Page 7 of Blue Collar Billionaire
“Yes. We’re about to get a visit from more of the Edmond family. I’ll introduce you.”
Jack turned and rose out of his seat, completely blocking Lexi’s view of the restaurant with his size, although she appreciated the new vista of his backside in that impeccable suit. He stepped aside and she saw him shaking hands with Rusty, the two men laughing heartily. Lexi had once again made a bad assumption. Of course, they knew each other. Rich tycoons like Rusty loved to build things. Jack must have done some work for him. Plus, they shared ties to the festival, since the older gentleman was bankrolling much of that enterprise.
Rusty caught sight of Lexi and seemed surprised, looking back and forth between her and Jack. “Ms. Alderidge. I didn’t see you there. Probably because you were hidden by this big guy.” Rusty slugged Jack in the arm.
Jack stood back. “Yes. Lexi and I met on Appaloosa yesterday. As you know, her family’s bank is one of the sponsors.”
Rusty nodded and Billy took notice of the turn in the conversation. “We’re happy to have the support,” Billy said to Lexi.
“Is everything coming along?” Rusty asked Jack.
“By the skin of our teeth, but yes. We’ll get it done,” he answered.
“Excellent,” Rusty said. “I’ll let you two get back to your meal.”
The four of them breezed past with Rusty leading the way. Jack rejoined Lexi at the table.
“I’m sorry. I didn’t realize you knew Rusty,” Lexi said, still feeling bad that she’d jumped to yet another wrong conclusion about her dinner date.
“Oh, yeah. We’ve done dozens of projects together.”
Lexi was still assembling the pieces of the puzzle that was Jack Bowden. Perhaps she’d never heard of him because she’d spent so many years in Houston, removed from the social circles of Royal. “Are you happy to be working with him again?”
“With Rusty? Sure. It’s the supposed mastermind of the project I’m more worried about.”
“Billy Holmes?” Lexi didn’t know much about Billy, other than the fact that he and Ross were old college buddies and that he’d worked his way into Rusty Edmond’s good graces with lightning speed. Rusty could be a ruthless man, and very few people made it into his inner circle. “Is it because the project is so huge and the timeline so tight?”
Jack tapped his fingers on the table. “That’s definitely a concern, but I’ve had plenty of unreasonable schedules over the years. It’s part of the game, especially when there’s so much money involved.”
“Then what is it?”
He shrugged. “Not sure, exactly. But I can’t help but think that something’s not quite right. It seems strange that he’s getting closer to Rusty while Rusty and his own son are at odds.”
“Families can be difficult sometimes. And maybe Billy’s trying to get them to mend fences.”
“You might be right,” he acknowledged. “I hadn’t thought about it like that.”
The sommelier appeared with their champagne. She presented the bottle to Jack, who consulted the label carefully.
“Faith made a fantastic choice,” he said. “I’ve had this many times.”
“Are you a big wine drinker?” Lexi asked.
“I dabble.” He cocked an eyebrow, and his devastating dimples made another appearance. With Jack around, Lexi didn’t need champagne. She was already light-headed.
The sommelier poured a taste for Jack, which he knocked back. “It’s perfect. Thank you.”
She grinned and filled the first glass, which he took and handed to Lexi while his was being poured.
“Thank you,” he said again to the woman, then raised his glass to Lexi once they were alone again. “To the future.”
“To the future.” She took a small sip and the bubbles tickled her nose. Lexi realized this was the first time in a very long time that she’d had any fun. “I’m glad I met you, Jack.” Perhaps it was the initial buzz from the wine that made her feel bold.
“I’m glad I had the good sense to pretend you were my girlfriend.”
Her face flushed and she turned her attention to the menu. She could enjoy herself this evening, but she couldn’t afford to get carried away.
The meal was incredible—Jack ordered the noodle dish he said he’d been craving, and Lexi had salmon with a bourbon glaze and beautiful local veggies. As they ate, he told her about how he got into construction, about growing up in San Antonio, and about having three younger sisters. Lexi had a far better time than she ever would’ve imagined, laughing more than she’d ever thought possible, and feeling at ease for the first time in ages.
