No Accounting for Cowboys Read online

  No Accounting for Cowboys

  By Leah Braemel

  Book two of The Grady Legacy

  Jake Grady loves Bull’s Hollow ranch and all the challenges and hard work it entails. But the past year hasn’t been easy—his father’s good name has been tarnished, and new financial problems are threatening to destroy everything the Gradys have built. Performing live under a stage name has become his escape, a way of blowing off some serious steam.

  Accountant Paige Reynolds found Jake’s guitar-playing alter ego intriguing, but her connection with the real Jake sends her attraction into overdrive. When she’s summoned to make order out of the chaotic paper trail at Bull’s Hollow, he sets her world a-rocking—both in bed and out. But Paige has a plan; she’s determined to create her own path for the future, but is soon left scrambling for firmer ground.

  Good news about Jake’s potential singing career is followed by the revelation of another family secret, one that has him questioning whether he belongs at Bull’s Hollow at all. But leaving the ranch would mean leaving his family...and Paige. How much is he willing to give up for a real shot at fame?

  102,000 words

  Dear Reader,

  If there’s one thing that’s sure to tickle me every time, it’s when I ask for book recommendations via social media, and readers come back to recommend books I’ve edited or published. Most recently, readers have given me recommendations for Saved by the Bride by Fiona Lowe, Wild Ones by Kristine Wyllys and Goddess with a Blade by Lauren Dane. I’m always pleased when this happens and I think our batch of May books will be next on readers’ recommendation lists!

  We’re thrilled to welcome fan favorite Josh Lanyon back to Carina Press with Stranger on the Shore. Journalist Griffin Hadley shrugs off lawyer Pierce Mather’s objections to his investigation of a decades-old kidnapping, but it might not be so easy to shrug off the objections of someone willing to do anything to keep the past buried.

  Bestselling author Stephanie Tyler returns with another sexy, unique story set not too far into our possible post-apocalyptic future. In Salvation, when Luna leaves Defiance to rescue Bish from a rival gang, she doesn’t realize she’s the one who will end up needing saving—both from the gang and from Bish, the man who can’t wait any longer to claim her and make her his. Though this book can be read as a standalone, be sure to check out both Defiance and Redemption as well!

  There’s No Accounting for Cowboys in Leah Braemel’s sexy contemporary cowboy romance. Jake Grady relies on family accountant Paige Reynolds to bring order to his life, when family secrets throw it into chaos. Check out our new reduced-price bundle of Leah’s erotic romance duology, Texas Tangle and Tangled Past, available now.

  And speaking of sexy contemporary romance, the only woman Grand Duke Armand ever desired is her, but not every girl dreams of marrying a prince. Anna doesn’t want prince charming, she loved the man behind the crown. Can they overcome their mistakes and reclaim a love neither forgot? Don’t miss this Going Royal book by Heather Long, Some Like It Scandalous.

  Tamara Morgan joins us with the start to a new contemporary romance series in If I Stay. In this kickoff to a modern-day Downton Abbey series, the nanny to a rich hotelier family must choose between the hard-edged chauffeur who gets her pulse racing and the profligate playboy she’s loved her whole life.

  Another author kicking off a new series is Sheryl Nantus. If you’ve been looking for a unique futuristic romance series to enjoy, In the Black is being described as Firefly meets Best Little Whorehouse in Texas. What’s more unique than a heroine who’s captain of a bordello spaceship?

  Male/male author KC Burn also offers up a futuristic romance this month. Falling in love with an alien exotic dancer forces a prejudiced fleet captain to reevaluate who he is and what he believes in Voodoo ’n’ Vice.

  May is a month packed full of science fiction, fantasy and futuristic books. Cindy Spencer Pape is back with a new book in her Gaslight Chronicles, Dragons & Dirigibles (I love this title!). Airship engineer Melody MacKay is exactly the kind of emancipated woman Victor Arrington wants to keep away from his impressionable niece—that is, until smugglers start trying to kill the girl. Then Victor turns to Melody for help. If you’re new to the Gaslight Chronicles, you can start the series now with a new reduced-price bundle of the first three books in the series. Available wherever ebooks are sold.

