Tied Up, Tied Down (Rough Riders #4)(76)

“Funny. Pay the damn rush charges. What was the other thing?”


“Nadia wants to talk to you after lunch break.”


Skylar looked at Annie. “Thank God she actually showed up today. Do you know what she wants to talk about?”


“I have an idea.”


“Something you’re going to share with me, Annie?”


“No. But as long as you’re already in a pissy mood, I might as well tell you I heard what Kade said the other day and he was right about external safety issues around here.”


When Sky started to protest, Annie stopped her. “Don’t bite my head off. We’ve talked about this. I oughta say, I brought it up and you ignored me. As the owner you make sure all the internal safety equipment surpasses OSHA standards. All the MSDS are up to date. But, that’s not all there is to creating a safe work environment. Most of your female employees have been in bad situations with men, including myself, which you knew  when you hired us. So, I don’t understand why we have a security gate we don’t use and no alarm system whatsoever.”


“Um? Hello? Because we’re out in the middle of nowhere?”


“Sweets, you’re a great boss, but you have the attitude bad things don’t happen in Wyoming. Bad things do happen here, less frequently than in LA, but we’re still somewhat untamed in the Wild West. In some respects, cowboys are like them gangbangers, never backin’ down from a fight, always lookin’ for a way to avenge themselves when they think someone done them wrong. Especially if they were wronged by the woman in their life. Like Nadia’s husband. Are you denying that is a potentially volatile situation?”


“No.”


“Don’t deny that if you had this exact same business in LA, you wouldn’t dream of leavin’ the door unlocked or the gate open. Those security type things woulda been the first things in place.”


The truth punched her in the gut like freight train. Holy crap. Annie was exactly right. Kade had been right. How could she have been so oblivious? Because she was seriously overworked?

And whose fault is that?

Annie kept going. “I figured you’d take care of the oversight after you gave birth and Eliza was on the premises, things’d change and you’d see the external safety problems.

But you haven’t.”


Half in a daze, Sky asked, “Then why didn’t you just handle it? Order the security components, hire the installers? You are the office manager.”


“We both know that’s a courtesy title. You’re the owner, you’re in control, and you make no bones about that. I can’t even order the damn lotion bottles without your approval.”


Hadn’t she sworn she’d delegate rather than do everything herself? Especially after Eliza’s birth? And here she was stuck in the same pattern she’d been stuck in her whole life? Would she never learn she wasn’t superwoman?

“Go ahead and snap off a smart question like ‘If you feel so unsafe and unappreciated here, why are you still working for me?’ ”


Skylar absolutely recoiled.

Annie shook her finger. “What’s wrong? Why aren’t you defensive? Full of pride.

Glaring at me, unwilling to admit when you’re wrong?”


Hadn’t Kade accused her of the same thing? She swallowed, but her voice still was barely audible. “Because I was wrong, Annie. Fix it, however you see fit, okay?”


“Good.” Annie sidestepped a pile of papers and slammed the door.

Startled by the sound, Eliza started screaming.

Sky wished she could scream right along with her.

She was still sitting on the floor an hour later when Nadia knocked. “Is this a bad time?”


“No. Come on in and pull up a piece of carpet.”


It surprised Sky when Nadia plopped down. But she focused on Eliza. “She’s a beautiful baby. She has your cheekbones.”


Skylar tried to remember in the last month if anyone had mentioned Eliza resembled her in any way. She heard Kade’s rumbling voice, s he has your cute little upturned nose.

I’m hopin’ she gets your freckles too. And your laugh. I love your laugh.

“She has your disposition.”


“Marvelous. I’m the picture of well-adjusted, aren’t I?”


Nadia sent her a panicked look. “No. I meant, she’s very vocal.”


“Thanks. I think.”


“Trust me, that’s a good thing, to not be afraid.” Nadia wrapped her arms around her up-drawn knees. “Look. I want to apologize for putting you in a bad position all these months by asking you to lie to my husband.”


“It’s understandable.”


“No. It’s not and I’m sorry I missed work the last two days. But after Rex showed up here…and Eliza’s father…” Sky’s gaze snapped up. “He did the right thing, when it wasn’t the easiest thing. When most people don’t get involved. I hid behind the blinds and watched a man I didn’t know from Adam, stand up to Rex, because he was trying to protect you and everyone in this place, including me—who he didn’t know from Adam—