Page 58 of Drifter’s Heart

“Where is Levi these days, anyway?” I keep my tone casual, turning to Cord.

The rancher shrugs. “He drops in and out. Apparently he’s got a hookup in Valiant Peak he won’t tell anyone about, but it’s a bit of an open secret.” Something sparkles in Cord’s eyes that tells me he knows exactly who, but he’s keeping that morsel to himself for now.

I ignore his rumormongering. He can keep his secrets to himself. I have no interest in who Levi is hooking up with or not. Valiant Peak seems to have that effect on people. First Levi, and Dallas has his own little love nest going on that I’m keen to avoid. Even Dustan has shacked up with a random cowboy. Next thing I know, I’ll have a picket fence with Winnie and Sally will be attending the local school.

Tension draws tight along my shoulders. I can’t think of anything worse than being stuck in the small town. Sure, it’s a lovely town. Just fucking peachy, if you like that kind of stuff. I just can’t stand the thought of being shoved into a nine-to-five job, driving a desk and living in a tiny house jammed next to another small house that looks like the next one in a street full of identical abodes.

“He’ll be fine. We’re not losing him forever.” Cord misinterprets my stance on small towns for concern over Levi’s love life.

“I couldn’t give a flying fuck,” I grump, striding off the veranda that wraps around the house and forgetting my hat. “Who’re the new ranch hands that I need to get to know this season?” I look back at Cord when he doesn’t immediately answer me. “What?”

“Billy can sort you out,” he says softly, watching me like I’m a wild bull about to charge back through the front of his precious homestead.

I glance across to the younger man, curls falling into his face, who stands on the veranda with us. “Billy knows who’s doing what with the new hands?”

Billy wisely says nothing, but he also stops fidgeting.

“That’s right.” Cord grins. “He’s taken on the job since you left. Done a good fine effort too. You said he should step up and you were right.”

The veranda drops out from underneath me. Hell, the whole house may as well crumble at my feet.

“You made Billy foreman when I left?” The words taste like stale Coyote dust that fills my mouth.

Cord’s head tips to one side. “Someone needed to do the job.”

But not someone I trained. Someone who’s twenty years too inexperienced. Someone who’s going to fuck it all right up on us.

But there is no us anymore. I walked away. I left.

And Cord replaced me.

What did you think would happen? I had my joyride. Hell, I even drove north and decided I wanted to come back on a whim. Huh. The man who planned someone else’s life out for him jaunted around, looking for a home. My drifter’s existence was a joke. And now, when I tried to put down roots again, I forgot to ask if there was space in my old life for me back in it.

“Well, isn’t that just ducky.”

I stare between the two of them. No one says anything for a long moment. I refuse to budge, and my face can’t smile or shatter even when it wants to do both at once. None of us are breathing. This has to be a fucking joke. But from the lack of humor on Cord’s face, it’s not.

Feet pound the hardwood flooring inside the homestead. A moment later Sally rockets into my side, bursting through the doors to collide into me. I’m not sure if Winnie sent her or if it’s timing, but the interruption is much needed; otherwise the three of us are all due for asphyxiation.

“Hey, little scruff.” I sound like Winnie. “This might not be the best time?” I stroke her hair off her face where it’s ruffled on the side she’s been lying on, watching TV.

“It’s the perfect time. Mom says so.” Sally beams up at me and snuggles into my side.

Cord coughs from where he hasn’t moved.

I lean down and kiss the top of Sally’s head. “Your mom has big ears. You can tell her I said that, okay?”

“’Kay.”

“Can you also tell her that I’m going to stay with Dallas for a few days? I’ve got some work to do there. I’ll see her on Friday night. Will you do that for me?” No doubt that Winnie is eavesdropping like a pro and just heard everything I said, but those words are for the benefit of the men gathered around me.

“Sure, West. Kiss?” Sally proffers a cheek.

I press a kiss to her temple instead. “Look after your mom, okay? I’ll miss you both.”

“Sure.”

“West—” Cord starts, I expect with a backlog of arguments that he’s prepared in the last few minutes in order to get me to stay.