  Author T.D. Wilson returns to Carina Press with book two in his space opera series. In The Epherium Chronicles: Crucible, only one more jump to the new colony in the Cygni star system, but what will Captain James Hood find when he arrives—a thriving colony, dangerous enemies, or will it be in ruins?

  We’re pleased to welcome four authors to Carina Press this month. Debut author April Taylor brings us a tale of fantasy and alternate history. In Court of Conspiracy, book one of The Tudor Enigma, ordered by Anne Boleyn to protect her son, can apothecary and elemancer Luke Ballard overcome the evil sunderer who seeks to kill Henry IX at Hampton Court Palace?

  Also with a debut novel this month is historical paranormal romance author Kari Edgren. Selah Kilbrid would sacrifice everything for her birthright, except the one kiss that could destroy her in Goddess Born.

  For our mystery offering this month, debut author Rosie Claverton brings together an agoraphobic hacker and a streetwise ex-con to hunt down a serial killer in Cardiff. Don’t miss Binary Witness, the first in a new mystery series.

  Last, we’re thrilled to have author Vanessa North join us with her new male/male romance High and Tight. Deeply closeted Navy pilot Adam returns home, planning to convince his longtime lover he’s ready to commit at last, only to find Harris has moved on without him.

  Coming in June: novels from Lynda Aicher, Ava March, Christi Barth, Dana Marie Bell and more, along with a fabulous male/male contemporary romance anthology from three talented authors.

  Here’s wishing you a wonderful month of books you love, remember and recommend.

  Happy reading!

  ~Angela James

  Editorial Director, Carina Press

  Acknowledgments

  While writing can be a lonely pursuit as I’m closed off in my office writing, I’ve not been truly alone thanks to the support of so many people. I cannot begin to express my appreciation to Angela James who wants us to believe she’s an evil whip-cracking editor (but has an unwavering support for her authors.)

  All my gratitude to Cara Shannon, Kristina Coi and Sean Munger for their legal advice about the setup of the ranch as an LLC and how to bring Gabe in as a part owner. To Anita Van Zeeland for her forensic accounting knowledge, and Joni Anderson for insights into keeping the Bull’s Hollow books. If I got any legal or accounting procedures wrong, it’s not their fault, the mistakes are mine alone.

  Thanks also to Tabatha Scott—my whipcracker and cheerleader who kept me writing, and to Kayla Weiner and Becky Burkheart, and the rest of the ladies of the

  Braemel Brigade—Lisa, Margie, Lori, Kim, Laura, Sheri, Erica...I wish I could name each and every one of you because y’all rock. Thanks also to fellow authors Cynthia d’Alba, Anara Bella, and Amy Ruttan for their brainstorming help.

  And as always, love and grateful thanks to my husband and family for supporting me, (and corralling Turtle the cat when he insisted on stepping on my keyboard and deleting large portions of text, or adding his own) and putting up with me despite my quirky writing habits and extended hours.

  Contents

  Chapter One

  Chapter Two

  Chapter Three

  Chapter Four

 
Chapter Five

  Chapter Six

  Chapter Seven

  Chapter Eight

  Chapter Nine

  Chapter Ten

  Chapter Eleven

  Chapter Twelve

  Chapter Thirteen

  Chapter Fourteen

  Chapter Fifteen

  Chapter Sixteen

  Chapter Seventeen

  Chapter Eighteen

  Chapter Nineteen

  Chapter Twenty

  Chapter Twenty-One

  Chapter Twenty-Two

  Chapter Twenty-Three

  Chapter Twenty-Four

  Chapter Twenty-Five

  Chapter Twenty-Six

  Epilogue

  About the Author

  Copyright

  Chapter One

  The moment Paige Reynolds opened the door to Slick’s Swamp Box, her mouth watered. While the place might be low-class, based upon her father’s standards, the heavenly scent of ribs marinating in Slick’s secret sauce was world class. A quick glance around showed half the wooden tables filled with couples around her age, though one table was filled with a half dozen ladies of the blue rinse set. Based on the tombstone-adorned balloon tied to the back of one of the chairs, they were celebrating a milestone birthday. But she found no sign of her aunt.

