Chapter 1
one
. . .
Axel
I’d been working out on my ranch since five o’clock this morning. I was already over this day, and the sun hadn’t even come up yet.
My phone rang, and my cousin Bridger’s face lit up my screen.
“Hey, you’re up early,” I said as I set my tools down and walked toward the house to grab a fresh cup of coffee.
“Yeah, I’m heading to the city for meetings.
I just wanted to let you know that I got a text from Brenner letting me know that he found someone who can start today, but it’s through a temp service.
He knows you need help right away, so he’ll keep looking for something more permanent, but for now, you’ll have someone for the next few months.
He said he sent you an email with the info, but I wanted to make sure you knew you had help coming today. ”
Bridger had asked his right-hand man, Brenner Layton, to interview a few candidates for me, since I was drowning with work.
I owned Chadwick Trailers, a company I’d started from the ground up right out of college.
I built custom horse trailers, and I designed them for people all over the country.
Business was booming, but my office manager, Loraine, had up and quit two weeks ago with no warning.
She’d left town with some random dude and sent me an apology text that contained more emojis than actual words.
She hadn’t included the middle finger emoji, which seemed most fitting, because leaving me high and dry was a big fat “fuck you,” in my eyes.
“That’s the best news I’ve had all day. I haven’t had a second to check my emails, as Jonah called in an hour ago.
Apparently he’s been puking all night, and he’s down with the flu.
Benji sent me a text a few minutes ago letting me know that Marina tripped over the dishwasher and tore her shin open, so he’s at the hospital with her because she needs a few stitches.
So it’ll just be me and Coby today, and I have a ton of orders to get started on.
And shit is piling up in the office, and I haven’t had a minute to go through it.
” Marina was Benji’s wife, and they had a little boy named Brenton.
He, Coby, and Jonah had worked for me the last couple of years. I had a great team in place now.
When everyone showed up.
“Yeah, you’ve missed the last two Sunday dinners, and everyone’s worried about you.”
I paused in my kitchen, where I filled my mug with steaming hot coffee. I took a sip before replying. “I’m just buried. I’ll get caught up soon. I appreciate you having Brenner find someone so quickly. That’ll help a lot.”
“No problem.” I could hear the concern in his voice. “You’re going to need to bring on more help, Axel. Utilize Brenner. He’s happy to handle the interviews for you. You’re growing quicker than you planned, so you probably need to hire more employees. Stop being a stubborn fucker and ask for help.”
A sarcastic laugh escaped me. “Says the most stubborn fucker I’ve ever met.”
“Hey, it takes one to know one. And it’s easy to let pride get in the way. But you’re burning the candle at both ends, and you’re going to run yourself into the ground.”
He was right, no doubt about it.
I scrubbed a hand over my face. “I know. I’m fucking tired. I’m working sixteen-hour days. Doesn’t help that I work from home, so the minute I’m up, I’m one foot out the door to get started.”
“I get it. It’s all about balance. You’re growing faster than planned, and that’s a good thing. But you’ve got to bring on more help, and you need the right help. People you can rely on. So let’s get Brenner to interview a few more people to do field work for you.”
“That’ll be a little more complicated than hiring an office manager. They need to be skilled artisans with experience working with both wood and aluminum. They need to understand horses and that these are custom designs for a reason.”
I felt overwhelmed by the thought of finding help. Good help. People I could trust. My name was on these trailers, and I was proud of the work I did. I couldn’t have someone just come in and fuck that up.
“They need to be skilled, yes. But you can direct them and tell them what your expectations are. It’s all about delegating.
No one is going to be as passionate about your company as you are.
That’s the simple truth. So if you’re looking for that, you’ll never find it.
But you can take things off your plate. You’ve got to be more flexible. ”
I chuckled, because my cousin was a brute by nature, with this gruff, asshole exterior, yet he had a heart of gold underneath. He’d also been written up in Forbes magazine many times for the successful IT company he’d built, and he was one of the wisest people I’d ever known.
“Damn. Emilia really has changed you,” I said with a loud laugh. “You’re acting like you’ve got a heart.”
“Fuck you, asshole. I’m exactly the same.” He added, “Well, maybe she encourages me to be a bit more patient with people, so I’m working on that. But I’m still an asshole, and don’t you dare try to tell me differently.”
“Hey, it’s all good. I’m happy for you.” I chuckled. “And don’t worry, you’re still an asshole.”
I glanced out the window to see a car pulling up as my older brother Archer and his daughter, Melody, stepped out of the car.
“All right, I’ve got to go,” Bridger said. Just know you’ve got help coming this morning, and Brenner will continue looking for someone permanent. Reach out and give him the details about what else you need, and he’ll take care of the rest.”
“Thanks, B. I appreciate it.”
He ended the call abruptly, just like he always did, as the back door flew open.
“Uncle A! I’m here to give you a hug,” Melody called out as she ran toward me. They stopped by every Monday on the way to preschool, because I’d get her a little treat to start off her week.
It was our thing.
I bent down, catching my niece midair, and wrapped her up in a hug.
Melody Chadwick was the light of my life. My brother was raising her all on his own, and the rest of the family pitched in where we could.
