Daltons had to kids.”
He set a coffee mug in front of her, turned for his own. Then he dropped into his chair and leaned back, propping one boot on the desk’s corner, then propping the second and crossing his ankles. “Yeah, but none of the guys were around when Tess and Dave needed them most.”
His legs were so, so long. His feet in his boots so big. “I’m not sure.”
“How do you mean?”
“Maybe not in the couple’s later years, but if I recall correctly, they came close to losing the ranch before the boys began working for them.” She tore open a packet of sweetener, poured it into her mug. “The cheap teenage labor probably saved them as much heartache as hard cash, and kept them going as long as they did.”
“Yeah, I guess you’re right,” Josh said, drinking his coffee black.
So the milk and sweetener were for her? How had he known? And why was she still so warm when the air-conditioner was blowing and she hadn’t touched her drink? “I hate feeling like I have to choose a side in this war. The Campbell or my brother. I don’t get why there’s a war at all. The will was clear. The ranch belongs to the boys. It’s up to them to revisit the lease.”
“You don’t have to choose a side. Just do your job. Unless you don’t want to do your job.”
She lifted her mug, stared into it. “You make it sound so easy.”
“Life should be easy.”
Was that what it was like to not be a Campbell? To not expect the worst? To not wake up and smell biscuits and dysfunction? To not skip the biscuits completely because picking up breakfast tacos for the office left no time?
Jesus.
She couldn’t imagine what tomorrow morning would hold, at home, at work…
And whether it was Josh’s influence or her own suddenly weak will, she decided she wasn’t going to be there for whatever it was.She needed time to work out what
she
wanted. And she couldn’t do that while at The Campbell’s beck and call.
She returned her untouched drink to the desk. “I hate to ask—”
“Ask.” Josh swung his boots to the floor, sat forward, met her gaze and held it. “Anything, Darcy. Just ask.”
And then it hit her. If life was easy, he’d made it so. Things with Josh were simple, clear, cut-and-dried. That left no room for the sort of theatrics her family thrived on. Involving him more than she already had wouldn’t be fair. “Would you mind driving me back to the office? I can’t go anywhere without my car.”
He held her gaze then gave a nod as if coming to a decision. “Can you drive a manual transmission?”
“Sure, why?”
“Why don’t you just take my truck? I can use the company truck for now.”
“I can’t ask you to do that.” To be so generous, to continue their involvement.
“You didn’t ask. I offered.”
“I know, but—”
“I’m guessing your walking has something to do with the will and the lease and the trouble it’s causing your family.”
“In a nutshell.”
“Well, the way I see it, there’s no need to see your father again until you decide what you’re going to do. And you
should
take your time. No need to rush.” He let that sink in then added, “There’s never any need to rush.”
His gaze held hers until her eyes burned, until her throat swelled, until her chest tightened. She needed to blink, but couldn’t look away, could only listen. Could only dream and imagine and wish that she wasn’t a Campbell, that he wasn’t a Lasko.
He went on, reaching across the desk for her hand and wrapping her fingers in his. “What’s the worst he can do? Fire you?Disown you? Dax got on with his life just fine without Wallace Campbell running it.”
She hated Josh thinking she had no mind of her own. And she started to tell him she was the one running her life,
thank you very much
, but stopped because the truth struck her like a two-by-four. Yes, she’d made the decision to become an attorney, but as much as she loved the law, she’d done so because Dax
He set a coffee mug in front of her, turned for his own. Then he dropped into his chair and leaned back, propping one boot on the desk’s corner, then propping the second and crossing his ankles. “Yeah, but none of the guys were around when Tess and Dave needed them most.”
His legs were so, so long. His feet in his boots so big. “I’m not sure.”
“How do you mean?”
“Maybe not in the couple’s later years, but if I recall correctly, they came close to losing the ranch before the boys began working for them.” She tore open a packet of sweetener, poured it into her mug. “The cheap teenage labor probably saved them as much heartache as hard cash, and kept them going as long as they did.”
“Yeah, I guess you’re right,” Josh said, drinking his coffee black.
So the milk and sweetener were for her? How had he known? And why was she still so warm when the air-conditioner was blowing and she hadn’t touched her drink? “I hate feeling like I have to choose a side in this war. The Campbell or my brother. I don’t get why there’s a war at all. The will was clear. The ranch belongs to the boys. It’s up to them to revisit the lease.”
“You don’t have to choose a side. Just do your job. Unless you don’t want to do your job.”
She lifted her mug, stared into it. “You make it sound so easy.”
“Life should be easy.”
Was that what it was like to not be a Campbell? To not expect the worst? To not wake up and smell biscuits and dysfunction? To not skip the biscuits completely because picking up breakfast tacos for the office left no time?
Jesus.
She couldn’t imagine what tomorrow morning would hold, at home, at work…
And whether it was Josh’s influence or her own suddenly weak will, she decided she wasn’t going to be there for whatever it was.She needed time to work out what
she
wanted. And she couldn’t do that while at The Campbell’s beck and call.
She returned her untouched drink to the desk. “I hate to ask—”
“Ask.” Josh swung his boots to the floor, sat forward, met her gaze and held it. “Anything, Darcy. Just ask.”
And then it hit her. If life was easy, he’d made it so. Things with Josh were simple, clear, cut-and-dried. That left no room for the sort of theatrics her family thrived on. Involving him more than she already had wouldn’t be fair. “Would you mind driving me back to the office? I can’t go anywhere without my car.”
He held her gaze then gave a nod as if coming to a decision. “Can you drive a manual transmission?”
“Sure, why?”
“Why don’t you just take my truck? I can use the company truck for now.”
“I can’t ask you to do that.” To be so generous, to continue their involvement.
“You didn’t ask. I offered.”
“I know, but—”
“I’m guessing your walking has something to do with the will and the lease and the trouble it’s causing your family.”
“In a nutshell.”
“Well, the way I see it, there’s no need to see your father again until you decide what you’re going to do. And you
should
take your time. No need to rush.” He let that sink in then added, “There’s never any need to rush.”
His gaze held hers until her eyes burned, until her throat swelled, until her chest tightened. She needed to blink, but couldn’t look away, could only listen. Could only dream and imagine and wish that she wasn’t a Campbell, that he wasn’t a Lasko.
He went on, reaching across the desk for her hand and wrapping her fingers in his. “What’s the worst he can do? Fire you?Disown you? Dax got on with his life just fine without Wallace Campbell running it.”
She hated Josh thinking she had no mind of her own. And she started to tell him she was the one running her life,
thank you very much
, but stopped because the truth struck her like a two-by-four. Yes, she’d made the decision to become an attorney, but as much as she loved the law, she’d done so because Dax
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