Chapter Six
Tyler
“How’s it going over here?” I ask, staring into the guts of the tractor Jude is working on.
“Gonna need to get more parts for it. The hydraulic system is fucked beyond repair,” Jude grunts, twisting the wrench in his hand, pulling another bolt out.
“Damn,” I mutter. “Think they’ll have the parts in town?”
“Yeah,” he answers. “I’ve already called and asked. They’ve got them put to the side for me.”
“I’ll head out and get them since I need to pick up the load of horse feed as it is.” It’ll save Jude time, and he can keep doing what he needs to do to get the tractor up and running. Without it, it’ll be a pain in the ass to get the hay moved around. Not to mention everything else we use the tractor for.
Jude glances up, sunglasses firmly in place, blocking out the bright sunlight. “Appreciate it. Means, I’ll have this done today.”
“That’ll be good,” I tell him and tap the side of the tractor with my knuckles. “Last thing we need is this old girl to be out of commission longer than she has to be.”
"Yeah," Jude agrees, lifting the hem of his shirt to wipe his brow. "Now, if we can keep Wyatt out of the seat, that would be good. The man is good at a lot of things, but he's shit with a clutch."
I can’t help but chuckle at that. I know what he means about Wyatt not knowing how to drive anything with a clutch. We had to replace it twice in the last year, with him stripping the damn thing, but the guy has to learn it eventually, that or stay off the damn tractor.
Leaving Jude to handle things here, I head for my truck. Maddox would’ve gone and done this trip today, but he is meeting with Lucifer to go over the books for the ranch this morning.
When I first learned Maddox had signed a deal with the Fallen Demons, making them a partner in the ranch, it irked me. I knew the ranch was in trouble, and had been for quite some time, even before William passed away. There had been weeks where I'd gone without pay because he didn't have it to give, and I never gave him any grief about it. I knew he'd square up with me when things turned around, and he did. But I was his right-hand man, and a little heads-up would've been nice.
Instead, I found out in the same abrupt manner as everyone else. There was no easing us into the new partnership. As soon as the ink was dry, the name changed from Meadows Ranch to Fallen Meadows Ranch, and this place became infiltrated with bikers.
I'm not complaining, though. Logically, I knew this was the best call. The Fallen Demons gave Maddox the capital he needed to get back on track and the assets needed to expand the operations here. On top of the new herd Maddox purchased prior to signing the deal, we have bison too. Now, we have over seventeen calves that were born from the old herd and over the last two months, three more cows have fallen pregnant. We'llbe taking quite a few of the calves to the auction next month, driving in even more income from the stock show once we put them up for auction.
Pulling through the gates at the end of the lane, I make the turn toward town. With it being Friday, traffic is a bit heavier than on a typical day, especially this time of day. People are getting out of work. Others are going out for a night on the town. Granted, traffic here is nothing compared to the city. We only have a total of three traffic lights. The rest are stop signs.
Another turn, then another, I make the last one into the parts store. As I park, I notice a familiar truck drive past and my gut twists at the sight of it.
Delaney.
I shouldn’t think of her.
I’m still reeling over the fact she’s my son’s teacher this year. I remember her telling me she was a teacher, but hadn’t thought much more about it.
Taking a breath, I shove the thoughts away. I don’t need to be thinkingabout her now or ever. Not when I have things to do.
It’s not like I’m going to have a repeat with her. No matter how much my dick would enjoy it. I’m not one for repeating past mistakes. Though, I wouldn’t call my son a mistake. Not by a long shot, but I’m not into more than a one-nighter with women.
But what if . . .
Nope, not finishing that thought either.
I don’t even want to think about how the condom had broken while I fucked Delaney. Thinking about the way I treated her leads me down a path I don’t want to go down.
Shoving the thoughts away, I shut off my truck and get out. All that matters at this moment is getting work done. Parts for Jude. Feed for the horses. Getting the rest of the work done. Going home to my son at the end of the day. That’s what matters.
“Does your cellphone not work?” Lexy demands, hands on her hips, facing me from the kitchen as I toe off my boots.
“Yeah, it works,” I tell her, raising a brow. “Why?”
“Oh, I don’t know, maybe because I’ve called you like three hundred and ten times,” she snaps, throwing her hands in the air with a huff.
I pull my phone out and find I have a total of three missed calls from Lexy. “What’s wrong that you called supposedly three hundred and ten times, which adds up to your three I actually got?”
