Her Billionaire Rancher Boss Page 13

  “Benedict? You talked to Benedict?” Shit. What had he said? No doubt he’d suggested that the sheriff lock up Javier and throw away the key.

  She’d kill him. No matter that he was her boss. No matter that she might be in love with him.

  The sheriff looked at her oddly. “Well, yes. I understood that Mr. Merrill spoke with your brother as well.”

  She turned the stink eye on Javier, who simply looked away.

  “Anyway,” the sheriff said, “I talked to the manager and explained that Javier has no record and has never been accused of anything like this before. That he’s about to graduate high school, he already has a job, and he’d be entering vocational school in the fall.”

  She dumbly absorbed that recitation. How did this sheriff know all this? How did he know and she didn’t?

  Vocational school. In the fall. When had that happened?

  “Considering too that there was no real evidence your brother had done it,” the sheriff continued, oblivious to her confusion, “I convinced the manager to drop the charges.”

  She blinked. It was over then. Javier was rescued.

  But not by her. Talked to Benedict, indeed. Benedict had engineered this somehow. She could tell.

  His frigid act all week, his insistence that she let Javier take his punishment—and all along he’d been arranging this. Behind her back.

  Oh yes, she was definitely going to kill him, once she thanked him for getting her brother off.

  “That’s great to hear,” she said with forced cheer. “I can’t thank you enough.”

  “When Benedict and I discussed it, we agreed that this young man has a bright future.”

  She ground her teeth together at the mention of that name.

  “We wouldn’t want something like this to mar it,” the sheriff finished.

  “No,” she got out through a tight jaw. “We certainly wouldn’t. Thank you very much.”

  And outside again, to have yet another confrontation in front of the sheriff’s station.

  The sun was dipping low, the afternoon light fading into evening. It should have all been so perfect: a beautiful night, her brother out of legal trouble and off to some kind of school.

  But she felt like tearing a phone book apart with her bare hands. Javier bounded out with a wide smile, which she most certainly didn’t return.

  “What’s the matter?” he said, his face falling. “Aren’t you happy?”

  She stared at him for long moments, in that uniform that looked too old for him. He looked too adult, too responsible. What would their parents say if they could see him in that uniform?

  She couldn’t say. They were gone and it was just her and Javier. She supposed it only mattered what they said to each other—not what their parents might have said.

  “I am happy,” she said slowly. “And a little confused. And… hurt.”

  He ducked his head. “I guess I should have told you I talked to Benedict. But he asked me not to.” He dug the toe of his heavy boot into the sidewalk, like he’d used to do with his sneakers when he was little. “Benedict’s a good guy. He likes you.”

  Benedict was not a good guy. Good was uncomplicated. Easy. Good didn’t go behind her back.

  Liked her. She wasn’t even touching that one.

  “When did you talk to Benedict?” she asked quietly.

  “He called me the day after the… arrest. Said he was sorry for thinking I was guilty when there was no proof.”

  He might have said so to her as well. The jerk.

  Javier went on. “Benedict had Ángel come talk to the sheriff and explain about my job. And, uh, he helped with the vocational school stuff.”

  That familiar irritation rose in her. She’d saved so much for him to go to college. Vocational school seemed like a waste.

  Benedict knew how desperately she wanted Javier to go to college, and he was helping her brother go to vocational school? How could he do that?

  She was going to stop this nonsense right now.

  Pilar, you be ready to listen. Really listen.

  Pilar had promised Ms. Ramirez she’d do just that—if Javier would talk to her.

  Javier was finally talking to her about the future.

  She had to listen, no matter how hard it was.

  “Tell me about the vocational school,” she said, trying to be upbeat.

  “It’s great. Benedict took me to see it. They have this amazing CNC machine. You should see the stuff the students have made on it.” His hands flew wide, his eyes sparkling, all of him animated with his excitement.

  “A CNC machine, huh?” She didn’t know what that was, but it seemed to make Javier happy.

  “Yeah, and they have all kinds of awesome classes. I’ve already found like twenty I want to take.”

  Her own mood lightened as Javier went on. He was so excited and happy and exactly how she’d hoped he’d be about college.

  “It’s in the valley,” Javier was saying. “So not far away at all.” He looked hopefully at her. “You can visit really easily.”

  Only if she stayed in Cabrillo—which she wasn’t.

  Was she?

  “Yeah,” she said finally. “I can.”

  But it wasn’t convincing enough, because Javier’s face fell again. “Look, I know you really, really wanted me to go to college. And I know you saved all that money. But… but that’s not what I want.”

  “Why didn’t you tell me you wanted to go there instead of college?” She might not have worried so much if she’d known he had a plan.

  “I tried, but you never listened.”

  He was right. She never had listened to him, had only tried to push and prod him into something he didn’t want to do.

  “I’m listening now,” she promised. “And if this is really what you want to do—if you’ll give it your all—I’ll support you.”

  “Does that mean… will I be able to use that money for vocational school? I mean, I know it’s yours and you wanted me to use it for college, and now that you’re going back to school you can use it—”

  She punched him gently in the shoulder, wanting to hug him but knowing it would be a bad idea in front of the sheriff’s office. “Yes, you can use the money. I was saving it for you, not myself.”

