Read Online The Cowboy Wins a Bride (The Cowboys of Chance Creek) by Cora Seton - Free Book Online Page A
Authors: Cora Seton
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what a court would say.
Just turn around and walk out the door. You don’t need the money. You were about to shut it down anyway , she told herself, but her fingers curled into fists as she scanned the office. She'd taken over Daniel's desk while he was gone, but now it was bare, her personal things piled into a box. Shit – her computer was gone. “Edie?”
“No need to shout, I’m right here.”
“Where the hell is my computer?”
“You mean Daniel's computer? He took it with him. He needed it for his meeting.”
His meeting. Claire realized Edie meant her meeting – with the Wilcoxes. "He's taking my meeting?"
“You're not employed here anymore." Edie lifted an eyebrow in obvious distaste. "We went on vacation, Claire – we didn’t hand you our company lock, stock and barrel. Now we're back and you're not needed. Thank you for stopping by and picking up your things.” She focused on a pile of paperwork on her desk, but Claire knew every other eye in the office was turned toward her. Watching her reaction. Waiting to see what she would do.
Claire’s stomach gave an uneasy lurch. What the hell should she do? Daniel had stolen her money, but she couldn't prove it. Once he was gone, the office by all rights should have closed. She kept it open. Did it cross the line for her to take his clients and profit from them? She wasn't sure. All she knew was if she stayed and made a scene she might lose whatever credibility she had in this town now that she'd been fired from Ledstrom Designs. Finally, she found her voice. “Fine, I’m out of here. You can have your stupid client list and your stupid building. Wherever I set up my office, the clients will find me.”
Clients? What clients? Wasn't she planning to walk away from interior design?
Not anymore .
“Whatever, sweetie. Just remember – all your current contracts are property of Ledstrom Designs.”
Claire started toward the door. She had to get out of here before she did something stupid – something violent. Like heaving Edie through the front plate-glass window.
She barged out onto the street, fury propelling every step. She’d earned those contracts, every one of them. Even the projects that started back when Daniel was boss were all her work. Daniel couldn’t just take them from her.
Except he had.
She came to a stop on the sidewalk outside the building, nearly colliding with a man hurrying by with a briefcase in his hand. After all her hard work, late nights, and worry over the bottom line, Daniel was going to screw her over. He was going to win.
She couldn’t let him do that.
Not again.
CHAPTER FIVE
Jamie looked up from mucking out Walter’s stall late Monday morning to see Claire standing near the stable door. Dressed in her city things, she looked pale and strained, with dark smudges under her eyes. He dropped his shovel and moved toward her, but she held up a hand.
“Don’t.”
“What’s wrong?”
“I didn’t know where else to go, but so help me God, Jamie, if you touch me I’m leaving.”
What the hell? Jamie leaned his shovel against the stall. Whatever had happened in the past twenty-four hours had shattered Claire and he longed to pull her into his arms and comfort her. Unfortunately, he knew too well that look in her eye. She didn’t want that kind of comfort. “What happened?”
She scanned the back wall of the stable like maybe the answers were written there. “He came back. Daniel came back.”
Jamie’s jaw tightened. “Ledstrom?”
She seemed surprised he knew the name. She really had no idea how much energy he’d put into knowing as much about her as he possibly could. He’d seen their picture in the paper several times last year – Claire and Daniel at a charity auction in the city. Claire and Daniel at an art gallery opening. Then he’d read in the paper that her weasel-faced pretty-boy boss had suddenly left town with his ditzy secretary. Ethan had come to
Just turn around and walk out the door. You don’t need the money. You were about to shut it down anyway , she told herself, but her fingers curled into fists as she scanned the office. She'd taken over Daniel's desk while he was gone, but now it was bare, her personal things piled into a box. Shit – her computer was gone. “Edie?”
“No need to shout, I’m right here.”
“Where the hell is my computer?”
“You mean Daniel's computer? He took it with him. He needed it for his meeting.”
His meeting. Claire realized Edie meant her meeting – with the Wilcoxes. "He's taking my meeting?"
“You're not employed here anymore." Edie lifted an eyebrow in obvious distaste. "We went on vacation, Claire – we didn’t hand you our company lock, stock and barrel. Now we're back and you're not needed. Thank you for stopping by and picking up your things.” She focused on a pile of paperwork on her desk, but Claire knew every other eye in the office was turned toward her. Watching her reaction. Waiting to see what she would do.
Claire’s stomach gave an uneasy lurch. What the hell should she do? Daniel had stolen her money, but she couldn't prove it. Once he was gone, the office by all rights should have closed. She kept it open. Did it cross the line for her to take his clients and profit from them? She wasn't sure. All she knew was if she stayed and made a scene she might lose whatever credibility she had in this town now that she'd been fired from Ledstrom Designs. Finally, she found her voice. “Fine, I’m out of here. You can have your stupid client list and your stupid building. Wherever I set up my office, the clients will find me.”
Clients? What clients? Wasn't she planning to walk away from interior design?
Not anymore .
“Whatever, sweetie. Just remember – all your current contracts are property of Ledstrom Designs.”
Claire started toward the door. She had to get out of here before she did something stupid – something violent. Like heaving Edie through the front plate-glass window.
She barged out onto the street, fury propelling every step. She’d earned those contracts, every one of them. Even the projects that started back when Daniel was boss were all her work. Daniel couldn’t just take them from her.
Except he had.
She came to a stop on the sidewalk outside the building, nearly colliding with a man hurrying by with a briefcase in his hand. After all her hard work, late nights, and worry over the bottom line, Daniel was going to screw her over. He was going to win.
She couldn’t let him do that.
Not again.
CHAPTER FIVE
Jamie looked up from mucking out Walter’s stall late Monday morning to see Claire standing near the stable door. Dressed in her city things, she looked pale and strained, with dark smudges under her eyes. He dropped his shovel and moved toward her, but she held up a hand.
“Don’t.”
“What’s wrong?”
“I didn’t know where else to go, but so help me God, Jamie, if you touch me I’m leaving.”
What the hell? Jamie leaned his shovel against the stall. Whatever had happened in the past twenty-four hours had shattered Claire and he longed to pull her into his arms and comfort her. Unfortunately, he knew too well that look in her eye. She didn’t want that kind of comfort. “What happened?”
She scanned the back wall of the stable like maybe the answers were written there. “He came back. Daniel came back.”
Jamie’s jaw tightened. “Ledstrom?”
She seemed surprised he knew the name. She really had no idea how much energy he’d put into knowing as much about her as he possibly could. He’d seen their picture in the paper several times last year – Claire and Daniel at a charity auction in the city. Claire and Daniel at an art gallery opening. Then he’d read in the paper that her weasel-faced pretty-boy boss had suddenly left town with his ditzy secretary. Ethan had come to
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