His jaw tics and he shakes his head, a growl slipping past his lips. “So, what the fuck are you going to do? Tie her to your side? This ain’t a fucking daycare, Tyler.”
I know it’s not a daycare. All I’m trying to do is talk this out with him. I don’t need his attitude for trying to take care of Delaney and wanting her close.
“Are you kidding me? Did you not hear what I just said?”
“Oh, I heard you,” he grunts.
“Then I’m not understanding what the problem is? She’s the mother of my children, Maddox, and she’s going through some shit.”
“Maybe you should wrap your dick, man. You’re running up a tally of baby mamas and every other day there’s fucking drama with one of them.” He lifts a hand and flicks the tip of his hat, pinning me with a hard glare. “Your head is up your ass.”
“That’s rich coming from you.”
“What’s that supposed to mean?”
“Like you’ve always had your shit straight?” I snap back. “There was a time not too long ago that I had to call you on your bullshit.”
His brows draw tight, and he takes a step toward me.
“You better check yourself, Tyler.”
“Fuck that, man. You want to talk about people having their head up their ass, well you’re the fucking king of that shit. You almost lost this place because you let your pride get in the way. I didn’t get on your case about it. Not when I went without pay. Not even when you went and struck a deal with the MC without so much as a heads-up to the men who kept this place runningwhile it was in peril. Instead, I kept my head down and did my job. I gave you time to figure out your shit because you’re not just the man who signs my checks, you’re my fucking friend. But I guess that shit only works one way.”
“Back the fuck up. You’re mad at me for making a decision that regards my business. . . my family’s legacy, is that right? Friend or not, I don’t answer to you. If I didn’t make that deal, I would’ve lost everything, and you would’ve been out a fucking job. You and your son wouldn’t have a roof over your damn heads. There’s a thin line between friend and employee. You seem to forget that.”
Maddox’s words sting and are like a punch to the gut.
“Right, I’m just an employee,” I grunt, nodding curtly. “So, as your employee, I have the right to take vacation days and call in sick yet I don’t do that shit. I’ve been known to work seven days a week. More than sixty-plus hours a week, give or take, without you asking. I’m a damn good worker, and you know it. I’ve never shit on the job. Not even when all that shit was going down with Megan the first go around.”
“No one’s denying that. I know you take pride in this place, and that you’re an asset to the ranch. But man, I can’t have you bringing your girlfriend to work with you.” He drags a hand over his face. “C’mon, Tyler. Do you hear how fucking ridiculous that sounds? My fiancé survived a bomb, and I didn’t act this way. Sure, I moved her and Dylan into the main house with me, but I didn’t drag her around the ranch as my fucking apprentice.”
“Delaney isn’t like Amelia.”
He narrows his eyes into tiny slits.
“Careful, brother, because it sounds like you’re insinuating her life isn’t as valuable as your girlfriend’s.”
“That’s not what I’m saying at all. It’s just that Amelia is tough as nails, Maddox. She’s made an art of picking herself upafter she gets knocked down. Delaney’s dodging blows, but each one leaves a scar.”
“I feel for you, man, I do. It sucks watching your woman take hit after hit, and it’s natural to want to do something to ease the burden, but this ain’t it.”
“I know, but what choice do I have? She can’t go back to work yet. They have to have a school board meeting to vote on whether she's a liability or not. Without knowing where the guy who hurt her is, she’s not safe being out in public. She needs something to do that isn’t keeping her cooped up in the damn house all day.”
It’s not ideal to have her with me constantly while I work, but I can’t think of a better solution. Her being on her own all damn day doesn’t sit well with me. Maybe it has to do with my anxiety toward what happened with Megan. I don’t know for certain. Delaney’s nothing like her, but it’s something that’s tweaking me.
Maddox stays silent for a good minute, turns and eyes the pastures off behind the barn. “I’m not trying to be a dick, Ty. This ranch relies on you. I can't have you managing the staff with your girlfriend connected to your hip. She can stay with you today, but you need to make other arrangements for her. Talk to Della, see if she can find her something to do. She's been up to her ears with the branding of the dude ranch. Maybe she can help her pick out samples and shit."
“That’s not a bad idea.” I swipe a hand over my brow. “I appreciate it.”
“Just make sure she stays out of the way and doesn’t get hurt,” Maddox says, the grin slipping from his face. “The last thing I want for you is her getting hurt out there.”
“She won’t get hurt,” I promise him.
“Make sure she doesn’t.”
“One last thing.” I pull my phone out of my pocket and bring up the video footage from the cameras I installed around my house. “I think I found the culprits that attacked the calves.”
Maddox watches the screen alongside me. The cameras aren’t state-of-the-art like the ones around the ranch, but the feed is pretty clear.The footage shows a pack of wolves stepping out of the treeline, sniffing and hunting for food.
