Page 80 of A Heart Falls Cowboy Christmas

“No, now is fine.” He stood and folded his arms over his chest, everything about him screaming a conversation with Sasha was the last thing he wanted.

“Just so you know, I asked Tucker to be here. If I’m out of line, he’s going to call me on it.” Sasha spoke quietly but firmly. She wasn’t backing down.

Frank glanced at Tucker, confusion back in place. “You know what she’s talking about?”

“Not yet, but she’s got a good head on her shoulders, so I think it’s important to listen,” Tucker assured him.

A quiet moment passed, then Frank nodded.

Sasha inhaled, slow and deep. That chin went up again, before she deliberately lowered it and met Frank’s gaze. “I’m one hundred percent committed to the family and doing what’s right for both our ranches. I know I’m not Dustin. I know I’m young. And I really, really know that I have a ton of stuff to learn.”

Frank’s expression was grim, but he stayed silent.

“While I’m still learning, while I’m growing, I need to know if I’m allowed to tell you what I see.”

“Allowed?”

“Yes, allowed.” Sasha lifted her shoulders in a resigned shrug. “I made a suggestion about a maintenance board and was told you deal with all the lists. The next week the team I was working with wasted a morning because the supply shed was a mess and half the items we needed were out of stock.”

“Things run out at times. Someone goes to get them,” Frank retorted. He glanced at Tucker and shrugged. “You know how it is. Plus, it’s only forty-five minutes to town.”

Tucker stayed silent as Sasha continued her list. “Forty-five minutes one way is an hour and a half that the people who didn’t go to town could have spent on other small tasks that no one knows to do because they’re on some master list in your head that no one else can read.”

Frank wiped his hands on a rag as he answered. “I’ve run this ranch a long time.”

“I know.”

“I know what needs doing.”

“You do.”

Frank all but growled in exasperation. “Then what’s the issue?”

“That not everyone knows what needs doing. What’s more important to you? That Crooked Creek is well run or that you’re calling all the shots?”

Frank went still, his gaze flicking to where Tucker stood slightly out of the way.

Tucker considered. She’d been a touch harsh, but the comment was nowhere near as brash as some he’d heard Frank spout over the years.

The space all but crackled with tension as Sasha spoke again. “I’m sorry, that came out harder than I intended. But I see things, and since I do want the best for Crooked Creek, I feel the need to say something. The place isn’t badly run, but there are areas where a little more structure would help. A maintenance board. A supply list. Fueling the side-by-sides before they’re parked for the night.”

Frank stared out the door at the row of machines, the crease back between his brows. “We fuel when they need to be fueled.”

“And every week I’ve been here, half the time the one I’ve grabbed has been nearly empty.”

“Then you filled it.”

“Yes, because I had time. What if you grabbed one at five a.m. in the morning? Or what if Adam needed one in a hurry? He’d have to start his day with yesterday’s unfinished task.”

Frank didn’t answer.

“At Silver Stone, the rule is that the next person shouldn’t have to guess. If you use the last of something, you write it down. If a gate drags, you write it down. If a machine is below fifty percent on fuel, you fill it before you park it. It makes the work smoother.”

Frank looked at her for a long moment. “You think we’re sloppy.”

“No, Uncle Frank. Not sloppy.” This time the answer came fast. Firm. “I think you’ve been on your own for so long you’ve gotten used to trying to carry too much by yourself.”

Tucker was as shocked at the comment as Frank.