Train Me Daddy

by Mia Ford

  “Daydreaming again?” Isaac says as he walks into his bedroom. I’m picking up after him again; I do it more for Neil. I just feel bad for him, because for sure one of the cleaners will complain about Isaac’s room. I know that I would if I was paid to clean up after him.

  “Yeah, I’m dreaming that you’ll learn to pick up after yourself for once!”

  “You do work here, right?”

  He’s deadly serious as he folds his arms and stares at me. I don’t know what planet this man comes from? When does ranch hand involve cleaning up to the owners' grandson?

  “Neil pays me a good wage to look after the ranch. Not clean up after you!”

  Sometimes he makes it unbearable to be around him, I’ve been biting my tongue, but if he carries on this way, then I’ll have to forget to try to be nice to him. We can keep our distance especially because I don’t live in the main house anymore.

  “I want to go riding this morning,” Isaac says offhandedly.

  “You aren’t going to the office today?”

  That’s what he said to me yesterday when I suggested that we ride today. I wonder what changed his mind?

  “Maybe this afternoon. Now, I feel like riding!”

  “Sorry, I’ve got laundry to do this morning,” I’m shaking my head. I’m not going to jump every time he wants to do something. If he wants to spend the morning riding around the ranch instead of taking care of the company, that’s his business.

  “Have it your way,” Isaac says stalking out of the room like a little boy that’s been told that he’s not going to be taken out for ice-cream.

  What did I see in him? I think shaking my head as he walks out of the bedroom. Okay, he is handsome and has a decent body, but that isn’t enough to build a friendship on and certainly not enough to building a relationship.

  I fantasized about having sex with him when he first moved back to the ranch, but my initial attraction to him is slowly and surely fading. It’s a shame too because I enjoy the time we spent together riding and swimming. I’ve even come to enjoy him giving me pool lessons, but I still can’t make a decent shot to save my life.

  Isaac storms out of the room, and I do the same. I’m going to let Gloria, the cleaner or Harriet the maid see his room. Let them sort it out. Neil said to keep Isaac company, not be his slave.

  ***

  I head to the laundry room, wondering if maybe I was too harsh on Isaac? He’s a grown man, but he has the tendency to act like a big kid. I can’t get over the way he switches when we’re on the ranch and then it dawns on me.

  When we’re not on the ranch, he’s not drinking. That’s the real Isaac and then as soon as we get back he hits the bottle like a duck to water, and that’s when the horrible side. The part that I hate starts to reveal like an onion, the more layers you peel, the more it makes you cry. He says nasty things and even at one time demanded that I fucking clean his boots because he thought that Ron, the other hand who cleans the boots had stolen his last pair. He insisted on me cleaning them and then we discovered that Isaac had taken them up to his room. God, he gets paranoid when he drinks.

  I didn’t even notice that Neil’s poking his head into the laundry room.

  “Hey, Olivia, I see Isaac’s not going to work this morning?”

  “No, he said he didn’t have any appointments until this afternoon, and he felt like taking Buckskin out for a ride,” I explain, but I have a feeling that Neil already knows the answer to his question.

  Neil slowly shakes his head. “That’s his problems. He does only what he has to do! He doesn’t put enough of himself into running the business. Not like before. He hasn’t even asked me who I put in his place while he’s here. It’s as if he’s not interested in it anymore. Maybe I should just think about putting him in rehab and forget about him going back to the office.”

  Neil takes a deep breath, “Sorry to unload on you like this; I don’t know what’s got into him. I’ve hidden all the drink in the ranch. And I think that he’s got someone buying him some, because sometimes at night it’s clear that he’s drunk.”

  “At least we’re on the same page about that.”

  “You’ve noticed it too?”

  I nod my head because I feel as if I should have spoken to Neil sooner, but Isaac’s only been here three days. It’s not as if he was going to change over night.

  “An old saying comes to mind, and it seems to apply to him.”

