Downpour (Griffith Brothers, 2) - Softcover

Buch 2 von 3: The Griffith Brothers

Gates, Maggie

 
9780593955956: Downpour (Griffith Brothers, 2)
Softcover
ISBN 10: 0593955951 ISBN 13: 9780593955956
Verlag: Penguin Publishing Group, 2025

Inhaltsangabe

A paraplegic bull rider and his new home aide fall in love as they pick up the pieces of their lives in the second book in the popular Griffith Brothers series.

Rule #1 of almost dying: Make sure someone knows your passwords. It’s hard to cancel your phone plan if you’re dead.

Rule #2 of almost dying: Make sure your house is clean before you walk up the steps to the pearly gates. It makes selling off your life easier.

All it took was eight seconds for Ray Griffith to win the biggest competition of his life, and one second to lose everything except that championship buckle. He'd left his family’s cattle ranch at eighteen with no intention of ever coming back for good. Now he's back, learning to navigate life in a wheelchair with a beautiful disaster attempting to burn the house down.


Rule #1 of trying to not get fired: Don’t piss off the grumpy bull rider.

Rule #2 of trying to not get fired: When you do get fired, keep your chin up. The grumpy bull rider was hot.

It was just a little fire. Tiny, even. But that didn’t change the fact that Ray Griffith didn’t want her anywhere near him. But they reached an agreement: if she ignores him, he doesn't fire her. Easy, right? Turns out not so much if they can’t keep their hands off each other.

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Über die Autorin bzw. den Autor

Maggie Gates

Auszug. © Genehmigter Nachdruck. Alle Rechte vorbehalten.

Chapter 1

Brooke

I stretched out in my crisp, cool sheets as sunlight leaked through the blinds. Was there anything better than waking up in fresh sheets? I could already tell it was going to be a great day.

The window air conditioner rattled like maracas. The pair of googly eyes I had attached to it jiggled with every heave. Poor thing was dying in this sweltering June heat.

"You're doing great, little guy." I patted its rusted metal case. "Just keep going."

I shimmied into a relatively clean pair of shorts I found dangling off the bed frame. One flip-flop peeked out from under the bed, and I found the other on top of my dresser.

Bounding down the stairs, I greeted the sprawled-out figures on the couches on my way across the room.

Nick, the roommate who had lived here the longest out of all of us, lifted his head from the faded recliner. "Rent's due, Stacey."

"Really?" I laughed nervously and pawed through my pantry shelf. "I could have sworn I gave you money already."

I grabbed a box of granola bars with my name on it and opened it up. Empty. Maybe one of my roommates got hungry and didn't have anything else? That was alright. I'd just have oatmeal.

Nope, that box was empty too.

"Hey, do you know if someone ate my food?" I asked.

A familiar blue-and-white wrapper was on Nick's lap. "Dunno," he grunted as he chased his bite with a swig of beer.

Chandler, one of my other roommates, was passed out on the sofa with a mixing bowl of oatmeal resting on his stomach.

"No worries," I chirped, slinging my bag over my shoulder. "I'll just go by the store on my way back."

Stepping over a bulging garbage bag, I tiptoed past the mess of last night's party. Crushed beer cans skittered underfoot as I headed to the door.

"Don't forget about the money," Nick hollered as he scrolled his phone. "Cash this time. No checks."

The sun baked my skin as I skipped to my car, curls bouncing with each step. Mondays were the best. They were a fresh start. A new chance. Full of exciting possibilities.

I slid into the driver's seat and tossed my bag on the floorboard. The plastic flower pot on my dashboard wiggled as I turned the ignition.

"Aw, crap," I muttered, noticing the low fuel light. "That's fine, Madame Universe. Thanks for the excuse to grab a gas station snack."

I swung into the nearest station, chatting up the friendly cashier about the soap opera playing on the TV behind the counter as I paid for a snack cake and a few gallons of gas.

Everyone was being so nice today. Even Nick had almost gotten my name right. Usually, it was Brenda, Bonnie, or some other B name. But today, he called me by my last name like I was one of the bros.

The house was really starting to feel like home.

It was fun to always be surrounded by people. I always had someone to talk to or hang out with. It was like living in a dorm.

My own little found family.

I parked in front of the Caring Hands office and skipped up the brick steps. The door's jingling bells announced my arrival as I stepped into the cool air conditioning.

"Good morning, Peggy!" I greeted the office manager cheerfully.

