Page 88 of Truck Stop Titan

“I’ve got it covered. Just bring yourself. I’ve missed you. It will be nice to catch up.”

I laid my phone on the desk and finished typing up the proposals Tango had emailed earlier, the knot in my stomach tighter than it’d been all day.

I still hadn’t heard from Dane, and I refused to call him. The ball was in his court. Maybe I’d scared him away. So be it. I would survive. Heck, I’d thrive.

Tango came out of his office, his green eyes popping amidst the dark purple bruising around his face, and stood to the side of my desk, head down, raking a hand through his hair. “Hey. Have a minute?”

“Considering you’re the boss, all my minutes are yours.”

He laughed, shoving his hand in his pockets and nodding to his office. “In there, where it’s private.”

“Do I need to bring a notepad?”

“No.”

I followed him inside his office, and walked to the window, enjoying the view of Lake Willow. Boats of all shapes littered the water, and a parasail caught my attention in the blue sky. “It must’ve been great growing up in this town.”

“No better place to raise a kid, far as I’m concerned.” He stood at my side, and sighed.

“What did you want to talk about?”

Tango turned to face me. “I heard.” He dropped his gaze to my stomach, then met my eyes. “And don’t be mad at Slade for telling me. She was worried about you.”

“I won’t let it affect my job. You don’t have to worry.”

“I’m not concerned about your job performance.” He stepped back, resting against the window sill. “I wanted to assure you that my feelings for Dane Reynolds will have no bearing on our work relationship.”

“I appreciate you saying that.”

“That being said,” he continued, crossing his arms, “I would never hinder Rocky and Mim’s friendship. I know how important they are to each other. But if that piece of shit is going to be part of your life, I’ll have to respectfully request that he is never brought into this office, or anywhere near my family.”

“Tango, I—”

“And,” he interrupted, “if he hurts you, or Mim, in any way, there will be consequences.”

Protective instincts bubbled to the surface. Dane would never hurt Mim. He’d never hurt me physically. He could only hurt me emotionally, and only if I allowed him that power, which I had no intention of doing.

Curiosity got the better of me. “What did he do to deserve so much hate?”

Tango dropped his arms, the veins in his hands popping as he clenched them into fists. “That’s between me and Dickface. He wants you to know, you’ll know.”

I nodded, unsure how to respond.

“You and me, we’re good.” He headed toward his desk. “Your job is secure. That’s one thing you don’t have to worry about. And if you need anything. Anything. Don’t hesitate to ask. We take care of our people, and you’re one of us now, okay?”

“Thank you, Tango.”

“Oh. And fair warning.” A sinister grin lit his face. “Rockster can’t keep a secret to save his life. I’m sure everyone knows that you’re pregnant by now.”

“Perfect.” I feigned annoyance, despite the relief lifting my spirits.

“I’m sure Lettie will offer her services.”

“I just got off the phone with her. She invited me for dinner.”

He laughed. “Yeah. She’s gonna work you.” He shifted a paper on his desk. “Little advice? Let her be your doctor. Nobody smarter than that woman. And, it’ll do her good to get back to work. Put all that fancy, expensive medical equipment at the mansion to good use.”

“Thank you, Tango. I was nervous about dropping the baby bomb on you. You just lifted a thousand-pound weight off my shoulders.”

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