Page 52 of Holiday Hire

Lance struts inside, shooting me a haughty look over his shoulder.

What's he doing now?

I need to get him off this ranch.

Phoebe told me I could kick him off.

That's what I'll do. I'll let him eat his last meal, then drag him out of here.

"Shut the gate," Mason orders, snapping me out of my thoughts.

I secure the latch and then follow my brothers into my parents' house. Phoebe, Wilder, and Ace are several feet in front of us.

The uneasiness I can't seem to escape reappears. I take my turn and wash up, then step into the dining room.

"Sit down, Phoebe," Mom says brightly, pointing to the chair beside Lance.

He grins. "Yeah, sit down, babe."

Phoebe's lips pull into a tight smile. She obeys Mom's orders, and Lance puts his arm around her shoulders.

I take several large steps toward the empty chair on the other side of Phoebe, but Wilder slides into it. I almost tell him to get up, but then realize how that would look. So I quickly assess the situation and then sit in the chair directly across from Lance.

He smirks. "Did you finish rodeoing up those horses this morning?"

I snarl, "Rodeoing them up?"

He grins and shrugs. "I don't know what you call it. Sorry. I don't know much about living in the country," he offers, nodding at my dad.

Normally, my father wouldn't fall for Lance's act, but he lets the comment slide and states, "That's understandable. So, you're from Pismo Beach as well?"

Lance nods. "Born and bred. You can kind of say I'm royalty around there. Right, Phoebe?" He grins and puts his hand on her thigh.

My insides churn. I make a fist under the table until my knuckles turn white.

Phoebe's cheeks turn pink. "That sounds arrogant," she reprimands.

He whines, "I'm just joking, Phoebe. Lighten up. Come on."

An uncomfortable silence follows, but it doesn't last very long. There are too many kids and other family members around.

It's how things always are. Normally, I embrace it all, but this douchebag needs to get the hell off my ranch.

Mom chirps, "Was the guesthouse okay for you two?"

"It was good for me. How was it for you, Phoebe?" Lance asks, arching his eyebrows.

I bite my tongue, wanting to tell everyone she didn't stay there, but it's not my business.

Phoebe doesn't lie and instead answers, "It was nice of you to put Lance up when he didn't give me any notice he was coming."

"Of course. Your boyfriend's always welcome here," Mom states, further infuriating me.

My chest tightens. How can Mom be so naive? This guy's a total loser. On the outside, he looks like a well-put-together guy, but he's definitely a loser.

I interject, asking, "Lance, what time is your flight today?"

He stares at me momentarily, as if to intimidate me, but this boy doesn't have what it takes to achieve that.

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