  “What saying is that?” I ask thinking that maybe I can be of more use to Neil and try and get Isaac away from his bad habit or disease as they call it.

  “You can lead a horse to water, but you can’t make it drink.”

  We both smile and laugh, just at the irony of him thinking of an old saying about Isaac drinking.

  “I haven’t seen you smiling much lately. How is it going between you and Isaac? If I may ask?”

  “It’s not going,” I admit. “I try, but if I get too close, he seems to lash out at me.” I shrug. “I’m not sure if he even likes me or thinks of me as a human being or just some servant?”

  “Oh, I believe he does,” Neil says. “Maybe he won’t admit it. But I think he does. When he comes back from riding, he’s briefly his old self. Then he starts drinking and goes into the new Isaac, the one that I’ve become accustomed to hating lately,” he crosses his arms and leans back on the machine. Luckily, I never started one of them. I was too busy thinking about Isaac and maybe allowing him to take advantage of my kind nature.

  “Neil, I’ve tried. I have tried, but I don’t know if I want to bother with him anymore. I’ve been more than fair to him. But I give, and he just takes,” I need to tell him the truth. That enough is enough. I know that Neil’s my boss, but I have to draw the line somewhere.

  “Olivia, there’s something that I haven’t told you,” he sighs and takes my hand, and now he’s scaring me.

  “What?”

  My heart is racing out of control like the old dryer, the one that Neil refuses to replace because he said that his wife loved that dryer. It was her first one, and it makes so much noise at times I think that the whole ranch is going to collapse. That’s how I feel right now, as if the room’s making so much noise, but the only sound is my heart beat racing out of control.

  I beg him, “Please. Tell me.”

  Oh God! No!

  I move away from him; I can’t breathe. The room feels so hot, and it’s as if I’m suffocating so I need to get out. I can’t lose someone else I love. I can’t take it.

  “It might look like I’m in good health, but I’m not.” He pauses and takes a deep breath. “I don’t have long to live!” He says the words fast as though if he speaks generally, he won’t be able to tell me.

  “What’s wrong?” I ask feeling a wave of panic swell up from the pit of my stomach.

  He holds up his hands. “Olivia, I hate telling you this. You lost your parents not long ago, and I took you in. But I didn’t want to burden you with my family issues.” He starts to walk away, “I shouldn’t have told you. I’m sorry.”

  I shake my head, “No Neil. I shouldn’t have asked. Maybe they’ll find a cure; maybe it’s not too late. You’re a rich man. They’re always bending over to help the rich.”

  “You don’t have to worry you’ll be taken care of.”

  “Neil, you think that’s bothering me? My family didn’t even bother helping me. They thought that we had money, and then they were interested, but when they learned that dad had drank it all away. They slowly took me in one-by-one. Please don’t tell me that this is the end. Neil, you mean so much to me. I don’t know what I would have done if you hadn’t given me a job on the ranch. I owe you. And I pay my debts. Please tell me what it is I can do?”

  “Help Isaac! I need to see him happy again before I go. I can’t let go knowing he’s lost his way. I need to see him in a better place. And only someone as kind and good-natured as you can help him. Olivia, do this for me.”

  I feel like crying as I hug Neil, he
gently strokes my hair and says, “Save your tears. It’s not over yet. As you said, there might be some hope. I just need you to help Isaac. I think that he likes you. He’s just not good at showing his feelings.”

  I break away from Neil wishing that he’ll ask me to do anything else. If I spend any more time with him, then I may turn to drink myself, and I’ve never touched a drop. Not ever since I found out that it killed my parents. My watery eyes meet Neil soft pleading eyes I relent. “Of course, Neil. You know I would move heaven and earth for you. You . . . You’ve been like a father to me for the past two years.”

  Neil’s face lights up with a smile. “That’s what I want to hear. Just give him a second chance, that’s all I ask.”

  He kisses me on the forehead and then leaves the laundry room with his head bowed down. He’s feeling down, and I know that there’s only one way to put a smile on his face and that’s to help Isaac. I decide to go to his room; I’ll do the laundry later.

