Michelle Douglas - Snowbound Surprise for the Billionaire

A pause followed. ‘The boss has given me the authority to make changes, Addie, and Bruce Augustus is dead wood.’

Dead wood! She could feel herself start to shake.

‘I have the boss’s ear and—’

She snorted. ‘You have his ear? Honey, I have more than his ear. I’m going to be your boss when I return home—you realise that, don’t you? You do not want to get on the wrong side of me.’

Silence sounded and this time Howard didn’t break it. ‘Goodnight, Howard.’ With that she snapped her phone shut and swung to face Flynn.

His lips twitched. ‘Sorted, huh?’

Was he laughing at her? She narrowed her gaze and pocketed her phone. ‘Absolutely.’

He lowered himself to the sofa. ‘Can you tell me exactly why Bruce Augustus is necessary to Lorna Lee’s future?’

‘Because if he goes—’ she folded her arms ‘—I go.’

He leaned forward and she found herself on the receiving end of a gaze colder than a Munich winter. ‘We have a deal. You signed a contract.’

She widened her stance. ‘You mess with my bull and the deal’s off. There’s a six-week cooling-off period to that contract, remember? You threaten my bull and I’ll pull out of the sale.’

He leaned back. She couldn’t read his expression at all. ‘You mean that,’ he eventually said.

She tried to stop her shoulders from sagging and nodded. She meant it.

‘Why is he so important to you?’

She would never be able to explain to him what a friend the bull had been to her. It was pointless even to try. ‘You said one of the reasons you wanted me to remain at Lorna Lee’s was due to the affinity I have with the animals.’

‘I believe the term I used was stock.’

‘You can use whatever term you like—you can try and distance yourself from them—but it doesn’t change what they are.’

‘Which is?’

‘Living creatures that provide us with our livelihoods. We have a culture at Lorna Lee’s of looking after our own. I consider it a duty. That’s where my so-called affinity comes from. When an animal provides us with good service we don’t repay that by getting rid of them when they’re past their use-by date. They get to live out their days in easy retirement. If that’s a culture you can’t live with, Flynn, then you’d better tell me now.’

He pursed his lips and continued to survey her. It took all of her strength not to fidget. ‘I can live with it,’ he finally said. ‘Do you want it in writing?’

Very slowly she let out a breath. ‘No. I believe you’re a man of your word.’

He blinked. She held out her hand and he rose and shook it.

For no reason at all her heart knocked against her ribs. She pulled her hand free again, but her heart didn’t stop pounding.

‘Howard?’ Flynn held his cell phone to his ear.

‘Yes, I do. Just...don’t touch the bull.’

He listened then. Obviously to the other man’s justifications. She scowled. There were no justifications for—

‘Howard wants to know if you’re okay with him dredging the dam in the western paddock of the Seymour place...’

Oh, yes, that was long overdue.

‘...extending the irrigation system on the southern boundary...’

There’d be money for that?

‘...and installing solar panels on the roofs of all the homesteads?’

She swallowed and nodded. ‘Those things all sound great. I don’t have a problem with improvements.’

Flynn spoke to Howard for a few moments more and then rang off.

She swung back to him. ‘When I return to the farm, who’s going to be in charge—him or me?’

‘I’ll be in charge, Addie.’

Oops, that was right. Still, if rumour were anything to go by, Flynn didn’t stay in any one spot for too long.

‘You and Howard will have authority over different areas. You’ll be in charge of the breeding programme. He’ll be in charge of overseeing major improvements. I’ll be overseeing the two of you.’

Unless she managed to change his mind by turning into the perfect PA. Which reminded her...

‘I’m sorry I had that outburst in the meeting.’

He shrugged. ‘It needed something to liven it up.’

It didn’t change the fact that she should’ve had more presence of mind than to shout out during a business meeting. She bit her lip and glanced at him. ‘So, you didn’t find that meeting riveting?’

‘Absolutely not.’

She sagged. ‘I thought it might’ve just been me. Jet lag or something.’ She retrieved her notebook and handed it to him. ‘I’m really sorry, but my mind kept drifting off.’

He laughed when he read her notes—or lack of them.

‘I promise to do better next time.’

He handed the notebook back. ‘I only asked you to jot things down to keep myself awake.’

She wrinkled her nose. ‘Are all business meetings that dull?’

‘Not at all. Herr Gunther was just doing his best to bore and obfuscate.’

He’d succeeded with her. ‘Why?’

‘Because he favours one of my rivals and is hoping this other party can get a jump on me somehow.’

‘There’s a rival?’

‘There’re several, but only the one we need worry about.’

‘Will this rival get a jump on you? Should we be worried?’

His eyes suddenly blazed and one of his hands clenched. ‘I say bring it on. The harder and the dirtier the battle, the more satisfying it’ll be.’

Really?

‘Regardless of the cost, Addie, this is one battle I mean to win.’

She swallowed. Right.

‘The upshot of the meeting is that there’s been a delay in processing probate.’

The one thing Addie had fathomed from the meeting was that the person who’d owned the premises that housed the brewery and beer hall had recently died. Hence the reason the property would soon be on the market. The probate referred to the reading of this man’s will so his estate could be finalised.

‘Herr Gunther will try to draw that delay out for as long as he can, but we’re not going to let him.’

That made them sound thrillingly powerful and masterful. She clapped her hands. ‘So?’

He raised an eyebrow. ‘So?’

‘What next? Do we head over to these Schubert, Schuller and Schmidt’s of yours and come up with a game plan?’

‘They already have my instructions. You, Adelaide Ramsey, have the rest of the day off to do whatever you want.’

Really? That was the entirety of her work for the day?

‘Go out and explore. Sightsee.’ He glanced up when she didn’t move. ‘If I need you I have your mobile number. I’ll call you if something comes up.’

Right. She gathered up her things.

‘And, Addie?’

She turned in the doorway. ‘Yes?’

‘Have fun.’

Oh, she meant to, but she wouldn’t be sightseeing in this gorgeous and compelling city. At least, not this afternoon. If she wanted to convince Flynn that she was perfect PA material, she had work to do.

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