Page 5 of Second Chances with my Billionaire Bosses

“Now we just have to convince her of that without coming off as a bunch of creeps.” Shep yawned. “Big day tomorrow. I’m going to get my beauty rest before it starts.”

“It started an hour ago.” Arlo pulled off his watch and dropped it on the coffee table between us. “I’m sleeping right here. Have you been in those bedrooms upstairs? Nope.”

I flipped out the recliner, feeling proud of myself for choosing it until the new position revealed clumps of pet hair that’d been hiding in the folds of fabric. I gagged and stood up. “I’m sleeping in the fucking truck.”

CHAPTER 4

Maxie

Angry tears burned my eyes but I refused to let them fall. My brothers thought they could just take over everything I did at the ranch like it was nothing. They clearly didn’t think of how much I did, if they thought about it at all. I stared down at the pan of bacon I was cooking for them and chewed on my bottom lip.

“Finished yet? I thought you could take breakfast with you to the new ranch when you go. I’m betting they haven’t set anything up over there yet.” Mills stood at the island, black coffee in one hand and his phone in the other. “You better get over there before they get up and head out to the diner.”

I scooped the bacon out onto the napkin lined plate with the rest I’d already cooked and turned off the burner.

“Sure, Mills.”

He grabbed a piece of bacon and groaned.

“You’re the best, Maxie. The guys are lucky to have someone so helpful showing them the ropes.”

It was the closest I’d gotten to a compliment and I preened under the kind words. It softened the blow from the way they’d acted before breakfast. When I’d come in with my tail tucked between my legs, ashamed of the way I’d lashed out the day before at their friends, I knew I was supposed to report to the new ranch. Then they’d informed me I’d be working there from then on. When I asked about who’d take over my jobs at their ranch, they’d just laughed it off and said they would. Like I didn’t have a hand in everything that happened on the ranch.

Maybe his compliment hadn’t softened the blow all that much. I was still hurt. Everything I did was to keep everyone around me happy and I didn’t require any recognition but it seemed like they thought I didn’t do much of anything. Never mind that I fed them every day, took care of the horses and stables, and ran interference with the ranch hands, along with a million otherthings. They thought I did so little that they could just absorb the jobs without much impact.

I swallowed down the anger and hurt like always and packed a bag with containers of breakfast foods. I even packed three thermoses filled with the good coffee I’d made at the crack of dawn.

I threw the bag over my shoulder and left the house without saying anything else. My brothers were deep in their breakfast with a few of the ranch hands who stayed onsite and ate at the main house every day, so they didn’t notice me leave. They never did. That was the way I preferred it, if I was being honest. I didn’t want to have to linger and answer questions, especially about my actions the previous night. Not that they’d noticed anything.

I was horrified I’d let Arlo, Shep, and Rhett see they still upset me. I’d acted like a bratty little kid and I couldn’t do that. I wouldn’t. I’d spent most of the night chastising myself about my behavior so I wouldn’t do the same thing again when facing them next.

I was in control of my reactions and I was fine. Working for them hadn’t been what I’d thought was happening but I could adjust to anything. I just had to keep my head down and get the job done. The idea of my brothers and everyone else finding out about my actions toward the guys kept me rigid as I walked out to the barn to get Bob.

I’d already taken care of him that morning so he was ready to go. I climbed up with some effort and then took a moment to just hug him. Tension slowly seeped out of me as Bob’s big body radiated warmth and peace into my tired bones. After just a few minutes I was ready to go.

The Mays’ ranch wasn’t close but I needed the time with Bob to resettle myself. We went around town, over the smallest hills at the base of the Devil’s Spine Mountains, and through therusted gate that no longer held the Mays family name. Instead, there was nothing, just a bare spot where a sign had once hung.

Bob seemed interested in the property and I wasn’t eager to face the guys yet so I let him lead as we inspected the land. I knew Michael Mays had held my sister in the newer barn when he’d kidnapped her so I avoided it. There was an old barn that needed a lot of love and I took note of just how much work the fences were going to need before any cattle were brought back. It looked like the Mays had held their cattle in one pasture for so long that the land was dead while the other pastures around it were overgrown and out of control.

A burning anger, different from what I’d felt before, grew in me. Michael Mays had been a disgusting, drug-running kidnapper who would’ve killed Vera without losing any sleep most likely but he could’ve at least taken care of his cattle and their home. I shook my head at the old water troughs and worn down scratching posts. Wherever the cattle had gone when the last of the Mays sold them off, they had to be in better living conditions.

Feeling a renewed sense of purpose, I directed Bob to the main house and tried to breathe in the calm and peace I so desperately needed. It was useless, though, because as soon as I saw the three big men standing just off the front porch, all reasoning went out the window. I didn’t feel anything close to calm.

I stopped Bob when we were still twenty feet away from them.

“Morning.”

Rhett looked like he’d just rolled out of bed. His eyes were still heavy with sleep and his clothes were disheveled at best. He walked closer, eyes on me.

“What’s in the bag? Smells like bacon.”

He got a little too close for Bob’s liking and received a quick nip for it. Bob stomped and tossed his head from side-to-side, awarning for them to stay away. It was clear to me that Bob was picking up my energy and reading the guys as a threat.

“Whoa, boy.” Rhett grinned up at me, unphased. “Your horse has an attitude, huh?”

I took the bag off and swung it to him. “Breakfast. I’ve seen at least a dozen things that need to be worked on already so I’m going to get started.”

Arlo came closer, keeping an eye on Bob. “Why don’t you sit with us and eat while we talk about what all needs to be done here?”

---