Page 25 of Secret Baby for the Triplets

“I came to check on Lana,” Andy complains. “And tell you that we need more chicken feed and tacking supplies… and the pads…”

He trails off as if he suddenly realizes his mistake in bringing it to my attention.

My eyes narrow, and I look accusingly at his daughter. “I gave that order to Lana two weeks ago. All of that should have been here by now.”

Lana purposely raises her eyes toward the ceiling, and I stalk toward the desk where she sits. I rifle through the pile in front of her, and I find the order buried beneath a stack of doodles.

Are you kidding me?

I glare at the order form buried under her doodles. “Didn’t you send this in two weeks ago like I asked?”

It’s obvious she didn’t.

Lana stares at me like I’m speaking a foreign language, and I swallow my ire. It’s my own fault. I should have followed up, knowing how incompetent she was, but there’s only so much I can do. This is exactly why we need a proper ranch administrator.

“Never mind,” I sigh. “I’ll put a rush on it. Is that all?”

Before he can respond, I hold up a hand. “You know what, forget it. I’ll come out myself with Emerson and do a thorough check myself. She should get a handle on inventory anyway.”

“You can go, Lana,” I say when they continue to stare at me. “Thank you for all that you’ve done.” Although I say it with kindness, I hope the sarcasm isn’t lost on her.

Lana’s eyes fill with tears. “You’re firing me?”

“What kind of gratitude is that, Brock?” Andy barks. “She did you a favor by filling in!”

We would have been better off not having her here at all,I almost counter.

The office door opens, and Owen saunters inside, his brow raising as he immediately appears to sense the tension. I catch myself before I say something I truly regret and lock gazes with Owen. His calm presence fills the room, and I can read his thoughts clearly.

Andy is still a valued employee, even if his daughter didn’t live up to her potential.

I steady my breath and count to three, just like Mom taught me all those years ago. I can almost hear her calming voice in my ear right now.

“Sometimes, son, you gotta be the bigger person, even when it’s painful.”

“You know how much we appreciate you helping us out,” I begin again, collecting myself. “But this was a temporary position. I apologize for not letting you know about the new hire sooner.”

“You can’t just keep her around and find something for her to do?” Andy asks on her behalf.

“Emerson is a better fit for the office position, and she’s already moved into the coach house,” I say firmly. “And I don’t need anyone in the office part-time. The decision is made. I’m sorry, Lana. Now, I’m sure we can find you something else to do around here if you’re looking for work.”

“Like what?” she asks.

“Maybe you can help out the ranch hands in the barns, baling hay or?—”

“I’m not mucking out stalls!” she protests, springing to her feet to fold her arms across her chest defiantly. “Daddy!”

Andy stares at me angrily. “Brock…”

I meet his eyes sternly. “Last I checked, this is still my ranch, Andy. And Lana knew the position was only temporary. I don’t have time for this.” I look at the teenage girl. “Lana, if you want a job, report to the barn, and talk to one of the boys there. Otherwise, I don’t know what to tell you. Thank you for your help these past few weeks. We will give you an extra week’s pay for the inconvenience. If you’ll excuse me…”

I don’t let either one of them respond before stalking into my office, where Emerson waits in a chair, eying the door warily as I close it with too much force.

“Did I take her job?” she asks nervously.

“Hardly.” I roll my eyes and gesture for her to join me behind the desk. “Don’t worry about her. She was told the job was temporary when she started. Come sit with me, and we’ll go over the budgeting and reports. How familiar are you with payroll systems?”

She perches beside me, and I try not to get distracted by her scent, but it triggers something inside me, a memory, fleeting but exciting.

---