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Elena’s lips slightly curved as if she were saying,“Well, doll, why don’t you tell me?”
“Can you let me finish before you fly off the handle, sweetheart?” I said it nicely, and Fiona wrapped herself around me.
“Elena, you mentioned some concerns. I think it’s best you address them directly with Fiona.”
It was grossly unfair, but the words were out before I could weigh them. Was I testing Elena? Or myself? OrFiona? Or was I just bumbling around because I didn’t know what the fuck I was doing?
Elena narrowed her eyes. “I don’t think you want me to do that, Duke.”
Fiona turned to Elena, her voice sharp. “Well, I do.”
Elena raised a brow at me, but if she was surprised, she didn’t show it. “Alright. This morning, you yelled at Allison, who’s the kid who cleans your room by the way, for not changing your towels?—”
“That stupid cunt went complaining about how she can’t handle her job?”
“Thatexactly is the problem,” Elena pointed out.
I felt Fiona go stiff on my lap as Elena continued. “Last night you called Ben a lazy asshole because he said he couldn’t saddle horses for you this morning. He had a dentist appointment and had to be in town.”
Compared to Fiona’s bubbling fury, Elena’s cold calm was even more discernible.
“Fiona, this is a working ranch and not a resort. We’re not here to take care ofyourneeds; we’re here for the ranch. Ally takes care of the house and helps Itzel and Miss Patsy cook for the ranch hands and the cowboys.” Elena then stopped talking and smiled softly. “I have several other examples of how you’ve been treating the people who work at the ranch, and it’s unacceptable.”
Fiona’s jaw tightened. “How dare you?—”
“And for your clarification, Wilder Ranch is my employer.Youare a friend of Duke Wilder, who officially hasn’t taken over the ranch and won’t until the will is read tomorrow. And even then,youare not our employer.If you were, I can guarantee every man and woman who works here would walk out.”
I wasn’t supposed to enjoy my girlfriend being ripped a new one, but I was because Elena was beautiful in how well she spoke compared to Fiona’s sputtering. Also, I was sick and tired of Fiona behaving the way she was. I’d always known that she only respected those with more power than her—here the dynamics weren’t as clear, and she actually thought she had more power than Elena and Hunt. She didn’t. They ran this place.
“Duke, I hope you can take things from here.” Elena rose. “I don’t feel comfortable talking toyourgirlfriend about this matter.” Then, she tipped her hat to Fiona, set it on her head, turned, and walked out the door without a single word.
“That fucking bitch, how dare she?—"
“Shut up, Fiona,” I ordered flatly.
She whirled on me, eyes wide. “Excuse me?”
I didn’t waver. I set her down and stood up. “First things first, what the fuck are you doing coming and sitting on my lap while I’m having a meeting?”
“Meeting?” Fiona wobbled until she found her feet. “You are my boyfriend and?—"
“I need to know that you understand what she just said to you. Do you?”
Fiona shook her head, still trying to figure out what the hell was going on.
“The ranch hands, the staff in the house, Itzel, none of them work foryou.” I looked her in the eye. “I expect you to treat people with respect…all the people. If youcan’t do that, you can go back up and pack up. I’ll take over the Wilder Ranch project, and you can work from Dallas.”
“You’re kicking me out over this?”
I felt the exhaustion of the last few days settle deep in my bones. “If you aren’t going to treat people with respect, I can’t use you for much.”
For a second, she didn’t say anything. Then, her expression twisted. “I knew it,” she hissed.
I frowned. “Knew what?”
Her laugh was bitter, sharp. “That something’s going on between you and that…farm girl, isn’t there?” She took a step closer, her voice raised. “Admit it, Duke. You feel something for her because I can see it, and it’s fucking killing me.”
“Don’t yell,” I warned, my voice flat.