by Rye Hart
“You sure that’s a good idea? She looks like she’s ready to fuck the next man that walks through those doors,” I said.
“Then we might wanna warn your brothers not to come by,” she said with a grin. “Okay. So, three sets of cornhole games. Do you have things for the kids?”
“I was thinkin’ about pickin’ up movies and some snacks. Ploppin’ them in front of the T.V. when their parents get too drunk playin’ cornhole.”
“Perfect. How many more activities do you want for the adults?” she asked.
“At least two. Wyatt was supposed to do all this shit, and of course, it didn’t get done.”
“I know he’s pretty swamped with work right now. But I’ll help you out, okay? We’ll find something, don’t worry.”
The two of us spent three hours in town gathering everything we needed. We grabbed propane tanks for the grills, movies for the kids, snacks for them to fill up on, and juices for them to drink. We found a place that would let us rent out a bucking bronco and Katie was all over that shit. Three games of cornhole, drinks for everyone, a bronco for everyone to ride, and stuff for the kids.
All while shooting the shit with Katie.
It was a good time. We were laughing and reminiscing, talking through the logistics of the reunion and knocking up against one another. I was upset when we had to head to the ranch and unload everything because I knew people would want to see her.
I was enjoying my time with her too much to turn her loose, but I had to. No matter what I wanted.
She helped me unload all the stuff into the house as people began arriving. I got the grills heating as Dylan started bringing the marinating meats out to cook. Wyatt was setting up the cornhole games and people were stopping Katie to hug her, just like I thought they would.
Then Caleb’s slacker ass popped out of nowhere and tried to steal Katie away from everyone.
“Katie?”
“Hey, Caleb. Can you help me with this?”
Katie handed a bag of drinks to Caleb as she breathed a sigh of relief.
“Thanks,” she said.
“No problem. Listen, I was wondering if we could talk?”
“Sure. What about?” she asked.
“Privately?”
Caleb shot his eyes over to me, and I glared at him. The hell was he thinking, trying to pull her off while all this shit needed to be set up? Beers needed to go in coolers of ice and plates and shit needed to be set on the tables outside. What the fuck was this asshole doing, trying to have some super-secret conversation with Katie now?
“Sure,” Katie said. “Is everything all right?”
“Oh, yeah. Everything’s fine. Just figured we could have some privacy. Want to join me on the porch out back?” Caleb asked.
“Let me set this stuff down, and I’ll be right out there.”
“Here, let me help ya.”
Caleb took more bags from Katie’s arms before she looked back at me. She smiled that cute little smile of hers before disappearing into the house behind Caleb. I didn’t want to leave her side. I wanted to spend more time with her. Fuck, why the hell did I think running errands with her would just be running errands? I wanted to tell her no, that Caleb couldn’t talk to her because he had to pick up the damn slack he dropped this week. I wanted to pull Katie by my side and keep her there, away from everyone else’s grimy grasp.
But I knew I couldn't do that. She was her own woman, and she was getting over that asshole she almost married. So, I turned my attention back to the tasks at hand. Get shit in coolers, get plates and cups out, and keep feeding Dylan more food to grill.
Maybe it’d keep my mind off how wonderful my afternoon was with Katie.
Fat chance.
CHAPTER 12
WYATT
I hadn’t been able to stop thinking about Katie; our encounter in the stables, that kiss out by the tree. All through the family reunion, I kept staring at her, trying to catch her gaze while people talked to her about everything under the sun. People asked her about what happened to her wedding and gave her their condolences. More people asked what she was going to do with her life and if she was planning on going back to the city. Even more, people asked her if she was already thinking about dating again and more than once I had to save her from the conversation.
I didn’t want her getting overwhelmed or pushed into topics she wasn’t ready to discuss.
The guys kept stealing her from me all damn night and it pissed me off. All I wanted was some time alone with her, but every time I turned around they were calling her for something. Dylan was teaching her how to flip burgers on a grill, and his hands were a little too close to her hips. Caleb kept pulling her off for conversations on the back porch, talking about fuck-knew-what. Andrew kept wrapping her up in games of cornhole, his hand grabbing hers to help her aim.
I didn’t like the way they were touching her.
I didn’t like it one damn bit.
I wondered if Andrew had the hots for Katie. The way they arrived together and the way she was smiling at him made me suspicious. I saw him staring at her ass more than once, and it made me see red. Here I was, scared of what my brothers would think if they found out what Katie and I had done in the stables, and Andrew was practically eye-fucking the hell out of her. What the hell was I so paranoid about? It wasn’t like he was trying to conceal what he was doing.
And if he was, he was doing a shit job of it.
Things had been weird and tense between Andrew and me anyway, ever since Katie and I came up from that walk we took at the resort. Something in my gut told me he knew something was going on, which made me wonder why he was eyeing Katie like he was. If he thought something was going on between us, why the fuck was he making moves on her?
I didn’t want the competition. I didn’t want to share Katie. It’s not like we’d never shared a woman before. But not Katie. Not a woman like her. She was mature and sophisticated. She knew us well – better than most of us liked. Katie was different. I couldn’t share Katie. I was going to fight my brothers to have her all to myself because that was what I wanted.
