Dirty Cowboy (A Western Romance) (The Maxwell Family) Read online

  But that wasn’t what happened. I woke up the next day to an angry message from my agent, telling me to be at her office early Monday morning. I thought about checking the internet, but I couldn’t bear to see what people were saying. Instead, I spent the entire day in bed and didn’t leave my apartment even once. I watched endless stupid movies and did everything in my power to prevent myself from looking at the internet, or calling Dorothy. I was still hoping that I’d wake up the next day to an apology from her.

  But on Monday morning there was no apology on my phone, and I knew that I had to go and see her. Hopefully she’d be able to clear things up for me, and hopefully I’d be able to calm her down. I knew that Dorothy was tough, but so far she’d been nothing but kind to me. That voice message was the first time I’d even seen that side of her.

  I got the driver to get me from the back door, just in case there were reporters up front. I climbed in and told him to take me to Dorothy’s office. I liked my driver. He was probably the only person that never asked me any questions about my life. I was grateful for the half hour of silence as he took me to her office. When I arrived, I thanked him and quickly made myself to her office with my head down.

  The moment I arrived, I knew that something was terribly wrong. The receptionist barely looked at me, and when she took me to Dorothy’s office, she quickly closed the door behind her without offering me anything to drink.

  “Dorothy, what’s going on? You sounded so angry on that message. I was going to call you back but thought it would be better to talk face to face.”

  She glared at me. Her eyes flashed with so much anger that I immediately recoiled and sat back in my chair as if I’d been stung.

  “Sloan, when I agreed to take you on as my client, I believed that you were who you said you were.”

  “I—

  “But,” she said without letting me speak. “Clearly, you’ve been keeping things from me. And I don’t appreciate that. Let me tell you why. You see, when I take on a client, I go out of my way to make sure that they get everything from me. I give them my complete undivided attention. And in return, I expect them to be honest with me and to give me the respect that I deserve. But you have not done that. Everyone knows that I’m your agent. It was something that I was very proud of. And perhaps I told a bit too many people about it. But now you’ve just gone and made me look like a complete fool. Why would you do this?”

  I could feel the anger rise up inside me. How dare she speak to me like this? “Maybe if you told me what’s going on, I’d be able to answer you.”

  “How can you not know? It’s been all over the papers.”

  “I haven’t looked.”

  She raised one perfectly plucked eyebrow at me. “You haven’t looked? What have you been doing?”

  “I haven’t looked. So just tell me.”

  “I thought you went to Yale,” she said. “I mean, that’s what you told me, right? Actually, I have the forms right here. Ah yes, Sloan Hill, attended Yale University.”

  Shit. “Why does that matter? I mean, surely the only thing that matters is that I’m a good actress and that I work damn hard. I don’t see whether I studied at Yale or not makes any difference.”

  “Oh darling, it makes all the difference in the world. Because now you’re viewed as a liar. Someone that lied their way to the top. You should’ve just told the truth.”

  “Okay, I should’ve. I’m sorry. It’s hard to get people’s attention when you’re just starting out, you know. I had to make myself look better than I was. It really shouldn’t matter.”

  “And when were you going to tell me about the porn?”

  My blood went cold. “What?”

  She smiled at me and leaned back in her chair, clicking her pen on and off. The sound was driving me crazy.

  “Oh, I know everything now, Sloan. The whole world knows everything. And you were stupid if you really thought we weren’t going to find out about it.”

  I stood up.

  “Where do you think you’re going?”

  “I don’t need to answer these questions. I’m a good actress, and that is all that matters.”

  She shook her head and laughed. “No, Sloan. That’s not all that matters in this business.”

  “But that’s all that should matter,” I insisted.

  “That’s beside the point. You should know that being famous has only a little bit to do with the movies you’re in. It’s about who you are to the rest of the world.”

  “I had a man show up at my apartment asking me questions, and I felt completely insulted by his lack of care for my personal space. And now here you are doing the same. I thought we were friends?”

