Montana Boss: Montana Cowboys Read online

  Montana Boss

  Hildie McQueen

  Pink Door Publishing, Augusta, Georgia 2016

  Montana Boss

  Bestselling Author

  Hildie McQueen

  Pink Door Publishing

  Cover Artist: Robin Ludwig Design Inc.

  Editor: Gayla Leath, Dark Dreams Publishing

  Copyright Hildie McQueen 2016

  All rights reserved. No part of this book may be reproduced in any form or by any electronic or mechanical means—except in the case of brief quotations embodied in critical articles or reviews—without written permission. This eBook is licensed for your personal enjoyment only. This eBook may not be re-sold or given away to other people. If you would like to share this book with another person, please purchase an additional copy for each reader. If you're reading this book and did not purchase it, or it was not purchased for your use only, then please return it to your retailer and purchase your own copy. Thank you for respecting the hard work of this author.

  The characters and events portrayed in this book are fictitious. Any similarity to real persons, living or dead, is purely coincidental and not intended by the author.

  Other Works by Hildie McQueen

  (In reading order)

  Contemporary Western Romance

  Montana Bachelor

  Montana Boss

  Montana Beau

  Montana Born

  Fords of Nashville

  Even Heroes Cry

  The Last Hero

  Her Hero*

  Nobody's Hero*

  Contemporary Romantic Comedy

  Taming Lisa

  * Not published as of this publication

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  Dedication

  To my wonderful friend Amanda Wicklum, who remains strong and positive, in spite of life's adversities.

  Chapter One

  What had started out as a pretty nice day was literally in the crapper by the afternoon. Shannon Aldean held the edge of her wrap skirt under the bathroom hand dryer. It had unraveled and dropped into the toilet. Somehow she'd managed to keep most of it around her while she rinsed it in the sink and now attempted to dry it before hurrying to an impromptu meeting.

  "The company has been sold." The office manager Mr. Havers leaned forward in his executive leather seat and looked at each face around the conference table waiting for one of the long-time employees to vapor lock and fall out of their chair at the news. When he didn't get reactions other than wide eyes as the employee waited for him to continue, the balding man placed his palms on the table for effect. He tapped fingers and then continued. "Burrows Ranch and Home Supply will cease to exist effective one month from today."

  Shannon didn't have time for the drama. Yes, it was early Friday afternoon and although the others didn't mind wasting an hour or two in a useless meeting, she had payroll to get done. Each minute spent waiting for Mr. Havers to finish the announcement meant another minute staying late.

  "Mr. Havers, may I ask a question?"

  Her supervisor's eyebrows lifted and his eyes lit up at someone asking a question. "Of course, Shannon. By all means."

  "Who are the new owners? Will we all keep our jobs? Will our pay be affected? Is there a memo outlining all the changes?"

  Mr. Havers visibly deflated at her asking all the pertinent questions at once. "A young entrepreneur purchased the company. Everything stays the same for now. Our office here in Longview will remain the same," he said referring to their current facility in the small town near Bozeman, Montana. "New name is Longview Ranch Supply. I do have a memo." He motioned to the doorway where Katie, the administrative assistant, sat holding a folder full of papers.

  "Great." Shannon stood and headed for the door, realizing the entire conference room was quiet and she was the only one leaving. "I'm a bit behind, I have payroll to finish," she announced, grabbing a paper from Katie.

  "Fill me in later," she whispered to her friend who nodded, her lips quivering as she attempted to keep from laughing out loud.

  One of the perks of working in payroll was no one dared to speak up and stop her when she was behind, especially on a Friday.

  Burrows Ranch and Home Supply was a small subsidiary of the much larger Emerson Ranching Industries in Billings. Boasting forty employees. Although small, their client base was quite large. They attracted ranchers from all the surrounding towns.

  "Coming to happy hour? We're celebrating we still have jobs." A couple of hours later Katie hovered in the doorway of Shannon's office. She swung her head sideways while waiting for an answer. Her blond hair swayed across her face and into a perfect just below the chin bob. "Everyone's going."

  Shannon narrowed her eyes and wondered how Katie didn't get dizzy pulling that hair flip maneuver all the time. "Where is this celebration taking place?"

  "Tuesday's," Katie replied with a wide grin. "Gary's supposed to be there." Katie's crush on Gary was a well known and often talked about subject at the office. The only person who didn't seem aware of it--was Gary. The quiet website designer, who worked directly for Emerson, remained in his messy office most of the day, leaving only to refill his coffee cup or use the bathroom. It was speculated he'd designed a sort of sci-fi transporter since he was rarely seen arriving in the mornings.

  Going with the gang to happy hour was tempting. "Are you sure it’s Tuesday's? Last time you told me Tuesday's and everyone was at Friday's. Including you."

  "I'm positive." Katie wiggled her fingers and turned away. "Gotta scoot. I'm freshening up my make up before heading out. Maybe I'll swing past Gary's office and remind him." Her eyes landed on Shannon's hair. "I love the new haircut. Your hair looks amazing all day now." Her awe filled voice made Shannon reach up and run her fingers through her layered shoulder length red locks.