  She wandered to the end of the bar, waiting as Slick, a sleek blonde with a kick-ass attitude and a figure to match, slid a bottle of Shiner to a guy sitting at the end of the bar. Interesting. Not one of the usual crowd she’d seen here before. Paige leaned an arm on the brass rail to do a little recon as Slick lingered, laughing at whatever the guy said.

  His russet hair rippled around his shoulders, chestnut tints catching the light. A couple days’ worth of scruff darkened his jaw. His plaid shirt sleeves had been rolled up to the elbow revealing muscular forearms that spoke of years of hard labor while the faded denim of his jeans accentuated muscular thighs. A green John Deere ball cap had been rolled up and stuck out of the rear pocket of his jeans pulled tight over a very fine ass. Scuffed and dirty work boots completed his ensemble. From the way Slick was cozying up to him, he wasn’t a skeezeball like some of the other patrons who hit on her.

  It had been a couple months since Paige had cut ties with her last boyfriend, who’d been getting too clingy for her comfort. While the battery operated boyfriend experience did for the short term, she was jonesing for the sensation of real live masculine skin against hers. This guy was a definite possibility for later tonight.

  Just as Paige was considering moving down the bar to introduce herself, Slick noticed her. Tossing the towel she’d been wiping an invisible flaw on the spotless bar, she sauntered toward Paige. “Heya, sugar. If you’re looking for Reba, she’s sittin’ at the booth down at the far end.”

  “Thanks, Slick.” Ah well, trolling could wait. Business first.

  Skirting the dais where the live entertainment usually played, Paige found her aunt digging into the brisket portion of Slick’s meat platter—the ribs had already been stripped clean. How she’d managed to keep her white blouse spotless was anyone’s guess. Paige glanced ruefully at her newest black shirt, knowing in short order there’d be a grease stain adorning her cleavage as if she’d painted a bulls-eye on her chest. At least then this shirt would match all her others.

  Her aunt gestured with her fork to the full plate opposite her. “I ordered your usual for you. Eat first, then you can ask all those questions I know you wanted to ask back at the office.”

  As much as Paige wanted to immediately dive into the discussion, her stomach rumbled, reminding her how she’d skipped lunch. Besides her aunt had that familiar “don’t argue” tone.

  While Slick’s wasn’t fancy, they did the best barbeque ribs this side of Dallas so wasting even a single rib seemed a sin, but the thought of the upcoming confrontation was turning them to stone in her stomach. After eating half of what she’d normally consume, she shoved her plate to the middle of the table and leaned against the wooden back of the booth. Her pulse racing, she voiced the question that had plagued her for the past year. “What do I have to do to get a real assignment? I got my CPA certification two years ago, I’ve brought in three new clients, yet Bill still expects me to backfill the receptionist.”

  It wasn’t an issue she’d wanted to voice at the office in front of her aunt’s other employees. There’d been enough murmurs complaining about her being hired. For her to question her aunt would have given them more ammunition about how she wasn’t worthy. Not because she was related to one of the founding partners—nepotism was a given in a community like Joshua Falls. But rumor had it that Bill Kligman had only accepted her as an employee because Reba had leaned on her partner hard, threatening to break up the partnership if he didn’t agree to hire her niece. Considering how Karrie, their snarky receptionist was Bill’s daughter, he’d had to acquiesce, but he’d done so grudgingly and had never spoken more than a half-dozen words directly to Paige.

  That she’d been seven when her mother had been arrested, that she’d never been convicted of any crime herself, or that her clients were happy with her work didn’t matter to at least one of her co-workers.