  I head up the stairs with a mission on my mind, that’s to help Isaac. I’ll find out who’s buying drinks for him and put it to an end. I’ll search his room with the help of Gloria and get rid of the existing bottles. I’ll make Neil see that there’s nothing I won’t do for him and it starts and end with making Isaac turn his nose from liquor.

  I knock lightly on Isaac’s bedroom door. “Isaac?” I call out.

  No answer.

  “Isaac? Do you want to go for a swim with me? Come on. It’s hot, and a swim will be refreshing.”

  I’m trying to sound pleasant and as if I mean it. I’m not a good actress, but I need this to work. If it doesn’t then I don’t want Neil to feel bad. He doesn’t deserve it. I’m standing and waiting for him to answer the door. I grow impatient and just open the door. He’s not in bed. I open the door and step into his room. His bags are gone!

  Damn!

  He’s left I realize as I face an empty closet with none of his clothes in there. This is the first time that he’s left the room clean. Which means that either Gloria or Harriet has come to clean it.

  What’s up with this guy?

  I know that this time of day, Neil will be in the library. That’s where he’ll be ready with one of his books.

  “You’re not going to believe this. Isaac’s gone.”

  “What?”

  “Yes, Neil he’s gone and so has all his things.”

  He lifts his hand up in the air dropping his book, “I give up. I do.”

  I blurt out, “I don’t. I’m going to go to the city and find him.”

  “Olivia, you don’t need to do that.”

  Yes, I do, because you’ve been more than a father to me and I owe you big time. I’m going to find Isaac, and I’ll give him a piece of my mind. Once I do, he’ll be the one running back here, with his tail in between his legs.

  “I’ll go in the morning. Don’t worry Neil. I don’t work Thursday’s. So, I’ll have cover.”

  I kiss the old man on the head and reassure him with a hand pat on his shoulders. He holds on to my hand for a second, maybe trying to figure out if I’m serious. I’m a woman of my word, and one thing’s for sure. I’m going to bring Isaac back. No more miss nice girl. He’s going to see a different side to me now.

  Chapter 5

  Isaac

  What the fuck is wrong with everyone?

  I was just about to get a bottle from the stables. That’s where I’ve been hiding my bottles when I get a phone call. Tom, the IT director, ’s quit. Granddad sent Steven in to run the company for the weeks that I’ll be at the stables. The guy’s a fucking mercenary, he’s my oldest cousin and is desperate to take over the family business. Granddad says that he’s good because Steven doesn’t get attached, that’s right he’s a fucking workaholic because no one wants to be with him. He’s the type that treats women like dogs and his staff as if they’re the bottom of the food chain.

  I told Tom to sit tight, and I’ll be in the office in a couple of hours. As soon as I got here, it was fucking World War IV.

  “Isaac you need to realize that you don’t need an IT Director, Senior Manager and Head of the IT Department. All in the same building and all doing the same fucking job,” Steven says as we all sit down to discuss Tom’s resignation.

  Shit, I didn’t even realize that there were so many senior managers working in IT. I drum my fingers on the table because I know that Steven’s right. I feel like a fool for even jumping in the car, stroking my bottle the whole fucking journey thinking that I’ll be having a drink soon.

  “So, what now?” I whisper as I feel as if I’m in fucking school and being told off by the principle.

  “Well, he can leave immediately. That’s the way that we normally do it.”

  Steven has that smug look on his face as he rubs his oversized stomach and balding head. The guy’s only thirty, and he looks over forty. If that’s what dedication and hard work look like, then they can count me out.

  “I don’t understand why you drove all this way, Isaac? Aren’t you enjoying being on the ranch?”

  I hate his smugness and his tone.

  “Yes, it’s just that I wanted to make sure that everything was alright here. There’s nothing wrong with that. I am still the CEO.”

  He stands up, “Yes, we all know that.”

