Chapter 1
one
. . .
Georgia
No more dirtbags.
I’m officially closed for business.
Now and forever.
I made this silent promise to myself as my hands gripped the steering wheel, snowflakes falling from the sky and splattering across the windshield as I watched the road in front of me.
“I curse the ground you walk on, Dikota Smith,” I hissed to myself.
He was the reason I was even in this current situation where I’d needed to lie to my family and borrow a car from my brother’s fiancée.
My ex-boyfriend brought the term douchebag to an all-new low.
I was grateful that Lila had loaned me her car to take to my interview, as it was freezing in Cottonwood Cove today, and I did not want to walk.
I hadn’t told my family the truth about my car because I knew my siblings would lose their minds, and my parents would be upset—I’d have to figure something out in the meantime.
I’d wait him out and hope that the morally challenged dickweasel would come to his senses and no one would be the wiser.
I’d put Dikota in my rearview, and that was exactly where I intended to keep him—just as soon as I got my car back.
Today was a fresh start. A new beginning.
And I was here for it.
My mom had taken me shopping for a new outfit for my interview, which she’d deemed a graduation gift, as I’d just walked at my commencement ceremony less than a week ago.
The town was so festive this time of year.
I drove down Main Street, where lights were strung around every light post, and they zigzagged overhead down the length of the entire street.
Daylight did not do them justice. I’d been downtown last night having dinner with friends, and it had been all lit up and looked like a winter wonderland.
Cottonwood Cove was not only my home, it was my happy place.
Lancaster Press had moved into the large three-story brick building not far from my brother’s restaurant, Reynolds’, a few months ago. I was interviewing for a personal assistant position for Maddox Lancaster, who was the president of the company.
I’d heard that he was an intimidating rich guy, a bit of a playboy, and a recent resident of my hometown.
Apparently, they’d moved the business out of the city, and he’d bought one of the large spec homes in town.
Everyone was talking about it. Small-town gossip and all that. Yeah, it was a real thing.
Personally, I didn’t know that this was the right career path for me, but I needed a job, seeing as I was temporarily homeless and carless.
Yes, I had a flair for the dramatics.
Obviously, I had a rock star family, and I could borrow a car from my parents or any of my four siblings, and I wasn’t technically homeless, as I was currently living with my brother Hugh and his fiancée, Lila.
But I wanted to prove that I could do things on my own.
Being the youngest of five kids when all your older siblings were absolute winners wasn’t always easy when you weren’t sure what you wanted to do with your life.
So, first things first.
Get a job.
Get my own place.
And get my car back.
I’d already made it past the initial screening with human resources, which we’d done remotely via a Zoom meeting. But the final decision would be up to Maddox Lancaster.
I pulled in behind the building and glanced in the mirror one last time before dabbing on a little bit of pink lip gloss.
I opened the car door and stepped outside, wishing I’d listened to my mother, who’d insisted I wear tights beneath my skirt.
I’d refused because I was already wearing this winter-white suit with a pencil skirt and blazer with gold buttons.
I loved it, but I wanted to keep things youthful.
I was twenty-two years old, after all. So, I’d paired it with some tan heeled booties, which Lila thought looked adorable, even though my mother had insisted I wear my nude heels.
Listen, I was applying to be a personal assistant, not a rocket scientist. And the outfit was already pretty formal for me. So, the booties and all the bangles on my wrist made it feel more like me.
I’d call this look hipster-boss babe chic.
When I pulled the office door open, I immediately recognized the woman sitting behind the desk.
“Hi, Virginia. I didn’t know you were working here.”
She looked up, and a wide grin spread across her face. “I was thrilled to see you on the calendar, Georgia. I’ve been working here since they opened the doors. I hope you get the job because it’s a little intense around here,” she whispered. “If you know what I mean.”
The entryway was pretty grand, with two black leather couches, and there were framed book covers hanging on the walls. Gray stained concrete covered the expansive floors, and exposed brick ran from the floor to the ceiling up the wall behind the front desk.
“Really? Did a lot of people move here from the city when the company relocated? Or are the employees mostly new hires?”
“Yes. It’s a good mix of both. But lucky for me, the office manager did not want to move here from the city.
