When You're Back(26)

Piper sat there a moment before speaking.

I focused on not fidgeting with my hands. I was nervous, but this was a part of my life. One I had to learn to work with.

“This job will require a lot of reading and writing. However, from what I’ve just heard, I think that having an employee who wants to do a good job and doesn’t take it for granted is the best kind to have. I will need you to answer phone calls, take notes, read and reply to e-mails, and then help me some with the tack and cleaning the stalls. If you are up for this challenge, I want to offer it to you. I like fighters, Reese Ellis, and you seem like a fighter to me.”

I could feel the tears sting my eyes, but I blinked them back. Relief washed through me, and I smiled. It was probably one of those big, cheesy grins, but I didn’t care. I had gotten the job. Me. I had done this.

“Thank you,” I said, wishing I had words to tell her how truly thankful I was.

Piper leaned over and patted my knee. “Don’t thank me yet. You may hate this job, but I’m hoping you won’t.”

I wouldn’t. I was going to love it. Because it was something I’d gotten on my own.


Sitting behind the desk, alone in the office, I checked the third thing off the list in front of me. Piper had gone over everything with me and then left me a list of things she needed me to do today. Once she had left, I’d let out a huge sigh of relief. Being in here alone made it so much easier to read and write. I had complete focus.

The next thing on the list was to read and reply to the e-mails. Piper got a lot of interest in her horseback-riding lessons. I’d already had four phone calls about it. When I opened the in-box, there were eight e-mail inquiries.

I began reading the first one but had barely made it through before the door opened after one short knock. I glanced up to see a familiar face but not one I had expected to see or wanted to see, for that matter. His messy, sun-streaked hair was pulled back again and covered by a backward baseball cap.

“You got the job,” he said, with a smug look on his face.

How did he know about the job? I nodded but didn’t say anything.

Captain chuckled and stepped into the office. “You like it?” he asked, looking as if he had every right to be standing in this room.

I nodded again.

His grin grew, and a dimple appeared on his face. “Is your silence a challenge, Reese? Because I like challenges.”

Dang this man. He was determined to drive me crazy. “Actually, it was a hint for you to leave.”

Captain gave me a smirk, stepped over to one of the leather chairs, and sank down into it. He stretched his long jeans-clad legs out in front of him, then crossed them at the ankle. “I was told to wait here for Piper. She’s with a client. I need her signature on some forms, and Arthur is in Austin today. Piper has to sign when he’s gone.”

Great. I didn’t know that seeing Captain . . . River . . . whatever I was supposed to call him was part of my job description.

I turned my attention back to the computer screen, but I could feel his eyes on me. I had a hard time concentrating. It felt like he was trying to memorize my every feature.

“Your man still running around with that cousin of his?”

I stiffened. Why was he so intent on making me think something that wasn’t true about them? I knew that Mase loved me. I also knew that he didn’t have a thing for Aida. Although she might very well have a thing for him. “No, but that’s not your business.”

“Don’t reckon it is. But I don’t want to be too far away when he screws up. He’s got something I want.”

All the words on the screen blurred, and my head pounded. What was he talking about? Mase had something he wanted? Me? Was he talking about me? No. He liked to say things to upset me. He didn’t flirt with me. He was an asshole. “You’ll be waiting a long time. Mase doesn’t mess up. He’s the best man I know,” I said, staring at the jumbled words on the screen. My focus was completely gone.

“No man’s perfect, sweetheart,” he drawled.

I didn’t like him calling me sweetheart. I also hated him insinuating that Mase could do something wrong. Something to hurt me. He wasn’t like that. Just because Captain River Whoever was a jerk, that didn’t mean all men were jerks.

“Mase is,” I replied tightly.

He didn’t respond right away, and I tried to take a deep breath and focus on the words. Pretend he wasn’t there. “He saved you? Is that why you trust him so much? You needed a savior, and he came along at the right time. Is that it?”

Yes, he saved me. He loved me. But that wasn’t this man’s business. Nothing in my life was this man’s business. “He changed my world.”