him on Monday. He’s had a lot to dr—”
“Don’t defend me to this asshole.” Chuck turned around and laughed. “You know what, I’m
glad
you fired me, because now I can do what I’ve always wanted to do.” He took a step toward Grayson.
“Which is?” were the last words Grayson remembered uttering before his body hit the ground.
CHAPTER FOUR
Grayson groaned and flung his hand onto the nightstand, searching for his Advil and water bottle. After fifteen more minutes of feeling like complete hell, the pain reliever kicked in, making it easier to drag himself out of bed.
His overall body pain was courtesy of the punch to his gut that had knocked the wind out of him. While event officials had raced over to deal with Chuck, he had laid on the ground, seeing stars. With the help of Gavin and Gage, he’d stood and scanned the crowd for Becca, but she was nowhere to be found.
He’d wanted to go searching for her, make sure she wasn’t with that drunk, but Gavin insisted on driving him home. He finally agreed to leave, but kept his eyes peeled for Becca, to no avail.
Once in his condo, he popped a couple of pills, crawled upstairs into bed, and told Gavin to take a hike. He’d sleep off the pain, but Gavin should go back and celebrate with his new fiancée. Before leaving, his brother had promised to check on him in the morning. Grayson twisted toward his nightstand and reached for his cell phone. It was nearly noon, and judging by the three messages waiting on his voice mail, Gavin had made good on that promise. His finger tapped the tiny screen, sending Gavin a quick text that he was fine.
A few minutes later, Grayson slowly made his way downstairs to his kitchen. Damn, this was worse than a really bad hangover. He wasn’t used to sleeping his day away, especially not in the summer. Most Sundays he’d go for a long, early morning run before it got too hot, followed by an afternoon in the office. Starting his Keurig machine, he reached for an apple in a fruit bowl on his kitchen island.
What a freakin’ disaster. Once again he’d managed to upset Becca. How could that dumb-ass employee have had the balls to punch the CEO? Make that
ex
-employee—because after that assault, he was making good on his promise to fire the jerk.
Grabbing his coffee, he pulled out a stool and added some sugar to his mug. His time with Becca before the blowup hadn’t been all that bad. She, once again, had rejected his offer to buy her shares, but he’d learned a few things: She loved working for his company, she was loyal to her friends, like Betty Lou, and she was extremely protective of her family. Not to mention, she’d created a dip that was out of this freakin’ world.
Those facts made her more interesting to him than the simple country girl he’d pegged her to be, but did that make her qualified to own 50 percent of the company? “No,” he said out loud and sank his teeth into the apple. It did not. There had to be a way to entice her to take the deal.
Her reaction to Gavin and Macy’s big engagement news was puzzling. To say she looked mortified was an understatement. Gavin had mentioned Becca might not be handling well the possibility that his dad had selected her to marry a Cooper boy.
He rolled his neck until it cracked, and finished his apple, tossing the core in the trash. Well, she could do a whole lot worse than a wealthy businessman, leading a multimillion-dollar company. If anyone should be mortified, shouldn’t it be him? He chuckled at the memory of how she had stepped on him with her cowboy boot. Somehow, that act in those boots had turned him on more than it had annoyed him.
He wouldn’t deny it. Becca was attractive, and he wouldn’t have minded them dancing for a little longer. She’d said Chuck wasn’t her boyfriend, but the big goon must have been watching them, ready to step in if needed.
And what about what that douchebag had said before he’d delivered the blow? Did the factory
“Don’t defend me to this asshole.” Chuck turned around and laughed. “You know what, I’m
glad
you fired me, because now I can do what I’ve always wanted to do.” He took a step toward Grayson.
“Which is?” were the last words Grayson remembered uttering before his body hit the ground.
CHAPTER FOUR
Grayson groaned and flung his hand onto the nightstand, searching for his Advil and water bottle. After fifteen more minutes of feeling like complete hell, the pain reliever kicked in, making it easier to drag himself out of bed.
His overall body pain was courtesy of the punch to his gut that had knocked the wind out of him. While event officials had raced over to deal with Chuck, he had laid on the ground, seeing stars. With the help of Gavin and Gage, he’d stood and scanned the crowd for Becca, but she was nowhere to be found.
He’d wanted to go searching for her, make sure she wasn’t with that drunk, but Gavin insisted on driving him home. He finally agreed to leave, but kept his eyes peeled for Becca, to no avail.
Once in his condo, he popped a couple of pills, crawled upstairs into bed, and told Gavin to take a hike. He’d sleep off the pain, but Gavin should go back and celebrate with his new fiancée. Before leaving, his brother had promised to check on him in the morning. Grayson twisted toward his nightstand and reached for his cell phone. It was nearly noon, and judging by the three messages waiting on his voice mail, Gavin had made good on that promise. His finger tapped the tiny screen, sending Gavin a quick text that he was fine.
A few minutes later, Grayson slowly made his way downstairs to his kitchen. Damn, this was worse than a really bad hangover. He wasn’t used to sleeping his day away, especially not in the summer. Most Sundays he’d go for a long, early morning run before it got too hot, followed by an afternoon in the office. Starting his Keurig machine, he reached for an apple in a fruit bowl on his kitchen island.
What a freakin’ disaster. Once again he’d managed to upset Becca. How could that dumb-ass employee have had the balls to punch the CEO? Make that
ex
-employee—because after that assault, he was making good on his promise to fire the jerk.
Grabbing his coffee, he pulled out a stool and added some sugar to his mug. His time with Becca before the blowup hadn’t been all that bad. She, once again, had rejected his offer to buy her shares, but he’d learned a few things: She loved working for his company, she was loyal to her friends, like Betty Lou, and she was extremely protective of her family. Not to mention, she’d created a dip that was out of this freakin’ world.
Those facts made her more interesting to him than the simple country girl he’d pegged her to be, but did that make her qualified to own 50 percent of the company? “No,” he said out loud and sank his teeth into the apple. It did not. There had to be a way to entice her to take the deal.
Her reaction to Gavin and Macy’s big engagement news was puzzling. To say she looked mortified was an understatement. Gavin had mentioned Becca might not be handling well the possibility that his dad had selected her to marry a Cooper boy.
He rolled his neck until it cracked, and finished his apple, tossing the core in the trash. Well, she could do a whole lot worse than a wealthy businessman, leading a multimillion-dollar company. If anyone should be mortified, shouldn’t it be him? He chuckled at the memory of how she had stepped on him with her cowboy boot. Somehow, that act in those boots had turned him on more than it had annoyed him.
He wouldn’t deny it. Becca was attractive, and he wouldn’t have minded them dancing for a little longer. She’d said Chuck wasn’t her boyfriend, but the big goon must have been watching them, ready to step in if needed.
And what about what that douchebag had said before he’d delivered the blow? Did the factory
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