“Eeeeeeuw,” she said, and tossed the box on the table.
“Oh, don’t worry, Ms. Taylor, it isn’t alive,” Lenny said quickly, and added as an afterthought, “...anymore.”
Grabbing the box from the table, Lenny lifted out something furry with a small face and bright glassy eyes. “It’s a wrist watch covered with the hide of a gray squirrel.” Lenny displayed the item proudly.
“Let me see.” Jesse reached for the furry treasure. “How interesting. Look, Rachel, you lift the little guy’s head to see the face of the watch. Very clever.” Smiling at Lenny, Jesse asked, “Is this your design?”
Lenny’s chest puffed out, and his wan face suffused with mottled color. “Yes, indeed it is. I found the squirrel on the road. Must have been hit by a car.”
“Rachel, really, I think you should model the watch.” Jesse held out the gift, his lips twitching.
“No, thank you,” she said through tight lips.
Jesse raised his brows. “You don’t want to hurt Lenny’s feelings, do you?”
“I’m sorry, Lenny, I just don’t like fur against my skin.”
Lenny’s face fell at her rejection. “What a shame.”
Still holding the offensive object, Jesse studied it carefully. “This actually looks like it’s still alive. You do remarkable work, Lenny.”
When Jesse reached across the table to hand the squirrel watch to Rachel, she shook her head emphatically. “No, thank you, Lenny,” she repeated firmly. “You keep it. I could never wear it.”
“Are you sure?” Lenny’s lips turned downward on the corners. “I was certain you would like it.”
“It was a lovely thought, but I’m sure there are others who would gladly wear it. You should find one of them.”
“So, Lenny, I bet you do a fair amount of business around hunting season,” Jesse said.
“Yes, but it takes me away from the bird collection I’m working on.”
The two men talked on for thirty minutes about the intricacies of skinning, gutting and stuffing. Rachel was sure she would never eat meat again—ever. Finally, she looked to Genie for deliverance. “Genie, if you want to catch that movie, we need to leave, now.”
“What movie...ouch!” Frowning, Genie leaned down to rub her other shin. “At this rate, I’m going to be crippled,” she grumbled. Then continuing with a long-suffering tone, “Okay, Rachel, let’s go so we don’t miss that movie.” Genie smiled apologetically at Jesse, then fluttered her fingers in farewell to Lenny.
Rachel never looked back.
As Rachel pulled Genie behind her in a rush for the door, she heard Genie ask, “Hey Rache, just what did that ad say?”
Jesse sat across the table from his best friends and members of the super secret Texas Billionaire’s Club. The club had been formed by four college students back when they didn’t have a nickel to rub between them. At their lowest point financially, they’d made a pledge to each become millionaires before they reached the ripe old age of thirty.
And damned if they hadn’t made it. Every one of them. Not only had they made their first million, they’d gone on to billionaire status.
Tanner Peschke set his beer mug on the table at the Piki Tiki. “So, why the emergency meeting of the TBC?” He grinned. “Not that I mind coming to your rescue. You’re just lucky I was in town between shoots of the show. I left Janine packing for our next adventure into the wild.”
Jesse grinned. “Why are you still doing the show? You don’t need the money. You made a fortune day-trading, and your business interests are just adding to it.”
Tanner shrugged. “Janine loves being a star, and it keeps me from getting bored.”
Rip pounded Tanner on the back. “I nearly snorted beer out my nose when that female chimpanzee took a shine to you. I thought Janine was going to kill her with that foam baseball bat.”
Gage chuckled. “Never thought I’d see a blond human jealous of a female chimpanzee. I nearly lost it when they played tug-of-war with you.”
Tanner frowned and rubbed his shoulder. “That chimp had a hold on me so tight, I thought she’d rip my arm out of my socket.”
Rip laughed. “You’re a lucky man. Janine must really love you to take on a wild animal to save you.”
Tanner nodded, his lips twitching. “She’s amazing, and you’re right. I’m a lucky man.” He turned his gaze to Jesse. “Which brings us back to our reason for being here. Are we all on track to meet our next goal? I’ve got Janine. Rip proposed to Casey—by the way, that was an epic proposal, my man. Doing it right there on the radio for all of Austin to hear.”
“I want to know if you had a backup plan.” Gage shook his head. “What if she’d said no?”
Rip patted his Hawaiian-shirt-covered chest. “How could she say no to this?”
Gage snorted. “Easily.”
Rip gave them a twisted grin. “I have to admit, I was sweating it until she said yes.”
“So, that leaves two of our group.” Tanner turned to face the two men who hadn’t secured a woman’s love or promise to marry. “Gage? Jess? Where do you stand?”
Gage held up his hand. “I refuse to be pushed into anything as important as marriage. Besides, I’m about to take command of a National Guard unit. I won’t have time to date. Women are a huge time commitment.”
Tanner held up his hand. “No excuses. We all made promises. You have to at least be trying.”
Gage frowned. “I need more time.”
Rip crossed his arms over his chest. “You have until the end of this year. We didn’t make it as far as we’ve come by reneging on our pledges.”
“I’ll work on it,” Gage said. “Besides, we’re not here to badger me. Jesse called this meeting. He’s the one with the problem.”
Jesse shook his head. “Not so much a problem, but a challenge. I’ve found the woman of my dreams. But I’m struggling to convince her I’m her man.”
“How can that be?” Rip waved a hand toward Jesse. “You’re the all-American, boy next door with the physique of a model and a killer smile.”
“The Austin Enquirer named you Austin’s most eligible bachelor,” Tanner said. “Shoot, you probably have ladies lining up outside your house day and night, begging you to marry them.”
Heat rushed into Jesse’s cheeks. “As a matter of fact, I have had a few women show up in my yard, carrying signs.”
“I heard you had to call the cops when you found a naked lady in your bed.”
Jesse frowned. “How the hell she got into my house, I don’t know.”
Rip laughed.
Jesse glared. “It’s not funny.”
“Oh, but it is.” Rip chuckled and slowly settled back in his seat. “Hell, you could have any woman you want.”
Jesse sighed. “Except one.”
Gage leaned forward. “Who is she?”
“If I tell you, you can’t go claim jumping.” Jesse stared pointedly at Gage. “She’s mine.”
“Apparently not, based on what you’ve told us.” Gage raised his brows for a moment, and then smiled. “Don’t worry. Like I said, I don’t have time right now. I’ve got to get my arms around the new unit, and I’m moving into a house.”