Chapter 4
CHAPTER FOUR
Tenor
Teller was waiting in the Copper Summit conference room with his feet kicked up on the table. A smug look was on his face.
When I entered, I glared at him. “Didn’t you ask enough questions yesterday?”
He’d grilled me after Ruby pulled away. Was that Ruby? What was she doing here? Did I see you kiss her? What the fuck are you kissing her for? Do you know how old she is? Do you know how old you are?
I’d finally walked away and started on the to-do list I’d given Cruz and Lane. I’d been changing oil on one of the tractors when those two shitheads had walked by making kissing noises.
I knew why I never dated. Now I had more reasons.
I sat at the end of the long table opposite Teller in my normal spot and opened my laptop.
Tate walked in, scratching his short beard and looking like he’d been yanked from the middle of the pasture in his blue jeans, black T-shirt, and green plaid flannel. Our monthly meeting was today. All my siblings and I would meet and review the month, last quarter, and the year to date and plan Copper Summit’s future.
Tate sat across from me. “How’s it going?”
Teller’s boots thumped down to the floor. “Maybe we need to ask Ruby.”
My stomach dropped. When I’d committed to the ruse with Ruby, I’d known dealing with my family would be an issue. They would have opinions, and Ruby was considerably younger than me. Would they be afraid I was taking advantage of her? I wouldn’t throw her under the bus for explanations. My family could deal.
Tate frowned, glancing between us. “Why Ruby?”
Teller folded his hands on the table. Like me, he was wearing a rust-colored polo with the company logo on the breast and blue jeans. Distilling was a science, but the work attire was casual. Teller and I had started wearing branded polos so tourists could tell us apart from the other employees, but even we didn’t wear them all the time. No one wore slacks. Mostly jeans.
Except Ruby liked to wear skirts. Not long, flowing ones. She wore flirty skirts that made her hourglass figure more of a roller coaster.
“You’ll want to ask Tenor why.” Teller smirked, but his gaze was ruthless.
I inhaled a measured breath and closed my laptop. Here it goes. “We’re seeing each other.”
Tate’s eyes flared wide. “You and Ruby ?” He glanced at Teller. I didn’t have to look at my other brother. His irritated gaze was burning into my skin.
“Yes,” I said evenly. “We finally decided to make it public. I anticipated your reactions.” I shot Teller a glare. He was unrepentant.
“Of course we’d react.” Tate sat straighter. “She’s young.”
Teller made a tsking noise. “He took so long to date again because he had to wait for Ruby to get out of high school.”
“She’s a goddamn adult,” I snapped. Hadn’t I had the same reservations? Ruby was young, but she was in her midtwenties. She was a full-on adult with a career. And she’d had awful boyfriends who hadn’t shown her what a prize she was.
I could do that for her.
“She’s an employee,” Teller added as if we hadn’t argued about that yesterday.
“We don’t have no-fraternization rules at Copper Summit.” I felt like a dick pointing that out.
Teller tapped his notes. “That’s why it’s on the agenda.”
“Without being approved,” I shot back.
Tate held a hand up. “It’s something we’ll discuss when the girls get here. You know they don’t like it when we do business without them.”
Teller glared at me.
“I’m not going to hurt her, all right?” My brothers were worried about Ruby in my care, and that gutted me. What about me made them think I’d hurt her? My reasons for steering clear of dating and women weren’t because I was the bad guy.
“You’d never intend to hurt her,” Teller conceded. “But she’s not the only one I’m worried about.”
I frowned. Were there more people I was pretending to date and didn’t know about?
“ You , dumbass,” he answered. “How many years has it been? All of a sudden, you’re kissing a young—young er —employee in our mom’s driveway.”
“You know why I don’t date,” I said.
“Does Ruby?” Teller asked.
“Does Ruby what?” Wynter breezed in. Her white-blond hair was back in a ponytail and she wore pajama bottoms and a loose yellow Foster House shirt that was probably her husband’s. She was working from home today and had only come to Copper Summit for the meeting.
“We’ll wait until you all get here,” Tate said as soon as Teller opened his mouth. “We don’t need to repeat this four more times.”