  Her aunt set her cutlery down and pushed her plate to the side. “I know Bill’s been giving you a hard time, but I think I’ve got something for you. I haven’t told Bill yet, but I just heard from the Grady’s new lawyer. We still have the Bull’s Hollow account.”

  The news that the contract may have been in jeopardy when Ben Grady fired the ranch’s original lawyer had set both Reba and her partner Bill running. “They need someone to get them organized before the auditors come in and it needs to be done fast. It means a week, maybe two of long days, digging through who knows what paperwork. It’s yours if you want it.”

  Be responsible for the biggest account between Joshua Falls and Dallas? “Count me in.” She frowned. “I thought Bill said he wanted Bryce to do that account. Please don’t offer me a carrot and then snatch it away.”

  Her co-worker had thirteen years more experience than Paige and had lobbied loud and hard when he’d heard they were negotiating the contract. Which meant he saw the Gradys as a stepping stone in his career too.

  Reba ripped open a package of wet wipes and daintily wiped her mouth. “Bryce is good, but even Bill has to admit his work with the IRS has left him a little too blunt for his own good. The Gradys need to be handled properly. After dealing with your father all these years, you’ve developed an ability to charm people while wheedling information out of them without them getting their hackles up. And, I don’t mean to scare you but we’ve lost two major accounts in the past year and Bill’s rumbling about letting one of the staff go.” With Paige his prime target no doubt. “If you can pull this off, prove yourself with this account and get the Gradys to ask for you as their regular accountant, you’ll be golden. Just don’t say anything to anyone at the office about it until you’re settled in.”

  Paige swallowed. “So no pressure then.”

  “I’m sorry, hon, but I figured you should know what’s at stake.”

  “Have you told them that we’re related to Walt Reynolds and Double R Developers?”

  “I told their first lawyer when he contacted us, but it didn’t seem to bother him. But he also warned me that while the Reynolds and the Gradys fight happened over forty years ago and neither of us were involved, it’s probably best not to say anything to the Grady boys.”

  “What if he didn’t mention it to the new lawyer?”

  “We’ve come clean.” Reba grimaced when three guys, two of them carrying guitars, the other a set of cymbals, passed them. “Damn it, I forgot they do live entertainment here Friday nights.” She spoke faster. “I can’t help it if he’s not passed on the information. Look, they’re in the middle of a helluva legal
snafu and the books are going to be damned important.”

  “I know—their bookkeeper embezzled from them, and they’re bringing in a new partner.” It had set the neighboring three counties gossip mills ablaze when the news had gotten out that the current owners’ father had had an affair that resulted in a child he’d ignored all his life. A son that had been brought onto the ranch when he was a teen but treated like an employee without ever being told his real heritage.

  “Exactly. So not only do you need to get the books in order for the audit about the bookkeeper, but this new partner—a guy named Gabe Larson—had his lawyer contact me. The lawyer’s worried because the Gradys have known about this other kid’s identity for almost a year but kept it from him. She wants us to make sure they haven’t been using the time to squirrel money off shore or transfer it so Larson can’t get to it. And she wants to make sure they haven’t pierced the corporate veil—if they have, it opens up whole new venues for their creditors go after and she doesn’t want her client signing up as a member of the LLC if that’s the case.”

  “But the auditors should discover that.”

  “Agreed. But if we’re going to keep Bull’s Hollow as a client, whether it’s under Grady or Larson ownership, we need to make sure everything is done absolutely by the letter. Which is why I want you busting your ass to get everything in order before the auditors come in. If you can find any evidence they’ve been hiding assets offshore, we can make sure we’re on the right team, because honey, if the auditors do find anything, Larson’s lawyer is sure as hell going to sue the pants off them and he might end up as our main client. Which means you need to suss out all the secrets and I trust you to do it without offending someone more than I trust Bryce. But don’t get me wrong. This account is important. Having the Gradys on our client list can lead to a lot more business for us. And not just business connections—they have political connections too. Not as big as they used to when ol’ George ran the place, but their connections are a veritable gold mine.”