I tried to sleep off the shit from the reunion and distract myself with the horses at the stables. We had a groom and someone to feed and water the animals, but the stables were where I found my peace. I often fed the animals myself just to stay connected to my roots. But every time I walked into that place, all I thought about was Katie. I thought about how perfectly she molded to my body and how wonderful it felt having her bounce on my lap. How easy it was to get her to cave to me and how thick and beautiful her body was. Fuck. Bridling and saddling up the horses was becoming a pain in the ass. Fucking her in the stables was not a good idea. I couldn't even focus on the task at hand.
The main part of the family reunion was over. People came last night to eat and shoot the shit and drink all our damn beer. Some of our family members wanted to stay the weekend at the resort, which was fine. We cut them a nice deal, and I told them I’d treat them to some horseback riding. The kids loved that shit. Riding the horses and telling them to ‘giddyup.’ Andrew seemed pissed about the whole idea, but he had a tendency to get pissed over stupid shit.
He was a hothead sometimes, and whenever he was mad, we just let him be mad.
I got all the horses set up just as Dylan came striding into the stables. He had his hands in his pockets and that shit-eating grin he got when he knew something I didn’t.
“Spill,” I said. “What’s up?”
“So, you remember all those conversations Caleb kept having with Katie last night?” he asked.
“What do you mean?” I asked.
“Don’t play stupid,” he said.
“Yes, I saw them headed to the porch a lot. So what?” I asked.
“Caleb was hirin’ her on for a position here.”
“What?” I asked.
“You seem shocked.”
“I didn’t know Caleb had already found her a job,” I said. “What’s she doin’?”
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“I was supposed to be interviewin’ her for a front desk managerial position, but we also need another lawyer on our side. The one we’ve got gave his two-week notice a few days ago, and we’ve gotta keep our affairs in order. I can’t keep checkin’ in guests all the damn time with this financial stuff we got goin’ on with the Charleston installation, and we need in-house counsel to help pick up the slack.”
“Katie’s our front desk manager now?” I asked.
“And temporary in-house counsel. Both part-time positions which give her a good chunk of change to help her along with any future plans moving forward with her life.”
“What happened to that other job of hers?” I asked.
“She didn’t wanna take it. And I don’t blame her. It’s not what she wants to do with her law degree.”
“I’m sure bein’ a front desk manager isn’t what she wants to do either. Or bein’ our in-house counsel. She told me she wants to work with single moms.”
“All I know is she seemed excited about startin’ both part-time positions, and I made it clear she didn’t have to take either of the jobs. They were positions Caleb found and was talkin’ with her about yesterday, then she showed up this mornin’. I processed her employment paperwork so I could get her on payroll, and now she’s trainin’ at the front desk. Figured you’d want the heads-up.”
“Thanks for that,” I said. “The family member’s showin’ up yet?”
“A few checked in last night. I took care of that. A lot of people were still sleepin’ at my place when I left this mornin’, but I assume they’ll be here soon. I’m gonna use it as trainin’ time for Katie, so I better get back up there.”
“Don’t wanna leave her hangin’,” I said.
“When they get here, want me to shoot them out to the horses once they get settled?”
“Yep. Feedin’ time’s in three hours. If they wanna ride before the sun starts to go down, they’re gonna wanna get out here.”
“I’ll let’em know,” he said.
“Thanks.”
Katie? Working here? Fuck, this was about to get really complicated. On the one hand, that meant a lot more time with her, but it also meant I’d be battling my brothers for her attention.
Shit.
This wasn’t good.
With her working at the front desk, that meant Dylan and Caleb would get a lot more time with her too. Their offices were right there at the front of the damn building, and our current lawyer’s office was right beside Andrew’s. I felt my gut bubbling with jealousy. I’d be stuck out in the damn stables staring at that bench I fucked her on, and they’d all be up there laughing and being around her like I wanted to be.
But I couldn't focus on that. I had to shake the thoughts from my head and get back to preparing these horses before anyone else caught me.
“Wyatt!”
I groaned as Andrew called out my name.
“What?” I asked.
“Dylan tell you the news?” he asked.
“Yes, he told me the news. Now can ya leave me alone so I can get these horses prepped?”
“I’m here to help, asshole. Which horses you bringin’ out?”
“Midnight, Caramel, and Longhorn,” I said.
“I’ll go get Longhorn and get him ready,” he said.
“Thanks for comin’ down here to help. Dylan took up a chunk of my time blabberin’ away ‘bout Katie’s new job.”
“Yep. All those conversations she was havin’ with Caleb last night,” he said.
“Didn’t bother me, them talkin’. It bother you?”
I looked back at Andrew and watched his shoulders tense.
Oh damn. It had bothered him.
My brother was officially competition.
“Nah. I was good. More worried than anythin’. You know how Caleb gets sometimes when he wants somethin’,” Andrew said.
“Wants somethin’?” I asked.
“Nothin’. Forget about it. Longhorn been brushed lately? And when’d you last clean his hooves?”
