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“If you need someone to talk to about whatever happened with that call the other day, well, I’d be happy to listen. Your brothers and sisters are, you know, busy.”
“Thanks.”
Asher nodded before turning and giving Dancer’s reins more slack. He wasn’t normally a sharer regarding his private matters, but this week he’d already poured his guts out to one person, and he was tempted to open to another. He’d almost confided in Jace when he hadn’t shared the information with his confirmed brothers and sisters. Maybe he wasn’t ready just yet, but he sensed he could trust him.
As he leaned forward and urged Dancer into a faster pace, he tried to compartmentalize those other thoughts that he had no time for right then. This land and these animals were his responsibilities as much as Harper was, and now he couldn’t separate them. Whoever had brought fear to the Colton Oil offices had expanded that darkness to the ranch now.
Where his daughter lived.
Asher nudged the animal into a canter, grateful that he’d chosen a mount that loved to run. He would take care of his responsibility there, but then he had to get away from the ranch at least for a little while. And he would spend that time with the one other person who might understand how scared he was.
Chapter 11
Willow ground her molars as the buzzer to her apartment sounded for the third time that night. When would it sink in for the guy that she didn’t plan to answer? He’d already tried the doorbell outside the front-door business entrance several times, which also triggered the one upstairs. She’d ignored that, so now Asher had climbed the exterior stairs to her home.
Why had she told him Harper could have the spot at Tender Years in the first place? She should have known better than to believe that he would show up before closing time, as he’d said he would. Men never came through on their promises. Especially ones whose whole lives had been about their “adventures,” whether they were dads now or not.
“I told him not to be late.”
Luna didn’t appear to have an opinion on the matter, her face smeared orange from the squash baby food dinner she’d just devoured. She just kept banging her baby spoon on her high chair and smearing her free hand in what remained of the Os cereal on the tray.
The buzzer hummed for a fourth time.
Luna stopped and listened before resuming with her banging.
“This guy just doesn’t get it.” Willow bent to peek through the oven window at her lasagna, though she’d checked it two minutes earlier.
“I am not—”
The buzz even interrupted her declaration.
“That’s enough.”
She marched to the door, unlocked it and yanked it open. “Don’t you get it? I’m not answering.”
Asher stood on the landing looking back at her. Something, besides the summer-weight checkered shirt he wore, was different about him, but she couldn’t place it. Harper, perched on her dad’s hip, beamed back at her. Now, bringing the baby with him, that was cheating.
“It looks like you did answer.”
“After you rang five times, plus the three downstairs, it was either that or call the cops.”
“Does that mean you’re inviting us in?”
“You didn’t have to bring Harper to register her.”
“Think she’s old enough to stay at home alone?”
“Is anyone at the Triple R ever really alone? How many people live on that property? Eight or so in the mansion, plus staff and ranch hands?”
“Been thinking about this a lot?”
He grinned, but the expression didn’t quite reach his eyes. Had something happened? What was she missing?
“Do you make a point of knowing those kinds of details about all your clients?”
“I don’t know that much.” Her cheeks burning, she cleared her throat. “Anyway, you aren’t even a client yet, and you’re already showing up late.”
“I’m sorry about that. Technically, though, it wasn’t to pick up my kid.” Asher gave his daughter a meaningful look, which she rewarded with a pat to his face from her slobbery hand. He barely winced.