“Junie’s calling in.” Wynter took the seat next to me and set her giant water bottle by my laptop. I moved my computer farther away. She claimed they didn’t leak, but I didn’t want to tempt forty ounces of ice water. “She’s in... Where is she playing this week?”
“Wisconsin,” Tate answered as Summer breezed in. She sat next to him.
My oldest sister wasn’t dressed much differently than Wynter, only she’d tied her shirt. The braid of her strawberry-blond hair flopped over her shoulder. “Are you talking about Junie? She’s in Milwaukee today, then they’re going to Detroit.”
Autumn entered and glanced around. “Last one here. Dang.”
“Technically, Junie hasn’t called in yet,” Wynter said.
Autumn sat on the other side of her and puffed a hunk of her auburn hair out of her face. She was wearing a loose summer dress at odds with the dark circles under her eyes.
Summer frowned at her. “Is Sawyer not sleeping well?”
Autumn sighed. “She’s got a cold. All stuffy and can’t sleep. Gideon had her on his chest in the recliner for half the night. I took the other half. He almost didn’t let me, but I reminded him that I had a meeting and he’d have to take over sick care for part of the day. I might actually nap in the office before I go home.”
Summer and Wynter nodded. The three of them had become moms fairly close together. Tate’s oldest had been in elementary school when Tate had moved back to Bourbon Canyon to take over the ranch when Dad got sick. Then he’d married Scarlett. Between my four sisters and one sister-in-law, the niece and nephew count added up. And with each one, my chest grew tight, something that felt too much like envy sprouting between my ribs.
They were all settling down and growing their families.
But I’d quit looking for Miss Right. My Goldilocks. Some guys were just meant to be single.
The conference phone rang. Teller answered it and pushed a button. “Hi, Junie.”
“He-ey. Everyone there?”
We all answered her.
Teller snapped a sheet of paper. “First, we’re going to talk about a fraternization policy because Tenor’s dating Ruby.”
I closed my eyes against the surprised chorus of my sisters.
“Seriously?”
“Tenor!”
“Ruby? I never would’ve guessed.”
“Oh my god. She’s so nice.”
I didn’t track who said what. I peeled my eyes open. My brothers looked grumpier.
“It’s nothing serious,” I said weakly, but Tate’s gaze darkened like that had been the worst thing to say.
“She stayed at Mom’s last night,” Teller said. “So did Tenor.”
Wynter let out a delighted gasp, but Teller pursed his lips. My sisters weren’t reacting the way he wanted. But then they hadn’t been there when I had made my vow to quit dating.
“Because she closed and planned to drive back to Bozeman.” My voice was full of accusation. I didn’t make the bar schedule.
“It’s a short drive,” Summer said. “I make it all the time.” She was in charge of the Bozeman facility Ruby worked out of.
“In the daylight,” I insisted. “She’s driving after dark.”
“And before the other bars shut down,” Wynter said. “I talked to her about it when she started. She said it was fine. She can make her own decisions.”
“Tell that to Teller and Tate.” I pointed at them. “They seem to think I yanked her right out of the cradle.”
Wynter snickered, and Autumn covered her mouth with a hand, but her eyes were dancing.
“I see.” Summer folded her arms. “My biggest worry is that the relationship might go south and we’d lose an amazing employee.”
“Exactly why we need a policy,” Teller said.
Tate cleared his throat. “Dad was always against it. He said the community was too small to have policies in place. We don’t have an endless supply of employees.”
“We’re in charge now,” Teller said tightly.
“What is your real concern?” Autumn asked softly. “Ruby’s a great girl. Tenor’s a good guy.”
My sisters’ more enthused reaction bolstered me. They’d been worried about me and thinking Ruby and I were growing more serious would soothe them.
Teller ground his teeth together and met my gaze. “Katrina.”
My head snapped back like he’d hit me.
Autumn’s green eyes flashed like a forest fire. “I really didn’t like her.”
I had. That had been the issue. I had fallen so hard for Katrina. After so many other failures, I’d doubled down with her. I’d been desperate to make us work. But she’d been just another in a short line of women who’d wanted me to be something else. Women who expected Tate or Teller and got me.
Unlike the other girls who’d broken things off and quietly moved on, Katrina had not been quiet. She’d let me know exactly how I had humiliated her in every way.
