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“You tell him,” Keith insisted, his tone with his friend disgruntled.
“Hey, we tried talking them out of it.” Facing Slade, Riley said, “They took off after an elk bull they saw in the woods.”
Slade tensed with a grip of fury. There was no time for them to dress a kill and haul it back and finish moving this herd, so what the hell were they thinking? Before he could tamp down his anger, the pair emerged from the trees, close enough he could see their grimaces when they spotted him. The only thing working in their favor was the absence of gunfire echoing through the woods, a sure sign the chase was unsuccessful.
He didn’t waste time or words when they rode up. “You’ll both be docked a half-day’s wage. Get back to work.”
Evan’s usual resentful expression never changed, but Jeff’s face reflected relief as he replied, “Thanks for not firing us, boss. Won’t happen again.”
This crap is going to end,he vowed, watching the four of them return to their positions around the herd. Slade didn’t need one more thing tugging at his conscience and never took firing someone lightly. But damn it, his patience did have its limits.
Working with the guys, he helped drive the herd down to a lower pasture much closer to their barns where they would fare better come winter. Everyone’s tension eased when Jeff and Keith started joking around as they kept the horde of cattle together and moving at a steady pace. After sending him a few guarded glances, even Evan cracked a few smiles before they rode into the stable yard. When he dropped the attitude, the kid revealed a passion for ranch work and demonstrated a genuine fondness for animals, especially his current mount, Tuck. He always chose the brown quarter horse from the corral if one of the other hands wasn’t already riding him when Evan got here.
Slade dismounted at the rail, unsaddled Bandit, and turned him loose. He waited for the guys to release their horses along with the guys’ mounts before crooking a finger at Evan. “A word, please.”
Evan cast a look of unguarded longing toward the grazing horses before showing him his usual indifference. When the other three entered the stable, he asked, “Am I fired?” as if he didn’t care one way or another.
Leaning against the corral posts, he crossed his arms. As with Nicole, there was something about the kid’s attitude that reminded him of himself. “I should. You’ve been warned, repeatedly. Why?”
“Why what?”
“Why did you apply here, why do you stay if you dislike the job or me that much, or what’s your grudge? Take your pick.” He’d caught moments when Evan appeared to love ranch life, which didn’t jive with his behavior.
Evan gave him a cocky grin. “Who wouldn’t want a chance to work for the illustrious Kincaid brothers?”
Petty jealousy or something deeper he wasn’t getting? “Not many would turn down the opportunity if ranching was what drew their interest. So, either you’ve discovered it’s not your thing, or you applied for another reason.” Oh yeah. That hit a nerve. That backbone went ramrod stiff, his hands curling into fists at his sides.
“Am I fired or not? I rode here with Riley.”
“Not today,” he returned, giving up for now. The kid presented a puzzle he was determined to solve. “But it is your last warning and final pass. See you Monday.”
He nodded, a flash of relief in his green eyes before he turned and jogged to rejoin his friends. A definite conundrum Slade was determined to figure out. Driving home, he pondered what he could do about Evan short of letting him go or accusing him outright of the vandalism going on this past year. The answer still eluded him when he pulled up to his garage, but hearing Sam’s excited barking as soon as he opened the door took his mind off Evan. The loud clatter of boards coming together filtered through the trees, and he wondered what his neighbor was up to now. She’d told them on Sunday the contractor wouldn’t start until next week, so, unless she’d already hired other help, she was working on her own again.
Slade admired her drive, insisting he wasn’t concerned about her doing any heavy lifting or using tools he doubted she was familiar with. She was a grown woman who obviously preferred solitude. And hard work to keep her mind off...something. He respected that, and, besides, whatever had brought her to Wyoming to live alone in such a remote area was none of his business. He should call Deb and go out to Casey’s for a few hours. Spending time upstairs in their private space with his favorite play partner ought to relax him and take his mind off both Evan and Nicole. Deb loved bondage and leather, a multistrand flogger her favorite for him to apply.
For dinner, he tossed a couple of burgers on the grill, refusing to come up with something else just to avoid hearing any commotion from the other side of the woods. No one had done anything on Studman’s property for over a year, not since Cecil had asked him to check on it once in a while before going into assisted living. When it sold at auction, he was glad someone would put the land to good use. He’d grown used to the quiet was all. Why else would he continue to get distracted and bothered by the slight noise coming from that direction?
Slade carried the done burgers inside, wondering if Nicole would take a break to eat then swore he didn’t care one way or another. When he called Deb after downing dinner and couldn’t come up with a valid reason for the relief he felt when she didn’t answer, he gave up battling his curiosity. He changed into a heavier shirt to ward off the late-afternoon chill and traipsed through the woods again, telling himself this meant nothing more than doing the neighborly thing by checking up on someone.
Silence reigned around the yard as he strode toward the barn and stack of old lumber piled a few feet from the open door. He spotted nails sticking up on several worn slats before going inside. “Nicole, it’s Slade,” he called out, not seeing her or Sam. Taking a quick look around, he found the old stalls she’d started tearing down. Figuring she might have gone into the house to eat or quit for the day, he couldn’t bring himself to walk away without finishing this task for her.
I’m saving her a little time and days of aching muscles.Slade swore that was the motive behind his help, which didn’t explain the leap in his pulse when he emerged from the barn with an armful of boards and saw her stomping toward him with a scowl.
“Why are you here again?” she demanded, hands going to her slim hips.
His perverse side got a kick out of riling her. Why, he couldn’t answer yet. “I’m assisting you with this chore.” He dropped his arms, and the wood fell on top of the pile. “That should be obvious.”
Nicole turned her head, but he could still hear her mutter, “There’s something seriously wrong with you.”
“Why, because I’m friendly?”
“No, because I’m not. Hence, there’s something wrong with you because you keep showing up anyway,” she snapped, facing him again.
Well, that was honest and gave credence to the saying on today’s shirt –If you don’t like my dog you probably won’t like me – And I’m ok with that.
Damn it, he really didn’t want to like the woman. Before he could come up with a truthful reply, she bent to pet Sam who pressed against her leg at her angry voice. The over-large sweatshirt fell to the side on one shoulder, revealing a jagged scar that disappeared down into the sleeve. Slade’s usual firm control slipped enough to propel him forward, force his hand to cup her upper arm, and bring her close enough for him to confirm the knife wound. Fury toward whoever had harmed her coiled in his abdomen like a rattlesnake preparing to strike.
“Hey, knock it off!” Nicole jerked her arm, and he released her, taking a deep breath to get himself under control. Yanking her sleeve back up, she shot daggers at him without backing away. “You need to leave.”
