Chapter 2
Carter
I was bored. So unbelievably bored. And the problem with unmitigated boredom was that it led me to make impulsive decisions. Usually, they were good ones. Okay, almost always. I had a knack for making good decisions when I didn’t think too much about it beforehand.
Like the choice to make my partners buy me out last year.
I read the writing on the wall when they refused to see it.
I’d been on the ground floor with Todd and Ray when we started Omicron Corp straight out of college.
Todd’s vision for new coding software had been genius.
For the past twenty years, we’d grown an astronomical amount.
But things had shifted, the market for such programs was wholly different, and where Omicron had once been cutting-edge, the company was now lagging behind.
Despite my protests, nothing changed. When I chose to sell, Todd and Ray readily cut the deal.
They thought I’d made a stupid decision.
Now I was sitting on millions of dollars and they were laying off hundreds of employees. It wouldn’t be long before the doors shut for good. My former friends refused to speak to me. Perhaps the “I told you so” when they’d come asking for a cash influx had been too much.
But I had told them and they didn’t listen.
“Are you paying attention, Mr. Cahill?”
I turned from the window of my penthouse—the view of the San Francisco Bay was spectacular no matter the time of day—and focused on my personal assistant.
Marielle Bronson was a new addition to my staff, added when I’d left my former position as CFO of Omicron.
She was supposed to keep my social calendar straight and make all the calls and appointments I didn’t want to.
And a whole host of other things for me as well.
“How many times do I have to tell you to call me Carter?” I chastised with a grin.
I ambled over and flopped down on the other end of the couch from where she had a bunch of papers spread out before her.
Her laptop was set up on the end of the ridiculous glass coffee table.
I hated the thing, but I hadn’t objected when the interior designer I’d hired when I bought the penthouse had suggested it.
“At least a few more,” Marielle shot back, amusement in her expression. She was cute, and affable, and had a real talent for keeping me on track. Best decision I’d ever made was hiring her.
That had been spur of the moment too.
“You’re going to keep working remotely for me once I move, right? Considering I can’t get you to move with me.” I sat up. “I’ll triple your salary.”
“I’ve seen your accounts, sir. You can’t afford that long term.” She smirked, then added, “And you’re never going to get to move if you don’t pay attention.”
I laughed. “All right, all right. What have you got for me?”
Marielle handed over a comp sheet followed by the appraisal. I looked it over but she was already giving me the rundown.
“The penthouse is worth ten million. Given the market, you might be able to get twelve. You’ll see there, the one I highlighted, is most comparable and it sold last month for thirteen two.”
I glanced at the one she’d marked. It had the most similar view and amenities, so that made sense.
I nodded. That certainly boded well. I’d invested smartly, well as smartly as anyone could these days, but adding another ten mil to the bank certainly wouldn’t hurt.
I was only forty-five but I could live off this for the rest of my life.
As long as the boredom didn’t get me first.
At first I’d loved the life of leisure. I’d worked hard since getting my first job at sixteen. It was nice to finally have a real break. But hell, it was wearing on me now and I’d have to do something about that. Perhaps I would, once I started my next adventure.
“What have you found for prospects?”
Marielle shot me a look that hinted that she thought I was crazy. Maybe I was. Another impulsive decision.
“Colorado of all places,” she muttered as she picked up her laptop and started clicking keys.
“Hey, it’s a beautiful state!”
“It is,” she agreed, but not like she meant it. “But it’s not exactly a financial hub, now is it?”
“Show me what you found,” I grumbled, not meaning it either. Marielle knew that but she still sighed as she changed seats to sit next to me. She set the laptop in front of us and took control.
Marielle clicked on the first tab. “This five bed, two bath, forty-five hundred square foot colonial in a suburb of Denver—”
“Too far,” I interrupted. I shot her a scowl. “That’s like two hours away. I told you I wanted to be closer.”
She sighed again. “Everything closer is very rural, Mr. Cahill. For a city boy like you, it may be too much.”
I chuckled, because she was teasing. I mean, I was a city boy, but that was about to change. And I loved it when she teased. She’d been much more timid when she started, and I liked it when people challenged me. Marielle had a gift to do it with a dose of humor.
