Taking the Reins(65)

“So then . . .” He had no clue what they were even arguing about.

“This is exactly what I was worried about.”

“Wait, what?”

“You know, from the other night.” At his confused look, she glanced behind her, then hissed at him, “When we . . . you know.”

“Ah. You know. Yes.” He stifled a laugh. But she wasn’t fooled, and stepped fully into the office before closing the door behind her.

“Yes. You damn well do know. And now you’re thinking you can make decisions that are my job. This is exactly why I knew from the start it would be a bad idea to get involved.”

Red held up his hands to ward off the lecture he knew she was about to start in on. “Hold on now. I hired Billy because I knew you’d already talked to him. Maybe I jumped the gun a little on hiring him. But I knew you’d already suggested he come work for you. I overheard you two in the feed store that day. I already know he’s a good kid with a good heart who could use the extra bucks. And I think he’s got potential as a horseman, with some encouragement. So, I just went for it.” He paused, then judging the temperature of the room, added, “I’m used to making decisions on my own.”

“Would you have done this at another ranch? With another owner?”

Fair question. But . . . “I don’t know. The fact is—”

“The fact is, you haven’t slept with anyone else, so you don’t feel that connection with anyone else.”

“No.” He kept his tone as even as he could, despite his own rising temper. “The fact is, I don’t know because not all my employers have been as easy to read as you.”

She scoffed.

“I already explained I understood there was a background there between you and Bill. I know the kid myself. Those things combined made this a situation I felt like I could call. I made a decision. I would have done it whether you were an eighty-year-old man or the hot handful you are now.”

She rolled her eyes but didn’t chastise him for the joke.

“And I know you’re a total softie.” Yeah, that had her pokering up. She would hate that. “Play the badass owner all you want with other businessmen. I know you’re total goo when you want to be with the horses, with the staff when they need it. And that nephew of yours? Don’t think I haven’t seen you outside with him before on that quilt, cooing and making faces at him.” The memory had him smiling.

“So I like animals and kids. Sue me.” Arms crossed over her chest—a motion which made her breasts strain at her front buttons and had him thinking once again about dark rooms, soft beds, and low moans—she shook her head. “I don’t like this. I don’t like second-guessing myself now because of what happened.”

He shrugged. “So stop. If you don’t like something I’m doing, tell me. I might not listen . . .”

Her lips twitched, holding back a smile.

“But what man does?” At that, he knew he had her. She smiled and dropped into the rickety metal chair in front of his desk.

“I meant to ask, just out of curiosity, but were you in here earlier looking for something?”

“Earlier? No, not today.” She glanced around. “I meant to tell you the office looks good. Organized, sort of. At least I could find something if you weren’t here. Nylen was a slob.”

Red couldn’t argue. Though he wasn’t OCD-neat about things, he liked order. It was just good business. And as much as he wished his entire job was simply about the horses, he had paperwork like any other guy.

“You knew about the books Nylen was messing with, right?”

Peyton frowned and nodded. “I’ve got them in the safe up at the house. It’s just not something I’m going to bother with. He’s not in a position to abuse the trust any longer, so it seems pointless to go after him now. God only knows where he is, anyway. He never left a forwarding address.”

Red chose not to mention seeing him at the rodeo or that as of at least a few weeks ago, he’d been in the area. Not a worry Peyton needed.

She slapped her hands over her knees and pushed up to her feet. “So . . .”

“We’re good,” he answered her unspoken question. “You do your thing, I do mine. And stop worrying.”

But as she walked out the door and across the arena out of his sight, Red knew he was the one worrying. Because she might not want a repeat performance of the other night. He, on the other hand, was dying for one. And it could end up as nothing but trouble.





Peyton shook her hands out, erasing the tingling, numb sensation from them as she headed back to the house for some lunch. She hated confrontation, always had. Reminded her too much of her childhood, when she used to try playing peacemaker in the house before she wised up and realized nobody could help the Muldoon clan. Her best bet had always been to stay outside, away from Mama. And so her love of the land had begun.