Title: Chasing the Dream
Series: (Set in the Bronco Boys Universe) (Book 1 in Spin
Off)
Genre: M/M
Contemporary Romance
Release Date: July 11 2016
Edition/Formats Available In: eBook & Print
Blurb/Synopsis:
Born with a silver spoon in his mouth, Brian Paulson has
lived a life of luxury and ease. If he’s been left lonely because of his
family’s pursuit of wealth and their own happiness, he figures it’s a small
price to pay for what he sees as most important: money.
Cade McAllister has never had it easy. He works two jobs to
support himself, his mother, and his special-needs brother. They don’t have
much, but to Cade, love and taking care of the people who are important to him
mean more than material possessions. When Cade is mugged in the park, he can’t
afford to lose what little he has, and he’s grateful for Brian’s intervention.
Cade is given a chance to return the favor when Brian’s
grandfather passes away and Brian’s assets are frozen. Cade offers Brian a
place to stay and helps him find work, and the two men grow closer as they
learn the good and the bad of the very different worlds they come from. Just as
Brian is starting to see there’s more to life than what money can buy, a clause
in his grandfather’s will could send their relationship up in smoke.
“Mr. Paulson?” Cade said, and he turned to see him with the
manager of the restaurant right behind him.
“There’s seems to be a problem with your card,” the manager
explained.
Brian pulled out his wallet and handed them another.
“I’ll have to call them tomorrow.”
He turned back to Peter, who said good night. Brad also said
good night and followed Peter out. Brian sat in his chair once again, and this
time Cade and the manager returned, both looking just as dour.
“I’m afraid this one has been declined as well.”
He placed the card on the countertable, and Brian went cold.
“There has to be some mistake.”
“Quite possibly, I’m sure.” The manager was clearly
uncomfortable.
“You know who I am?” Brian said, holding himself high in
order to hide his embarrassment. Nothing like this had ever happened to him.
He’d need to call his trustee as well as the bank and yell at all of them in
the morning.
“Yes, I do.” He sounded snooty, as though Brian had been
caught stealing. “Cade is off shift and has agreed to go home with you to get
the bill paid. A check will suffice, but if it isn’t good, we will call the
police, and we will know where you can be found.”
Brian wanted to snap at him and put him in his place, but
the realization hit him that he was in no position to bargain. The manager
could simply call the police, and then that story would hit the papers. His
family would have a cow. His fucking aunt and uncle would be making snide
comments about it for years.
“Of course. It’s just some mix-up.” Brian stood to get ready
to leave.
“I’ll need a minute to change,” Cade said and hurried away.
Brian left the dining room. This was one time he did not want
to be the center of attention. When Cade came out, they walked to his car.
“I’m sorry about all this,” Brian said as embarrassment rose
once again. He hated being out of control, and this was certainly that. He had
a trust fund set up by his family grandfather that was his source of money. He
never gave it any thought and never asked anyone else for anything. Being
beholden to any of his relatives was not something he was the least bit
interested in.
Brian started the car and drove sedately through town, then
parking parked in front of his building. He figured he’d have to take Cade back
to the restaurant once he’d straightened this out. They got out of the car and
went inside, riding rode up to his floor in the elevator and unlocking unlocked
his condo door.
Inside he went right to his desk.
“This is amazing,” Cade said, walking over to the windows to
peer out.
Brian found his checkbook and wrote a check that included
the amount for the bill plus a generous tip for Cade, especially considering
the trouble he’d gone through. “Here you are,” he said, walking to where Cade
stared. He’d seen that view so many times he rarely paid any attention to it
any longer.
Cade took the check and put it carefully in into his pocket.
“I bet you have a front-row seat for the fireworks from up here,” Cade said,
practically pressing his nose to the glass. He seemed so enthralled that Brian
stood next to him, looking down to the park near the art museum.
“I don’t think I’ve ever been here for that.” His uncle
always had one of his family “command performance” parties at his house.
“What a shame,” Cade said softly and then seemed to blink
out of his thoughts.
“I should get you back to the restaurant.” Brian was anxious
to have this whole episode behind him, even if being with Cade was rather nice.
There were no expectations, either good or bad. His family always expected the
worst, and he usually delivered on that. His friends expected either the clown
or the party animal, and he was adept at playing both those roles.
“Yeah.” He didn’t turn right away. “I love the art museum
under all the lights. They have the brise-soleil up, and it looks like it’s
going to sail away into the night.”
