Free The Billionaire’s Tenacious Boss (The Maxfield Brothers Series Book 1) by Leslie North Page A

to see him. And you do make an effort. I guess I didn’t realize how much of an effect it had on him.”
    “Okay. Well what can we do?”
    “First you’re going to curb that temper of yours. You know that it was part of our problem, and I’ll be damned if you take your frustrations out on Ben,” Suzanne said in a stern voice. “And then we’re going to figure out a more strict schedule and stick with it.”
    Startled, Stephen looked up. “You’d do that for me?”
    “Ben needs his father,” she said with a smile. “Come on. Let’s go say goodnight to him.”
    Together, they walked to Ben’s room. It broke his heart to see that Ben had been crying, and when he saw them, he immediately turned his back to them. “Ben,” Suzanne said in a small voice. “Can we talk to you?”
    “What do you want?” he mumbled.
    “First of all, you need to turn back around and look at us,” she said in a harder tone. “I know you’re upset, but there’s no need to be rude.”
    With a sigh, Ben sat up and faced them. Stephen sat at the edge of the bed and looked at him. “Ben, I know I’ve missed some important things this year. It’s been hard to juggle schedules, but I promise I’m going to do better, and your mom is going to help me.”
    Hope bloomed in Ben’s eyes. “Really?” he asked in a soft voice.
    Stephen smiled. Relief flooded through him. His son still wanted to see him after all. “There are games and events that I’m still going to miss, but I’m going to come to as many as I possibly can. And your mom is going to let you stay with me some weekends. Would you like that?”
    His son nodded and reached over to hug him. Stephen felt a great weight lift from his shoulder as he reached over to hug his son. Finally, the boy crawled back under the covers, and Stephen kissed him goodnight.
    When Suzanne said her goodnights, they flipped off the light switch and quietly closed the door.
    “Thank you,” Stephen said in a hushed voice. “The fact that you’re willing to do this means the world to me.”
    “Good. And just so you know, I like her.”
    Stephen raised his eyebrows. He knew who she was talking about, but he played dumb. “Who?”
    “You know who. Don’t let this feud with your father get in the way of your chance at happiness, Stephen.” She leaned over to give him a peck on the cheek before she entered her bedroom and closed the door.
    Stephen thought about what she’d said as he finally lay down to sleep. It wasn’t his father as much as it was Angie herself keeping them apart.
    That, and the fact that he wasn’t entirely sure he could trust her.

9
    S tephen enjoyed spending time with Ben for the rest of the weekend, and it was over way too soon. Sleep-deprived but otherwise happy, he dragged himself into Gabe’s office. “You needed to see me?” he asked, yawning. Nathan was already seated in one of the chairs. Stephen took a moment to glare at his two brothers. They both looked so alert and at ease. Stephen had spent all weekend stressing out about having Suzanne so close to Angie. It didn’t make it any easier when he realized that the two women were actually getting along really well.
    And he’d spent every spare moment he had talking with the manager of his own company, trying to fix things there.
    “Why do you think that Duncan invited Suzanne and Ben over this weekend?”
    So much for small talk. Stephen slumped into the chair and shrugged. “Probably he thought that Ben would take my mind off the company for a while,” he lied.
    Gabe knew him too well. Or maybe he knew Duncan too well. “And it had nothing to do with the glances that you and Angie were exchanging Friday night over dinner?” he asked wryly. Stephen didn’t say a word, but that didn’t stop Gabe. “Why are you messing with her?”
    “I’m not ‘messing’ with anyone,” Stephen said softly. “And if I were, it’s none of your business.”
    “It’s my business when it affects the company. I