Chapter 16
SIXTEEN
SILAS
I stared after Way, itching to follow and ask him what the hell had just happened, but I knew better. For some reason, I wasn’t on the top of my husband’s good list right now, and the judicious choice would be to leave him alone to calm down.
During the drive back to the ranch, I thought about Way’s angry outburst. The man was overloaded and overwhelmed despite my aggressive efforts each night to take his mind off work and relax him to within an inch of his life.
My specialties were helping companies come out of disorganization, assisting C-level executives on how to avoid burnout, and guiding companies through growth pinch points, so it was frustrating to watch him continue to get buried under his commitments. I wasn’t used to having to sit on the sidelines while someone I… while a friend tried stoically to carry too heavy a load. It was one of the reasons I’d been attempting to lighten it.
But the man was shit at accepting help, even when it was freely given.
Frustrated, I glanced at the clock in the upgraded rental Kenji had arranged for me—a decent-sized SUV that didn’t make my legs feel like pretzels every time I drove it—and realized that it was already late afternoon on the East Coast, which meant my sister would be waking up and getting ready for her vampire shift.
I dialed her number and grinned in anticipation of hearing her voice come through the car’s speakers. Camille was not only one of the smartest people I knew, but she exuded positivity, always. Talking to her was a sure way to restore my good humor.
But when she answered, she sounded like she was still half-asleep. “Silas?”
“Morning, sunshine. Sleeping late today?” I asked.
Camille grunted groggily. “I only got to sleep, ah…” Sheets rustled. “Two hours ago.”
“Two hours.” I checked the clock again. “I thought you gave up round-the-clock shifts after residency, Dr. Concannon.”
“Me too.” She yawned. “But we had a lockdown situation in the ER last night, and?—”
I nearly ran the truck off the road into the scrub grass and gripped the wheel tightly as I righted it. “A lockdown ? Christ, Camille.”
“Calm down.” Camille sounded marginally more awake. “It sounds dramatic, but it’s not, I swear. There was no danger.”
“Really?” I said caustically. “Because here I thought lockdowns only happened when there was a threat, like a fire or an active shooter, especially when you work at a hospital in one of the roughest neighborhoods in the city. But you’re saying they put you on lockdown for shits and giggles?—”
“Don’t be an ass,” she said, amused. “We had another round of budget cuts a couple months ago, and since we’re already bare-bones with the medical staff, it was time for the security team to thin their ranks. Now, every damn time a patient who’s had too much to drink starts mooning the nurses, security has to lock the whole department down so they can go investigate. It’s a pain, but that’s all it is.”
I tried counting to ten to keep my temper under control. I barely got to six before blurting, “Camille. I know you don’t want to hear this, but?—”
“Then don’t say it.” Her voice held a bite of temper that reminded me of my own. “You know I went into medicine because I want to help people, Silas. Providing care in an underserved area like this one is important work. If I found another hospital where I was needed half as much as I am here, I’d consider— consider —taking a different job. But since I don’t think that exists, don’t waste your breath. And no, before you ask, I don’t want you to endow the hospital with a security fund, either,” she added wryly.
“ I need you,” I reminded her. “I know your patients need you, but I do, too. If you’d let me help…”
Why was I fucking surrounded by people who refused my assistance?
“Oh, Silas. You have the best and kindest heart—” Camille began.
I snorted. “That’s rich coming from you, do-gooder.”
“But… sometimes people don’t need you to fix things for them, you know? Sometimes all the help they need is your presence. To know you’re there and that you care.”
I considered this for a moment and shook my head. “But that’s not practical.”
“Of course it is. It’s just hard . It’s far easier to throw money and contacts at a problem.” She yawned again. “I promise, I wasn’t actually in danger, okay? Just… one of those things.”
I blew out a breath. “Just another nightmare dumpster fire train wreck?” I offered.
Camille laughed, just as I’d hoped she would. “A zombie nightmare dumpster fire train wreck,” she corrected. “With extra paperwork on top. So… what have you been up to? I got your message saying you were in Wyoming, but I’ve been pretty much nocturnal this week, so I didn’t have a chance to call. Are you there for a work thing?”
“No. It’s… kind of a long story. I’ll tell you all about it when you’re not trying to sleep.”
“Okay,” she agreed, probably sensing I’d reached my limit for deep conversation. “But at least tell me something about Wyoming. Are cowboys as hot in real life as they are in fiction?”
I laughed helplessly. “Hotter,” I said.
By the time I’d finished filling Camille in on all the wonders of the state—the mountains, the rivers, the wide sky, the men with toned glutes in well-worn Wranglers—and we said our goodbyes, I was back at the Fletcher Ranch and feeling marginally better.
But after sitting down at the kitchen table and working diligently through a string of emails from Kenji about critical projects, Kenji texted me to hop on a Zoom call. As soon as I joined, I saw five small windows appear and knew that I had at least one more hard conversation in store for me, whether I wanted it or not.
