page 35 of The Cowboy and the Bombshell
“Cut the crap, Constance. What are you up to?”
“Why, dear brother,” she snarked back, her sarcasm letting me know exactly what she thought of us being related. “Why would you immediately assume I was up to anything? Perhaps I just got lost on my way to the bathroom.” Her smile was filled with spite as she shouldered past me, stalking for the elevators. As she went, I watched her drop something into her ridiculously expensive, yet inexplicably ugly designer bag. Turning around while she waited for the doors to open, she stared at me, no longer trying to disguise the hatred in her eyes. “And you can tell that little gold digger that it will be a cold day in hell before she gets anything that belongs to me. Including my last name.”
As the elevator doors closed on her angry glare, I knew that Constance was going to be an even bigger problem than usual. I’d have to keep an eye on Penelope this weekend. Constance would use any opportunity to try and make her look bad in front of Harold and our team.
And I’d done enough of that in the last month to last a life time. From now on, I was on Penelope’s side the whole way.
Moving back into Penelope’s open office, I glanced around to see if Constance had taken anything. Whatever she dropped in her purse, it couldn’t have been very big, but I didn’t notice anything out of place. Not that there was much in the room to begin with. It looked like Penelope hadn’t added any personal touches at all. The company laptop was open on the desk, as well as a stack of files and flier mock ups she was preparing for the printers. Everything appeared just as it should be.
“What are you doing?” Penelope’s voice startled me out of my inspection. Looking up, I found her standing in the doorway, her arms crossed, the look on her face part suspicious and part nervous. It was past time to change both of those.
“Hi,” I started lamely. I was standing behind her desk, looking suspicious as fuck, so I guess she was right to be wary. “I was waiting for you, actually. I’d like to talk, if you have a moment.”
Penelope looked over her shoulder into the hallway. “I’m not sure this is the time or place for this conversation, Mr. Montgomery,” she replied quietly, her use of my last name stressing her need to keep things professional. I would respect that.
For now.
“Fair enough, but I’d like us to have some time to talk. Alone. Can I take you to dinner tomorrow night?” When she hesitated, I added, “Please.”
Penelope’s lips flattened into a line, her indecision clear on her face.
“Just dinner, Penelope. That’s all I’m asking.”
She assessed me, her blue eyes staring hard into mine, as if she was trying to read my mind. Whatever she saw must have been enough, because she nodded. “Fine. Dinner. Tomorrow.”
Then she turned and walked away, her blonde bun bobbing as she strode to the elevator. I followed her, closing the office door behind me, and watched as Toby moved up beside her. Whatever it was he said, she gave him a polite smile before stepping into the elevator. As the doors closed on them both, she met my eyes again. And while there was still caution, there was also heat as she looked me up and down.
Yeah, I could work with that.
I was still staring at the closed elevator doors when I felt a hand clap on my back. I turned to see Harold smiling up at me. My father had been a big man in his younger years, and our broad shoulders and barrel chests were an indication of our shared genes. But time had shrunk him. He was in no way small now, but the strength that came with youth had faded, leaving behind a mildness that I guessed he hadn’t possessed when he was my age. But his eyes were bright, their hazel still matching my own, and his mind was as keen as ever. And I didn’t like the way he was smirking at me now. It was too reminiscent of my own cocky expression.
“Well, son, I can’t say I’m surprised.”
“Surprised at what?” I asked gruffly. I told myself I was going to try with my father, Penelope’s story having resonated with me where years of my mother’s pleading had failed.
“That girl is a spitfire, that’s for sure. She’s honest and hard working and dedicated and loyal. You won’t find a better woman anywhere. I hoped sending her out here would be the catalyst she needed to push her into the next stage of her career. If it wasn’t for this silly Toddrick business I would have promoted her already. I never suspected…” he trailed off, making me glance at him. He was staring at the elevator doors, a far away look on his face.
“Never suspected what?” I asked again, trying to mellow my tone.
“Just promise me something, Stone.” Harold said quietly, his face suddenly serious. “Don’t waste time. Don’t allow my mistakes to scare you into making your own.” The sadness in his eyes rendered me speechless, and I couldn’t think of a thing to say as he moved away from me to catch the next elevator to the lobby.
I don’t know how long I stood there considering his words, but I was jolted back to reality when Silas moved up beside me.
“You ready to head out, boss-man?”
I regarded him, my best friend for more years than I could remember. He’d been with me through all my family drama, just as I was by his side through his.
“Silas, I gotta say, my family just gets more and more bizarre every time I’m around them.” I shook my head in exasperation. “Harold may be losing his marbles, Constance is the devil incarnate, and Daphne is-”
“Daphne is perfect.” Silas cut me off, glaring at me and daring me to say something negative about my youngest half-sister. When I didn’t speak, he nodded and stalked off to call the elevator for us.
Shit. I was gonna have to do something about that. But with all the other shit piling up on my plate, I didn’t have it in me to take on my best friend right now.
Hopefully, he would wise up all on his own.
Daphne may be my half-sister, but she was still my sister in all the ways that mattered. Silas was gonna have to remember that.
CHAPTER THIRTEEN