“Cleaned ‘em when I got in, but he hasn’t been brushed,” I said.
“I’ll take care of that before I saddle ’im up.”
There was this odd sort of tension between us now. It wasn’t angry, but it was palpable. I didn’t really know how to explain it, but it was uncomfortable, and I was glad for the people that started arriving to ride. The kids were running down the hill, and the parents looked like they were nursing the worst hangovers alive. But I knew once people got to us, they’d know something was up.
So, I decided to clear the air before the families got all the way to us.
“Andrew?” I asked.
“Yep.”
“The hell’s wrong with you?”
“Huh?”
“You’ve been actin’ strange these past couple of days. Tense. Ornery. More so than usual. What gives?”
“Just tired,” Andrew said. “Y’all dropped the ball on a lot of the shit for last night. Spent my entire afternoon cleanin’ up the slack y’all dropped.”
“It’s more than that,” I said. “I know you.”
“I could be askin’ you the same question,” he said as he turned to me. “What gives with you? And Katie? I see the looks you’re givin’ her. The looks you gave her last night.”
“The looks I’m givin’ her? You got a problem with how I look at people now?” I asked.
“When it comes to Katie, sure. She’s been through enough the past few days. I don’t think she needs some asshole undressin’ her with his eyes,” he said.
“Asshole? You have no idea what that woman’s done the past few days. What goes on between Katie and me ain’t none of your damn business.”
The kids’ laughter was drawing closer as Andrew and I glared at one another. Was he fucking serious? Did he think he could talk to me like that about Katie? Insinuate something about how Katie’d been feeling these past few days? Fucker had no damn clue what had gone on the past couple of days with us. He had no right to fucking tell me Katie wasn’t ready.
I knew Katie was ready.
She was ready when it came to me.
“Come on,” Andrew said. “The kids are almost here, and you still gotta saddle Midnight.”
“Get to brushin’ Longhorn and keep ya damn eyes to yourself,” I said.
CHAPTER 13
DYLAN
When Caleb brought Katie in this morning for work, I was a bit surprised. I figured he would’ve at least run the position by me, given I handle the desk as well as the finances, but that was his position. He handled not only logistics of building and what animals went where, but who to hire and where to place them. He handed me the paperwork Katie signed at the family reunion last night and told me to process it, then get to training her on how we ran things at the resort.
So, I did.
So far, Katie was being a big help. I hovered over her shoulder while she checked in the members of our family that would be staying the weekend, and she caught on quickly. By the time the tenth family checked in, she was doing it on her own without any prompting or questions asked.
I was impressed by her.
Having Katie around was really going to help, especially with this new Charleston installation. We were creeping close to the start date of construction, and there was still much to do. And with Katie at the helm dealing with customers and their attitudes, it freed me up to run finances like I needed to. I could stay on top of Caleb to make sure he got me the information I needed to send to the construction company, and that meant we’d be able to make our deadline.
And all because of hiring Katie.
“Dylan?”
“Yes, Katie?”
“There’s a customer out here that has a reservation they made online, but it’s not in the system.”
“Okay, I’ll be there in a second to show you how to deal with that. It’s an involved process,” I said. “In the meantime, tell them to forward their reservation confirmation to my email
and usher them to the dining room. Lunch and drinks are on us.”
“Got it,” she said.
Her customer interactions were always kind, but this was the first time she was dealing with a hot-tempered guest. I could hear the man raising his voice at her even as I sat in my office. She was dealing with him politely enough, with a soft voice, but her words were firm. She navigated it like a pro while I sat at my desk trying to sort everything out, but I wanted to go out there and knock the man’s front teeth out.
No one should talk to anyone like that.
Especially Katie.
“Got them into the dining hall. What should I do now?” she asked.
“Come here and look. I went ahead and resolved it for you, but I’ll walk you through what I did. When someone comes in with a reservation, but it’s not in the system, that doesn’t mean we don’t have it. It means we haven’t assigned them a room yet. You take their confirmation number and type it in here, and it usually comes up.”
“Just like that?” she asked.
“In this case, no. His reservation was booked, but it didn’t make it to our system. That requires something I haven’t taught you yet. If you type the confirmation number in and it doesn’t pop up, the first thing you do is look at what they booked. Here, the family’s booked one of our more upscale suites. You check if there’s one free and if the type of room they booked is free, put them in it.”
“What do I do about the payment? If it’s not in the system, then it hasn’t been paid for,” she said.
“Correct. But first, you get them into a room. Go make them room keys for suite 6219. And take them a complimentary meal ticket for room service.”
“Got it. Be right back.”
I pushed everything to the side while she did that and focused on the party that night. The family wanted to throw a hoedown, and of course, Andrew said it was okay before consulting me on it. So now I was stuck trying to pull shit together last minute in our ballroom so everyone could have a good time. I found a DJ who would come in last minute and called in a bartender for the late night. I’d have to pay the woman overtime, but it wasn’t like she didn’t deserve it. I sent an email off to the kitchen outlining what I wanted to serve for snacks during the dance so they wouldn’t have to cook an entire meal, then I turned my sights back to Katie.