Archer was a rock star father, and I admired him for the way he’d stepped up to the plate.
He loved his little girl fiercely.
“You on your way to preschool?” I asked, setting her down on the counter and plopping my cowboy hat on her head, because it was always her favorite thing to wear when she came over. I moved to where the white bakery bag sat.
“Yes. And Daddy just signed me up for summer camp when it’s June time.” She smiled and clapped her hands together. “I can’t wait to go to camp.”
“He told me that he was going to sign you up this summer. You know, all your uncles and Aunt Em went to the Rosewood River Country Club summer camp back in the day.”
I handed her the bag, and she looked inside and squealed. “Daddy, it’s a pink donut!”
Archer chuckled, and I tossed him the other bag with the bear claw inside.
“I can see that, baby girl. What do we say?”
“Thank you, Uncle A,” she said over a mouthful of pastry. “And I can’t wait for camp to start, so I can be just like my aunt and my uncles.”
She was wearing some jeans and a yellow tee with her favorite pink high-tops.
“Of course. You’re going to love it,” I said as I took a bite of my apple crisp. “You’ll get to swim, play tennis and pickleball, and paint. It’s the best camp I ever went to.”
“It’s the only camp you ever went to,” Archer pointed out.
“Whatever. If it ain’t broke, don’t fix it.” I winked at my niece. “Are you working hard at school?”
“I am working hard. I’m the quietest girl in circle time. Parker gets into trouble ’cause he likes to talk to all the kids, but I don’t talk. I listen to Mrs. Grover all the time. All the time, I’m listening to her,” she repeated.
Damn, this little angel was all sugar and sweetness.
“That’s my girl. You’re such a rock star.” I winked at her.
“All right, we need to go. Give your uncle a hug goodbye. I need to drop you off at school and get to work,” Archer said as I scooped her off the counter.
“Have a good day. I love you.” I kissed the tip of her nose before setting her down on her feet, and I watched them walk out to their car.
For the few minutes they’d been here, my stress had dissipated. I made my way to the warehouse, which sat right beside the large barn on my property. I’d purchased this home because of the land, which had allowed me to build my business here as well.
I had the best equipment and setup that money could buy.
But I was lacking the help I needed to support the growth I was currently experiencing, and I knew Bridger was right.
A big black truck pulled up the long drive leading to the ranch. I held up a hand as Coby stepped out. I filled him in on Benji and Jonah being out today.
“All right, boss. We’ve got our work cut out for us. You still want me painting the Peterson trailer today, or do you need me somewhere else?”
“Yes. That’s exactly where I need you today.
Let’s get that one finished. He’s picking it up in a few days, so let’s get that paint job done, and I’ll start building the trailer for Whiskey Farms.” They’d ordered the largest horse trailer I’d ever built, and it was going to take a lot of man hours to get it right.
They’d requested more custom features than I’d ever designed, and I was looking forward to creating something special for them.
We spent the next hour working in our designated areas. My warehouse was massive, and it had taken me almost a year to build it and get it stocked with everything I’d needed.
The sound of gravel being crushed beneath tires had me looking up out the large windows, and my heart nearly stopped beating as the vehicle came into sight.
“You expecting someone, Axel?” Coby asked as he glanced out the window and whistled at the jade vintage Bronco that had just pulled up.
I wiped my hand off with a towel and dropped it onto the workstation. “Not this someone.”
I reached for my cowboy hat and dropped it on my head, as the sun was strong outside this time of year. My stomach knotted on instinct.
I tugged the door open.
Anxious to see her and dreading it all at the same time.
She’d walked out of my life and hadn’t looked back.
I’d felt completely empty most days.
Wren Waterstone had left town and taken a piece of me with her.
And now she was stepping out of her Bronco, looking just the way I remembered her.
Long blonde waves falling all around her shoulders. A denim skirt and white tank top, which was fairly dressy for Wren, though I hadn’t seen her in two years.
My eyes moved to her long, tan legs, leading down to her signature faded cowboy boots.
I shoved my hands in my pockets to keep from opening them to invite her in for a hug.
She appeared just as uncomfortable as I was as she pulled her sunglasses off and stared at me.
“Axel.”
“Wren,” I said, her name coming out harsher than I’d meant it to.
Her shoulders stiffened at the greeting.
Neither of us used the nicknames we’d always called one another.
“What are you doing here?” I asked, because she just continued standing there staring at me like she was working up the nerve to say something.
I knew Wren. Hell, I knew Wren better than I knew myself most of the time.
At least I used to.
She cleared her throat, tipping her chin up and meeting my gaze.
“I’m here for the job.”
I arched a brow. “Is this a joke?”
“I’m not laughing, am I?”
“You haven’t spoken to me in two years, and you show up here looking for a job?” I shook my head with disbelief. “Does that not strike you as a little odd?”
I saw the way her shoulders drooped.
The way those dark brown eyes fell, the same ones that still haunted my dreams most days.
And I did everything I could to prove that I didn’t care.
I’d worked hard to turn off my feelings for Wren, ever since the day she’d left me.