Page 37 of Boss and Brat

He’d told himself he took this position because he needed steady work, but that lie didn’t hold anymore. The kid had gotten under his skin in one day. One. And now Carter was marching straight into the lion’s den to tell Mr. Evans how things were going to be. He wasn’t sure how that would go.

He knew one thing though—Ethan deserved a chance to be whoever he wanted to be, not whatever his father tried to mold him into. And if Carter had to stand between them to make that happen, he would.

Carter turned into the long drive of the Evans estate with his jaw set and one hand locked around the wheel. He’d been gripping it so hard his knuckles ached, but he didn’t loosen up. Not yet. Not when he still felt the echo of last night—the pounding on the barn door, Ethan’s voice shaking on the phone, the look on the kid’s face when Carter showed up.

He pulled up to the big house, parked, and took a breath before heading to the front door. His boots hit the gravel harder than he meant. Mrs. Evans opened the door before he even knocked. Her eyes searched his face like she expected bad news.

“Morning, ma’am.” Carter removed his cowboy hat.

“Mr. Higgins,” she said. “Is everything alright?”

He nodded once, but the tension in his shoulders didn’t ease. “I’m here to speak to your husband.”

She stepped aside. “Come in.”

Carter wiped his palms on his jeans before crossing the threshold. He never did that. But the house felt too polished, too quiet, and he didn’t want to track in the mess he carried with him.

“How is Ethan doing?”

“He’s doing okay,” Carter said. “Just being Ethan.”

Her shoulders eased a little. “Where is he now?”

“Working at the stables, ma’am.”

Mrs. Evans led him down the hall, glancing back at him more than once. He kept his eyes forward, jaw tight, trying not to think about how Ethan had looked this morning—tired, jumpy, trying too hard to stay out of trouble. The kid shouldn’t have to live like that.

She stopped at the office door. “He’s inside.”

Carter nodded and stepped in.

“Take a seat,” Mr. Evans directed.

Mr. Evans sat after Carter, as if it were a power move. “So,” Mr. Evans said, folding his hands, “what’s on your mind at this early hour?”

Carter didn’t dance around it. “In order for me to do my job and work with Ethan, I need your hands off.”

Mr. Evans’ brow lifted. “What do you mean? I gave you full authority—both on the ranch and with Ethan.”

“You did,” Carter said, “but I need to move Ethan to my cabin.”

Mr. Evans blinked. “He’s being punished by staying alone in the barn. Why would you want him around? He’ll drive you insane.”

Carter leaned forward. “I can’t watch him at night if he’s alone in the barn. He could leave at any point. I want total control to keep him in check.”

Mr. Evans frowned. “I’m not sure how that would look.”

Carter’s voice dropped. “Are you more interested in making your son a man, or do you want to punish him like a child?”

Mr. Evans let out a long breath, rubbing the bridge of his nose like the words pained him. “Ethan… he’s always been the kid who pushes every damn boundary just to see if it’ll hold. Never listens. Never stays where he’s supposed to. You give him an inch, he’ll take the whole ranch and swear it’s your fault for leaving the gate open.” He shook his head, eyes fixed on the window instead of Carter. “He’s got every advantage in the world and still manages to make a mess of it. I don’t know what to do with him anymore.”

Carter shook his head. “You said some guys were after him for money. You didn’t detail that enough.”

“It’s not something I want to discuss in detail.”

“Well, I’m going to,” Carter said. “Last night two guys pounded on the barn door. They had weapons. He’s not safe in the barn. Ethan called me and asked for help.”

Mr. Evans stiffened. “Weapons?”