  “No, Sloan. We’re not friends. And this is the business. Get over it.”

  “I’m leaving,” I said.

  “Go right ahead. And while you’re at it, find yourself another agent. I’m sorry, but I have to look after my own reputation, too.”

  “Fine by me,” I said and stormed out.

  The driver was waiting for me when I got out. He didn’t say a word to me as he took me home, and when I arrived, I ran inside before anyone could stop me. When I opened the door to my apartment, I almost screamed. Victoria was sitting on my bed.

  “How did you get here? You gave me such a fright.”

  “Sorry. Well, I told the guy downstairs that I wanted to surprise you and he let me right in.”

  I stared at her in surprise. “Seriously? I mean, I know he knows we’re friends, but to just let you in like that? So much for security.”

  “Yeah, you really need to talk to him about that. Tell him that he could lose his job. So, what’s going on? Where’ve you been? I thought you’d be holed up in here with all the media stuff happening? I tried to call you, but you didn’t answer.”

  “Sorry about that. I was at Dorothy’s office. She called me yesterday and told me to come in immediately to see her.”

  “Uh oh. That doesn’t sound good.”

  “It’s not. She’s not my agent anymore.”

  “What? Are you serious? But why?”

  “She wouldn’t listen to a thing I had to say. She was just mad at me for ruining her reputation. Damn, I should’ve told her that she didn’t have a very good reputation to begin with. Why do I only think of these things now? Anyway, I just wanted to get out of there as quickly as possible.”

  “Oh, Sloan—I’m so sorry. Don’t worry. You don’t need her. There are plenty other agents out there who will snap you up. I promise you.”

  “You know, I don’t even care right now,” I said as I sat down on the bed.

  “Do you want to tell me what’s been going on? The newspapers are saying you didn’t go to Yale and that you were involved in porn before getting into the business. Is that true? Or are they just talking a whole bunch of hogwash like they normally do? You can talk to me Sloan; I’m your best friend.”

  I looked at her and smiled sadly. She was a good friend to me even though she felt so different from me most of the time. But I didn’t feel like talking about it. I shook my head.

  “I guess you could call it a lapse in judgment,” I said.

  “What do you mean?”

  “Vic, thank you so much for coming to see me, and thank you so much for caring about how I am. That’s more than I could say for most of the people out there who pretend to care about me. But I really just don’t feel like talking about anything right now.”

  “I understand. Why don’t we just watch a movie then? We don’t have to talk.”

  “I appreciate that, Vic. But I think I just want to be alone for a while. You know, maybe I’ll just get away from all of this until it dies down.”

  “Go away? Where?”

  I shrugged. “I don’t know. The idea just came to me, so it’s still formulating in my head. But right now, I can’t even go downstairs without everyone shoving a camera in my face. I just want to . . . go away.”

  “I’ll come with you.”

  “Th
anks, Vic, but I just need to be alone.”

  “Okay, I totally understand. Sometimes getting away is the best thing. And you know what these guys are like; the whole thing will just die down. These scandals never last as long as you think they’re going to. They’ll get bored of you soon enough.”

  “I hope so,” I said.

  “Trust me. Well, you promise to call me if you need me? I’ll come over immediately. And if you want to just stay here I’ll sneak you up food, so you don’t have to go out.”

  I smiled at her. “Thanks, Vic. I’ll definitely let you know.”

  She gave me a big hug and left. I locked the door behind her and lay face down on the bed. For the first time since all of this had happened, I finally allowed myself to cry. I cried until there were no more tears left inside me. Then, when I thought it was over, I cried some more.

  After a while, when I’d finally calmed down just a little, I picked up the phone and called Brady.

  “Sloan?” he said. He seemed surprised to hear from me. I couldn’t believe how good it was to hear his voice.

  “Brady,” I whispered.

  “What’s wrong?”

  “I need to get away. Please, can I come and stay with you?”

