I curse under my breath and step back into my room, taking the beer with me.
Goddammit.
Through the crack in the door, I watch Joaquin turn to Abel, holding up his hands. I wonder what he’s going to say. I would assume he’d say it doesn’t mean anything, though the thought of him doing that draws even more tears.
Who’s the dramatic one now?
Grinning and gesturing with his overnight bag, Abel cuts off Joaquin’s explanation. “Who am I to judge? I've got Taylor and Oliver waiting for me at his house. We’re spending the weekend together.”
“Again?”
He nods, his cheeks coloring. “Yeah. Again.”
I watch Abel make his way down the stairs and through the space, then out the door. Joaquin turns, peering at me through the crack in the door, looking almost as lost as I feel about this whole situation.
Pushing the door open, he pulls me into his arms, holding me tight.
“I feel a little guilty about the fact that I’m your boss, but…you are too full of goodness and sunshine to let that stop me.”
I duck my head, heat rising in my cheeks. Swallowing, I straighten myself and try to look him in the eyes. It takes me a few attempts, but I get there.
“You know that you are a good boss, Joaquin, right? You just got here, and already so many processes are better. And it isn't like Wick and Sparrow weren't doing their jobs, but…”
He lifts his shoulders. “I’d already worked out the solutions to some of the problems based on what they told me. They made it easy for me to come in and look like I know what I’m doing.”
“Did they give you the fixes?”
“Well, no. But once we talked through it, I kind of felt like the solutions were obvious. Plus, I know when to let the experts take over.” He gestures at me with his bottle. “For example, you have an eye for small details that I'll never have.”
I shrug. “I spent years on the road with Luke. Details were my stock-in-trade,” I say, ignoring the guilt I feel over the missed details in Luke’s last professional ride.
“Hey,” Joaquin says, tapping under my chin, “my son told me all the wonderful ways in which you kept his husband safe and sane on the rodeo circuit. That accident was not your fault.”
We’d been set up to fail by Luke’s fucking ex, but that doesn’t stop me from thinking I could’ve prevented it. Never mind that he’s told me repeatedly that he’s never regretted his accident because it led him to Sparrow.
My thoughts are interrupted by another soft kiss from Joaquin.
“Just wanted to get your attention,” he says, his eyes twinkling. “Like I said, you have a great eye for details, so when you say that the gutters need to be cleaned, I just let you do your job. When Wick says he thinks the stallions don't like the angle on the collection dummy, I’m not going to spend a week dodging horse ejaculate when he can figure out the solution in a fraction of the time.”
Rubbing the back of my head, I shoot him a grin. “It’s kinda sexy, the way you boss us.”
He pops his thick brows. “And here I thought you found me sexy because I've got a thick cock and a full head of hair.”
I snort, rolling my eyes even as stupid tears start to fall again. Why does this all hurt so much?
His hands automatically come to my face. “Colt, cariño. Que paso? Why are you crying? I thought that was a solid joke.”
I roll my eyes, then look away from him. “It's fucking embarrassing.”
I try to stop, but before I can get a hold of myself, my face crumples, and I cry even harder.
“Sorry,” I say, shaking out my hands. “I'm really, really sorry. I hate being a big ole baby.”
His expression is heartbreakingly kind as he leans in for gentle kisses on my cheeks, then my lips. Pulling me into a hug, he whispers in my ear, “It’ll be okay.”
I shake my head against his shoulder. “I don't think so.”
He holds me, letting me shed a few more tears.
