Page 26 of His Last Nerve

It pissed me off that Beau got to hear it.

It pissed me off that Beau was the one to make her laugh.

Why in the fuck was it pissing me off?

That night, after the green-eyed leech was long gone, Chase returned. Once again, not in uniform. I called the boys up from the bunk house and we gathered on my porch.

Caleb was inside, upstairs in his room, reading Harry Potter.

Sheriff Bowman gave us the go head, after weeks of gathering evidence. It would be taken care of. The twins, Beau and Jigs would go into town and bring the problem back here.

Then we would eliminate the problem.

Chapter Eight

Valerie

“Howarethingsgoing?”

I was on the phone with Mr. Moonie at ten at night, and I was exhausted, but he called anyways.

“Mr. Langston is about as stubborn as a bull, sir,” I admitted. A bull I have been trying to talk to forweeks. I had been in Colorado for a little over a month. I didn’t think that this trip would be over a month long. After two weeks, human resources booked me an extended stay at the town’s hotel. I just wanted to go home and see my mom. She told me she was doing fine, that Jackie was good with staying with her until I returned, but that meant owing more money.

“Mr. Moonie?”

Silence.

He didn’t like that answer. Unease washed over me.

“But I have been making progress with one of his ranch hands,” I stammered.

A moment of silence and then, “Oh?” There was a terrifying angry tone in his voice, like he was trying to control his fury.

“Yes, sir,” I said, trying to calm my breathing.

“Maybe this cowboy could talk some sense into yours…” he trailed off, hoping I would catch on.

I did.

“That’s the plan, sir. I drafted a packet of information, going off the pamphlet, but in a little more detail—”

“Was there something wrong with the pamphlet?” he asked slowly.

Nope. Besides Denver Langston ripping it in half.“No, sir. I just wanted to try a different approach.”

“I see.”

“Was there anything else that you needed, sir?” I asked, after another stretch of silence.

“Get the ranch hand to listen to you. Then call me and the three of us can have lunch in Denver.”

He hung up.

I let out a shaky breath before burying my face in my hands. This was a disaster. Earlier, when I called my mom, she gave me that look—the one from before when she told me to quit and come home.

There was no point in going home if I had to put her in the ground.

Bile rose in my throat.

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