True Love at Silver Creek Ranch(75)
The kid narrowed his eyes. “What do you mean?”
“I didn’t tell anyone what you did. I gave you a chance, but you’re on a rocky ledge right now. We can try this again, and if you prove yourself worth my support, I’ll continue to keep quiet.”
The wind howled between them, and both squinted as snow danced against their faces.
“What are you saying?” the kid demanded at last, his disrespectful tone down a notch.
“You do your community service, and you do it well. And nobody needs to know it wasn’t your first offense.”
“That’s like . . . blackmail or something.”
“Really? If that bothers you, guess you can head back into town.”
“Hey, Adam!”
He turned to see Brooke coming across the yard, her words almost garbled from the wind. She glanced the kid’s way and came to a stop.
“You must be Tyler Brissette,” she said, smiling even as she held out a gloved hand.
Tyler? That name was familiar to Adam.
Awkwardly, the kid put his bare hand in hers. “Afternoon, Miss Thalberg.”
The kid had all kinds of manners when he desperately needed them, Adam thought with amusement.
“Your mom couldn’t stay to see you settled in?” Brooke asked.
The kid hunched his shoulders again. “Naw, she had to get to work.”
“I see. Well, come on, we’ve got some paperwork, then I’ll show you around. Did you meet Mr. Desantis?”
Tyler’s gaze seemed to settle on Adam’s chin. “No, ma’am.”
“This is Adam Desantis, one of our hands. Adam, Tyler Brissette.”
Adam put out a hand, and the kid finally took it. “Good to meet you, Tyler.”
“Tyler will be here every day after school,” Brooke said. “I’ll be teaching him the ropes.”
“I’ll be glad to help,” Adam offered.
She brightened. “Thank you! Come on, Tyler.”
As Tyler turned to follow Brooke, he looked over his shoulder at Adam, his expression wary.
Someone came through the double doors of the barn behind Adam.
“Was that our new employee?” Josh called.
Adam turned and walked toward the barn. “You knew about him?” Stupid thing to say—Josh was family, and one of the bosses.
“After the fact,” Josh said with amusement. “Brooke made this decision all on her own.”
“Why am I not surprised,” Adam murmured.
Josh glanced at him out of the corner of his eye, but only said, “Yeah, she keeps her soft heart pretty well buried most of the time. But she wants to work with this kid. Hope she doesn’t regret it.”
Me, too, Adam thought. He was uncomfortable with the position he’d put himself in, lying about Tyler to a family that had been good to him. But Tyler was right—if anyone knew, he could end up in jail, and Adam had to prevent that. Maybe hard work could straighten the kid out.
Chapter Seventeen
At six that evening, Adam showed up at the kitchen door to wait for Brooke. He was driving her and Grandma Palmer to the town-council meeting early to save seats. The rest of the family and the other widows would be following. Sylvester Galimi had added an item to the agenda, a discussion of “new and inappropriate businesses,” and townspeople on both sides were gathering.
Once they were in the pickup, Brooke dropped her head back and heaved a sigh.
“Did the kid give you too much trouble?” Adam asked with sympathy. “You know I’ll be glad to help.”
She reached across the seat and clasped his hand. “I know, thanks. Tyler has sixty hours of community service, two hours a day, six days a week. That’s five weeks. I thought it seemed short—until today. I’m so sorry I forgot to warn you. I meant to the other night, but . . . things got out of hand.”
Their eyes briefly met and held as they remembered intimate kisses, shuddering breaths, long, slow caresses. Adam gripped the steering wheel and forced himself to look at the road.
“I don’t blame you,” he said in a husky voice. “I wasn’t thinking too clear either. And besides, I’m the hired hand, right? Who you hire is your business.”
“Well, you have to work with him, too.”
“Brooke, the whole reason we’re a secret is because I’m your employee. Don’t get me wrong—you can always talk to me. But I get where your allegiance lies. It’s with your family.”
She glanced away, her frown signaling her troubled thoughts. “Thanks for understanding,” she murmured.
If honest words about their respective stations was a reality kick in the pants to her, it was best this way. Hearing that the Thalbergs had donated a house to veterans was just the reminder he needed of his place on the ranch. He might want more from her, a way into her life that was out in the open, with her family’s blessing, but he had to accept that he couldn’t force it to happen. But he sure could persuade . . .