Page 45 of Disarming The Rancher

Figuring he might as well go all in since he couldn’t seem to stop thinking about it, he opened the drawer.

The file was gone.

14

Raleigh noticed the minute Brax left the room. The air changed and she missed his presence. She reminded herself not to get too attached. Except that he was everything that was good about being home.

And that was precisely the danger. He made her want to stick around.

It didn’t help matters she’d written three songs in the loft with him last night. Being with him reminded her of so many little things she loved. The smell of hay. A horse’s nicker. An endless summer sky.

“How much did Wade take?” Willie asked.

“I’m hiring an accountant to figure out the books. They’re a mess and nothing matches up but I already froze our accounts after payroll, and we’ll get a professional on the job who can sort through it all. Give us a better picture of where we stand,” she said. “Honestly, I’m tickled we’re not broke. We do have a good amount of money in the bank. I have no idea what’s supposed to go out or come in, but we’ll get a handle on it.”

“Thank heaven for small miracles,” Tim said, whilst Randy nodded.

“I feel like I should have been on top of what was going on with Wade. I apologize for letting you all down,” she said.

The rebuttals were immediate.

“You did no such thing,” Randy said to a chorus of similar statements.

“Thank you guys for saying it, but I do feel personally responsible,” she argued.

“We’re in this together. Any one of us could have questioned Wade or asked to see the books. It’s been a little too easy to let you do everything,” Willie piped in. “That needs to change. We’re grown adults and we should be pitching in more.”

Kenny was the only one who sat in silence, arms folded over his chest, chin down. Was he still wallowing in self-pity? She remembered Randy’s warning. Kenny had been quick to defend Wade. The two couldn’t be in league…could they?

There was only one way to find out.

“Kenny, you’ve been quiet. Is there anything you want to add to the conversation? Your opinion is just as important as everyone’s.” She hoped she wasn’t pouring it on too thick.

“I’m just a drummer,” he said. “That’s all I care about and all I want to do.”

Kenny made a dramatic show of slapping his palm on the table as he stood before walking out the back door.

“Why does he have a stick up his—”

Tim cut Randy off by clearing his throat. Randy glanced around the room like he just realized they were in mixed company.

“He’s been off ever since the divorce,” Raleigh mentioned and quickly added, “not that I’m making an excuse for his behavior. I’m just looking for an explanation.”

“Someone needs to remind him of his manners.” Willie was normally the quiet one of the group, so his comment drew a couple of eyebrows. The low rumble to his voice said he was fed up with Kenny.

“I’ll have a talk with him,” Raleigh offered.

“Mind if I take a stab at it first?” Buck asked. “I used to have a temper until I learned to get it under control.”

“You?” they all said in unison. All heads turned toward Buck.

“One of my old bosses took me under his wing after letting me know my options,” he said with a grin.

“I’d sure like to know what those were,” Willie piped in.

“Get it under control or get off his crew and take my reputation with me.” Buck smiled at the memory. “I told him to take his job and shove it.”

The group laughed, breaking up some of the tension.