“New adventure, remember?” I waggled my eyebrows and she finally cracked a smile. “You did what I asked. I know you did. So show me.”
It took her a few seconds, but then she closed several tabs and brought up a new one.
I leaned in, taking in the house, then took control so I could scroll though the listing.
Three bedrooms, one and a half baths, three thousand square feet.
It had a Victorian feel though not truly the right style and sat on three acres of land.
Renovations had been done ten years ago.
It had two outbuildings, one that looked like a small stable. Listed price was only eight hundred K.
“How far?” I murmured, scrolling back up to flip through the pictures. It was a bit outdated, but really, I could fix that. Or rather, hire people to do so.
“Briarwood is only a thirty-minute drive from Russell Crossing. Maybe forty-five minutes from this location to Blue Creek Ranch.”
“I’m gonna get a truck.”
Marielle turned to look at me. I glanced at her out of the corner of my eye then focused on the screen again.
The house was wildly different from anywhere I’d ever lived.
Before the money, I’d lived in tiny apartments and dorm rooms my whole life.
After the money, nothing but luxury, each place more high end than the last. This house was simple in comparison.
I was already half in love with it.
“Mr. Cahill, maybe you should think this through a little more before—”
“Make it happen, Marielle. Put in an offer.”
She froze for a solid ten seconds. “You don’t want to see it?”
I flicked through the pictures again, tapping the arrow key quickly. “I’m seeing it. I’m seeing it right now. Offer fifty over asking. I want.”
Marielle snapped the laptop closed, nearly catching my fingers. I had to jerk them out of the way. I turned wide eyes on her and she was staring right back. She took a deep breath.
“Mr. Cahill…” Marielle paused, assessed, and started again. “Carter, I really think you should evaluate your decision more fully before making such a rash choice. Making this move, to the middle of nowhere, hardly seems prudent.”
“It’s where my horse is going to be.”
She scoffed. “A horse you don’t have yet. Have you considered this man might not be fully trustworthy?”
I squinted at her. “You did the research. I told you to find me the best horse trainers in the west and Hawk Harrington was the top choice. He had the best recommendations. You saw the testimonials. You, yourself, talked to his former clients. And now you’re questioning it?”
She bristled at that, as though I was questioning her ability to do her job.
Which I wasn’t. I was pointing out how good she was at it and her competence was the reason I trusted this guy in the first place.
He hadn’t even balked when I gave him my very specific request. I mean, I was sure the obscene amount of money I’d thrown at him had helped but I didn’t care. He was going to find me what I wanted.
“It’s been nearly six months and he hasn’t produced the requested animal,” she pointed out.
“But he will.” I was sure about that. The mare I was looking for wasn’t easy to find. I knew from the jump it was going to take a while. “Marielle, are you refusing to do what I asked?”
That snapped her out of it. She straightened and smoothed out her features. “Of course not, Mr. Cahill. Forgive my rudeness.”
I chuckled. “Come on, a minute ago, I was Carter. Even though you were just trying to stress the importance and make sure you had my attention. Go back to that.” I gave her a little nudge. “And you weren’t rude. You were looking out for me. As a PA should. But I know what I’m doing.”
Probably. But I wasn’t going to say that out loud.
“Of course. I’ll contact the realtor and get the process started. Are you ready to list this place as well?”
“Yep. Do it. I’m ready for the next big thing.” I clapped my hands and stood. I glanced back at Marielle. “Are you sure I can’t get you to move with me?”
Finally, I got a real smile out of her. She pushed her glasses up her nose and then focused on gathering up her papers and laptop.
“Not that the offer isn’t generous, but no thank you.
My family is here. But don’t worry, I’m not leaving you.
And I’m sure you’ll be flying me out plenty.
Perhaps you should get an account to collect air miles? ”
I threw my head back, laughing from my toes. That was the spirit. Every time she let her personality out, I was reminded exactly why we worked so well together. She never let me get away with shit while she kept me organized.
“Make that happen, too. The first time I fly you out, bring your wife with you. We can work and you can have a bit of a vacation on me. Sound good?”
That startled her. Then she smiled, showing off that rarely seen dimple. “Elisa would like that. Thank you, Carter.”
I grinned. I was winning all over the place today.