Kenji had assembled my four best friends—the entire billionaire brotherhood—for some kind of goddamned intervention.
“What is this?” I asked.
Landry grinned like a fool, Kenji was busy typing, Dev’s forehead crinkled in concern, Bash’s eyes danced while his mouth curved in a knowing grin, and Zane said something to someone out of the frame about “taking five.”
Kenji glanced up from his typing. “The guys wanted to know where you were. They didn’t believe me when I told them you were on a horse ranch in Wyoming. Voluntarily.”
Bash leaned toward the camera. “Bro, apparently, you approved the installation of two hundred grand worth of ETC in a little Podunk town with only six stoplights?”
Dev frowned. “Why would a town that small need ETC?”
Landry tapped his chin like an asshole. “Two hundred grand seems a bit high for even the primest dick, my friend. Your rhinestone cowboy must sparkle everywhere .”
I felt my back teeth clench.
Zane muttered, “Don’t be crass. Silas is getting the dick for free.”
Bash squinted at the screen. “Are you in a… a mobile home? What is that place?”
Kenji spoke before I could tell Bash to fuck off. “I got a message from someone at Patagonia asking for contact info for Lake McNair. Is that a lake near Majestic? If so, do you know why they’d want contact information for it?”
“Lake McNair is a person. He’s the owner of the local outdoor sports store. I’ll send you his contact info. I’m helping him with a sponsorship.”
Kenji continued typing. “Ah… Lake Sports. Got it. Also, Robbie Ryde with AdventureSmash got back to me with sponsorship options for the exhibition. Are you still thinking of making your contribution in the name of a charity? If so, there’s local like Wyoming Equality or national like Trevor. There’s also?—”
Dev perked up. “What’s this for? There are several equine rescue organizations that might be a good fit since your… ah… that guy there is a horse rancher.”
It was nice to see something get Dev’s attention for once, but this wasn’t a good fit for a horse rescue charity. “Since it’s an outdoor adventure race, I was thinking more like an outdoor adventure camp for kids. Scholarships or grants for kids who wouldn’t normally have access to these sports.”
Kenji nodded and made notes. “I’ll look into it.”
I felt Bash’s eyes on me. “Tell me about this guy. Kenji said you’re planning on staying there all summer? That doesn’t sound like you. What about the Browerton deal? What about Daisy Chain?”
“Not the whole summer, only until July.” Which was just a few weeks away, as Way had pointed out. “And I’m still working on all of that. I’m just doing it from here,” I assured him. “I’ve got a handle on the Modern Alliance thing, too. In fact, I’m waiting for that financial report from your accounting people.”
We discussed business for a few minutes before Zane got interrupted again and dropped off the call. Kenji used the moment as an excuse to interrupt. “Silas, I checked your insurance coverage, and you’re good to go on the horse thing.”
Dev’s eyes brightened. “What horse thing?”
“I’m going to take riding lessons,” I explained.
Everyone stared at me. Landry frowned in confusion. Dev looked low-key excited. Bash narrowed his eyes suspiciously, and Kenji nodded and continued. “They recommend protective headgear and nothing out of the ordinary. No extreme sports version of it, whatever that means.”
“Trick riding,” I said absently, remembering a conversation I’d had with Natana Whiteplume. “Like rodeo stuff.”
Dev’s face lit up in a rare smile. “You know about trick riding? Is there a good rodeo there?”
Bash interrupted before I could answer. “You never let Dev teach you to ride, but suddenly, you want to get on a horse?”
I ignored him and told Dev about meeting Natana and hearing about the nightly rodeo Majestic hosted during summer. The conversation was enough to bore Landry off the call.
I glanced at Bash’s face on the screen. “I’m surprised you haven’t dropped, too, Bash. Surely you have an important meeting about Daisy Chain.”
“Rowe’s on his way in. We have a meeting this afternoon.”
Kenji rolled his eyes. “Only because during yesterday’s meeting, the two of you wouldn’t stop flirting long enough to focus on the funding report.”
Bash’s expression was unapologetic. “At least I didn’t marry a stranger in Vegas.”
I closed my eyes and groaned. They were never going to let that die.
Bash continued. “Can we get back to my original question? What are you doing? What’s your plan? Why are you staying there?”
“I made a deal with W—with the guy that I would stay. And in return, he’ll agree to an uncontested divorce.”
“Does he know you have money?”
As Bash peppered me with questions, Dev’s forehead creased in concern, and I tried to keep from snapping at him, myself.
I understood why he was worried. Of course I did. After launching ETC, we’d been taken advantage of by even the very few friends and family who’d known about our windfall. Our business mentor had urged us to hide the sale of the company inside another company and then hide our wealth as much as possible moving forward. He’d also said, “ Telling people about this kind of money is a bell that can’t be un-rung. ” And he was right. If it became known that one of us had billions, it wouldn’t be long before all of us were discovered.
Ironically, a fact I’d pointed out to Bash not long ago.
