“In case I get lost,” I said flatly, irritation still sitting sharp under my ribs. “Or hurt. Or so they can come save my stupid ass.”
Dalton snorted, completely unhelpful. “I mean. Fair.”
“Not fair.”
“A little fair.”
“I am perfectly capable of—” I cut myself off, jaw tightening as the rest of it tangled somewhere between pride and frustration. “None of them will talk to me. Not properly. It’s all instructions and orders, like I’m… fuck, I don’t know.”
“An outsider?” Dalton said, quieter now, the teasing note dropping from his voice.
I exhaled, some ofthe fight going with it. “Yeah.”
“Lucas,” he said, steady in a way that always made it harder to argue, “you showed up out of nowhere and told them you’re selling the place.”
“I didn’t just?—”
“You kind of did.”
I scrubbed a hand over my face, dragging it down slowly. “It’smyranch.”
“I know,” he said. “But it’s their home.”
I knew he was right. “They don’t trust me,” I muttered eventually.
“Wouldyoutrust you?” Dalton asked.
I huffed out a breath. “You’re supposed to be on my side.”
“Iamon your side,” he said easily. “Doesn’t mean I’m going to lie to you.” There was a pause, and then, lighter again, “Also, for the record, a riled-up cowboy issuing you a radio like you’re in some kind of survival drama? I’m into it. Is he hot?”
“That’s not the point.”
“So that’s a yes.” Dalton chuckled.
I pushed off the fence and paced a couple of steps, more to burn off the restless edge than because I needed to move. “I didn’t call to talk about him.”
“Mm-hm.”
“I didn’t.”
“Sure.”
I let that hang there for a second before saying, “When are you coming out?” I didn’t actually use the words I miss you, but I kinda did, and that was a whole new experience in life.
Dalton didn’t answer straight away, and that hesitationtold me everything I needed to know. “I want to,” he said, and there was something more serious under it now. “You know I do. But I can’t right now.” He paused, and when he spoke again, the weight of it was back. “Work’s a mess. You know about the Madden account. It’s worse than that—we’re trying to keep the whole place from going under.”
I kicked at the snow. “So, take a few days. PTO exists.”
“Not when you’re part of the team trying to save a sinking ship.”
“That place isn’t your responsibility.”
“Yeah,” he said quietly. “It kind of is.”
I blew out a breath, frustration tightening again, sharp and familiar. “Great. So, I’m stuck out here with all these sexy cowboys, and you’re refusing to come visit.”
“How sexy?” Dalton asked, then snorted a laugh. “It’s six months. Not forever. Then you’ll be home. So, take your radio and try not to die.”
