A Montana City Girl (Sagebrush Ranch Sweethearts #5)

Chapter 1

CHAPTER ONE

Smiles really shouldn’t hurt this much. And yet the pain wasn’t going to stop Kat from doing it. She was twenty-five and would be historically one of the youngest CEOs in the country. Mark Zuckerberg had become a CEO at the age of twenty-three. Two years difference wasn’t bad at all.

Her office was the second best one in the building that housed her father’s fortune five hundred company. The first best? That went to the current CEO, her father.

One side of her office had floor to ceiling bookshelves filled with books from her college days and some from afterward.

There were even a handful of books on the law, but she’d opted to steer clear of law school all together.

On the other side was a leather couch that sat beneath a beautiful painting of a farm at sunset.

The colors were vibrant and practically glowed on the canvas.

But the floor to ceiling window was her favorite view.

Even though it overlooked the city, she loved the blue summer sky on a day like today.

Kat had picked out her desk when her father had hired her after she graduated summa cum laude from Harvard. It was a rich mahogany color and as she ran her fingers across its smooth surface, she could imagine what it would be like when she eventually moved it to the bigger office down the hall.

In five minutes, she’d be meeting with her father to accept the promotion.

That was what he’d called her to his office for.

It couldn’t be anything else. Over the last year and a half, he’d been guiding her toward taking over his company.

Tatum Jerris didn’t have any other children.

She was his legacy just as much as his business was.

And it was finally happening.

She got to her feet and tugged at her dress shirt until it was free of wrinkles.

Then she ran her hands down her slacks and moved toward the window.

The New York skyline greeted her. Below, people scurried back and forth like little ants.

They were the kinds of people that made the world go round—especially with the help of someone like her.

The smile still wouldn’t fade. Not when someone knocked on her door. Not when Kat wandered down the hallway toward her father’s office. And not when she stepped inside.

It wasn’t until she saw Chaz that her happiness faded.

Charles Jr. had to be the worst human being on the planet.

Okay, he wasn’t all bad.

He was the son of her father’s best friend. He’d gone to school for business just like she had and her father had hired him as a favor to his friend. He was actually pretty smart.

The problem?

Chaz Weitz wanted the promotion, too. He’d been dropping hints for the last couple of months. Her father hadn’t said a word regarding the possibility which made her think she was in the clear.

Kat’s jaw tightened when her eyes locked with Chaz. He flashed her his award-winning smile from where he sat. His arms were draped casually along the back of the leather couch. One ankle was crossed over his knee.

“Ah, Kathleen. Good, you’re here.”

She grimaced at the use of her full name. He knew she didn’t like it. Ever since her mother had passed, she’d gone by her mother’s nickname for her.

Kat.

That was who she was now.

Her eyes flicked to her father. He stood by the floor-to-ceiling windows behind his desk. He had one hand in his pocket and a soft smile on his lips. He loved her. She knew it in her soul. So why did she feel like he was about to drop a bomb on her?

She swallowed thickly.

“Charles, why don’t you give me a minute with my daughter?”

Chaz locked his gaze with her and for a moment she thought she saw the hint of a smug smile on his lips. What had he done?

Kat frowned, turning her attention to her father. What had they both done?

She fidgeted, tempted to wring her hands together. Thankfully, she fought the inclination and forced herself to straighten her spine so she showed her strength rather than her anxiety. The second Chaz shut the door behind him, she stepped forward. “Dad? What is this about?”

For the first time in a long while, her father looked… tired. When had he gotten so old? He was barely into his sixties. Had the business really taken that much of a toll on him?

He rubbed his finger and thumb together, studying his hand as he did. Then he lifted his gaze to meet hers. “You’re a smart girl, Kathleen. I raised you as such.”

She bit the inside of her cheek to prevent herself from reminding him to call her Kat. “This is about the promotion.”

Her father smiled, nodding. Tatum Jerris was nothing if not a ruthless businessman. But moments like this one reminded her that he was also just… dad.

Kat smiled, her shoulders relaxing. “So? Does this mean we’re making it official?”

It was then that his smile faltered. And so did her own.

“Kathleen, I need to tell you something.” He pulled out his desk chair and settled into the seat. Then leaning back, he steepled his fingers together at his lips. “This is a big commitment. It takes a lot of energy to run things smoothly.”

“I know, and I’m fully prepared to—”

He held up a hand and cut her off. She snapped her mouth shut and shifted again. Her father pressed his lips together before taking a deep breath then exhaling. “Charles is up for the promotion as well.”

Kat wasn’t proud of it, but her mouth hung open. She probably looked more like a fish than the put-together businesswoman she’d strived to be. “W-what?” she stuttered. “You can’t be… serious.”

Her father gave her a sharp look—a reminder that he wasn’t just her dad. He was her boss, too.

She snapped her mouth shut, feeling the heat spread through her body until it reached every corner.

Chaz wasn’t even related by blood. How could her father do this to her?

It wasn’t supposed to even be a question who would take over.

He’d been preparing her for this moment.

