Barbara Dunlop - In Bed With The Wrangler

“Darlin’,” he told her. “If I was you, I’d be worried about Norman Stanton, not about me.”

Six worried Ryder International division heads stared back at Royce around the ranch house dining room table. The doors were closed to the rest of the house, but the windows were open, the happy sounds of an ongoing barbecue and baseball game a jarring counterpoint to the uncomfortable conversation.

If the four men and two women were unsettled by Barry Brewster’s firing, they were positively rattled by the potential fallout from the loss of the China deal. Ryder International was a strong company, but it wasn’t invincible. They were going to have to take quick and decisive action if they wanted to recover.

Jared was still out of touch, but it didn’t take a rocket scientist to figure out the answer. Some of the Ryder companies would need to be sold, perhaps entire divisions, which explained the ashen faces around the table. Nobody wanted to be the sacrificial lamb.

“Construction is the bread and butter of the company,” Konrad Klaus opened the conversation. He was out-front and aggressive as always. As the head of the largest and longest-standing division of the corporation, he wielded considerable influence with his counterparts.

“It’s pretty shortsighted to mess with high tech,” Carmen Volle put in.

Mel Casper threw down his pen. “Oh, sure. Everybody look at sports and culture. It’s not always the bottom line, you know. We’re carrying the marketing load for everybody else.”

Royce cut them all off. “This isn’t divide and conquer,” he warned. “Jared’s not coming back to a war. I’ve got your reports-”

“We wrote those before we had the facts,” said Konrad.

Konrad’s respect factor for Royce had never been high. But it was rare that it mattered. It mattered today.

Royce gave him a level look. “Precisely why I asked for them up front. I wanted the facts, not half a dozen individual lobbying efforts.”

“So you can pick us off like fattened ducks?” asked Mel.

“ That’s the attitude you want to project?” Royce needed loyalty and teamwork right now. He wasn’t looking to get rid of anybody else, but he wasn’t looking to babysit any prima donnas, either.

“I say we wait for Jared to get back,” said Konrad.

Royce turned to stare the man down. “What part of fifty million dollars didn’t you understand?

Konrad glowered but didn’t answer.

“We start today,” said Royce. He might not be as involved in the operations of Ryder International as Jared, but he was still an owner, and he’d had about enough of people assuming he could be marginalized.

Barry Brewster would never have treated Melissa the way he’d treated Amber. Just because Royce flew a jet didn’t mean he was incapable of anything else. Starting here and now, he was taking a stand-both with Norman Stanton, and with the brass at Ryder International.

“I don’t see how we do that.” Konrad tossed out a direct challenge to Royce’s leadership.

“Did this company turn into a democracy when I wasn’t looking?” Royce asked softly.

“Our loyalty is to Jared.”

“Your loyalty should be to Ryder International.”

Konrad compressed his lips. The rest of the division heads looked down at the table. Royce realized it was now or never. He had to firmly pick up the corporate reins.

“I’m hiring an expert to do a review,” he announced, having made a split-second decision.

The group exchanged dubious glances, but nobody said anything.

“Creighton Waverley Security.”

“You think we’re criminals?” Konrad thundered across the table.

“I think they’re one hell of a research firm,” Royce countered calmly. “We’re going to review every company we own, take stock and make our decisions. Anybody who’s not on board with it is free to leave.”

He looked to each of the people in turn around the table. Nobody was happy, but nobody was walking away, either.

Now that he’d taken the first step on the fly, he supposed the second step had better be to have Amber put him in touch with her best friend’s firm.

Amber helped a waiting group of children into the back of the wooden wagon, while a Ryder cowboy double-checked the harnesses on the matched Clydesdale team out front. Sasha was handing out giant chocolate chip cookies while, off to one side, Wesley was teasing Stephanie with his lariat. Amber did a double take of the two. If she wasn’t mistaken, Wesley had developed a crush on his riding instructor.

She smiled to herself. Wesley was a very attractive, fun-loving man. It wouldn’t surprise her in the least if the crush was reciprocated.

“I have to talk to you.” The mere sound of Royce’s voice behind her caused a little thrill to zip through Amber’s body. But in contrast to Wesley, Royce sounded tense and serious.

“Something wrong?” She helped the last little boy into the wagon, dusting her hands off on the sides of her jeans.

Royce moved to the corner of the wagon and pushed up the tailgate, sliding the latch to keep everyone safely inside.

Stephanie planted a foot on the wagon wheel and jumped in with the kids. Wesley quickly followed suit, taking a seat next to her on one of the padded benches, and Amber was sure she’d guessed right.

Royce backed out of the way, towing Amber with him as a cowboy unhitched the lead horse and turned the team toward the road.

“I’ve been meeting with the division heads,” said Royce.

“What did you find out?” Amber had realized Royce and the senior managers were missing, and she’d easily guessed they were talking business. She raised her hand to wave to the cheering children as the wagon creaked down the road.

Royce pulled her toward the shadow of the barn, speaking low into her ear, his voice bringing flash memories of their night together. “I was wondering if you could do something for me.”

“I don’t know, Royce.” She glanced around at the crowds. “There’s an awful lot of people in the barn right now.”

“You have a one-track mind,” he admonished.

She grinned at him. She did seem particularly obsessed with making love.

“Not that I’d say no to a more interesting offer,” he clarified. “But I was hoping to get in touch with your friend Katie. I need to know the who’s who of Creighton Waverley.”

The request brought Amber back to reality. “I thought you were going to let me investigate Norman Stanton.”

“What?”

“I’m doing a good job,” she informed him, pursing her lips.

Royce suddenly grinned.

“What?”

“You. Jumping to conclusions.”

“Quit laughing at me.”

“Then stop being so entertaining.”

“Stop being condescending.”

“Stop pouting.”

“I like investigating. I want to see this through.”

Royce’s smile turned sly, and he cocked his head meaningfully toward the barn. “Yeah?” he drawled.

“Now who’s got a one-track mind?”

“Guilty,” he agreed with an easy smile, but at the same time, he backed off.

A cheer went up at the baseball game, while a freshening breeze brought the aroma of hamburgers from the cook tent.

Amber brushed at a lazy fly.

“I’m commissioning a review of all the Ryder companies,” said Royce. “We’re going to have to make some tough decisions, and I thought Creighton Waverley might be able to help.”

“So, I’m keeping my job?”

He brushed the back of his hand along her upper arm and leaned closer again. “Now that remains to be seen.”

“I’m not bribing you with sex.”

He exaggerated an offended tone. “I’d bribe you with sex.”

She extracted her cell phone from her jeans pocket. “I’m bribing you with Katie’s phone number.”