“Ruby’s not Katrina.” My mouth was dry. I had no intention of getting that close to Ruby. I’d treat her right like I’d learned to do, and I’d stick to our arrangement.
“She’s a sweet girl,” Summer agreed. “But it won’t stop us from worrying about you. You two could be great for each other and decide to part ways regardless and we’d still be worried.”
I appreciated her concern, but it was unnecessary. “I wasn’t that bad after the breakup with Katrina.”
They all blinked at me.
“What?” I asked, irritable.
“You turned into a hermit,” Teller pointed out, not hesitant to say so like the others. “And you still are. It’s been what, ten years?”
Autumn and Wynter nodded. They’d been the first to visit me. After Teller had told them I had imploded.
Were they keeping track? I did not isolate myself that badly. “I’m over her.”
“We know,” Tate said. “But she still did some damage.”
“Maybe I was waiting for someone I felt wasn’t like Katrina. Shouldn’t you be grateful I’m back in the dating pool?” I didn’t want to hear their answer, and I was done with this conversation. I was dating Ruby for a month and they didn’t need to know why. “So we talked about a fraternization policy to keep me and Teller from dating any employees. I have a couple of things to add to the agenda too. First, I was approached about providing wet bar services for a wedding. Wynter, is there anything you’d like us to talk to them about as far as getting marketing content for you?”
“Oh.” She thought for a moment. “I can keep it in mind.”
“Just in case we want to remind the community of all the different capacities we can work in. Retail sales are down for the third quarter in a row, so are orders for the upcoming quarter.” The conversation with Ruby had stuck in my brain, among other things when it came to her, but she’d clearly been afraid to ruffle any feathers. Marketing wasn’t my area, but maybe Ruby was onto something. Maybe we needed a small refresh instead of relying on the holiday season to hit our goals. “And then we need to discuss how Scott Townsend is blaming Copper Summit for almost costing him his liquor license.”
Teller’s face screwed up. “What’s Scooter saying this time?”
Relieved that I had diverted everyone from the topic of me and Ruby, I reiterated what I’d heard from the city commissioner. Scott “Scooter” Townsend owned a bar on Main Street. He was my age and the guy I might’ve turned into after the breakup with Katrina if I had kept dating and getting rejected—mean and resentful. I’d had a close family, and my dad had yanked me out of my house for chores and fishing and hunting trips until I decided that I’d just never date. Problem solved.
Scooter’s family wasn’t close and his wife was Teller’s ex. She hadn’t been an ex when she’d started dating Scooter. Because of that, Scooter thought Teller—and Copper Summit by proxy—was after him. In reality, he was a paranoid narcissist.
I opened my laptop now that we were discussing company issues. What Ruby and I were doing would not affect our work. I wouldn’t allow it. Just like I wouldn’t fall for another woman again.
Ruby
I kicked my feet on the island of Mom’s kitchen in her condo and interrogated her. “Are you being safe? Is he really a decent guy? Have you met his parents?”
Mom rolled her eyes. “You’re not my mom,” she whined.
I grinned and took a bite of a nectarine. “I’m serious. You just met Dave.”
“Daniel.”
It was hard to keep track. Last year, she’d dated a Teddy, a William, and a Kennedy. Then there’d been the twins. She’d gone out with one, then the other.
My dad and stepdad had made Mom commitment phobic. We were opposites in that way. In a lot of ways. She was taller than me with light brown hair and hazel eyes. My dad had dark hair, blue eyes, and was under six feet. She was an adrenaline junkie and I was allergic to thrill.
Any other traits I may or may not have gotten from more distant family would stay a mystery. My memory of the grandparents who’d raised him was foggy. Mom had never trusted her parents with me after they’d kicked her out, and I hadn’t been inclined to extend an olive branch as I had gotten older.
“Daniel loves the outdoors and he loves to travel. I think he’s coming to Vegas with me.” She dumped spaghetti in a pot. Simple pasta dishes were how we’d survived. “I’m leaving tomorrow. I’ll be gone for two weeks.”
I leaned over the side of the counter and tossed my pit into the garbage. “People think I’m an influencer, but they have nothing on you. You could post your travels and get sportswear sponsorships.”
“You have a stable job, which is something to be proud of.”