  "I do love my new style. Don't know why I waited so long to cut it," she agreed.

  "The ponytail you wore everyday was not flattering at all." No one ever told her she looked horrible in a ponytail until she cut her hair. First her mother and now Katie.

  "It did?"

  "Yeah."

  For years she'd obviously resembled a troll and no one thought to point it out.

  After five o’clock Shannon finally hung up with the administrative assistant in the Bozeman division office. The woman went over the company's new owner's itinerary several times and then insisted Shannon repeat everything backs to her. Obviously the VIP was extremely OCD and his admin was terrified of him. Or it could be the woman was overdoing it in an effort to get promoted or into his pants.

  Shannon studied her notes. Thankfully she did not have to worry about Mr. OCD until Monday.

  She picked up her tote bag and headed for the door.

  It had arrived: the end of the week and now she had a relaxing weekend to look forward to. Even though it was corny, she did a fist pump and waved her arms in the air. No early mornings and no heels for two entire days.

  Heck yeah, she may as well go to happy hour.

  Chapter Two

  "Mr. Emerson is there anything else you require?" It was the third time his secretary called since he'd left his Billings office, and Drew held back an exasperated sigh.

  She continued, "I went over your itinerary with a payroll clerk at the Longview office. The manager was in the production area and unable to come to the phone. The woman I spoke to seemed competent enough." Lora paused and he heard her breathing. "Perhaps I should cal
l them again. Just to be sure everything you need will be taken care of."

  He looked at the time on his car's console. "It's after six, please go home, Lora. It's Friday. Enjoy your weekend."

  "Very well, but don't hesitate to call me if anything arises. I'm willing to come there if you'd like." Her voice softened. "I don't mind at all, Mr. Emerson."

  And he had no doubt she would head out of town in an instant, if he'd been reading all her signals correctly the woman wanted more than an employee, boss relationship. Lora often wore low cut blouses and leaned over his desk. That and the fact she had no idea what the meaning of personal space was.

  Drew kept his voice even. "Thank you, Lora. I am sure everything will work out perfectly. I need you there."

  The call disconnected as a car in front of him switched lanes, cutting off a big rig. The truck driver slammed on his breaks causing a loud pealing squeal of tires. The truck driver accentuated his feeling with a long pull of the horn, and the sound drilled into the center of Drew's brain.

  A violent memory flashed. A black and white negative of an accident replayed.

  In an instant his vision blurred and Drew fought the urge to jerk the wheel hard to the side of the four-lane highway. White-knuckled, he merged to the right and slowed until he maneuvered the black Ford F150 onto the wide grassy shoulder edging the blacktop road.

  Gasping for breath, Drew loosened the top buttons of his shirt and leaned his forehead on the steering wheel. Sweat dripped down the center of his back, the wet path becoming cold thanks to the air conditioner.

  Slowly his breathing returned to normal and he gazed through the side window at the open field. Blooms remained on knee high field pea plants resembling a blanket of snow.

  In the distance centered on the acres of farmland, a lone farmhouse stood guard. Dulled paint and a wide porch added to the home's appeal. From the side of the house, two chocolate Labs appeared. The dogs barked and ran in circles chasing each other.

  Lowering the car's windows allowed outside warm air to immediately overtake coolness in his car, and he leaned back relishing the feel. Even with the stirring of the air and the calmness of the atmosphere, his heart continued to thud erratically.

  Each of the sensations of being alive came with a mixture of gratitude and guilt. His brother would never again see fields or farmhouses, nor would Adam feel fresh air across his face.

  Although almost two years had passed since the accident, which took his brother Adam’s life.

  He'd been the passenger in the car when they'd hydroplaned. Adam lost control and they bounced off the side of a tractor-trailer to roll several times in the median.

  Drew had remained trapped in the wreckage by his seatbelt and twisted metal. His left leg crushed by the crumpled dashboard. After an agonizing three hours hanging upside down, rescuers had finally used the Jaws of Life to free him.

  It wasn't until Drew woke in the hospital he learned Adam had been ejected and crushed by the car.

  A long ragged scar from left hip to thigh and a slight limp remained. It was a small price to pay, in his opinion.

  Finally his erratic heartbeat stabilized while he remained on the roadside studying the farmhouse. On the four-lane country highway, which cut through farmlands and long expanses of woods, he was half an hour from the subsidiary he purchased several years earlier, and an hour further to his parent's home in Bozeman.

  A woman wearing a cheery apron over blue jeans walked out of the farmhouse, headed for the mailbox, the dogs following happily at her heels.

  This was what he wanted. The change he craved, a new start in a small town where he'd marry and raise a family. Sure he'd dated--came close to becoming engaged once, but after the accident he couldn't allow himself close to anyone.

  Each time he did, guilt overshadowed any enjoyment and in the end he wasn't able to work through it. Yeah he was one messed up guy.