Cade practically bounced, and Brian turned to where he was
looking. He’d never really paid any attention before.
“It does,” he agreed. Brian stood at his own windows for a
few more minutes as Cade marveled over what Brian saw every day. It was like
experiencing something brand new, and he’d lived here for over a year.
“I’m sorry. I got carried away,” Cade said as he stepped
back from the window. “I shouldn’t take up any more of your time.” He patted
his pocket. “I appreciate you giving me the check. My boss will be happy about
that.” The nervous energy seemed to be back once again.
“Let me give you a ride,” Brian offered, and they left the
condo and rode, riding back down. When Brian stepped outside the building, he
instantly noticed a number of things. His car was sitting on a towing company
flatbed, and large men moved to stand behind him. “What the hell is going on?”
“The people who own the car as well as the condo have
decided that you don’t get to use them any longer,” one of the men said as he
crossed his bulging arms over his thick chest and stared blankly ahead, as
though he wasn’t even seeing Brian at all.
Brian walked up to the huge man who spoke to him. “I own the
condo and the car,” he snapped.
“Do you?” he asked and placed a card in Brian’s hand. It had
his grandfather’s name on it and nothing else.
“Shit!” He crumpled the card and tossed it back at the man.
“What the hell am I supposed to do now?” Brian yanked out his phone. “Peter,
thank God,” he began as soon as the call was answered. “Everything is messed up
right now, and I need a favor. Can I crash with you tonight?”
Peter hesitated. He sounded winded. “Umm, I have company
already. I don’t think that’s a particularly good idea. What happened? Why
can’t you stay at your place?”
“My grandfather,” Brian answered.
“Is that what happened with the bill at the restaurant?”
Peter asked, and Brian wondered how word could possibly have gotten around so
fast. “Carolyn Langdon was at the next table. I’m surprised you didn’t notice
her. She spread the word that you were having money trouble within seconds.”
Peter groaned softly and tried to muffle it but failed. “I need to go. Call me
when all of this is straightened out.” He hung up.
Brian wanted to smash his phone on the sidewalk, but he
needed it.
“Simone,” he said when his second call was answered. “I need
a place to crash for a few days. Things are really getting weird, and I need
some help.”
“Sorry, sweetheart, but we’re getting ready to go out of
town for a few weeks.”
She sounded like talking to him was the last thing she
wanted to be doing. What the fuck was wrong with these people? He’d shown them
a good time for years. Hell, just a few hours ago he was buying them dinner and
having a great time.
“We heard what happened, and I’m so sorry to hear that. If
we’d have known, we certainly could have helped, but…. Just a second. No. Don’t
pack that. I’ll be there in a minute. I really need to go. But I’ll call you
when we get back, and I really hope you get all this straightened out.”
She made a kiss noise and then hung up. Brian was floored.
Two of his closest friends had turned him away.
Cade had moved out of the way and was on the phone. “Yes, I
have the check. Would it be okay if I brought it in tomorrow when I come to
work?” Cade seemed nervous once again. “Thank you. I’ll come in a little early
so you’ll have it.”
He hung up, and Brian heard a sigh of relief.
Brian made a few more calls, none of which were answered,
and he left messages with each of them. He told himself he could straighten all
this out when he went to the lawyer’s in the morning. In the meantime, it was
getting late, and he needed a place to stay. He almost called his uncle, but
his finger hovered above the number. He hated to ask that piece of work for
anything. He shivered both from cold and what his uncle would say.
The night air was starting to get under his shirt. The wind
off the lake had died down, but the breeze was still chill and damp. Brian
pulled out his wallet to see what cash he had on him and realized there wasn’t
enough for even a cheap hotel room. He never carried much cash. He always paid
by credit card.
“I don’t know what’s going on, but you can come home with me
for the night,” Cade offered in a rather quiet voice. “My apartment is really
small, and it’s nothing like that one.” Cade looked up the building. “But I
have a sofa you can use for the night.” Cade bit his lower lip slightly.
“Thank you,” Brian said through his desperation. He couldn’t
believe his friends had deserted him. All he was asking for was a place to
sleep for a single night. That was all the time he needed to straighten this
out. “You don’t have to do that,” Brian said, feeling something he couldn’t
ever remember, humility.
“In the park, you helped me.”
Brian turned to the men by the door of the building, letting
others in. He wanted to scream at them again. That was his home. Hell, he
thought of calling the police, but if his grandfather had something to do with
this, even dead, it wasn’t likely they would intervene.
“We need to go,” Cade said.
