This place was his life.
And it was struggling.
Colette was the key to turning things around.
If Marshall blew it, he could be messing things up for his own future, as well as Colette’s. He waved as he stepped out the door, releasing a slow breath and resetting himself. He did his best not to watch those rose-covered pajama bottoms as she came up to the window and lowered the curtain. Finally, she was listening to his sage advice.
But it was too late.
A creep had already seen too much.
Marshall zipped his coat impatiently, guarding against the chilly night breeze. His heart raced as the images of Colette assailed him once again. He looked forward to a shred of normalcy as he approached the main house.
Watch a show with Pablo Picasso.
Savor a glass of that bourbon and consider what exactly dual-factor authentication was. It sounded impressive.
Take a really, really long shower.
CHAPTER 15
The reassuring sound of his boots scuffing against the concrete barn floor set Marshall’s spirits at ease. Feeding the animals, cleaning, and keeping the ranch running on schedule helped him center himself. He planned on a nice, long ride. His mind would be fully occupied as they moved the cattle to graze in a fresh pasture, giving the shorn grass a chance to recover and maintain its overall health. Rotating fields was part of maintaining a stable environment and thriving ecosystem. It was important to the King family that the ranch benefit the land, not just take from it. They had implemented some practices that Marshall was proud of, and he had so many more ideas to improve the ranch in the future.
His ears perked up at the sound of voices intruding on his thoughts.
“Wow, do I detect coconut? So delicious,” he heard his cousin Lachlan’s voice saying.
“And oats? So nutritious,” a deep voice he recognized as Chip’s added. “It’s divine.”
What were those goofs talking about? Oats? Maybe they were feeding the horses or something. Running his palm through his beard, he stopped dead in his tracks as he watched Chip,Lachlan, Buzz, and Ernie stuffing their faces and standing around his desk.
Colette had mentioned he needed to be more careful about who had access to his office, but this was ridiculous.
“Did I miss a memo about a meeting this morning?” Marshall asked, his mouth turning up into a half-smile. All four men turned at his question.
“You will not believe it,” Ernie, another farm hand, gushed. “Our new accountant brought us cookies. Can you believe it? Cookies!”
“She’s so nice,” Lachlan continued. “Agnes never made us cookies.”
Marshall’s brows gathered together as his eyes rested on the vintage floral tin, lined with parchment paper and filled with the same cookies he had been drooling over the night before. She had brought them for the guys, even after he had suggested she shouldn’t. Glancing back up at the men picking up the treats and laughing as they gorged themselves on Colette’s cookies, his vision clouded with red.
“Marshall? Are you okay?” Chip asked, his easy-going smile gleaming against his black beard as he bit into his treat. Of course Chip was perfectly charmed by Colette and her cookies—why would Marshall have any cause to be upset? His eyes narrowed on the cookie Chip was holding. The guy was huge and would definitely beat him in a fight, so Marshall let him have it.
“I’m…fine. But you guys should get back to work.” Stepping in between the men, he slammed the cover on the tin and clutched it to his chest, daring anyone to object.
“Dude. She said we could eat the cookies. Why are you taking them away?” Lachlan asked, frowning.
“I’m tired of people being in my office all the time. This is a private area for me only. And maybe Colette. You guys are getting way too distracted. I’ll take care of these and meet youguys out in the fields.” The men’s eyes widened as they took in Marshall’s completely unwarranted scowl.
Raising his hands in submission, Lachlan nodded for them to file out of the office.
“No problem, Marshall,” he said, his voice trailing as he spoke. “We’ll meet you outside, then, I guess.”
With a resolute nod, Marshall watched the men leave, his furrowed brow refusing to ease until he was alone in the office with the tin.
Wow. People were just using his office for socializing now. Things had gotten way out of hand, and he was glad to put an end to it, as Colette had wanted him to. Glancing around to make sure no one was watching, he closed his office door and leaned against it. The metal pop of the tin lid made him worry people would hear, but Marshall didn’t care. He pulled out one of her cookies and bit into the soft, perfect treat. His eyes rolled back in his head, and he groaned as he savored the combination of flavors hitting his tongue.
If the guys wanted desserts, Betsy made plenty. Cookies, brownies, blondies, muffins, cupcakes, you name it. They could gorge themselves on what the ranch cook made for them.