“No. Not big money.” I ran a hand through my hair. “He knows I have a good job in the city. That’s all.”
Bash’s eyes bored into me in a way that reminded me of how judgmental I’d been toward him when he’d gotten involved with Rowe. “Why can’t you simply pay him off and get back here? Surely he’d take a hundred grand and be happy with it. It would be easier to work on Daisy Chain if you were here in the office.”
His boyfriend’s pet project was important to him. It was important to all of us. But I resented the implication I should give up my own personal plan to suit his.
“I can work just fine remotely,” I said in a tone that brooked no compromise.
Bash and I had been best friends since college. The man knew how to interpret my moods even better than my sister. “You like him.”
“Don’t be ridiculous,” I snapped.
Dev’s eyes widened. Kenji closed his eyes and shook his head. Bash grinned as if he’d gotten me to confess to an unsolved murder. “You fucking like him! Holy shit.”
“I do not like him,” I insisted, hearing myself and immediately regretting my words. “I mean, I do like him. He’s a good guy. But it’s not what you think.”
“I thought he was straight,” Bash said, not losing his grin.
“He is. Was. He’s… bi. I guess.”
“And you’re having a summer dalliance. A hundred-thousand-dollar fuck fest.”
I wanted to throw my laptop out the door and into the raging river. “Shut your damn mouth,” I growled.
Kenji sighed and continued to shake his head. Dev’s wide eyes turned soft. Bash’s grin faded. “Holy shit, Silas,” he said.
“No,” I said, pointing at the screen. “Do not even think about it. Whatever you’re going to say needs to remain unsaid. Understand?”
Bash tilted his head and opened his mouth. I cut him off. “I do not have feelings for him. I don’t have feelings for anyone. Never again, remember? I learned my lesson with Justin.”
And it was true. I knew better than to develop real feelings for another man after the way Justin had played me. The brotherhood had been through too many examples of people using us for our money, of people pretending to care about us before taking advantage of our financial situation.
That was exactly what had happened with Justin Hardy, and I’d felt like a fool. So much so that I’d tried my hardest to keep Bash from making the same mistake with Rowe. Even though Rowe seemed to be the exception, he hadn’t been around long enough for us to know for sure. And he was definitely profiting right now as the brotherhood worked to make his business idea a billion-dollar success.
“I have to go,” I said, remembering I needed to buy boots before my riding lesson. It was as good an excuse as any to get off this damned call. The thought of my lesson with Natana reminded me of what she’d said earlier about bailing on roundup. “Hey, Dev… do you know anyone who can help round up horses?”
“Like… for what?”
“Way’s ranch keeps herds of horses over winter for all the local dude ranches. This weekend, they’re scheduled to round them all up and move them out to wherever they go in summer. They’re short-handed this year. I thought maybe you?—”
“I can do it,” he said abruptly.
A small spark of excitement flashed for a split second in his eyes before disappearing. It was more than any of us had seen in a while. Bash and I exchanged a look.
“You sure?” I asked. “That would be amazing.”
“When do you need me?”
“By Friday at the latest. We can probably put you up in the family farmhouse.”
Another idea began to come together in my mind. I probably should have talked to Waylon about it before acting. It probably fell under the heading of Things Way Doesn’t Want Help With. And it was probably one of those times when, as Camille said, I didn’t need to fix someone’s problem for them.
But damn it, remembering the bone-weary look in Way’s eyes—the way he’d looked like he was going to pass out on the sidewalk this morning, for fuck’s sake—I decided I’d take the risk.
Way could be angry all he liked, after the fact. But for right now—for the next few weeks—the man was my husband… and I would not let him carry his burdens alone.
“Plan to stay for a while unless you have somewhere else to be,” I told Dev. “Things are going to be chaotic here through July Fourth. They can use some help on the ranch if you’re up for it.”
He nodded. “Yeah. Okay. I can… I can do that.”
Kenji nodded. “I’ll make the arrangements and let you know the details, Dev. Now, before I let you go, Silas…”
As Kenji did his final rundown of the work deliverables he needed from me, I let out a long breath. This felt right. Dev needed a distraction; he needed to get away from his grief and the heavy memories of his brother. Horses were his happy place, and I happened to have access to a ton of them.
Maybe the reason all of this had happened was to get Dev away from home and onto the ranch for a much-needed mental health break. Maybe this detour to Majestic, Wyoming, wasn’t about me at all. Maybe I was only here for a short time to introduce the Fletchers to Devon McKay. And maybe Dev could help lighten Way’s load here at the ranch. Maybe Way wouldn’t mind taking Dev’s help.
After ending the call, I tried refocusing on work for a little while longer. But images of Dev happily riding Trigger across the gorgeous rolling hills of Waylon’s ranch kept interrupting me.
Because in every single one of them, Way was happily riding Helios right next to him.
And something about that image didn’t sit right with me.
I gave up my attempt at working and headed out to buy some riding boots.