Page 16 of Stirring Up Trouble
He fucking winked.
Now, obviously, death was the only option because I couldn't have anything coming between me and my future. It was only fair.
It might have been a distant future. One with a low probability of even happening since I wasn’t all the way sure what I intended to do with the man who’d stolen my eye.
But I did know what I’d do with Corny.
Sure, I could fire him. Maybe let him go somewhere else. But what if he got a wild hair to track down Robin later?
Like at the Coleman ranch, which he apparently spent his time at.
I knew Atticus Coleman well. Had worked with his men through various channels for years. And though my stepfather was never a fan, I understood that he had taken his father's ranch and turned it into something even more amazing than it was.
Leslie calling in the favor was merely because I wasn't all that great at asking people for help. It was easier for me to outsource that.
But her handling Robin and his suitors would not work for me. I had tried to be rude without being mean. I wanted to push him away without pushing him too far.
It was stupid of me. I knew that much because it was the whole'pulling the pigtails'on the playground kind of scenario.
How would I ever get the man to care about me or love me if I treated him poorly?
Yet, I knew that it would only take one smile from me, one kind of word, and the two of us would be embroiled in something that would completely disrupt my plans.
I needed the rodeo to go well. Needed the ranch to keep growing.
I was trying to do what Atticus had done. I wanted to revive this ranch, to have people put their trust in me. And while I didn't have all the fancy features he did, I knew that I could build something great too.
It would just take time and focus.
The rodeo was the initial obstacle. After that, I would have more room. I'd have more time to assess for the future.
“Do I need to call a dentist to come check you? You're clenching that jaw awfully hard there, Blaze,” Leslie drawled as she dropped into the empty chair across from my desk in the makeshift office at the back of the arena.
I shook my head as I drummed my fingers on the top of the wood. “I don't need to see a damn dentist. I’m fine.”
She kicked her feet up and put her hands behind her head. “Oh yeah, I'm sure you are. Got yourself a cute little man here who's interested, but you can't do anything about it all because there are made up rules in your head. Pretty dumb to me.”
“It's not dumb to want to focus on what's important right now.”
Her head dropped back as she groaned loudly. “Do you even hear yourself? What does any of this matter if you don't have someone to share it with? If the love of my life, the woman of my dreams, the fairest of them all, strolled into this stadium tomorrow, I would put both middle fingers in the air at you and run off with her to have a good time. And that's saying something because I love you, and I love this place, and I want to help. But sometimes you got to be a little selfish. Besides, I would bring her back, and we would get to work afterwards. You know, the initial part's important too. The whole claiming and letting them know they matter bit.”
I chuckled at her fervent plea. “It is different for me, you know. Besides, what am I supposed to do about liking him? Before shit went down, I’d thought I’d find a woman to settle down and build a family with. Hell, I’ve been dating women my whole life. And before you give me a whole ass speech, we both know that I'm not bothered by this new change, obviously. I can accept that I find this man attractive and would like to be with him romantically. But it just feels too…” I stopped, unsure of the word.
Leslie dropped her feet and leaned forward, elbows to her knees, as she stared at me, serious for once.
“It feels different, I know. It might even feel a little strange because it's not what you're used to. And I know that your mind is probably already twisted up trying to figure out how you'll be a Daddy to him when that's not what you had imagined. But,” she held her hand up when I began to protest, “but nothing elsereally has to change. Yeah, some of the logistics of body parts is a little different, but sex is sex. Really, it just comes down to you learning and caring and embracing this man who is damn near perfect for you. Did you see your horse? Because I did. I was damn near having a heart attack all the way across the arena. She won't even let me pet her, yet she was basically claiming him as hers.”
I smiled as I thought about my angel. She was hell on four legs, that was for sure. Part of the reason I loved her so much is because she could keep people at bay.
And yet Robin had made it through her shields. He had gotten her attention in a good way. It was like a vote of confidence from her to let him pet and nuzzle her that way.
I knew that everyone would be talking about it because my horse was legendary.
At the same time, I couldn't really do anything about it.
I couldn't make all my decisions based on a few small facts.
“You got to let it go for now, Leslie. Whatever happens, happens. We don't have long before everything gets moving. It's day one, and I want it to go off without a hitch.”
