Page 21 of Secret Baby for the Triplets

I can see he’s struggling to hold back his annoyance, but since Lana is helping us out until we fill the position, there’s nothing we can really say.

“Okay.”

She almost slams the door behind her.

Brock exhales in frustration. “And that is why we need to hire someone quickly. Right now, Lana is all we have.”

“But—” I interject.

“We need an administrator in here immediately,” Brock cuts me off. “I don’t want to deal with a sixteen-year-old girl who can barely answer phone calls.”

“Keep it together,” I warn him. “She’s still Andy’s daughter.”

“Right, and Andy’s our ranch manager. You’d expect him to teach his daughter about responsibility, instead of letting her spend all day on her phone,” Brock says angrily as he gets to his feet.

“Fine,” I comment dryly as he moves toward the door to get our interviewee. “Let’s get the position filled. It will be better for everyone if we can get Lana out of here.”

Brock points a finger at me. “See, that’s more the reason to hire outside. The nepotism around here is getting out of control. I shouldn’t have to tiptoe around a teenager who can’t do her job.”

Brock opens the interior door and disappears into the hall to retrieve the new applicant.

Toby and I exchange a look.

“Behave yourself in this interview,” I warn my younger brother.

His scowl intensifies, but he doesn’t have a chance to respond before Brock returns with a petite, auburn-haired woman, sporting a pair of simple, circular glasses.

Unexpectedly, my heart rate quickens, and I sit upright, taking in her professional attire: a pair of gray slacks and a white button-down shirt.

Inquisitive green eyes dart around the book-lined office, taking in the mounted trophies on the wall before ultimately resting on my face. My brow furrows deeper, and an odd sense of déjà vu flushes over me.

Did I dream this? So eerily familiar…

“Boys, this is Emerson Ward,” Brock introduces her. “Ms. Ward, my brothers Owen and Toby Collins.”

She makes eye contact with each of us. “Thank you for meeting with me today, gentlemen.”

The hairs on my neck rise, but I can’t understand my reaction toward her. The reaction isn’t one of dislike, but I’m definitely reacting to something. It’s odd, a feeling I’ve never had before, and I can’t describe it.

She’s undeniably gorgeous, yes, but something about her nags at me.

Do I know her? I wish I had her resumé in front of me again to check if our paths crossed somewhere

Emerson extends her hand to take mine, then Toby’s, and Brock gestures for her to sit.

Obligingly, she perches on the chair between us as Brock takes his place behind the antique mahogany desk.

My intuition is triggered when she doesn’t do a double-take when looking at us.

She’s not impressed by the fact that we’re triplets.

That is the first time I’ve ever seen that with anyone in my whole life, and I’m almost offended by it. I look at Toby to see if he noticed, but he appears smitten by her, almost as intrigued as me.

It’s not just me. She has a hold on him, too!

“So, you’re from Austin?” Brock begins, picking up her resumé.

She nods, sitting back slightly to set her purse on the ground. “Born and raised.”

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