  Chapter Twenty-Five

  Brady

  I never expected to hear from Sloan again. I expected to perhaps one day get an invitation to some movie launch, and I pictured myself turning it down. After all, what would a guy like me do in a place like that? I’d stick out like a sore thumb, and the last thing I wanted was for Sloan to be embarrassed to be around me in public. It was fine here. I slotted in nicely into this lifestyle. But I was the complete opposite of a city guy. So, when I got a call from her, I thought I was imaging. Then, she said the magic words: Please, can I come and stay with you?

  Of course, I said yes.

  That morning, I called Harold.

  “Hey, Harold, I’m sorry to call you so early.”

  “Nonsense. You know I’m an early riser. Is something wrong?”

  “Nothing’s wrong. I just need to ask if it’s okay that I get the day off. I’m sorry, I know it’s last minute.”

  “Of course you can have the day off. You do realize that this is the first time you have ever asked me for time off? You absolutely deserve some time. Is everything okay?”

  “Thanks, Harold. I really appreciate it. Yeah, everything is fine. It’s just . . . well, Sloan called. She wants to spend some time here. I’d appreciate if you didn’t say anything to anyone, though. I’m sure she’ll want to see you, but she hasn’t really said much about why she’s coming, so I don’t want to make a big deal out of it.”

  “Hmm, I thought she might call.”

  “Why?”

  “Oh, she’s been in the headlines a lot these days. I had a feeling she would be needed the escape soon. And what better place to escape than here.”

  “Poor Sloan. Well, I don’t care about what other people are saying about her. She can tell me whatever she wants to, but I will only listen to the stories if they come directly from her. I know how the media twists things.”

  “You’re a good man, Brady. And Sloan needs someone like you right now. Give her my love and tell her to come and visit if she wants to. But take care of her, okay?”

  “I will. Thanks, Harold.”

  I put the phone down and made my way to the airport. I arrived too early, so I grabbed a cup of coffee and waited for her at arrivals. I avoided all newspapers and magazines, and simply sat at the front and waited for her. About forty minutes later, I heard the announcement that her plane had landed.

  Sloan was dressed in black jeans and dark green hoodie. She had the hood up over her head, and she was wearing sunglasses. She looked like a girl who was too tired to show anyone her eyes, and nothing at all like a famous celebrity. But I knew it was her immediately. I walked straight up to her, took her hand and kissed her on the forehead. She smiled gratefully at me.

  When we got to the car, I put her luggage in the trunk and climbed in.

  “Since when do you travel so lightly?” I said.

  She chuckled. “The last time I had so many bags with me, filled to the brim with the fanciest clothes. It only took a few days, and one very disgruntled man, to tell me that I was making a fool of myself. This time, I knew better.”

  “It’s good to see you again, Sloan.”

  “It’s good to see you too.”

  We drove in silence all the way home. Sloan had her head against the window as she watched the scenery, and I drove without saying anything. I had a feeling she didn’t want to talk, and I didn’t mind the silence. I realized that it was nice just having her there.

  When we got back to the house, I told her to get some rest. She insisted that she didn’t need any, but I insisted right back.

  “You’re exhausted. And anyway, my bed is more comfortable than you think,” I said, and she laughed.

  “Better than a king-sized bed?”

  “Oh, much better. Seriously, go have a two-hour nap. I need to do some work. I’ll come back and wake you in two hours. I promise you.”

  She grinned. “Will you wake me with coffee?”

  I smiled back. “Of course I will.”

  I walked out the room, and when I popped my head in five minutes later, I saw that she was fast asleep. I stood there watching her for a while. The stress on her face had been apparent. But now, as she slept, she looked peaceful again. I checked the time and headed to the living room. There was no way I was going to go back to the ranch to work and leave her here, but I knew that she wouldn’t have fallen asleep otherwise. So I waited until it was time to wake her up. Then I made her a cup of coffee and went to wake her.

  “Morning, sleepyhead,” I said as I entered the room.

