“Hey!”
I snorted a laugh. “She’s my niece. She’s going to end up cursing like a sailor and fucking like a rabbit.”
“Over my dead body,” Jude growled.
I laughed again. “Relax,Dad. I’m sure she’ll be a perfect angel growing up surrounded by cowboys.”
Jude glowered.
Romy giggled, giving me a hidden wink. “She already has him wrapped around her little finger. Pretty sure he’s in for some trouble.” She raised a hand, scratching the stubble on his cheek. “Did you find the lost cattle?”
“Yeah, but one has a nasty laceration on her chest.”
I stopped patting Charli’s back, sitting up straighter. Genuine concern overtook my entire body. I gently bounced Charli up and down, setting a rhythm for her so she could doze off. When I glanced down, she was already asleep. “From what?”
“Barbed wire, probably. Someone’s been cutting the fence lines.”
My mouth went dry. “What? Why didn’t Dad tell me?” I shook my head in disbelief.
Jude shrugged. “He probably didn’t want to worry you. Besides, we’re handling it. I just ordered some extra game cameras to set up around the ranch.”
“Dad’s been letting you do that? Pay for things?”
“I stopped asking for permission months ago. Hired a couple extra guys, too. Marshall and Jace are out with Reed right now, repairing it.”
At the sound of Reed’s name, I gulped, attempting to loosen the feeling of an electric current going straight to my chest.
Icouldgo talk to Dad, but I already knew I wouldn’t get anywhere with him. He never wanted me to worry while I was out on the circuit, and he’d just tell me what he wanted me to hear. Jude would be honest with me, but he was too preoccupied with a new baby and planning a wedding. He was doing his part getting the cameras, but I needed to know more.
“Um … here.” I needed to go. “It was so nice to hold her.” I handed baby Charli back to Romy. “I need to go find Dad.”
I did need to talk to Dad about what’s been going on at the ranch while I’ve been gone, but I also couldn’t sit still. It felt like my muscles were vibrating, and if I didn’t move, I’d go crazy.
“We’ll talk more about the party later, Romy. Thanks for the baby snuggles!” I called, shoving my feet into my boots by the big-ass double doors.
“Stay away from the southwest fence line!” Jude called after me.
He knew me well, but what he didn’t know wouldn’t hurt him. I needed to go talk to someone. Someone who was a straight shooter and would be honest with me, even if I had to piss him off to do so. I’d have to go talk to the one person I reallydidn’t want to talk to. And I think I knew a way to get him to tell me exactly what I needed to know.
3
reed
Idropped another spool of steel wire beside the fence line. “This should be enough to rewire what’s broken, but I’ll have to talk to Chuck about getting more.”
We’d have to make sure we had backstock, especially at the rate the vandal was cutting wire. Hopefully, once Jude set up those extra game cams, we’d catch the culprit. In the meantime, I was already planning on running night shifts with the other hired hands. Chuck couldn’t afford to lose any more cattle.
I brushed my gloved hands off on my worn Wranglers. The spring sun blazed, causing sweat to run down the sides of my face, my shirt sticking uncomfortably to my back.
For May, it was as hot as Satan’s ass crack. We hadn’t had rain in over ten days, and already, we were below average rainfall for the season. It was shaping up to be a drought year, which led to poor ranching conditions. Which meant Chuck was going to have to rent grazing land to keep the cattle fed.
“Let’s get busy, boys. I don’t want to still be out here when the sun sets.” I’d be back out anyway on the first watch. Marshall and Jace were staring beyond me into the glaring sun, their hands shading their eyes.
“What?” I turned to look in the direction they were looking and froze. My breath caught in my throat, and my blood rushed to all my extremities, including my dick.
What the fuck does she think she’s doing?
Lina Larsen was picking her way around the sagebrush in nothing but a swimsuit, fringed jacket, and boots. She had a towel flung over her shoulder and the neck of a bottle of Jack in her grasp. Her long, bronze legs disappeared into brown cowboy boots, begging to be wrapped around my waist. It was a one-piece, but it was the sexiest one-piece I’d ever seen. A plunging neckline framed her perfect tits, and the high cut accentuated her perfect, wide hips.Shit!Was that a thong? Her firm, tan ass was out for all to see.
