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“I’ll do that.” Sam seemed very pleased by the offer. Then his face got serious. “How you doing out on that ranch? I heard the new owners showed up. They treating you well?”
Ruth laughed. “You gonna come chase them off if they weren’t?”
Sam looked completely serious as he moved back to the counter, reached underneath the counter and pulled up the hilt of a shotgun. “Don’t think I wouldn’t. Ain’t nobody gonna hurt our little missy. Especially no outsiders.”
“Dear Lord, Sam, put that thing away.” But Ruth was laughing, she didn’t seem alarmed at seeing the weapon. My heart was pounding. Holy crap, I’d always heard that everyone in Texas was packing, but I was alarmed to find out how true it was.
“Everything’s fine. No need to call out the militia just yet. They seem like good guys. We’re making it work.”
Sam didn’t seem so sure and he kept one eyebrow cocked. “Well, you just call me if that changes.”
Ruth shook her head and rolled her eyes. “I’m not the little girl Gracie used to babysit anymore. You don’t have to worry about me so much. I can take care of myself just fine.”
Sam grumbled something under his breath, but Ruth was already moving on.
“Sam, let me introduce you to Charlie. She’s a new hire out at the ranch.”
I waved. “Nice to meet you.”
Sam turned his friendly smile on me. “Lovely to meet you, Miss Charlie. What brings you to our neck of the woods?”
“Oh,” I laughed nervously and waved a hand.
Ruth came to my rescue. “Not much time to chat today, I’m afraid, Sam. I’m here to pick up some cake for the cows, and some sheetrock if you’ve got any in. If not, we’ll need to put some on order. The brothers who are managing the ranch are finally fixing up the bunkhouse.”
A beep sounded from Ruth’s pocket and she pulled out her phone. Her eyebrows went up. “And as many fence posts as you’ve got, apparently.”
“Something wrong?” Sam asked, obviously noting her expression like I had.
Ruth frowned but shook her head as she quickly typed a text message back and then shoved it back in her pocket. “I’m sure it’s nothing. They’ve just been having trouble with the fencing. So, what do ya got for me?”
“Well, you’re in luck,” Sam said. “Just got in a shipment of sheetrock so you’ve got your pick. And we always got posts. Just up to how much space you got in the bed of your truck.”
Ruth smiled. “Oh, I can get creative. I brought plenty of rope.”
“You always were crazy with your loads, girl.” Sam shook his head. “You know my policy. After you buy it and it leaves my store, no returns, no matter what fool thing you do to it after it leaves my shop door. Don’t matter you’re as close as family. I gotta make a living too.”
Ruth threw a hand to her chest dramatically. “I would never,” she said, making Sam chuckle.
“Better not,” was all he said, before leading us to the back.
We’d just reached the section in the large back of the shop that was more like a big, covered garage when I saw him—the obnoxious guy who’d stopped by in the big truck that first day after I’d arrived. He stood by the wheelbarrows on the other side of the small garage.
Ruth saw him at the same time and her step hitched.
It was too late, though, because he’d seen us too.
He smirked and immediately started strutting toward us. “Well, if it ain’t Ruthie and her new little girlfriend.”
I just tilted my head and stared at him.
Ruth went tense beside me. Then she looked back to Sam and gave him a smile that was obviously tight. “We’ll take five of the big sheetrock panels, thanks, Sam. A half pallet of cake and ten of the fence posts. Is Carlos around? Could he help us load the truck?”
“Come on, Ruthie, don’t be like that,” said the asshole from across the room.
God, the man was obnoxious.
There were a few others milling around this back area of the store, and they were alternately openly staring or obviously trying not to stare, but still looking out the side of their eye at Ruth and Fuckface. What was his name again? I didn’t bother too hard at registering idiot’s names.
