Chapter 2
CHAPTER TWO
Autumn
He knew who I was?
My heart jackhammered against my ribs. Gideon James knew who I was?
I stared at him so long the elevator doors closed, and once again, this space seemed too small to hold someone as tall and powerful as him. I should’ve gotten off, but my astonishment kept me immobile.
“You, uh, know?—”
“I make it my business to know what the family who’s trying to destroy my legacy is doing.”
My brothers didn’t share a lot of nitty-gritty details about the distillery and ranch with me, but I’d heard about the land purchase. All of us had had to approve it, but it was little more than a formality. Teller told us our brothers’ plans, and if we didn’t argue, it happened. If we did have an issue, most likely, my brothers would get their way regardless .
Tate wanted to hire someone to farm the James land. Its official name was Percival Farms. Some of it was only fit for ranching, but a couple of sections made for good farming. The family distillery, Copper Summit, would be able to source some of its own grains instead of being subject to the whims of the market and Montana farmers. We’d be the farmers and we’d be the market.
Well, my brothers would. They ran both businesses and rarely asked for my input.
Gideon tilted his head. His hand was still in his pocket and he continued to lean against the wall. The man was mouthwatering.
The way his mouth tipped up, a little taunting, a little sardonic, should’ve grated on me. But before Daddy had died, he’d given each of his kids a portion of the Bailey land. I’d gotten the section closest to the distillery. There was a creek that ran through the property, multiple wildlife trails, and my favorite—huckleberry bushes. Lots of them. How would I have felt if Daddy had tried selling before he’d died?
I’d have been heartbroken. “I don’t think anyone anticipated how hard it would be for you.”
We came to a stop. I didn’t pay attention to the floor number. Three guys crowded on and a wave of booze washed over me. I inched closer to the wall of cedar citrus surrounding Gideon.
The corners of his jaw flexed. “It’s not as if they care.”
“It’s business. Pure and simple.”
He ground his teeth together and pinned me in place with his dark gaze. His pale-green eyes darkened. “Touché.”
The small beat of triumph was fleeting. “For what it’s worth, I understand how upset you are. If I was in your place, I’d be angry at my brothers too.”
We stopped and the guys got out. Again, when the doors closed, we were alone.
We didn’t move apart.
“Isn’t Copper Summit a family company?”
I knew what he was asking. Didn’t I have a say? Weren’t all of us the brains behind the operation? Um, no. But I wouldn’t let on how little say I had. “It is, but Bailey Beef is doing the purchasing. I’m only one Bailey.”
“I thought you might argue you’re a Kerrigan.”
“I assume you know my first name, Gideon . You can use it. You’re not one of my students.”
His eyes lightened. “Autumn.”
The elevator stopped. When the doors opened, the chatter from the main floor filled the small space. The dull bass of the club traveled through the floor, reminding me of my earlier humiliation, the one I’d confessed to the most handsome man I’d ever seen.
That guy and I would part ways. I’d go to my room, and he’d... I didn’t know. Go to his mansion in the hills? Walk into Glitter ahead of the line because he was the boss and the finest man to enter the place? Meet his equally beautiful girlfriend?
None of it was my business, but when I was about to tell him goodbye, I found him studying me.
“Tell me, Autumn.” His voice was smooth, filling me with a warmth only Copper Summit’s best bourbon could produce. “Would you like to see the parts of the casino that are more tasteful?”
Gideon
I hung on her answer much longer than I normally would’ve if I’d asked a girl out. And I hadn’t for years. Decades, even.
Since college, probably.
For the most part, women made me feel like I was a teen again, hoping for attention and approval from those around me and not getting it. For the last few years, dating hadn’t been worth the trouble. Hence why I had sex with Taya when it was convenient for both of us.
Shit. Taya. She was waiting for me.
Autumn narrowed her eyes but walked out of the elevator. I followed, like a moth to the flame of her hair.
She stepped to the side and faced me. “There’s nothing you can show me that’ll redeem how utterly worthless your club made me feel. But thank you for the offer. I might just wander for a bit.”
How utterly worthless. There was a matching emotion inside me that rose up, hearing those words. That knew how she felt.
I stuffed that feeling away. The land sale was unearthing all sorts of thoughts I hadn’t had in a while. Anger was nicer. Resentment was more useful.
But thank you for the offer.
No, her flippant attitude would not do. I couldn’t have her returning to Bourbon Canyon and sharing what a poor experience she’d had.
“One moment, please.” I withdrew my phone and shot off a quick message to Taya.
Can’t meet. I have a VIP to show around. We’re starting at the club .
That was her cue to leave me the fuck alone. She didn’t like catering to VIPs. It’s why she worked with numbers and left the schmoozing to me. I disliked the task; I wasn’t good at it, but talking business was what I was paid for.
I tucked my phone back into my jacket pocket and held an arm out. “Allow me.”
Autumn gauged me warily. Finally, she wrapped her small hand through my arm. Her warmth seeped through the fabric and the sweetness of her scent increased.
Was that perfume, or was she naturally sweet?
I led her toward the entrance to the club. The line was longer than earlier.
Her grip on me stiffened a moment before it loosened. I put my hand over hers.
“It’s all right, Autumn.”
I kept my hand on hers as I walked past the bouncer. I didn’t know which guy had turned Autumn away, but I gave each one a stern glare.
The first bouncer blanched, and the second mouthed “fuck” when he thought I couldn’t see him.
My phone buzzed in my pocket. It was likely Taya, but I was with my VIP.
Autumn remained stiff as we strode by the mass waiting to gain entrance.
Someone muttered, “Why the hell does she get in?”
A group of women snickered. The guys with them wore smug expressions. All of them looked like they were ready for a professional photo shoot.
They were exactly the crowd Glitter class does not correlate with the amount of skin showing.” Glitter’s manager would clamber over me to get to the board once he heard what I’d done. I didn’t care. I’d be ready. “If someone’s not respectful, they’re gone. Got it?”
Both men nodded.
I half turned to check the message on my phone.
Taya: Ugh. I’m already gone. Catch you in the morning?
Gideon: Sure
Relief that I wouldn’t have to juggle Taya’s questions about why Autumn was a VIP cooled some of the anger from the bouncers’ behavior and the crowd. She’d use the employee exit, so I didn’t have to worry about explaining my guest to her.
I couldn’t explain why I was so defensive of the new arrival. Her family’s company, a business she had a part in, was trying to take Percival Farms. But I couldn’t escape the thought that she might be useful. I just needed more time around her to know how.
Autumn was hugging her arms around herself like she was trying to shrink into the wall. The red waterfall of her hair would never allow it. Neither would those curves.
How had she gotten passed over?
I stuck my elbow out again. “Shall we?”
Time to answer the burning question in my mind. Fate had been a snarky bitch to me so far, but perhaps she’d just dropped a present into my lap. I just had to open Autumn up and figure out what her role in saving my land was.