Not really, but for so long, it was all I could do. Now that I could read better, I had other options. I was just worried about whether I could focus on reading and writing in a pinch if I got stressed out on the job. “It isn’t my dream job, but I’m good at it. If something better came along, I’d take it. I want to move on from cleaning houses.”
Blaire smiled. “Yeah, I wanted to move on from being a cart girl when I worked at the golf course, so I completely understand.”
“Reese.” Mase’s voice was a relief, and I looked up to see him standing in front of me. His gaze shifted from me to Captain.
“Kipling, was it?” he said, looking confused and a little angry.
“Colt, was it? I hear it’s actually Manning,” Captain replied, and he looked up at Mase with a bored expression.
“Mase, this is my brother, Captain, but his real name is River Kipling,” Blaire explained.
“Brother?” Mase asked, shooting her a curious glance.
She nodded. “Yep.”
“Small world and all that shit,” Captain said.
“Yeah,” Mase agreed, then held out a hand to me. “Thank you, Blaire, for watching over my girl and giving her some company. Harlow’s good and coming out to enjoy her daughter’s party now.”
Blaire looked relieved. “Good.”
I slipped my hand into Mase’s and stood up. “I enjoyed talking with you,” I said to Blaire, while avoiding eye contact with Captain.
I thought I heard a low chuckle at my obvious slight of him, but I ignored it.
“I’ll be by the ranch next week with Hawkins to see the cattle operation,” Captain said to Mase.
Mase nodded his head. “See you then.”
I could tell I wasn’t the only one who didn’t like Captain River Kipling.
We walked across the yard, and Mase got me another drink. As he turned to hand it to me, his eyes focused on something, or someone, behind me.
“Kiro,” he said simply.
Kiro. As in Kiro Manning. I’d watched Dean Finlay jump off a rock with his grandson into the water, and now Kiro Manning was standing behind me.
“Glad you made it. Harlow wanted you here,” a deep voice replied.
Mase glared at him. “I’ve never let my sister down.”
The man behind me made a hmph sound, and Mase’s back went rigid. I reached over and ran a hand up his arm to try to calm him.
“You going to introduce me to your friend?” Kiro asked. I still hadn’t turned to look back at him.
Mase gazed down at me, and I moved to face Kiro. He was just like all the photos I’d seen of him and moved the same way he did in the music videos. But he’d also abandoned his son for years. I couldn’t forgive him for that.
“Kiro, this is my girlfriend, Reese. Reese, this is my father, Kiro Manning.”
Kiro grinned at me and shook his head. “This boy doesn’t introduce any girls as his girlfriend. You must be something else.”
“Uh, it’s, um . . . nice to meet you.” Kiro smirked. It looked so much like Mase’s smirk that I stared for a moment in fascination.
“I got to go find my granddaughter and see if I can’t get her from Grant long enough to take her inside to see Emmy,” he said, then walked off.
Mase didn’t seem surprised by his father’s abrupt departure at all. Instead, he touched my lower back and led me away. “Let’s find something to eat.”
Mase