I only said that to her in a fit of emotion. Her sudden announcement shook me far more than it should have, and I couldn't bear the thought of her leaving the company.
Leaving me.
With a sigh, I closed my eyes and tried to calm my rapidly escalating heart rate. Maybe Aspen was right. Maybe I should tell her how I feel. If she was dead set on leaving anyway, would it really be that bad? If she rejected me, then she'd move on to her new job and we'd probably never see each other again. If she did feel the same way, then we wouldn't be coworkers anymore, and I wouldn't have been violating my personal creed.
Jade's laughter echoed across the kitchen, and I opened my eyes to see her standing with Gabriella and Emma, the three of them could have been sisters laughing together. They looked close in age, so it made sense that they'd quickly bonded with each other. And I couldn't deny being glad Jade was fitting in with everyone.
Which, I honestly should have worried. Even if she hadn't gotten along with the women or my brothers, Mom wouldn't have let her feel unwelcome. Anyone who came to her home, even if it wasn't technically her home anymore, was made to feel like family. It didn't matter if it was a stranger off the street, she always told us to treat people with respect and make them feel welcome. You never know what hardships they've been through, she used to tell us a kids.
I wished I knew what hardship Jade was going through. I wished she'd tell me what it was that had brought about the sudden change in her. But, whatever it was, she didn't feel like she could tell me about it. And as much as that hurt, I couldn't blame her. I was just her boss, not her friend, even if I wanted to be that and so much more.
Aspen nudged me, jarring me out of my thoughts. The way he grinned at me told me he knew exactly what had been distracting me, and I winced. "You know...." he said, his voice even lower. "I heard some interesting gossip from the most adorable little birdie...."
Right away, I knew he meant Holly, the one and only grandchild Mom had gotten out her gaggle of boys thus far. "And what, pray tell, did said birdie have to offer up to an experienced gossiper like yourself?"
"I hear a certain beautiful woman is interested in learning how to ride. Apparently she's never done it before." Aspen grinned broadly, and I knew exactly what he was not-so-subtly hinting at.
I glanced over at Jade again, my heart beating rapidly. It would certainly give us a chance to spend some time together, without the guise of business hanging over us, and without the family crowding around being nosey. Well, without most of the family anyway. I doubted Holly would let me take Jade out for a riding lesson without her tagging along.
Just as that thought crossed into my mind, the little princess of the family skipped into the kitchen. I caught her eye, and she skipped on over, beaming up at me. "What's up?" she asked, still full of bubbly energy.
"Take Jade upstairs and find something to wear for a riding lesson." The girl's eyes widened, and I thought her smile might split her face in half. "Then meet me down in the stables so we can give her her first lesson."
Holly nodded fast enough that she looked like a bobblehead, which made both Aspen and I snicker. "Were we like that as kids?" Aspen asked once Holly had run off to drag Jade away from the other women.
"You were," I said, smirking at him. He had always been the most energetic of the bunch, though he'd mellowed out considerably since our youth. "Now, if you'll excuse me, I need to go find clothes suitable for working with horses. I'd really rather not ruin these clothes with horse dung!"
Aspen's laughter followed as I slipped out of the kitchen. No one else seemed to notice me leaving. Even though I hadn't been to the ranch in a few years, and hadn't lived there in even longer, my room was still much the same as it had always been, with plenty of my old clothes still in the drawers waiting for me. I hadn't grown much since my college days, and much of it thankfully fit. I found a worn pair of jeans and an old t-shirt with a faded college logo on it.
I'd never been one for dressing up when I was younger, but since I'd thrown myself into the business, it was second nature to wear slacks, starched shirts, and suits. Wearing old jeans and a t-shirt wasn't exactly the attire of a Fortune 500 CEO. But as I headed out toward the barn, I realized how much I missed wearing comfortable clothes.
There were definitely going to be some major changes in my life once I got back home.
Jade and Holly were out in the barn when I got there. Jade had changed into a t-shirt and jeans of her own, and the sight of her nearly took my breath away. I'd never really seen her dressed casually either. At work, she always wore professional clothing and at the parties she'd wear tasteful dresses and gowns. Now though...
I had to subtly adjust my growing cock, glad that Jade was busy listening to Holly tell her about her horse to notice. When I walked over though, she looked up in surprise, her eyes going wide as they went up
