Well then. Seemed like everyone was taken care of and occupied for the moment. It was early afternoon, but dinner was handled, and I had nothing else to do. Deciding a nap was in order, especially after that orgasm, I headed upstairs to clean up and get some shut eye.
Chapter 13
Ville
Iwatched Jenn interact with the new cook as I sipped my lemonade. They were bantering as if they’d known each other for years instead of half an hour, and that made me gradually relax.
I was still pissed off, though. I wasn’t sure how much Emery had noticed, but I was pretty certain nobody else had. Still, I really, really needed to talk to Carter. Finishing my drink, I got up and squeezed Jenn’s shoulder in passing. I put my glass in the dishwasher and then slipped out of the kitchen.
Carter was talking to Bodhi in the living room.
“Carter? Can I borrow you for a minute?” I asked, hoping I was coming across neutral.
Bodhi frowned, while Carter got up from the couch and walked with me out the door and onto the porch.
“What’s up?” he asked, looking more curious than anything.
I leaned my hip to the railing and took a deep breath to stay calm. “Why wasn’t I told that there was a new person coming in?”
He frowned. “Because we talked about me hiring someone until Jenn feels better. He works for the ranch.”
I felt my jaw tense. “I get that. But I expected people to give me any potential new hire’s information for a background check.”
“It was done. My assistant put out feelers, found Nick, did a background check, and told him to head over.” Carter frowned more. “I don’t see the issue.”
I licked the corner of my mouth as I held tighter on the reins that kept my brain from going ballistic. “It didn’t cross your mind to tell me all thisbeforethis man arrived here?”
“Why would it have? He was for me to hire for the ranch. That has nothing to do with what you’re here for.”
The door opened and Bodhi stepped out.
“What’s going on?” It was a question, I suppose, but it came out as a demand.
“Ville doesn’t like that I didn’t give him a heads up before hiring Nick.”
Before I had time to say anything, Bodhi snorted, then addressed me, “You’re not responsible for any of the hiring here. You’re here to make the place safe.That’syour job.”
Yeah, that did it.
I pushed away from the railing andjustheld myself back from getting into the asshole’s face.
“I’m here because Wren asked me to secure the place for your family. In addition to that, my only job is to keep your supposed best friend safe. How am I going to do that when I don’t know who the fuck you people hire? How long they’ll be here? When Wren is set to arrive in a couple of weeks?” I threw my hands up and turned away, before whirling back. “I get that he doesn’t seem to mean much to you these days—”
“What’s going on here?” I wasn’t sure where Mike had come from, but there he was anyway.
“Difference of opinion, that’s all,” Carter said smoothly. “Nothing to worry about.”
Mike walked up the stairs and stood next to Bodhi and me, looking from one to another. “Is that right?”
In another situation, it would’ve been comical how quickly we both uttered “Yessir.”
In this one? I turned on my heel, muttered something along the lines of “Excuse me” and headed to the cabins.
As I walked, I got my phone out and called Wren without thinking.
It took long enough for him to answer that I’d just come to my senses about disturbing him when I heard the call connect.
“Ville, what’s wrong?” he asked, as if somehow telepathically connected to me.