  His expression went solemn. “I’m really sorry things between us have been bad lately. It’s just—you gave up everything to raise me, and I knew you had to resent it. And then you kept saying things about what Mom and Dad would have wanted, but they’re gone, and we’d never really know…” He took a deep breath. “It made me mad.”

  Good Lord. She’d wanted him to talk to her, but this was like a dam breaking. “Wow. Has anyone ever told you that you talk a lot?”

  He laughed. “Sorry. I had to let it out.”

  “I’m glad you did.” She set her hand on his shoulder, as close as she dared come to giving him a hug. “And I never resented taking care of you. It was my privilege. And my pleasure. You’re my brother. I’ll always love you. And I love the time we spend together. Even when you’re being a little shit.”

  He ducked his head as he laughed. This felt so good, to clear the air between them. To laugh with each other again.

  Why hadn’t she listened to him sooner?

  “I should tell you,” Javier said, “I was pissed at Benedict too. I should have been taking care of the tires and the sink. But I let it slide ’cause I was pissed about the college stuff. And then he took care of it all and I was mad at him. And myself. But it’s okay now. We made up. So you two can be together.”

  Her mouth dropped open. Did he really think it would be that simple? Javier gave his blessing and boom—she and Benedict lived happily ever after.

  “No,” she said with deliberation. “Things are okay between you and me—we just need to remember that you have to talk and I have to listen—but things are most certainly not okay between Benedict and me. Things are pretty fucking far from okay.”

  Javier watched her warily. “Are yo
u… are you really that mad at him?

  “Mad?” That word didn’t even come close. “I’m furious. Doing all this behind my back, treating me like I was made of ice all week… Oh, yeah, he’s going to get it.”

  She could almost taste her righteous anger—how delicious it was going to be to tell Mr. High and Mighty Benedict Merrill where he could shove it.

  “Do you think he’ll fire you?” Javier asked with something close to fear.

  “Fire me?” she scoffed. “I’ve already resigned.”

  But she wasn’t half so brave as she was pretending. She realized suddenly that it was one thing to plan to blast him with the flames of her anger, but actually doing it would be quite another.

  And she did need this job for the next three months.

  But Benedict did deserve to be chewed out.

  Decisions, decisions.

  “What are you going to do now?” Javier asked.

  That was the million-dollar question. She clenched her jaw and set her fists on her hips. “Benedict Merrill and I are going to have it out.”

  Javier gave a low whistle. “Thank God I’m not him.”

  “When I’m finished with him,” she said grimly, “he’ll wish he wasn’t him either.”

  CHAPTER ELEVEN

  It was late when Pilar walked back into Benedict’s office, but he was right where she’d left him: slumped in his chair, staring at his computer screen. She had the impression he wasn’t actually seeing anything in front of him.

  He glanced up when she entered, looked at her for the first time in a week, and that blue gaze hit her right in her gut. It was so sad and pleading and…

  No. Be strong.

  “You could have told me.” No sense beating around the bush. He’d know what she meant.

  “I didn’t think you wanted to talk to me.” Quiet yet firm.

  “I didn’t. But you still could have said something. And going behind my back—”

  He held up a hand. “I’m going to let you give me hell since I deserve it. But I need to tell you something. Can I talk first?”

  “Fine.” Although she folded her arms across her chest to let him know how not into this she was. She wanted to get to the giving him hell part and skip all the rest.

  He came around the desk, propped his hip against it, only inches from her.

  An electrical fire started under her skin, smoking just out of sight. Keep it together. All she had to do was to listen to whatever he had to say, tell him off, then head home.

  Scratching her itch for Benedict was no longer an action item.

  “I talked with Josh earlier this week.”

  That wasn’t at all what she’d been expecting. She splayed her hand on the desk, searching for balance. “You did?”

  He nodded, the set of his mouth turning grim. “I didn’t like it, but I did it. I told him that when he came home it would be with a blank slate.”

  She curled her hand into a fist to keep that mutinous appendage from reaching for him. So what if he’d apologized to his own brother? He still needed to apologize to her.

  “Josh will have to work for my good opinion,” Benedict went on. “I don’t give that out for free. But I told him if he wanted a job in the stockyard and to stay in the main house, I wouldn’t stop him.”

  “So you admitted you were wrong?” Perhaps he was ready to admit he’d been wrong about some other things too.

  Maybe she wouldn’t have to give him hell. Maybe she could give him a little heck instead.

  “It’s not my favorite thing to do,” he admitted with a wry twist of his lips. “But I did it. And we… we actually talked then, Josh and I. Which we haven’t done in probably ten years. Well, he talked. I listened.”

  She rubbed at the tears starting in her eyes. Stupid emotions, giving in to him like that. “I just did the same thing with Javier.”

  “How did it go?” So gentle, his voice. She wanted to just fall into his arms.

  No. No, she didn’t. She was still mad at him. Even though she was crying at what he’d said.

