“They get along just fine as long as none of them work together.” Noting the confusion running over her forehead like a roadmap, Reed continued. “If you want the sun to shine brightly on your face…you gotta step out of the shadows.”
“English please? Since you’ve left Malibu, your Texan is in full swing. I might need captions,” she teased.
Reed broke out a sardonic laugh, explaining, “It isn’t easy making a name for yourself when your father pioneered the industry. Their father raised them with a strict, firm boot and he wasn’t about to give them a handout. Those boys have paid their dues, and then some, making names for themselves. Nash is known as a maverick in the industry and isn’t afraid to compete against the giants. Not to mention, his instincts for finding oil are impressive even to me and I don’t know shit about drilling.”
“There’s a fine line between ambition and greed.”
“True, but that’s usually when morals come into play. Drive, persistence, and ambition…all run through their blood.” He paused, thinking of a comparison. “It’s no different than you being a lot like your mother, and I would imagine you might be realizing you’ve got some of your father’s traits too. Try not to take too much offense.”
Ember nodded. She privately wondered how difficult it must be for Nash and Sam to measure up to their father. The tiny muscles in her face softened as she pondered. For the last few weeks she’d been trying to tackle a snippet of the impossible task of stepping into her father’s shoes.
I’ll never measure up to my father. Not even close.
“You want a bit of advice?”
Ember nodded.
“Texans prefer to negotiate over whiskey, fishing, or hunting, that way you know exactly what kind of man you’re up against. You need—”
“Are you suggesting I take him fishing?”
“No, I’m suggesting you keep your friends close and your enemy closer,” Reed rattled off the trite quote, eyes twinkling.
Her nose curled in disgust. Voice climbing an octave, she questioned, “Are you suggesting I sleep with him?”
“Hell, no! I was merely pointing out that if you like him—”
“I don’t like him.” She could feel her face turning crimson under the heat of speculation. Ember turned to JC and glared. “Blabbermouth.”
“I didn’t say anything,” JC stammered, her voice shiny with innocence. Squirming under Ember’s hard stare, she shrugged her shoulders, admitting, “Okay, yeah, I told Reed about the cowboy in the suit with the great ass.”
“JC!”
“I couldn’t help it. Come on, it’s a great story. How was I supposed to keep that to myself?” she chimed in an endearing voice. “All right, enough about work and what’s his name and the ranch. What would you like to drink? I don’t have any Panty Droppers, but I did make a mean Sangria.”
“Sangria sounds perfect.”
JC looped her arm through Ember’s, meandering toward the mobile bar dubbed The Happy Hour. Couples were spread out over the property. Men were throwing a serious game of horseshoes and women congregated by the fire assisting kids with sticks and marshmallows. Children ranging from ages three to ten years old ran amuck, riding stick horses, turning cartwheels on the grass, and playing in a game that appeared to be some sort of nerf ball hide and seek.
After a round of brief introductions, Ember indulged in a glass of Sangria while participating in a childlike revelry during a game of giant sized Jenga on the lawn. Tension of the week was lost to the good energy humming through the air.
“Road Less Traveled” by Lauren Alaina came on and Chloe ditched her horse and bolted straight to Ember, tugging on her fingers. “Let’s dance, Ember! Come on! Come on!”
“Okay, okay.”
Following routine, Ember clapped her hands to the tempo, leading Chloe away from the group toward a large oak tree dressed in twinkle lights, boogying through a routine of twirls, pirouettes, and hip wiggles. Chloe lifted her small shoulders to the beat, attempting to imitate Ember’s moves. The little girl put her hands on her hips shaking her bum from side to side.
When the song ended, Chloe held to her finger, bouncing up and down. “Can we do the Whip Nae Nae? Can we?”
“Sweetie, I don’t think it’s on this playlist.”
Chloe spread her feet apart and lifted an arm, pointing to the night sky, readying herself for the next dance. Her favorite dance. “It’s on your phone, silly.”
Ember glanced around, weighing the feelings of embarrassment verses putting a smile on Chloe’s adorable face. There was no real question. The little girl’s giddy grin owned a piece of her heart.
Edging further into the darkness, beneath the wide canopy, she dug through her crossover purse and retrieved her phone, placing it on a white wooden swing hanging from a sturdy arm of the grand old oak. She started the music, breaking down the moves, drive the car, hop from foot to foot, doing the stanky leg, and bop bop then back to drive the car.
Chloe teetered on one foot, stretching her neck as she threw her hands out to the side, singing, “Watch me Superman.”
Ember grooved to the music, entranced by the seriousness splashed across Chloe’s face attempting to remember all the moves.
Out of the corner of her eye, she saw someone standing in the shadows between the house and fire pit. Ember’s heart jolted seeing Nash watching her dance with Chloe. He stared straight at her, one hand tucked into the pocket of his dark jeans, muscles stretching out of his black shirt. His relaxed posture and lazy smile exuded an absurd amount of charisma.
He looked sexy as hell.
Delicious.
Fuck.
Ember struggled to keep a neutral expression as he strolled toward her, leaving a dust trail of sex appeal in his wake. A sexiness that caused nearly every woman’s head to turn. The now familiar fragrance of citrus and leather carried along a light breeze mixing with the earthy scents of sweet grass and hickory smoke, teased her senses. His blue eyes coasted downward to her feet and back to her face.
She stood there, frozen.
Breathing.
Heavily.
“Hey, Nash,” Chloe chimed. “Wanna do the Whip with me and Ember?”
Taking his hand from his pocket, he ruffled her springy dark curls. “Fraid not, squirt. I don’t know how to do the Whip.”
“Ember can teach you! She’s really good at it.”
“I can see that.” His blue eyes shined brightly beneath the twinkle lights.
His gaze swallowed her whole. A severe blush heated her face. Her pulse rocketed, throbbing at the sides of her neck.
Nash gently gripped her upper arm as he lowered his head, brushing his lips near her temple in a social kiss hello. The warmth on her skin lingered. Her insides quivered at the casual, yet incredibly personal, greeting.
“Hey,” she said breathily.
“Nice to see you again.”
The last time Ember laid eyes on him, she was flipping him off in the elevator. She considered saying something shrewd or clever but couldn’t manage a word.
Surprise lifted Chloe’s brows and her eyes widened to quarters as she spread her words out one at a time. “You…know…my…Ember?”
“I do. Is she all yours or can you share her with me for a little bit?”