Why dangle it in front of her only to snatch it away?

Her hands balled into fists, nails digging into her palms and causing a delicious sting that was enough to help keep her in check. The last thing she wanted to do was make her father question whether she should even be considered.

“The decision hasn’t been made, of course. The two of you are perfect candidates.”

Kat sensed a but coming at the end of that statement. She prayed to whatever divine being there was in the sky that this was all a big joke. Maybe he’d flash her a smile and tell her it was a test.

Yes, this had to be a test. Any second now he was going to tell her that she was the only one who could run the company he’d built from the ground up.

But he didn’t.

She continued to watch him, waiting for the punchline, and it never came.

Then her father sighed. “The thing is, I’ve been thinking a lot about who I want to run this company when I retire. And there’s this nagging feeling that I’m going about this all wrong.”

Should she be offended? “What does that mean, exactly?”

His eyes met hers again and without blinking an eye, he murmured, “Perhaps the two of you could run things together.”

If she’d been drinking something, she would have spewed it all over the office. “I’m sorry, what?” Kat choked on the question. “You want to give it to both of us?”

Her father frowned. “I want you to run it together, yes. That was the reason I pulled Charles into my office. He’s open to the idea.”

Shaking her head, Kat paced. “That’s not what I signed up for, dad.

I’m sorry. But I didn’t work my butt off at Harvard to share the business with some random guy.

Do you know what it was like growing up without you around?

The hours you spent here while I was a kid—this is what I was raised to do. It’s supposed to be mine.”

She stopped when he didn’t respond to her ramblings. The look of sadness in his eyes gave her pause. Her heart stuttered. She hadn’t meant to say any of that. This wasn’t his fault.

“That’s what I’m trying to say. When your mother died, you were left alone. No one deserves to be alone, Kathleen. I don’t want that life for you. I worked long hours—time I can’t get back. It’s one of my biggest regrets.”

Kat fought the tears. “So you think I should share your legacy with someone else?” Her voice almost sounded timid. “But…”

“Not just someone else,” he insisted. “Your future husband.”

“What?” she hissed.

“Charles and you would make a great team. The two of you could take this company to the next level. Splitting it would—”

“But I don’t love him. I barely know him,” she sputtered.

“My marriage to your mother was arranged. It’s not a terrible option. And as I came to love your mother, I’m sure you’ll find love with Charles.”

She gaped at him. “You can’t be serious.”

But the look on his face said otherwise. He was serious.

“No,” she snapped.

He looked surprised by her reaction. “Kathleen—”

“It’s Kat, dad. You know I like to go by Kat.”

His lips pursed.

“Are you telling me that I won’t get the company if I don’t marry him? Is that what you’re saying?”

There wasn’t a single twitch in his facial features that gave away what he was thinking.

“Because I won’t. I refuse. Go ahead. Give him the company. I’m not going to bow down to such a ridiculous notion.”

“Now who’s overacting?” he grumbled.

Kat scoffed. “I’m not overreacting. I’m the only level-headed one in this room. I can’t believe you’d suggest such a thing. There has to be another way I can show you that I’m capable to take over.”

Her father sighed then he swiveled his focus to the framed picture of her mother on his desk. He picked it up and studied the image and released another pent-up breath. “I suppose you’re right. I can’t ask you to make that sort of sacrifice without giving you another option.”

She couldn’t believe she was still standing here. She felt like an idiot—like she was still having to prove she was worth something to her father.

And yet, nothing could have ripped her feet from where they were planted.

He scrubbed his jaw before placing the picture back on the desk. “That charity we’ve signed a contract with. The one in Montana.”

She nodded, unable to form the words that rattled in her brain.

“I want you to spearhead it. Oversee the meetings and make sure everything goes off without a hitch. You’ll be responsible for everything. The finances. The contractors. You’ll be expected to make visits to the site.”

Slowly, her hope returned. “I can do that.”

He nodded.

Kat’s whole body thrummed with a new sort of anticipation. “And if everything goes according to plan. The company is mine? If I do everything you ask.”

Her father nodded again. “You make this work, show me you’re willing to make the sacrifices, and the company is yours.”

If she could, she would have jumped up and down right then and there.

But that wouldn’t be professional. She still had an image to uphold with her father. The last thing he needed to see was another outburst. Kat cleared her throat. “Thank you, daddy.”

He flashed her a smile. “I am proud of you. You know that, right?”

She nodded, fighting the prickling sensation behind her eyes. “I know.”

His eyes shifted to the door and she almost expected to hear Chaz come into the office. She didn’t know what her father would have to tell Chaz—or if he’d tell him anything at all. It didn’t matter.

Nothing mattered right now besides the fact that she’d been given the chance to get her dream. Unlike her mother, she wouldn’t put anything or anyone above her ambitions. One way or another, she’d be the CEO of her father’s business. She’d do it right and she’d get everything she wanted.

Who needed a man? She was a strong, capable woman and she was determined to prove it to anyone who had the misfortune of doubting her.