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Even at seventy, Sterling Perry was an intimidating figure. His brown hair was graying at the temples, but that was the only sign that he’d surrendered to the years. Liam waited for the man to respond, even though he was pretty sure what he’d have to say. He wasn’t wrong.
Sterling frowned. “Mike Hagen isn’t foreman until you’ve completed your debt to me, Liam. You’re almost clear of it, so just do your job when I tell you to do it and we won’t have a problem.”
Liam was caught and he knew it. He’d given his word to work off his debt to Sterling, and until the old man told him it was paid in full, Liam didn’t have a choice. Which the cagey old bastard knew.
When Sterling picked up the phone and started dialing, the dismissal was apparent. Liam had to swallow back his anger. There’d be no argument here. Sterling ran his ranch like a kingdom, and like any good king, he didn’t take any crap from the peasants.
So it looked like Liam was going to a party.
Frustrated, angry and ready to bite someone’s head off, Liam stomped out of the office and got halfway down the hall before Esme Perry stopped him.
“Wow, Dad has quite the effect on you.”
He turned his head To look at her. “Not in the mood, Esme.”
“This about the big engagement party?”
“You know about it?” He turned to watch her stroll down the staircase as she had the last time he’d had a meeting with Sterling. The one that had gotten him into this whole mess. “Do you actually lurk on the staircase waiting for me to get in a fight with your father?”
She laughed a little. “Believe me, I have better things to do. As for this party, everybody knows about it. Supposed to be a big event. The Hemsworths aren’t known for their subtlety.”
“Great. Are you going?” he asked, thinking if she was, then he didn’t have to. Who better to represent the Perrys than one of them?
“Oh, hell no,” she said, laughing. “It’s all on you, Liam. You’re the representative this time.”
“Lucky me.”
“No, lucky me,” she said. “Ellen Hemsworth is a silly twit. She gives me a headache.”
“She’s a piece of work all right,” he muttered, remembering the woman hopping up and down waving a gigantic diamond in the air. Then he remembered Chloe standing there in her jeans and boots, looking and acting nothing like her sister.
“Thank God all Chloe shares with Ellen is a last name,” Esme said, as if reading his mind. “She’s smart. Capable.”
“Yeah,” he murmured reluctantly. “She is.”
“I like her.”
He heard the curiosity in her tone. Liam shot her a look. “Is there a point to this?”
“Do I need one?” Esme laughed and shook her hair back from her face. “Honestly, Liam, I’m not blind. And I do live here. I’ve seen the two of you together, and you look pretty cozy to me.”
Liam shouldn’t have been surprised that people at the ranch—Esme and her father included—had noticed he and Chloe spending time together. But it irritated him just the same.
“People pay too much attention to things that aren’t their own business.”
“Probably, but where’s the fun in minding my own?” She came down the last of the stairs and looked up at him. The amusement on her features faded away at the look in his eyes. “Trouble in paradise?”
He glared at her. They might be friends, but he wasn’t the kind of man to talk out his problems and have someone pat his head. He didn’t do “sharing.” “Leave it alone, Esme.”
“God, you’re a stubborn man,” she said with a sigh. “Okay, fine. No more talk about Chloe. Back to the party. Just relax about it, Liam. You’re almost finished here at the ranch. What’s one more event? You’ve only got what? One week left?”
“Little less.”
She smiled. “Well then, you’ll soon be free.”
“Yeah, guess I will,” he said.
As free as he could be with Chloe’s camp at his ranch and him having to see her at least once a month. He didn’t know what the hell he’d been thinking, offering up his ranch for her cowgirl camp. If he hadn’t, she’d have set up shop here at Sterling’s place and he wouldn’t have had to see her again.