  The decision to leave the Bozeman division after many years of working at his father's secondary corporate site was not an easy one. Elliott Emerson was not happy with his decision to move to Longview, and urged him to move back to Billings to take over the empty chairman spot at Emerson Ranching Industries--Adam's remaining vacant position.

  His father was relatively young still, barely sixty and not planning to retire anytime soon.

  Unlike Adam who'd been stern and serious, Drew did not get along with his father, the self-made multi-millionaire who handled all matters whether professional or private with an iron fist.

  Usually after a couple days together, Drew and his father butted heads over every detail, no matter how trivial.

  Since graduating with an engineering degree, Drew fought to blaze his own trail. He invested the majority of his time and effort on the small company in Longview, which he’d purchased without his father knowing.

  He'd made millions with his own separate branch, Burrows Ranch Supply, which he ran through a partner who helped keep his ownership secret.

  Now he pretended to purchase it and rename it Longview Ranch Supply. Although his father balked at his decision to buy it, he'd not resisted too much stating he was glad to know the small company was tucked more securely under the Emerson umbrella.

  The reminder of the conversation still made Drew shake his head. Although his father was a hard man Drew loved and respected his business acumen.

  Needing to stretch his legs, he got out of the car and walked to the edge of the field. The plants moved with the wind and he plucked a flower nestled in green leaves. The bright white blooms almost filled his palm. He looked up to see the older woman with mail in one hand and waving at him with the other, her smile wide.

  "Hello. How are you?"

  "I'm great. Thank you."

  "You be careful pulling back onto the road. Sometimes cars come up without you noticing how fast they are moving." She waved again and continued back toward her house.

  "Yes, ma'am."

  The dogs looked toward him for a few seconds, wary of a stranger. After halfhearted barks, the canines wagged their tails and ran to catch up with their mistress.

  Yes. This was where he belonged. He desperately needed a slower more relaxed life.

  Chapter Three

  "That damn Katie," Shannon grumbled after walking into an almost empty Tuesday's restaurant. She sat at the bar and immediately a bored bartender came to get her order. Although not one of her coworkers was there, she ordered a beer from the tap selection. She'd drink it and then head over to Friday's where they'd probably gone.

  Neither Friday's nor Tuesday's were the big franchise restaurants like the ones in larger towns. The establishments in Longview were locally owned. This was a small pub named after Tuesday Langley, ex-pro football player from Longview. The now fifty year old came back home, bought the bar, and lived happily ever after in the biggest house in town with his blond wife who spent more time in either Billings or Bozeman than there.

  The atmosphere at Tuesday's was comfortable and as usual, she was happy to dig into the bowl of warm spicy pork cracklings placed in front of her with the icy cold beer.

  "Need anything else?" The girl behind the bar looked about to fall asleep.

  "No, thanks." Shannon gave her a bright smile hoping to illicit one in return. No such luck.

  She peered at her cell phone. No calls. Not even one text from Katie. It was hard not to love Katie, who wouldn't hurt a fly, but sometimes the girl's forgetfulness was annoying as all get out.

  Shannon squeaked when her cell buzzed in her pocket. Thankfully no one heard it over the ball game at full blast on all the televisions. It was her mother.

  "Not now," Shannon mumbled and ignored the call. The cracklings were delicious, the beer a perfect complement to wash the salty spiciness down her throat.

  With an attempted look of nonchalance, she scanned the bar. Maybe a guy would catch her eye and she could talk him into attending a wedding as her date. Her younger sister, Meagan, was getting married Saturday and she, the maid of
honor, didn't have a date.

  Not that she had to have a date, but her annoying cousin Ashley was going to be there and she announced at the bridal shower everyone should bring a date.

  Even her brother Trace agreed. Damn them and their cursed all-American good looks. It included Meagan who, unlike Shannon, was tall, thin and athletic. Although it was hard not to love her sister, sometimes it was annoying to be the only red-haired, green eyed, curvier girl in a blond, blue-eyed family.

  "You got your Irish looks from my mother," her mother repeated often. "You'll be glad for those hips when you have children."

  To be fair she did like her well-formed butt. Of all her attributes, it got her the most compliments.

  "Anyone sitting here?" a husky guy in jeans and a John Deere baseball cap asked, his eyes glued to the television screen. He sat on the stool next to her as soon as she shook her head and then beckoned the bartender. The transformation in the barkeep was immediate, her eyes rounded and a wide bright smile split her face. "Hi, Harvey. The usual?"

  Geez. Shannon glanced ather phone. She would call Doug, her friend“with benefits” and ask him to the wedding.

  She hated taking Doug as a date since everyone knew he was the town man-ho and she'd ignored his calls for the last couple months, but these were desperate times. Someone slid into the stool on the other side just as she pressed the call button.

  Shannon attempted to turn and get off the stool to get more privacy, but it was impossible to swing sideways without making one of her new companions move. She looked to both sides; each guy had an empty stool on the opposite side. And of course because there was a guy on the stool on the other side of the empty ones, they did the guy thing and skipped one.