” She glanced around, making sure no one was listening before cupping her hands over her mouth and whisper-shouting.
“The big guy can be a bit intimidating, and he’s already gone through three PAs since we opened the doors.
Apparently, he isn’t easy to work for. But I interviewed with the man, and whew,” she said, fanning her face.
“He is a looker. He’s kind of terrifying, and I haven’t seen him smile yet, but as long as you do your job, he’ll leave you alone.
He’s all business. And he’s currently interviewing Joey Burns for the position that you’re applying for right now. ”
You’ve got to love Cottonwood Cove if not just for the sheer fact that you can get the lowdown on everything going on in a matter of minutes.
“Joey Burns?” I asked. I grew up with the guy, who I often referred to as Puff the Magic Dragon. He was a pot-smoking skater.
“The one and only.”
“Why would he want to be the assistant to the president of a publishing house?” I leaned over her tall desk, peering around the decorative brick, seeing people buzzing around.
The office had a very cool vibe. Glass walls framed individual workspaces from the floor to the ceiling, with a desk and some shelves inside each one.
There were iron stairs that ran along the side wall, leading up to the second level.
“Word on the street is that Joey was responsible for that fire at his parents’ house last month.
Apparently, someone was too high to put out his own doobie, or fatty, or whatever you kids are calling a marijuana cigarette these days.
” She shook her head with disgust, and I tried not to laugh.
She was in her mid-sixties, always dressed in colorful clothing, and her dark hair was cropped short, showing off her big hoop earrings.
“His parents have kicked him out, and he’s living with his brother now, so I guess it’s time for him to put on his big-boy pants and get a job. ”
“Anyone else applying for the gig?” I asked, as I looked up to see feet descending from the stairs. There was one pair of Vans with some dark skinny jeans, and then there was a pair of black loafers with black dress slacks ending just at the ankle, exposing a sliver of fancy socks.
I felt confident that I could beat out Joey for this position, who had most likely greeted the man interviewing him by calling him Dude. The kid suffered from chronic red eyes, and his favorite word had always been, whoa, with dude following in a close second place.
“Alicia Rogers also applied for the position. She was here yesterday. That woman still has a stick up her ass, though, you know? I pray she doesn’t beat you out.”
Two sets of legs continued to appear in my peripheral. Joey’s head was already making its way down the steps, but the other man must be tall because he was still all legs and torso.
I glanced back at Virginia with a groan. “That woman had me arrested for ding-dong ditching when I was in high school. She has a bad case of resting bitch face, and her frozen, unmoving eyebrows totally freak me out.”
I mean, there was good Botox and then there was Botox gone bad. Alicia represented the latter.
“I remember that arrest scandal. But Bugs didn’t hold you down at the station long, did he?”
I chuckled. Max Bugster, a.k.a. Bugs, had gone to school with my oldest brother Cage, and he’d taken me in his squad car for ice cream as we laughed our butts off about a woman calling the cops because a teenager rang her doorbell and ran.
“Nope, he didn’t. And just thinking about it kind of makes me want to ding-dong ditch her tonight,” I said.
“Call me if you do it. I may be old, but I’d be happy to drive the getaway car.”
I covered my mouth to keep from bellowing out in laughter. I loved Virginia Hawkson. She lived down the street from my parents and had always been a character, to say the least.
But my laughter halted as both men came into focus when they hit the ground floor and walked in my direction.
And holy hot president.
This man was something.
My mouth went dry as I took him in as he strode beside Joey, who was holding a skateboard under his arm.
Maddox Lancaster was impossible to look away from. He had to be somewhere around my brothers’ height, and all three of them were fairly tall. I’d guess him to be a good six foot, three inches. His brown eyes locked with mine.
Dark.
Deep.
Mysterious.
His hair was dark and styled in a way that made it look effortless. Jaw chiseled, shoulders broad, and he didn’t look pleased as he approached the desk.
“Whoa, Dude. Is that Georgia Reynolds?” Joey said with a big smile on his face.
“Hey, Joey. How are you?”
“Well, I just got scolded for coming to an interview high, so there’s that. But, I am high, so there’s that.” He winked as his head fell back in laughter. “But I don’t think the boss here was too impressed. I probs didn’t get the gig, did I?”