She looked up from her desk with a frown. "You're late."

"Am I?" I pulled out my phone to check the time. "Oh shoot, it's dead. Do you have a charger?"

Peggy's eyebrow twitched.

"Oh my god! Your eyeshadow looks amazing today! The blue totally makes your eyes pop."

She huffed. "Have a seat, Brooke."

I plopped into the chair across from her desk, noticing a new addition. "Did you get a new plant? It's so cute! Does it have a name?"

Peggy sighed. "A name?"

"Yes! Plants have personalities. Naming them is a huge responsibility. It's like naming a baby."

Her fingers rattled against the keyboard. "I'm glad you brought up responsibility. Let's talk about that."

I bounced my feet and admired the cheery blue and yellow nail polish on my toes. It was bright like a sunny day against the dreary gray office carpet.

"Brooke," Peggy snapped, jolting me from my wistful thoughts.

I looked up. "So, who am I going to see today?"

Her jaw was locked. "You're going to have a light day. The only client you have is Mr. Wilson."

"Light day? Awesome! There's this antique store I've been dying to go to." I propped my elbow on her desk and rested my chin in my hand. "What's your day like? Do you wanna come with me? We could grab lunch and make an afternoon of it."

She huffed. "Let me clarify. You only have one client left."

I gasped. "Everyone got better? Even Mrs. Jones? I thought it would take months for her to recover. I mean, yeesh-breaking both your legs like that . . . But look at her go. She's a rock star!"

Peggy pinched the bridge of her nose. "No one got better, Brooke. You cost the agency nine accounts. Nine valuable, paying clients left because of you."

"Really? I don't understand . . ."

My heart sank as she began to list off my failings-always running late, misplacing things, mixing up meals. I tried to explain about my noisy roommates and lack of sleep, but she cut me off.

"I don't want to hear excuses. I can't keep giving you assignments if you're going to cost us money. This is your last chance."

My bottom lip trembled. "I'll do better. I promise."

"Don't bother coming back here if Mr. Wilson sends you away," she said, turning back to her computer and waving me off.

I retreated out of the office and slunk back to my car. The check-engine light greeted me when I started the engine, and a knot formed in my stomach.

I needed this paycheck.

Rent, groceries, car repairs-being alive was expensive.

Being a home aide wasn't my dream job, but it gave me plenty of time to dream about other things. Plus, I loved helping my clients. Keeping them company, driving them to their appointments, chatting about their day while I cleaned their houses . . . People were awesome, and getting paid to do life with them was the best.

I just had to do better.

Two more years . . . I had to survive for two more years, and then everything would be fine.

Chapter 2

Ray

I threaded the end of the rope through the loop and tightened it. My hand trembled. I bit the knot to loosen it so I could tie it again, all while ignoring the body on the other side of the room.

Unfortunately, the body was alive.

"I don't know why everyone said you're crabby," she said as she cleaned up from lunch. "You're just quiet. Nothing wrong with that, sweetheart. I don't mind the quiet. There's too much noise these days."

A dull ache pulsed behind my eyes. "Stop talking."

She huffed. "That grouchy act won't work on me. I raised six boys-including my husband. I can handle your attitude."

The rope fell as I unlocked my chair and rolled to the door. "Out."

She propped her hands on her hips. "I just got here."

"And now you're leaving." I opened the front door and wheeled away. "Don't bother locking up."

It was already time to change the locks again. Seemed like I spent more money on doorknobs than anything else. Fortunately, the drill was still on the side table in the living room.

Maybe a number lock would be easier than dealing with keys and all that bullshit. I could just reprogram the code.

"Mr. Griffith, there's no reason for you to speak to me that way."

"There's no reason for you to still be here."

"But I-"

"I believe he told you to leave." Cassandra, my brother's fiancée, appeared in the doorway. She hitched her thumb over her shoulder. "Beat it."

The old lady glowered. "Who do you think you are, telling me to leave my job?"

Cassandra's cold stare made it clear the old lady was...

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Verlag
Penguin Publishing Group
Erscheinungsdatum
2025
Sprache
Englisch
ISBN 10 
0593955951
ISBN 13 
9780593955956
Einband
Taschenbuch
Anzahl der Seiten
385
Kontakt zum Hersteller
preigu GmbH & Co. KG
mail@preigu.de

Lengericher Landstr. 19
Osnabrück
Niedersachsen
49078
Deutschland

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