Bossing the Cowboy (Circle B Ranch 4)

“There’s no doubt about that. I’m lucky to have a job, considering there aren’t a lot of options,” I say as he parks. Stephen runs around the front of the car and opens my door.

I blush. “Thank you.”

“Any time.” He winks, and when we walk onto the porch, I can hear chatting inside.

I knock and am greeted by my uncle Jackson.

“Elle!” he says, grinning. “And she brought a date!”

Instantly, I’m embarrassed.

“This is Stephen,” I explain. “He works with Mom and Dad.”

Jackson slaps him on the back and chuckles. “That explains it.”

I scan the room, knowing Connor’s already here because I saw his truck outside. He’s nothing if not punctual. I’ve been thinking about how I’d act when I finally meet his girlfriend.

Though I don’t see him, I spot Maize chatting with Gavin, Rowan, and Kenzie. I lead Stephen over to them, and he greets everyone he passes.

“Hey, guys,” I say, giving Maize a hug when I’m close.

“Hey, who’s your date?” she asks.

“This is Stephen. He’s a doctor and works with my mom,” I tell them.

Maize introduces herself, and he greets Kenzie, Rowan, and Gavin. Being as polite as ever, he says, “You have a lovely home. Elizabeth informed me it was recently built.”

I see something flash behind Maize’s eyes that I can’t really make out, but she quickly grins. “Yes, well, it’s been a few months, but it took some time to finish. Plus, the Bishops love any reason for a party,” she chuckles and I do too because it’s so true.

She turns to me with wide eyes. “Can I talk to you for a quick sec?”

There’s something up but I can’t place it. “Uh—sure.”

As we turn to walk away, I spot Connor, and my eyes nearly bug out of my head when I notice the little girl standing next to him. Before Maize can explain, I know she’s his daughter because she looks just like him. Looking back and forth between the two of them, I’m at a loss for words. How did I not know he had a kid? If he can hide something as big as this, what other secrets does he have?

Thankfully, Maize breaks the growing tension. “Hey Connor,” she sweetly says. “I heard you brought a little guest with you.”

She leans down to take her hand. “I’m Maize. Thanks for coming to our party.”

“Hello, ma’am. I’m Olivia,” the little girl says. My face heats while my heart rate increases. I’m having a full-blown hot flash.

“Oh my gosh, what a sweetheart,” Rowan says, moving forward.

“How did no one know you had a child?” Kenzie blurts out, and I’m so thankful she has no filter and says what everyone’s thinking.

In typical unfazed Connor fashion, he replies, “Well, you never asked. Her mother lives in New Mexico, and we share custody. She visits over the summer and holidays. I picked her up early for our Thanksgiving celebration.”

It starts to make perfect sense, and I’m actually grateful he shared that much. Typically, he keeps information like that to himself.

I finally find some words. “She looks a lot like you.”

When I meet her eyes, I notice they’re the same color blue as Connor’s. “Hi Olivia. I’m Elle. I work with your daddy.”

With a cute smile, she shakes my hand. “Nice to meet you.”

The only thing that breaks me away from the moment is Stephen’s voice. “Connor.”

Connor stands up a little straighter and looks at him with furrowed brows. “Dr. Burk,” he replies, keeping his tone even.

I turn toward them, and Maize speaks up. “You two know each other?”

“We were friends in high school,” Stephen tells her, and I remember our age difference. I had no idea they were friends at some point.

“Yeah, well…that was ages ago.” Connor reaches out and grabs Olivia’s hand. “Anyway, I’m gonna get a couple of snacks for her. It was nice seeing y’all.” He abruptly ends the conversation before anyone can speak up, and walks away. I can’t help but watch him move across the room, and I know by his stance that he’s pissed.

Before I can say anything to Maize about this disaster situation, she excuses herself. “I’m gonna go say hi to Grandma to make sure she gets something to eat.”

Rowan gives me a look, and Kenzie does too. Stephen’s phone rings, and he excuses himself and steps outside to talk.

Immediately, Kenzie shakes her head, looking back and forth between Rowan and me. “What the hell just happened?”

“I don’t know,” I admit. “I feel stupid as hell, though.”

“Why?” Rowan asks.

I lean in, whispering only loud enough for them to hear. “The only reason I brought a date is because Maize told me Connor was.”

Rowan sucks in a breath. “And that backfired.”

Kenzie snickers. “It’s never easy for us Bishop women, is it?”

“Hell no,” I tell her, frustrated over this whole situation. “I wish there was alcohol here.”