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Annabel shrugged as she glanced at Liam, who nodded. “Sure. I think I remember him saying something about it. But what does that have to do with Wade and Bri?”
Elijah faced Wade, his smile widening further. “You could get a job working for Mr. Callahan.”
“What?” Wade stiffened, setting his shocked expression on each of his siblings. “Absolutely not. I’m not some grunt who’s going to let the likes of Zeke Callahan boss me around.”
Annabel’s gaze landed on him, and much like their brother, she grinned. “Think about it, Wade. Bri only comes out here when we tell her we need a hand.”
“Yeah, and we still have plenty we can ask her to help with,” Wade said.
She shook her head. “You’re gonna run out of stuff eventually, and what if she decides she’s done helping?”
Wade avoided looking directly at Annabel. He wasn’t sure how she continued to hit the nail on the head when it came to his love life. But here was one more example of her figuring out what had happened. “Yeah, so? That doesn’t mean I should get a job at her ranch. She’d hate that.”
Elijah nudged him. “But she wouldn’t be able to tell you to leave. That would be her father’s decision.”
Wade shoved him back, his eyes darkening. “I told you, I’m not going to work for Zeke Callahan. Nothing is worth leaving this place. We have enough work here, and I’m—”
“You can delegate,” Annabel cut in. “We’re all adults, Wade. We’re getting our feet under us better with every month that passes. And with the younger ones heading to college, we’ll be getting even better. You’ve done so much for us—allof us. You deserve to be happy, and if Bri is part of that, then you shouldn’t give up.”
Wade placed his glass on the counter and crossed his arms. “Okay, so spell it out for me. How does working for her father help me win her over? You guys know her. She’s as far from being a daddy’s girl as anyone we know. She’s rebelled from Zeke’s rules since she was a kid.”
“It’s not that you’re getting on Zeke’s good side,” Elijah offered. “It’s that you have a reason to be on her property and more opportunity to spend time with her. The more you see her, the more she’s going to be worn down.”
Wade scrunched up his face. “Now, doesn’tthatsound romantic.”
Lucas, who had been quiet during this whole exchange, finally spoke up. “They’re making a good point, Wade. Forced proximity is as good as any plan I’ve heard.”
“I thought you wanted me to leave her alone?” Wade shot back.
His brother shrugged. “Maybe I agree with Annabel on one thing. You deserve to be happy, and clearly, Bri is part of that. Talk to Mr. Callahan and see if he needs an extra pair of hands. Then see if that will give you more of a chance to be with Bri. Either she’ll figure out that you can make her happy, or she won’t. It doesn’t hurt to ask, right?” He was the one who looked most like Annabel out of all of his brothers. They might have been twins if they hadn’t been born two and a half years apart. His blue eyes were clear, and his halo of wavy blond hair made him the one most of the girls in town noticed.
Wade let his focus bounce from one sibling to the next until he finally landed on Annabel. “If you’re wrong—”
“I’m not.” She gave him a reassuring smile. “You’re a good man, and Brielle would be lucky to have you. She’s just… I dunno… blind right now. She’ll figure it out, though, cuz she’s not an idiot either.”
* * *
Wade slowedhis truck and stopped right before he went under the sign stating he was driving onto Slate Rock Ranch. Not only the biggest ranch around, but it was also the most profitable. Brielle was practically Copper Creek royalty, and he was…
Well, he was a peasant trying to claw his way into being relevant. He’d made a goal for himself that by the time Charlie was old enough to get married, they’d have enough money to get her settled on her own piece of land.
That goal didn’t seem quite as attainable now as when he was a teenager. It had been hard to feed twelve mouths. But they’d made great progress over the last two years with Shane’s help. Now all he hoped was that Mr. Callahan would see that growth and not immediately turn him away.
The man would be expecting his arrival in the next five minutes, and with each second that ticked by, Wade grew more anxious. He couldn’t believe he’d let Elijah and Annabel talk him into this. He had a job. He was doing well in his role as not only the head of his ranch but the head of his family.
This was the definition of insanity. Literally. He was doing exactly what he told Brielle he wouldn’t. He was chasing after her.
Wade groaned and yanked his gear shift into reverse, but then something stopped him. He glanced up at the sign again. This wasn’t about Zeke. It wasn’t about Slate Rock Ranch or even about the wealth of the family who owned it.
This was about Brielle and the feelings she elicited in him.
Should he walk away and leave her in peace?
Probably.
Would he forgive himself if he gave up before exhausting every route he had available to him?
Never.
