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It wasn’t so much the text itself, but the stuff it didn’t say. You aren’t the one who should be doing the work. You’re above it as manager. Had Bennett asked him to do that, to pick up the slack, instead of working to help a business he knew nothing about, that would have been perfect. Hell, it might’ve changed his mind about leaving at all. But even before he’d signed on to be Steel Born’s second half Bennett had steered Jax away from the things he loved most.

It was a kick in the nuts that Bennett had advertised the one damn role Jax would be happy with on the ranch instead of asking for someone good with numbers to come on in his place after Maggie was back at work.

Jax asked about that, and Bennett’s response was quick and brutal.

“Can’t have Marshall Brothers without the “brothers” part, huh? Lemme know what Manny says.”

Jax kicked the dirt outside the barn and uttered a few choice words his mom wouldn’t have tolerated. It wasn’t like he didn’t appreciate his brother’s stance on this particular issue. It was his dream that the two of them had made a reality. But wasn’t a decade of support enough? When would it be Jax’s turn to chase down and rope his own future by the horns?

His phone rang, and he frowned before he looked at the lock screen. If Bennett didn’t let this go, Jax was gonna give him a piece of his mind… He swiped open the call, ready to wrestle, but he never got the chance.

“Hello, Woody.”

His frown dissipated at the familiar voice; one he didn’t want to strangle with a lead rope. He could do without the childish nickname, but it’d stuck since he was a toddler and carried around a Woody doll from Toy Story everywhere he went.

“Speak of the devil in an apron. Long time no chat, Mom. How’s Dallas?” His mom and Mae ran a bakery catering business for local events but had just recently decided to expand their options to outside Deer Creek. She’d been at a conference for female entrepreneurs the past week, and he had to say, his life was decidedly quieter without her meddling.

“I’m home, thank God. You know I was the oldest woman there by two decades? I feel like the crypt keeper in an apron, actually.”

He laughed. “I’ve never thought of you as old, Mom. Wise, yes. But old, never. Until I can out-energy you, I don’t think I’ll dare, thank you very much.”

“That’s why you’re my favorite youngest son.”

Jax smiled and traced an outline of a rodeo cowboy in the dust built up on the side of the barn.

“Well, welcome home. Am I right in assuming this call is inviting me to the family dinner at your house?” Usually, the guys and Maggie met up with Mom three nights a week for a catch-up over dinner, but between the uptick in gigs for his mom’s company and the conference, it’d been two weeks since they’d all gotten together.

That was fine by him. He wasn’t in the mood to be the level of civil to Bennett that his mom would demand, but he missed her. He could be on his best behavior for a night, couldn’t he?

“You know me too well. Maggie and Bennett will be here, obviously, but I heard she has a friend in town.”

Jax swallowed, but his throat dried up like he’d licked the dust off the barn siding. He’d managed to keep the woman off his mind for—he looked at his watch—two hours now. Almost a record since she’d arrived.

“Uh, Jill, yeah. Why?”

“Because if she’s a friend of Maggie’s, she’s a friend of ours.”

Jax paused, waiting for the anvil to drop on his chest, putting him out of his misery.

“Or did I get that wrong?”

He winced. “No, you’re right. She’s Maggie’s right-hand woman and is here helping Maggie do the hands-on Steel Born stuff. I’ve actually been reassigned to partner with her until the CAF at the end of the month.”

Why—why—did he add that last detail? He could practically hear his mom smile on the other end, her hooks ready to slice into the opening he’d left her to meddle.

“Is that right? Well, then, you have to invite her. I’d love to hear how the partnership is going.”

“Don’t you think this dinner ought to be about you, Mom? I mean, you’re expanding your business and it’s pretty impressive. You can get to know Jill over coffee at Mae’s sometime.”

There was a fraction of a pause. He’d protested too much, hadn’t he? Dammit.

“Phooey. I told you all you boys needed to know—I felt old, I learned a lot, and I think I’ll hate myself in a month for taking this on, but bygones and all that. Invite Jill and I’ll see you at six thirty.”

“Why don’t you invite her? It’ll mean more coming from you.”

And he wouldn’t have to face Jill’s not-good-enough-to-know-her sneer she always managed when he was around. It was one thing coming from his brother, but from a woman like Jill, someone he wouldn’t mind hanging his hat up for a while for, the rejection was a knife twist.

But she’d made it plenty obvious a relationship was off the table.