I shrugged. “When it’s about your health and happiness, little sis, I’ll do whatever the hell I have to do. And so will he.”
Harlow pressed a kiss to Grant’s chin. He turned his attention back to her, and I was suddenly invisible. I had started to tell her I was leaving for Los Angeles when she turned to look at me. “You aren’t leaving tonight. You’re staying the night and seeing your niece in the morning. Then you’re eating breakfast with us. I want some time with you before you take off to deal with Daddy.”
I wanted to get back to Reese, but I was also exhausted, and she was right—I should see Lila Kate first. I nodded, and Grant chuckled. “What?” I asked him.
He smirked. “It’s fun to see that she has you wrapped around her little finger, too.”
I would deny that, but I loved Harlow, and it was hard to tell her no.
Besides, if I saw Kiro while I was exhausted, I wasn’t going to do any good. I could make Harlow happy and be productive when I finally dealt with him.
Reese
Last night, the bed was lonely without Mase. I’d finally managed to get some sleep, but it wasn’t enough. I’d woken up yawning. Before Maryann got there to pick me up, I fixed a large pot of coffee and put it in the thermos that Mase usually used.
I heard Maryann’s truck pull up and quickly grabbed my lunch and the thermos. Running out to the truck, I realized it wasn’t Mase’s mom driving but Major. I opened the passenger-side door and stuck my head in. “Are you my ride?” I asked, making sure he hadn’t just shown up looking for Mase.
His grin always looked like he was keeping a big secret. “Yep. Maryann had to help with some complications with a calf. She told me to give you a ride.”
I climbed in and put my things down on the seat beside me before buckling up. “Thank you,” I told him.
“You’re welcome. But I’ll be completely honest here. She promised me biscuits and gravy, so . . .”
I laughed. Mase was always complaining because Major ate all of his momma’s food. From what I’d heard, Major didn’t have much of a mom, so I kind of felt sorry for him. But then again, he had slept with his last stepmother. Maybe he didn’t deserve my sympathy.
“Talked to Mase?”
“Yes. He called last night when he landed in Florida to let me know he was going to see Harlow.”
Major let out a long sigh. “That family is wack.”
Mase was a celebrity’s kid. Life wasn’t supposed to be normal. But apparently, it was worse than I had realized. “He seems worried,” I said simply.
Major glanced over at me before he pulled out onto the main road. “He is worried. But he’s only worried about Harlow. If it wasn’t for Harlow, he wouldn’t give a shit about Kiro. That man may have given him life, but he’s not Mase’s dad.”
I had to agree, though it made me sad to think that he didn’t have a relationship with his real father the way Harlow did. Kiro had missed out on knowing this wonderful man he’d helped create.
“So how’s the job going? Liking it? Ready to quit?”
I opened my thermos and yawned. “I like it. Piper’s really great to work for.”
He nodded. “That’s good. Sucks you couldn’t go with Mase, though.”
Yes, it did suck.
“You reckon he’s gonna pop the question soon?”
Pop the question? Huh? I frowned and put my thermos down. “What question?” I asked.
Major looked at me like I was joking. Then he laughed and held up his left hand. “ ‘Will you marry me?’ That kinda question.”
Oh . . . Oh! I hadn’t thought of that yet. Sure, I was planning on my future with Mase, but this wasn’t something I was expecting anytime soon. We had just started living together.
My silence made Major chuckle. “Guess not,” he replied.
I looked over at him, wondering what he expected me to say. Luckily, he was pulling up to the Stouts’ ranch, and I could end this conversation soon. Once he drove up to the stables, I’d be free. I had no answer for him other than that I doubted it.
When his truck came to a stop, he turned to me. “Just out of curiosity, is that silence because you don’t want him to ask you that question or because you think he doesn’t want to ask?”
I decided to take a page from Captain’s book and be honest. “I think he isn’t ready. We’re still kind of new. If he was really ready to marry me now, he would have asked already. I think he wants to wait until we’ve been together for a while.”
Major nodded and then shrugged. “Maybe,” he said, then tipped the front of his cowboy hat at me, much the same way Mase often did. “Have a good day, Reese.”
I got out of the truck fast before Major could think of any more nosy questions.
Two hours into work, I had drunk my entire thermos of coffee and was working on a new cup from the coffee pot in the office. I was kneeling on the floor, looking for a file that Piper had called for, when the door to my office opened, and in walked Captain.
I was not going to be rude today. He had said he wasn’t flirting with me, so I wasn’t going to be so defensive. We would be working together for a while, and I needed to find a way to do that without feeling I needed to keep my guard up. Besides, I wasn’t normally a rude person. It was hard to do.
In light of my new attitude, I gave him a smile. “Good morning,” I said. I could see the surprise on his face. I wasn’t going to let him say something “honest” and mess this up. “I’ve got to look for a file for Piper, then I’ll help you with whatever you need.” I went back to hunting for the file.
“Did I walk into the wrong office?” Captain asked.
I knew he was going to say something. He had to. It was the way he was. I flashed him another friendly smile. “Nope. Just trying to make this easier. I have no reason to be defensive with you if you’re not flirting with me.”
Finally, the file appeared, and I grabbed it. I stood up and dusted off my jeans before walking back behind my desk. “More paperwork for me to file?” I asked.
He tilted his head and studied me. Well, crap. This was supposed to be easy, but he was going to make a big deal out of it. “Not today. I actually need to see a receipt I brought you last week. If you’ll point me to the right cabinet, I’ll dig through to find it.”
I nodded. “OK. The second drawer has files labeled with the dates on the receipts.”