  Good, that shut him up!

  “Seeing as you have everything in hand, then I’ll be getting back. I just need to take a few things from my office. If you don’t mind?”

  He stands up, “Be my guest. After all, it is your office. I’m going to grab something to eat, so I’ll be gone a while. If I don’t see you again, then have a safe trip.”

  I nod because there’s no fucking way that he’s going to see me again and I’ll make sure that I’m not here when he comes back.

  I just want to go to my office to see if my stash is still there. I’m going to get my driver to take me back to the ranch, and I want to make sure that I have some good stuff before we reach there.

  “Until next time Steven.”

  He’s standing and waiting for me to say something. The one thing that I rarely do, but I know that if granddad were here, then he would force me to do it.

  Fuck!

  Just this one.

  “Thank you,” I say through gritted teeth. The smugness and smile reappear on Steven’s face as he holds out his hand and says, “Anytime cuz.”

  Great as if I need reminding that we’re related. That’s when it dawns on me as I slump my shoulders and head to my office. I better go back to the ranch. I was so lost in my thoughts when I came here that I didn’t even tell granddad that I was going. I could have told Olivia, but I hated the way that she treats me at times as if I’m her kid or something.

  I’ve never been with a woman that doesn’t want me to try something. Not even once. She makes me feel as if I’ve lost my fucking touch. No man wants to be with a woman who wants to be his friend.

  Hell no!

  Every time I flirt with her, she just backs away. I grab my key open the closet and my Scotch Malt Whisky Society Karuizawa Single Malt is sitting there begging me to open it. Shit, it won’t have to wait long. One phone call and one long car drive with a couple of blocks of ice, and I’ll be in fucking heaven.

  I’m stuffing it in my bag and closing the door. I’m about to leave when I see a face. One that I never expected to see this side of Texas.

  “Olivia!”

  “Isaac!” she says as she walks into my office.

  I don’t even know what to say to her.

  “I should have told you that I was leaving…”

  “But you didn’t.”

  She says with her hands on her hips. I may not know much about women, but I know one thing for sure. Olivia’s genuinely pissed.

  “Well you didn’t, and I came to bring you back to the ranch.”

  “Really?” I sigh, because I’m not used to seeing her not smile and acting a bit too chirpy any hour of the day. It’s as if she’s constantly on a happ
y dial. Maybe I’m rubbing off on her with my crappy attitude.

  “But before we do that. Let’s go and have a coffee.”

  She’s so fucking close that all I want to do is kiss her right now. Tell her that she must be as attracted to me as I am to her. But as she backs away I blurt out, “Fine, but you’re paying.”

  Apparently, Granddad’s paying her too much. It didn’t take her long to get here, which means that she either drove or Trevor brought her? But he couldn’t have because he’s out for the day on some run, which means that she has her car. So, not only is she living in the cottage for free, she’s riding around town for free too. Not with me. Granddad may think that she’s an angel, but the way that she commanded me right now. I can tell that it’s all one big act.

  Chapter 6

  Olivia

  I can’t believe that he agrees to everything I say. Something must have happened before I arrived at the office, part of me wants to know, and the other part thinks that ignorance is bliss and maybe that’s the problem. I’ve spent too much time trying to get to know him and forcing myself on him to some extent. Not stripping down and telling him to take me. But more subtly, like brushing my hand against his, or telling him to help me when I can do it myself.

  Not once has he taken the hint!

  Like the one time we were playing pool, he was so close to me that I could smell his woody scent. He just took the stick of me and told me that I needed to do it this way. He didn’t try to touch me, and I can’t just throw myself at him. I’m not that type of girl, but then he has a sadness about him. One that should make me stay as far away from him as possible, but it does the complete opposite it pulls me towards him like a magnet.

  I do know one thing for sure. He’s holding on to his bag as if his life depends on it. That can only mean one thing. It has a bottle in it. So, I come up with the grand plan to distract him. Make him forget about what he’s holding.