CHAPTER TWENTY-TWO #2
She doesn't answer, just crosses her arms and stares straight ahead. "You're being weird," she mutters after a moment of silence. "I don't like it."
"I'm not being weird," I tell her. "I'm being decent.
Doing what we agreed to do in a way that helps us both out.
We need to have our regular check in," I remind her.
"And I also need to swing by The Penny Luck so I can make sure I'm not dropping the ball on my other obligations.
" I tap the steering wheel. "Tomorrow morning, I'm going to take the kids out for a bit so you can focus on your other responsibilities. That's all this is."
Unless she lets it be more.
"You couldn't communicate with me in some way that didn't involve a total ambush?" she asks, turning toward me again.
"You don't exactly make it easy to help you, Liz."
She lets out a huff. "You're not so great at being a team player either, you know."
I bark a laugh. "How do you figure?" Unlike her one-woman business, I've been working with a team since I was fourteen. One that's only grown as the business expanded. "Do you have any idea how many people it takes to run seven different venues?"
"That's my whole point," she says, "You run everything. You're used to being in charge. You make decisions for everyone and expect those around you to go along with it."
Fine. She may have me there. "I'm sorry if I made you feel like that tonight.
Yes, I'm used to playing that role," I concede, "but I don't view you as someone I have to manage.
I swear. That's the last thing I ever want you to feel.
" If anything, I was trying to take care of her.
Give her one night where she didn't have to carry the weight of being solely responsible for everyone else. "We're partners."
"If we're partners, why don't you tell me anything that's going on with the horse business?"
I frown. "What are you talking about? I tell you everything on that front.
I forward every email from the account to you.
Let you know weekly where we're at with the horses we have under contract.
You have full access to the bank account.
Shit, rodeo nights have been blowing up all because of the pictures and videos you've been posting all over social media, so you know firsthand how those events are going. "
She nods, biting the inside of her cheek. "Cas told me you've been having some problems with one of the horses coming on Friday nights."
I almost curse under my breath. Cas and his damn mouth. I should have known he'd mention it to her. "I'm handling it."
"He said some of the other riders aren't comfortable keeping their horses around this one.
That it's aggressive," she continues to press the issue.
"If you don't want to tell this rider to stop coming to the event, maybe we just need to come up with stronger guidelines that automatically disqualify them from participating. "
"The rider is Brennan," I tell her, giving up the name I didn't want to throw between us. "And the reason I haven't told you, is because I didn't want to put you in an uncomfortable position given your relationship with him."
"I don't have a relationship with him."
"I don't mean like that," I sigh, frustration tightening my chest. This isn't a conversation I meant to have tonight.
"You two have history. You're still friendly.
And the truth is he and I have never gotten along.
So anything I say about his mare's behavior is easily twisted to be perceived as some personal jab against him.
And given he's Kitterman's head trainer, we can't afford to give him any reasons to start talking shit about us. "
Her brow furrows, concern narrowing her eyes. "You think he would? Even knowing the situation?"
A sudden rush of relief floods my chest at her reaction. I don't know why, but part of me worried she'd tell me I was crazy for thinking he'd be capable of doing something shady that might hurt the ranch. Hurt her.
"I think he has reasons beyond wanting to work with his mare for coming to rodeo nights," I say carefully.
Despite a gut instinct telling me to watch my back around him, I have no proof of anything.
Well, not counting his attempt at snatching Liz away from me, but he had every right to make that move.
And much as I'd like to, I can't deny there would have been benefits to her and the kids in taking the job and the life he was offering her.
She takes the information in silence, pressing her lips together, the corners of her eyes crinkling as she thinks it over, gaze cast aimlessly at the dark road ahead.
"I don't want you to worry about this," I remind her.
"I promise, I'm handling it. He never partners with anyone but me, and I make sure his mare is always separated from the other horses.
" Pairing with him means I have to expose one of our horses, but I always ride Kimber on the rounds I go with him.
She can handle herself without letting Brennan's mare get her agitated or worked up.
Finally, she nods. "Alright." Her hands fold in her lap and she turns toward me, lips quirking. "Kind of seems like we got all the standard catch-up talks out of the way already. Wanna take me home?"
I snort. "Not a chance. You think I got you all dressed up and tricked you into coming out with me just to talk kids and business?"
She frowns. "That is what you said the reason was."
I grin at her and wink. "I lied."