Page 9 of Ashes of the Past
I hesitate, the words catching in my throat. It’s not a story I’ve told anyone, not even her dad fully. But the way she’s looking at me now, like she’s daring me to prove her wrong, makes me want to try.
“I got a call,” I begin, my voice rough. “My brother was in trouble. Bad trouble. I had to go help him, and I had to continue helping him for a long time.”
Her expression softens for a fraction of a second before the walls go back up. “It doesn’t excuse what you did to my father. You stole from him.”
“Excuse me? I did no such thing.”
“Clay said—”
“I don’t know who the fuck Clay is, but I didn’t take anything from your father. He reached out to me about the job, not the other way around. If I’d stolen from him, I highly doubt he would have asked me to work for him.”
The tension between us is thick enough to cut with a knife, and for a moment, neither of us says anything. Then Brynn shakes her head, her lips pressed into a thin line.
“This doesn’t change anything,” she says. “You’re still not staying.”
I smirk, leaning closer. “We’ll see about that, darlin’.”
Her eyes narrow, and I know I’ve just made things a whole lot more complicated. But as she storms out of the kitchen, I can’t help the grin that spreads across my face. This is going to be interesting.
She whips around and glares at me.
“Are you going to follow me so that I can take you on the tour of the grounds like my father asked?”
“I thought you just said that I’m not staying.”
She makes a weird noise. “Well, you need to get your shit so that I can tell you where you’re actually staying.”
“Your father told me this is where I was staying. It’s part of the package. He clearly said there isn’t room for me in the other bunkhouse.”
There’s that small noise again; it’s like she’s growling at me. I laugh to myself—it’s adorable.
“It’s not part of the package. My daughter and I live here, and you will not be here for another second.”
I won’t infringe on her and her daughter’s living space. I’m sure there are other arrangements available, but seeing her irritated is incredibly sexy.
“Your daughter? I guess I should be grateful that your husband didn’t walk in while I was in the shower then.”
Her eyes flash before they roll. “I’m not married.”
“Good to know,” I say in a low voice as I walk past her and out the front door.
She follows behind me, huffing and puffing.
“Our first stop will be the north pasture so I can tell my father this is the worst idea he’s ever had.”
“I would love to see how this is going to play out,” I chuckle as I cross my arms in front of my chest. “Do you want to drive, or shall I?”
She lets out a frustrated groan, and I chuckle.
She’s about to be in for a rude awakening. Her father won’t be firing me.
Chapter Three
Brynn
Istomp across the gravel driveway, my boots crunching with every step, heading straight for the utility terrain vehicle parked under the shade of the old oak tree. The sun is beating down on the ranch, and sweat beads on my forehead, but I don’t care. I’m too irritated to notice much of anything except the smug man trailing behind me. Jack. Of all people. Just when I thought my day couldn’t get any worse.
Why would my father hire him back? He lost so much money on those horses when he left unexpectedly before. This is ridiculous.
