Page 5 of His Wild Mate

“I am.”

“Then hell yes.”

We rode over in separate vehicles and met back up there. Millie, the waitress, took our orders before I got down to business.

“What's this all about Ridge?”

“Honestly, the main issue was getting him out. We all know you've been trying your best, but as long as he was in charge there was only so much you could do.”

“I tried,” I said with a sigh. “What else is on the list?”

“Fair distribution of time out on the range and on overnights. Some of the mated guys have concerns. You may not even know it, but he was punishing those he didn't like and making them spend more time out there than others. It was becoming problematic.”

“I can handle that. It's no problem. What's next?”

“Breaks and water.”

“Don't tell me he was withholding that too.”

“Yes, sir. Water coolers are no longer being filled anywhere around the ranch. Said it was a waste of a person's time. I always thought it was the job of the young bucks. Start at the bottom and work your way up and all that.”

“I agree. Plus, it's just dangerous. Dehydration is a huge concern in this line of work. That one will be resolvedimmediately even if I have to fill the damn coolers myself. And as for breaks, you take them when you need them within reason. I’ll be expecting those I place in charge to watch out and ensure people aren't slacking or anything. In general, we shouldn't have to micromanage breaks as long as the work's being done. If you need to take a piss, dammit, take a piss, then get back to work. This isn't kindergarten.”

He chuckled. “No one's gonna argue that logic. I'll hand this over to you to go over. Some of it is a bit petty as we were trying to make a point. But there's real concerns mixed in there too. Here's a list of broken or decaying equipment and areas of concern that will need to be addressed. Not all of it's pressing, just for you to be aware of.”

“Thanks, Ridge. I promise to look over it all and address these things. Hell, I've got some of my own complaints on stuff like that.”

“Honestly, I think I can speak for all of us when I say we're relieved Thomas chose you. You're one of us. You get it. And we all trust you to have our backs.” He grinned and then added, “No pressure there.”

“Right?” I shook my head. “This is going to be a good thing. And as long as you can keep any of the hotheads from walking out on me while I try to fix this mess, then we're going to do just fine.”

“I wholeheartedly agree with that.”

We finished our beers and headed out in opposite directions.

I didn't go straight home, instead, I swung by Thomas's.

When I pulled up, I saw Audrey’s face pressed to the window watching me. I gave her a small wave. She was the second of Thomas's four girls.

“Uncle Emmett's here,” I heard her yell out in warning.

Cammie, the oldest, opened the door and welcomed me in.

“Hey girls. Is your dad around?”

“Yeah, he's finishing up the dishes. He'll be out in a second.”

“Hi Uncle Emmett,” Lilah, the youngest of the Collier crew squealed as she leapt off the couch and right into my arms.

I easily caught her and twirled her in the air before taking a seat on the couch. Audrey sat to my left and Cammie on my right. Willow, the third of Thomas's daughters with his mate Lily sat quietly in the corner reading a book.

“Hi Willow.”

“Hi Uncle Emmett.”

“What are you reading?”

“Charlotte's Web. It's my favorite.”

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