I wouldn’t go on trips and pick up men like her. Mom had crap taste in men. I tried not to blame her for my luck with dating, but it’d been hard to stray from her example. Self-centered men with brash personalities. Catnip for someone like Veronica Casteel.
Mom’s phone buzzed. She glanced at it and smiled.
“Daniel?”
“No, your father. Another hiking meme.” She failed to bite back her smile.
I always suspected Mom had never gotten over Dad. He hadn’t been her first infatuation, he’d been her first love . One-sided love. Part of me had hoped he’d put her out of her misery once he hit forty and ask her out, but it’d been a year since then and he was still happily single in Helena, playing tennis and making money. At least they had stayed amicable, which was a challenge with someone like my dad.
I hadn’t gotten any sophistication from him. I was more like Mom had been in high school before she’d discovered the excitement of the outdoors. She’d been quiet and studious, according to her. At least I’d learned from her example. No studlete like my dad had seduced me and used me when he’d been in town for a football camp. I’d waited until college before my crappy dates.
I had a studlete now. I could enjoy him for an entire month. “I’ve started seeing someone.” A tiny thread of guilt wound around my conscience. I didn’t want Mom to worry. She’d hated on Brock when he’d broken up with me. I couldn’t let her know that he’d made me feel so bad I had made up a boyfriend.
Who’d turned out to be real. Sort of.
She turned from stirring the noodles. “You are?” Her curiosity was tinged with concern.
“He’s from Bourbon Canyon.”
She pulled a face. “Oh. That place.”
It didn’t matter that Dad hadn’t lived in Bourbon Canyon since he’d graduated, Mom would never like that town. “I know, but he’s a nice guy.”
“What’s his name?”
“Tenor. He’s, uh, one of the Baileys.”
A brown brow ticked up. “Like the Copper Summit Baileys? Your boss?”
“One of them.”
She put the spoon down and folded her arms. “Oh?”
“It’s not like that, and it’s nothing serious.”
She snorted. “It rarely is for men. He gets to play, and you get to repair your heart when he’s no longer interested.”
“All I care about is bringing him to Cara Simonson’s wedding.”
Her lips pulled back in disgust. Mom carried more of a grudge against Cara than I did. She’d had to wipe too many tears. “Why would you want to go to her wedding?”
“Because she invited me when she came into Copper Summit for a drink. With her fiancé... Brock.”
Mom’s jaw dropped open. “ Brock Brock?” When I nodded, she sucked in a scandalized gasp. “That’s just— I can’t believe—” She snapped her mouth shut. “You know what? They fit each other.”
“A perfect pair.” They could make the exciting life together they both seemed to crave. “So I need it to be serious enough for Tenor to go to the wedding with me.”
“I can accept that. But keep your eyes open, baby girl.”
“If he wears Patagonia and asks me to take a hike with him, I’ll run the other direction.”
Mom tried to glare at me, but she laughed. “He can’t leave you if you leave him first.” She didn’t know the wedding would be our last date. She turned to stir the spaghetti. “Just, you know, maybe don’t mention your dad. He was kind of a hellion in Bourbon Canyon. His grandma said he wasn’t well liked, and small towns can have long memories. I’d hate for you to get a hard time because of how he acted.”
I couldn’t imagine how unhinged a teen Dad must have been. He was rough around the edges as an adult. “I haven’t. Robert Morgan is never a topic of conversation.”
“It’s better that way.”
When I first got the job, Mom had warned me that Dad had been a wild, unrefined kid. Selfish and self-absorbed. Loud, with typical alpha male behavior. Dad had been sent to live with his grandparents in the Bourbon Canyon area when he was in elementary school. She said he had more tact as an adult, but he was still opinionated and blunt. To me, and to his clients. Somehow, he still made a good living in sales.
His grandparents were gone now, and he’d moved to Helena as soon as he’d graduated, but that didn’t mean no one remembered him. Since I hadn’t wanted to risk my position, I had kept quiet. It wasn’t exactly a conversation starter, talking about my dad who knocked up my mom in high school and didn’t stick around to parent much more than a weekend a month.
If Tenor and I were dating for real, he might be someone I could talk to about my dad. Or he might think it was a sign I had daddy issues and that was why I was insanely attracted to an older man.
No, I wouldn’t mention my dad.