  “Fine,” she said. “Thanks for talking with the sheriff and getting Javier into that vocational school.” She took a deep breath and squared her shoulders. “And I’m also really fucking pissed about it. And that you acted like you were mad at me all week.”

  Oh, that had hurt to get out—she was feeling very shaky as well as weepy. But it had to be said.

  He rubbed his neck. “If you want… if you’re that angry”—pain flared in his eyes—“you can quit now. I’ll pay the three months salary, as severance.”

  Charity. More charity. “You just can’t help it can you?” she burst out. “I’ve been your charity case my entire life and you just can’t stop.”

  His face went bone white and he looked as ill as she felt. “I—no, I can’t help it. When I care about someone, I want to protect them. I want to protect you.”

  She closed her eyes, his expression too painful to bear. “I’m still leaving,” she said. “There is nothing you could say that would convince me to stay. Nothing.”

  “I know.” A raw whisper. “Even if there were, I wouldn’t say it. Because you deserve this opportunity to have something for yourself.”

  Benedict suffers in silence. She opened her eyes, his beloved face once more in her sight. Her gut knotted. “Were you ever going to tell me what you did for Javier?”

  “I didn’t mean to keep it a secret forever. I wanted to fix everything for you so you wouldn’t have to worry about it. I was so damn sick of you worrying about everything. And I wasn’t mad. It just… it hurt to be near you all day, but not with you.”

  She released a small, sobbing breath. “It hurt me too. And those things you said about my brother…” She bit her lip. She had to get ahold of herself. The tears were small at the moment—she couldn’t let them get any bigger. Couldn’t let this confrontation break her down.

  He did the eyebrow thing. “You said some pretty harsh stuff about my brother yourself. But you were right—Javier isn’t Josh. You once asked me what I would have done differently with my brother. I said nothing, but I was wrong. If I had known from the beginning where Josh would end up, I wouldn’t have let Dad hush up his first DUI. I would have made Josh take the full punishment.”

  She sniffled long and loud, because she couldn’t hold out much longer, not when he was admitting so beautifully that he’d been wrong. He caught up her hand, and she let him, because it felt so good.

  She wiped her eyes with her free hand. Damn it, she didn’t want to cry. Her fingertips came away smeared with mascara. Great. Now she probably looked like a depressed raccoon.

  “I planned all this stuff for Javier,” she got out. “And he… he wants something so different. Was I wrong to want college for him so badly?”

  “No. But he’s got his own path to walk. Just like Josh will when he gets out. Doesn’t mean that you and I won’t worry about them or wonder how things could have been different.” His face took on a considering frown. “Speaking of Javier, do you know how much Ángel’s shop clears in profit each year?”

  She shrugged. “No. He must have a large overhead, buying parts and paying labor though.”

  Benedict smiled. “That’s a very accountant like answer. Yes, he does have high costs. But he makes five million a year. After taxes.”

  Five million? “What? How do you know that?”

  His shoulders slumped sheepishly. “I, uh, gave him some start up funds a while back.”

  “Of course you did.” How like Benedict. “And I’m still going to worry about Javier, even if he is getting into a multi-million dollar business.” She laughed, although it only held a touch of humor. “We’re a pair, aren’t we?”

  He went very, very still, his hand tightening on hers. Uncertainty pulled his mouth flat, made the blue of his eyes dim. “About that pair business… do you think you can help me with my worries about Josh? And I’ll help you worry about Javier?”

  Was he asking her to st
ay? Or something else? She’d been mad when she’d come flying in here on wings of indignation. But now the anger was gone and she was unsure. She’d had a plan, but did she even want that plan anymore? Did she want him more?

  She did want to leave. But she didn’t want to leave him.

  “Maybe,” she hedged. “You could have said something last week, instead of letting us both stew.”

  “I am the strong, silent type.”

  She laughed. “Yeah, you definitely are.”

  He was watching her so steadily. She felt like she could cling to that gaze through anything. And she wanted to. Wanted to hold tight to him.

  Plans changed. And sometimes they changed for the best.

  Benedict made her feel her best. When she was with him, she didn’t have to be alone, trying her hardest to keep everything together. Maybe accepting his help in keeping everything together wasn’t such a bad thing.

  “If we’re going to make this work, you’re going to have to drop that act around me.”

  His smile was bright enough to melt an ice cap. “You want to make this work?”

  She did. She really did. She could go out and find more in that wide, wide world, but such discoveries were only worth it if she had Benedict to come home to.

  She nodded, and he tugged her into his arms where she nuzzled her face into his shirtfront. He smelled so good.

  “Yes,” she said.

  And that was that. Staying, going—she wasn’t certain how they’d work that out, but they’d manage. They were smart.

  He took a deep breath. “I won’t ask you to stay here in Cabrillo. We can do a long-distance thing, a casual thing, whatever you want.”

  But his arms around her grew tense, and she knew that while he might say such things, he didn’t want to let her go. But at least he was offering.

  “And I have to warn you—I’m going to want to fix things for you. Your car, your sink, your brother’s legal troubles. I can’t help it. I know that bugs you sometimes, but… but I love doing things for you. Making your life easier.”

  Love. He said he loved every inch of her, loved doing things for her…