Holding You (Love Wanted in Texas #3)(58)
Scott’s eyebrows raised and I wished like hell I could read his mind. Was he angry with me for speaking about this? Was he going to tell me to get out of his office? I couldn’t read his eyes at all.
“Lauren has expressed some concerns with me, sir.”
Clearing his throat, Scott moved about in his chair again. “Concerns?”
Nodding my head, I kept talking. I was in too deep now to turn around and drop it. “She feels like you don’t think she can run this ranch without um . . . well, without help from . . . ah.”
Narrowing his eyes at me, Scott leaned forward. “Spit it the hell out, Colt.”
“Well, um, she said you told her she needed a man to help her run the ranch and she fears you’re going to stick her in the office with her mother and that is the last thing she wants. If you take me on these trips and keep Lauren out, she’s gonna think I’m pushing her out of what she considers her position within Reynolds Breeding. Sir, the last thing I want to do is have Lauren feel like I’m taking something from her. I love her too much to do that to her.”
Leaning forward, Scott placed his elbows on the desk. His eyes were burning with something. Anger? Yep. That sure looked like anger to me. Fuck. He’s going to give it to me. Good-bye trips to Kentucky and New York.
“She told you I said she needed a man to help her run the ranch?”
“Um . . . yes, sir, she did.”
Something passed over Scott’s eyes. It was gone before I could really tell what it was.
“Tell me, Colt. Where do you think Lauren’s position is in my business?”
Ah hell. He stressed my. Swallowing hard, I thought about how I wanted to answer this question. “Scott, it’s not my place to say where Lauren belongs, or even where I belong. I do know that she loves this ranch. She loves every single one of these horses and I’ve witnessed her first hand with some of them. They love her just as much as she loves them. She has a gift that I don’t really know how to explain. She can calm them with a single touch. She seems to know things about them before she even works with them.” Letting out a chuckle I shook my head. “I’ve even seen her talking to them, and I swear they understand her.”
Looking back to Scott, he was smiling as he listened to me. “Scott, let Lauren help me train the stallion.”
Dropping back in his seat he shook his head. “No. No way do I want her near that horse. No.”
Looking down, I thought about the first time Lauren told me her fears about me and why she pushed me away from her. I would not stand in the way of her dreams, but I knew if Scott didn’t give Lauren the chance to prove herself, it would always be someone in her way regardless of if it was me or some other guy Scott hired.
“Scott, please forgive me if I’m speaking out of line, but you’re making a terrible mistake holding Lauren back from what she was clearly meant to do.”
Scott narrowed his eyes and if looks could kill, I’d have been dead on the floor right now. “That’s my daughter, Colt. My everything. Do you understand that?”
His fists were balled-up as he glared at me. “I understand, sir, but I still think you’re making a mistake and it will ultimately lead to you pushing Lauren away.” Standing, Scott’s chair flew back and hit the set of cabinets behind him. “Do you think because you’re dating my daughter that gives you the right to tell me what she should and shouldn’t do with this business? Son, you are more than stepping over the lines here. You’re just her boyfriend. I’m her father and I have nothing but her best interests at heart. There is no way I’m putting her in harm’s way.”
It was my turn to stand up and ball my fists. “Just her boyfriend?” Shaking my head, I felt the heat move across my body. “I’m sorry, sir, but I love Lauren with my whole life. She is my everything, and if that means standing up to you on this and arguing for her, I’ll do it. Even if it means you ask me to leave. I have faith in Lauren. I believe in her and I know she would do better at taking over this ranch and running it over any guy you bring in here.”
Pointing to me, Scott asked, “Does that include you? Can she run this business better than you?”
Staring into Scott’s eyes, I felt the frog forming in the back of my throat. Clearing my throat, I said, “If given the chance to prove what she can do, and I don’t mean organizing files—”
Scott glared at me when I made that last comment. “I really think, sir, you would be surprised by some of the ideas she has for things.” Letting out a quick breath, I said, “Scott, she is your daughter. This has been her entire life. I can remember watching her follow you around and asking you everything she possibly could about the horses.” Shaking my head, I looked down, then back at Scott.
“Sir, don’t hold her back. She has so much more to offer than sitting behind some desk being unhappy and miserable. The stallion. That is in her blood.”
Reaching back and grabbing his chair, Scott pulled it in close to him and sat down. Motioning for me to sit, I did as he asked. Beads of sweat began to form on my brow, and I was waiting for Scott to chew my ass out.
Looking down at his desk, Scott pursed his lips together and nodded his head. “I’ll never forget the first time I walked into the barn and saw Lauren dragging a stool over to a stall. She couldn’t have been more than four or five years old. She climbed up onto the stool so she could reach Blazin’ Fire. Damn that horse was a bitch of a mare. Hated everyone but she had some of the best racing bloodline in her than any other horse I had before or since her. Blazin’ walked up and looked over the stall door at this tiny little curious thing. Lauren reached up and said, “Fire Girl, let me touch you.”