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“That’s what we were going to say. What the fuck is wrong with you?” Jack asked. “You just fucking had to antagonize her, didn’t you?”
“And take a chill pill? You really fucking said that,” Hudson added, the man finally cursing under his breath. “Plus all the rest of the shit was ridiculous.”
“She started it,” I said, immediately regretting my words.
The two men continued staring at me as if I’d lost my mind.
Yep.
I had.
Exhaling, I rolled my eyes. Yep. If Pops could only see me now. “I don’t know, man. She just… I wasn’t expecting…” I had to laugh. I couldn’t even finish a decent sentence because she really had gotten under my skin. So much so I was sweating like some crazed lunatic.
Or American pig.
Great.
The Irishmen were all staring at the three of us as if we had twenty-five heads. Perfect. I stormed away from my friends toward the building that I assumed contained the office. Why the hell we’d met on a construction site was a decent question, but I had the feeling there was a hell of a lot more going on in the background.
I opened the door, walking in and feeling like a complete asshole. I’d showed my ass many times in my life, but not in this way. Nah, I wasn’t proud of myself, but that’s what the little filly brought out in me.
Sean remained staring out the window of his office, the tension obvious.
Meanwhile, I stood just inside the door, shifting back and forth from foot to foot.
“I started this company when I returned from serving in the military where I met your father. I had a lump sum of one thousand dollars left from what little money I’d earned serving my country and a dream. My older brother offered to help and he did for a little while but construction is his baby, his dream. Plus, he and I are like oil and water. I had to work on a rig for five more years while trying to get it started up, but I did it. I’m proud of myself for sucking it up and doing the best I could. I worked my butt off to provide for the woman I adored. She was my everything. When I was finally able to produce my first barrel of oil, I thought I’d struck gold. I took an expensive bottle of champagne home to my then wife. That’s the day I learned she was pregnant with our first daughter, Erin. I was a proud papa. My baby girl Rylee, my little sunshine came three years later.”
I heard the pride and love in his tone and felt more uncomfortable than before. I scratched my head, my skin crawling as I tried to figure out what to say to the man. Did he want my apology?
He finally turned around to face me, studying my eyes as if I’d just assaulted his daughter. I guess in a way I had. I wasn’t the kind of guy to feel a whole lot of guilt about anything so the whole thing was strange to me.
“I understand about working hard, Mr. O’Rourke. I plan on doing that for you.”
“Your father spoke about you many times over the years. Did you know that?”
“No, sir. He rarely talked about his military days.”
He nodded, half smiling. “Axel was a private man, but he adored you, so proud of everything you accomplished in your life. He wanted nothing more than for you to take over the rig he purchased with his life savings.” He studied me for a few seconds. “He told me you were ready to jump ship, maybe even leave Washington State.”
The conversation was one I’d yet to have with my father. I’d known what his reaction would be. “I don’t know what I’m going to do. Rigging is hard work.”
“You bet it is, which is why I don’t want Rylee forced into the life for the rest of hers.”
I wasn’t entirely certain what he was trying to tell me. “I understand.”
“I hope you do because she’s a special woman. So you know, your father is hoping you’ll be re-energized for taking over since he’s retiring in a couple months. The rig needs a stronger leader, a man who can keep the riffraff from taking over.”
The fact my father had confided something in a man he hadn’t seen in fucking twenty some years instead of his own son didn’t sit right with me. And why did I have the feeling he knew more than he wanted to tell me? The two men had secrets. I could feel it in my bones. Sean continued studying my reaction, likely gauging my ability to do the job.
“Excuse me, sir. Why are you telling me all this?”
There was no hurry in the man’s actions as he eased to the front of an old-style metal desk, sitting down on the edge. “Because I need to ensure you’re the right man for the job. You’re not working for me, son. You’re working with my daughter. She needs some men she can trust. I think you got a taste of how… difficult she can be. But she has a heart of gold.”
“No offense, sir, but I wished my father would have told me a woman was running it.”
“What difference would that have made? I mean, really? She’s a strong-willed woman who has a mind of her own. She’s very capable of doing anything she puts her mind to. Plus, she takes after her daddy, much to my dead wife’s chagrin. But notice I say work with and not for.”
“I’m not certain what you’re getting at.”