  She opened her eyes at the sound of my voice, and then she smiled when she saw me. “Morning.”

  “Did you sleep well?”

  She sprawled out. “Actually, I did. You’re right. This bed is amazing.”

  “Either that, or you really were that exhausted. Come on down when you’re ready. I’m taking you out.”

  “Oh, uh . . . I’m not sure I want to go out. I’m sorry, Brady.”

  “Nah, you’ll like this. Do you trust me?”

  She looked at me then. Her eyes were bright and unblinking. “Yes, I do trust you.”

  “Then I’ll meet you downstairs.”

  I closed the door and heard her chuckle to herself. The sound filled me with more joy than I could imagine. It was nice to see her happy again.

  Ten minutes later, she was downstairs and I handed her a flask.

  “What’s this?”

  “Coffee. I told you I’d make you some. But we’re having it on the go. Come on, let’s go.”

  “Where are we going?”

  I smiled at her. “I thought we’d take a walk.”

  “A walk?”

  “Don’t worry. Nobody will even see us. We’re walking to the ranch.”

  She smiled. “That sounds wonderful.”

  We set off with our coffees out the back door and made our way to the ranch. On the way, we spoke about everything other than why she was really there. She didn’t seem to want to talk about it, and I didn’t want to push it. I was curious, but I figured she’d tell me in her own time.

  “How’s your arm, by the way?” she asked.

  I flexed it in front of her. “It’s doing good. Can you just imagine the sort of strength I have with both of them? I mean, I’d probably have won you two stuffed animals.”

  She laughed. “You’re such a show-off. Have you seen your nemesis lately?”

  “Nemesis?”

  “The bull!”

  “Ha! The bull. No, I’ve been ignoring him.”

  “Good. He doesn’t deserve your friendship.”

  “Oh, but Ryan called me and told me that someone uploaded a video of the bull throwing me off. I looked it up. It really looked bad.”

  “It was bad! Now you k
now why we were all so worried.”

  “Yeah, I guess I didn’t realize it was as bad as you all thought. I think I was just in such a daze that day.”

  “Also, you were high on happy pills.”

  I smiled. “Oh yeah. And sugar. That was fun.”

  “That was fun,” she said and smiled. But I noticed a hint of sadness when she said it.

  “Okay, we’re almost there,” I said. “And guess what we’re doing next?”

  “Uh, you’re going to make me do some work at the ranch?”

  I laughed. “Can you imagine what Harold would do if he found out that I did that? No, I’m not going to put you to work. We’re going riding.”

  “BETTY!” she exclaimed, and her whole face lit up.

  “No, I’m sorry, but Betty is mine. I’ll find you another horse,” I teased.

  “Not a chance, mister. Betty is all mine. It’s two females against one male. We’ll win.”

  “Just kidding. Of course, she’s all yours. She’s been moping since you’ve been gone, anyway.”

  “Are you just saying that?”

  I shook my head. “I’m actually not just saying that. She hasn’t been herself.” I wanted to add that I hadn’t been myself either, but I kept that part quiet.

  When we got to the barn, Sloan ran straight to Betty. I noticed that she had tears in her eyes as she kissed the horse, and I watched with amazement as she saddled up without my help. Once she was on the horse, she looked at me.

  “Come on, what are you waiting for? I think it’s time for another race, don’t you think?”

  I grinned. “Okay, we can race again. But I’ll have you know, this time I’m not letting you win.”

  “Oh yeah? Come on then; show me what you’ve got.”

  I saddled up and joined her out onto the field. We rode around for a while and then made our way back to where we’d had our race the first time. I looked at her and smiled.

  “So, what do I get if I win?” I asked.

  “If you win then you get the satisfaction of having beaten me. But if I win, you have to make me steaks on that outdoor grill again.”

  “This deal seems incredibly imbalanced.”

  “Oh, are you scared?”

  “Me? Scared? Of a little girl like you? Never!”