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“For fuck’s sake, Frazer, snap out of it,” he growled at himself. It was time to tap into Keith’s exuberance—his positivity and belief that all will work out. “Yeah, right. At least I add some reality to his dreams. Life isn’t only filled with love and the sweet smell of roses. The thorns sting, no matter how careful you are.”
His eyes narrowed as he spotted a shiny reflection at the river’s bend.
“Let’s head to the river. I noticed something over there,” he shouted over his shoulder as he guided his trusted steed in that direction. “What the fuck!?”
Keith and the rest of the posse brought their horses to a halt as Kevin jumped off his. Keith followed suit and quickly caught up with him as he stomped toward the group of men who had cut through Triple K’s fence and were busy putting up a gate.
“What is the meaning of this?” Kevin sounded menacing, but outwardly, he appeared calm. His eyes flashed dangerously as the foreman of the team approached them with marked apprehension. It didn’t bother Kevin. The ire of the Frazer brothers was well known in the parish. Everyone knew better than to fuck with them... especially when it came to their farmland.
“Morning, Mr. Frazer. I’m sorry. I know this is,”—he waved a hand in the air— “somewhat unconventional, but we’re just following orders. The new owner of Splendor Orchard Farm wants to use this path as an access way to the waterfall.”
“Really?” Keith leaned forward. “Without discussing it with us and asking for permission to cut into our fence and use our property as a thoroughfare for tourists? It fucking doesn’t work like that, Sheldon, and you know it! What the actual fuck is he thinking?”
Sheldon grimaced. “She.”
Kevin frowned. “She?”
“Yeah.” Sheldon scratched his head. His expression looked painful. “It’s a she... Aria Harper. She inherited the farm from her uncle. You do remember old grumpy John Harper passed away four months ago?”
“Yeah, Sheldon, we were at his funeral,” Keith interjected. “That still doesn’t explain why you, knowing the laws and rules of ranching, would cut into someone else’s fence without their knowledge.”
“Well, see here, she kinda explained it differently, and it made sense... sorta.”
“What exactly did she say,” Kevin’s patience was running out, quite rapidly, and he didn’t bother to hide that from Sheldon, who shifted uncomfortably under his sharp gaze.
“Well, she said it’s a shared fence and that both owners of the two properties paid to have it put up, so she has as much right to cut into it as you.”
“That’s fucking bullshit, Sheldon, and you know it! John Harper was too stingy to pay for anything.” Keith spat angrily. “This is our fence, on our side of the borderline. We specifically placed it a couple of yards inward, so there would be no disputes in the future. Besides that, there’s no fucking way we will allow a bunch of tourists to mosey in and out of our land through that gate to get to a waterfall where they will fuck up nature when they’re shitfaced drunk.”
“I did try to explain it to her, but... you know me and women. I can’t fight with them, and she... Well, when we heard she inherited the farm, we thought she would bring joy to the place, but she’s a real firecracker and refuses to listen to any of us. We warned her you wouldn’t be happy, but...” He shrugged and offered them a wry smile. “As you can see, I lost the battle.”
“Let’s not waste further time bickering over this. I believe it’s time we mosey on over to our new neighbor, Keith, and introduce ourselves. It’s time the old lady realizes there are laws and rules in Louisiana.”
“Oh, she’s not—”
“I suggest you pack up and leave, Sheldon. This little exercise is over. My men will remove the gate and fix the fence. If you want to remain in Louisiana as a foreman with the opportunity to find another job someday, I suggest you make sure something like this never happens again.”
Kevin didn’t wait to see whether his warning was taken seriously. He jumped on his horse and within moments, he and Keith were riding off toward the farmhouse of Splendor Orchard Farm. He didn’t have to repeat the instruction. His team would have the fence repaired to its original form within a couple of hours.
Splendor Orchard Farm was a guest farm that offered exclusive full-board accommodation, along with trail riding tours. The crème de la crème offering was a night in overhanging tree houses at the towering waterfall, which bordered the Triple K farm. The tour usually ended there, but it seemed the new owner wanted to offer trips to the waterfall to those who didn’t want to suffer the rough three- to five-day trail. The only way access could then be obtained for those kinds of trips would be through their land... which none of the Frazer brothers would ever grant. There were too many variables where negligence in leaving the gate open would cost them large cattle losses.
They were guided to an enclosed corral behind the farmhouse by excited shouts and the sharp whinny of a horse when they arrived at Splendor Orchard.
“Well, slap me silly with a wet fish,” Keith said in awe as they brought their horses to a halt and stared at the petite redhead who was in a battle with a wild stallion—a power struggle between a determined little chit and an animal who refused to be controlled. “Look at that, Kev. We found her... the second time around.”
Although Kevin’s heart rate had rapidly increased upon recognizing the woman, who he now knew to be Aria Harper, none of it showed on his face. He remained stoic as he watched her maneuver the stallion with a strong, expert hold on the reins. He couldn’t help but be impressed with the expertise she managed to calm the wildness in the horse with as little as a murmured word against his ear and a gentle hand against his neck. The roughness in his voice was the only sign that he was as excited by the sight of her as Keith was. “You’ve got that right, Keith. We found her, and this time, she sealed her own fate.”
